So You’ve Built Some Mileage. Great. But What’s Next?
If you’re gunning for a 50K, mileage alone isn’t enough.
Now it’s time to get serious about the course itself—because whether it’s packed with steep mountain climbs or just long, soul-sucking stretches of flat trail, the way you train your long runs and handle terrain can make or break your race.
This section is everything I wish someone had told me before I signed up for my first ultra.
The Long Run: Where the Real Work Happens
If there’s one thing that makes or breaks a 50K, it’s the long run.
I used to think speed workouts or back-to-backs were the secret. They help—but nothing replaces the long run. This is where you harden your mind and body for what 31 miles really feels like.
When I trained for my first ultra, anything over 20 miles sounded like madness.
But guess what? That’s the stuff that made me tougher—not just physically, but mentally.
You don’t wing an ultra. You train for it, one long effort at a time.
How I Structured My Long Runs
Here’s exactly how I did it—and how I coach my runners to do it too:
Start Small. Add Slowly.
Don’t try to be a hero on week one. I began with 10–12 milers and added a mile or two per week, tops.
No ego. Just steady growth.
Your body needs time to adjust, and blowing up too soon means injury—or worse, quitting halfway through training.
Fuel Early, Fuel Smart.
Let me say this loud: If you don’t eat during your long runs, you’re not preparing for race day—you’re just suffering.
I trained myself to take in something every 30–45 minutes. Gels, pretzels, bananas—test it all.
Figure out what your stomach can handle before you toe the line. And don’t skimp on fluids or electrolytes either.
One missed sip and you could be crawling through the final miles.
Play the Mental Game.
When I hit mile 16 or 18, my brain would start playing tricks—telling me I was done.
That’s when I’d chunk the miles.
“Just 5 more miles to the next gel. Then walk a bit.”
Keep breaking it down. The full 50K might seem like a beast, but if you take it piece by piece, it becomes doable.
Think Time on Feet, Not Just Distance.
It’s not just about how many miles you run. It’s about being on your feet for 4, 5, 6 hours.
Walk if you have to.
In fact, walking up hills during training taught me how to conserve energy. And guess what?
I still passed people in the final stretch who burned out trying to run everything.
Test Everything You’ll Wear or Eat on Race Day.
Your long runs are like dress rehearsals.
If your socks rub or your hydration vest bounces weird, you want to know that before race day.
I once realized my old trail shoes made my toes go numb at mile 18. Swapped them out the next week—game changer.
Elevation & Hills: Embrace the Suck
Let’s talk hills.
If your 50K has climbs, don’t pretend you’ll just wing it. You need to train for those climbs. Period.
When I ran the CTC 50K, I hit a wall around mile 24. The course had relentless climbs that made my quads scream.
But I was ready—because I trained on elevation weeks in advance.
My Hill Prep Playbook
Hill Repeats (Hate Them, But They Work)
Find a hill. Charge up. Walk or jog down. Repeat until your legs say “enough.”
These sessions build serious strength—and toughness.
Think of it as gym day with a view.
Power Hiking is Not Cheating
I used to be stubborn and run every climb. Bad move.
At my first ultra, I burned out my legs by mile 30 trying to “run everything.”
Once I embraced power hiking, it saved my race. Don’t wait until race day to practice it—train your hiking legs now.
Add Elevation to Long Runs
Don’t just do hill workouts midweek—get vertical in your long runs too.
I purposely picked trails with brutal climbs, even if it meant driving an hour to get there.
Come race day, I was ready for anything the course threw at me.
Technical Terrain: Mud, Rocks, and Surprises
Not every 50K is packed with hills, but almost all of them throw curveballs: mud, rocks, roots, and maybe a river crossing or two.
At Bromo, my first ultra, I hit everything from volcanic rock to deep sand. I learned quick: you can’t zone out.
Trail running demands attention, rhythm, and light feet.
Here’s What Helped Me:
Train Your Feet Like a Ninja
Don’t just stomp through trails.
Watch your footing, stay loose, and always keep your eyes a few steps ahead.
The more alert you are, the fewer faceplants you’ll have.
Strength Work Is Mandatory
You want ankle rolls and slips? Skip strength training.
But if you want to stay upright and steady, do your squats, lunges, core drills, and balance work.
Trust me—it pays off when your foot lands sideways on a root mid-race.
Run the Tough Stuff Before Race Day
Seek out trails with mess—roots, sand, rocks, all of it.
I did loops on technical terrain just to build confidence.
The more you train in it, the less it’ll rattle you when the real thing hits.
Long Runs on Technical Terrain: The Real Test
You can run all the miles you want, but if your 50K has gnarly trails, loose rock, or ankle-twisting terrain, you’d better be ready for it.
The best way to prep? Get out there and suffer a little on technical long runs.
Nothing else builds the same kind of race-day grit.
Here’s What I’ve Learned the Hard Way:
1. Pace Doesn’t Matter—Effort Does
The first time I took my long run to a rooty, muddy trail, my pace tanked. It was humbling.
But here’s the truth: pace means nothing when the trail is fighting back.
What matters is staying steady and moving with purpose.
So forget your watch. Focus on effort, rhythm, and staying upright.
2. Expect Chaos—and Roll With It
Trails will mess with your plans.
One second it’s smooth singletrack, the next you’re hopping over branches or sliding down a hill that looks like a Slip ‘N Slide.
That’s part of the game.
Stay loose, stay alert, and don’t let surprises shake you.
In ultras, the ones who adapt are the ones who finish strong.
3. Train Your Brain, Not Just Your Legs
Technical runs mess with your momentum.
One minute you’re cruising, then—bam!—a rock field kills your flow.
That’s when mental training kicks in.
In the Bromo Desert Ultra, the volcanic ash felt like running on a soft beach for hours. Brutal.
But instead of fighting it, I learned to keep moving, soak in the challenge, and shift my mindset from:
“This sucks” to “This is what I signed up for.”
That mental shift saved me.
Final Thoughts: Build for the Fight, Not Just the Finish
Training for a 50K isn’t just about going longer—it’s about getting tougher.
Yes, the long runs matter.
But learning how to move through rough terrain, handle surprise climbs, and push through fatigue when the trail throws everything at you? That’s next-level prep.
You can’t wing a technical 50K.
You’ve got to put in the hours, both mentally and physically.
You’ve got to respect the terrain and train like you’re racing—not just jogging through the motions.
And hey, those gritty miles on sketchy trails?
They make crossing that finish line feel even sweeter.