Training for Your First Ultramarathon
October 15, 2007 by Bryon Powell · 34 Comments
[This guide is written for someone who has recently completed one or more marathons. As with all the iRunFar ultra guide posts - please comment early and often - be it on content that's already here or content you'd like to see.
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I’d say there are two key things to focus on in training for any ultramarathon, but first, what does training for an ultra look like. Well, training for an ultramarathon looks an awful lot like training for a marathon. In fact, at the shorter side of things, anyone who has trained for a marathon is likely pretty well trained for a 50k ultra over similar terrain. (Training to finish the Chicago Marathon would not prepare you terribly well for, say, the Noble Canyon 50k or the Promised Land 50k.)
On The Long Run
If you’re relatively new to running you can follow any of the prominent marathon training programs with one modification and be pretty well set to run almost any ultramarathon.* That modification is the long run.
When looking at ultra training on the weekly level nothing is more important that the long run. You don’t need one every week, but the more the better. If you’ve run only one or two marathons, you’ll need to start building up your long runs from shorter distances. Hopefully, you can start the training program by substituting longer long runs than the schedule would call for. Many marathon training programs call for long runs every other week. See if you can get long efforts in most weeks, though it’s not a bad idea to alternate longer long runs with shorter long runs. If you are training for 50k, try and log a few runs in 25 miles area with as many 20ish mile runs as you are comfortable. For 50 miles, try 25 miles a couple times with maybe one effort around 30. Though far from impossible, I would not recommend a 100 miler as a first ultra, not because it’s impossible. Rather I’d recommend using some shorter races such as a 50k and either a 50 miler or 100k as part of the build up to a 100 miler. You can of course do a bunch of 20-30 mile runs, a 30+ miler and a 40-50 mile run on your own if you feel the need to be an ultra virgin when you hit the 100 mile starting line.
Back-to-Backs
Since I just discusses long runs, here’s a quick note on running back-to-back (B2B) long runs. Some ultra-training programs swear by them. I’d say that they don’t need to be a regular part of a first time ultrarunner’s training. In fact, unless one is running their first ultra after many years of running, I think there’s too high a risk of injury or illness in running B2Bs too often, but I’ve got no hard basis for that.
That said, one strategically placed 3-6 weeks before your first ultra has some benefits. It’s great to have a little experience in dealing with heavy, unresponsive legs and a beat psyche before race day. It’s also a great way to get in a bunch of miles. I would caution that one should be alert for injuries (not to be confused with soreness or tiredness, which are what you should be learning how to deal with) on the second day and in subsequent days. Be sure to take a good recovery after the B2B.
I do think B2Bs are useful in advanced ultra training, both when run for a “bonk run” (depleting glycogen stores the first day, not replenishing, and then going out for another long run in an already depleted state the next day) or normally. I know some studs who have an annual B2B2B on the Angeles Crest 100 course four weeks before running Western States. Most important, it will get you used to running tired – it’s definitely worked for them.
[From personal experience, if I can only hit the trails for one day of a B2B, do it the second day. That's much preferable to tiring your legs the first day and then being faced with faster road miles the second. Ugh.]
Specificity of training
After the long run, the most important aspect in training for an ultramarathon is specificity of training. I am in no way suggesting that you need to run on the course every day or every weekend. Not at all. Indeed, you can be well prepared for a particular ultra never having stepped a foot on the course prior to race day. What I mean is that you should be prepared for the footing, elevation, and possibly the conditions you’ll face on the course.
The footing component to specificity seems fairly obvious. It would be beneficial to have run on a trail prior to starting a trail ultra. On the flip side, running all your miles on forest trails might not be the wisest thing going into a flat road 50 miler! Even the being familiar with the type of trail can be quite useful. For instance, it would be great to have recent experience on rocky trails before hitting the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 or to have logged miles on sand before hitting the Marathon des Sables. Also, be sure to check up on what footing is like at the race. I’ve heard many stories of folks who thought the JFK 50 was completely benign only to feel like a fish on a bicycle on the rocky Appalachian Trail section.
