Ultra Marathon Training Tips
The Race Director has been asked by a few people for any advice he might have to help them achieve better times, not only for the Discovery race, but any other marathon or ultra they might enter.
It is very difficult to specify training regimes that would suit everyone, as we are all different in build, age and ways of life. Also, this information may be read by entrants who have entered the race or logged onto the website early, and have therefore many months to try out a training schedule, whilst others will not read it until it is too late. Also, bear in mind that the Race Director and some of the DD Race Committee were hard task masters in their day and, like other top marathoners and ultra distance runners at the time, regularly trained over 100 miles a week at 5 to 6 minute miles pace, which cannot be expected of most people in this day and age. Adapt the tips to suit yourself but aim as high as you can and see what you can do.
Having said that, after a few months of long slow distance running, to build up stamina, the key to success is consistent speed work.
Every day there are people out training, most of them just for the love of exercise and to keep relatively fit, and others hoping to do well in a certain race they have entered for. Unfortunately, they all have one thing in common. They are all running, mile after mile at the same pace. Usually a very slow pace. Consequently, when they run in an event, they run it at the same pace as they have been training at.
You must do some speed work. All the best marathon runners have a background of high-class speed training and racing, before they entered their first marathon. There will not be any improvement in ability without doing some speed training each week.
If you haven�t tried any speed work but have plenty of long slow runs under your belt, then now is the time to practice some fast running. Start conservatively. After a mile or so warming up, begin with just a small increase in pace for a hundred yards or so, then relax, and get your breath back before doing another 100 yards at a faster than usual pace. Do that for a couple of weeks, twice a week before trying to double the distance of the faster running.. After a month, increase again to quarter of a mile, making sure you relax completely with breathing fully recovered and normal before trying the next fast stretch. Quarter of a mile is ample to begin with but try to increase speed as you increase the length of the fast stretch. In three months or so, you should be ready to time yourself over a mile and subsequently get your mile time down. Find a stretch of road, fairly level if possible and in the countryside would be a bonus. Time yourself over that mile, running as hard as you can. Pace yourself so that the first half mile is not so fast that you are reduced to crawling over the last quarter. Steady pace for the whole mile. Twice a week, do that mile and try to work harder each time. Time yourself. Get your mile time down. Exciting to see what you can do with effort. Knock ten seconds off each week.
As you get faster and fitter, try speed work on a hill. Run up a hill as fast as you can and when the top is reached, carry on at the same pace for another hundred yards before slowing to get your breath back. Turn round and jog slowly back down the hill before turning round and repeating the hard slog up again. Do that twice the first time and three times the next week, progressing to four for five times after a month.
Do your usual easy long run once a week, as a rest, but the remaining training sessions should all be done at a fast and slow pace exercise. Fartlek it is called and it is hard work but very satisfying when you see your times coming down, not only on your regular training circuit but in races as well.
If you are entering events of 50 miles or less, there is no need to train for over 20 miles at a time, but do the training runs at a much faster pace.
Other important considerations are diet and alcohol intake. If you are training 50 to over a 100 miles a week then you need a well balanced diet of carbohydrates and protein. Protein to give you strength and carbohydrates for stamina and energy. Supplement your diet with Vitamins A, B and C preferably in capsule form, if you can get them and take them together at night before going to sleep so that they dissolve slowly into the bloodstream as you sleep. Do not drink tea/coffee with or after your meals. They contain elements that destroy the carbohydrates in the meal you have just eaten, leaving you lethargic instead of full of energy. Steer clear of alcohol if you want to do well in running. It dehydrates you and destroys your liver at the same time. Hardly a recipe for an aspiring top marathon runner.
Learn to do all of your training runs without carrying a bottle of liquid with you and taking drinks all the time. Drink plenty of water before you leave or start a race and forget about drinking on the run. Runners today are suffering by over-drinking. After a few weeks you will notice how much better you are running and that you do not need all this liquid intake. Unless you are running 200 miles or more there is absolutely no need for bottles of liquid, expensive and useless gels or camelbacks. They are for people jogging/walking a fun day out event somewhere, stopping all the time for refreshments, toilet breaks etc and not for those hoping to be good marathon or ultra runners. None of these accoutrements were available in the old days and proof that they are completely unnecessary are the times that runners of old achieved. 100 miles in well under 12 hours, 50 miles in under 5 hours, numerous runners doing well under 2:15 for marathons all over the world. Etc. Etc. Hard and consistent training was the key. There is no easy substitute. The fastest runners are the suppliers, sprinting to their banks with your hard earned cash spent on this rubbish.
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The Race Director has been asked by a few people for any advice he might have to help them achieve better times, not only for the Discovery race, but any other marathon or ultra they might enter.
