Training For An Ultra Marathon (LONG READ)
Last week, my coach Deepak was visiting Mumbai and we caught up for a quick breakfast. During the course of our conversation, one thing led to another and he asked me if I was going to write a blog post of sorts on my recent Patagonia 2017 run.
I hadn’t initially planned on doing anything of the sort but reflected it may be a good idea to write a post on how I prepared for the event itself in terms of mindset, commitment, training, nutrition, and so forth. So, without further ado. . .
I am writing this for people who have participated in and completed a full marathon or at least a half marathon race. Unlike those races, in an ultra marathon or simply an ultra, the overarching principle remains Stronger For Longer – across both time and distance. Also, when I refer to an ultra in this article, it is typically distances of 75+ km.
Also, for my ease, I am going to generally express units in the metric system since most of the world is on this ― If you saw Pulp Fiction, you’d probably understand this little segue:
Jules: “They don’t call it a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?”
Vincent: “No man they got the metric system. They wouldn’t know what the f**k a Quarter Pounder is.”
Anyways, an ultra, is a race over a distance that is greater than the full marathon distance i.e. 42.195 km or 26.22 miles. There are several distances that qualify ― 50K, 75K, 50-Mile (80km), 100K and 100-Mile (160km) and 160+ Km distances ― where competitors usually have crews to support them through the runs, as well as the multi day multi stage self-supported race format, where competitors carry all of their supplies including food, clothing, etc for the tenure of the race.
In terms of the actual races themselves, there are several websites that set out these ultra-races. You just need to google “Ultra Marathon Calendar” and you’ll find a whole list.
Training for such races require preparation ranging anywhere between 4 ― 6 months, primarily because these are not typical road races, rather they are either entirely on trails or a mix of both road and trail. Add to the fact that some of these are self-supported and you’ll understand the need for a proper regime of training.
When I first started running ultra-distances, I was very raw in my approach. I mistakenly believed that the more miles I had under my belt ― both per run and in total, I would be able to tackle longer distances quite easily. Nutrition, during training and on Race Day, was kept to a bare minimum as was stretching and post run recovery. I got off lucky the first couple of times and then I hit a brick wall. It was a 100km run and I collapsed around the 60th or 61st km mark. Exhausted and cramping. I received a DNF (Did Not Finish) annotation against my name.
So, I went home with a proverbial tail well between my legs, spent a week or two wallowing in self-pity and blaming race day conditions (among others) for my failure. It was then that I looked to better myself.
Around the same time (in early 2010), a friend of mine from college sent me a mail, which was titled “Game for a run?” It had a link to a website called 4deserts.com.
I went to the site, more out of curiosity and was quite interested the more I read through it. I registered for the Atacama Crossing for 2011 and set out my own preparatory schedule. I completed that race and have since run several ultras and finished them.
With limited variants over the years, my preparatory regime has remained almost the same to date.
Committing to it.
To my mind, this is the most important aspect of your preparation. Before you sign up for an ultra, make sure you have the bandwidth to go through with it. Training schedules typically will take out 3+ hours per day for 5 days a week at least.
In addition to your family, professional and social commitments, there is now one more demand on your time namely training for an ultra; and remember, the longer the distance (75km and above), the bigger this demand. Typically, a 75+km race means training for 5-6 months including a peak of 2+ months.
During my peak training which is usually 2-2.5 months before Race Day, I wake up at 3.45-4.00am every morning for 5/6 days a week, which means I go to bed at 8.00pm. There is really no way around this.
On weekends, I typically ensure I finish training by 7.30/8 am so that I can spend the entire day with my family qualitatively. This means my Saturdays and Sundays actually start at 3.30-3.45 am. So much for being able to sleep in!
With exceptions that are very few and far between, you need to be able to mentally and physically commit to this regime. If you cannot, don’t bother signing up for an ultra. You would only be doing yourself a disservice.
The initial medical.
Before you start training ― and this is very important ― please invest and get a full medical checkup done on yourself. Focus on tests that evaluate your cardio vascular condition as well as your blood sugar and vitamin levels.
