I Ran the Yeti Ultra 24 Hour Challenge! My Experience & What I Learned
This year I wanted to take on new running challenges. With the running world still not quite back to normal, I knew that my at-home running routine would need to include different goals in order for it to remain interesting. Enter the Yeti Ultra 24 Hour Challenge! I saw a lot of runners taking this challenge on last spring, and it had really intrigued me, so when it came around again this winter I knew I needed to see what it was all about for myself. Here are the rules:
Run a 50K in 24 Hours -6 total runs -5.2 miles in distance once every 4 hours -& you can't stack your miles to get the challenge done earlier
I knew that I would be in the middle of my marathon training during the window for the Yeti, so instead of running my usual 20 mile training run before tapering, I decided to switch it out for a non-consecutive 31.2 miles... NO BIG DEAL 😅 I really had no idea what I was getting into, and while I tried to do some research on tips and tricks for this challenge there wasn't a ~ton~ out there, so I thought I'd share my experience for anyone interested in tackling this beast!
Preparation
I had never done a challenge like this before, so I wasn't really sure how to prepare. I knew I would need to make the day of the challenge as easy for me as possible when it came to the time in between my runs, so I made sure that all of my running clothes were already laid out and that our kitchen was fully stocked with food so I didn't have to worry about leaving the house at any point between runs.
My running attire lineup for the day: -Compression socks x6 -Leggings x6 -Tech t-shirt x6 -Long sleeve tech shirt x6
-Running shoes x3 (I rotated through these two times, never the same pair twice in a row)
-NoxGear light vest for dark runs
-Head lamp for dark runs
-Not pictured: an additonal sweatshirt/jacket, winter headgear, and gloves for most runs, as well as underwear/sports bra for each run
Having the clothing set aside and in a laundry basket was such a game changer, especially for the runs toward the end of the challenge where I was super tired! Having the decision of what to wear made ahead of time made it so much easier to get myself dressed and out the door each time, which was so key.
For food, I made sure I had things on hand that were above all else, either already made or easy enough to make so I wasn't on my feet in the kitchen for too long. I had things like frozen waffles, fruit, granola bars, bagels, peanut butter etc. all at the ready. I also bought some frozen chicken tenders and mini frozen pizzas to have on hand, though I didn't end up using those. It was just nice to know that if I needed something to eat, it wasn't going to take me forever to put together and I could spend most of my downtime resting!
I think my biggest tip for success in this challenge is make the day as easy for yourself as possible. Don't do this on a day where you have other commitments, errands to run, or big chores to complete. To be successful in this, try to make this your sole focus of the day if at all possible! I know that's not easy for everyone, but the more you can take off of your plate during the challenge, the better chance of success you will have.
During the Challenge
I opted to run my challenge with the following schedule:
Run #1 - 4:00AM
Run #2 - 8:00AM
Run #3 - 12:00PM
Run #4 - 4:00PM
Run #5 - 8:00PM
Run #6 - 12:00AM
I thought that this schedule was the closest I could get to a "normal" day and wouldn't severely impact my sleep schedule. Obviously getting up at 3AM and staying up to nearly 2AM isn't the most normal thing in the world 😂 but I thought I could get the most "normal" night's sleep with this schedule versus other schedules. The night before I got myself in bed by about 7:30PM and was asleep about 2 hours later at 9:30. This gave me a solid 5.5 hours of sleep before my alarm went off at 3AM. I did have a panic wake-up at about midnight, thinking I had missed my alarm (fairly certain this happens before any race I run 😂) but was able to fall asleep fairly quickly after that.
