San Diego Ultra Running Friends
With the San Diego One Day race coming up, I thought I would discuss how one cantrain for timed events of varying duration held on a track or short road loop. The most common duration for these races are 12, 24, and 48 hours, and for the multi-day event, 6 days is the most common. Runners circle the track or road loop day and night, going as they please. Some stop to rest and sleep at regular intervals, while many have crew people to help them with food and fluid preparation, or clothing changes.
How can one prepare for these types of events ? Is the training different than for a trail ultra ? To answer these questions, you have to look at both your individual goals and the conditions likely at the upcoming race. It is best to train in a similar way as you will run the race. This means doing some of your long runs on flatter terrain on a surface similar to the race route (rubber track or pavement is most common for timed ultras). This will get your legs ready for the steady work of running mile after mile on flat ground, and prepare you mentally to keep going hour after hour. One thing to try is to run each mile at a similar pace, within a few seconds of each other. After a few hours on the track, you get into a rhythm with running and walking, eating and resting. Running part of these long training runs with friends can be fun and spice it up a little. Bring along a cooler with all your fluids and foods, as well as a towel and lawn chair. After a few hours you may be surprised at how the miles add up. It can be helpful to bring a paper and pen to record each lap you finish, and the total laps for each hour. Having this information down on paper from a training run can assist you in constructing a race plan. Again, for track ultras your long runs are the bread and butter of your training program, as they are for trail ultras.
Walking is also different in a track ultra compared to a trail ultra. There are no hills to regulate when you walk. Many runners will instead walk at regular intervals when on the track. This can either be in the form of "run 7 laps and walk 1" or be done by time, say run 20 minutes and then walk for 4 minutes. A very few runners can run the entire time, at a steady pace. Each runners is different. Great performances have been turned in by runners who mix in walking breaks. An example is Kevin Setnes, who won the U.S. 24 hour championship race in 1997 with a then U.S. record total of 160 miles. He followed a plan of running 25 minutes and walking 5 minutes for the duration of the 24 hours. An example of a runner who walks very little and runs steadily is Sue Ellen Trapp, the U.S. women's 24 hour record holder. She can run for many hours at a cruising pace of 10-11 minutes per mile, to ring up some impressive mileage totals. In your long training runs, you can discover what walking mix you like best. That way you will be comfortable on race day sticking with your race-walk plan.
Another difference in a track ultra is that you can get aid every quarter mile. Many runners will only stop to refill water bottles or drink fluids or eat every several laps, or by time every 10 to 20 minutes. To maximize the distance you cover, the runner can just get what they need from the aid table or their crew, and consume it while walking all or part of the next lap. You can practice this routine during your long training runs, if you do them on a track or short road loop.
For a 24 hour run, there are things you can try in training that will help you stay awake during the night portion of the run. One thing to try is to do a partial overnight run on a track, if you can find one that is open all the time. Experiment with various forms of caffeine (cola, coffee, or No-Doze) as well as self massage, and with wearing a walkman and listening to music. If you have run 100 mile trail races, then things that worked well at night with keeping you awake and alert will also work in a 24 hour track race. For a 48 hour track run, it is best for most runners to get a little sleep each of the two nights. To get comfortable with this, bring a sleeping bag with you on one of your night track training runs, and take a nap partway thru the night. Even a short nap of 30-60 minutes will refresh you so you can keep awake and moving forward at a good pace.
A good form of "training" for a 24 or 48 hour race is to do a shorter 6 or 12 hour race. Here the aim is to be on the course for the entire 6 or 12 hours, and to stay with your walk-run schedule as much as you can. Pace your running as if you were in the 24 or 48 hour event. Eat and drink as you plan to during the longer race and perhaps have your crew help you "as a trial run" for them. You might have to look around as there are not as many 6 or 12 hour races as 24 hour races. Or you can do your own "race" of 6 hours at a local track with your own aid and a few friends joining you for all or part of the run. Do this about 4-6 weeks before the 12 or 24 hour race you are preparing to do at your top level.
Well that about covers training for a timed ultra. In the next article I will discuss other topics regarding these events, such as clothing changes, crew preparation, and race strategy as well as goal determination. Good luck in your preparation.
