Training for a 50 Mile Ultra Trail Run and Leadville (3/1/11)
Well it’s official, this summer I’ll be running another 50 miler in preparation for a longer run later this year. Thus the Leadville 50 Mile Silver Rush will be my third ultra race. I’ve covered the 50 mile distance in less than a day several times while fastpacking the PCT. I finished in 2nd at the Mt Si 50k several years ago, I was only 200 meters behind the winner and his record setting course time. I also took fourth place at the Wyoming Double Marathon (52.4 miles) in 2009 for my other official ultra. That being said, the Leadville race will be more difficult than the Wyoming Double Marathon which took place on the Continental Divide at 8,000 feet. As many folks know, Leadville is the nation’s highest incorporated city at 10,152 feet above sea level and this is the low point of the Leadville race.
The 50 mile race begins in the historic mining town and the race route climbs above 12,000 feet along Iowa Gulch as it approaches Mt Sherman along the Continental Divide. The course doubles back and rounds a few other lesser mountains for its return back to Leadville and with it a total of 8,000 feet of elevation gain. I know the area well as I’ve climbed Mt Sherman, a 14,000 foot peak, and all of the surrounding 14ers so there should be few surprises with the rocky terrain. Running Silver Rush is equivalent to running 3 marathons at sea level when measured in energy expenditure. Many other factors will determine placing however. For one, Leadville’s registrants include many of the nation’s top ultra runners. Combined with the insane altitude and considerable elevation change, it will be a tough race. Fortunately, I’m now in an older age group which would ordinarily be worth something. Unfortunately, there are some amazing 40+ yr old ultrarunners, so really no benefit there.
Training for an ultra involves thousands of calculations in terms of training distances, fueling and hydrating. This might be why you find so many mathematically inclined people at the top of the results board. To be a fast ultra runner takes innate athletic ability and an ectomorphic body type but having the experience behind refueling is equally as vital. In fact athletic ability and body type really have little to do with being able to finish most of these races. It seems the back of the pack runners usually have a better attitude during the race itself and these are slower people, but fit nonetheless.
Time on one’s feet during training is critical and walking breaks are beneficial for fueling and rehydrating. Walking during parts of training runs is more beneficial than raising one’s heart rate to 180 just to prove you can run up the hill. I listen to my body here and it is better to be a little undertrained than overtrained for such a race. Last year I trained for a 50 miler and by the time the race came around, I was burned out. Clearly the long runs on the weekends are a real time commitment. On the flip side, running during the week is pretty easy with the good weather. The mid-week runs are typically recovery jogs with one hard tempo run weekly or a mid range run. Mid week runs are also an opportunity to fraternize with those in your training group. Fortunately springtime arrives early in Colorado, with highs typically in the 50s and 60s in March, which still leaves 14 to 15 weeks of decent training before mid-summer. It also doesn’t overlap much with the kids’ skiing actvivities.
Hydration is mission #1 while training for an ultra. Colorado is typically quite dry, often lower than 20% humidity, so it’s common for me to lose 5+ lbs of fluids on a 2 hour run if I don’t replenish. Of course to run a 50 miler, there are a few weekends in the training plan that call for a 4 hour run on Saturday followed by a 4 hour run on Sunday. This equates to 20 lbs of fluid replenishment. This is in addition to the normal fluid requirements for those hours that don’t involve working out. My replenishment is typically a combination of water, Heed or some other electrolyte drink. To stay hydrated, two running bottles and a Nathan hydration pack do the trick. To run these distances you need to know something about your kidneys. There are all kinds of articles on urine color but the takeaway is that a dark yellow color equates to de-hydration. Dark colors are not good.
Fueling for long runs typically involves Cliff shots and Cliff blocks with caffeine and a proper meal before I begin running. On the longer training runs, a short break to eat snacks like potatoes, cookies and a carb/protein mixture is pretty common. During the race itself, I found it is important to eat at each of the aid stations and to be nursing on Cliff shots or blocks between aid stations. Bonking due to a lack of food is a common occurrence and while undesirable can easily be corrected if food is the only issue. Unfortunately it rarerly is. It is also vital to maintain enough electrolytes with tablets otherwise it will be impossible to properly utilize the energy stores and fuel recovery becomes impossible. The electrolyte tablets can be rough on the stomach, so staggering these every hour is a good idea. The same race strategy is vital during training runs because you want to recover as quickly as possible. Never try new foods or drinks the day of the race. It seems that nearly every elite ultra runner has a story of once drinking a Red Bull or a 5 Hour energy drink during the race and DNFing.
I’ve had no no major issues with hips, legs, knees, or feet during my running career. Shoes are an important topic and after 300 to 500 miles of wear, my trail shoes always need to replaced. Waiting too long to replace them and my joints will begin to get sore. If not addressed this could lead to some serious problems. When I put in enough hours for training, blisters are not much of a factor for me but I’ve heard in 100 milers or in races that involve multiple river crossings that foot care is a real issue. Changing to new shoes and socks for an ultra is also a big no- no. Having addressed these concerns, for me the big issue is to avoid overtraining. I almost always feel good while out on a long run but I don’t want to feel like I have the flu the next day either. Usually lack of fluids is the cause, but running workouts too fast is something to avoid and will eventually lead to a downward performance spiral or ennui.
If you like to run, these are the things I’ve found to help in training for ultras and even marathons and half marathons for that matter. Of course, you would never want to skip from a 10k to an ultra since a half marathon and marathon distances provide vital experience. Suffice it to say that if you don’t like to run then running these distances would amount to torture. Watching someone run this far or reading about it might also amount to torture ;)
My parting thought is that writing about an ultra running is much easier than training for it, well its time for a long run …
Dan
“I once thought that half marathons were for crazy people but I conquered this distance.
I then thought marathons were only for crazy people but I conquered this distance too.
I then thought 50 mile races were only for crazy people but I conquered this distance too.
I then tried to run 100 miles and realized these people were indeed insane.”
Variation on Anonymous.
