How to Train

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Training for an ultramarathon requires a variety of different types of training runs and races to prepare for 100 miles.  But first, what is an ultramarathon?  An ultra is any race longer than a standard marathon (26.2 miles) and typically is run on a network of trails through the woods, mountains, and valleys.  The most notable race being the Western States 100, the first 100-mile race held in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Originally a horse race, riders would ride from Squaw Valley to Auburn in 24 hours, but in 1974, Gordy Ainsleigh’s horse went lame, so he decided to run the rest of the race on foot.  In the following years, the sport took shape and now there are 100-mile races all over the country. 

So how do you train for something like this?  There are a lot of factors to take into consideration.  What is the race terrain like?  How much is the gain in elevation over the course?  What elevation above sea level is the course?  How much will you have to run or hike?  If you are running a marathon through the mountains with a ton of climbing, you will not want to do all your training on a flat road.  Your training should be race specific.  The first thing, and maybe the most important, is having a strong base.  ~6 weeks of consistent running before rigorous training will help avoid common running injuries (planter fasciitis, tendonitis, strained muscles).  If you start off too hard, they can sneak up on you and create big problems in your training down the road.  Some injuries may be inevitable, but starting steady will give you a strong foundation to build off.

Once you have a strong base, there are a multitude of training runs you can do, which I will talk more in depth about in future posts.  But what is important overall is that your training should address the rigor of the course to make you best prepared come race day.  For example, the first race I have coming up in training for Leadville is a 33K (20.5 miles) on February 16 in Moab, Utah.  Since it would be difficult for me to go to Moab to train every day, I can study the course map and elevation profile to cater my training towards this race.

Although this elevation profile is simplified, there appear to be three peaks, so I try to break down the course into each segment to determine how rigorous the climbs and descents will be.

Climb 1: +400 ft/1.5 mi

Descent 1: -400 ft/1.5 mi

Climb 2: +800 ft/4 mi

Descent 2: -600 ft/4 mi

Climb 3: +100 ft/1 mi

Descent 3: -900 ft/6 mi

Net Elevation Gain = 3,326 ft

Note: The course is 20.5 miles long, but the profile only shows up to mile 18.

The net elevation gain is much more than the climbs I calculated, so this mean there must be a lot of up and down segments throughout the entire course.  Once I break down each climb, I can look at trails that I typically run on to gauge the difficulty of each pitch and how fast I should be able to run each segment.  Studying the course before you get to the race will be incredibly advantageous for any runner because you will have catered your training towards that race to be mentally and physically prepared for each segment. Also to note is the elevation above sea level, as anyone who has traveled to Colorado can attest, breathing becomes more difficult.  Since I live around 5,200 feet in Boulder, I will not have to do much elevation training for this race, but as I mentioned before, Leadville will peak at 12,600 feet, so training at that elevation will be important later on.

For more info about the race, check out Moab Red Hot 33K.

Have a great day!