There are no Myths when it
comes to running 50 or 100 miles.
You just have to be too
stubborn to quit. And, you have to put
in some very long training runs.
In the last article we discussed
training for and running your first 50K.
The step from a marathon to a 50K is pretty easy. Now I am going to talk about how to take the
next step, how to train and run your
first “long” ultra, a 50 miler. There
are three keys to successfully running a 50 mile race.
1. Train long and
hard.
2. Prepare
correctly.
3. Run
intelligently.
The step from a 50K to a 50
mile trail race is huge. There are five
major differences or maybe I should say difficulties that the “average” runner will encounter in their
first 50 mile race.
These are:
1. Time on the trail
- Dealing with the highs and lows and fatigue associated with very long runs.
2. Hydration over a
long period of time
3. Staying fueled
4. Night running
(for many runners)
5. Staying Focused
The average trail runner will
need between 8 and 11 hours to run an easy 50 mile race. A hard 50, like Lookout Mountain 50, the
times will jump to between 10 to 13 hours or more. That is a long time to keep everything in
balance. It is also a long time to stay
focused on what you are doing. Lose your
focus and things begin to unravel in a hurry.
So how does someone deal with
running for 10 or 12 hours or more?
Step one is simple. Long training runs. I train for a 50 Mile race about the same way
I train for a 100. Below I have inserted
a training schedule that I use to progress for a 50K race, or from my “holding
pattern,” to a 50 or 100 mile race. My
holding pattern (the level of fitness I
like to maintain when there are no races coming up in the next few months) is
usually alternating between 3 and 4 hour runs with varying numbers of hill
repeats.![]()
Remember, this schedule works for me. Each run must be VERY hard or 3 days a week just will not get it. I do recommend running 4 days a week if you have time. You will be in better condition and able to run faster. I also recommend cross training on some days when you do not run.
The week after completing a
marathon or a 50K I would run an easy hour on Tuesday and Thursday followed by
an easy two hour run over the weekend.
On Tuesday of the next week I would ease into the schedule above at week
one if I planned to run my next 50 or 100 miler in 25 to 28 weeks. This schedule will allow you to build mileage
slowly and hit your training peak six or seven weeks before the race. Stay at the peak mileage for three or four
weeks and start the taper to race day.
If you are training using this or a similar plan pay close attention to
how your body is doing about week 11 or 12.
It is easy to overdo the training as your weekend runs get into the 6 to
8 hour range. Back off if you need to
for a week or so then jump right back in.
Those 6, 7 and 8 hour training runs are the key. This is where you learn how to stay hydrated,
stay fueled and cope with the serious lows all ultrarunners must deal with from
time to time. They are also where you
find out that you can recover from those lows and feel great again.
At the Leadville 100 in 2009 I
ran out of water on the way up Hope Pass outbound, (about mile 42) the 12,600
ft high point of Leadville. I was so
dehydrated by the time I reached the summit of the pass I had to walk all the
way down the other side of the pass and the 4 miles to the Winfield turnaround
at mile 50. I was sure my race was
over. I would never make the cutoff at
Twin Lakes some 10 miles away and back over Hope Pass. I had to walk from Winfield all the way back
to the start of the climb (4 miles downhill) and of course, walk all the way up
to the top again. After reaching the
summit, I still had to walk down to the Hopeless Aid Station located at
timberline at about 11,800 ft. As I left
the aid station I began to feel better.
I ended up being able to run most of the way back to Twin Lakes with
time to spare before the cutoff. I was
able to recover and finish one hour before the 30 hour cutoff and actually felt
good most of the rest of the race.
How did I manage to go from
about as low as I have ever felt in a race to finishing strong. I managed to get everything back in
balance. Marye Jo, my wife, was waiting
for me at Winfield. She made me sit
down, take my time, eat and drink for about 20 minutes. I didn't feel any better when I left the aid
station but by the time I reached timberline on the way back over Hope Pass,
the toughest climb of the race, I began to feel better. It still took a while, but I eventually
recovered.
