Picked this book to get an idea on training ,nutrition and execution strategies to compete an ultra marathon.This is one of the few that I found to have the topics that I was looking for.
Thoughts/comments on the 📚:
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🔵Training/Mileage and Workout advise:
✴️Liked the advise and perspectives around speed workouts and strength sessions that can benefit your race .
✴️Hal Koerner's views on 'quantity over quantity' ,back to back long runs and importance of 'time on feet' aligned to what some of my friends had shared about training for ultras. It was reassuring to know this.
🔵Gear , environment , race day advise:
✴️Chapters 4 (Gear) , 5 (Self care ) and 6 ( Dealing with the environment) were my favourite parts of the book.
✴️ These chapters were packed with good / practical information from many years of racing experience.
🔵 Training plans:
✴️ There is a training plan for 50k, 50miles ( 16week ) and 100miles (20 week) races.
✴️ It is a good reference but I will advise not to go just with this plan.
✴️ In my view , anyone planning a 50/80k or 100mile run should have a personal coach who can analyse all aspects( mileage , fitness level, running form, strength , nutrition ) and suggest a option that works best for you.
Interesting Notes/quotes from the book:
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"Running an ultra is 90percent mental, and the other 10 percent - that's mental too" -xvii
'whichever distance you choose to prepare for, you will need to commit to atleast 5 days of consistent training for a minimum of 14 weeks' -5
'Comfortable is a good thing. Comfortable preserves your endurance - both physically and mentally - thus allowing you to focus on the other key elements that contribute mightly to your success: breathing, hydrating ,and nutrition. - pg 17
Training:
You may be a very experienced road runner.However, there is a learning curve to being on the trail. ..Master them through practice - pg 19
Mastering uphill is all about form. When going uphill, do your best to avoid hunching. Hold your head high up and your shoulders back; this helps free up your breathing - pg 19
If you are training hard on your uphill, ease up on your downhill, and vice versa.Choose one or the other to run hard. Not both.
consider hill training as strength workouts rather than speed workouts -pg 27
I find that fartleks -- the Swedish word for 'speed play' , in which you use variations of fast running for long periods in leius of structured intervals -- on an easy or even downhill grade world well because they best replicate the conditions of an ultra. - pg 28.
A tempo run is a steady effort for a specfic time and distance , with a pace likely just below your 10K pace. ..They will increase your ability to push yourself over a longer time at a steady , consistent effort - pg 29
I can , when necessary, break mileage up throught the day or use an easy run to tack on additional mileage (about easy runs) - pg 31.
For ultra training, the longest run should be about 60 to 70 percent of the distance you will race. However , a training run of that magnitude for , say , a 100-miler is lot to bite off. ..you can do back to backs , logging two long runs in a row. - pg 32.
These runs will build massive amounts of confidence and a physical strength that is unparalled .-pg 32.
when it comes to an training for an ultra, quantity has an edge over quality. .- pg 33
hanging leg raises in particular are a favority because they work both on the hip flexors and the lower abs. - pg 38 (Favority strength training) .
To increase difficulty , add more reps instead of weights.
Nutrition:
ultra distance wont let you get away with that.You will hit the wall in an ultra and you will hit it over and over again; its almost impossible to avoid. ..the trick is not so much avoiding but rather minimizing these effects as much as possible. - pg 47
unless you have prior medical concerns such as a high blood pressure , there is no need to worry about taking toomuch salt. Your body will expel salt that you cant use.- pg 55.
The ideal recovery miz will include some carbs and protein as well as some electrolytes. You dont need much protein, by the way. You can only handle about 20gms of it at a time;your body will get rid of the reast or require too much work from the kidneys to process the excess . - pg 63.
For maximum benefit ,cosume a recovery drink within 30 to 45 minutes of finishing a race or a long training effort. - pg 53.
Gear:
When it comes to fitting your running shoe, what matters is not a prescribed size but the fit and the feel. You will be in the shoes for hours or possibly a full day or more; you require something that fits your foot well, is comfortable , and allows room for swelling and splaying and flexibility.- 67.
Anything that touches your body is something to consider carefully in planning for long races.-pg 71.
if there is anywhere you should steer clear of cotton, it is here.Cotton does a great job of absorbing water, but thats about it .Where is fails is in moving that water away from the skin and alowing it to evaporate - pg 72.
Two lighter headlamps might be better than one large one with a heavy battery pack - pg 81.
one thing that you can count on though, is that your feet will swell at least half a size - pg 90.
in a race in milder condition ,I will drink 16 ounces per hour.
In more extreme conditions, I was drinking nearly 40 ounces per hour - pg 156.
the weightloss rule of thumb is this : If the scale showsyou have lost 3 percent of your weight, you will be warned to make an active effort to get on top of your hydration. If you have logs 5 percent., you might be told to sit a while in the tent and drink.If you have lost 7 percent , generally , you will not b allowed to leave the aid station at all, or you may have to demonstrate active rehydration,such as drinking two bottles of fluid and eating a bowl of soup, as a way of getting you back in track. - pg 158.
I remember by dad missing the Boston qualifying time by 18 seconds one year and by 19 seconds the next - pg 166.
Yiannis Kouros , who holds almost every record for races above 100miles, uses poetry ,music and other forms of art to inspire him to perform at the highest level - pg 169.
What I needed that day was to have more than one goal for the race..
With tiered goals and team backup , you are more likely to achieve success. - pg 175.
🔵Verdict : ⭐⭐⭐⭐!!
Though it's gaining popularity within the running community in India, it's still a niche area and information on trainings, nutrition and things to take care is almost non-existent.
The book is a good reference for novices eager to attempt an ultra marathon.
Seasoned runners can use it as a reference/checklist.
