“I like to think of an ultra runner as a big oak tree. “Building solid foundations is vital for anyone contemplating an ultra” explains Mimi Anderson, X-Bionic sponsored ultra-runner and multiple World Record Holder. Before you knock out too much mileage (and get injured), work with a PT or coach on some specific strength and conditioning exercises, focusing on your glutes and core, to iron out any dysfunction and reduce your risk of injury.

Injury prevention is your number one goal. How you do this will depend on your training background, injury susceptibility, fitness level, and ability to adapt to increasing training loads.Īn ultra distance event might have you out on the course for six, seven or many more hours, and probably on rough terrain too, meaning a strong resilient body is going to be vital to keep you injury free and upright.īefore you even think about building up to an ultra, spend a number of months doing a mixed program of strength training, hiking, cross training, and cycling, in addition to your running. One thing is for certain you need to get used to running for a very, very long time. To be a good ultra runner, you must become an expert in listening to your own body, and respond accordingly, whether that’s in training or in the race itself. How you approach it will depend on many factors, and your own personal response to training, as well as the distance of the race you’ve chosen. There really are not any set rules when it comes to mileage, pace or distance and you need to find what works for you on a very individual level and figure it out as you go along. Training for an ultra is a far more intuitive and organic process than training for any other distance. A few weeks ago, we covered Why You Should Not Be Scared of Running an Ultra, and today we are going to explain how to take that next step to start training. However, like most things in running, although we want a clear cut answer, one does not exist, but that does not mean we cannot give you advice on how to prepare. With the growing population of ultra runners, and questions that come in to us about ultra running, it is clear that many runners are becoming curious about ultra marathons.

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