Those long training runs are
where you and your body learn to deal with the difficulties you will encounter in a 50 or 100 mile
race. Your body will become accustomed
to the punishment of the long runs and you will learn how to keep you body
going.
If you anticipate still being
on the trail after dark in your first 50 mile race, get a good headlamp like
the Black Diamond Storm. It has a
maximum output of 100 lumens and will last all night on 4 AAA batteries. I also carry a flashlight like the Fenix LD22
with a maximum light output of 200 lumens and almost 6 hour burn time at 95
lumens. In any race I will be be running
after dark I always start the race with a Fenix flashlight in my backpack. That way I always have a backup, Just in
Case.
Storm Headlamp 
Fenix LED Flashlight
How to Actually Run the
“Long” Ultra.
My personal rule in a 50K is
to walk up the steep hills, run down all the hills and run the flats and
reasonable hills. You will learn the
definition of a “reasonable hill” in your training runs. In a 50 or 100 mile races everything
changes. In a 50 I still walk up all
steep hills but my definition of a reasonable hill changes. I still run up easy hills, especially early
in the run. In 100 milers I walk up
almost all hills, run down all hills unless they are 4 to 8 miles long like the
hills in the Rockies and alternate on the flats. In ultras it is perfectly acceptable to walk
when you need to, even downhill.
In 100 mile runs a lot of very
fast people use a two minute "run-walk" plan. That is, they run two minutes and walk two
minutes on flat or very gentle up hill sections. They will walk up all steeper hills and run
down just about all hills. I find I am
most comfortable running 2/3 to 3/4 of the flats very slowly, walking all up
hill sections and running all downhill sections, to a point. Ultras in the Rockies (I have run races in
Colorado Rockies, Sierra Nevada Range in Nevada and Wasatch Range in Utah) and
in the Shenandoah Mountain Range in Virginia and all have some very long
descents ranging from 3 to as much as 10 miles.
Here I will again alternate running and walking, usually running the
reasonable grades and walking the steep sections. You can blow out your quads in a hurry
running for miles down a steep grade.
Don't go out too fast. A fast pace early can lead to serious
problems late in the run. In a typical
road marathon or 10K, you probably try run every mile as close to the same pace as you can. This does not work in trail ultras. There is so much variation in the trails on
an average 50K, a steady pace is simply not possible. (Not to mention there are
no mile marks in ultras, only aid stations every 4 to 13 miles.) You have to go
by "feel." Instead of trying
to maintain a constant pace, try to maintain a constant effort. You should start at a pace quite a bit slower than your marathon
pace, especially in the first half of the race.
BEWARE: Just like in a marathon,
those last 4 or 5 miles can be killers.
If you ran your last marathon at a 4 hour pace you might consider
starting at a 5 hour marathon pace for a 50K.
So here are my rules for how to run a 50K:
1. Walk up all steep hills.
2. Walk up gentle hills if you need to.
3. Walk if you are struggling. But Don't Stop!
4. Your pace early in the race should feel comfortable.
My Rules for 50 and 100 miler:
1. Walk up all hills
2. Run down all
hills that are not too steep or long
3. Alternate walking
and running on the flats
4. Start at a pace
that feels like you are crawling
5. Do Not Stop! Do not sit down Unless you are going through
your drop bag. Keep moving, even when
eating.
Hydration and Electrolytes:
One of the biggest problems
ultrarunners have is staying fueled and hydrated during long hours of
running. The longer the race the harder
this becomes. You are burning calories
faster than you can replace them and your body does not absorb water as fast as
you are losing it. It is critical to
begin drinking a lot of liquid (NO ALCOHOL) several days prior to the
race. The day before the race drink even
more. I drink so much water the day
before a race I end up hopping out of bed every 2 hours to run the the
bathroom.
One of the major causes of
stomach distress during a run is too much in your stomach. If you are drinking as you are supposed to,
the "too much" will likely be water.
