42 mile training plan

I have one marathon under my belt and doing the Snowdonia marathon end of October. I then fancy training for the Brecon to Cardiff 42 mile ultra in April. Does anyone have a 16 week plan they can share? Not worried about time just want to train and finish the ultra. Thanks 

Comments

  • tricialitttricialitt ✭✭✭

    You can just follow a marathon plan, but forget the speed sessions, and increase the long runs a bit, and you'll be finr , if you are aiming to just get round, practice carrying a pack with the required kit on board, and eating proper food, also doing a bit of walking training if it is a hilly race.

    Otherwise there are a few 50miles plans you could look at and adapt.

    For some reason this one seems popular: http://www.trailrunevents.com/ul/schedule-50m.asp

    It is 20 weeks, but your race is shorter, so you can probably cut out one or 2 of the heaview weeks- I don't know, I've done a dozen ultras and never followed a plan, but then I'm ususally a back- marker, in the last 10%, so perhaps that's what I'm doing wrong.

  • Thanks for your reply. I would be aiming to finish within the alloted time so your advice is perfect.

  • tricialitttricialitt ✭✭✭

    Enjoy!- your first ultra is not a race to be worrying about finish times- if you can get out on the course, and see what the terrain is like, and practice some of your long tuns on the course or similar ground, it will be good training. With a lot of ultras there are official or unnofficial recce runs of the course in the weeks/ months leading up to race day- these are usually very sociable events, and an opportunity to pick the brains of more experienced runners- look on FB to see if there are any groups heading out in the early spring to run the course.

  • Great advice from Tricia.

     

    I actually did the Brecon to Cardiff this year, I'd thoroughly recommend it, it's a beautiful route.  Just to add to what Tricia said, if you would like a book with some structured plans in it I would thoroughly recommend one called "relentless forward progress", I followed one of the 50 mile a week plans and I felt comfortable on the day.

     

    As a tune up race would recommend the Imber Ultra in March, this was well placed in terms of date as it was around the time I had to do my longest training run and it was a good opportunity to practice race strategy.  It is a 33 mile race based in Westbury which is not far from Warminster so fairly local.

  • Thanks Rob. It's the Brecon to Cardiff run I am looking at. I live in South Wales.

  • I'm from Newport so it's fairly local for me too.  Its a fabulous race but there is a fair bit of compulsory kit, including full body waterproof clothing, so you need to get used to running with a backpack.  I'll definitely do it again next year, thoroughly enjoyed it!!

  • Is the course easy to follow? Bit worried about getting lost????

  • It's fairly straightforward, it follows the taff trail so it is signposted pretty much all the way.  The only section where I saw people getting confused was in the centre of Merthyr Tydfil where the trail went through the town centre, it may be worth just familiarizing yourself with this section, apart from that the route is straightforward. 

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