Good Bad & The Monkey
About a year and a half ago, I was in the top shape of my life and could pop out a 40+ mile training runs and races with no problems, and was also hitting PRs at every distance all the way down to a mile. Life intervened and here I am feeling like I am starting over.
6 months and 1 week from now, I plan to run Umstead.
How would you go from 0 to 100 in 6 months? What would your weeks and months look like? What would your long runs look like?
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby
Jerry A runners blog-updated daily
You mean the 100? I never win anything, so it is likely a 2 or a 3.
With six months to work with, there's time to take a moderate and gradual approach to volume increase. To start, I'd place less emphasis on long runs and concentrate on consistent frequency for 4-6 weeks (get back to your x number of runs per week.)
After getting back to consistent volume and frequency, I'd imagine you'll be ready to tackle longer runs with improved recovery time. Get to this point and then you'll be ready to plot out a training schedule for your longest long runs and big volume phases.
Congratulations on getting in and good luck, Trent.
Mileage is so varying and personal. For me, I tend to run less mpw and less runs per week when training for a 100 (vs. training for a marathon.)
Yet my weeks and months look a lot like training for any other distance (marathon and shorter.) One day of intensity and a couple sets of strides each week. One longer run per week and perhaps an FA or marathon about once per month.
Last time I trained for a hundred I ran 50-60 mpw with progressively longer long runs every two weeks. Longest long run was 50km, but did one overnight that took nearly the duration of a 50-mile. I'd schedule a 50 miler as a training event about 2 months prior to serve as a test of gear and nutrition. Far enough out to be able to make some adjustments, if needed. To me, one 50-mile is enough. I want to feel fresh on the day of the 100.
YMMV
Bacon Party!
Run a 100 injured and with insufficient base & cross-training. DNF it to add the redemption factor to your motivation level.
Run a 50-miler as a training run - injured but with pretty good base and cross-training. DNF it so you don't further injure yourself for your upcoming 100.
Run a 100 injured and with NO running following the 50-miler six weeks earlier but having ramped up your cross-training. DNF it due to on-course injury caused by lack of running in training. Become despondent and start eating Twinkies - this will take redemption out of the equation and leave you feeling as if you couldn't care less about ever finishing a 100-miler.
Schedule all of this so it puts you eight weeks out from Umstead - you'll have enough time if you start today!
Then, run Umstead slightly injured (since you're just getting used to running again), in brand new shoes (of totally new-to-you make, model, and type). Finish with a respectable time and feeling only slightly trashed by the effort.
Hey - it worked for me!
Liz
pace sera, sera
There's some good advice here and on the ultralist. Here's something that helped me through my first and only 100 finish:
How to run 100 miles
One nice thing about ultrarunning is that it can be a kind of garden: a miniature, ideal version of the rest of life. By paying attention, one can practice ideas and skills that may be helpful through the disasters that await us each.
That said, my weeks, months, and long runs generally look like hell.
And that is good.
Speed my steps along your path, according to your will.
Kalsarikännit
I don't know why I am throwing in my two cents, seeing as I haven't had a good race since March (of course, that last good race was Umstead), so here it goes...
Go with the tried and true back-to-back long runs. You teach your body to run depleted. Also, I think it isn't a bad idea to go for a long run late at night after a long day. See how you handle a little sleep deprivation and work with things you may use during the race that will help you out (Double caffeinated gu's, 5 hr energies, etc).
I also had good luck doing one of my highest mileage weeks while engaging in a you-know-what measuring contest with a bunch of idiots over who could drink and run the most in a week. It turns out vodka is a good recovery drink immediately after early morning runs. Highly recommeded.
MTA: Spelling. How does it manage to get worse as I get older?
I want to do it because I want to do it. -Amelia Earhart
Self anointed title
Run a lot. Mostly very slow. Sometimes fast.
Roots' advice is great...spot on. To add a bit on the long runs:
My long runs are done only based on time and heart rate... distance is fairly irrelevant, especially when trying to factor in trails with tons of elevation gain. I do ALL of my runs at 135bpm or lower heart rate, except for 1 tempo run a week when I feel inclined to do a tempo run (about 4 times a year). It's all about time on feet... learning to go REALLY slow, eat a lot, keeping up on hydration and electrolytes, etc. It's also (a) a lot easier to recover from a super slow run and (b)a lot harder to get injured doing super slow runs.
Oddly, doing this has made me 10-20% *faster* over my periodic time trials I do to gauge fitness (shorter 20-60 minute efforts). I'm only an experiment of one, but this strategy seems to work... I'm 4 for 4 at the 100 mile distance (Leadville, Bear, Hardrock, and Wasatch). I run about 15 hours a week in training.
Have fun at Umstead, keep us posted on the progress!
- Chris
GreyBeard
Mileage is so varying and personal. For me, I tend to run less mpw and less runs per week when training for a 100 (vs. training for a marathon.) Yet my weeks and months look a lot like training for any other distance (marathon and shorter.) One day of intensity and a couple sets of strides each week. One longer run per week and perhaps an FA or marathon about once per month. Last time I trained for a hundred I ran 50-60 mpw with progressively longer long runs every two weeks. Longest long run was 50km, but did one overnight that took nearly the duration of a 50-mile. I'd schedule a 50 miler as a training event about 2 months prior to serve as a test of gear and nutrition. Far enough out to be able to make some adjustments, if needed. To me, one 50-mile is enough. I want to feel fresh on the day of the 100. YMMV
I trained no more than 55 MPW for my first 100 and, while my stomach screwed me up, I managed to finish LT. 3 key runs a week, usually. Speed, intense hill, Long. Longs sometimes combo of 2x 15ish or 1x20-26 ish. Mainly paid attention to time on feet for those long ones as terrain made a difference. Walked too.
Can you do a 50 or two before then?
2020
Here's something else to read:
Leadville from Scratch
(The article even has "zero to 100" in its subtitle.)
Imminent Catastrophe
You could ride a Segway.
"Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"
"To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain
"The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.
√ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015
Cruel Jewel 50 mile May 2016
Western States 100 June 2016
That would be funny.