Things I'm Not Afraid to Admit About My First Ultramarathon

You don't have to feel ready. You just have to start.

Hi friend! Welcome back to the Big Adventure Club 💙

Last Sunday, I ran my first 50K ultramarathon.

That’s 31.1 miles.

Going into race day, I honestly wasn’t sure I could finish.

Five hours and four minutes after crossing the start line...

I crossed the finish line.

And while my legs were exhausted, my brain immediately started collecting all the little lessons I wish someone had told me beforehand.

So here’s my honest race recap.

And honestly? I loved every second of it.

Every hill became permission to catch my breath, look around, and reset before running again.

One of my biggest realizations is that ultrarunning isn’t about proving you never walk.

It’s about moving forward.

I didn’t have the perfect training block.

I missed runs.

I cut long runs short.

Some days life got in the way.

Other days the trail did.

I kept wondering if I’d done enough.

Or if my ankle would hold up.

Turns out...

You don’t have to feel completely ready to do something hard.

This one surprised me the most.

Yes, it was hard.

But it was also genuinely fun.

Running through forests.
Talking with strangers.
Cheering people on.
Watching everyone quietly chase their own goal.

There was so much joy packed into those 31 miles.

...and I paid for it.

Around mile 20, I completely lost my appetite.

Every bite made me gag.

I knew I needed calories.

My body wanted absolutely nothing to do with them.

Lesson learned.

Next time, I think I’ll rely much more heavily on drink mixes, gels, and squeeze pouches instead of chewable foods.

Every race teaches me a new lesson in Body Glide.

This time?

My neck.

Along my sports bra band.

The liner of my shorts.

But thankfully, my thighs survived the burn.

This might be my hottest take.

Five hours of running through similar forest scenery started feeling... repetitive.

I realized I really love routes that keep me curious.

Give me alpine lakes.

Mountain views.

Rocky ridgelines.

Anything that makes me forget I’m running for hours on end.

For the first two-thirds of the race, I spent so much time chatting with other runners.

It was one of my favorite parts.

Then the field spread out.

The last third became a much quieter experience.

And I realized how much I love sharing hard things with other people.

Me during the race:

“Why did I sign up for this?”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Never again.”

Me that evening:

“Okay... what trail race should I do next?”

Apparently, this is a universal ultrarunner experience.

A lot of you asked what I raced in.

Rather than cram it all into this newsletter, I’m putting together a full breakdown of every piece of gear I trusted for my first ultramarathon, why I chose it, and what I’d change for next time.

👀 Coming soon.

Or, if you’re impatient...

You can browse my complete race kit here

What’s something you finished that made you immediately think...

“Okay... I’d actually do that again.”

I’d love to hear your answers.

One of my favorite things about trying something new is realizing how often reality is different from the story we tell ourselves beforehand.

I thought an ultramarathon would be about running.

Instead, it was about patience.

Curiosity.

Problem solving.

Community.

And trusting myself to keep moving forward, even when things got uncomfortable.

Sometimes we don’t need perfect preparation.

We just need the courage to start.

💙 If you’re ever looking for the gear, nutrition, and trail running pieces I actually use, you can find them all here.

Chat soon,

Lauren (@laurensbigadventure)