By finding support in the running community, local runners train year-round and persevere through the hardships of intense ultramarathon training.
Any race that is over 26.2 miles, which is a standard marathon, is considered an ultramarathon.
Each ultramarathon is different in terrain and climate, as they take place in many locations around the world.
2012 Souderton alumna and ultramarathon runner Samantha Luchansky has been running ultras since May 2022.
She was never interested in running when she was younger, but later on that changed.
“I kind of got into it after I started working, my coworker got me into it,” Luchansky said.
Running, specifically ultramarathons, quickly became a big part of Luchansky’s life after she joined Montco Runners, a running group based in Montgomery County.
According to Luchansky, Montco Runners have been “a really good community” that has encouraged her aspirations as a runner.
“I can’t stress enough how great that group is. The running community is very friendly and all we care about is having people come out,” Luchansky said.
Ultramarathon runner Jackie Russo is also a part of Montco Runners.
Russo has also appreciated the support from the group, who has similar experiences.
“Thankfully, a lot of the people that I am around [by] are really supportive or are also ultrarunners, so that does help the lifestyle,” Russo said.
According to both Luchansky and Russo, this community is especially important during hard times, which are normal to occur quite frequently with the demand and long distance of ultramarathons.
The “pain cave” is a spot of mental and physical strain on the body, while running, that ultramarathon runners often face.
“As far as the mental struggle, you have to constantly be working on your mental game, and not letting yourself get discouraged or fighting against any negativity, because once negativity creeps in, it is very consuming and you can get into a very bad place,” Russo said. “People will call this a ‘pain cave’ because your body is obviously hurting really bad, and you’re just fighting against yourself.”
According to Luchansky, it feels great to start a race, but eventually, as she gets further along, it gets more challenging.
“It always feels great when you start running, because it feels like you are finally doing what you have been training for,” Luchansky said, “but you definitely start hitting the wall.”
According to Luchansky and Russo, to fight against this, it is very helpful to distract yourself or set interval goals.
“One time, when I was running with my friend for the first 50-miler, we just started singing random songs, trying to catch falling leaves, and just doing things to distract ourselves. The second time that we ran, we hit the pain cave again together, and we both just got silent,” Luchansky said.
According to ultrarunning coach Maria Andrews, “It is common for ultrarunners to psychologically break up an event into more manageable aid station sized chunks.”
Russo stresses the importance that even though it is hard to do, you need to “keep going” during races because of all of the hard work that is put into it. “
“Runners of all paces know this truth: the pain cave is uncomfortable,” running coach Elizabeth Carey said, “but research, elite runners and coaches suggest that you can improve your relationship with your own pain cave, which can lead to improved performance.”
With the help and support from both Montco Runners and their friends and family, Russo and Luchansky look forward to reaching their goals.
Down the road Luchansky hopes to “run a 100-miler.”
For Russo, she wants to continue to get her race time “shorter and shorter.”
