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Posted

How much speed work and strength work do you ultra trail runners do? (I know theres a few on here..)

 

Mrs and I are getting more into trails now, Karkloof 50 in Sep will be first long trail, but I'm dead keen on 100 miler eventually. Reunion, Skyrun, UT Drakensburg.. the popular trails are really getting my juices going.

 

I'm by no means a 'natural' runner so I'm thinking I need to focus on longer slower runs with these on my radar. Or should I be spicing training up a bit?

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Posted (edited)

For 100 milers and other runs listed there are very different ways to approach them.

 

Reunion and Skyrun are steep with big elevation gain, skyrun also has no real paths often so you want to be strong not fast and a good power hike is worth 10x as much as being able to tick off sub 4:30kms all day. 

 

UTCT and Karkloof are more running events so speed work will do better for that and general running. Karkloof you can train on road for 95% of the training.

 

I do speed work once a week, the rest i just distance and elevation hunting usually. If there is a 5-10km night run then that becomes my speed work and the goal is to start at a stupid pace and try go faster from there.

 

Strength work is a separate day, walking stair repeats with a 25kg sand bag, running stair repeats and then the usual leg day workouts that most do. Also take time to do a lot of balance strength and core work, bosu squats and pistol squats etc.

 

All my other runs at the moment usually are just elevation hunting.

Edited by dave303e
Posted

For 100 milers and other runs listed there are very different ways to approach them.

 

Reunion and Skyrun are steep with big elevation gain, skyrun also has no real paths often so you want to be strong not fast and a good power hike is worth 10x as much as being able to tick off sub 4:30kms all day. 

 

UTCT and Karkloof are more running events so speed work will do better for that and general running. Karkloof you can train on road for 95% of the training.

 

I do speed work once a week, the rest i just distance and elevation hunting usually. If there is a 5-10km night run then that becomes my speed work and the goal is to start at a stupid pace and try go faster from there.

 

Strength work is a separate day, walking stair repeats with a 25kg sand bag, running stair repeats and then the usual leg day workouts that most do. Also take time to do a lot of balance strength and core work, bosu squats and pistol squats etc.

 

All my other runs at the moment usually are just elevation hunting.

 

nice one, thanks

Posted

First rule, is any run is better than no run.

Second rule, if it is short it must be fast

Third rule, LONG SLOW DISTANCE

Fourth rule, start slowly.  Today's fast is tomorrow's slow.  Today focus on today.

Fifth, Train the terrain you are going to race.

Sixth rule, don't over train.  Always leave a bit in the tank for tomorrow.

Seventh rule, listen to your body.  Rather have a bad day and end the session early than have a flat week or worse an injury.

Eighth rule, race and then recover.  So race infrequently and give yourself time to recover.  The mind often takes more time to recover than the body.

Ninth rule.  Specialise.  You have to run fast to race fast, and run far to race far.

 

And so on and on.

Posted (edited)

.

Seventh rule, listen to your body. Rather have a bad day and end the session early than have a flat week or worse an injury.

.

Why didn't you remind me of this yesterday morning! Edited by Stretch
Posted

Ninth rule.  Specialise.  You have to run fast to race fast, and run far to race far.  :thumbup: 

I'm not on this bus. You have to be able to run far to race far. And you can't race fast without ever having run fast. But you can't just do one thing/pace/terrain.

Posted

If you want to run a marathon you need long runs. If you want to run a fast marathom you also need speed sessions. In other words each training session should be focussed. Just running x distance at x speed is insufficient.

 

Oh and remember hill sprints  :wacko:

Posted

If you want to run a marathon you need long runs. If you want to run a fast marathom you also need speed sessions. In other words each training session should be focussed. Just running x distance at x speed is insufficient.

 

Oh and remember hill sprints  :wacko:

You must first have a decent base to work from.

Posted

So life has thrown me a bit of a curveball. We had a meeting with Management and they decided we are now going to start working 12h shift, 4days in, 4 days out, seeing as they want to operate the border post 24hours. So that's going to affect my running and training immensely. But thats life, just have to try and adapt.

Posted

So life has thrown me a bit of a curveball. We had a meeting with Management and they decided we are now going to start working 12h shift, 4days in, 4 days out, seeing as they want to operate the border post 24hours. So that's going to affect my running and training immensely. But thats life, just have to try and adapt.

06:00 to 18:00 I suppose?

 

Time to buy a treadmill

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