ultrarunner for a long time wrote:
GBohannon wrote:
Any input on how to train for a 50 would be welcome. I’m guessing it’s not that much like training for a fast marathon, but maybe it is?
The myth says that you have to train a lot of long miles for an ultra.
I would say, you can almost train exactly like you would do for a marathon.
The main difference is that you have to start with a very slow pace.
In Ultrarunning the "running part" gets less important the longer the race gets. Nutrition, weather, mental strength are the key to success.
^^^Once again, this.
I've run three ?'s, along with several assorted-length "baby ultras". No particular need to go beyond typical marathon training, whatever that is for you. Spend the extra time you might have thought you needed for additional training on working out the other details instead - nutrition, hydration, and gear strategies for starters. Knowing what you can stomach, how much fluid you'll need, and how you might go about carrying it will pay far greater dividends on race day than a few extra miles/week ever will. The ONLY extra training I've ever done is perhaps one (and only one) "over-distance" run (>marathon, generally 50kish) in the lead-up, like 4-6 weeks out. Not a race, just going a little outside the normal comfort zone. This is optional, but can be beneficial if done right. It's also a great opportunity for gear/nutrition strategy shake out.