Friends,

My sister is wanting to do a 50 mile race this summer. She is looking at the race that is linked below. She has been running about 10 years and has run 18 marathons (i think). Anyways, most of her training has been low mileage stuff. She said she has hit 50 miles in a week probably only once. I think her PR is like 4:04 or something like that. She was 4:06 at MCM last fall I think and finished Houston last weekend.

So now to the questions:

What is the best way for her to build up mileage to be able to complete a 50 mile race?

Is there some sort of beginner ultra plan that someone would recommend?

Any advice or resources that would be good for her?

** Her only expectation is just to finish the race in under the 13 Hr time limit. - (I guess its a bucket list thing)

Thanks

Tomas

http://www.athletic-equation.com/OSS_CIA_50M_Night_Run.html

I have done one 50K and one 50 miler so my perspective is limited but ultras are completely different from other races.  Whereas a long run is usually not just for getting used to time on your feet and should include quality work if you are trying to really race a marathon, you do need to get used to being on your feet for a very long time for an ultra. You also need to practice your run/walk strategy as only the best can run 50 miles without taking walk breaks and you need to practice your fuel and hydration strategies.  When I was prepping for my 50 miler, I did a couple of 25 mile long runs and one 35 mile long run.  I did these while practicing my run/walk and fueling strategies.  It was a very different sensation from normal marathon prep.

 

Was I well prepared for either?  No but I finished.  Then again, I like running fast rather than jogging  slowly for a long time.

did you follow a plan when you were building up to 50 on your B-day?

were your weekends usually back to back long runs?

I'm planning my first ultra this fall, a 12-hour race. When I asked a similar question, these were some of the on-line resources that were suggested:

 

Kevin Sayers UltRunR site

IRunFar.com and especially this article

Umstead 100m Endurance Run

thanks for the links.

I will share them with her.

did you follow a plan when you were building up to 50 on your B-day?

 

were your weekends usually back to back long runs?

I didn't follow a plan.  I already run more mileage than a lot of the folks running in ultras so it really was just a need for me to get used to being on my feet for a very long period of time and to practice fueling and hydration strategies.  Beyond that, I pretty much promised my family I wouldn't run on Saturdays unless I was racing so the back to back long runs weren't an option for me.