I cannot underscore this enough. An intense training regime will definitely put a physical strain on your body. It is crucial that you know what your baseline is. I ensure I include a Treadmill Test or TMT as it is popularly known in my checkup.
You also need to monitor on your health metrics during training. Whilst not compulsory, I would recommend doing this once in two months (assuming a 6-month training schedule). Again, focus on the essentials ― cardio vascular condition, sugar, vitamin, and urea levels, etc. Take corrective action as required.
I also have access to a good orthopedic specialist. The ideal scenario is of course injury-free running. In the unfortunate event of any sports related injury, he is my go-to person who advises me on remedial measures to heal and recover faster so that my training schedule does not go out of whack.
The choice of a general physician and an orthopedic specialist is almost always an individual one. Make sure you choose wisely.
Eating right.
“Athletes don’t diet and exercise. They eat and train!” – This was an adage I read long back and it has stuck with me ever since. There is really no one-size-fits-all for eating right since it depends on base level metabolism, training needs, recovery times, etc.
During training, my metabolism is typically 1.7-2.0x my normal (which is 1,600-1,800 calories daily). I ensure that I eat enough to maintain my weight of 78-80kgs. I also look to reducing about 4-5 kg overall in the process.
With that in mind, I focus on whole foods that get me a sustained protein and glycogen content in an optimal manner. I avoid salt almost always and substitute it with lemon juice, red chilli flakes, ground pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric and cardamom powders. I cook using olive oil sparingly.
I eat six times a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner comprise a mix of protein (35-40%), carbohydrates (25-30%) and raw/steamed vegetables (balance). I snack on fruits (apples, oranges, melon) thrice a day (mid-morning, mid-afternoon and late evening). I tend to avoid sugar as much as possible as well as alcohol since these are both contributors to phantom calories.
It is extremely important that you eat and acclimatize to food you will be consuming on race day during the race. If you plan on using any gels or powders or energy bars, please make sure your digestive system is comfortable with them.
Typically, these products contain slow-release complex carbohydrates and some protein, and are suited for endurance events longer than 4-5 hours. You would typically consume a single serving every one-two hours as prescribed by the manufacturer. Most people’s internal constitution can accommodate these products but it is always a good practice to see whether YOUR stomach can digest them without any adverse gastro intestinal issues.
As an example, my daily diet for my most recent multi-day race included Hammer’s Perpetuem, GU’s Espresso Shot Gel (2x caffeine) and Energy Bars. I made sure I tested them on myself over a 1-2 month period so that I was not affected negatively.
Also equally important is determining your optimal hydration levels and ensuring you drink enough water during your training. Most people have difficulty drinking 600ml to 750ml of water every hour for 7-8 hours. Typically longer trail runs have water stops every 5-8 km and there’s usually the need to carry a hydration bladder or water bottles while you run. It is highly necessary to take electrolytes or salt tablets to prevent mineral loss and avoid cramping. Ensure this routine forms part of your training.
Lastly, after a workout, EAT. Preferably protein. As a shake or whole. There are plenty of recovery drinks out in the market. Choose one with maximum amino acid/protein ratio with as little carbs as possible.
Race information.
It is a good practice and highly recommended to understand what the race will demand of you, as much as possible. This includes location, elevation (gain/loss), nature of terrain, day (and possibly night) time temperature, climatic conditions and so forth.
As much as practicable, incorporate these aspects in your training schedule. For example in a race with hills involved, you may want to simulate it by including hill running or running up/down stairwells during your training.
Or on day-night runs, you will need a headamp. Practice running in the dark and learn to become aware of your surroundings and the running course when there little or no light.
For self-supported races, training with a weighted backpack is critical. I used to stuff a backpack with rice sachets and/or weights totalling 7-8kg and run with it. I recommend doing this from at least 3-4 months before the actual race and at least 1-2 times weekly.
Whilst actual race day conditions may vary vastly, simulating those conditions or at least training with those conditions in mind is a huge plus.
Training.
The first rule of training is do not run before you have learnt how to walk. Take the training regimen seriously and gradually build up both endurance and miles. Understand this carefully and work your way up the ladder properly.
