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!

What is this all about?

       Why the hell would anyone want to run 100 miles?  That’s what I was wondering a year and a half ago when I first heard about the world of ultrarunning.  “There is no justifiable reason why a sane person would do that to themself” I thought.  If you ask any ultrarunner why they run such long distances, even when their body is screaming in pain and won’t keep food down, you will probably get a long, complicated answer.  The truth is, the reason is hard to describe and ever-evolving.   However, this year, I have chosen to run the Leadville Trail 100 on August 17.

"I always start these events with very lofty goals, like I'm going to do something special, and after a point of body deterioration and the goals get evaluated down, the best I can hope for is to avoid throwing up on my shoes."
- Ephrain Romesberg (65 miles into the Badwater Ultramarathon)

       So why am I doing this?  Have I gone insane or am I masochistic?  Honestly, it’s probably a little of both.  Running 100 miles through Leadville, CO, a town that sits at an altitude twice as high as most planes pressurize their cabins, is not something that can be attempted on a whim.  Ken Chlouber, founder of the Leadville Trail 100, knows this.  “It’s the only weekend when all the beds in the hotels and emergency rooms are full at the same time”.  However, with rigorous training and proper nutrition, about 40% of the 800 people who line up at the start will finish the race in less than 30 hours.  That means moving at an average pace of 18 minutes/mile.  This may not seem difficult at first, but maintaining that pace after 50 miles while you are hiking up the treacherous Hope’s Pass at 12,600 feet is another story.

       The pure magnitude of the challenge is what originally attracted me towards it.  They say the first 50 miles are run with your legs and the second 50 are run with your brain.  Everybody is sore and hurting after 50 miles, so mental focus and willpower to endure must override signals from the body to quit simply because it is uncomfortable.  In this respect, I admire the power our mind has to overcome the seemingly most impossible tasks.  Although the runners can quit any time they want, all push on with blisters on their feet, pain down their legs, and hallucinations on the trail.  This arduous fight, I believe, can transcend to every facet of life, regardless of if you’ve ever laced up a pair of running shoes.

       This fighting attitude was also found in a close friend to me who recently passed away.  Kenny Menz was a very important influence in my life along with the many others who got to know him over the years.  I got to know him well from racing BMX as the guy who would announce the line up for a race of 11 year olds like it was the final stretch of the Kentucky Derby.  His enthusiasm for life radiated through the loudspeaker every race he went to and brought out the competitive spirit in everyone, regardless of how tired they were.   Last year, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and began treatment immediately.  Throughout the entire process, he fought like hell and kept everyone’s spirits up by making wiseass cracks to make everyone laugh at his bedside.  Unfortunately, the best treatments weren’t enough to eliminate the tumor and he passed away not long ago.  I have decided to run the Leadville 100 in Kenny’s memory and to fundraise for the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA).  The ABTA has many great resources for those affected by brain tumors and helps fund research to develop better treatments.  My hope is that our contribution will advance what we know about brain tumors and spread awareness and provide support for those who have been or are currently affected by a brain tumor.

       I started this blog for those who are interested in what it is like to train for a 100-mile race and to rally support for the ABTA.  I am excited for the challenges and opportunities that are ahead of me and I will try to add posts at least once a week about my training, food intake, and races I have coming up before the big event.  If you have any questions or comments, you can write them in the comment box or email me at justinhellwinkel@gmail.com.  If you would like to support my fundraising goal to the ABTA, there is a link on the upper right hand side of the blog.  If you know anybody who may be interested in following my journey and supporting this goal, please pass this link along.  Thank you all for the support!!

Justin