Training hints.

Just thought I would share some of my experiences in preparing for 100-mile races. Now, I've only run four, but done well at them, and enjoyed the experiences. Plus I bounced back well after, a sign that one is well prepared going in.

So here are the tips, in no particular order, that I can think of off the top of my head:

1. Build a base - by this I mean a period of several weeks with moderate mileage. In fact, in training for these 100s, I go by the amount of TIME I run. So, a base for me is about seven to eight hours per week. This amount will vary with how long you have been running longer distances, and how your body handles running volume.

2. With a base set, start to build up your long run. Start with 2.5 hours, say, and add 15 to 30 minutes every other week. As for frequency, I usually do four to five per month, but you may not be able to handle this or have that much time. Do at least two per month (i.e. every other weekend). Try to build up to a five-hour run sometime before the 100, allowing for a two-week taper going into the race.

3. Get as much information as you can on the 100 you are going to run. Try to talk to others about their experiences, their plans, the course, the likely weather, the crew and pacing access, etc. This is important for a number of reasons. First, it helps calm you down, knowing what is in store. This is particularly important in the last couple of weeks before the race. Second, from it you can develop a training plan. Questions you can figure out are: What is the terrain going to be like? Will it be hot/cold/wet ? How long will I have to run in the dark? How often can I see my crew and where can my pacers run with me? What are the aid stations like, can I have drop bags, etc.?

4. Develop a training plan. This can be a loose set of things you want to do, or it can be more structured, written down in a week by week form. Its up to you. The real keys of the plan are your long runs, any races you want to do, any faster days you do (such as hill repeats, or tempo runs), rest days (ie. no running but do some other sport for cross training), and off days. Try to get in a

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