So, you want to run an ultra.
When I started, I had run half marathons and even a marathon with my daughter. Trail and ultra running? I was clueless. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Since then, I have learned through training, finishes, and a handful of DNFs. These are six things I wish I understood sooner. The last one matters well beyond the finish line.
Watch: How to Finish an ULTRA
Watch the full 22-minute video on YouTube. This article adapts the six lessons from that video.
1. Keep your training simple
Start with a week you can actually repeat. Find the days you can run, put them on the calendar, and keep showing up.
In the video, I am talking to people who already run consistently. If you are starting from scratch, build that consistency first. The bigger the race, the more room training will need in your life.
You do not need to overthink every session. You need a realistic schedule and a reason to stick with it.
2. Think in hours and match the course
A mile on a flat road and a mile climbing a steep trail are different jobs. That is why I pay attention to time on feet and the terrain I am training on.
In the video, I discuss six hours a week for 50K and 50-mile preparation, and nine hours for 100K and 100-mile preparation, as starting reference points from my coaching education. Those numbers are not a guarantee of readiness or the right target for every runner.
My own examples in the video go higher as the goal gets bigger:
- About six hours a week helps me stay 50K ready with the running background I already have.
- For a 50-miler, I like roughly eight to ten hours.
- For a 100K, I describe roughly nine to eleven hours.
- For a 100-miler, my bigger training weeks can reach fourteen to sixteen hours.
Those are my examples, not a schedule to jump into tomorrow. Build from where you are and choose a plan that fits your experience and race.
Look at the climbing, too. Divide the course's total elevation gain by its mileage. A 100-mile race with 10,000 feet of gain averages 100 feet per mile. That gives you a simple way to compare your training terrain with the course. A mountain race needs mountain preparation.
3. Give your runs a purpose
The three types of runs I come back to are easy outings, hill repeats, and the long run.
Easy runs you enjoy
Most of my running is at a conversational effort. Imagine running with a friend and being able to talk the whole time. If a climb pushes you past that effort, hike it.
Hiking is part of ultra running. Practice it. Getting better at hiking can make you a better ultra runner.
Hill repeats
Hills pay the bills. I make room for a dedicated hill session, with the amount of work depending on the race and the training I am ready to handle.
The long run
The long outing is the backbone of my training. It gives me time to practice pacing, gear, food, and moving when I am tired. In bigger training blocks, I sometimes use back-to-back long outings, with the second day shorter than the first.
Make each session useful. You are preparing for the work you will do on race day.
4. Practice eating and drinking before race day
Early on, my stomach would shut down around mile twenty. I could not eat. I could not drink. The rest of the race became a struggle.
One of the most useful things I did was create a five-mile loop and park my truck at the end as a makeshift aid station.
One weekend, I tried real food. Another weekend, I tried race nutrition. Then I combined them and learned what I could still eat as the hours went by.
- Try your food and drink during training.
- Pay attention to how heat, time of day, and fatigue change what works.
- Have options for when sweet food stops sounding good.
- Practice the aid-station routine, not just the running.
In the video, I also discuss checking sweat loss to better understand your fluid needs. Treat hydration as something to practice in the conditions you will face, rather than copying somebody else's bottle count or using one fixed amount in every condition.
The goal is to arrive at the start line with experience using your plan.
5. Pick a race that inspires you
The course matters. I have signed up for races that did not excite me, and it became easier to stop when I was tired of running.
Running from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon was different. Starting in the mountains, looking toward the canyon, and knowing where I was headed gave the effort meaning. That is the kind of race that gets me out the door when I do not feel like training.
Choose a challenge you want to experience, then look honestly at its demands. Think about the people supporting you, too. My wife crews my big races. The race is an experience we share.
And remember: sometimes stopping is the right decision. An inspiring course does not mean ignoring an injury.
6. Do not let running consume your life
This is the big one.
I got wrapped up in training, Strava, and what I thought people expected of me as an ultra runner. I missed things in my kids' lives. I missed time with my wife. I even started resenting running when good waves arrived and I felt stuck following my schedule.
The answer was to become more flexible. Sometimes I could run earlier or later. Sometimes I could surf first. I could still train without treating every other part of my life as an interruption.
Have goals. Chase them. Leave room for the people and passions that were there before the race registration.
Ultra running has shown me what I am made of, including the times I was not as tough as I thought. Every finish and every DNF has taught me something. Those lessons keep adding up.
Take the next step
Pick a race that excites you. Build a week you can repeat. Practice the course, your food, and your gear. Keep the rest of your life in the picture.
If you are building toward your first trail distance, start with the free 16-week 25K training plan. For a longer goal, see the Stupid Simple training plans.
You can also read Your First Ultra: Keep the Training Simple for a practical starting point.
See you on the trails,
Eric
These are lessons from my experience and the video, not an individual training prescription. Adjust the work to your current fitness, recovery, and race demands.
“Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means!”
Romans 3:3–4 (ESV, excerpt)