Inside My Head: Heysen 50k 2023

This article, the first in what I plan to be an extensive series offering insights into why and how I formulate training plans for my athletes, will cover the key focus areas I’m considering to prepare my athlete Tom as he prepares for his first 50k ultra in late October.

WHERE ARE WE COMING FROM?

Tom mentioned the idea of running his first ultra after completing his debut marathon at the end of August. Despite navigating a dynamic work and family schedule and not being able to dial in much marathon-specific training in the lead up, Tom still managed to run a very impressive 3:23 with a big negative split.

Tom is a very strong athlete, regularly putting in time at the gym for years and I feel that this power (albeit not running focussed), contributes heavily to his excellent shorter-distance speed, (I hazard a guess that he’s comfortably a sub-16 5k runner). My thinking is also that Tom’s whole body strength makes him very durable and played a key role in running such a strong debut marathon without a tonne of volume or specific longer duration intensity.

WHAT’S THE RACE?
The Heysen 115km Ultra Series event offers a variety of race distances including a 50k. The 50k in particular features a large amount of fire-trail, road running, some technical single-track, and totals 1278m of vertical gain and 1500m of descent.

Being that the race isn’t overly hilly by ultra standards (roughly 250m D+/10km), and that a significant chunk of the terrain is either on road or fire trail, the race plays into many of Tom’s strengths coming from a road running background. Whilst there is definitely a need to access trail routes that feature race-specific climbing and descending, especially for long runs, the race doesn’t demand a wide array of training focuses that can’t be addressed via consistent road running and a few trail-focussed workouts. Needless to say, having run such a strong marathon, my thinking is that this race is far less about whether or not Tom has the aerobic fitness (he does) but how well we can dial in the skills and experience needed to handle all of the other variables that an ultra dishes up.

I should also mention that Tom’s goal for this race is one of exploration rather than competition. HIs primary focus is to enjoy the day and soak in the experience so this plays a major factor in how I approach his training plan over the next month.

WHAT’S THE PLAN?

It may come as a surprise but from a running specific point of view, I don’t plan on changing much. Tom has consistently been putting in 50-60k weeks over the last few months, volume that I feel is plenty for his goals and the race distance. Ideally long runs will be on trail with a max session duration of 3.5hrs, and if possible, a flat speed session targeting lactate clearance across both shorter and long rep durations run the day before would be included week to week so as to promote greater stamina and induce some fatigue that the long run has to deal with. If possible, a few downhill specific sessions would be added in the few weeks prior to race day and these would most likely feature a combination of power hiking and harder uphill efforts. For Tom’s fitness level and the fact that most of the climbing doesn’t exceed 10% grade, he should be able to run the majority however, there are some technical sections at steeper grades so a few hiking reps would be good for building skill and addressing specific hiking biomechanics.

THE MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS

As with any athlete transitioning from road running to ultras, focussing on environmental considerations, nutrition, and gear become far more important as they all play an outsized role in how race day plays out. Prepare for these variables well and chances are you’ll be able to express your physical potential. Don’t prepare and it’s highly likely that no matter how fit you are, your race is going sideways.

In a call with Tom last weekend, I outlined some key considerations to implement in his training over the next few weeks;

NUTRITION

Target 50-60g of carbohydrate intake per hour during long runs and experiment with a combination of liquid, gel, and bar products in order to offer the stomach a variety of fueling options and assess potential flavour fatigue. Whilst Tom might start out with only comfortably taking in 50g, the gut is trainable so with time that amount can increase. 

GEAR

Purchase a running vest with a few flasks and/or bladder to experiment with hydration carrying preferences, get used to running with a pack, and assess potential chafe spots.

THE LONG RUN

A question that I commonly see asked in regards to ultramarathon training is, “if the physiological benefits associated with long runs ie. mitochondrial biogenesis, capillary activation etc. are realised at around 2 hours, why go longer than that?” “Doesn’t that induce unnecessary fatigue and potential injury risk?” 

Not everything in training is about maximising physical adaptations, and indeed, promoting running economy via improved metabolic conditioning is but one piece of a much larger puzzle. More to the point, doing well in any race distance is about more than just aerobic fitness, and in the case of ultras, there’s a whole host of skills and non-physical adaptations that need addressing.

Everyone slows down in ultras, the question is how much? And if so, what can we do to minimise the slow down? For me, developing fatigue resistance, training the mind for long hours, training the gut to consistently take in adequate fuel, and honing one’s craft are at the top of the list. Longer long runs are a perfect crucible for these skills to be worked on.

Well there you have it. Whilst not exhaustive, hopefully this article offered an insight into the kind of higher level thinking that goes into my race preparations for athletes. By understanding where an athlete is coming from and combining that with their future goals, it is far easier to intelligently schedule training in the here and now, and not get lost in distracting weeds. Clearly my approach for Tom would be significantly different if he were to have the goal of a top 10 finish or if he hadn't run the majority of the distance so confidently only a few weeks ago.