For fifty miles it seemed like 32-35 miles on roads or 5-6 hours on trails was plenty.  When you get beyond 30 miles without a good underlying endurance base, you need to pay close attention to recovery during each training week.  During training you need to (should?) be able to run consecutive long-run weekends, which, I suppose, turns this back to -- are you training to run the whole thing (terrain permitting)?

 

I thought... (weakly and with lots of wandering and almost no justification):

One 30-35 mile road run (5-6 hours on trails) would get you through a 50-mile whatsit.

Two --- would, maybe, let you run just about all of it.

Three -- run the whole thing and maybe be thinking of down into the single-digit hour stuff.

Four -- racing instead of running.

 

John, the base should be there. ~50 miles per week and increasing with back to backs lr's almost every week and fartleks in between just one day off (work). i have done a few 30 mile training runs and like these a lot but they get in the way of other priorities. my 50k time was 5:40 but i am faster now and have much better shoes..so 2 should be within reach depending on what you mean by running. i did read your book and am somewhat familiar with the shuffle-assuming this doesn't count as running. i am thinking perhaps 90% running but i do like to walk near the aid stations to get more down the hatch quickly and also stop to stretch every 10 miles or so. 3: single digits would be my "A" goal but a lofty one. the race in question is in the mountains in AZ in april and starts at 10am which gives me roughly 9 hours of daylight. 4: = always racing but this is tricky. at the 7 hour race i did i was way out front for the first 18 miles or so and i kept thinking i should run relatively fast while the weather was still cool and while it still felt easy...ended up getting my butt kicked by someone i had previously lapped a few times (1.5 mile loop). so i have learned and am working on my 9's. at my age i can win 5 k's but not even in the top 10% for these ultras

What is the 50-miler?  You mentioned Rocky--Rocky could be totally runnable, but t-storms could mess with things... bbbyyy

 

I used a flat-and-fast road marathon as a last long tempo run three weeks before a mostly gravel road 50-miler, then an easy two-hour run the following Saturday (two weeks before the ultra).  What sort of taper (two-week, three-week, ???) do you use?

Yes, I'm contemplating Rocky Raccoon and have a road marathon (Houston) 3 weeks prior.  RR is only a bit over 8 weeks from now, so not much time at all.  I'm thinking of using the roadie as a "tempo" and then do another really long run the following week (4-5 hours).  I prefer shorter tapers, so the final two weeks would be a rapid wind down.

In the meantime, I need to get time on the trails.  Good insights and articles, guys.

If you haven't run Houston before, all the concrete can beat you up.

Right you are.  I ran it last year and remember too well.