By elevation, I’m referring to climbs or lack thereof. Many ultras take place in mountains. It would seem to make sense that one should be prepared to climb these mountains before toeing the line, right? Right. Well, that’s true and you should log some climbing miles before the race. I’ll cover this topic in a later post on racing, but you’ll very likely be mixing running and walking during climbs depending on the terrain and your fitness level. If the race has shallow inclines that you plan to run, practice running up shallow inclines. If there are relatively steep climbs, remember to walk some hills during your training runs even if you don’t feel it’s necessary. This is practice for race day. (Hopefully, I’ll cover this elsewhere, but walk training can very important to someone training for their first .. or 100 100 miler.) If you plan to run up all the hills, no matter how steep, then have at ‘em during your training.
One of the most overlooked aspects of training for an ultramarathon is training for the downhills. There are two reasons for training for downhills, one is to run faster and the other is to finish. Regarding going faster, many new trail runners either flail about when coming down a hill or are overly tentative. Both of these approaches to downhill running are inefficient. For a trail ultra, practice running down some relatively steep hills to help either refine your form or give you more confidence on the descent. If you often run hilly trails, there’s no need to design special runs for this – just be aware of the downhills in your training. If your race will have technical downhills, try to hit some technical downhill during your training.
On the other hand, if your race has many thousands of feet of descent, training for downhills can seriously improve your chances of finishing or finishing well. If memory serves me correctly, “dead quads” are the most frequent reason for a runner not finishing the Western States 100. I wouldn’t doubt that for a minute. During my first 100 attempt at Western States in 2004 I remember the sheer misery I was in while walking down, yes walking down, to No Hands Bridge after mile 90. Though I co
uld run up the final climb at Robie Point, I could not run downhill on my blown quads. As the physiology of downhill running muscle trauma is outside the scope of this entry, it’s enough to know that downhill running involves a different type of muscle contraction than we would experience during running on flatter surfaces… on which we tend to do most of our training. Before running my first mountain 100 in a given year, I go find the most convenient very long downhill (in my case 1650′ of descent over 2.6 miles) and run multiple repeats of it. I comfortable run/walk the climb and then push the downhill portion. During my first session of the year, I might run only two or three repeats, but by later sessions I try to hit four or five repeats.
Conditions – Night/Heat/Cold/Snow/Etc.
Again, it makes sense to be prepared for what you’ll face on race day. If you’ll be running a race that will have you on the course at night, practice running at night on a like surface (i.e., road, trail, grass). If it’s likely to be 90F and humid or 100+F be sure to get some heat training sessions. If it will be frigid (think Arrowhead or Susitna), then try to run enough in the cold to figure out what you’ll need. If the course is likely to have snow on race day (even during a hot year, there can be many mile soft snow cover left on the early portions of the Western States trail), think about going out for some snowy runs the winter before. I think you get the idea.
Mileage
On weekly mileage, the good news is you’ll be fine whatever your weekly mileage is so long as you get your long runs in. Really. I ran my first 100 while I was working full time and going to law school. I averaged, at most, 50 miles a week in the 6 months leading up to the race. I’m convinced I could have gotten by with less. During the week, it’s great to get in whatever you can get in, but get out there one day during the weekend and log those miles.
That said, other then long runs, nothing beats consistent significant mileage. You don’t want to over do it, but one of the best ways to run better at any race length, and especially for ultras, is to run more. If you can get out there 6 or 7 days a week, you’ll be doing yourself a favor. (Obviously, if you know your body can’t handle more than 5 days or your schedule won’t let you, don’t try to run days 6 and 7.)
Consistency
I find that consistently running everyday or nearly everyday creates training momentum. Once I’m running consistently for two or three or four weeks, I tend to follow through and stick with that consistent type of training. On the other hand, if I’m inconsistent, I tend to stay inconsistent. Also, I find that after any period of inconsistent training (excluding pre-race tapers or recovery periods), I feel pretty bad until I’ve hit 10-14 days of consistent training at which point my legs go from feeling heavier and heavier to feeling strong.
