The Path To My First Ultramarathon (ATTN: Less Training Needed Than You May Think)

To me, the training guides are a little over-the-top, and I tend to wonder if a lot of people are discouraged from trying runs (whether they be 5k's, Marathons, or Ulramarathons) due to the fact that the training programs look like too dang much time and running.  My experience, along with other people I know who have trained for shorter distances, suggests that you really don't need to follow the full programs to complete an event. 

Here's the data on what got me to and through my 50-mile mountain run.  For much of the training I did, I skipped much of the mid-week runs that I was "supposed" to do so that I could go rock climbing.  I only focused on completing the long weekend runs, and I never did a full 30+ miler as the plan suggested.

The Base:

• Active childhood riding bikes and running around
• Played Football and was a Montana all-state hurdler in high school (never competed in anything over 800 meters)
• Began hiking frequently and then summiting 12,000 ft mountains when I was about 16
• Never really ran more than about 5-6 miles at a time until a couple of years ago.
• Never regularly (more than once every couple months) ran 10 or more miles until last fall
• Had ridden my bike 60 or more miles on less than 10 occasions
• Had never run a marathon.

The Training:

• Decided to sign-up for the 50 miler in early January
• Began by running several times a week with a long (10-15 mile weekend run) for just over a month.
• Began running 20 miles for my long weekend run after about a month. They hurt quite a lot in the last 5 miles.
• Began losing interest in running and nearly ceased running mid-week (partly because I was rock climbing a lot) during the months of April and May.  Continued to run 20-25 miles every other weekend during that time. 
• The long runs in May were trail runs (which I quite enjoyed even though they still hurt).
• In early June, I tapered back from 16 mile long runs to an 8 miler the weekends before the event. 

The Run:

• First 18 miles of trail downhill went well
• Began to get tired in nauseous on powerhike/run section for next 17 miles
• Most of body was stiff and achey and slight nausea continued for next 5 miles.
• Had to walk last major downhill due to leg muscles and knee being sore.
• Mostly walked last 5 miles (no longer on trail... on road) as dehydration, faintness, and exhaustion overtook me... but I did finish.

The Recovery:

• 2 days of sore leg muscles and somewhat sore knee and ankle joints that caused me to walk like an old man.
• muscles seemed mostly recovered and full strength within about 5 days.
• was back doing difficult mountain bike rides a week later. 
• Avoided running due to a slightly sore knee and heel until 2 weeks after event
• Began easy runs with some ankle and knee stiffness which is not getting worse.

The Conclusion:

• I didn't finish as fast as I would have liked, so for future 50 milers I plan on increasing the volume of trail runs and to run more mid-week so that I can maintain a higher intensity for longer. 
• I need to practice keeping hydrated and feeding myself during these long events...  something training plans don't work into the schedule. 
• I don't regret failing to run as much as I "should" have according to the plan.  I feel that my lighter training approach allowed me to not get burned out.  Having completed the event, I now feel that I have matured and that I mentally can handle more training than before as I attempt to run a faster time. 
• I believe that this more layed-back approach to training can work whether you're a former athlete attempting an ultramarathon or a non-athlete or out-of-shape person attempting a 5k. 
• For me, the key to becoming a stronger runner is to train my mind to be able to train!