How To Run Your First Ultra Marathon– Training Plan and Long Runs

Summary

The video discusses how to create a personalized ultra marathon training plan, emphasizing flexibility, injury prevention, and the importance of long runs. Drawing from experience in completing 27 ultra marathons, the speaker advises on balancing weekly mileage, incorporating strength and high-intensity workouts, and the significance of rest. Tips on gradually increasing mileage, using effort-based training, and managing back-to-back long runs are provided. The video stresses adapting the plan to life situations and listening to the body to avoid injuries. Viewers are encouraged to design their own plans for optimal results rather than following rigid templates.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♂️ Ultra marathon training is about balancing fitness gains with injury prevention.
• 🛑 A structured training plan helps prevent injuries, which is the most common reason runners fail to complete training.
• 📅 A training schedule should be adaptable to your life circumstances and personal limits.
• 📉 Weekly mileage should be increased gradually, around 10%, to avoid injury.
• 🕒 Training can be measured by time on feet or total mileage, depending on the runner’s preference.
• 🚶‍♀️ Long runs are the most important part of ultra marathon training, helping to build endurance and solve potential race-day issues.
• 💪 Strength training and high-intensity workouts like intervals and hills are beneficial but should be done cautiously to avoid injury.
• ⏳ The 80/20 rule applies: 80% of training should be slow, and 20% can be high intensity.
• ⚖️ A three-week build and one-week reduction training cycle is effective for gradually increasing mileage.
• 🧠 Ultra marathon running requires mental training and adaptability, with the mindset of solving problems on the go.

Q & A

Why is building a training schedule important when preparing for an ultra marathon?

Building a training schedule helps balance improving fitness and minimizing injury risks. It provides structure, helps monitor progress, and ensures you gradually increase mileage, reducing the likelihood of injuries.

What is the most common reason people fail to train for an ultra marathon?

The most common reason is injuries from pushing too hard during training, rather than giving up. Injuries prevent them from racing on race day.

How many miles should one train weekly for a 100-mile ultra marathon?

The speaker recommends training around 70 miles per week for a 100-mile race, with a personal cap of 90 miles. Weekly mileage can vary depending on the individual.

How should one increase mileage when building up their training?

Mileage should be increased gradually, by around 2-3 miles per week or roughly 10%, to avoid injuries. Alternatively, you can track time spent on your feet rather than mileage.

What types of runs should be included in an ultra marathon training plan?

Training should include both low-intensity, high-volume long runs and high-intensity, low-volume runs like intervals or hill training to build endurance and strength.

Why are long runs considered the most important part of ultra marathon training?

Long runs build endurance, test gear, and prepare you for potential race day challenges like chafing, hydration, and fueling. They are essential for both physical and mental preparation.

What is the 80/20 rule in ultra marathon training?

The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of training should be at a slow pace, with only 20% at high intensity. This balance helps build endurance while minimizing injury risk.

What is the purpose of back-to-back long runs in ultra marathon training?

Back-to-back long runs, typically done on weekends, train you to run on tired legs, simulating race conditions. They help build endurance and teach pacing for race day.

How should one approach tapering before an ultra marathon race?

During a taper week, the focus is on recovery rather than building fitness. Runners should reduce intensity and mileage while keeping loose and ensuring they’re fully rested for race day.

What mindset should one adopt when training for an ultra marathon compared to a marathon?

Ultra marathon training requires a flexible and adaptable mindset, focusing on problem-solving and adjusting as needed. Unlike marathon training, it doesn't need to be perfect.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♂️ How Many Miles to Train for an Ultra Marathon?

This paragraph discusses the importance of building a training schedule for ultra marathons, highlighting the balance between increasing fitness and minimizing the risk of injuries. The author emphasizes that a structured approach helps beginners avoid overtraining and injuries, which are the main reasons people fail to complete their training. The writer shares their experience of completing multiple 100-mile races, suggesting a sweet spot of 70-90 miles per week for a 100-mile race and 40-50 miles for a 50-mile race. The author advises gradual increases in mileage, using time on feet instead of total mileage as a training metric, and adapting the plan based on personal circumstances and body feedback.

05:00

🏞️ The Importance of Long Runs in Ultra Marathon Training

Long runs are crucial for ultra marathon training and should be prioritized as they help build mileage, strength, and expose potential race day issues such as chafing, hydration, and gear testing. The writer advises against running long runs too quickly, recommending the 80/20 rule (80% slow, 20% high intensity). They also discuss back-to-back long runs, emphasizing that the first run should maintain a manageable pace, and the second run trains the body to handle fatigue. The paragraph emphasizes the mental and physical training that long runs provide, helping runners prepare for the unpredictable nature of race day.

