PREFONTAINE

12/22/12 Revision to the previous 50 Mile sixteen week Ultra Training Schedule.

I am still working out the details on the best way to handle the training and the race.

This revision has 50 miles run weekly (other schedule had seven 65-77 mile weeks)

No B2B Longs on weekends with the new schedule.

Speedwork on Tuesdays still in form of tempo runs, intervals, cruise interval miles or hill work.

Marathon Pace runs on Thursdays.

Race Goal is to get the 50 Miles done in 8:20 at 10:00/mile pace.

First third of race will go out no more than ten percent faster than 10:00/mile pace...so will be running 9:00s.  Will try to hold that for second third of race.  By mile 30, if maintain the 9:00s, then will fade.  30 Miles at 4:30 is the goal.  Last 20 will be done in 3:50 and overall average pace for last 20 can be 11:30/mile. 

Breaking the race down into thirds.  Last five miles or about last hour...just focus on ten minutes at a time.

NOT SURE ABOUT YET:

Walk breaks and pattern 5:1 (run 5 mins, walk 1 minute)?  Run mile, walk minute?

When to start the walk breaks...at very beginning?  After 1-2 hours of running?

How to run the training runs?  Do I do 9:00/miles for all the miles?

Do I run for an hour in training runs and then begin the walk breaks?

Should I train at 50 Mile Ultra Race pace as if I am running the race on race day...or should I run slower than that during training runs?  Not finding a lot of information out there on that.

Just found out a bit about the above: McMillan has my Long Run pace being 8:36/mile to 9:54/mile (based on 3:45 marathon). 

Coach Weber says most ultra marathon running, whether it be training or racing, is done in the aerobic zone that corresponds to 65% to 85% of the maximum heart rate for the athlete.  He identifies six paces within that aerobic range.  For 3:45 marathon, the six gears for Easy pace during ultra marathon training and racing are 8:35 (MP), 8:56 (High Aerobic Pace), 9:18 (Mod Aerobic Pace), 9:39 (Easy Aerobic Pace 3), 9:59 (Easy Aerobic Pace 2) and 10:21/mile (Easy Aerobic Pace 1).  An example workout, per Coach Weber, would be "run for 10 minutes at 9:39/mile (easy aerobic pace 3), then walk for 5 minutes" right from the start repeating this pattern throughout the entire 30 miles.

Finding the above information was very helpful!!