So how do you avoid too much water sitting in your stomach? Usually the issue is not drinking too much
water, the problem is the water is not being absorbed fast enough. If you are not taking enough electrolytes the
water will not be absorbed fast enough and will start sloshing around in
there. That is when you start feeling
really sick at your stomach. Of course,
if you're taking too much salt (electrolytes) that will make you sick too. That is a major part of the balance you learn
to maintain in those 8 hour training runs.
My rules for staying hydrated:
Racing and Training.
1. Drink a lot of
water for several days before the race.
2. Drink even more
water the day before.
3. No Alcohol for
at least 2 days prior to the race.
4. Do all training
runs using electrolyte supplements.
(Follow the directions for each product)
5. Use
electrolytes before, during and immediately after the run or race.
6. Increase
electrolyte intake in hot weather.
Fueling During the Race:
In this section I am talking
about "Long” races, that is, races that will take at least 8 to 10 hours
to complete. In these longer races, it
is necessary to eat and drink all during the event. This is a foreign concept to most road
runners. Just about everyone uses GUs
and gels these days and if you are not, you should start. They really work. Most runners can tolerate them for a several
hours and you probably can run a 50K eating nothing else. At some point in a Long race, the thought of
another GU will make you sick. I suggest
you start trying various other foods during your training runs. Here is a list of things you will typically
find at aid stations in 50K to 100 mile races:
Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches
Other types of sandwiches and roll-ups (100 mile races)
M&M, and other types of candy
Potato Chips
Pretzels
Soup or Broth
(Usually over night in 100 mile races and during the day in cold
weather)
Cooked Potatoes and a bowl of Salt to dip them in.
Cokes, Sprite, Gatorade, etc.
Several types of Cookies and Crackers.
Bananas and other fruit.
Coffee (Overnight
in long races only)
You will need to figure out
what you like and what you are able to eat while running. Start
practicing. When I started training for
the Pinhoti 100 in 2008, I would take an assortment of food in my car to Oak
Mountain for all my long training runs.
After several hours of running I would stop by my car to refill water
bottles and try a few new snacks. I also
carry various snacks with me on the run.
Every two to three hours I would have a quick bite to eat. I treated my car like an aid station. I stopped just long enough to resupply and
keep on running or at least walking while I ate. What I have found out is that I can eat
anything that looks good at the time. If
it doesn't look good I just don't eat it.
At Grindstone last year I actually ate a barbecue sandwich at about mile
65 and it was great. Over a period of
about 1.5 hours near the turnaround I ate 2 entire grilled cheese
sandwiches. They were awesome.
Sometime during every long
race most runners will will have a few
stomach issues and starts to feel a little queasy. One trick I have learned is to always carry
Ginger Chews candy. You eat one and a
few minutes later you feel fine. I do
not know of any local stores that have them, but Zombie Runner
(zombierunner.com) sells Ginger Chews and they are cheap. A product called Enlyten strips also do a
good job of settling you stomach. You
just eat a couple of strips like candy and in a few minutes the stomach problem
is gone. Find these on the internet.
One very critical issue
regarding food is what to eat, or more importantly, what NOT to eat the night
before an ultra, especially long ultra.
Everyone that ever slipped on a pair of running shoes knows to eat carbs
the night before a race and this is important.
Running ultras creates new issues, however. Because you will be running for many hours
you do not want to have heavy, slow digesting food sitting in your gut that
might come back to haunt you in later hours of an ultra. Stay away from any type of roughage. A grilled chicken or salmon salad might be a
great healthy meal any other time, but don't eat it the night before an
ultra. Some people go as far as
suggesting runners eat nothing more than soup or even a drink like
"Ensure." Just eat light and
eat what can be easily digested for a pre-race dinner.
Managing all the STUFF in an
ultra.
