Best Program to Train for a Marathon and a Subsequent Ultra
JessicaMcB
Posts: 1,503 Member
Hi all! I am currently registered for a 15k Spartan in April (not sweating it) and a full marathon in June (for which I am going to run Higdon's Intermediate II). I have been playing with the idea of doing Death Race in August which is an ultra that clocks at 125km. Is there a program. that would train me well for both the marathon and the subsequent ultra? Am I out to lunch wanting to do both in a season (say no! 
lol)?
TIA for any insight!
lol)?TIA for any insight!
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Given two months to more than double the distance your only option is to gain for the ultra and work in the marathon, maybe with a reduced taper.
If the marathon is your A race then adjust the plan for that.0 -
Train for the Ultra and run the Marathon as part of that training.1
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I agree with the others to train for the ultra and work the marathon in. However, it really depends on what you hope to achieve with these races. If you are planning to "race" the marathon (i.e. give it your all), you are going to need a few weeks for recovery, which will probably interfere with you ultra training. In that case, you might hold off on signing up for the ultra until you see where you are post marathon. If you are satisfied with just running the marathon as a training run for your ultra, then that should not be a problem. (Disclaimer: I have never run an ultra, but I have "raced" marathons and I know that the recovery can be pretty intense vs. running just to finish).
Also, a bit of this depends on what your experience is with marathons and ultras.2 -
My first question to you is if you are planning on using the same Run-Walk plan for the ultra? Training for an ultra and just fitting in a marathon only works if you are going to be running both in the same fashion...not necessarily pace though. Also, how many miles are you shooting for on Day 1 and Day 2 of the ultra? Or is there a set distance for both days? How many marathons have you run? If you have ran multiple, have they been in the same year? Sorry for the questions, but it's a bit tough to give generic advice on when it comes to endurance activities of this level.
However, to be as generic as I can, a typical ultra runner will train for their ultra and fit in smaller races, which will fall into specific training weeks. Most of the ultra marathons I know race their marathons hard and for PRs. They run their ultras for the pure thrill, enjoyment, and accomplishment. I do have one friend who competes in both, but he is nuts, hah. So to answer your question, yes, there are programs that will train you well for both. But those programs will be focused on your ultra. Your increased endurance from the ultra will ultimately have great performance gains for your marathon as long as you are following a plan. You might want to ditch Hal's plan though...I don't personally think that is a great plan to try and adapt to an ultra. You can still do run-walk in the ultra for sure though.
Aside from mileage, the MAIN difference between a marathon training plan and an ultra plan is how you fuel and hydrate. An ultra, especially a long one like you are planning, is a totally different ball game. Sorry for the lengthy response. I can give you an equally lengthy one once I know more info. Good luck, have fun, and that sounds like a fun race season!1 -
Have you done previous marathons or ultras?
As said above, if you haven't, you might find that recovery from the marathon can take a lot longer than you expect now.0 -
I've done a lot of marathons and I've done a lot of ultras. Marathons hurt more. Also, 125K and 26.2 miles are completely different animals. Your best bet, as others have noted, would be to train for the ultra, and jog the marathon as a training run.0
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I'm intrigued by the Ultra. Is there a program for that?
I've followed Higdon's before, and I know Galloway has marathon plans. I've also seen Ironman plans. But I have never seen an Ultra plan. Is there a training plan out there?0 -
Most of the good plans are not free, sadly, as ultras are still kind of new in regards to popularity. Here is an example of a 100 mile training plan. One of the keys though to ultra training that most people will tell you is that you should train as close to the conditions and terrain as the actual race itself. Elevation, grading, etc. have a major impact when you are going that type of distance.
- Example 100 mile plan
- Links to tons of different plans for different distance
- Link to books on detailed plans, tips, tricks, nutrition, etc.
Enjoy!1 -
Thanks for the link. I've always wondered about those ultras out west. Bucket list sort of thing.0
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Look for a plan that has you running 6 or 7 days a week. consider doing doubles. I agree that running a marathon as training for the ultra would make sense...this means that you would skip tapering for the marathon and plan to run it at a pace that would allow you to recover and train the following week.
Everyone has a different experience with high mileage weeks. I don't know how many 50, 60 or 70 mile weeks are in your history so take it as a learning experience.
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Train for the Ultra and run the Marathon as part of that training.
I use the training plans from Marathon Training Academy. They gave an ultra plan and suggest using a marathon as one of your long runs before tapering to the ultra. Check them out! They also have a podcast that is super informative. (I'm not endorsed by them or anything. I've just found them to be enormously helpful in my training).0
