How I Train For Ultra Marathons

Having progressed from my first 50k to becoming a 100 mile ultra runner, my training has changed significantly. This is a detailed breakdown of my current training approach. In this video, I go over my training history, the books I use for ultramarathon training, my current training approach and how I plan on using this approach over the next 12 months as I prepare for marathons and ultramarathons.
Photo Credit: Instagram @further.run

[@bev9708]

I immediately went on Amazon to order Training for the Uphill Athlete and I saw that the audiobook is actually FREE for those of us with an Audible subscription!! It's already on my phone to start listening to during my next run after work this evening!! Thanks again James!!

[@Krilin84]

Oh, thanks for mentioning that the Uphill Athlete was free with audible sub. Getting it!

[@jamesday1]

Ahh nice! Will be interesting to see how it compares in the audiobook format!

[@trailsandbeers]

thanks!! I have it in kindle but now also in audible 👍

[@jameshilverda1814]

Downloaded, thanks!!

[@lakelandtrailrunner]

Great video and content mate. Good to see your subs increasing. Keep up the good work! 🤘🏻

[@jamesday1]

Thanks John! The subs have really been picking up recently. Not sure entirely why but it's nice that more people are enjoying the videos!

[@paulcromie5785]

Great overview James. Some great information and books to get a hold off

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Paul!

[@graniteruns2599]

James good to see how others approach training for ultra running, thanks for this clear and comprehensive run through. 👍🏻

[@jamesday1]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jeaniekim9951]

Thanks so much for putting these ultra videos together. They answer all the questions I have for my own ultra training! The quality is superb! 🙌

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Jeanie! Glad you are enjoying them!

[@conradburdekin722]

Found this super helpful thanks James

[@jamesday1]

I'm glad it was useful Conrad!

[@alexbenfield123]

Excellent video! Just getting into ultras myself, thanks for the valuable info.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! Hope it is useful! Good luck with your ultra journey!

[@faanross]

love your channel thanks james

[@jamesday1]

Thanks!

[@chocolatechow7697]

Many thanks James and all the best from down under

[@jamesday1]

No worries! Hope it was useful!

[@anttiuuttu6707]

Great video !!! Really enjoyed!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@running-free]

Thanks for sharing mate. As someone who is just starting out on the ultra journey, really great to see how consistent progress is key. 🏃

[@jamesday1]

No worries! Definitely, consistency over time makes such a big difference!

[@daveyearp1499]

Cheers James, great information 👍

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Davey!

[@davidgray9887]

Another great video James. I love the way you are always trying to learn and try new things. The secret of a successful runner. I competed as a track athlete in my younger days and did my first marathon and Ultra marathon in 2019 and I am still learning. Keep up the good work.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks David! It's always interesting to talk to people who have found trail running and ultramarathons from a track background.

[@davidgray9887]

Hi James, thank you for the reply. After being obsessed with times and positions in track running , ultra running just gives you that feeling of freedom but still gives you the feeling of accomplishment when you have finished. This love of the sport certainly comes across in your videos. Keep up the good work!

[@HoytMcBeth]

James, really appreciate the video. It’s useful how you’ve packed so much into the video. The book recommendations are great. For me, strength training is more of an essential for injury resilience and the longevity benefits that complement a strong cardiovascular system. I have my first trail 20 miler in May and although the scale is different from an ultra I think a lot of the mindset and strategy are similar.

[@sturgmanrunning8546]

Great advice mate 👍 keep it coming

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! Glad it was useful!

[@Kelly_Ben]

I love your race/ build/ build/ recover strategy! I really enjoy races, but struggle with how to fit them into training. Great information, love your videos. Subscribed.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Kelly!

[@km2637]

Mate, once again great content.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks. Hopefully it was useful!

[@Q8Patriot]

Thanks alot thats were very helpful, appreciate your time in making these videos 😅😅

[@jamesday1]

No worries! Glad it's useful!

