Reddit reviews Training Essentials for Ultrarunning: How to Train Smarter, Race Faster, and Maximize Your Ultramarathon Performance

Training Essentials For Ultrarunning, by Jason Koop

Training Essentials for Ultrarunning is what you want. It covers all the important things to be competitive and put together a great training plan. He's also a coach for many top level ultra athletes, like Timothy Olsen.

It doesn't provide out of the box plans, but it describes plan creation in details and with examples so you can make your own.

https://www.amazon.com/Training-Essentials-Ultrarunning-Ultramarathon-Performance/dp/1937715450

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This is the only one I know of by a coach. The other ultra books are usually by elite athletes, which, while interesting, usually only offer up what has worked for them (which is not always the best idea for amateurs/not always backed up by data).

Grab Jason Koop’s book, Training Essentials for Ultrarunning: How to Train Smarter, Race Faster, and Maximize Your Ultramarathon Performance

I think my problem was actually the opposite of what you describe, although the crux of the issue is the same. Trying to take in all of the calories via tailwind wasn't digesting well for me as things got hot (so intake slowed), which then meant I started lacking in electrolytes and actual fluid intake.

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So now when it starts getting hot (or right from the beginning if it's a really hot and muggy morning) I switch to putting plain water in my bottles, taking salt stick electrolyte chews regularly (but not as regularly as their dosage suggests, that's too much salt for me), and then getting calories from a variety of sources (gu, chews, pretzels, etc.). Learning how to adjust exactly how much I take in of each of these variables is still a learning/experience process, although there are general guidelines: https://trainright.com/iaaf-statement-nutrition-analysis-ultramarathon-runners/ to use as a starting point.

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Being able to tweak each of these variables independently helps me immensely the longer and hotter the runs get. If any particular source of calories isn't working well I can swap it out without any effect on hydration and/or electrolytes. And vice versa. The tailwind approach is great when things are going well, but it can quickly have a cascading effect because instead of just "oh I'm not getting enough calories" it is actually "oh I'm not getting enough calories or enough electrolytes or (potentially) enough water." Or as you said it could be too much of one of those things.

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Jason Koop talks quite a bit about all of this in his book Training Essentials for Ultrarunning if you're looking for something to read: https://www.amazon.com/Training-Essentials-Ultrarunning-Ultramarathon-Performance/dp/1937715450

Before the snowfall I was doing a lot of trail running. Now that winter is full on I'm doing a lot of road running with some snowshoe running & snowshoeing up mountains in the Adirondacks thrown in on the weekends. My 50k training plan I based off the Ultraladies 50K training plans.

As for the reading, I'm devouring Jason Koop's Training Essentials for Ultrarunning. I'm usually reading nonfiction, Sarah Vowell's crass style and her blending of history and memoir make for entertaining reads. I'm looking forward to getting into her Lafayette in the Somewhat United States.

> I should probably train more

>I have no idea what I am doing

Learn how the body do and you'll thank yourself for it.

Yeah, a quick ultrasignup search for central Ohio only gave me two spring ultras and they were both closer to Cleveland.

I've read both of those books. I like Powell's more. Koerner is obviously a great runner but his plan was intimidating to me when I read it. Krissy Moehl has a "beginner ultra" book, too, but I haven't read it. I just read Jason Koop's book as well. That's more about specific ultra training than the other books. My advice is really to just keep reading and running. The more knowledge you have the better off you'll be.

Congrats on making more time to run and getting into the trail and ultra scene. I would encourage you to get out as many races as you can in a volunteer, crew and pacer role and learn from others in the sport. Be patient in your progress. remember endurance training (and ultrarunning) takes years and decades to build. SO, just be patient with progress. there are a number of good books an resources out there including my book and blog as well as ultrarunning magazine.