Relentless Forward Progress_ A Guide to Running Ultramarathons - Bryon Powell [23]
Trail experience is great. However, if you are completely new to trail running, be careful when transiting to conditions where your footing and gait differ significantly from road running. Navigating rocks and roots, maintaining forward momentum on loose surfaces, or landing on an off-camber trail all work your legs differently than roads. You needn’t increase the length of your challenging trail runs as slowly as your overall mileage, but do pay attention to how your legs feel a day or two after runs on new terrain. Feel free to bump up the mileage by a few miles in the next outing if you feel good. On the other hand, if you feel lingering soreness in support muscles, don’t increase the distance the next time out on that terrain. One of the purposes of trail-specific training is strengthening your support muscles, but don’t overdo it in the short term. You can be more aggressive in transitioning from roads to hard-packed dirt trails that lack significant obstacles.
Refining technique and building confidence become increasingly important as a course’s footing diverges from the evenness of pavement or benign trail. For example, rocky terrain can bring a talented but conditionally unfamiliar runner to a crawl. Likewise, you greatly benefit from even a small amount of experience when tackling a section of loose, sandy trails during a race.
Once you gain confidence, a boulder field becomes your playground. (Photo by author)
If possible, it’s also a good idea to put in a few training runs with footing conditions that may or may not be present on race day. Uncertain conditions are most often weather-related, such as snow or mud. Don’t spend a great deal of time training for “ifs”; just prepare yourself so race day isn’t the first time you’ve ever had to deal with a particular condition.
Look for more specific guidance on trail running in chapter 7.
Roads
Although it might seem silly, it’s just as important to prepare specifically for a road ultra. It’s true that those with recent road marathon experience are unlikely to have issues with the pavement or the amount of actual running in a 50k road event. However, a trail junkie who rarely hits the road or anyone running a road race of 50 miles or longer serves him- or herself well by running at least a few long training runs on the roads. Even a trail ultra with significant flat portions warrants shifting a number of long runs from the trails to the roads or other flat terrain. Do not underestimate how hard it becomes to run after many miles of flat terrain. Even if you are prepared, you may find yourself secretly wishing for a hill to appear on the horizon.
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Tips for Running a Road Ultra
Michael Wardian
Research the Course
Do your homework and know the answer to the following questions before race day:
Is the race run point-to-point, out-and-back, or on multiple loops?
Is the course hilly, and, if so, where in the race do the hills fall?
Historically, what is the weather like during the race?
What is the current race day forecast?
Does the course have a windy section, and, if so, where?
The nice thing about road courses is that, once established, they are pretty standard and can be reviewed.
Research Pacers and Support Crews*
* Pacers and support crews are fully explained in the “Pre-Race Preparations” section in chapter 12.
If you are interested in having one or more personal pacers run with you on the course, research if, when, and where they are allowed. Be sure to find out what pacers are permitted to and prohibited from doing at that particular race.
If you’re interested in having a personal support crew, research whether they are permitted, and, if so, when, where, and in what ways