The draw lies in something beyond tight abs and a roaring metabolism. Forget worrying about time and rank. Running 50 miles is an exploration of your own resolve\u2014a psychological challenge that borders on a spiritual awakening. But that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s for everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t do it!\u201d is the first thing Freeman tells runners considering a 50-miler (a typical intro distance for aspiring ultramarathoners). \u201cImagine how difficult it is to train for 26.2 miles, the sacrifices and the challenges both physical and mental.” Then tack on a battered immune system, amplified exhaustion, and a higher risk of injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not doubly as healthy running 50 miles,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cYou\u2019re not doubly as fit.\u201d<\/p>\n
So why go the distance? It all comes back to the mental challenge and the opportunity for personal growth. \u201cI definitely have learned new levels of patience, perseverance, and focus through participating in 50- and 100-mile mountain races,” Freeman says. “I\u2019m a better person than I might have been otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Top 10 Ultramarathon Training Tips<\/h3>\n
It goes without saying that running 50 miles at a stretch is far from easy. \u201cThere\u2019s a different understanding of the human spirit that comes about when even getting food down is a luxury,\u201d Freeman says. Below, the country\u2019s top 50-mile runners share their tips for going the distance<\/p>\n
Your Advisers<\/strong> 10. Pick your hydration pack<\/strong> 9. Test everything<\/strong> 8. Organize your drop bags<\/strong> Don\u2019t know what bag to use? Victory Sport Design makes a popular drop bag with clear pockets that make it easy to identify your food and gear.<\/p>\n 7. Do doubles<\/strong> It\u2019s also about learning how to make adjustments on the fly. \u201cDoubling your distance takes smart planning, and also the ability to throw that plan out and base everything on instinct,\u201d Freeman says. You\u2019ll hone your intuition on that second long run.<\/p>\n 6. Forgive yourself<\/strong> 5. Study the competition<\/strong> 4. Watch the weather<\/strong> 3. Chill out<\/strong> 2. Prepare for a rollercoaster of emotions<\/strong> 1. No excuses<\/strong> If you’re running an ultra, you can pretty much expect to face some gastric distress along the way. \u201cIt\u2019s not so much if<\/em> you\u2019re going to have stomach problems, it\u2019s when<\/em> you\u2019re going to have stomach problems, and what you\u2019re going to do about it,\u201d says sports nutritionist and ultramarathoner Sunny Blende. \u201cHave a plan,\u201d she says, like the one outlined below, \u201cthen deviate from it when you need to.\u201d<\/p>\n The Night Before<\/strong> Morning of the Race<\/strong> Examples of good pre-race meals include a bagel with peanut butter and jelly and a banana, plain oatmeal, a sports bar and some water, or even a rice, bean, and cheese burrito. \u201cThe key is to eat something you\u2019ve tried before your long training runs,\u201d Blende says. \u201cYou\u2019re just topping off. You\u2019re not trying to eat all of the calories you\u2019re going to burn in the race.\u201d<\/p>\n Blende recommends travelling with your breakfast, and even your post-race dinner, as ultramarathons are often held in remote regions where access to the food you need may be limited.<\/p>\n During the Race<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s a deficit sport. You can\u2019t eat all that you\u2019re expending,\u201d Blende says. \u201cThe best way to consume calories during a 50-mile race is to think of dripping them in like an IV.\u201d She recommends setting a watch on a timer so it beeps every 15 minutes. Each time the alarm sounds, eat or drink something, whether it\u2019s a gel, chew, sports drink, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or a baked potato dipped in salt. \u201cLeave a little of everything in your drop bag,\u201d Blende says. \u201cLeave your gels, your chews, your sports foods, your mixed drinks, because you might need it or you might have dropped something.\u201d As for hydrating, the rule is simple: Drink according to thirst.<\/p>\n Should your stomach get upset, slow down, stop eating, or take in less. Keep up your hydration if you\u2019re thirsty, and then start adding things back in. \u201cSometimes when you throw up, it\u2019s really just your body saying, \u2018OK, I\u2019m wiping the slate clean, let\u2019s start over,\u2019\u201d Blende says. Keep calm, and keep moving.<\/p>\n Post-Race<\/strong> Eat whatever you want, but, Blende advises, \u201cthe healthier you eat, the better off you\u2019ll be.\u201d Expect to keep losing weight for up to three or four days after the run. You\u2019ll gain it back eating normally while you recover.