23/06/2010 23:36:38
Guest
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It depends on what you current fitness is like and how that fitness relates to running 50 miles and also what kind of event it is and what your aspirations are?
Is it very hilly/ off road? and do you intend to run most of it or walk it and what kind of finish time are you after?
Generally though there are four main things to think about to prepare yourself for an event like this.
The first is the most obvious and that's the physical training. Increase your running so that your doing roughly 5 to 8 miles about four times a week at a good pace and include one day of speed work a week. These could be a variety of fartleks/ hill sprints/ sprints or tempo runs/ tabata runs. Every 10 to 14 days or so do a longer run/walk that is as specific to the terrain of the race as possible. Make sure you build up the distance and pace gradually though to prevent over use injuries. If the event is very hilly make sure this includes similar hills and you do up to about half what the event entails. Again build up hill training gradually as it'll put a lot of pressure on your achilles.
A few weeks before the event progressively reduice the mileage of the long run each week and then rest from about 5 days before the event.
Also mix in some hard anaerobic sessions, a couple of times a week. Try boxing, thai boxing , mma, crossfit, high intensity interval training, rowing, cycling.
I also find doing Yoga once a week works wonders for keeping injuries at bay so that i can train to my best potential. Also do some strength training, it doesn't have to be much, try squats, deadlifts, bench press and military press along with chins, dips, cleans, one legged squats and one legged deadlifts.
The second factor is nutrition. Once you hit the wall as your muscle glycogen runs out you may find that you can only stomach certain foods. Practice what agrees with you on the longer runs, a lot of people find they cannot stomach sugary foods and yearn for fatty foods. Experiment to see what works for you. Typical foods that most people use are banana's, raisins, potatoes, health bars, peanut butter sandwiches, gels, jelly babies, glucose tablets, pasties, bacon butties etc.
Don't forget about hydration either, experiment with electrolytes and isotonic drinks to find what agrees with you.
The third thing is kit...Make sure that all your equipment works for you and doesn't rub or cause blisters and has all been tested out. Don't try out anything new on the day.
The fourth factor is psychological; when your in the race you'll hit some low points and become emotionally exhausted at times but by doing all the above you should have the confidence, patience and endurance to see it through.
Good luck Rob
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