Transitioning to Ultra-Distance Running

For most runners, the ultimate test of endurance is the marathon – a 42.2km foot race that requires the perfect blend of speed and endurance to master.

To illustrate the race’s popularity, the Marathon Statistics 2019 Worldwide report revealed that 1,298,725 runners completed a marathon in 2018, with marathon participation growing 49.43% between 2008 and 2018. But as more athletes master this distance, many look beyond 42km for their next challenge, which is something that South Africa’s unique breed of runners have done for decades.

Rich ultra-running heritage

The country has a rich ultrarunning heritage, boasting two of the most iconic road ultras on earth – the Two Oceans and the legendary Comrades ultramarathons.

First run in 1921, Comrades is the world’s oldest and largest ultramarathon. It is the pinnacle race for almost every passionate South African runner. But for anyone who has successfully finished a marathon, the thought of running even 100m more can seem unfathomable, let along another marathon, and then a Parkrun to finish. Yes, the Comrades marathon covers a minimum distance of 87km on the ‘up’ run. The ‘down’ run is 91km.

While the challenge has captivated the hearts and minds of 24,000 entrants for the 2020 event, many novices are probably wondering how they can successfully make the transition from the marathon to an extreme endurance event like Comrades.

Conditioning the mind and body

Landie Greyling, a Biogensponsored elite ultra-runner and running coach, succinctly summarises the different training approaches required. Where marathoners require a balance between speed and endurance, Landie says ultrarunners need to condition their legs for running when they’re tired.

“This requires intelligent program periodisation, with training blocks that include lots of back-to-back long runs.”

Having trained for a marathon, you’ll have a solid base from which to build. “Aim to increase your volume by roughly 10% every week, with an active recovery week included periodically,” says Landie, who prefers a three-week up, one-week down structure. Back-to-back training runs should also get progressively longer.

“Running 20km on Saturday and 25- 30km on Sunday, for example, is whatconditions the body and mind to run on tired legs.”

Landie recommends building up to a maximum long run of 75% of race distance, which you should ideally perform 4-6 weeks before race day. That equates to 42-45km for Two Oceans runners, and roughly 60-70km for a Comrades runner, depending on their training history and fitness level.

Don’t neglect strength work

Landie is also a firm believer in the benefits of strength training for runners, especially ultra-runners.

“Strength training reduces injury risk, and also creates more efficient runners as you have the core strength to keep you upright. This is vital over longer distances because runners can hold their form for longer, which pushes out the point when fatigue sets in.”

Where marathon runners might perform 1-2 gym sessions a week, Landie recommends 2-3 strength training and 3-4 core sessions a week for ultra-runners.

Train hard, recover harder

And in this world of more – more kilometres, more climbing, more training sessions – it’s easy to get carried away. But beware. Your body needs rest to recover and respond to the training. Without it you’ll literally run yourself into the ground. “Rest and recovery complete your ultra-distance training puzzle. It’s only when you rest that your muscles can adapt to the training.”

This doesn’t mean sitting on the couch, though. Active recovery helps your body bounce back sooner. This should include hot-cold contrasting, foam rolling, mobility drills, stretching, massages and sleep. Mark adds that managing inflammation should also be a key focus. “Highvolume training moves the body into a proinflammatory state, which is characterised by elevated C-reactive protein levels.”

The body’s immune system works overtime to rein in this systemic inflammation, which can make runners more susceptible to infections and illness. “Supporting immune system function is, therefore, vital. Research shows that adequate vitamin D levels are crucial for a strong adaptive immune system,” adds Mark. The other key aspect to optimal immunity is adequate sleep. “Get at least 7-9 hours a night. That could mean sacrificing some training time to sleep in when required by those who run in the early morning.”

Acclimate to the racing conditions

Mark Wolff , endurance coach and founder of the 32Gi supplement brand, highlights that ultra-marathons, particularly extreme events like Comrades, extend into the midday and afternoon heat.

“Runners need to acclimate themselves to these conditions by performing a few long sessions in the late morning, midday and afternoon.”

Training on terrain that mimics the route is also beneficial so runners feel comfortable on the long climbs of the Comrades up run, or can handle the punishing downhill sections on the down run.

Food for thought

The other vital element in an optimal recovery plan is solid nutrition. Mark says the postexercise recovery meal is vital for recovery, more so than breakfast. “Your training session’s duration and intensity will determine your ideal approach to post-workout recovery. Shorter, more intense sessions require more glycogen from carbs, compared to a longer or easy run. As such, you should adjust your carb intake based on your session to maintain adequate glycogen levels for your subsequent training.”

Finding the balance is key to ensure you don’t overdo it, as this increases your propensity to gain weight and can blunt your insulin response, elaborates Mark.

“Under-dosing will also leave you flat and unable to perform optimally at your next session. Everyone should eat or drink some easily-digestible carbs after training, even those who follow a ketogenic diet.”

The key to balancing your carb intake is to manage the insulin spike and glucose response. Mark recommends smaller meals to spread your carb intake and support fat metabolism. The other key aspect is your protein intake. “I work on 1.4g/kg and spread this allocation throughout the day. This may increase to 1.6-1.7g/ kg for those who need to add more lean muscle, or to accommodate extra strength and/or intensity work.”

Mark believes a micro-dosing approach works best because the body can only effectively process and absorb around 8-9g/hour of protein.

Support nutritional needs with supplements

While natural whole foods should form the foundation of an ultra-runner’s dietary approach, well-formulated supplements can help to meet their increased nutritional demands.

“BCAAs are crucial for recovery, particularly leucine because it’s the anabolic trigger. Science suggests that the body ideally requires 2-3g of leucine to drive muscle repair and growth. BCAA supplements that offer a 2:1:1 ratio are ideal.”

Mark recommends checking your protein shake label to ensure it contains sufficient leucine. “Add a suitable BCAA product if it doesn’t, otherwise it may take longer to recover. You can also include glutamine to aid recovery and improve alkalinity.” Heavy training loads also strain connective tissue, so Mark suggests adding vitamin C to boost type-2 collagen production to aid ligament and tendon repair.

“Magnesium is also important, not just for cramping but for better sleep as it calms the nervous system, and may help to ease stomach and digestive issues.”