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Concurrent training for very different events? (Read 131 times)

Birdwell


    I'm looking for a little training help. I have two events coming up over the next 4-6 months, and I'd like to do well in both.

    First up is a tough "Ultra" distance (50Kish, with a ton of elevation) at the beginning of January (unofficial FA event)

    Second is a Half Marathon at the beginning of March (gentle downhill course) that I'd like to PR at by a large margin (current PR, and only half is pretty soft).

     

    From previous experience, I kind of know how to train for the ultra. (at least, I know what worked in my other ultra distances)

    I also have a general idea of how to get ready for a half (I think).

     

    Where I'm struggling is how to combine the two. Should I focus on a half plan, but just go super long (20 miles+ or 4 hours+) on the long run every other week or so? Or something else entirely? I include major hill work (150 foot gain+ per mile) on about every other run due to where I live. I train at an elevation of 6,000'. Both events will take place around 1,300'.

     

    background: Log is public, though not obsessively updated, is it fairly accurate.  running for 1.5 years. Generally active throughout life. Recent injury (broken foot, overuse knee injury) has limited running (took 6 weeks completely off, ran on the injured part's for 6 weeks before that. dumb, I know) but I'm slowly getting back into it over the past two weeks. Current focus is building mileage back to pre-injury levels. I figure it'll be 4 more weeks to get back to 30+ per week. Goal is to be averaging 40+ by the end of the year.

     

    Thanks!

      I'd train for the ultra, recover, then HM specific work, then taper. (that's what I did about 5 yr ago with 6 wk between a 50-mi/5000ft race and HM with 3000ft of up in the first 4 mi, then some downhill. If the downhill is gentle, then it may not require that much leg strengthening or speeding up feet and legs.

       

      The ultra acts like base. If you're doing a lot of hills in prep for the ultra, then that should have at least some downhill in it.

       

      That said, you might want to quantify what these mean: "50Kish with a ton of elevation" and "major hill work (150 foot gain+ per mile)". In particular, are you doing long climbs or just rolling hills in training or hill reps or ..., and how does that compare with your 50k and HM. (I just got back from about 3400ft in 6+mi, with the major climb being 3000ft in 2.2 mi, and coming down the long way. My rolling hill loop or out/back courses get about 800ft climb on rollers in 6ish miles. So my concept of hills might be a little different.)

      "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog
      Birdwell


        AK, I have three or four go to's for hill specific training.

        My paved hill repeats gain's 100 feet in 1/4 mile. I have an off road hill that gains 500' in 2/3 of a mile, I use this for repeats as well.

        Then there's the mountain out my backdoor. It get's me from 6000' to 8300' in 4.25 miles.

        I switch it up throughout the week, depending on how I feel any particular day.

         

        My other runs take place on gentle roller's throughout town, with an average of 75' to 100' gain per mile. If I want to run somewhere flat, I go to the track. 

         

        Also, the half is a really gently downhill, somewhere around 200' of drop through the whole thing (so basically flat).


        Feeling the growl again

          Your biggest need right now is to get back to running a decent volume and build base.  That helps for both.  The only thing really inconsistent between training for the two will be your really long runs or back-to-back long runs.  Those may necessitate extra recovery, so you couldn't do the tempo runs etc for the HM those weeks.  But since your ultra is several months earlier than the HM, this is really not a concern.

          "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

           

          I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

           

            Training for a 50k is not that much different than training for a marathon other than the elevation/trail specific part you are doing.  So train for the 50k first including marathon specific speed work them once you are finished and rested up from your 50k focus on sharpening your speed.

              AK, I have three or four go to's for hill specific training.

              My paved hill repeats gain's 100 feet in 1/4 mile. I have an off road hill that gains 500' in 2/3 of a mile, I use this for repeats as well.

              Then there's the mountain out my backdoor. It get's me from 6000' to 8300' in 4.25 miles.

              I switch it up throughout the week, depending on how I feel any particular day.

               

              My other runs take place on gentle roller's throughout town, with an average of 75' to 100' gain per mile. If I want to run somewhere flat, I go to the track. 

               

              Also, the half is a really gently downhill, somewhere around 200' of drop through the whole thing (so basically flat).

              You should be fine, then. Treat the ultra as base, then add race-specific stuff for HM. Some of the HM training can fit in the ultra training also.

              Have fun.

              "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog