So I am still on the fence about doing an ultra this Fall. I have one picked out and registration starts August 1st so I have a few weeks to decide for sure.
But i was wondering whether I would be better suited following a strict training plan (every day of every week meticulously planned out), or maybe just planning out the weekend long runs and other than that just running whatever feels right for the day the rest of the week.
Any thoughts?
I think you will find that most folks roll their own, but we'll see.
Are you talking 50k or 50+ miler?
Lots of folks will approach 50k training pretty much identically to marathon training, although if it is a bad ass hard course, that might not work.
Kind of comes down to your goals.
I think you will find that most folks roll their own, but we'll see. Are you talking 50k or 50+ miler? Lots of folks will approach 50k training pretty much identically to marathon training, although if it is a bad ass hard course, that might not work. Kind of comes down to your goals.
50 miler
Goal will really be just to finish it and not feel miserable at the end.
Imminent Catastrophe
Pick a 50k 2-3 weeks before the 50 miler. Works for me.
"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
If you can keep yourself honest by following that method, more power to you, but I would advise at least trying to set a weekly total mileage goal and long run distance, e.g. don't decide to run 90 miles one week with a 40 mile long run and then do 30 miles the next week with a 10 mile long run just because you feel like it.
I modified my marathon schedule something like this for my first 50 miler (my goal was around 80-90 MPW for 8+ weeks after a recent marathon):
Week # - mtwtfss
Week 8-8,8 tempo,16,8,12,22 long,8 -MPW 82
Week 7-8,8 interval,16,8,12,30 long,8 - MPW 90
Week 6-8,8 tempo,16,8,12,32 long,8 - MPW - 92
Week 5- 8,8 interval,16,8,12,34 long,8 MPW - 94
I did not strictly follow especially with the speed training this but it gave me something to target. Mostly I hit my mileage goals. After about 6 weeks of this level of training the only difference between a 30 mile run and a 20 mile run was the time to complete the run. The 50 mile race was still hard as hell mostly because I was racing it, but overall I walked away with a good enough experience that I want to do another one.
Consistently Slow
Seriously contemplating 100K 12/10-11/11.Thinking of doing b2b 50k / 26.2 as training runs 4 weeks( 9/12-13) out. 50K(9/ 26) 3 weeks out. Build to 60mpw for 3 weeks in November. Tapering now for marathon 9/18. Start new 10 week training schedule 10/01/1.
Plan is to not DNF.
Run until the trail runs out.
SCHEDULE 2016--
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
http://bkclay.blogspot.com/
I roll my own... pretty much run when I want too, as far as I feel like. Probably not the best recipe for success, but it's fun.
+1
I make my own, and like to do a 30-35M about once a month whether I'm in a training cycle or not.
Bacon Party!
+1 I make my own, and like to do a 30-35M about once a month whether I'm in a training cycle or not.
That sounds good. Seems like once I've got a certain amount of battering under my belt, I can maintain with one long run a month. If things work out, it's a "race."
Other than that, it's just run as I can and want to. (Which, I seem to "want" to more than I "can" - I'm rather delicate. ;-) )
Liz
pace sera, sera
Forever I've run without any written down plan. Having said that I try to have a good tempo run a week, some trail running with hills, and a long run; with a LONG run every two weeks or so (can't handle runs over 25 miles every week at my age). I'll do some track workouts for fun (yes, I enjoy them) especially if I have a half-marathon or smaller race in mind (for instance this year I've done 10 races; the shortest was 10k and the longest was 50 miles).
However, if I was going to try for something specific, like a PR in a marathon I would lean toward a fixed schedule. I think I run faster and harder with someone telling me what to do.
JJ - I'm with you on the 1 tempo run/week. It's a good way to maintain a decent level of leg turnover.
I like to do hills, but I make it a point to run really easy at least 2-3 times a week to recover as well.