10:06

📝 Building a Personalized Ultra Marathon Training Plan

This section outlines the specifics of creating a personalized ultra marathon training plan, recommending a cycle of three build weeks followed by one reduced mileage week. The author suggests planning the schedule backwards from the goal, incorporating rest days after back-to-back long runs, and including high-intensity workouts like intervals and hills for strength building. The importance of rest and recovery is highlighted, as it’s when the body gets stronger. The paragraph stresses the value of creating a personalized plan that matches the runner’s life and fitness level, allowing for adjustments based on progress and personal circumstances.

15:09

🔄 Tapering, Recovery, and the Mindset for Ultra Running

The final paragraph covers the tapering phase before a race, emphasizing that this period is for recovery, not for gaining fitness. It also touches on the week after the race, recommending reduced mileage and active recovery to promote healing. The author suggests incorporating a practice race to test gear and mentally prepare. They contrast the mindset of marathon running with ultra running, stressing the importance of flexibility and problem-solving over strict adherence to the training plan. The section concludes by encouraging runners to focus on adaptability, understanding that training doesn’t need to be perfect, and emphasizing the importance of learning to build and adjust one's training schedule.

Keywords

💡Training Schedule

A structured plan that outlines the specific workouts, mileage, and activities to prepare for an ultra marathon. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a training schedule to balance fitness improvement and injury prevention. They also stress the need for flexibility in adapting the schedule to personal circumstances.

💡Long Run

The core component of ultra marathon training, focusing on building endurance through extended running sessions. The speaker describes long runs as the 'bread and butter' of ultra marathon preparation, crucial for testing gear, hydration, and mental resilience.

💡Back-to-Back Long Runs

A training technique involving two consecutive long runs, typically performed on weekends. The first run aims to build endurance, while the second is designed to train the runner to perform on tired legs. The speaker recommends this strategy to simulate race day fatigue.

💡Injury Prevention

A key focus in ultra marathon training to avoid overtraining and injuries. The speaker repeatedly warns against pushing too hard, advising gradual mileage increases and rest days to allow the body to heal and recover.

💡Rest and Recovery

The process of allowing the body to recuperate after intense training. The speaker highlights the importance of rest days and active recovery, comparing it to fixing a plane while it's on the ground. They mention that recovery is crucial to getting stronger, not just during training.

💡Perceived Effort

A method of pacing where the runner focuses on how hard they feel they are working rather than relying on strict pace or heart rate measurements. The speaker prefers this method, suggesting that it offers flexibility based on the runner's condition on a given day.

💡Zone 2 Training

A heart rate-based training zone that represents low-intensity, aerobic exercise, ideal for endurance building. The speaker mentions that much of an ultra marathoner's training should be in Zone 2 to increase overall fitness without overloading the body.

💡High-Intensity Workouts

Short, intense efforts like intervals, speed workouts, or hill training. These are included to build strength and endurance, even though ultra marathons are primarily run at a slower pace. The speaker notes that high-intensity training carries a higher injury risk, so caution is necessary.

💡Taper Week

A period of reduced training volume leading up to the race, allowing the body to rest and recover before the event.

Highlights

Training for an ultra marathon is about balancing fitness gains and minimizing the risk of injuries.

The most common reason people fail to train for an ultra marathon is due to injuries, not giving up.

Structured training schedules help beginners avoid pushing too hard and getting injured.

Weekly mileage recommendations vary, but for 100 miles, around 70 miles a week is a good target.

Ramping up mileage slowly is crucial to prevent injuries, with a 10% weekly increase being ideal.

The most critical aspect of training is the long run, which should be prioritized in any training plan.

Training should also include strength work, not just running, to improve overall endurance.

High-intensity training like intervals or hill workouts helps build resistance but should be done cautiously to avoid injury.

Back-to-back long runs help train your body to perform on tired legs and are essential for ultra marathon preparation.

You don’t need to run more than 30 miles in a training session, as the risk of injury outweighs the fitness benefits.

Building a personalized training schedule is more beneficial than following generic templates, as it allows for flexibility.

Rest and recovery are critical parts of training. Your body strengthens during rest, not while running.

In ultra running, the mindset is more about problem-solving and adaptability than achieving perfection.

A taper week before the race allows your body to recover fully without losing fitness.

Including a practice race, like a 50-miler before your 100-mile race, helps prepare mentally and test gear.

Transcripts

How many miles should you train before running an Ultra Marathon?

And how many is too many?

Today I'm going to share my experience racing over 27x 100 miles ultra marathon

to help you build your own training schedule / training plan.

