How to know if you're ready for a 50 miler?

When guys who can't break 3 hours for a marathon move up to an event that very few people compete in and suddenly are considered elites and get sponsors, yeah, most real runners have a problem with that.

This is not to disrespect guys like Sage. There are great runners out there who do amazing things in ultras. I think most people are just sick of the "look how good I am" attitude that oozes out of ultra people for doing mediocre (at best) things.

Don't call it running. Call it an endurance event.

I hope I don't across as too much of a jerk in this post, as I do think speed work is important; however, to say the OP should emphasize speed over endurance is bad advice. A key component of ultra training is figuring out how to keep going when something goes wrong and everything hurts. How is a person supposed to learn how to run on blown quads if the farthest he or she has run is 12 miles? How will someone know when to eat and drink or what foods and fluids even work?

Here's a bit on Matt Carpenter's training (

):

"When he signed up for his first Leadville 100 in 2004, he had never run a race longer than 30 miles. He switched his training goal from running a marathon to running four marathons in a row. That meant two hours of running a day, no matter what.

Most ultramarathon runners focus on endurance by running as much as 50 miles on weekends. Carpenter chose to focus on speed. He never ran farther than 25 miles a day but did plenty of short, fast workouts. The training paid off.

In late June 2004, Carpenter ran the San Juan Solstice 50, a 50-mile race in the mountains around Lake City, as a test run for Leadville. He came in almost two hours ahead of the second-place runner and destroyed the record by 43 minutes."

The main things I take from this are that he was doing 2 hours or running a day (14-16 miles, maybe?) and he raced 50 miles. That's hardly what I would call "shorter training."

Again, I'm sorry if that comes across harsh. It's just that your advice flies in the face of everything that I have seen work for other runners, whether it's the fast people or the back-of-the-packers.

NotanUltraGuy wrote:

Why not just go hike 50 miles and actually enjoy the experience? The whole ultra thing seems like a way to combine a s hitty bad run (slog, jog-slog) with an equally s hitty hike (done too fast to really enjoy the setting, the woods, the views, time away from work, family etc.)

If one of my friends wanted me to go hike 50M from X to Y I'd be totally down for that. Sounds fun, but trying to do that as quickly as possible would just destroy the purpose.

If I want to run long and fast I'll tackle a marathon, it will test you all you need.

I totally agree.

After trying some ultras in the past, nowadays i prefer to go for a very long hike/scramble if i feel the need to stay on my feets for a very long time in a beutiful surrounding. It's way more rewarding.

For your competition needs shorter mountain races are more fast, fun and interesting.

Ask this on reddit. People here hate ultra running.

78EnduroK wrote:

I'm a flatlander, searching to run my first 50.

I've got some 3h 30m and 4h long runs later down the road in my training, and my ultimate goal is to break 11h, with breaking 14h (the cutoff for this race) as a last resort. I know for the shorter distances there are some key workouts for 5k/Mile/Marathon that can help predict or something that can give you confidence. Where can I find this for ultra training?

Please, something other than "run 75% of your goal distance at race pace"

If you are still many weeks out from the event, you may try to alternate doing for example, a 4-4 1/2 hour run one weekend and then the next weekend do a 3 hour run on Saturday and a 2 1/2 hour run on Sunday to simulate running on tired legs.

Again, if you are doing a 12 week buildup then try this a couple of times, also adding a mid week 2 hour run if possible and you will be fine.

What's with all the hobbyjogger threads lately?

Snark Tank wrote:

This "running ultras" crap is why real runners can't stand these arrogant pr!cks. Is it easy to COMPLETE 50 miles in 11 hours? No. It's difficult. But stop saying you are running.

Haha, I'm not sure which ultra runners you hang out with, but all the ones I know are super mellow, unassuming people. Sure ultra running may be a different sport altogether, but it's one that "real" runners can enjoy too. I can't get all that excited about training for another road marathon just to shave a minute or two off my PB, but running a 50 or 100 poses a unique challenge that keeps me motivated. Maybe that's because I'm not fast enough to be considered a "real" runner, but that's fine with me.

I ran 6:10 for my first 50 miler. (Marathon PR at the time was 2:41.) I did it running 40 miles per week, with my "long" run being 15 miles. I didn't need four hour runs to finish a 50 and you shouldn't either. Even when I ran my 50 mile PR (5:35) I was not doing four hour runs (unless I was getting ready for a 100 miler.) Just do the training with which you feel comfortable (within reason) and be prepared mentally to stay out there as long as needed.

EL PUMA wrote:

Ask this on reddit. People here hate ultra running.

They're just jealous nobody cares about their crappy 31 minute 10k that would get them 136th place at a college meet.