Run #1 - 4:00 AM
I got out of bed around 3:10AM, got into my first outfit of the day, ate a quick snack of a rice cake with peanut butter, and got myself out the door at 4AM. It was SO WINDY out, and still pitch black. The wind was gusting so hard that at one point mid-stride the wind kind of took my feet out from under me which was so crazy! 🌬️ I was nervous that the entire day was going to be as windy as it was for run #1, which is not something I had factored into my plan at all! It was also super lonely to run in the dark solo at that hour. I was so jealous of everyone who was still warm in bed! But I got through the first run feeling really good and was ready to eat some breakfast when I got home. 😋
After this run I ate, showered, got into comfy clothes, stretched, and then napped on the couch while watching re-runs of Scrubs. This was my routine for most of the day, and to be honest it really worked for me! Two of my biggest pieces of advice I could give for this challenge are:
Take a shower after every run. I know some folks opt to give it a couple of runs before rinsing off, but honestly grabbing a shower every time helped me to stay comfortable the whole day. Plus with the weather being so cold, it really helped to keep my core temp up and relax between runs which was so crucial. I'm sure if you were running in milder weather it might be easier to wait until after you completed a couple legs, but this was a huge help during my challenge.
Have a set of non-running clothes to change into between each run. I had a set of loose fitting sweats that I changed into and it felt SO nice to not constantly be in tight running clothes! Keeping things as comfy as possible in your downtime is key!
Run #2 - 8:00AM
Another thing I did to keep me on top of my running schedule was set a LOT of alarms on my phone! I set an alarm for one hour before my next run (in case I fell asleep during my down time), a 15-minute warning alarm, and an alarm for when to start running the next leg. This was SO helpful, and paid off right away when my alarm woke me from a couch nap at 7AM!
The sun was out for my second run which instantly boosted my mood! It feels so much better to run when you can see your surroundings clearly 😅 I also had a four-legged running buddy for this run which made it so much more fun! 🐕 The only complaint I had about this run was that my ankles started to randomly feel really tight. I did some calf stretches and rolled out my feet and ankles when I got back to help with the paid. Both my feet and calves were super tight, so it's no wonder I was feeling pain!
I was already starting to feel the fatigue before this run, but the weather had really started warming up which really helped out with my energy. Snowy snuck herself in on the first couple of miles of my run, and after I dropped her off I was running fast than I had all day! I did slightly overestimate how much further I had to run after dropping Snowy off, but I took a few short cuts on my way back to get myself as close to 5.2 miles as possible. This ended up being my fastest run of the day somehow! Brett even made me lunch when I returned which was so appreciated!
Distance: 5.23 miles Time: 50:37.7 Pace: 9:41/mi
1: 10:23.4
2: 10:09.4
3: 8:59.3
4: 9:22.6
5: 9:35.6
0.23: 2:07.4
Pre-Run Food: Bowl of cereal and 2 Oatmeal Creme Pies 😅 Post-Run Food:egg, turkey bacon, and spinach wrap and strawberry Gatorade
Run #4 - 4:00PM
Leg #4 ended up being my most challenging run of the day, despite it not being my slowest. At this point I realized that I was having the exact *opposite* problem that I was nervous about - I was over fueling instead of under fueling. I'm not sure if you've ever run on a full stomach, but it's definitely not the most fun thing in the world 😂 I really didn't want to eat much after I got back, so I just rested and watched reruns until it was time to get up for the next leg. This was the last run I had in day light, so the rest of the challenge was going to be tough for me mentally, especially when all I wanted to do at this point was sleep.
Distance: 5.20 miles Time: 54:31.7 Pace: 10:29/mi
1: 10:11.5
2: 10:32.5
3: 10:27.4
4: 10:30.8
5: 10:46.7
0.2: 2:02.9
Pre-Run Food: A little chocolate 🍫 Post-Run Food:Nothing, just water!
Run #5 - 8:00PM
Fatigue had 100% set in at this point, making my legs and eyelids super heavy. All I was thinking about during this run was how tired I was and I just could not wait until the challenge was over so I could SLEEP! If there's one thing that I'm a big baby about, it's being tired. (Let's be real though, there's definitely more than one thing that I'm a big baby about 😂). I was worried about these last two night runs, but surprisingly 8PM wasn't so bad of a time to run! The houses in my neighborhood were still lit up, and there were still folks out and about walking their dogs and whatnot. I was surprised at how comfortable I felt! Finishing up this run and knowing that I still had to wait til midnight to finish up was a challenge, but I tried to ignore my internal whiney-ness as much as possible and gear up for the 6th and final leg.