How to ultra marathon running - Training schedule / Trainin plan

Running an ultra marathon is actually not that hard.

But what is really difficult is to get the training right.

Why build a training schedule?

When you are training for an ultra marathon

you are trying to balance two things.

One is to increase your fitness and your resistance to the beating that you will have during the race.

But at the same time you want to minimize the risk of injuries.

Especially during training.

And it's very easy to push to hard, and injure yourself.

The most likely reason why people fail to train up to an ultra marathon

is actually injuries.

It's not because they give up. It's because they pushed too hard

and inured themselves, and then they are not able to race on race day.

So having a more structured approach

is very helpful especially when you are a beginner

and you're not so sure is 20 miles is too much for me or not.

Another advantage of having a training plan is that it's easier to monitor your progress.

What has worked, what has not worked.

The last thing that I really want to emphasis is

that a training schedule is not gospel.

I think you should always adapt it to your own life situation.

If you are busy at work, or you have some commitments with your children or anything like that.

Well, life is more important than your training.

So adapt your schedule to your life circumstances in general.

And also to your body.

If for example you feel that you are getting injured,

dial it down.

The worst thing that you could do is:

Well today, it said I was supposed to run 20 miles, so I'm running 20 miles despite feeling injured.

And then you aggravate an injury.

How many miles is enough?

Before getting into the details of what should you do monday, Tuesday, how many miles, etc.

A key question is how many miles should be your total weekly mileage.

You'll see people out there running crazy amount. 150 miles a week...

Honestly, I don't even think all professionals do that.

And there is really no reason.

Personally I never go above 90 miles.

Typically my kind of sweet spot is 70 miles to train for 100 miles ultra marathon.

You could for example for a 50 miler - 40 to 50 miles weekly will probably be plenty enough to perform very well and have a very goo dday

Could you do it with less? Yes, maybe.

Could you do it with more? Yes, maybe. It will depend on you in both direction.

But before that, you need to increase gradually.

So where to start? Well it depends where you are right now.

Are you able to run a marathon or not?

And you'll build your first week according to that.

And calculate the number of weeks you need to ramp up slowly.

And ramping up slowly,

it's adding 2 or 3 miles per week, or 10%.

I tend to be more conservative.

You might even not want to do your training schedule on weekly mileage.

That's the easiest to discuss, but you can always do the conversion.

What you could use instead is the amount of time on your feet.

E.g., you go out for 2 hours of training.

And building THAT gradually instead of total weekly mileage.

The other aspect is that

we will often put a pace.

And really what that means is - is this a fast run? Is this a slow run?

But you could also go by effort.

Either by perceived effort - which is what I personally use.

But you can also go by heart rate.

So saying, we often say that "zone 2" is really important. bWhat goes into my training schedule?

But just because I talk a lot about running specifically for this schedule,

just keep in mind that this is only part of the training.

So it's good within your schedule to include things like strength training.

So the typical type of running that you will do are divided, in my mind, in two categories.

One is low intensity / high volume. The other is high intensity / low volume.

So basically, it's your long run.

The other part of that will be a high intensity.

And why do you add that? If you are just going to run slow during your ultra marathon?

Why add things like intervals or hills?

It's going to help you build your resistance in general.

It's just important to have them, but don't over do it.

Personally, I know that intervals is one of the thing that has the highest risk of injuries.

So when I do some, I'm particularly careful.

The high intensity, it can be things like intervals,

could be speed workouts, could be hills training.

I think if you are racing an ultra marathon that is pretty hilly,

you can add things that are more specifics like hills training, power hiking.

That's going to help you a lot face what's going to be on race day.

The secret sauce is long runs!

Everything is important, but the long run is very VERY important.

So why don't you come with me on my long run before Badwater 135!

All right, we are on the Badwater 135 miles ultra marathon course!

And today we are going to do a long run!

Let's go!

Long runs, they are your bread and butter of your ultra marathon training.

You really need to prioritize those!

And they serve a lot of different purpose.

But at the end of the day,

you are building mileage,

you are getting stronger.

And that's something that you just cannot replace.

A lot of the problems that could happen on race day will actually emerge on long runs.

Things like chaffing, being able to hydrate. Fuel.

All of these things you can train.

Your shoes, your gear. I'm dressed the way I will be dressed for Badwater 135 ultra marathon.

You leave nothing to chance on race day because

on race day, things will not go according to plan.

So you want to minimize the number of unknowns

So that on race day, the problem solving that you are doing, it's for things that you couldn't have prevented that.

What's a good pace for my long run?

When you are doing your long run,

it can be tempting to do them as fast as possible.

But just remember the 80 / 20 rule.

