Training For An Ultramarathon: Easier Done Than Said

英謙兄及各位讀書會友,

謝謝登出另一篇超馬的譯文Training For An Ultramarathon: Easier Done Than Said "超級馬拉松的訓練-做的比說的簡單". 由於Runner's World網站似乎已經改版, 原來掛在Ultrarunning下有關超馬的文章好像都不見了. 以下特將本篇原文附上, 大家有興趣可參考.

在此也順祝529永和超馬賽的跑友們能跑出預期的成果. Thanks.

吳占夫

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Training For An Ultramarathon: Easier Done Than Said
by James Raia

Running longer doesn't always mean it's harder

If the idea of running a marathon seems overwhelming, why not try an event longer than the standard 26.2-mile distance - a trail or road ultramarathon?

By definition, any distance longer than the marathon is classified as an ultramarathon. And, believe it or not, many trail - and road - ultramarathons are physically and mentally less demanding than road marathons.

The reason is two-fold: Many athletes desire participating and competing without mass company and they prefer racing and training on more gentle surfaces.

That's the way it is with ultramarathons.

Often contested among small fields and without fanfare, the less-stressful approach offered in ultramarathons is a pleasant and appreciated diversion for runners accustomed to large events.

Likewise, while many ultras include severe ascents and descents, forgiving dirt and trail surfaces allow runners to recovery more quickly than they can on hard surfaces.

Ultras: What Are They All About?

The most popular ultramarathon distances in the United States are 50 kilometers (31.2 miles), 50 miles and 100 miles. In Europe and on other continents, the 100 km (62.2 miles) is the standard.

And while completing a few marathons before running an ultramarathon is recommended, it's not required or paramount for success.

"If you can train for a marathon, you can run an ultramarathon," says Greg Soderlund of Sacramento, Calif., a veteran ultramarathoner and race director of several well-known Northern California ultra-distance events. "The recovery time is often less than a marathon and you can get away from it all on the trails or in low-key races."

Hundreds of ultra-distance races are held in North America each year, some with fields of less than 10, some with nearly 1,000 entrants. And unlike many marathons, held on point-to-point courses on public roads, ultramarathons options greatly vary.

Road and trail events, combined road and trails events, flat loops around lakes, severe terrain courses at high elevations, 24-hour and multi-day events held on 400-meter high school tracks. They're all part of the niche of ultra-distance events.

Even Pacing Is The Best Pacing

The one constant among runners training for the myriad courses available in ultramarathoning: consistency.

Nearly a decade ago, when Tom Johnson of Loomis, Calif., established an American Record at the 100 km World Challenge in Holland, he completed the course's 10 asphalt and cobblestoned laps with 10 km splits all within a two-minute time window.

In other words, the longer the race, the better a steady pace pays off.

At the country's largest 50 kilometer trail run, the Way Too Cool 50 km in Cool, Calif. (it had 523 starters and 475 finishers on March 8), experienced elite athletes and first-time ultramarathoners attempt to use the same strategy.

Since the course includes more than 7,000 feet of elevation change, a conservative, evenly maintained pace can offer the best chance of negotiating the race's three steepest climbs, all in the final 12 miles.

The Way Too Cool event, sometimes described as a moving Grateful Dead concert because of the diversity of the field, traverses single-track and multi-track fire trails. It begins and ends at a rural fire station in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Its scenic course includes moss-lined trees and pine-needle covered trails, yet its severe climbs have left many a runner speaking gibberish and considering other endurance activities.


Yet, it's so popular, the race closed within three hours this year and the field included 153 first-time finishers.

Terrain Familiarity: What A Concept!

Training on the appropriate type of terrain is at least equally important as consistency of pace. A long, steady 20-25 miler will do wonders if you're training for a flat 50 km. But the same training effort won't provide nearly as much benefit if you're training for the hilly, four-loop Dam Tough Ruff Bluff 50 km in Ontario, Canada.

Likewise, training on hills will help a runner determine his or her expected pace and will prepare them cardiovascularly for race day. Walking is often a requirement on steep climbs, with smart runners using the ascents to replenish food and fluids.

In this regard, many ultramarathon race directors throughout the country offer organized training runs on their courses in the weeks preceding the event.

Many ultramarathon runners also benefit from back-to-back training efforts. During weekends, for example, a steady 20-25 mile trail run might be followed the next day by a less-demanding but long, flat run of up to two-thirds of the previous days' distance.

Trail Runners Beware

Unlike road running, trail ultramarathon courses require runners to use their balance more acutely. They must look on the trail three-to-six feet ahead and anticipate each stride. Stumbling on roots and rocks is not uncommon, which is one good reason not to train alone. The beauty of the wilderness can quickly turn ugly in remote areas if something were to go wrong and no one was available to help.

Other things can go wrong on the trails, too. The wilderness is the habitat for wild animals (another reason not to train alone) and "wild" plants.

During warm weather months, shower with products like Tecnu to stave off avoid poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac. Examine your body after runs for ticks, which can cause Lyme disease.

Despite such potential pitfalls, the benefits of trail and road ultramarathons - loops around the Central Park reservoir in New York to multi-day races through Hawaiian lava fields - have resulted in a steady influx of marathon converts.

Jeffrey 兄, 在下以前也翻譯過一篇類似的文章,

<<第 400 篇: 什麼是 "超級馬拉松"?>>
http://140.112.30.213/runner/GuestBook/topic.asp?topic_id=648&forum_id=28&cat_id=8

可供參考.