When to start training for Ultra's

BEVE WITH BENN - EP30 https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ZneB7DWevexYQPLil3ugl?si=103f632d978e4ccd

Intro Song - Just a Girl - No Doubt
Welcome to Beve with Benn Episode 30
Beer of choice? Capital Brewery - West Coast IPA -
What happened last week and what's up this week

Segments

Training Talks
Weekly training review - Strava - Training Peaks
Upcoming Sessions
Athlete Interview - UTMB Athletes (Suzi Heaton & Anissa Storey)
Upcoming Races - GNW Ultras
Running Experiences (GNW Girrapool Loop)
Socials -
Coaches Corner - When to start training for an Ultra
Athletes Questions -
5 QF’s with Benn - Running 2024
Outtro Song - Shimmer - Fuel

COACHES CORNER - When to start training for an ULTRA

Now - Begin the build early to help with consistency and build the long run to be able to give yourself lots of time to gain adaptations to the volume and loads of training

Building Endurance / loading - Consistency with the long runs and aerobic running for the early periods

Strength Training - Build strength for the load and adaptions for the volume the body will be undertaking during the training - Specific exercises to avoid injuries and or focus on weaknesses in the bod's mechanics etc.

What should my training week look like - Consistency in running - 80/20 - 20% hard - 80% aerobic - longs run and hills with jogging and some speed work in the week.

How long should I run for - depends on where you are starting from 90 - 180mins depending on level and what you are training for

Should I do double runs - using them to either freshen up before a session or shaking the legs out after a session is a good way to utilise a double run and also build milage for the week without doing too many longer runs that will fatigue the body and or can cause injuries. But seek guidance and or build slowly

How many sessions should I be doing - Depending on level and where you are at in the block. 1-3 - but that would be including one as the long run as a session - Speed - Hills or Threshold - Long run over hills or you can use the long run as a session and practice race paces or specific sections of the course to prepare for different races.

Should I run lots of hills - If you event includes lots of elevation then yes! Hills are great for strength, and you can also use them to practice running mechanics and form as your form is better while running up hills. Its great to add hills into your training, but again build up to it and don't run hills in every run where possible to avoid overloading and or injuries. Downhill running is a great way to also help with speed as your forced to run at a faster cadence. Again with caution the load on the lower limbs (knees) is increased so again build with caution and not do too much downhill to avoid these issues and back sure you are recovering after these sessions.

Do i focus on elevation or milage or both - It's hard to do both as with elevation the time on feet increases so this will shorten the milage and depending on the runner the time to get kms in over hills will increase time on feet especially for a runner that is slower to another runner. This will differ and cause time of feet to increase and this can also lead to increased fatigue and extra load on the body. So again with caution. Using time as a goal and not Km's is a great method instead of chasing km's that way your getting in the training and not focused on chasing the kms. Flatter races yes you won't need to chase too many hills so then the kms will be increased. But again for a runner that can sit on 5min kms will spend less time on feet then a 8min km runner, so again time is great to prevent runners racing there race before the event. eg 40k for a 5min is alot different to an 8min runner over 40km.

Hope that helps with you training.

RACING CALENDAR

Great North Walk Ultras
Lonely Mountain Ultra
Bouddi Coastal Run
Beach to Brother
Central Coast Running Festival
Ultra Trail Kosci

ATHLETE INTERVIEW

SUZI HEATON - 23:06:18 - 1100th - 67th - 202nd

Were you nervous before the race? I was terrified! Although I had done the training, there was a huge anticipation for what was to come, and I knew this wouldn’t be like anything else I had ever done before.

What shoes did you wear and or change shoes? I wore Hoka Mafates and didn’t change them, They were fantastic.

What did you think of the Start? The start was amazing. I’ve teared-up just watching videos of the start on YouTube, so to experience this in person was incredible. The atmosphere was electric - there was so much anticipation and excitement. The best part was sharing the start line with Pete. It was so special having a familiar face alongside me, we knew how hard we all worked just to get to the start line, so it was great to share this experience together.

What was the hardest part of the race? Everything! The uphills, the downhills, the heat, navigating the aid stations! The course is beautiful but it’s brutal and requires 100% respect. Never again shall I complain about Heaton reps!

What did you enjoy the most about the race? The atmosphere from the crowds and volunteers. Running through Switzerland was a highlight. It’s amazing how the locals really embrace this event, with little kids cheering your name from the streets shouting ‘allez Suzi’ - it was so beautiful. The scenery was also a highlight, the mountains are mind-blowing!

What did you use for nutrition? Hmmm – I couldn’t eat anything after about 50km! I started with 500ml FIXX every 2hrs, and 1 gel every hour. That worked for the first 40km. I tried to take on some solid foods and had some fruit (slices of banana and oranges), as well as coke. I couldn’t eat anything coming into the 54km aid station, only managed a couple of mouthfuls of rice. The nutrition was downhill from there. I found the bouillon soup worked, with a couple of crackers dunked into it. I also drank tea at the last 3 aid stations and kept sipping on coke in between aid stations.