<\/p>\n Bonus: No-Grain Experiment<\/strong> The key is to exercise at a low heart rate where you\u2019re in your \u201cfat burning\u201d zone. \u201cThat means if there\u2019s a steep hill, you might have to walk up it,\u201d Blende says. \u201cIf you go above that zone, you will bonk.\u201d After eight weeks, your body should be able to burn fat at higher heart rates, lowering your carb needs during your race. \u201cYou\u2019ll run faster and easier without having to take in so many calories, and having to take in calories is the nemesis of an ultraunner because it can make you sick,\u201d Blende says.<\/p>\n Once you do the initial six-to-eight-week period of low-heart-rate, no-grain training, you can maintain the results by training that way for two days a week.<\/p>\n If you can run a marathon, you can finish a 50-miler. \u201cYou just need a different strategy,” Freeman says. Follow his five-month plan, an abbreviated version of which is presented here, to toe the starting line in peak physical and mental shape.<\/p>\n Door: Erin Beresini An ultramarathon isn’t just a race: It’s a windy, rocky, leg-trashing trail to self-enlightenment. Get ready to run your first 50-miler with tips from our ultra experts, plus nutrition advice Lees verder \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[72,20,73,11],"class_list":["post-654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-naslag","tag-trail","tag-training","tag-ultra","tag-voeding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=654"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":655,"href":"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654\/revisions\/655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMichele Yates, Two-time national 50-mile trail champion and course record holder
\nCody Moat, 2013 national 50-mile trail champion and course record holder
\nJimmy Dean Freeman, owner of Coyote Running coaching and training programs, five-time 50-miler finisher, and finisher of more than 30 ultra-distance races<\/p>\n
\nYes, there will be aid stations. But there\u2019s no telling how much time will pass between them, so bring your own fluids in a handheld bottle, pack, or belt. Which one you choose is a matter of preference. Yates favors a belt, citing a 2010 study that found carrying loads close to the core is more economical than handheld bottles. That said, Moat set a course record at the last 50-mile trail championships running with a handheld he fashioned out of a plastic water bottle and duct tape.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cSpend time on your runs trying stuff out,\u201d Moat says. That includes your race-day fuel plan and the extra clothes and gear you\u2019ll wear to compete. \u201cIn a road race, I\u2019ll usually just wear boy-cut shorts and a sports bra,\u201d Yates says. \u201cBut in a [trail] ultra, I\u2019ll also have compression socks, gaiters, and a longer tank top to eliminate the possibility of chaffing from my hydration belt.\u201d Longer socks, she says, are especially important on singletrack where prickly plants and bushes can cut up your legs. You\u2019ll also need a headlamp, as many races start\u2014and can end\u2014in the dark. So get comfortable running in everything you might wear or carry in the race. The big day is bad time to realize you need a bandana to keep your headlamp from denting your skull.<\/p>\n
\nDrop bags are sacks of personal items that will be accessible at one or more predetermined locations along the course. Arrange everything in yours for quick and easy access. \u201cYou\u2019ll see a lot of people going through their stuff really slow,\u201d Yates says. She streamlines the process by breaking all of her bars into bite-sized chunks and placing them in plastic baggies\u2014no unwrapping required.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe longer the distance that you run or race, the higher percentage it becomes mental,\u201d Freeman says. The best way to train your brain for a 50 is to run two long days in a row. \u201cThe second long run is about getting out there on sore, tired, fatigued legs and continuing to run, fuel yourself, and practice a mental strategy,\u201d Freeman says.<\/p>\n
\nThe secret to finishing your first 50 is learning not to sweat bad days or missed workouts. \u201cIf you go in not at your best fitness, but you have a sharp mental game plan, it\u2019s possible you\u2019ll have the best race of your life,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cConversely, you could enter the race as fit as you\u2019ve ever been, and if you haven\u2019t done your mental homework, you\u2019re gonna have a tough day.\u201d Think of a terrible training run as a mental exercise in disguise.<\/p>\n
