The Everyday Ultra Newsletter

Ultra training tips to help you be a better endurance athlete, every day
by Joe Corcione

Here’s how to know if you are ready for your next ultra

“Did I train enough for this?”

Even with the most perfect training block, it can be easy for our brains to feel like we’re still not prepared for our race.

Thoughts of “did I train enough?” or “am I missing something?” can pop into our heads weeks before the race, wondering if we could have done something else.

I get it. I’ve been there before. And to help me deal with this to be fully confident that I’m prepared to take on the ultra, I created a checklist.

And this checklist is full of things I must practice, prepare for, and strategize in my training to be fully confident I can handle the race I am lining up.

That way, I know I’m ready. Or, I find out, maybe I’m not ready.

Now, notice how I said: “in my training.” This checklist is designed to be a proactive approach for you to practice these things in your training leading up to the race.

What the checklist isn’t meant to be is something that you go through a week before the race, so that you can cram for the things you didn’t prepare for within a few days before the race. Ultras aren’t like college tests. Cramming just isn’t effective.

Instead, make sure you are preparing for these things effectively in your training well before the race so you cover all your bases, and fully feel confident in your ability to nail your race.

So, here are the things on the checklist to assess to see if you’re ready for your next ultra:

1. Did I get in enough volume to prepare my body for the race?

Let’s face it: you have to put intraining to do an ultra. Sure, there are people like David Goggins who can rip a 100 miler without any training. But for the average person, it’s probably not the best idea to just send it on the trail after only putting in an average of 1 hour a week of running throughout training.

So, what is the right amount of volume?

Generally, I like to follow Jason Koop’s minimum/maximum guideline when it comes to assessing volume needs for an upcoming ultra. This states the minimum amount of training you should be getting in on your peak weeks of training.

The rule is as follows:

For 50K’s and 50 milers, you should be putting in at least 6 hours of training in your biggest 3 weeks of training.

And for 100K’s and 100 milers, you should be putting in at least 9 hours per week in your biggest 6 weeks of training.

Every time I’m assessing my athlete’s training plan, I like to follow these guidelines to make sure they are ready to rock for their ultra.

2. Am I confident I can overcome the mental lows of the race?

You inevitably will face tons of low points in an ultra. Whether it’s soreness, fatigue, stomach issues, or anything else, something will test your resolve out there.

So, when those moments come, are you confident that you can push through?

Practice this in your training in your longest runs. Generally, if my athletes need a mental boost of confidence on the ability to handle suffering, I like to suggest going for anywhere between a 5-7 hour run in their peak week to have them test their mental skills as they get through it.

Generally, mental resilience gets easier to check off the more race experience you have. Because the more you race, the more lows you face, and the more times you show yourself you can overcome it.

3. Am I confident in my nutrition and hydration strategy?

The number one reason for DNF’s in an ultramarathon? GI issues caused by poor nutrition. So, getting a solid nutrition strategy down for your ultra is absolutely crucial.

You must test out your nutrition gameplan in your training. And the best way to do this is on a long run that is also between 5-7 hours. The reason why I like this timeframe for this is because usually, 4 hours or less to test nutrition isn’t going to cut it.

You need to test your nutrition on runs where your body is fatigued so you can see how it fairs well.

If you’re unsure of what nutrition strategy to take, I suggest going with 250-400 calories an hour with 50-100gs of carbs an hour. Start testing on the low range for this, and then work your way up if the low end amounts don’t work.

4. Am I physically healthy enough to take on this race?

This one is obvious. But it has to be on the list. If you’re injured, you shouldn’t be running the race.

It isn’t worth the long-term risk of doing extensive damage to your body by running through an injury. Simply put, when you do that, you sacrifice months worth of running for one day that, even if you complete it, won’t be to the best of your full abilities due to the injury.

This is one where if you don’t check the box, it’s best to not go forward with racing.

5. Am I confident in the gear I’m going to use on race day?

This includes shoes, hydration vests, clothing, shorts, socks, anti-chafe balms, etc. If you’re going to use it on race day, you gotta know it works and that it is comfortable.

The way I always prepare for this is that I do either a tune-up race or do a race-simulation long run where I wear and use the exact gear I will use on race-day. That way, there are no surprises on race day.

Those are the main things to check! Those are the big 5 things I tend to make sure of. Of course, there are other things you should be considering (pacing, aid station strategy, course familiarity, etc). But it’s best to focus on the essentials first, and then hone in the other things later on.

What if you’re a week out from the race, and you’re missing something on the checklist?

If you’re lacking in items 2, 3, and 5, you can likely still race. But know that there is a risk that it can go really, really badly if things don’t check out. Be wary of that.

If you’re lacking item 1, your body is likely not fully prepared for the challenge ahead and it may be worth deferring.

If you’re lacking item 4, definitely don’t race. The long term damage potential is not worth it at all.

The big takeaway: knowing that your ready for an ultra starts within your training. So, take this checklist and make sure you’re testing all of these things within your training to make sure you’re ready for race day when it comes up.

What I’m loving in my current training

The offseason!

After going through nearly 2 years of continuous training, I’m going through an offseason without structured running. Meaning, I only run if I feel like it. And it’s been so awesome.

I thought I would hate an offseason as I always get an itch to run. But, I actually haven’t felt too pressured to get back at it. And that’s okay. I’ve been spending my time diving into building my coaching business which has been a passion project of mine I’ve always wanted to do.

I’m still running, but only when I feel like it. And it’s only been two runs since Javelina Jundred. And again, I’m okay with that.

We need a mental reset from training from time-to-time to really rebuild our stoke and fire for pushing ourselves.

And we get the time to do the things that excite us that may have been replaced by running during our training season.

I know I’ll be more stoked to continue on when training begins in late December (race announcement coming soon).

Takeaway for you: if you’ve trained for a whole season, don’t be afraid to take an offseason. And fill that offseason with something else that excites you, but maybe struggled to find the time for during peak training.

How Charlie Lawrence broke the 50 mile world record (new podcast)

What is it like to run 50 miles at a 5:45 average pace? Our guest today tells us exactly what it feels like and what it took to help him get there.

Because he recently did that at the Tunnel Hill 50 miler where he set the world record for fastest 50 mile in 4:48:41!

In this episode with Charlie Lawrence, he shares:

• The mental strategies he used to push through the difficult points in his record-breaking run

• His nutrition strategy, including the use of exogenous ketones combined with carbohydrates to super-fuel his energy levels

• How he trained to build speed and confidence for race day

Have questions about running, training, or anything else? Respond to this email and I’ll be happy to help.

Remember, strive to be a better endurance athlete, every day.

- Joe 🐺