Training is a combination of both cardio (running, cycling, and elliptical machines) and strength work (primarily legs, shoulders, back and core). As far as practicable, I run outdoors (80%) with very little indoor running (on the dreadmill) and elliptical.
Ensure you build in both dynamic and static stretching routines as part of your training regime. I stretch a good 10-15 minutes before and about 20+ minutes after a run.
In addition, I work out my core every day, six days a week. It takes about 15-20 minutes at best – plank, side-plank, hip raises – per session. Never neglect the core!
Train in the shoes you will eventually wear on the run. Ensure that the shoe size is 1-2 sizes bigger than your regular size. Feet swell during long runs and you don’t want your toes to be crushed. Lest I forget, ultra-races are typically on trails and in some cases may require you to run across water crossings. Ensure that your shoes are water proof. Water inside the shoe is a no-no and a cause for blisters down the line!
Invest in and train with compression socks. They are your friends!
Wear the tee shirt and shorts/tights you plan to run in and go for a couple of dry runs in them. Note their fit. Note if you experience any chaffing issues when you wear them, especially around your nipples and in your groin. Take corrective action if needed.
My typical training routine started easy at about 30-40km per week for 3-4 weeks and then increases by 10-15km per week at monthly intervals. At peak, I was usually running anywhere between 110-125km per week for 1-2 months with an 8-10kg backpack. This would also involve back-to-back long runs of 30-35km over Saturday and Sunday.
As for strength, I focus on my shoulders, back, buttocks and legs with secondary work on arms and chest. I am not a great fan of weight training and therefore I prefer to use resistance bands and kettlebells as well as isometric exercises to strengthen myself. I train two-three days a week on strength.
Pick 4-5 types of strengthening exercises per muscle group and stick with them. Focus on getting your form as well as breathing right when performing these exercises; you can always increase repetition count gradually. Pay attention to the muscle group that is being worked upon and feel the burn.
My preferred combination is glutes-legs-shoulders-core,-triceps-core and biceps-chest-core. I start with 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions each and work my way up to 3 sets all the way to failure!
My go-to exercise for improving my agility is rope skipping and I do this on strength training days. I am currently at a point where I can easily skip 8-10 sets of 200-250 repetitions each. Gets the HR going nice and smooth and burns a fair amount of calories also!
Lastly, listen to your body. At all times. Pay attention to what it tells you and course correct accordingly.
Sleep.
Sleep is the most underutilized drug. There’s pages and pages written about a good night’s sleep but I wanted to focus on just two key aspects.
Firstly, muscle recovery and repair occurs the maximum when you are in deep sleep.
Secondly, a properly rested body and mind implies lower fatigue during running and training.
So, ensure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep daily during your training.
Mindfulness.
One of the most important weapons in my training arsenal is the practice of mindfulness. Let me explain what this entails.
At its core, mindfulness is being confidently aware that you can compete and complete the ultra-race you have signed up for without being arrogant. You also need to be humble enough to acknowledge any limitations you face and work on minimising their impact on your performance.
Mindfulness also involves being aware of the surroundings when you run or train. I run without any music and focus on my breathing and how it syncs up with my cadence. Whenever I am distracted, I don’t dwell too much on the cause of distraction but instead work on getting back to my breathing.
Breath is the bridge to the universe. Learn to breathe deeply and belly breathe like a baby. I have learnt the 3:2 technique which is three in-breaths and two out-breaths in tandem with my cadence. This minimises concentrating landing pressure on any one single foot and disperses this pressure equally between both left and right feet.
Mindfulness is doing your best on a particular training day, in full knowledge that your best can vary from day to day.
Lastly, mindfulness is about keeping a cheerful frame of mind when you train. Be positive in your outlook.
End notes.
So, there you have it folks. Some of my thoughts on training for an ultra-race.
It is no doubt a huge challenge but once taken and completed, it gives you an immense sense of satisfaction; not the least of which is the fact that you pushed your body and mind out of their comfort zones and achieved something you once thought you were incapable of.
There is a certain happiness and sense of achievement associated with that that makes all the pain worth it in the end.
All the very best and thank you for patiently reading this.
Sumanth