These are not endurance sessions as such, but they do improve your running pace, which then enables you to run at a given pace for less effort. The final key run is a speed or tempo session. Do your best to work this into your training plan if you can. It’s great motivation and it helps the miles fly by. This run should ideally be done on terrain or gradients that are like your target event.įor your long runs, it’s always good to run in company, at least for some of it. Your second key run is also relatively long, typically done in midweek, where you build up over several months to running a maximum of 2 hours.

Your backpack may need to contain spare kit, nutrition, hydration, phone, navigation, mini first aid, cash, sun protection and more. Training for long durations on trails in the hills/mountains will take some preparation and forethought.

If you are training for a hilly ultra choose terrain and elevation proportionally similar to that of your chosen race. This run should be done at chatting pace, ideally over a series of laps, so you can take on energy drinks and snacks at the end of each lap. The first is a long run, where you slowly increase the duration over a period of months, up to a maximum of 5 hours (depending on the distance of your target event). Your training should be built around three key runs each week. You also need to include regular recovery periods, so that your body can adapt, enabling you to train consistently for many months. Training for an ultra-marathon is no different to training for other running events, in that you need to progress your training gradually over time.

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