Distance: 5.2 miles Time: 56:22.4 Pace: 10:50/mi
1: 10:58.3
2: 10:44.7
3: 10:29.7
4: 10:59.8
5: 10:56.1
0.2: 2:13.8
Pre-Run Food: Cheese & crackers and another Oatmeal Creme Pie Post-Run Food: Just some water and Gatorade
Run #6 - 12:00AM
The smile of someone who is finally allowed to go to sleep!
The final leg! This definitely felt more like a late-night run, and definitely had the same vibes as running at 4AM. I stayed close to home and was as alert as possible as I did my loops of the neighborhood. I kept myself motivated by slowly counting down the miles in my head, and when I finally finished I had my own little quiet dance party at 1AM! I will say that it was super weird celebrating my accomplishment alone in the middle of the night, but I was still so proud of myself for finishing! I rewarded myself with a nice hot shower and finally FINALLY sleeping! 😴
Distance: 5.21 miles Time: 52:43.7 Pace: 10:07/mi
1: 10:31.7
2: 10:01.1
3: 9:49.5
4: 9:59.8
5: 10:13.3
0.21: 2:08.4
Pre-Run Food: Peanut butter crackers and Gatorade Post-Run Food: N/A
Post-Challenge & What I Learned
Yeti finisher's medal! 😍
This happens to me often, but usually after I physically exert myself to the point that I did with this challenge I do not get the best sleep the night after. I think I only slept for about 4-ish hours after finishing up this challenge? And that's pretty par for the course - I don't sleep well after marathons either, so I honestly wasn't surprised! What I was surprised by, though, was how long it took me to recover. Physically, my legs felt fine. I wasn't overly sore or anything like that. But I think the exhaustion really took me a while to come back from. Before I knew it, a week had gone by and I hadn't run a single step. I was just so dang tired! So that was something I wasn't expecting.
I did have a few really valuable takeaways from this experience, though, and if you're hoping to take on this challenge I definitely recommend the following:
⚡Ignoring your brain is key to survival in challenges like this 😂 (That’s why distance runners do what they do, right?) Seriously though, if I had thought too hard about this I never would have gotten through! When the time came, regardless how I felt about it, I put my running clothes on and got myself out the door and didn’t stop running until I got my 5.2 miles for that round. Operate like a robot!
⚡️Along the same lines, listen to your body and be adaptable! 24 hours is a long time to just stick to one plan, and you’re really never going to know what you’re going to need at different points of the day. Listen to what your body is telling you it needs (food, stretching, sleep, etc) and do that thing on your off hours.
⚡️Sharing the experience makes it all the more exciting, and will bring out encouragement that will give you fuel through the harder moments! When I wanted to stop, I thought of all the kind words of encouragement that were shared with me and I pushed through. If I kept this experience to myself, I wouldn’t have had that to rely on. Having your community rally around you will make this experience so much easier and enjoyable!
Would I Do This Challenge Again?
I definitely wouldn't rule it out! Aside from the fatigue (which again, I'm a huge baby about being tired), I had a lot of fun participating in this challenge! I think the one thing I would like to change if I did the Yeti again is to find someone to do it with. It did get quite lonely on my runs, especially the night time runs, and finding the discipline and motivation in yourself to keep going is a huge challenge. I think I would have so much fun doing this challenge with a buddy (whether that's virtually or in person), so if I were to ever take on the challenge again I'd want to do it with someone else! Any takers? 😉
I also vlogged my Yeti experience (because why wouldn't I?!), so if you'd like to see my crankiness IN ACTION, check out the video below!
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