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Preparing and running your first ultra marathon
Running an ultra-marathon (ultra) may sound daunting at first, but after reading this, you might feel a little more relaxed about it (maybe even excited).
First things first
- Ultra marathons come in all shapes and sizes, from a flat 50km (31mile) to multiday 250km (155miles) races across the Sahara desert. Before you book your flights, let’s take a step back and address a few of the usual questions newcomers have:
Can anyone run an Ultra?
- Yes, any able-bodied person can run an ultra. A lot of running an ultra is in your head, with a steady average pace of 10-14minute miles will see you through to the finish line (slow and steady wins the race).
Do I have to be able to run the entire distance?
- No, unless you are looking to be competitive most people will take planned walking breaks. The natural profile of some events will have you walking the ups, running the flats and running the downs (I can hear my quads crying already).
How many miles or hours of training do I need to do?
- This obviously varies between different people, but some people can complete a 50km Ultra on the back of two days a week training and still get the job done. Others train every day of the week and maybe even twice on the same day. A big part of completing an ultra is being able to cover the distance, so if you were only able to train twice a week I would suggest one of those training runs is a long run/walk. The longer run will get you used to being on your feet for longer and as we have eluded to above, you can still walk to the finish line.
- When first starting out it’s a good idea to apply the 10% rule (basically don’t increase your weekly mileage any more than 10% week on week). When you are first starting out this seems like it could take forever to get to the longer distances, but it soon stacks up and you’ll be running longer and longer each week on your long run days.
- As you increase your mileage consider running off-road on soft trails or tracks, you are less likely to pick up injuries in my experience and this is great for building some of your core muscles if the terrain is slightly rolling/uneven unlike flat tarmac.
How far should my long runs be?
- Generally in most of the “off the shelf” training plans suggest no more than 30-35 miles in a single training run, the recovery time from these longer runs will impact into the next weeks training.
- Using a 50km (31mile) Race as an example, your long run days would be averaging around 20-25 miles. You also have 10-30miles spread through the week for recovery runs and maybe one speed or strength session amongst those miles. So using the example above could see you training around 30 miles a week ahead of your first ultra or training as much as 55 miles per week (in peak weeks). Don’t get hung up if you’ve missed a couple of training days within your plan, a few missed here and there won’t hurt your preparation too much.
Should I change my diet or nutrition?
- It depends, if you’re not changing increasing your training time/mileage then maybe not, but if you’re putting more hours into training then you’re burning more calories and need to increase your calories to ensure you have the energy to keep the level of training up. The other considerations is getting the right calories into your body to ensure not only have you got the energy, but your body has the right types of food to aid recovery/repair.
What is tapering?
- As race day approaches you want to start reducing your mileage and harder sessions, the idea of tapering is you reduce the stress/load on your body allowing it to recover. Although while tapering you feel you can run more and almost feel frustrated you are doing less, this is a great time to start pulling your race plan together while ensuring you have all the kit, food and route nailed down.
Sleep?
- Don’t under estimate the benefits of keeping a good sleep routine and getting enough sleep to aid recovery and ensure you’re ready to get out on that Saturday morning long run!
Is ultra running kit expensive?
- When you’re starting out your kit doesn’t have to be expensive just fit for purpose. Generally what you will find is there’s cheaper alternatives that will get you through your training or first race, but the kit maybe heavier, non-breathable, poor quality or not last as long. As you train more and race more you will be able to talk to other runners about the kit they use and why they us it, this in turn will help you decide whether it is worth investing some hard earned cash.
A few things to consider ahead of your race
- It’s ok to walk, ideally you would have studied the route or even ran sections of it and already planned the sections you’re going to walk.
- Keep hydrated, keep an eye on your fluid intake.
- Keep eating, little and often works best for me (200-250 calories an hour).
- Don’t sit down at checkpoints too long, you might not get back up.
- Keep calm, keep moving forward and Enjoy it!
Generally, the ultra running community is fantastically diverse and very friendly. Some race providers have a real living and breathing community through their races and social media. Please share your experiences with us through our social media pages or contact us through our email onestopultra@gmail.com