Running a 50K is pretty
simple. I grab one or two of my Nathan
“Quickdraw” 20 oz hand-held water bottle and a few Thermolyte Caps, my “Speed Belt” with three or four 10 oz
bottles, each containing 2 scoops of “Carbo Pro” and head out the door. Once I arrive at the race I will take out the
three 10 oz bottles and add water to ONE.
I then put all the bottles in slots on the “Speed” belt. I will fill the next bottle when the first
runs out. (No extra weight.) I will already have estimated how long it
will take to get to the first aid station and add just enough water to the
Quickdraw “hand-held” bottle to be sure to get there. A few minutes before the start I eat a “Honey
Stinger” gel and head to the start line.
Remember, this is for a 50K.
Next, a 50 miler. Now you add an additional dimension, Drop
Bags. A few days before the race you
will need to estimate what time you will arrive at each aid station. Then figure out what supplies you will need
at each AS. For example, in the Lookout
Mountain 50 the first drop bag aid station is at Covenant College (also the
start & finish) at about 22.5 miles.
There are two interim aid stations along the way but they are not
drop-bag aid station. I estimated it
would take me about 5.5 hours to get back to CC. I will have to start the race with enough
Carbo Pro and Salt Caps to get that far.
In the drop bag at Covenant College I will need enough supplies to get
me to the Long Branch aid station at mile 34.
In the Long Branch drop bag I will need enough supplies to run the 4.5
mile loop back to Long Branch at mile 38.
From there it is 12 miles to the finish.
At my pace it will be dark long before I reach the finish so I know I
will need my headlamp in the Long Branch bag.
I will need an extra jacket and gloves because it will be getting cold
by then. The Lookout Mountain race is
mid December. I will need several more
Nathan 10 oz bottles with Carbo Pro, enough for the 4.5 mile loop back to Long
Branch and for the 12 miles to the finish.
I will have more salt caps and enough of my snacks to cover the distance
too. I also throw in an extra pair of
socks.
Before you even consider
running a 100 mile race you should run at least one or two 50 milers and
perhaps a 100K. You may just find out
some of the things you are doing in training runs and 50K just don't work in long
races. The 50 milers really are the
steeping stones to the 100s.
Other Tips I have Learned
along the way:
1. If you run trails
very often you know every few miles you have to stop and dump the sticks and
rocks out of your shoes. I have run 100 miles and never removed a shoe. How? I
have a pair of gaiters, but not just any gaiters, Dirty Girl Gaiters. They are simple, weigh absolutely nothing and
Cheap! Actually, I have three pair. Go to their web site and pick out a
style. (They must have 60 or 70
patterns.) You will never get on a trail
again without your “dirty girls.” And
you get some really interesting comments when your not around trail runners.
2. If there will be
night running in your race start the race with a backup flashlight. One that you never intend to use. It is possible that your drop bag doesn't
make it to the aid station. (If it
doesn't, you probably put it in the wrong place to start with.) Your light could have accidentally been
turned on and the batteries are now dead.
The light might just decide not to work.
It is a good idea to put extra batteries in the night time dropbags too.
3. Create
a checklist. There is so much stuff to
remember for long ultras it's easy to forget something. This could be a disaster in a 100 mile race. Ken Sayers has a helpful website and has a
check list you might want to copy at http://www.ultrunr.com/.
There are a few other very
important things to remember:
1. Sunscreen
2. Sun Glasses
3. A Hat
4. White or light
colored wicking top in hot weather.
5. Cooler with your
drinks for after the race or run.
6. Your Drop Bags!
7. If you have a
problem with chafing, apply GLIDE or similar product.
8. Place Band-Aids
on sensitive places.
9. Don't forget to
bring your bib number.
My Disclaimer: What I have presented in this article works
for me. It is exactly what I have done
for the last 5 years of trail running and races and it is exactly how I train,
or at least how I always plan to train.
It may not all work for you but I think there is a pretty good chance
most of it will. You just have to be
committed and stick with it. OK, now get
out on the trail and start trying this stuff.
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