Speedwork
One thing that can be sacrificed from the marathon training regime when training for an ultra is speedwork. If you’re looking to set a course record or make the national 100k team, you sohuld be running track intervals or tempo or fartleks. If you are new to ultrarunning and enjoy hitting the track, go for it. It won’t hurt and it can help. The primary reason that I highlight that speed work is not absolutely necessary for ultramarathons is to make it clear that if fitting speedwork is a major stressor or is leading to injuries you can cut it. Consistent, injury-free training is a major benefit when training for ultras. Personally, I still enjoy pounding out some fast miles on occasion and in times when I have firmly established an endurance base, I regularly add speedwork to my training mix.
Note that some emerging research is showing that high intensity intervals (such as 8 x 20 seconds all out with 10 seconds rest), may significantly improve VO2max, a prime indicator of endurance performance. However, in the case of an experienced marathoner looking to complete his or her first ultra, working on leg strength (by running, not weight lifting) is of primary importance.
Overtraining/Injuries
Maybe the most important I tell a new runner or a runner new to ultrarunning is don’t over do it. Rest when you need to. Listen to your body. If you need to take a day off, do it. If you need to take three days off, do it. Actively rehabilitate with ice, heat, rest, compression, massage, and, in very rare instances, anti-inflammatory drugs, which should be discontinued as soon as possible.
Besides acute physical breakdown, be aware of illness and stress. Don’t wear yourself out trying to force too much training or to fit 36 hours worth of stuff into every 24 hours. You’ll drive yourself and those around you nuts. You won’t enjoy it. You’ll be miserable. Be reasonable.
If you go through a great training period and start to feel worn out for a couple days in a row. You may be over training. Take it easy for a week. Even during the peak of training for a focus race, if I feel burnt out I will take off until I want to run again. Then I wait another day or two and then start running. Your enthusiasm for running is key to getting through the training and key to getting to the finish line!
Talking With Others
As I mentioned in my guide entry, How to Choose a First Ultramarathon, you can learn much about ultras from those who’ve run them. You can learn about races, training, gear, etc. For this reason (aside from friendship) experienced ultrarunners can make great training partners for those new to ultrarunning. If you don’t have other ultrarunners in your area who you can meet up with or your schedule won’t let you, seek out ultra advice online. Read the ultralist, checkout out the relevant forums at Cool Running and Runners World, read ultrarunners blogs, volunteer/pace/crew at an ultra where you can meet/watch/learn from other ultrarunners. Whether online or in person, you’d be surprised how approachable many ultrarunners, even the very best, are.
Coaching
Some people think it’s silly to hire a coach. That it’s a waste of money. That anyone could coach themselves. Until recently, I was one of the people who thought like that, but then I was being silly myself. There are plenty of reasons one would hire a coach. A coach could be useful to someone new to running that would not be able to formulate a training plan to fit their own needs. A coach could be useful if you have no other ultrarunners to learn from or regularly bounce ideas off of. A coach can be someone who holds you accountable if you need it.
If you deal with professionals in a big city, you’ll like know a bunch of people who have personal trainers. These personal trainers surely provide assistance with lifting technique, stretching, and the like, but just as importantly, you are accountable to them. In fact, I think that for a busy person (and who isn’t) one of the most important things an ultrarunning coach do is collect a log on a regular basis.
If you are considering an ultramarathon coach, we suggest you take a look at iRunFar’s review of ultrarunning
coaches. It’s worth noting that iRunFar’s own Bryon Powell is offering coaching services to a limited number of students at the moment.
Non-Running Aspects of Training
Aside from the miles you put in, there are many other aspects of training for your first ultra, many of which I hope to make full entries about in the future. For instance, you need to consider the running vs. rest of life balance. (Hopefully, you figured this out while training for you marathons, but it’s a bit harder with the importance of long runs for ultras.) Test nutrition, hydration, shoes, and other gear to find what does and doesn’t work for you is also something you should figure out during training. How you get yourself out the door on miserable days or when you’re tired is also important. Consider finding someone to buddy up in training for the ultra or find a local club that you can join for some runs.