[@philipking3010]

Good video, and a nice summary. Your improvements/results back up this structured approach. Think you could make a good argument that sleep, diet, and strength work are a little more than 1% items, but I get your drift.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Philip! Agreed, I don't mean to imply that a 1% is insigificant. I think they say super shoes knock about 3% off your times. I'd love to knock a few percent off my marathon time 👍

[@RTSJamal]

Extremely surprised to see you sub count this is awesome stuff and your channel will blow up for sure !!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! Really nice of you to say. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@steviewright6886]

There is some really good information in your video. Thanks 👍

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Stevie! Glad you found it useful!

[@bev9708]

Gosh James this is such perfect timing 'cause I've got my second 50k ultra coming up, but this time a mixture of roads and trails unlike the nice flat shady loop I did my first one on, and I've been really quite afraid, BUT this video just put it into a whole new perspective for me. I've worked up to being able to handle big weekly/monthly volumes (4200km last year and already on 4150km this year and even managed 623km last month) and I've been looking at that building volume as building a strong foundation for tackling ultras in the future, and hopefully faster marathons too (currently around 4h). So now I see this upcoming 50k as just another important piece of that "foundation building" I've been working on so hard this year, the next logical step on a long long continuing road with many more steps to come!! Suddenly that feels exciting rather than terrifying!! Thanks James !!

[@jamesday1]

Amazing Bev! It sounds like your training just keeps getting better! 4000km in the year so far is a mega amount of volume and time on your feet! Don't underestimate what that will do to your endurance and fitness. I'm sure you'll have a great time at the 50k. I feel like I've been running a lot and I'm only at 3200km so far this year.

[@chocolatechow7697]

Good luck on your 2nd 50k. I was training for 100k ( 5573.99k last year ) but I fell down and have a shoulder dislocation, broken tooth earlier in Janauary this year . Rested till late april. After resume training in May, I am just beginning to pick up where I left off. I have now swifted my first 100k attention to next year, probably Lake Saroma in Japan, where it will be flat🥴 . Stay safe and happy running .

[@upinth3air]

Great video! I'm glad I found your channel, just after I decided to enter my first ultra, next April. I don't have much of a structured training plan yet, but the first take home message is that I've got to work up the volume significantly.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks David! Good luck with your first ultra! Make sure to slowly build up your training volume so you don't stress the body too much. You probably don't need to run as much as I do (how much you can run is quite a personal thing), but find a volume that your body can handle that gives you a decent endurance base.

[@upinth3air]

@@jamesday1 Thanks for the advice. One revelation for me has been not to shy away from running on sore legs. It sounds like that's good practice for ultras, and anyway I'm usually only sore for the first few km. This way I can train on consecutive days with a few rest days interspersed, rather than always having a day off after each long run.

[@srBook]

Really interesting video, keep it up 🤙

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Jonathan!

[@Fuerza_Athlete_Josh]

We pretty much train the same. Thanks for sharing! Great work

[@jamesday1]

Thanks!

[@DM_RUNNING]

Really informative, thanks 👍

[@jamesday1]

Glad it was useful!

[@itzzitzz]

Better than anything on Netflix

[@jamesday1]

Haha not sure I agree but thanks! 🙂

[@eric-running-to-chamonix]

Definitely interesting. Appreciate you sharing. Jason Koop's Training Essentials for Ultrarunning 2E has a different philosophy than Uphill Athlete, but definitely worth reading. Basic idea is to increase race specificity as block progresses. It differs from the typical marathon plan approach of mixing speed with endurance throughout the block. Instead, the raising of LT2 happens early (which is the same as Uphill Athlete, just more so). For me, the key takeaway from Training Essentials was matching race profile to training intensities.

[@jamesday1]

Interesting! I'll check it out. Race specific sessions is definitely something I think about when preparing for a specific event. Like with Copenhagen marathon, I'll want to spend more time training at that marathon pace intensity.

[@chadadams1127]

Jason Koop is the Yoda of ultra running coaches ❗️❗️❗️If he said, “stand on your head an hour before you run” you can bet your a$$ I’d do it❗️❗️❗️

[@tombiermann3240]

I couldnt agree more with your book choices! Training for the Uphill Athlete has completely changed my approach to Training and actually made me a competent runner for the first time in my life

[@jamesday1]

Agreed. It's a great book. I keep going back to it and finding more insights.

