UKC

This weekend I am hopefully completing a 35 mile race and then have a 50 mile race 4 weeks later.

My question is should I be doing much running in between? Will any long runs have any benefit to my fitness or should I just do a few short runs?

Also do people do any speed training while training for ultras and does it actually have any benefit?

In reply to notaclue:

For a 50 milers, 35 miles 4 before is a good last long run. If your plan is to treat it as such with the 50 miler being your A race I would then reduce volume slowly and maintain intensity until race day. If you are planning to race both at the limit, then the races are very close together and I would just do recovery stuff until fully recovered and then do sort of an inverse taper doing slightly more ever week, but not reaching full volume.

In reply to notaclue:

With respect to speed training, yes, there is a benefit. It depends a bit on your definition of speed training, but any type will have some benefit really. Even short sprints, which may at first not have much to do with ultras improve running form, which will help save energy in the end. Also, the higher your top speed, the higher your comfortable plodding speed. Off season is a good time to do shorter faster stuff to get some speed.

In reply to StefanB:

In the ultra world there no longer appears to be an 'off season' I've got big ultras every month including a couple of 40 milers in December, a 108 in January and a 100 in February!

But I'm a little cracked I think

In reply to notaclue:

I think speed is pretty essential, speed work improves running economy..

In 4 weeks you would lose fitness.. I'd have an easy few days then back to reasonable mileage, but I'd not focus on the 35 miler, I couldn't focus on two races so close together.

In reply to Wonrek:

Nice to see you going for it!

In reply to Wonrek:

Well, there may not be an official off-season, but surely anyone interested in improving performance would plan his season with an off-period.
Obviously those that are happy to "plod through" an ultra every month, do not not need speed work

In reply to notaclue:

would it be the gritstone grind perchance?

Ive entered that as a last minute thing, not really trained due to illness since the apocalypse ultra in May, well I did 7 miles last week and 5 miles this week - Anyway if you are there say hi when you pass me

In reply to StefanB:
Oi! Who you calling a plodder

In truth this is the first year this has happened because of the growing number of races out there that I want to do. With regards to the Spine, plodding is exactly what it's about!

To maintain speed I do speed sessions during the week and in between events place much less emphasis on distance, I've already got that sorted.