... I know there are a lot of 80 / 20 rules....

but the one I'm referring to is the one stipulating that

you should have 80% of your mileage in your training at a slow pace.

And only 20% at high intensity

Back to back long runs for ultra running

Some training plans sometimes will have you do back-to-back long runs.

Personally I recommend doing that in the weekend if you are working Monday through Friday.

Sure your second run, the 20 miles, the goal is to run these 20 miles on tired legs

But there is a goal to the first run.

And it's not only to get tired for the next day.

In fact the first run,

the goal is to find what is a good pace you should go if you want to stay fresh.

Typically I try after my long run, to feel fresh like a pickle.

And some times that means that I will tired afterwards and I'll go to sleep or take a nap.

But when I do my back-to-back long runs,

I try to have my first long run

feeling fresh like

chocolate ice cream!

Train your mind!

You often hear new runners sometime say "How do you do it? It sounds so boring!"

And really my response to that is

that it's not so boring if you do it with someone who is not boring

And then they are like "But aren't you running by yourself?!"

YES - exactly!

You know, be in your head, be in your space. That's something to practice

Avoid these common mistakes when training for your first ultra marathon

Another thing to be careful about with your long run is that

if you increase them, the mileage, too fast

you have a risk of injuries.

So watch out for that.

One last thing is

I don't think there is any value in doing a long run that is longer than 30 miles

Honestly, I never even do a marathon in training anymore.

The reason for that is that at some point

you just increase the risk of injury and you get little to no fitness benefits

and your body is taking too long to heal.

So you're not getting the full advantage of doing long runs.

All right! I'm done with my long run.

I stopped like literally 5 seconds ago.

As you can see, I look pretty fresh. And that was the goal.

I think I said before "Fresh like ice cream"?

I'm fresh like ice cream, which actually sounds pretty good. I think I'll go get ice cream.

And that's it - it's not more complicated than that.

But the big thing to remember is that

long runs are probably the most important thing in your training schedule.

There is much more, and there is more than just running but

without the long run you will very much struggle because

not only you are training your body, but you are also training your mind.

And your are testing your gear and you are learning and gaining experience that will help you during the race.

Building an ultra marathon training schedule

All right, so now let's talk specifics!

Go get yourself a pen and paper, or your computer!

You are going to organize it by weeks.

If you are training for 100 miles, you can go back about half a year.

For building that.

But obviously where you start in terms of fitness might affect how many weeks you need to prepare for a race.

There's different type of weeks that you are going to do.

Some ... the most common type would be what I call a "build week"

Which means you are increasing mileage slowly compared to the previous week.

The system I use myself which has worked very well and led to a 16h18m 100 miles

Was to use cycle of 3 weeks of build and 1 week of reduced mileage.

Up until I had the mileage that I was looking for.

Then I had a block of 3 weeks that I would describe as maintaining

which means that I am maintaining the weekly mileage that I was targeting for peak.

Doing that for 3 weeks.

Then I revert to a reduced week and then taper.

And then it's race day.

Now, how is the week organized?

So first, there's a lot of people doing run streaks.

That's great - if you want to do that...well...I'm not encouraging that.

But regardless, you should have some rest.

Even people that do run streaks typically have days that they run less, or at least less intensively.

Personally I favor a full rest.

At the beginning of your training, maybe you have 2 rest days

really depends where you are in your fitness, but towards the end

personally, one day of rest is enough for me.

I usually put it after my back-to-back long runs.

So build your schedule,

from the end, where do you want to go?

And then we'll find a way to get there!

That's how you can build a training schedule.

Sure you can go online and find some templates, but

I really think you will gain a lot first by

doing it yourself because it's going to be personalized.

But also because you will understand what is in your schedule.

And understanding that will help you tweak it

favorably to match what is in your schedule and what happens in your life

So we go to the last week

and we said that 70 miles is the goal that you are looking for if you are training for 100 miles.

And what you are going to do is put the back-to-back long runs

I do it Saturday Sunday because these are my day off.

If you have a similar schedule, just do that. Back-to-back long runs.

How many miles should that be?

It should be a number that when you see it for the first time

Huh...well that is a lot!

But it is something that you will get to!

And you can think about 30-40% of your weekly mileage.

Even more, maybe more like 50% of my weekly mileage will actually be during that weekend.

And then you build that backwards.

So how do you get to say a 20 miles as your last week?

Well ok, the week before...

well the 3 weeks of maintain is the same, but

before that, well it's 19 the week before

The pace at which you increase that will dictate the number of weeks you need to get there.

That's where I ask for half a year - I think that's reasonable.

Now your mileage for Saturdays and Sundays goes all the way to the beginning

These numbers should feel like something you can tackle today.

