A super marathon is a trail race or road race that is about 100 miles long. It is what is known as a super endurance race. These races are not for the weak bodied or minded. In order to complete one of these super races you need to prepare both your mind and body for the challenges that they will face. Since this is your first experience with a super marathon it is a good idea to give yourself at least a year to prepare for it with the goal of finishing the race.
Phase 1: Building Endurance
The first part of your super marathon training is going to focus on building your endurance. If you are starting from scratch and are not a natural runner then you will need to create a running program that will take you from a walker to a marathon runner in the span of about six months. It is a good idea to start out slow and gradually build your endurance. However, you don’t have a lot of time to waste on one mile to five mile runs, as you need to be able to complete a marathon by your mid-way point. This means that you first month of training will focus on getting your body used to running distances quickly. A good way to do this is to simply run long and slow. This will condition both your mind and your body for longer stretches of running. You can enhance your long and slow runs with walk-run-walk-run circuits, as well as by adding hill training.
Phase 2: Speed and Endurance
In order to complete a marathon race and a super marathon race you will most likely need to meet minimum time standards. For marathons the time limit is usually around six hours while the time limit for super marathons is usually around 36 hours. If you are only interested in finishing these races based on minimum speeds then you will need to figure out how fast you need to pace yourself to meet these minimums. For example, if you want to finish the marathon in about six hours then you will need to set your pace at about 4.5 miles per hour, while if you want to finish the super marathon in 36 hours you need to pace yourself at about 2.78 miles per hour.
Pace training is essential for super marathons, and this is the focus of phases 2 and 3. Pace training will be paired with your long runs and your practice runs. By the middle of phase 2 you will be ready to run a marathon, so plan to race in one. This is a good test of your progress and a good judge if you will be able to handle a super marathon by the end of phase 3.
In addition to pace training you will want to amp up your endurance training during this phase. You should be in better shape by the mid-way mark so your body will be able to handle harder workouts. To amp up your endurance trainings consider adding hill work, speed work and added resistance workouts. You can also add weight training and cross training to help stave off boredom. At the mid-way point of your training program you will also want to focus on race strategy and focus training.
Phase 3: The Super Marathon
The final phase of your super marathon training program will be to prepare for the super marathon that you will be running at the end of your training program. During this phase you will need to focus on longer run with varied terrain. You will also need to practice supporting your nutrition and fluid needs during super long runs. You will need to get up early during this phase of your training as you will be running long hours every day. However, keep in mind that your body will need rest to recover from the hard training. If you are feeling tired during this phase then try to take naps to help your body recover more effectively. Also focus on proper nutrition during this phase. You need to be fueling your body before, during and after hard workouts.
The end of the third phase is the super marathon. This is the final test of your training and resolve to run a 100 mile race. Make sure you bring everything that you need to the race and that you have a support team with you. They will be able to keep you calm before the race, provide you with support during the race and help you to recover after the race.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the trails!