Shawn McDonald
smcdonal@strubix.com
In a recent article, I covered advice for training for long distance set duration races (usually 12 hours or more) that are typically held on a 1/4 mile track or a short road loop. Now I want to delve into some ideas about planning for such a race and actually carrying out that race plan. Many of your concerns will be similar to those you have prior to a 100 mile trail race. Namely, how will your crew work out ? (Tip: try to get them set early and maybe do a trail run with them a few weeks before the race) When should you walk and when to run ? Will I want special food, clothing, or footwear ? How do I mentally handle all those hours and laps ?
Crews can be very helpful at these types of events, but are not at all a requirement. You are not going to get lost like you might at a trail 100 miler, so no pacers are involved. The crew can help you as at a trail race, with mixing of fluid concoctions, getting any particular type of food you want from the aid table or your cooler at track-side, or with shoe or clothing changes, etc. Plus they can keep track of your lap times, how far you have gone, and where you are in relation to your goals. Just remember to fully outfit your crew for the race conditions, as they will not be moving around much and could get cold more easily than you will.
You can bring a lot of equipment to these types of races. Think of what will be essential and will see lots of use, and bring that along with a few extras. There is debate over whether you should bring a tent. It can be good to rest in for events that are longer than 24 hours, and for cover for your crew. A chair is good for shoe and clothing changes, but if left out all the time it can be inviting ! For sure you may want to change your shoes and socks as you go along. Your feet are more likely to get sore compared to a trail ultra, so plan on this and bring one or more pairs of extra shoes that are a half size larger than normal to wear later in the event. Most courses won't have shade during the day so it can get hot. Plan accordingly, by having a hat to wear and put ice in the hat periodically, and bring a bucket for ice water and some sponges to use to cool off during the day. If it is in winter, plan for a cold night and deal with the wind by wearing a shell jacket, nylon wind pants, stocking cap, and gloves or mittens. There will be few or no trees to block the wind.
A race plan is one key way to reach your goals in a timed ultra. One way to approach the race is in thirds, with the first third of the race being a warm-up period where you walk/run easy, the middle third where you expend a moderate effort to maintain your goal number of miles per hour, and the last third where you give it all you have left. For a 24 hour run each period is 8 hours long. If you have an overall goal of number of miles you want to reach, then figure on hitting the 55% level of that goal at the halfway point of the event. So, for a 100 mile goal in a 24 hour run, that means covering about 55 miles in the first 12 hours and 45 miles in the second 12 hours. Through having done some of you long runs on a track, you should know the pace running and walking that you can maintain for the first 12 hours of the event. If you are planning on running for 20 minutes and then walking for 5 minutes, and run at 9 minutes per mile and walking at 18 minutes a mile, then if you don't stop at all, you will cover about 6 miles in 1 hour. This is a pretty good "pace" for the front runners in a 12-24 hour race. Try to start within 10% of the pace you plan to average for the first 12 hours of the race, and allow for a gradual slowdown at night when your you will tire and you legs might get stiff. It is likely that the last couple hours of the race (in a 24 hour race, once the sun comes up and the air begins to warm back up) you will "come back alive" and be able to run more and at a brisker pace. By mixing in walking breaks right from the start, you will extend the time that you can continue to run well and get the maximum number of miles done by spreading out your effort over the entire time of the race.
As to goal setting, I like to use a system of 3's. Three goals that is. Set a mileage goal you think you can reach fairly easily as a base goal, then an intermediate goal that will be difficult but reachable as the challenging goal, and finally a total that you can get if you have your best day, as your ultimate goal. Most likely you will run more miles than you would on a trail over the same length of time, but not necessarily. Running these "flat" events can sometimes be tougher on your legs and feet. One of the cool things about these timed events is that friends and family can stop by for an hour or two to visit more easily that at a trail race, and that you reach your aid more frequently. By stopping for aid only when you need it, you can keep moving forward and minimize your time in the aid station. Having an efficient crew can save you time in this regard, that can add up to a few miles or more in races of 24 hours or longer.
Have fun at your timed ultra race and remember that everyone is going to be moving for the same number of hours. The different strategies, runners, and crews make these events different and interesting !
Happy looping !
Shawn McDonald
smcdonal@strubix.com
(858) 689-2410
When I ran my first 100 miler I finished just after dark (at Vermont). In subsequent 100's I knew I would be out several hours to all night in the dark. I would suggest the following based on my experiences in three tougher 100 milers as well as pacing twice each at Western States and Angeles Crest:
That should be enough information to get you started. Good luck out there on the trails and enjoy those stars and the moon. And come on out this summer to join us for some night training runs. They are good fun !
Shawn McDonald
smcdonal@strubix.com
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