Advice for a runner who has only run trail 25ks and road marathons the past 4 years to jump to the 50k or further distance? – The Coffee Fueled Runner
Dear Coffee Fueled Runner, Make the jump! You are more than ready. That is an excellent progression. That being said, there is no set progression you have to follow. If you want to jump to the 100-mile distance, you should. If you want to increase the race distance you tackle more gradually, do that. If you are someone who doesn’t run consistently or does very low mileage, it’s worth planning a race with plenty of lead time to safely build and train. Marathon training and 100-mile training don’t have to be that different.
The biggest things you will need to focus on are the mental part and your nutrition. Picking a race distance as a goal that excites you will help you stay motivated during training and throughout your race. Practicing your nutrition before and during your runs (particularly your long runs) is also important. You can get away with not fueling for an hour or so during a marathon, but you can dig yourself into a very bad hole by neglecting it during a much longer ultra. You must train your stomach to absorb the extra calories you will need just like you train your muscles and mind.
What are the best things to add into ultra training when you’re planning on doing longer, wilder distances like Cocodona 250 or Big’s Backyard? My biggest concern has been sleep deprivation, but I’m sure there are smaller tweaks that could be made with controlling caffeine intake, too. – Megan
Megan, great question. Going longer seems to be the theme this month. When it comes to pure run training, we only have so many hours in the day. Just like the marathon-to-100-mile jump, we don’t necessarily pump up the volume in training relative to the race distance. Who has time for that? Plus, some of us may risk injury with that kind of training volume.
I do think it’s important to tweak your long run. Try back-to-back long runs. Be specific in your terrain. You want to mimic the elevation and terrain that is expected on race day as best as you can. Big’s and Cocodona are two different beasts. For a traditional 200-miler, you will most likely be carrying a pack with more supplies than your run-of-the-mill ultra race. The aid stations in 200-milers are often 15-20 miles apart. For one 20-mile, very hot stretch of Cocodona, runners carry several liters of water. That is heavy! Practice your long runs with a full pack. Incorporate hiking as well because you will be walking. Get your feet and muscles used to carrying that full pack at a slower pace. Time to catch up on that latest audio book or favorite podcast and enjoy that long run.
When it comes to sleep deprivation in training, I am not an advocate. If you have the luxury to do an overnight run, can rest and recover adequately after and think it will give you an extra confidence boost going into the race, then give it a go. But I do not think it is necessary. Getting your mind right and setting yourself up mentally can take you very far when the sleepiness starts to hit. Most of these races will take you into multiple nights. Staying awake one night isn’t all that hard and is nothing like night two or three. Someone will have to tell me about night four…
Regarding the caffeine taper, I had a discussion with a nutritionist friend who told me that there is no evidence a caffeine taper will increase the effects of the caffeine when you finally put it to use in a race. Well, by golly, I swear the caffeine hit me different at Big’s in 2019. I did a taper where I cut out caffeine completely in the weeks leading up to the race. During the race, I held off on caffeine for as long as I could which ended up being a small coffee in the wee hours before sunrise on night two. That caffeine hit different. I invite you to try the caffeine taper and report back on how you felt. If anything, it might be worth the good ol’ placebo effect.
Who is the goodest boi? – Titus
Titus, you are the goodest boi even though you had to leave us. You were almost 15 years old. We trained for Western States. You crewed me at Barkley in the worst weather imaginable. You paced me a tenth of a mile to my first Hardrock finish. We are grateful for every trail run we ever had with you. Every snuggle. Every moment. You were the best trail dog I have ever known. You even made it around our 2.5-mile trail loop the day before you had to go. You were full of grit and determination and love. May we all live life to the fullest until our very last day and die surrounded by those we love the most.
We love you, Titus. 10/31/2009 – 7/25/2024
