Couch to 50k Ultramarathon | Just 6 weeks to be READY

[@jimw587]

I found your channel back in the motorcycle days. I’m now running, cycling and have a Wahoo Kickr. That reminds me....must get a dog 😆

[@YeNZeC]

Been here since that garmin review a year or so back. Funny enough, i like the blunt humour and no onsense attitude. Better then average.

[@the_different_dad9943]

I know you are onto other things now. It would be great to see you and you and Nixon back out on the long tracks this year.

[@oliverhauberg4394]

Started following you six month ago, and I really enjoy your videos. Good authentic content with nice humour 👍 I started cycling one year ago, and now I Zwift on a daily basis and I will do a twelve days challenge going from Copenhagen to Nice including 28.000 hight meters, this July. On a race bike that is.💪 Keep up your nice attitude. We appreciate it. Cheers from Copenhagen.

[@trickbros2041]

i get so happy when i see you post a new video

[@paincavehero1982]

Looking forward to seeing how this pans out, especially excited to see you knock over a few trees. You'll be ultra lean if you drop 12 lbs! Hopefully you'll keep your strength!

[@paullacy9406]

Beardy lot eating flap jacks......must be an ultra 😂😂😂

[@dazcarter73]

good luck. loved my years in ultra trail running, v liberating partic going through the night.

[@dazcarter73]

@@MarkLewisfitness ah yes canicross racing. did a few green man ultras with canicross races. dont know how they managed to get through/over all the stiles, gates

[@dazcarter73]

@@MarkLewisfitness how far can he run?

[@SAMGB4H]

I can hear all the full time Zwifters screaming out "But you can run on Zwift too!!" 😂

[@mattdonnelly2840]

I’m glad you are back from Zwift for a little while. I started watching your videos end of summer last year and did my first marathon on December 31st directly because of your “can do” approach. I’ll follow this 6 weeks and see if I can stretch it to a little ultra. I have a 50 mile race pencilled in for October, so this will be good training. Cheers for the videos!

[@hgibbons021]

Excited for you! good luck on the weight loss

[@danielflockhart566]

Great video! Really helpful, thanks!

[@IESJonkoping]

Really appreciate these videos! Am about to (re)start my own little couch(+Covid) to ultra thing now on a similar time line. Luckily for me I start about 40lbs under your target weight so I have zero excuses!! Let's go!

[@noggintube]

I found your channel last year because of being a cartoon cyclist, but I'm staying for Nixon ;)

[@alfonsplasil]

staying because of your exquisite taste in movies

[@annechinoralph5798]

As always, interesting and entertaining. I'll join you on the weight loss journey. 2 lbs a week.

[@emgwright0203]

Loving the content Mark! Looking forward to the next six weeks - you are so gonna crush the 6hr target. Get some weight training content in - Gyms are still closed for most of us, need some home gym motivation.

[@luannedimaggio7025]

Inspired to run 5k with my Jack Russell mix, Chet loves to run. Hopefully we can do it. But I can do it, right????

[@backofthepack4553]

Your ultra run is my neck of the woods, no pun intended. Do a lot of MTB in that area and it’s really nice scenery. Good luck with the training and hope it goes ahead

[@HereThereBackAgain]

Fun to see that siblings get older but never grow up!

[@richielavey1565]

I’m from America and when you said a 4 minute 30 pace I was like holy shit this guy is fast…then I realized you do kilometers over there and I have no reference for how fast that is xD

[@nzmarty]

multiply it by 1.6. So 4min 30 = 4 1/2 mins x 1.6 = 7min 12 secs/ mile. Simple maths for (close enough to) whole numbers - 5 min kms - 8 min mile. 6 minute kms = 10 minute mile.

[@FoobsTon]

Yeah... We have the same problem. No idea what a quarter pounder with cheese is.

[@weightdownhealthup9895]

Have you checked out stryd foot pod. Really enjoying the data and targets. I think it would take trying to guess pacing on hills away. Plus nice and easy to sneak into pain cave.

[@weightdownhealthup9895]

I think you will like it, several metrics which indicate where average is and we know you will want to beat that.

[@cactusnic]

Great vid as ever. I am hooked on your vids zwift or no zwift!

[@Chris-mn7yy]

The Longhorn is going ahead on April 18th. That's in the middle of Sherwood forest. Lovely event.

[@karllawton8398]

Great video yet again Mark, I've got David Goggins' 4x4x48 hour challenge this Saturday. My 1st Ever "ultra endurance" run if you can call it that... 😬

[@karllawton8398]

@@MarkLewisfitness I love sleep. 🤣🤦‍♂️ Gonna be tough but I've got this! 😁🏃‍♂️

[@nzmarty]

@@karllawton8398 how did this go? (sorry for the 1-year delay lol)

[@GogglesTyresandTrainers]

I have a mate who is 6'6, he has a marathon pb of 2hrs 40, a half of 1hr 15! Big challenge that you have set yourself Mark, my worry is that it will be tough to ramp the distance up then taper for the race effectively. Will you be maintaining your s and c stuff to help ward off injuries? Looking forward to seeing the journey fella, gonna be a great 6 weeks!

[@TomHigham14]

Loving the videos, thanks Mark. Very interested to hear how you manage upping the running mileage and presumably not stop cycling / shifting a bit too. Am a runner myself, bot into zwift over Christmas with an injury and having raided eBay for a trainer. Now trying to manage both..!

[@TomHigham14]

(as well as getting outside for rides when the weather's better too...)

