So you’ve decided to train for the 50K. Just like you, I love to run. It sometimes seems as if there can never be too much of a good thing. Motivation and excitement mix and become a seductive elixir from which big gains evolve. I would caution you to take it slowly, however. Doing so helps you avoid injury, overtraining and burnout.

Now, I know that ultra-distance running attracts a certain personality to its door, and there are plenty of runs in here to take advantage of that zeal, but please heed the progressions in this plan if you are new to the distance. I promise it will help you keep on enjoying ultras for a long time.

Intensity Workouts

This plan will help you achieve initial success for the common 50K race distance (aka 31 miles). The mileage is easy enough to follow, but sometimes that isn鈥檛 enough to maintain a progressive build. Training is more than just putting in more and more miles, although that is certainly key. There also needs to be some intensity built into your training program. I am a firm believer that intense workouts must be separated by at least 10 to 12 days to allow for recovery and proper performance when called upon. With that in mind, I have听suggested days on which to add one of the intensity workouts to your daily mileage. You will notice that these workouts generally follow a two-week cycle, to allow for other moderate training exercises that will exist within the plan and bring diversity.

Fartleks

Fartleks (鈥渟peed play鈥� in Swedish) are designed to provide some change of pace for the legs, since most of the running at this time is at an easy pace. For fartlek training, run a one-minute surge every six or seven minutes for the entirety of the run. This surge is not terribly hard, perhaps 15 to 20 seconds per mile faster than your normal long-run pace. At the end of the surge, simply return to your relaxed rhythm. If you are having a hard time returning to your normal long-run pace, lower the speed of your surges.

Hill Repeats

Hill repeats are another tool for building strength, and they also give you greater confidence come race day. Locate a consistent grade on which to perform your repeats. The key is to do a sustainable effort for 90 seconds followed by a two- to three-minute cool-down and to repeat this 10 times. Ideally, you would work this exercise into the designated run, perhaps running to your preferred stretch of the climb as a warm-up and back again for the cool-down.

Tempo Runs

Tempo runs are inserted during peak training weeks to enhance the feel of a race-day effort and to make your body more efficient for the duration of the event. The key is to work on your rhythm and tempo for an hour at a comfortably hard pace.

Training Races

Although this plan does not specifically schedule preparatory training races, I urge you to factor these in. Putting yourself in race situations is a smart, useful and confidence-building strategy. Pushing yourself against competition isn鈥檛 something you can replicate with ease in your day-to-day training. I find the pull of a race very motivating, and it helps to harden my legs for the big day. It always gives me leeway to make mistakes off the main stage and with less serious consequences. I would not recommend racing an ultra in advance of a 50-miler or 100-miler any earlier than four weeks out from the day of your race. You will need to adapt your schedule to accommodate a slight taper going in and recovery coming out of these races.

The 50K Training Plan

The plan is laid out to be progressive, with a healthy and exciting buildup of both mileage and appropriate intensity. You鈥檒l find the weekly mileage to be straightforward and easy to follow. There are also targeted strength workouts in the plan, built-in alongside your miles, which will build your strength and also give you opportunities to customize the amplitude of your workouts.

Reproduced with permission from .

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Hal Koerner manages to remain insanely competitive and also keep up a reputation as one of the happiest people on the planet. Now, the hordes of distance-running fanatics who look up to him can rejoice: the new听 is听a comprehensive tome on the training, gear, and techniques that keep him going and going.

Here, in an excerpt from the book, is his top race-day advice to help you run your best ultra鈥攐r at least finish.听

Hal’s Top 10 Must-Do鈥檚 on Race Day

DO be patient. The race ahead is long; allow it to unfold, and remind yourself to appreciate and enjoy the journey.

DO be gentle on yourself beforehand. Take it easy the day and night prior to race day. Race organizers don鈥檛 make that easy, by scheduling interesting expos and panel discussions the day before, where you are on your feet, walking around, expending energy. Discipline yourself to keep that to a minimum, making a conscious effort to sit and rest, with your feet up as much as possible. Don鈥檛 squander the good work you鈥檝e done during your taper in the last day or two.

DO wear a watch. I rely on my watch not only to know if I am on race pace but also for proper and strategic eating and hydrating. For example, I know I want to eat a gel every 20 to 30 minutes; I know I want to drink an entire bottle of fluid in an hour. A watch keeps me on that plan. Some people rely on aid station placement to some degree. However, that involves an intimate knowledge of the course that most runners don鈥檛 have, and it also allows the aid station to dictate your fueling pace, which should be in your control. Your watch is the fail-safe. Wear it.