Were you happy with your result? Yes. My position was far from my best result but my goal for this race was to finish. I achieved that and couldn’t have asked anything more of my body on the day. I didn’t think I would ever be bale to run for 23 hours -this was longer than I would have liked but gave me a huge sense of achievement that I could keep going for that long.

Is there anything you would change in your race? I would have worn sunscreen, it would have saved my race! My nutrition needs a lot of work also.

Was there any challenges and or how did you overcome them? I rolled my ankle at 16km, which meant that downhill became very tricky, especially the technical sections in the back-half of the race. After this, I relied on my poles to get me through the downhill to avoid putting too much weight on the ankle and to provide balance to prevent rolling it again. I also suffered from the heat early on. I didn’t have any sunscreen. for some reason I gave it to my support crew, which I wouldn’t see until 54km into the race – and by then it would be sunset, (no idea what I was thinking!). As a result, I got badly burnt and suffered from the heat.

Biggest Highlight? Having my parents see me at the start and being part of the experience was a huge highlight, I don’t see them a lot as they’re back in the UK so this was very special. Sharing this with everyone else from Newcastle was also a highlight – the 70km aid station at Vallocine was like a huge Aussie party. I was feeling very low coming into that aid station until I saw Linda and her crew partying it up! Crossing the boarder of Italy into Switzerland with Mark was also amazing. And running into Chamonix under the big blue arch was incredible.

Did you have a crew? Yep, my partner Rob crewed for me.

How was the crew? He was amazing, I think I’m the worst runner to crew for as I’m so indecisive and don’t take on food often enough. He was incredible at anticipating what I would want, he kept me going.

Any funny stories during your race or following? I went a bit delirious during the night, when I kept imagining that I could see a cow in the distance (I’m terrified of cows), but it would always turn out to be a rock or a tree. Then, I had a friend from the UK who unexpectedly surprised me 1km before the 80km aid station and was yelling my name. I knew it sounded like her and looked like her, but I had convinced myself that I was imagining things again and she must be a tree. But turned out that after grabbing me and hugging me, it was indeed my friend! I forced myself to drink coke and tea after that to get a hit of caffeine to keep myself awake!

What did you do after the race / recovery? Immediately after I had a free hotdog and a beer, at 8:30am! Then I went back to the accommodation and ate some proper food and slept for about 4 hours. I actually felt OK and the next day I went for a gentle walk and kept the legs moving. However, the recovery wasn’t perfect as I then got sick on the flight back to the UK and it would turn out I had covid!

Anything else you would like to add? Just a huge thank you to you for organising the Sunday long runs and believing in us all. And a massive thanks to everyone for their messages of support.

OCC - ANISSA STOREY

# I was a bit nervous mostly due to thinking where and when I would get swept I am well aware of my short comings I’m still about 10kg overweight, my climbing isn’t up to scratch snd my shoulder wasn’t in a good way after falling at Barrington a month earlier

# I wore HOKA Speedgoats i find them comfy for long distance trails # the start was a bit chaotic and full of excitement, great to be amongst so many people from all over the world

# there were heaps, the climbing was relentless, and when it was not climbing the technicality of the tree roots and rocks of the flats, the creek crossings full of sharp unstable rocks and the extreme technical downhills were tough as well as the altitude, I can normally catch up some time on the downhills but not this race, I tried to but tripped on some barbed wire at 12k and landed on some sharp rocks and tree roots and hurt my sore shoulder again and after that had to walk the technical downhill # the people on course, the other competitors and the sweepers who were lovely and of course the scenery it was breathtaking #nack?? Is that it bars and gels

# No definitely not happy with the result I would have loved to finish

# nothing I could do about this race but get back on track with the weight loss and try to get stronger at climbing # plenty of challenges but I didn’t have the time to try and overcome them the cut offs weren’t long enough for me # biggest highlight was just being out there and alive # no crew for the OCC

# funniest bit was quote “This is FUCKED” from Linda Stanborough as she exited the 54km aid station of the CCC

# after the race I enjoyed a bloody good holiday with Pete the husband # saddest part was talking to Pete trying to get him to the 54k checkin without him hurting himself he was in heaps of pain from cramping constantly and vomiting never heard him so bad during a race , then he got swept at the aid station and we had to get the buses back to Chamonix. At 3 am no transport available to Les Houches so we had to slowly walk and limp 10km along the freeway in the dark with headlamps on finally got to our accommodation at 5am

# anyone thinking of doing it only stay at Chamonix the transport is shit to anywhere else, and for training just climb, climb and climb Thankyou to benn for coaching us, thankyou to everyone for your support, thankyou for a great holiday to all the SNL gang in France and huge congratulations to Benn, Linda, Mark, Susie and Shane awesome effort on your finishes