Make sure you tell everyone how badass you are because you're an ultra "runner"! Even though most who do ultras hike a majority of it, just let everyone know you're cool as f**k!!

Don't forget! wrote:

Make sure you tell everyone how badass you are because you're an ultra "runner"! Even though most who do ultras hike a majority of it, just let everyone know you're cool as f**k!!

Your anger and jealousy leads me to believe you must only be a 33 minute 10k guy.

The truth about the kids here wrote:

They're just jealous nobody cares about their crappy 31 minute 10k that would get them 136th place at a college meet.

You do realize that we are not talking about 31 min 10k guys running a 50 miler, right? A 31 min guy could actually run an entire 50 miler, probably around 6 hours or so. That 136th place 10k guy would win almost every 50 mile race around.

We are dealing with an OP who is an ELEVEN HOUR (possibly 14 hour) guy here. His best 10k is probably not under 50 minutes. 11 hours for a 50 miler is basically running 10 minutes and then walking 50 minutes every hour. No one is jealous of that.

And trust me, running 31 min for 10k is much much much much more difficult to do than running an 11 hour 50 miler. Hands down more difficult.

As a former ultra guy I'll give you an honest assessment of the entire gig.

Training involves running as much as you can without injuring yourself before you get to the start line. Nothing more, nothing less. Run easy miles whenever you have time.

Fuel involves eating on the run. Unless you're an elite athlete at a specialty event you'll be forced to eat whatever is at the aid stations. Just eat and do t worry about the macros. You need food and water and salt. Period.

Competition is low. Most ultrarunners are there to socialize and cover the distance only. The guys who win local ultras, and I was one of them, are very mediocre runners. When you're a middle of the road guy, the allure of winning races is fun. If you're in the top 3 in a 50 mile trail race you're not thinking about the fact that a hundred other guys could be beating you. You're thinking about the hunt and the competition. It's awesome. So for anybody to say the average ultra guys are spectacular runners is ridiculous. Conversely, for the elite to talk down to mid pack guys chasing that feeling is a complete douche move.

Enjoy yourself. If you're competitive, when you get to about forty miles start trying to figure out how many are within catching distance and go after them.

Well. Lots of useless venom on here, but to answer the original question, just sign up and go give it a try. You’ll do OK or you won’t but there is really only one way to know.

Having run 30:odd for 10000, 9 flat steeple and 5:34 for 50M, I’d say they’re all equally hard, just in different ways.

My theory is that, done right, every race from 2 mile on up entails equal suffering, distributed over different periods.

Android Firefox with ABP wrote:

The truth about the kids here wrote:

They're just jealous nobody cares about their crappy 31 minute 10k that would get them 136th place at a college meet.

You do realize that we are not talking about 31 min 10k guys running a 50 miler, right? A 31 min guy could actually run an entire 50 miler, probably around 6 hours or so. That 136th place 10k guy would win almost every 50 mile race around.

We are dealing with an OP who is an ELEVEN HOUR (possibly 14 hour) guy here. His best 10k is probably not under 50 minutes. 11 hours for a 50 miler is basically running 10 minutes and then walking 50 minutes every hour. No one is jealous of that.

And trust me, running 31 min for 10k is much much much much more difficult to do than running an 11 hour 50 miler. Hands down more difficult.

Exactly. You and I know that but 98% of the population believe the 50 mile guy is much more impressive. That's why the kids around here feel so threatened.

When you're avg daily mileage is 16.67 miles, then you'll be ready for 50 miles. Don't listen to anyone else.

78EnduroK wrote:

I'm a flatlander, searching to run my first 50.

I've got some 3h 30m and 4h long runs later down the road in my training, and my ultimate goal is to break 11h, with breaking 14h (the cutoff for this race) as a last resort. I know for the shorter distances there are some key workouts for 5k/Mile/Marathon that can help predict or something that can give you confidence. Where can I find this for ultra training?

Please, something other than "run 75% of your goal distance at race pace"

Surprised that no one has mentioned that another prerequisite would be to have a tattoo somewhere on your body that looks completely out of place. Definitely more important than the length of your long runs. Also, you must run with music, because you're not able to keep focused and need external motivation for more than five hours.

M.A.G.A.

Train for the marathon for 5 years but never break 2:20, once you know you can't make it at a real distance move up to the 50 miler where there is no competition and you can tell you work mates how "crazy" you are

Why 2:20, that's a b!tch number. The Women's WR is 2:15:25.

Listen, stop making stupid arbitrary standards of what you think is fast or considered fast.

I've been racing trails for years ever since I ended my semi-pro road career and have yet to feel sufficiently trained to line up for a 50-mile trail race, especially at the level I expect from myself. It's no joke and deserves respect.