DO fuel often and early. Attempting to play catch-up later in the race is a dangerous and mostly doomed proposition. For one, you process sugar and food poorly near the end of a race. Also, as you tire, it is easy to forget to fuel properly later in a race. Don鈥檛 get to the point of being either hungry or thirsty. Load on the front end.

DO have more than one goal. That way, if your primary goal goes out the window, you can reach for your secondary or tertiary goal. For example, a top goal may be going for first place in your age group. A secondary goal could be more time-focused, such as going for a sub- 24-hour race in a 100-miler. A tertiary goal might be simply to finish.

DO be ready to be resilient when things go wrong. If you roll an ankle or your breathing is erratic or your stomach goes, you and your crew will have to think on the fly. Be ready for and open to that. If you have severe cramping, for example, a plan-on-the-fly might be: We will walk through this rather than just sitting down and doing nothing. Or, I will run for 2 minutes and walk 2 minutes. Mentally, devising a plan gives you back and keeps you in control. Micromanage the problem while still keeping an eye on the big picture.

DO push yourself a little. This is a race, after all. And you鈥檝e trained hard for this day, maybe years of cumulative effort, maybe 6 months straight of prioritizing training over other things in your life. You deserve to claim all that you鈥檝e worked for. So go for it! Don鈥檛 be tentative. Push yourself up some of those hills, find that pace that you鈥檝e trained for, and stick with it. Don鈥檛 be afraid to set your sights a little bit higher on the dream you鈥檝e worked toward鈥攅mbrace it!

DO visualize success. During every race, I see myself winning. Whatever it may be, you must have something that inspires you held like a beacon in your mind鈥攎aybe it is winning the race or your age group, or maybe it is the act of crossing the finish line. Visualize success. Visualize the course. Visualize getting through specific aid stations. As for me, in tough moments in a race, I see a reenactment of some of my best finish line scenarios all melded into one.

DO have fun. Make the most of the day, and be grateful for the unique opportunity to be there. When things go awry, remind yourself that you are there for fun, and enjoy the day you鈥檝e been given as it unfolds. Be present.

DO stay aware. Most races are run in the wilds. The course will not be entirely flagged nor each turn highlighted. Pay attention to where you are, be familiar with the course beforehand, and know the markings. If you can get on the course for some reconnaissance before race day, do it. If not, online maps make examining the course easy. Have basic knowledge of where you are going, and know the names of the trails you will be on and where the ascents and descents will be. Do not just mentally check out when you are running; it is your responsibility to stay on the course. Knowing details about it will help you gain confidence when it begins to seem like it鈥檚 been too long since you鈥檝e spotted that last race marker.

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Hal’s Top 10 Do Not’s on Race Day

DO NOT try something new on race day. I recall a friend who was preparing for a race and asked to borrow a hydration pack. I brought her one the night before the race, one designed to also hold bottles on the front of pack. She鈥檇 never tried something like it before and found it awkward. However, without another option, she had no choice but to use it. The most important race of the year for her, one she had been working toward for months, and she was about to use something she鈥檇 never used before. In the end, the worst physical problem that resulted was chafing. But her anxiety level, due to using something she鈥檇 never tried before, was high. Don鈥檛 open yourself up to failure by experimenting with something new on race day. That is what practice is for. Go with what gives you confidence, so that you can trust in the products you鈥檙e using. Don鈥檛 rely on luck. And don鈥檛 sabotage yourself.

DO NOT go out too hard. Race excitement and adrenaline combined with the week鈥檚 prior taper and resting might lull you into going out harder than you planned; after all, you feel fresh and strong! You might be able to get away with going out too hard in a half-marathon or marathon, but in an ultra race, the price you pay for that is high. Remember this: If you feel you are going out too slow, slow down. Pay attention to your watch, pay attention to your training, keep tabs on a comparable runner, whatever it takes.

DO NOT leave loose ends as far as the responsibilities of your pacers, crew, and family members. Do your due diligence prior to race morning so that you are not trying to communicate new information at the last minute, amid everything else that is going on. Make sure people know where they need to go, what they need to do, what they should have for you, and that they should be prepared to be nimble if things go wrong. Also know the apropos logistical details, such as how many people you can have at an aid station. Finding out this information late can change your plans, something that can cause unnecessary last-minute panic. Due diligence also applies to knowing the course in advance so that your crew can help you. If there is a huge descent in the dark at mile 70, you need to know that and be sure your crew are equipped with headlamps for you and for them. Or if you know that at mile 80 it will be cold, make sure your crew have a jacket and a hat for you. At that point in a race, you might not be churning out much heat鈥攜ou will want that coverage. Be prepared.

