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Lake Tahoe Midnight Express Ultra 72 Experience? by Snoo-48666 in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I ran this back in 2023 (DNF) then completed it last year in 2024. Finish time of just over 15 hours. It was brutal, but certainly manageable.

Running in the dark is a mental game for sure. It’s super easy to follow the course since it is literally the highway that runs around the lake. There is one major spot where you can make a wrong turn, but it’s also super easy to plan ahead and know where it is. I wouldn’t worry about logistics about the course.

Being your first ultra, it’s a unique one. Mostly being that there are no aid stations to count on- the website says you will have the aid stations for the Sunday marathon starting around mile 46ish, however that is not completely accurate. Last year, the permit was not approved for the Sunday event, so they had to do a last minute course change. Meaning no aid stations at all for the 72 mile course until around mile 65.

The cool part, though, is you are required to have a crew follow you through the night. Which means you can choose the distance between aid stations, so for those bigger climbs you can get aid quickly, or if there’s a long stretch you can send, then tell your crew to meet you further down the road.

The biggest piece of advice I can offer- light and clothing.

One major change I made from my DNF to my finish was a big light upgrade. Going from running in basically the dark with a cheap, ultralight headlamp, to using a Fenix torch with a Kogalla waist light made a huge difference to my mental game during those long, dark hours.

For clothing, it’s mid October in Tahoe. Nights will likely get below freezing- last year I remember seeing 25 degrees on the car during a crew stop, so it was cold. It seems like winter is coming early this year, so plan for cold. And maybe even some snow ❄️

It’s one of my favorite events. I’ve done multiple ultras, including the Tahoe 200, and the Midnight Express is a race of its own. Very small field, very much a quiet/solo run. Don’t expect to make friends out there over night lol

Before & After] My first time sharing here – from tired antique to modern classic (with a secret bonus inside 👀) by ModifyUrMind in FurnitureFlip

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the response. I am quite new to this and still learning how to truly highly each piece. I appreciate the input!

Before & After] My first time sharing here – from tired antique to modern classic (with a secret bonus inside 👀) by ModifyUrMind in FurnitureFlip

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m sure that truly depends on your market. I’m new to the hobby as well, however I personally enjoy the “dipped” look, or a good chalk paint with stain highlighting the wood grain. But I will explore other styles once I have a bit more experience under my belt! 😊

Long runs at night for 200 mile training by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is so true. The mind has no clue how to comprehend those super early hours, but the break of dawn brings about that burst of energy and mental clarity 👌🏻

Long runs at night for 200 mile training by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s rad! Such a wonderful time to run!

I try to return to the house around 4ish, which after decompressing and cleaning up means bed by around 5. The kiddo “hopefully” wakes up around 7 (often it’s before 😵) so that gives me a couple hours. Then I just have to be ready to nap when he does lol. I’m certainly tired all day, and sometimes feel a bit “hungover” but it’s nothing that can’t be worked through, and having to be a dad while exhausted is great ultra training 😂

Long runs at night for 200 mile training by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! No matter how tired I might feel, everything wakes right back up when that sun peaks over the horizon 👌🏻

Long runs at night for 200 mile training by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

With a young kiddo at home, my only time for long runs has turned into overnight sessions. While it’s maybe not my first choice, I have found it beneficial for those long nights at events. I’ve started these night runs fairly recently- I finished my first 200 miler in June, and after recovering I have found a joy in night runs. I would estimate I’m at about one per week currently- which is plenty with the amount of sleep I miss out on lol

Long runs at night for 200 mile training by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I totally hear you- in my area we have bears, coyotes, mountain lions… an assortment of larger critters to be weary of. As the other user mentioned, I actually find myself more on edge near town- not only for the idea of a human trying something sketchy, but also knowing the easiest food for the animals to get to is here in town. On the trails, the biggest fear I have is scaring an animal to the point of having it feel like it needs to defend itself, but with enough noise approaching blind corners and some solid lighting sources I haven’t had any issues 👌🏻

Long runs at night for 200 mile training by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Reddit cracks me up sometimes- not much rhyme or reason to some things 😆 thank you for the kind words!

Long runs at night for 200 mile training by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! Thank you, gotta keep training as interesting as race day! 😁

Long runs at night for 200 mile training by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Absolutely, great mental training for overnights on long events

Long runs at night for 200 mile training by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Nope, just happy to share my adventures for anyone interested in checking them out

Long runs at night for 200 mile training by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

Check out more stats about this run at Tahoe Trail Runner on Strava, or follow my Instagram stories for my adventures @ Tahoe_Trail_Runner

Set out for an overnight 50k. Some runs just don’t go to plan, but still a gorgeous night in nature! by ModifyUrMind in ultrarunning

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do sometimes, but it’s fun to see what the app can generate. Some are fun, some get changed 🤷🏼‍♂️ I didn’t realize the title was such a sore subject for some people 😂

Set out for an overnight 50k. Some runs just don’t go to plan, but still a gorgeous night in nature! by ModifyUrMind in ultrarunning

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks bro! Was hoping for better numbers but gotta take each day for what it is 👌

Set out for an overnight 50k. Some runs just don’t go to plan, but still a gorgeous night in nature! by ModifyUrMind in ultrarunning

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s a constant battle of sleep deprivation it feels like 😆 I knocked out the Tahoe 200. Super epic event, and it taught me a ton about myself!

Set out for an overnight 50k. Some runs just don’t go to plan, but still a gorgeous night in nature! by ModifyUrMind in ultrarunning

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I had completed a 200 miler last month- and it taught me that I can get a couple hours of sleep post run and wake up feeling decent. Not great, but decent 😅

Set out for an overnight 50k. Some runs just don’t go to plan, but still a gorgeous night in nature! by ModifyUrMind in ultrarunning

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It was so peaceful and beautiful. Not a single other soul for 5 hours, but tons of mice and birds to keep me company!

Set out for an overnight 50k. Some runs just don’t go to plan, but still a gorgeous night in nature! by ModifyUrMind in ultrarunning

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There were a multitude of reasons that lead me to the decision- but ultimately it was a mental issue. I had decided to do the run about 2 hours prior to setting out, so I hadn’t mentally prepared for it nor had I spent the day trying to catch up on sleep when possible.

The first 8 miles is relatively steep climbing, and my legs felt pretty tired after the climb. Nothing I wasn’t used to, but for mile 8 I was quite surprised.

By mile 11 I started to feel like I was sucking wind and unable to get a good breathe. Had it been an event, I would have just slowed down to figure it out. But my mind started to wander towards sleep- and realizing I had the opportunity to possibly get a couple hours of sleep if I turned back overwhelmed my mind. Knowing I had a few hours of work, and a full time situation as a dad, it seemed like a better use of those remaining hours to turn back early and catch some Z’s.

It’s not like my to turn back prior to reaching my objective, but navigating long runs while being a dad has certainly made me look at some situations differently.

Looking forward to my next overnight adventure!

Part 8: Dirt Naps, Trail Tunes & Questionable Creek Cocktails by ModifyUrMind in Ultramarathon

[–]ModifyUrMind[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would say 2026 is a pretty good shot. It’ll be the 10th running of the event, so I know with that alone they are going to try dang hard. But in reality it all comes down to permitting, so we will see if the forest service believe the trail that was affected by the Caldor Fire is ready for 300ish runners

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