* As I’ve noted later in this post specificity of training can be an important factor in training for an ultramarathon. For some races, such as Hardrock, Badwater, or Marathon des Sables, specialized training is a very big factor.
[Update: 11/27/09 - clarified use of anti-inflammatory drugs to limited instances; revised thoughts on speedwork, especially intense speedwork.]
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Great and timely advice Bryon! Met you at the 24 HRS of Momentum (team RSR)-Chris.
I’ve been thinking of ultras for a while and this info is great. Keep in touch! peck26@earthlink.net
You are welcome at Team RSR’s campsite at all future events!
Chris
Chris,
It was great meeting you last weekend. I hope you and your team had a great time.
I’m glad you found my ultra info helpful. I’ve got more entries planned, but please let me know if there’s anything else you’d find helpful whether it be related to what I’ve already posted or something else entirely.
Byron,
What a great blog and what amazing information!
Thank you for your kind words.
Can I share your blog with mine?
Thank you
Lisa
You’re welcome, Lisa. Everything I said about you was well deserved!
I’d be very grateful if you’d share my blog on yours! I hope you don’t mind if I add you to my blog roll.
-Bryon
Thanks for the helpful info, Chris. I’m training for my first 50 miler (AR50 in April). As a fairly new runner (2 marathons), I’d like to know how much time you would recommend spending on cross training for ultras. I know I can benefit from weights but didn’t incorporate it in my marathon trainings.
Casey
Casey,
To be honest, I don’t do the slightest bit of cross training. No lifting, no biking, no swimming. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying those things, but personally, I don’t even have enough time to run as much as I’d like. The closest I come to a conscious attempt at cross training is making sure to walk rather than run uphills on my rare trips to train in the mountains.
That said, I’ll certainly add cross training to my queue of guide entries. It does have it’s time and place. Thanks for the suggestion!
-Bryon
Thank you. I can’t wait to run my first ultra. It will happen!!!
Le demure, you’re right – if you want it to happen, it will.
Go get ‘em!
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks for your blog – I am training for my first 50 miler ultra – have run over a dozen marathons. I only have 15 weeks to train for the ultra but I ahve a good distance base – any suggestions?
Fastlaine,
If you’ve got a solid distance base, you are in good shape for a 50. When’s the last time you ran a marathon and how did it go? Have you run long, say 16+, recently? Often of late? Also, does your 50 have any special conditions, such as heat, mountains, rocky trails?
If you’ve been doing long runs consistently of late, it’s time to start increasing the length of these runs by a couple miles a week. If you’ve done anything near 20 miles in the recent past, it would be great to get in one run of around 30 miles – this will be good physical and mental training, but will also be a good trial run for your shoes and gear, as well as your hydration and fueling patterns. It would be great to do this longer run on terrain similar to the 50 miler – either on your own or as part of a marathon (add on a bit), 50k race, or fatass.
As far as race conditions, there’s no need for all of your long runs to be on similar terrain and trails, but it would be great to get in some similar runs. However, if you live near trails like the ones your see on race day, run them as often as possible. While it’s easy to fake a slightly different stride necessitated by unfamiliar terrain for 10 or miles or even a marathon, completely unfamiliar terrain can take out even an experience ultrarunner.
Let me know if you have any more questions – either general or specific.
Thanks for the great advice. I just completed my first ultra (Holiday Lake 50K) using this post as a guide for my training. I am now hooked. My weakness was the hills. I live in Virginia Beach were there are not any hills. Any advice on how to train for the hills when you are a flatlander like myself? I make it to the mountains once a month and try to run a lot of hills while there.
