If you're getting ready to run a 50 mile race, it can be a tricky distance to train for. It's in that awkward spot where it's too long to follow a marathon plan and too short to follow a 100k or 100 mile plan.
A while ago I released a 50 mile training plan, and a lot of you said it was too time consuming, too much mileage, or just too difficult. So here's the 50 mile training plan for beginners.
This plan is perfect if you have a high stress job, you're coming back from an injury, or you just want to spend more time with your family. It's simple and straightforward. I took the original 50 mile plan and shaved 30% off the weekly mileage, while still building up to a 50 mile week.
Rather watch? This whole plan is in the video above, and there's more on my YouTube channel.
50 Mile Training Plan for Beginners
This plan is meant for 50 mile races with under 7,000 feet of elevation gain. If you're doing a more mountainous 50 miler, check out my original 50 mile training plan on my channel instead.
As always, it follows the outline from Training for the Uphill Athlete, co-written by Kilian Jornet. Buy this book. It will help you so much.
Weeks 1-3: Intensity weeks
We're coming in hot. An intensity week means you focus more on Zone 3 and Zone 4 work than you would in a normal week.
- Monday: a 3 mile aerobic run at Zone 2 pace.
- Tuesday: 4 miles with intervals. Do 2 to 4 x 10 minutes in Zone 3 with a 2 minute recovery jog between reps. Any extra mileage goes in your warm up and cool down.
- Wednesday: a 3 mile recovery run, low Zone 2 down into Zone 1.
- Thursday: hill bounding (more on that below).
- Friday: another 3 mile aerobic run in Zone 2.
- Saturday: a 13 mile long run. Long runs are usually 40 to 80% of your weekly mileage, done in Zone 2.
- Sunday: rest day. Take it completely off, no cross training.
Hill bounding: I made a whole video about it on my channel, but here's the quick version. Find a hill with about a 30% grade, basically the steepest thing you can find.
- 2 x 30 seconds up the hill at Zone 3 pace, with a 2 minute recovery jog between reps.
- 2 x 20 seconds of hill skipping (yes, skipping up the mountain), with 2 minutes between reps.
- 6 to 8 x 10 seconds of maximum power bounding: long strides, covering as much ground as you can in 10 seconds, with 2 minutes rest between reps.
Get any extra mileage for the day done in your warm up and cool down.
On intensity weeks, aim for about 30% of your goal race's elevation. So for a 50 miler with 7,000 feet of gain, that's about 2,100 feet of vert for the week.
Week 4: Recovery week
Take days off as needed, take it nice and easy, and get ready for the weeks ahead. You'll have two recovery days, and you focus on low intensity: no intervals, no hill bounding. Cut your vert in half again, to about 15% of your goal race's elevation.
Weeks 5-7: Specificity weeks
Specificity weeks are about training specifically for your race. Get on terrain like your race's, and start doing back-to-back long runs. Your intervals also move up from Zone 3 to Zone 4.
The first back-to-back is 14 miles followed by another 14 miles. Do about 40 to 80% of your weekly vert on just those two runs, and aim for at least 50% of your goal race's elevation on specificity weeks.
Week 7 is a nice recovery week.
Weeks 8-12: More specificity
This block mixes more specificity weeks, one more intensity week, and some recovery weeks.
In week 8 you have the option of doing a tune-up race. I'm anti tune-up race. I think they cause injuries, you push too hard in them, and they take too long to recover from. But if you want to do one, you can. Or you can just run that mileage as a long run, which is what I'd recommend. Either way, keep it in Zone 2 and aim for about 30% of your race's elevation in that one run.
In week 12 we top off the training with 18 mile back-to-back long runs. These aren't meant to push you to your limits. They're a good aerobic stimulus and they get you used to running on tired legs, like you'll be doing in the second half of your race.
Weeks 13-15: Taper weeks
Taper weeks are about keeping the fitness you've built while still recovering in time for your race. The intervals go back to Zone 3, hill bounding gets cut in half, and you still have a long run on the weekend.
Week 16: Race week
You know what time it is. Race week, baby!
You'll have two days of 30 second intervals: 30 seconds in Zone 3 with a 3 minute recovery jog between reps. These keep your muscles sharp and your turnover quick so you're ready to race. Mix those in with a few aerobic runs, and then on the weekend you have your goal race.
You are going to crush your 50 mile race if you followed this plan.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments on the video and I'll answer them there. And for more training plans, subscribe on YouTube.