[@_stition9777]

Hey, I really appreciate this video. I am much more interested in training ultra distances than getting a good time on marathons, and there isn't nearly as much content for ultras. Thanks so much

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! I can definitely recommend some channels worth looking at for ultras. Billy Yang, Jeff Pelletier, Marcus Kjellberg, Luke Barrett, Dan Whitehead, Ryan Clayton, Run4Adventure. A good mix of different channel types but some good ultra content there!

[@Kelly_Ben]

Vivsvibe, Flora Beverly, Thomas Tan, Ultra Trail Running With Simon, UltraTrailSteven... there's so many, I'm still uncovering incredible channels after 3 years!

[@seanoreilly2013]

Hey James another solid video!! Have you ever looked at Hal Koerner's Field guide to ultrarunning? As for your other book recommedations, they are all going into the basket, Cheers :)

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Sean! I haven't. I'll check it out and add it to my shopping list. Hope you like the books!

[@kellydoug8817]

Hi James just a quick message to say thank you for the advice you gave me for my second 50k in 5 weeks. It worked I felt fine for all of it. It was the Chilton challenge 50k I did not get the time I wanted because I needed to start in the first wave instead of the four. the first 7k was about 1 hour 5 mins once I got through that it wasn't too bad. I completed the next 43k in around 3.20 giving me a 4.26 finish. All things considered I am really happy. So thanks again.

[@jamesday1]

Amazing! Congrats on the great race! Really nice to hear that the videos helped. What's next for your racing plans?

[@trailsandbeers]

Sounds good. will be interesting to see how it works. I'm less structured, I just do what I feel like day to day while trying to average 80km and 3-4k vertical per week plus some weights.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks. I think I would struggled to get that king of volume without a structured plan to work off. Also 3-4k vertical is pretty serious for 80km of running!

[@Krilin84]

Well done, this is a great resource James! I'm jealous of people like you who are able to make a plan and stick to it. It seems so satisfying. It was a bit of a comfort for me to listen to Courtney Dauwalter on Rich Roll recently, talking about her intuitive approach to training, basically just using her experience and knowledge and winging it based on daily feel and where she's currently at in the landscape of her race season. Anyway... I'm doing my first backyard ultra this saturday (just a virtual one). I signed up just a few days ago and thus not really prepared for anything special, but hoping to improve on my 50k distance pb if possible! I've also just signed up for Stockholm Marathon next year so looking forward to following your journey to the Copenhagen Marathon!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Kristoffer! Coutney's training approach is pretty impressive but she's still putting in serious volume. Consistently banking 100+mile training weeks. I don't think I could run that much without a structured training plan 😅 Good luck with the backyard ultra! Very exciting. I want to try one next year and see how far I can go. Good luck with Stockholm! Definitely a race I would like to run in the future. I've never actually visited Stockhold before so it's on my list of places to visit in the near future. Hope your training is going well!

[@bev9708]

Hej, just wanna wish you all the best for your backyard ultra tomorrow !!! Doing it virtually is another type of challenge in itself , definitely harder in certain ways, so bravo for your courage... let us know how you get on!!! And you'll have your new audiobook to listen to to help the hours pass by if you wanna!! 🙋🏻‍♀🏃🏻‍♀💪🏻

[@Krilin84]

@@bev9708 hey, thanks for the kind words! Managed 13 laps / 90k (course was a bit long)!

[@jamesday1]

Amazing work Kristoffer! Amazing effort for a solo backyard!

[@bev9708]

@@Krilin84 BRAVO!!!!! WOW 90k sure is nothing to sneeze at, but to do it solo!!! That's so impressive, really!! I dream of the day I can achieve such distances!! 👏🏻💪🏻🏃‍♂💪🏻👏🏻🍾🥂

[@-esox-3714]

Great video - was thinking about getting the uphill training book before - now I will definitely get it. (Just a side note, as some might get irritated: 12:25 - "aerobic threshold", instead of "lactate threshold"). Best Definition for "Zone2" I found to be from Peter Attia, being along the lines of: "when exercising in Zone2 you are able to hold a conversation using full sentences, but if doing so on the phone, the other person will hear that you are exercising" MAF formula 180-age seems to be working for me too - but might not work for everybody ~ E.g. nose breathing I found to absolutely not work for me, I can keep nose breathing permanently right up to my lactate threshold. On the other hand, some running buddies will start mouth breathing right from the get-go.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! The definitions for zone 2 is something I always struggled with when I started running. It didn't really click until I found MAF.

