I knew there would be a lot to learn about running an ultramarathon (a distance beyond 26.2 miles) and I also figured "how much harder could it be than running a marathon?". Boy was that a stupid question.

Ultramarathons are a whole different beast and training for my first one has chewed me up and spit me out. I have been put through my paces and gotten a complete education in the last eight months.

I am happy to share what I have learned in the last eight months as a midlife woman, mom of two and aspiring mountain endurance athlete. Let's dive in, shall we?