I'm not sure the course will require hiking, just that some people have a hard time running grades over say 15% even for short distances after they've been out there for hours. It really depends on the course, conditions, and the runner! But honestly I think you can win this, provided the level of comp is roughly the same this year, and that your training goes well.
laughingostrich wrote:
In the past I've seen people advocating back-to-back long runs on the weekend to train in a glycogen-depleted state. Is that a good idea for a 50k? And if I do that, should I limit my carb intake a lot the 1st day to prevent glycogen replenishment? I would maybe think of building up to 25 miles on the first day and 10-12 the second.
I really have no idea what pace to even shoot for. I have run a 16 min 5k, a 33:50 10k and 1:16 half marathon. I guess converting those paces to a marathon and adding some time for 50k would give me an estimate of my 50k road pace. I'd imagine the trails and elevation gain in this race will make it quite a bit slower than that. I have a HRM, is there any estimate of what % of max HR to run at?
Back to back long runs on the weekend (Saturday and then Sunday) aren't necessary at 50k...some benefit for a 50 miler, and definitely for a 100 miler you should do this, but for 50K? Nah.
I'm really glad you started this thread. I've just decided to do my first 50k at the beginning of October. I've run a few marathons, but the last was 11 years ago (and I never really prepared as well as I should have).
So, while I'm older and wiser(?) and have built a good base over the past few months, I'm trying to take in all the advice I can find for going longer.
Flagpole: I've been hearing this from a lot of sources, that back-to-back runs aren't necessary for this distance. I guess maybe I'll try it once or twice to see how it feels, but I'll focus on the single long run.
tricyclist: Glad this thread could help someone else. It is a lot harder to find training advice for 50k and up than it is for races like 5k and 10k.
Anyone know what heart rate percentages to run at to burn fat most efficiently?
laughingostrich wrote:
Flagpole: I've been hearing this from a lot of sources, that back-to-back runs aren't necessary for this distance. I guess maybe I'll try it once or twice to see how it feels, but I'll focus on the single long run.
tricyclist: Glad this thread could help someone else. It is a lot harder to find training advice for 50k and up than it is for races like 5k and 10k.
Anyone know what heart rate percentages to run at to burn fat most efficiently?
Yeah, try it to see what it's all about if you want, but really, if you've ever done a marathon (and properly trained for it), then training for a 50k isn't all that much different...a few more weeks of long runs...you could even do a marathon in there as part of the training...just don't kill yourself in it.
I went and checked out the course. I brought my Garmin along so I could get an elevation profile. The first 11 miles of the course have about 2000 feet of elevation gain. I want to get back out there to run the last 20 of the course sometime, but I think the middle 10 or so are actually pretty flat.
There was a hill that went 400 feet up in a half mile and then 400 feet down in less than a half mile. Definitely helps to explain the results from last year.
I did a flat 26.2 mile long run yesterday, so it doesn\'t really apply that well to my trail race, but it is my longest run ever. I ended up running 3:11. I am pretty sure my race will take over 4 hours, maybe 4:30. Is it important to get in some long runs over 4 hours on trails? I was thinking of getting in at least a 26 miler on trails, and possibly a 28 or 30 miler.
The long runs will definitely help me get my nutrition figured out. I ended up taking 3 hammer gels total, at 1:15, 2:00 and 2:40. I had 20 oz of water, 20 oz of heed (like Gatorade) and 20 oz of water with an electrolyte tablet in it. I\'m not sure how much more I need. I had a pretty bad sideache the last 2 or 3 miles, but other than that I was fine. I think that ended up being only about 130 calories per hour.
I might try Hammer Perpetuem instead of Heed, because it has more calories. So maybe 20 oz water, 20 oz Perpetuem and 20 oz with electrolytes plus 3 gels for a 3 hour run? Anyone have any thoughts on this plan?