How to prepare your first ultra trail
From mountain marathon to ultra: how long to prepare, what a typical week looks like and what to care for beyond the miles.
An ultra is any race longer than a marathon. The first one is usually 50 to 80 km with plenty of climbing, and it requires preparing your legs, your stomach and your head.
How long
With a base of 20-30 km mountain races, 16 to 24 weeks is a sensible timeframe. Without that base, it's worth doing an intermediate race first.
A typical week
- One long mountain run, increasing time on feet.
- One hill or threshold session.
- Two or three easy runs.
- One or two short strength sessions.
What's most often forgotten
- Eating on the move: train your stomach with the same food you'll eat in the race.
- Walking: you'll walk a lot in an ultra; practise it.
- Descending: long downhills are what destroy your legs.
- Gear: pack, poles and shoes tested on long runs.
Back-to-back blocks
Two long runs on consecutive days teach you to run with accumulated fatigue without the risk of a single enormous outing.