UKC

My aim for this year has been two ultras Lakeland 100 and then Ultra Pirineau in Spain (68 miles and a load of climbing)
I completed the 100 end of July and now have Pirineau coming up 3.5 weeks time. Since end of July I haven’t done much running due to recovery and holidays.

My worry is I would have lost my fitness and will struggle, also I guess there is little I can do in the next 3.5 weeks to
regain any fitness? I did my usual hill reps this morning and really struggled

Basically I’m after someone saying “Don’t worry you will be Ok” and some suggestions what to do running wise between now and mid Sept?

In reply to notaclue:

carry on doing regular runs most days to keep your muscles accustomed to running tired. Nothing long perhaps just 5-10 miles, you wont loose fitness per se, a lot of it for an ultra is mental (as you know) but its important to keep the muscles flexible and keep reminding your body it needs to be moving.

In reply to notaclue:

I'm no expert (definitely not!) but 100 miles end of July is not that long ago...rather than having lost fitness, you could possibly still be a bit tired - I imagine it takes a lot out of you running that far. I know, for me, a marathon can sometimes take a couple of weeks or more to fully recover from, so 100 miles - wouldn't that take even longer?

Also, maybe it's just me, but I always find my first hard session after a period of "down time" to be a bit of a struggle, so relax, you've got another 3.5 weeks to get the running legs back!

I've no idea what you should do running wise between now and mid Sept as I'm not really an experienced ultra runner, but I wouldn't force it too much - probably the other poster has made a good suggestion. I think a bit of high intensity would be good (like your hill reps) but perhaps don't go crazy on volume.

Best of luck

In reply to notaclue:

I wouldn't worry too much about completion of the Pirineau, you should be fine, presuming you are an "average" runner I expect you will have peaked both physically and mentally for the Lakeland. You can't expect to simply carry on at the same level a few weeks later, the break you have taken is ideal, your legs (muscles and joints) are probably still mending themselves from that effort.

I would tick over gently from now and simply run as you feel rather than follow a program of training, if your legs are tired during a run (whether reps or distance) then ease off and don't push. If you feel good one day then push on and stretch out. So long as you tick over and keep the legs stretched out with some climbing you'll be fine - go and enjoy it.

In reply to Moley:
Exactly.

You will always lose fitness after an event, its why you dont just race race race as you just get more unfit through the season.. so you build race prep races then hit the big race, then back down and start again on another cycle.

You've gone from one biggy to another, just rest up, start again, nothing silly and you'll be OK.

I did the WHW in 2007 and then the paddy 6 weeks later, i did one month easy after the 100, maybe 10-15 milers as my long run then one long day out, then the paddy and felt great.

I think on these long races the stamina you need is deep inside that you don't lose easily. You lose raw speed quickly, hence hill reps hurting but will keep this long distance fitness longer.

Just dont try and cram fitness in and just trust your previous work. Have a good 10 days, 2 weeks, maybe a long run this weekend, a longish run next weekend and usual training and then taper.

good luck.

In reply to notaclue:

I've read in few people in the past, Bruce tulloch being one, say you should have a days easy or recovery training, for each mile raced at max effort. So by that theory you are on schedule. As said above, you can only peak so many times, even the pros have to pick their races carefully.

In reply to summo:
that works but not for ultras... I think 2 - 3 weeks should be enough, but say you run 2 x 100 miles in year, the first in the spring.. you spend most of the year not training.

But bigger point.. ultra runners race too much... hence bullshit bans for russian marathoners of less than a year.. i.e. 1-2 races..

In reply to Roadrunner5:


perhaps 3 months would be too long a recovery, but you are still training, just avoiding other races, efforts, threshold and reps training etc..

Perhaps the greater logic would be, a 100 miler in march, then april / may you train only easy / aerobic level. Then you build back up june/july for an august or sept race? But, then I'm no expert and most of the time mere mortal amateurs have to fit things in around normal life too.

In reply to notaclue:

Thanks all - I feel more confident now and appreciate the reassurance. Mentally I am ready to do it I was just worried I would have lost fitness.

Moley I am definitely "average" - in fact I concluded very seriously that if I can complete a 100 miler any one who is healthy can - it is all in the head. Need to have the drive to get up and do the training and then the drive to keep on going during the event.