Thanks for great posts
Justus
Justus,
I’m glad you found my guide helpful. As for flatland hill training – try running up anything you’ve got available from the stairs of a tall building to a bridge/overpass that isn’t flat. You can also try some weight lifting with your legs.
Let me know if you have any questions going forward with your training.
-Bryon
BTW, how’d Holiday Lake go for you? The runnability of that course makes it deceivingly challenging!
Holiday Lake was great. No “real” pain or injury and I finished, which was my primary goal. I feel I could have went a lot harder. The first part of the second lap was the hardest mentally, but after that I was able to cruise along pretty well. I am going to run Dr. Horton’s Promise Land 50K in April. I have a bunch of running friends who are now interested training for an Ultra. Do you mind if I link up your blog on mine and share your great posts?
Thank you for all the great info.
Justus aka aerojust
Justus,
Please do link up your log and send your friends this way. As always I’ll be happy to answer questions either for the community or individually.
Good luck at Promised Land. It was my first ultra and I loved it. Watch out for Apple Orchard Falls – they were my most humbling ultra moment until the final 25 miles of Wasatch a few years later. Be sure to get a couple long climbs in a mountains in beforehand.
Wow…I have signed up for my first 50k in October, and this post answered every single question I have about getting ready for that distance. Thank you so much for sharing.
Holly
Holly,
Congrats on signing up on your first 50k. What is it? You said, I’ve answered everything… but if any other questions come up, please ask away. I’m always looking to add information either to this post or as a separate post. Best of luck and thanks for stopping by.
Happy trails,
Bryon
Hi Trail Goat,
Can I just say that your blog is simply awesome. The amount of useful information is truly brilliant.
The best compliment I can give is that if it was a magazine then I’d happily pay for it.
Look forward to meeting you (and running in your dust trail!!) at TRR.
Sat,
Thanks so much for the awesome compliment. You are too kind! Please let me know if there are any areas that you’d be interested in having iRunFar address. See you in just a few weeks out at TransRockies!
Thanks so much for this long, informative post on training. It’s really useful! I’m starting training now for my 1st 50 miler.
A question for you or anyone else experienced: I bike-commute 2-3 days per week, 30 miles each day. Do you think this can be substituted for 2-3 short or medium length runs during the week, or should I stick to the plan of running 5-6 days a week and fully embrace my car again? I think I’m too wimpy to do both a solid run and the ride on the same day.
Thanks!
Jen
Jen,
While I don’t personal cross train, I think you should keep on keepin’ on. I think 3 hours of cycling a day sure beats a couple moderate runs during the week. Hopefully, you’re cycling hard enough to get a decent cardio workout. (I see plenty of bike commutes coasting to work.) Give that you’d be doing less of your training on the run, I think a mid-week moderate to long run and long runs on the weekend will be key. You need to be able to run (and/or walk) for a long way on race day.
Ive read on other forums about 400 to 800 intervals being good training for races at elevation if you don’t have any of your own. Anyone put this theory to the test?
Interesting idea Snowman. I’d be skeptical, as I think running 400s and 800s would be training the wrong systems for an ultra, unless they were as part of a rolling tempo type of workout. It would be a different story if you were running a shorter race (2 hours or less) at elevation. Would love to hear others’ thoughts on this.
My basic philosophy on training is that very few people who train for ultras run enough miles to make any sort of speed work necessary or useful except maybe for injury prevention if done correctly in small doses. Their ultras would benefit from more running, not faster running.
