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Ultra training for beginners

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HappyG(rrr) Sep 2014 5:00pm, 17 Sep 2014 22,801 posts	Quote Pin HappyG(rrr) Lol at "under-rested" (as opposed to the more common "over-trained" aka knack*red!) G
Derby Tup Sep 2014 5:07pm, 17 Sep 2014 12,568 posts	Quote Pin Derby Tup I'm guilty of "over-resting"
Derby Tup Sep 2014 5:12pm, 17 Sep 2014 12,569 posts	Quote Pin Derby Tup HappyG re: taper some very experienced people I know recommend (strongly) two weeks of more or less total rest before big (say 50+ miles) challenges / events / races. I've done this (albeit with a few "dog-less dog walks") and it suits me well. Note this is after several months of hard training - say between 12 and 20 hours per week and usually mountainous (literally)
nuttyficket Sep 2014 5:16pm, 17 Sep 2014 131 posts	Quote Pin nuttyficket Isn't there some "rule" that says it takes two weeks to get any training benefit from a session? So doing anything in the final two weeks isn't going to help your performance in the race (but might stop you slowly going insane). (It's not impossible I've totally imagined this)
Derby Tup Sep 2014 5:20pm, 17 Sep 2014 12,571 posts	Quote Pin Derby Tup Missus uses a similar rule. I'll ask her later and report back nutty
HappyG(rrr) Sep 2014 5:23pm, 17 Sep 2014 22,803 posts	Quote Pin HappyG(rrr) That's what I've read too nutty. So the last 2 or even 3 weeks, you can't "under train" (you actually can't train at all, to benefit your race) you can only over-train, i.e. knacker yourself unnecessarily. I always uber-taper! Call me a lazy git! And over 40 years old, 3 weeks is better than 2, imho. So yip DT, I'm wit ya, in spades. I've written a wee plan, but it does look very light. I think I should maybe be a bit more aggressive and have some more midweek miles, as well as the biggish weekends. Hmmm. G
Derby Tup Sep 2014 5:27pm, 17 Sep 2014 12,573 posts	Quote Pin Derby Tup The further you run (I think) the more important your long weekend run should be. Mid-week stuff is okay but you need to get out for your key weekend long session[s] - I'm a massive fan of long runs Saturday AND Sunday. If you get out both days at the weekend you get used to keeping going when tired and take pressure off mid-week work
nuttyficket Sep 2014 5:32pm, 17 Sep 2014 132 posts	Quote Pin nuttyficket Cheers guys, nice to know I'm not losing it And you speak total sense, :)G - things can only go wrong in those last few weeks. I love making plans; sticking to them is the bit I trip up on
Velociraptor Sep 2014 5:37pm, 17 Sep 2014 30,917 posts	Quote Pin Velociraptor This may be specific to cycling, but eL Bee!'s coach has told him to do short intense sessions in the run-up to events so that his body doesn't think, "The work's done, time to recover," and create a physiological/biochemical environment more suited to repair and regeneration than to competing. I'm planning to taper quite brutally for Chester, but it'll be very difficult, because when I'm close to racing form and training feels easy and natural I just want to train and train and train. That's got me into a pickle several times over the years.
nuttyficket Sep 2014 5:43pm, 17 Sep 2014 133 posts	Quote Pin nuttyficket Good point, Vrap .. I think most marathon training plans do something similar, short intervals or at the very least short MP runs with some strides thrown in. Must read up more on it.