\nBefore Moat ran\u2014and won\u2014his first 50, he researched his competitors. \u201cI knew there was somebody in the race that was going to run the race smart, who had experience,\u201d Moat says. \u201cMy strategy was to follow him and let him show me how to do a 50-miler.” If your race posts an entrant list, research your competitors and try contacting a few who might be willing to share their wisdom, or even run with you.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cKnow what the weather conditions can be,\u201d Yates says. That\u2019ll help you decide what to put in your drop bag. This year\u2019s USA Track and Field 50-mile championship in Rocksprings, Texas, for example, started off at 37 degrees before warming up to a high of 66. Runners threw gloves, hats, jackets and other cold-weather clothes into their drop bags as the day heated up.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cGo out conservatively,\u201d Yates says. Don\u2019t dash off the start line in a nerve-fueled sprint. \u201cThere is so much time to pick it up, and you\u2019ll be ebbing and flowing. Just pray that the negative part isn\u2019t really bad, and when you\u2019re flowing, you\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got to fight the demons back,\u201d Moat says. \u201cYou\u2019re going to have doubts.” Moat, for example, knew there was a big hill on the last lap of his race. Instead of dreading it, he decided the hill would win the race for him\u2014that running hills is his strength, and he\u2019d use the incline to pull away from the competition. Stay positive, says Freeman, and know that everyone else is going through similar emotional swings, even if you can\u2019t tell.<\/p>\n
\nPain, the possibility of injury, the time commitment: You have every reason not to run an ultra. \u201cYou just need to decide you\u2019re going to do it,\u201d Yates says. \u201cThere are so many things that can go wrong no matter how you well you prepare for an ultra. If that\u2019s your goal, you have to decide you\u2019re going to do whatever it takes to get through it.\u201d In the words of legendary ultrarunner, Ann Trason, \u201cIt hurts up to a point and then it doesn’t get any worse.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Ultimate Ultramarathon Nutrition Plan<\/h3>\n
\n\u201cUsually we think of carbo-loading the night before an endurance race, but when you get to ultramarathons, you don\u2019t always want a lot of food in your gut,\u201d Blende says. She recommends eating a meal that\u2019s 60 to 70 percent carbohydrates two nights before your event. The rest of your calories should come from protein, like salmon or tofu, and a small amount of fat.
\nIf you do carbo-load two nights before, make sure to drink more the day before. \u201cTry to drink some of your calories so your gut will be pretty clean when you go off the line,\u201d Blende says.
\nThe night before, eat a regular meal with high quality carbs such as sweet potatoes, or whole grain pasta. Stay away from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, Blende warns, because they can cause gas.<\/p>\n
\nWhat you eat the morning of your 50-miler depends entirely on what kind of runner you are. \u201cIf you\u2019re the nervous type,\u201d Blende says, \u201cyou should eat a late-night snack rich in complex carbs\u201d so you don\u2019t have to eat much for breakfast. If you don\u2019t mind getting up early, wake up two to three hours before the race starts to eat a good-sized breakfast, then go back to sleep. If you want to sleep as much as possible, wake up an hour or two before the race, eat a light breakfast, then go for it.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOff the line, you\u2019re full. You don\u2019t need anything for the first hour, maybe two hours,\u201d Blende says. After that, you\u2019ll have to start eating or drinking calories. But while you\u2019ll burn about 100 calories per mile, your body can only absorb about 240 calories per hour, so it\u2019s important not to eat too much, or you can get sick.<\/p>\n
\nDrink water if you\u2019re thirsty. Then start taking in calories as soon as possible in a ratio of one part protein to three to four parts carbohydrates. \u201cIt\u2019s like if you\u2019re going to build a house, the protein is going to help rebuild the muscle\u2014it\u2019s the lumber and the nails\u2014and the carbohydrates are the construction crew. You need both,\u201d Blende says.<\/p>\n
\nLooking for a good way to avoid having to fuel up during the race? The biggest trend in ultrarunning nutrition right now, Blende says, is training the fat-burning system to work more efficiently by eliminating all grain carbs from your diet for six to eight weeks during the early training stages.<\/p>\nThe 50-Mile Ultra Training Plan<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/runwithasmile.nl\/run\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/ultramarathon-training-plan.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nBron: www.outsideonline.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"