I wish you were here 2 yrs ago, when I started running Ultra. Btw, list the Lavaredo Ultra Trail (www.ultratrail.it) as the most beautiful in Europe (now 97km), and the UTMB, of course, the Ultra Trail of Mont Blanc (which I ran : CCC, 100km): the best to start with::))(IF you practiced yogaforrunners, also!)
bryon, great blog topic. a coaching client of mine brought this to my attention as a point of discussion… and i have a couple of comments that i'll post separately in hopes someone actually reads them.
you mention speed work not working the right system and say "faster track work would have very little benefit to an ultrarunner."
as you point out in the article, we are all strapped for time. in my experience there is no better way to improve a runners fitness than speed work. Our VO2 Max is a tell-tale sign of our level of conditioning. How quickly and efficiently we can consume and transport oxygen to working muscles, regardless of the system (aerobic vs. anaerobic) we are using, is probably the major factor in performance. so just because we are mostly aerobic as opposed to anaerobic during an ultramarathon does not mean anaerobic training, ie: speed work, doesn't have it's place in the ultrarunners log.
if you don't have much time there is in fact no better way to make improvements on our ability to consume oxygen (VO2Max) than with speed work. many studies (a few links below) back this up. when compared to longer duration steady state "typical" endurance training. dr. tabata found that 8x short all out intervals of 20sec with 10sec of recovery in between was as effective as 2hrs of lower intensity endurance training at improving VO2Max numbers. seriously, 15 mins of interval work had the same effect on VO2Max as 2hrs of lower intensity. bang for buck – you can't beat interval training.
i do agree the long run is the important training session in the week for the average runner trying to run their first ultra. i think runners are doing themselves a disservice if they don't take the faster road to VO2Max and fitness improvements. and that is just one of the reasons – there are many more: improve economy, pain and work tolerance, etc, etc….
http://bit.ly/4vjZV9
http://bit.ly/2XQ7Qj
http://bit.ly/3dIcmv
one last comment on the active rehab.
"Actively rehabilitate with ice, heat, rest, compression, massage, drugs, as needed."
i think this is great advice with the exception of drugs (but that is another post).
THE biggest factor i believe is nutrition. to put it simply:
training = breakdown
nutrition = healing
Hart,
I suppose we're closer on the drugs point than you think, unless you believe that absolutely any use of a "drug," that is a bioactive component sold as a pharmaceutical in the US is always bad.
I strongly advise against regular/routine use of NSAIDs (anti-inflamatory drugs). That said, sometimes injuries need a little, very short term help other than ice and rest to control inflammation. For instance, I've got reoccurring Achilles tendonitis. I rehab, ice, stretch, etc and that's normally enough. However, sometimes I don't have access to ice (fastpacking or sometimes even camping) or the ice is not enough. In those very rare instances, I will use a topical anti-inflammatory once or twice a day for up to three days… only if inflammation is acute. It's a balance.
I do agree that this is an important point and will tweak the language to make it clearer.
As for nutrition, I disagree with the statement "THE biggest factor i believe is nutrition." Trying to eat reasonably healthy… sure it's a good goal. Might an optimal diet help you a bit? Sure, it might help a decently trained athlete's performance a few percentage points. (Nutrition might very well be the most important point for an overweight person, but that's got less to do with "healing" as it does with shedding extra pounds.) I can't imagine all that many Americans not getting relatively close to their nutritional needs when averaged over a few days.
To be sure, I consider nutrition when training. I try to get in some carbs quickly after a shorter hard run and jack up the protein (as a vegetarian) after a quad busting workout.
BTW, Hart, I'm not trying to be dismissive on either of these points. I very much value you adding your opinion. Such discussion is quite productive all around!
Hart,
No doubt VO2max is an excellent predictor of any endurance sport. Lance Armstrong used to be a hell of a runner as a triathlete and Kilian Jornet can ski mountaineer and run ultras with the best of them despite professing to be a shorter distance skyrunner. Your statement, "Our VO2 Max is a tell-tale sign of our level of conditioning. How quickly and efficiently we can consume and transport oxygen to working muscles, regardless of the system (aerobic vs. anaerobic) we are using, is probably the major factor in performance." is right on. Increasing VO2max is, without a doubt, a great thing for an endurance athlete.
I've looked into SIT a bit based on seeing your mention of it. It's an interesting concept that I'd love to see more study on (Read the final paragraph of my comment for more). I'll revise my post on fast speed work a bit based on your keen interjection. That said, it's not something that I'd push on a person training for their first ultramarathon. While there is certainly a middle ground, I tend to see first time ultrarunners coming from two camps: (1) long time endurance runners, such as many time marathon finishers, who are looking for something new, and (2) folks who have less than two years running experience (sometimes much less), who are quickly increasing training and racing loads without much background.