It is very difficult to specify training regimes that would suit everyone, as we are all different in build, age and ways of life. Also, this information may be read by entrants who have entered the race or logged onto the website early, and have therefore many months to try out a training schedule, whilst others will not read it until it is too late. Also, bear in mind that the Race Director and some of the DD Race Committee were hard task masters in their day and, like other top marathoners and ultra distance runners at the time, regularly trained over 100 miles a week at 5 to 6 minute miles pace, which cannot be expected of most people in this day and age. Adapt the tips to suit yourself but aim as high as you can and see what you can do.
Having said that, after a few months of long slow distance running, to build up stamina, the key to success is consistent speed work.
Every day there are people out training, most of them just for the love of exercise and to keep relatively fit, and others hoping to do well in a certain race they have entered for. Unfortunately, they all have one thing in common. They are all running, mile after mile at the same pace. Usually a very slow pace. Consequently, when they run in an event, they run it at the same pace as they have been training at.
You must do some speed work. All the best marathon runners have a background of high-class speed training and racing, before they entered their first marathon. There will not be any improvement in ability without doing some speed training each week.
If you haven�t tried any speed work but have plenty of long slow runs under your belt, then now is the time to practice some fast running. Start conservatively. After a mile or so warming up, begin with just a small increase in pace for a hundred yards or so, then relax, and get your breath back before doing another 100 yards at a faster than usual pace. Do that for a couple of weeks, twice a week before trying to double the distance of the faster running.. After a month, increase again to quarter of a mile, making sure you relax completely with breathing fully recovered and normal before trying the next fast stretch. Quarter of a mile is ample to begin with but try to increase speed as you increase the length of the fast stretch. In three months or so, you should be ready to time yourself over a mile and subsequently get your mile time down. Find a stretch of road, fairly level if possible and in the countryside would be a bonus. Time yourself over that mile, running as hard as you can. Pace yourself so that the first half mile is not so fast that you are reduced to crawling over the last quarter. Steady pace for the whole mile. Twice a week, do that mile and try to work harder each time. Time yourself. Get your mile time down. Exciting to see what you can do with effort. Knock ten seconds off each week.
As you get faster and fitter, try speed work on a hill. Run up a hill as fast as you can and when the top is reached, carry on at the same pace for another hundred yards before slowing to get your breath back. Turn round and jog slowly back down the hill before turning round and repeating the hard slog up again. Do that twice the first time and three times the next week, progressing to four for five times after a month.
Do your usual easy long run once a week, as a rest, but the remaining training sessions should all be done at a fast and slow pace exercise. Fartlek it is called and it is hard work but very satisfying when you see your times coming down, not only on your regular training circuit but in races as well.
If you are entering events of 50 miles or less, there is no need to train for over 20 miles at a time, but do the training runs at a much faster pace.
Other important considerations are diet and alcohol intake. If you are training 50 to over a 100 miles a week then you need a well balanced diet of carbohydrates and protein. Protein to give you strength and carbohydrates for stamina and energy. Supplement your diet with Vitamins A, B and C preferably in capsule form, if you can get them and take them together at night before going to sleep so that they dissolve slowly into the bloodstream as you sleep. Do not drink tea/coffee with or after your meals. They contain elements that destroy the carbohydrates in the meal you have just eaten, leaving you lethargic instead of full of energy. Steer clear of alcohol if you want to do well in running. It dehydrates you and destroys your liver at the same time. Hardly a recipe for an aspiring top marathon runner.
Learn to do all of your training runs without carrying a bottle of liquid with you and taking drinks all the time. Drink plenty of water before you leave or start a race and forget about drinking on the run. Runners today are suffering by over-drinking. After a few weeks you will notice how much better you are running and that you do not need all this liquid intake. Unless you are running 200 miles or more there is absolutely no need for bottles of liquid, expensive and useless gels or camelbacks. They are for people jogging/walking a fun day out event somewhere, stopping all the time for refreshments, toilet breaks etc and not for those hoping to be good marathon or ultra runners. None of these accoutrements were available in the old days and proof that they are completely unnecessary are the times that runners of old achieved. 100 miles in well under 12 hours, 50 miles in under 5 hours, numerous runners doing well under 2:15 for marathons all over the world. Etc. Etc. Hard and consistent training was the key. There is no easy substitute. The fastest runners are the suppliers, sprinting to their banks with your hard earned cash spent on this rubbish.
Back to Top
Website Designed & Built by Lightning Computer Repair
COURSE RECORDS
Men: Mike Feighan 3:36:18 2002
Lady: Adela Salt 4:02:36 2008
Men: Mike Feighan 3:36:18 2002
Lady: Adela Salt 4:02:36 2008
Sponsored by St. Austell Brewery
Brian Cole RM, Royal Navy AC 4 consecutive wins.
"Climb the tors that tower and soar.
Traverse the moors where the rivers roar"
Traverse the moors where the rivers roar"
2011 Saturday 4th June