Training to win
What can we learn from ultra stars
While ultramarathons can be completed on minimal mileage, winning them requires significant dedication. Ultrarunning is not yet an elite sport, so most top competitors also juggle family and work
© LENNY MARTIN/XNRG
An ultramarathon can sound like a big step beyond a marathon but, with the right planning and preparation, I truly believe any runner can conquer one. Completing an ultra challenge can be lifechanging and I want to share with you my top preparation tips and give you the confidence that you too can ‘Go Ultra’.
Beth Pascall Beth recently won the Western States 100, one of the world’s most competitive ultramarathons (see right). She juggles her training alongside being a junior doctor in the NHS. “I train 15-20 hours a week, all year round, including three strength and conditioning sessions and 80-90 miles of running.”
My own route into ultramarathons was rather extreme. I signed up for the Marathon des Sables –a 250K stage race across the Sahara – having never run more than a mile in my life and with only nine months to prepare. This was
Beth credits her coach with helping her fit her training around her busy career. “My training plan is done by my coach once he’s seen my shifts. It’s about trying to periodise the training so I’m not doing intensity through heavy periods of work. So when I’m doing night shifts, I’m just doing easy running; there’s no point doing hill reps.”
12 years ago and since then I’ve run over 40 ultras around the world, from 30-milers, to seven-day stage races, to 268 miles in one go. Along the way I’ve learnt so much about what it takes to complete one – and what not to do!
Training at this elite level inevitably means sacrifices. “I have to be really organised and also say no to things – I’ll skip a dinner event if I think I’ll be too tired to train the next morning.”
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