In the case of the long time runner, if there goal is to complete their first ultra "reasonably well," then I think focusing on leg strength is key as they should have relatively developed cardiovascular systems.
With the "new runner," I'd hesitate to have them regularly run intense intervals out of fear of injury risk.
As for training philosophy, I tend to favor the strong base period followed by more intense training as the key to maximizing VO2max for a particular race, such as used by elite marathon coach Renato Canova. Problem is, I don't see all but a few ultrarunners maximizing the low intensity phase of training. Hadd, an elite coach (and character), uses the analogy of squeezing the toothpaste tube from the middle of the tube if you don't maximize the base phase. Sure, you'll get quick improvements with the VO2max work… no doubt, but if that's where your initial focus is, you can peak out… well below your peak.
Technical Inquiry:
I'd love to see the two Burgomaster and the Tabata articles if you have them. Do you know how long it's been studied or if a significant number of elite endurance athletes are using it today? Small lab tests are great, but having seen how utterly crap they can be from my previous line of work, I remain skeptical of them. The two Burgomasters studies include a total of 32 subjects, half of which are control. That doesn't mean there isn't an interesting hypothesis that might be true, but more study might be warranted.
Hart, thanks so much for bringing this up. I really appreciate it.
I have been reading ultramarathon training articles on the web, but yours is the most logical and informative, and will be my guide to training. I want a change from triathlons, including Ironman, and road, as opposed to trail, marathons. I have always liked trail running and recently did a 15k in Patagonia. Now I want to start doing 50K trail races and trail marathons. I live in NYC and decided to start with the LI Greenbelt 50K trail race. I can train there and it isn't too technical. I was also interested in the Catalina Island Eco-Marathon. Do you have any other recommendations for my first year?
Mary
Mary,
Thanks for your kind words. I don't think you can go wrong what ever your race selections are this year. Get out there and enjoy the trails. Use the races as motivation in your training and as a way to meet more folks in the awesome trail running community. Congrats on making the switch.
Ok, so one possible suggestion for 2010. Have you considered the Finger Lakes 50k in July? If you prefer a shorter distance, check out some of the awesome races the Finger Lakes Runners put on: http://www.fingerlakesrunners.org/ .
Thanks, Byron.
That was an excellent link to the Finger Lakes Runners. I had been tempted to do the Red Rock 50K in Utah but think I will substitute one of the Finger Lakes 50K races for my first year and save my quads.
Bryon:
Great website. I learned a lot. I plan to run my first Ultra (50 miler) in June. Due to schedule restraints, how would you recommend I break up my week if I can only get in 3 runs per week? I was thinking of doing 2 medium runs with one long run every week. Anything you can help me with would be great. Thank you!
Josh, My short answer would be to do as you suggest, one long run and then two other medium long runs. Alternately, you could substitute one faster workout day for a medium long run. There are are lots of workout options including tempo work, hill work faster track stuff, and even a Tabata workout Matt Hart described above in his comment of November 26, 2009.
Thank you very much. That is kind of what I figured. I will do one medium long run, one faster day (intervals, hills, mile repeats), and one long day. Thanks again Byron and great site!!
Hi Byron:
I am currently in law school and planning my first attempt at an ultra next fall. It’s tough to fit anything in during law school, but I feel like running is one of the few things keeping me sane (either that or going to law school and wanting to run 50-100 miles proves that I am insane). I’m glad that the runs during the week aren’t life or death. It seems like something always comes up that causes me to miss or shorten planned runs. Saturdays are always there though, and my dogs wouldn’t let me go without taking them for a long trail run! It’s inspiring to know that you did it while you were in school. It gives me hope that I can fit enough training into my crammed schedule to finish well. Thanks Byron!
Nick