The Ultra Marathon training plan key:
Warm-up/cool-down
Always ease in to your workouts to make sure your body is properly warmed up. The cool-down is also an ideal time to stretch.
Easy/recovery runs
These runs should feel properly relaxed, your breathing should be easy and you should be able to hold a conversation – no more than 5-6 on your perceived exertion scale.
Long pace
This should be up to one or two minutes per mile slower than your marathon pace, depending on your goals. Still faster than your easy runs, but slower than tempo runs.
Tempo runs
These are controlled discomfort – ‘comfortably hard’ runs, reaching 8 out of 10 on your perceived exertion scale, or the pace you could sustain for an hour. You can utter two or three words at this pace, but not much more.
Fast
Fast, but not all-out pace – more like 8.5 to 9 on your perceived exertion scale.
Back-to-back long runs
These Saturday-Sunday runs are introduced in the second half of the schedule and are a key endurance-building workout.
Strength and conditioning (S&C)
Do a circuit comprising the three exercises in this article, plus three others of your choice. Body-weight exercises are best for keeping things balanced – box jumps, burpees, side planks, chin-ups, triceps dips and press-ups are good options.
Do three sets of 10-15 reps for one circuit; add circuits as your strength and fitness increases.
Specificity
Train in the type of conditions you will expect in the race: if it is a trail race, for example, try to do at least half of your runs off-road.
The 50-mile Ultra Marathon training plan:
Week 1
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 35 mins easy
Wednesday: 6-8 miles easy
Thursday: S&C
Friday: 60 mins easy, with 10 mins faster within the run
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 8 miles at long pace
Week 2
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 35 mins easy
Wednesday: 15 mins easy, 10 x 2 mins fast with 1-min jog recovery, 15 mins easy
Thursday: 1 mile easy, 6 miles at long pace, 1 mile easy
Friday: S&C
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 10 miles – middle 8 at long pace, first and last mile easy
Week 3
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 60 mins easy
Wednesday: 15 mins easy, 7 x 1 min fast with 75-sec recoveries, 15 mins easy
Thursday: S&C
Friday: 5 mins easy, 35 mins at long pace, 5 mins easy
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 12 miles at long pace
Week 4
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 35 mins tempo
Wednesday: 10 mins easy, 15 mins tempo, 3 mins easy, 25 mins long pace, 10 mins easy
Thursday: S&C
Friday: 6 miles at long pace
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 15 miles; 5 mins easy, slowly increase pace to run the majority at long pace, end with a few mins easy
Week 5
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: AM 35 mins easy, PM 35 mins tempo
Wednesday: 15 mins easy, 5 x 5 mins fast with 90-sec recoveries, 10 mins easy
Thursday: 60 mins easy
Friday: S&C
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Half marathon or 13-mile time trial, faster than long pace, below tempo pace
Week 6
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 35 mins easy
Wednesday: 15 mins easy, 1/3/5/5/3/1 fast efforts with 1-min recoveries, 15 mins easy
Thursday: S&C
Friday: 35 mins easy
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 18 miles at long pace
Week 7
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: S&C
Wednesday: 60 mins easy
Thursday: 10 mins easy, 6 x 2 mins fast with 1-min easy recoveries, 3 mins easy,10 mins tempo, 10 mins easy. Build speed in the legs
Friday: 35 mins easy
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 18 miles at long pace
Week 8
Monday: 35 mins easy
Tuesday: 10 mins easy. 8 miles at long pace, 10 mins easy
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 10 mins easy, 4 x (8 mins tempo, 3 mins easy), 10 mins easy
Friday: S&C
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 22 miles at long pace
Week 9
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 45 mins easy
Wednesday: 10 mins easy, 3 x (1 mile at tempo with 2 mins easy recoveries), 10 mins easy
Thursday: S&C
Friday: 40 mins easy
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Half marathon. Push the pace
Week 10
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 45 mins easy
Wednesday: 10 mins easy, 7x1 mile slightly faster than long pace with 2 mins easy recoveries, 10 mins easy
Thursday: S&C
Friday: 75 mins easy
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 20 miles First and last 5 miles easy, middle 10 miles at marathon pace
Week 11
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: AM 35 mins easy, PM 35 mins tempo
Wednesday: 15 mins easy, 30 mins tempo, 5 mins easy, 20 mins tempo, 10 mins easy
Thursday: Rest
Friday: S&C
Saturday: Parkrun or 5K race. Push yourself, then do 20-25 mins cool-down
Sunday: Run for 3:30, long pace. Practise nutrition, water and/or sports drink
Week 12
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 50 mins easy
Thursday: 35 mins easy
Friday: S&C
Saturday: 12 miles easy
Sunday: 12 mile hilly run, long pace
Week 13
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 80 mins easy
Wednesday: 80 mins long pace
Thursday: Rest
Friday: S&C
Saturday: 15 miles long pace, include hills and practice eating on this run
Sunday: 15 miles at long pace, flatter route
Week 14
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: S&C
Wednesday: 90 mins at long pace (refuel during and after – tough weekend ahead)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 10 miles easy pace, include hills. Recover and refuel
Sunday: 32 miles easy pace. Remember to eat and walk section if you need to
Week 15
Monday: Rest and stretch
Tuesday: Rest and stretch. Eat and hydrate well
Wednesday: 4 miles easy (recovery run)
Thursday: 8 miles easy, include hills
Friday: Rest and stretch. Eat and hydrate well
Saturday: S&C
Sunday: 10 miles easy, include hills
Week 16
Monday: Rest and stretch. Eat and hydrate well
Tuesday: Rest and stretch. Eat and hydrate well
Wednesday: Rest and stretch. Eat and hydrate well
Thursday: Walk or jog 10 mins
Friday: Rest and stretch. Eat and hydrate well
Saturday: Rest and stretch. Eat and hydrate well
Sunday: Ultra-marathon race. Enjoy the experience!