[@mathews0618]

How much vegan Protein supplements do you use? I am wanting to lose weight while i train. So days where i have 3-4000 calories burned i would still like to eat 140+ grams of protein at 2000 ish calories. My best shot is to use it 3 times a day on training days and twice on off days. My protein is 180 calories for 30 g of protein

[@Bukoe]

I have done a cuple marathons and some full IM distances. :P .. My running plan was Simple, Run in the Pace I felt most comfi in (As I have had same problems with forcing a slow pace as you talk about here) ..But take a 1 min Walk every 10 min or so.. In my Ironmans I just did around a 1 min walk at every Aid station that came each 2.5Km..

[@danjones9999]

Mark, you've inspired me to get my lazy fat arse off the sofa and start running. I am a beginner. I can jog slowly. I want to get to 5k in a good time so I can run a decent park run. I have only been out 7 times over the last couple of weeks, so am not expecting miracles but my 3k is doable at about a 6:16 pace and 4k at a 6:24 pace but after that I am about spent. My lungs can't really keep up. How do I best improve my aerobic ability? Should I be running further, slower, or shorter but faster? or just keep totting up the runs? I know the couch to 5k is about 9 weeks so maybe I am just being impatient, but would appreciate hearing from you since you have done it personally. I am 6ft and no idea of my weight but probably about 110kg. I am of a muscular build but with some cracking love handles. Any advice would be much appreciated! Love your vids. Cheers.

[@danturnbull1855]

Hi mate, I know I’m not Mark but a great way to increase your lung capacity is Hill Sprints (or interval training in general). Sprint up a hill or to a certain point as fast as you can and have a 45-60 second rest between each set. Hard graft and it’ll annihilate your lungs but it’ll massively improve your aerobic capacity.

[@danjones9999]

@@danturnbull1855 thanks mate, I will give it a shot! Most appreciated from one Dan to another.

[@danturnbull1855]

@@danjones9999 anytime mate, best of luck!

[@jenniferdavidson5173]

Just found you here....am in a similar position, just finished a masters thesis so have couch (desk chair) to 50k in 8 weeks.....uuuurrrgh!

[@MarkLewisfitness]

50k is a GREAT distance! It's a legit ultra, but really only a marathon then a bit more! Anyone can do it with 8 weeks......but doing it and finishing well is the challenge. For me, learning to run slow was the hardest bit having come from 5ks. You can't run 50 like it's 10 5k runs :))))

[@Lv4Tech]

Good luck on the ultra! Looking to get a training partner like Nixon this summer for marathons and ultras! I am in London but have access to a few good trails around where I live. Is Nixon a Jack Russell Terrier?(I want a partner to help me go under 19min for a 5k - current PB at 19:38)

[@benrosner_]

Hey Mark I got a question: I’m on my school’s cross country team and really out of shape. 3 days in and I’ve run about 15 miles including warmups and cool downs and my body is not having it. Flat feet are burning, shin splints up the wazoo, etc. Just curious if you have any tips for how to adjust, not be in agonizing pain all day, and I really don’t want to drop the team. Thanks.

[@benrosner_]

@@MarkLewisfitness Noted, thank you very much for the advice

[@abigknoop2960]

I found your channel because of zwift but imma stay. you seem like a pretty cool guy...

[@XX-is7ps]

Did I hear you right 2000 calories/day? At 6foot6? And 100kg? And while continuing to lift weights? And Zwifting? 😳 I... can’t even imagine that. I only cycle, no weights or running and I reckon I must be packing away 3500-4000 calories a day at 70kg (though I don’t calorie count so that’s a total guesstimate) - at such a low calorie intake are you not miserable and distracted by hunger all day and out of energy??

[@jacklacey9602]

ive been runin for 2 months and have 15 days to get ready for my first ultra 50k

[@patbriggsmbr]

How do you keep off the sugar, I’ve managed a week and a bit but today I fell off the wagon. I ate a donut then a bloody waffle covered in chocolate. I feel soooooo shit now. Failed. 😢

[@yannickm1396]

Eating and planning big meals helps because not being hongry makes you less likely to snack. I have a big oatmeal shake in the morning of around 1300 kcal and leave a litle for in the afternoon. I also have a bit of muscle and sport 7 days a week so i need alot of calories.

[@madiantin]

Oh this is going to be tough for me because RAGING JEALOUSY. I used to run long distances...very slowly. Like 28 miles took me 10 hours on the trail. BUT IT WAS A HILLY TRAIL OK? Anyway then I blew out my ITB and no amount of rest or physical therapy ever fixed it and now every time I just neeeeeeed to run again I get some kind of stupid dumb injury. Which is why I switched to cycling. So anyway. Part of me is trying to calmly breathe through the green eyed rage that I can't run those distances anymore, and part of me is going to be living vicariously through you. So you'd better run your ass off, ok? Kill that distance. Make it your bitch. Because I'll be cheering you on. Looking forward to seeing how it's going. Would love to hear all about your training and diet and how you're able to fit it all in with family time and work etc. Also, dog cameos are always welcome.

[@AB-qx3pf]

Right, Running. But have you sold the 29er yet?

[@AB-qx3pf]

@@MarkLewisfitness The SHOUT OUT is attractive but I'm not 6'9" like you so too big and shipping would be ridiculously uneconomic. But good luck with the sale - you need an Aerohead and some other stuff.

[@patrickbaker6978]

If your allowed to take a dog in a race just get a Great Dane put a saddle on it

[@johanWallgren]

Don’t get to successful with this youtube. How you balance work/family/training/competition is a important part of what makes your channel interesting. There are plenty channels where one can see how pro athletes prepare. But still, keep up the good work.