How to balance ultramarathon training with everything life throws at you
There’s no other way to put it – training for your target ultramarathon will take up time. A lot of time.
Sure, you probably could do it on minimal weekly mileage. But the race experience itself will be something you’re likely to want to forget in a hurry, as it will involve plenty of slow, zombie-like shuffling, with a high chance of injury and a great big old DNF (did not finish).
One question I get asked a lot by athletes looking to train for an ultramarathon is “does ultra training take up more time than marathon training”?
My answer is ‘it depends’. In general, if you’re targeting a fast marathon, your weekly volume will probably be similar to training for a 50K or 50-mile ultra but with some longer ‘long’ runs or some back-to-back long runs.
So how do ultrarunners manage to balance training with everything else in life?
I’ve been there. Working full-time, commuting two hours a day. Dropping children at nursery, making sure you attend their plays and school events, fitting in after-work commitments, lunches with clients… where do you even begin to fit a run in? It’s a huge challenge. Often bigger than the race itself.
But I can help.
Here are a few tips I’ve learnt along the way.
Learn the value of a ‘see you there’ run
Time is sacred on a weekend. And if you’re the type of parent who doesn’t just want to disappear out the front door for hours on end and leave the childcare to your partner, you’ll need to think about training tactically.
If your weekend plans include driving somewhere with family — whether it’s to the park, the beach, a get-together or a birthday party — you could plan to run to the meeting point, run back or even do both if you need to get the miles in.
That way, you can fit in a short, or long, run depending on the distance. Just make sure you pack a change of clothes and keep your fingers crossed there’s a shower available when you arrive.
2. Embrace the treadmill
Not literally. I mean – you can if you like but it might be a bit weird and result in some belt burn.
But treadmills are no one’s favourite training device. They often come with a large dose of monotony and tedium – who wants to stare at a wall for 45 minutes grinding out the miles while there are infinite trails out there waiting to be explored?
But sometimes the machine is a necessary evil, there to be embraced when you’re at home after the children are asleep (or, more unlikely, before they wake up). And these days, due to the influx of advanced training apps such as Zwift or KinoMap, the treadmill can be a lot more exciting and controllable. You can programme workouts and see avatars of yourself running through virtual mountainous landscapes or coastal paths across the globe as you work out, join races or meet up with friends, keeping you distracted and ensuring time passes much quicker.
3. Forget lunch at your desk
Forget about those 60 minutes of pure lunch relaxation. They’re now prime training time, my friend. Get up from your swivel chair, change into your run kit and hit the streets for as long as you can. Grab your lunch during your cool-down and scarf it at your desk as you try not to drip sweat into your keyboard. After you become known as the ‘lunch runner’ – or ‘runcher’ – you might even find some of your co-workers ask to join you, starting a mini-employee run club. Maybe some will even sign up for an ultra…
4. Don’t neglect a hike
Who needs a weighted vest? Photograph: Unsplash
It’s best to simply accept that it’s not always going to be possible to get your long run in. And if that’s the case, don’t sweat it. Instead, count any time on feet as a bonus.
This includes hikes with family or dog walks. If you can reschedule your long run for a midweek evening, great, if not don’t stress it. Just don’t drag your kids up too many hills as there’ll be tears. Oh, and think of carrying your child on your shoulders (as you’ll inevitably be forced to) as a kind of weighted vest training session, albeit one where your ears take a bashing after being used as steadying handles.
5. Work trips equal the perfect time to train
This might go against every rational assumption, but if you’re travelling with work, take your run kit with you.
Wherever you are in the world, your hotel is likely to have a treadmill you can hop on before breakfast or, even better, get out and explore the local area, take in some new trails and be back in time for a slap-up spread at breakfast.
Whatever your work or family life throws at you, Looped can help work out how to handle it, adapting your training plan around it so you make the most of those precious spare training hours – taking the pain out of thinking about training. All you have to do is follow the plan.
Master the art of treadmill running. Photograph: Unsplash