If that is not the case, then it seems you might need a few more weeks preparation to actually build up to that.

As I mentioned, I think the day after the back-to-back long run, it's great to rest.

And it's not because "you're a little cat" you know.

It's because your body is not getting stronger WHILE you are running obviously.

Your body is getting stronger while you are resting.

That's where sleeping a lot is important, eating well is important, and having rest days is important.

Think about it as fixing, for example,

a plane.

You COULD try to fix a plane while it's flying, but

I think it's preferable to land the plane,

and THEN fix it.

It's the same thing with a boat, if you have major damage

you might want to go into a dry dock.

If you want to repair a road, you might want to close it to circulation.

That's what we are doing.

We just did something that is pretty intense on Saturday / Sunday with a back-to-back long runs.

Now let's build ourselves back, let's give our body time to heal.

Then you'll want to have some high intensity

As I mentioned, that's the highest risk thing.

You might not want to go all in if it's your first ultra marathon.

But trust me, it's going to help you a lot

when you are climbing these hills. It's really going to build your strength

that will make you be able to finish the race.

It's not about winning or doing good times

These intervals and these speed workout will help a lot.

And what I will do is that I want to be able to have that when my body is relatively fresh

So it could be a good idea to put them for example on Tuesdays and Thursdays

You're going to put that to a fairly low mileage.

There's the 80 / 20 rule that I mentioned during the long run.

So you can go and put a mileage that will fit that 20% of your weekly mileage is actually these 2 days divided by 2.

And then what you have left is your Wednesdays and Fridays.

At the beginning, maybe Fridays take the day off that's really going to help you build your back-to-back long runs.

But eventually introduce a little bit of mileage.

Just a normal run, normal pace, just building the weekly mileage.

Similar for Wednesday.

It's kind of a not full on workout on Wednesdays and Fridays because you just had a speed workout

[Nora] oooh, showing the outfit!

And then your big day is coming! The race is coming!

What should you do?

Well that's what I would call a taper week.

And a taper week,

you're not going to get stronger in that week.

What you are trying to do is get your body fully recovered.

You can take 1 week, maybe 2 weeks.

You are NOT losing fitness that quickly.

You don't have to worry about it [losing fitness during taper]

I put in some mileage usually, but it's more of a nerve thing.

I want to get moving a little bit - I want to stay loose.

But just don't over do it.

It's slow mileage, low intensity.

The other 'special week' is the week after your race.

And I'm going to make a video eventually on how I recover, because

I think it's one of the thing I'm very good at.

When you look at my racing schedule, I've been racing 100 milers every ~3 weeks, so

I need to heal very quickly and

I take about a week, which is reduced mileage, just

do what you can to stay loose.

Active recovery is pretty important,

so keep moving, walking, things like that.

Your body will tell you if you should just dial it down a little bit.

But so, when you are building your schedule,

just keep that in mind that at least a week afterwards, you are going to be hurting.

It can also be a good idea to, especially if you don't necessarily have a lot of experience racing,

to include a practice race before your real race.

So if you are doing your first 100 miles, you could do a 50 miler just to test your gear

just to mentally be prepared for the big event.

You are using that as a learning experience, not as your key racing.

And what's important about that

when you put it in your schedule, remember that you have to taper for a week, you have to recover for a week.

Ultra running training mindset

Ultra running, there is a big difference to marathon running.

Which you have to keep in mind. Which is

You have to change your mindset.

The mindset of marathon running is that you have to do the best all the time. It NEEDS to be optimal.

You are supposed to run 5.2 miles on that day. Well it's 5.2 miles, it's not 5.3 and it's not 5.1!

Whereas ultra running is much more of a

"Duct tape" let's fix it, let's solve problems. It's never going to be perfect

But it's going to be good enough.

Work gets crazy, I'm not even able to put in any mileage...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa

It's fine - that's fine!

The training doesn't need to be perfect.

Just relax - take a deep breath.

We'll find a solution.

I'm really trying to provide you more with the tools to build a training schedule

Then telling you THIS is the running schedule.

I hope it's appreciated.

That's definitely how I'm going to do my videos in general.

It's really the principle of flexibility and adaptability will really help you on the long term.

I know it can be frustrating that I'm not telling you that you should run 8 miles on that day.

But basically teaching you how to fish instead of giving you a fish.

Is that the saying? That's where you can tell I'm more of a French speaking than English speaking.

Thanks for watching!

If that was helpful, please leave a thumbs up below - that's really helping me a lot!

In the future I'm going to be covering topics you've mentioned such as nutrition

Feel free to request anything in the comments below!