If you are a speed demon or like frequent hard workouts, this is going to be a massive change in pace (pun intended). Not only does this lower heart rate and lower effort help teach your body to become more efficient at utilizing fuel, but the lower effort helps reduce the risk of injury and burnout. While the distance is probably not a surprise, what tends to take new ultramarathon runners of guard is the amount of long, slow, base building miles that ultra training consists of.įor an ultramarathon, around 80% of your training volume is going to be in the aerobic zone (also known as Zones 1 & 2). On average, you can expect upwards of 50-80 or more miles per week for an ultramarathon training plan, depending upon what distance you are racing.
It only makes sense: ultramarathon races cover much greater distances.
Here’s a few things you can expect to come standard with ultramarathon training:Īs you might expect, the overall training volume for an ultramarathon is going to be significantly higher than that of more traditional distances such as half or full marathons. What does ultramarathon training look like? Now that we’ve covered that, let’s get to the good stuff: training for an ultra. Related: The Realities of Ultramarathon Training: Tough Love from a Coach In addition to having the time to train, having the support of your family and loved ones before diving into ultra training again isn’t necessary, but it certainly does help. I cannot stress that enough, in fact, the amount training consumes day to day life often takes new ultra runners by surprise.įor longer distances, you may be committing 15-20 hours a week, or more, on training. The time, physical, and emotional commitment for training for an ultramarathon can be huge. However, having that experience will give you the best chances for success in both completing your race and making it through your training cycle injury free. Of course that’s not to say that you can’t train for an ultra in your first year or two of running. In order to jump into ultramarathons, runners should be able to comfortably run at minimum, 35-40 mile weeks, as this is the typical starting point of most ultra training plans. Notice I did not necessarily say racing experience, but rather, years of focused running. I typically recommend aspiring ultrarunners have a few years of shorter distance endurance running/ training under their proverbial belts before deciding to tackle an ultra. Here’s what you should have before diving into ultra training:
While I love the enthusiasm of these runners, there is a lot to be said for the physical adaptations and experience that comes with starting slow and properly building an endurance base. As a whole, ultramarathons have becoming incredibly trendy in the last few years.Īs such, I often see new runners wanting to skip over more traditional distances, such as a half or full marathon, and jump head first into the ultra world. I’m really glad you asked, and feel it’s important to get this one out of the way before we dive any deeper. In this post, we will briefly outline what to expect while training for your first ultra. While a number of traditional run-training philosophies still apply to ultramarathon training, there are a handful of unorthodox techniques that might surprise those new to the ultramarathon world. Other common distances include the 50 miler, 100K (62 miles), 100 miler, and becoming more popular by the day, the 200 miler. Traditionally, the first ultramarathon distance starts at a 50K (31 miles). In this beginners guide to training for an ultramarathon, we’re going to cover all of the basics and need to know facts about training for your first ultra (note: everything you need to know about racing an ultra will come in a later post).Īn ultramarathon is any race distance longer than a marathon, or, 26.2 miles. Just like the meme says, we actually DO have cookies.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve considered making the leap from the traditional long distance racing world to the ultramarathon world. Last Updated on Maby Heather Hart, ACSM EP