DO NOT panic! Nothing good ever comes from panic. Things may go wrong or not as planned; you might not feel good, you might not know where you are on the course. Just regroup鈥攄o not unravel. Take solace in knowing that an ultra is a long way, and the beauty of that is that problems often work themselves out over the long haul. Stomach problems can subside; things can completely turn around. Have patience, and don鈥檛 panic.

DO NOT fret over natural phenomena. Western States 2013 was run in crazy record heat. You have no control over temperature. Or maybe your racecourse changes the week before due to a flood or a fire. These decisions are out of your hands. You can only perform for what you鈥檝e prepared for and what is in your control. Rely on all the other strong points of your training. True preparation means preparing for the unknown. If you know there is, historically, a good chance of rain during your race, be ready with the gear. (Be ready, too, to combat the chafing that may come with that.) I once ran Leadville, and at 12,000 feet on Hope Pass, it started to snow. I had no gloves, so I ran with my hands down my pants for several miles. Let鈥檚 not even talk about how this affected my running form and fatigued me unnecessarily. Do your best to prepare for surprises from Mother Nature, but don鈥檛 let them throw you off your game. Weather happens, and it helps to remember that everyone in the race will face the same conditions; there is something reassuring in knowing that you aren鈥檛 going it alone. Plan for adversity as best you can, and let the rest go.

DO NOT lose track of time. It鈥檚 easy to do while you chat with other runners on the course. Similarly, don鈥檛 stop paying attention to where you are. Cutoffs in ultra races always loom鈥攕o know how far you have to be and when so that you can make your end goal.

DO NOT squander time at aid stations. Have a plan for what you want to accomplish at the station, and stick to it. Western States has 20 aid stations; just 2 extra minutes at each station can set you back 40 minutes. Yes, aid stations are a refuge and a respite. But, remember, they are there simply to provide nutrition and some maintenance to get you out and on your way. Refuel, yes. Fill water, yes. But keep moving.

Some folks stop, indecisive about what to eat. Know what you want and need before you get there. Then get your potato chips and go. And remember, aid station workers often will respond in kind: If you seem unhurried, they may feel free to chat and take things slowly. Send a message that you are there to fuel and go. Have the lids off of your water bottles by the time you walk into the station, which shows that you mean business. Often runners want to adjust laces, remove sand, put on sunscreen, and that is fine, but just know that when you sit down, it will feel extremely comfortable, and you may not feel that extra 5 or 10 minutes passing.

Be hypersensitive to time. If I am in a good rhythm, I might not stop at all, depending on how close the next station is. You certainly need enough calories and water to last; don鈥檛 skimp. But avoid the allure of the aid station, the music and food, the seduction of everyone hanging out. Remind yourself that your goal is to get to the finish as quickly as you can; then you can party.

DO NOT be rude to volunteers. Thank them for being there and show your appreciation. Acknowledge them. I have seen some appalling rudeness at stations, such as a runner yelling at a volunteer to get out of a chair because he wanted to sit down, or another runner yelling because she had to wait a few moments for the soup pot to be refilled. This is totally unacceptable. Those helping out at aid stations are people, volunteering their personal time for you. Treat them with the respect they deserve.

DO NOT let aid stations dictate your personal fueling, waiting to eat or drink until you arrive there and eating whatever happens to be at that station. Customize how you eat and drink to suit your highly personal habits, preferences, and training, using handheld bottles or hydration packs, carrying gels if you use those, or whole foods if that is what you prefer. Whatever it is, have it planned out, and take it with you. Fuel often and early, and stick to your own personalized schedule.

DO NOT lose sight of your humanity. If a runner rolls an ankle, take the time to offer your help. If someone is struggling, ask if he or she needs water or salt or if there is anything you can do. If someone is in distress, don鈥檛 forget that this is a hobby. Do not become numb to your fellow racers. Once, during a 50-mile race, I came upon a competitor who, at 25K, had fallen and possibly broken a bone. I was with a friend, who stayed with him, and I ran ahead to the aid station to alert them. During Western States 2013, I saw one of my top competitors, Cameron Clayton, take the wrong road. Letting him make that mistake would certainly be no way to win. We all yelled to get him back on course. There are certain graces that must always be maintained, in racing as in life, even among your toughest competitors.

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