As athletes, we talk to ourselves constantly. We talk ourselves into things we shouldn’t do, we talk ourselves out of things we should be doing. We ask our bodies to do things that may, or may not, have a benefit in the long run. And we ask if what we’re doing day to day is the right thing to do.
The statement I hear over and over again (and have heard for years as I’ve moved up from shorter race distances to longer ultra races) is that my fast years are behind me and running an ultra will make you slow. The consensus is that if you try to run 50 or 100 miles, it will inevitably make you slower. It’s difficult to punch any scientific holes in this theory because, frankly, there isn’t much scientific study out there. And there really isn’t much experience out there either. That’s a disclaimer to let you know that what I’m about to say is all a big theory based on my experience moving up (and back down) from 3Ks to 100Ks, and my current level of physiological understanding.
About a year and a half ago, a letsrun.com message board thread made mention that I must be giving up on my track/road background to go to longer ultra distances. And that because I was running longer distances, I would never be a serious contender in shorter races again. But then I went and qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 3K Steeplechase, finished higher in the field than I ever had, and set a new PR. Oops, guess I wasn’t supposed to do that. So, why didn’t I get slower?
Fortunately, there are several reasons why you don’t have to slow down when you start running ultra marathons.
Stop Running Slow
The main reason that folks slow down when they start running ultras is that they start running slow. I think the reasoning follows that, “Well, I’m only going to be running a 9-minute pace in my race, so now I don’t have to do any training faster than that.” It’s well known that if you only run slowly, you get really good at running slow. Even though you may not need faster, road-racing-type paces in an ultra, it doesn’t mean that you don’t get a huge benefit from training at those higher intensities. It’s important to keep interval work at 5K race pace, threshold runs, and marathon-pace long runs in your weekly training.
Incorporate Hill Work
The second reason you won’t get slower is that most ultras have significantly more elevation change than your typical road race. Running hills becomes an important part of an ultrarunner’s training that’s usually overlooked when you’re training for a flat road race. Hill work (and we’re talking slower, threshold or below sustained efforts) is a great tool for every runner. It builds leg/hip strength, high-end endurance, and great efficient technique. On the flip side, slower-paced hills will lead to a slower turnover because you’ve got a longer ground contact time. But that’s why it’s important to include the intensity of interval training.
So, is it the increased number of really slow miles that makes you slower? If you consider for a moment how many miles per week you run when you’re training for a shorter distance road race, then think about how many you’re going to do for an ultra. How much does that really vary — five percent, maybe 10 percent more miles if you’re running an ultra? Typically, you’re going to train as many miles as you reasonably have time for during a typical week, whether you’re running a 5-miler or a 50-miler. What will vary will be the event-specific training for an ultra: longer long runs, slower miles because of hills, and a lack of speed work. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Keep the intensity in during your weekly runs of an hour or less to keep that leg speed up, and you’ll find that getting slower won’t be an issue.
As an athlete in transition, I’m constantly wondering if what I’m doing is the correct workout, the right number of miles, or a fast enough (or slow enough) pace. Training for 5K/10K is pretty straight forward. There’s so much information out there on exactly how to lay out a training plan, with great coaches knowing exactly how to get the most out of their athletes. As you move up to an ultra distance race on trails, information on how best to approach it becomes scarce no matter what level you’re starting at. Questioning your approach is only natural. You have to rely on the limited experience of others until the science catches up. Over the years, I’ve been worried that moving up to ultra marathons would slow me down. But the experience of going back to shorter distances has shown me that a new stimulus of longer runs and more hills can have an advantage at the shorter distances, rather than the preconceived notion that they will only make you slower.