[@user-kc5lt4vx9o]

Great content James, it’d be interesting to know what your aerobic & LT thresholds are. Forgive me if your already spoken about this, I’m slowly still going through your content. Keep up the good work !

[@jamesday1]

Thanks George! I believe my aerobic threshold is close to a heart rate of 150 BPM. The pace I can run at that heart rate depends on the terrain, elevation and my fatigue on that day. My lactate threshold is roughly 4:10min/km on a flat road, but it's currently dropping by a few sessions each weeks as I get into shape.

[@mattwebber6910]

As someone who just signed up for his first 50k a few days ago, this is great. Thanks. I’m currently following the Jack Daniel’s 2Q plan to prepare me for a marathon in March, then will build on towards the 50k in May. I’m excited about pushing on from there. Your bit about macro, meso and micro cycles is really interesting. Is that all from the uphill book?

[@jamesday1]

Good luck with your marathon and first 50k! The macro, mesh and micro cycles are pretty common training terms used across the industry I believe. I've definitely found them pretty useful to understand the focus of my training.

[@trailrunningphil]

Wow. Super detailed video! Great work mate. No mention of any mental training or mindful running? These slightly different races next year are going to play with that brain of yours. What will do you about that to prepare yourself? These long runs you mention.. worth talking about what YOU think about when your out there getting those hours in?

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Phil! For me, running is typically the thing that clears my head when life is stressful. The longer I run, typically the less I think. I tend to switch off after a while. I would say that I've used meditation when life has been so stressful that I can't sleep or relax. I think the backyard and track ultras will really be a test of my stubbornness. But I don't plan on doing anything specific to prepare for those events.

[@trailrunningphil]

@@jamesday1 Sports psychology is just an area im very interested in. Im sure your stubbornness will help you a great deal next year. I look forward to seeing how it all goes for you mate 👍

[@shagoesfar]

Hey buddy, I’ve just did my first marathon (5hrs) & m plan is to to a 100mile ultra. I’ve just been running for one year. Thanks fir the advice & by the way I’m a blind guy :)

[@jamesday1]

That's amazing! Congrats on your first marathon. Very impressive, especially after running for 1 year. Good luck with running your first 100 miler! I hope the advice was useful!

[@MrPhilsmithson]

Nice vid thanks, watched a few of your others this week too. Do you do any specific pre and/or post run stretching routines? And do you incorporate any strength or flexibility workouts In your training plans?

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Phil. I do a set of basic running drills before sessions to warm up the body. Then I do some strength and mobility sessions occassionally. I'd like to do about 2-3 sessions per week but currently not quite doing that much. I did a video about it around 6 months ago called 60 days in the gym.

[@MrPhilsmithson]

@@jamesday1ah nice one thank you, I'll have a look for the video!

[@jonnan99]

Thanks for sharing James, very informative. If I could ask you something? In the 'average' week where tue and thu are training days and sunday is for long run. What day(s) of the week would you typically do the extra 30min morning run?

[@jamesday1]

A lot of the time it'll come down to my schedule but when I'm at peak training for an event, I might only have 2 or 3 days where I don't run double days. I'll typically aim to have the morning off when I'm most fatigued. So probably a Monday morning so I fully recover from my long run on Sunday, and then maybe Wednesday and Friday. It's all a bit trial and error to find what works!

[@mmendesrs]

Very Good! Please add the link to the books :) Specially affiliated ones

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! These are the key ones! Training for the Uphill Athlete: A Manual for Mountain Runners and Ski Mountaineers The lost art of running. Daniels' Running Formula The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing Racing Weight

[@youtroop]

Do you know if it make sense from a training point of view now and then to switch to swimming, biking, roller-skiing or any other endurance discipline ? Some of us have to due to age, but I'm curious if it make sense for ultra training in general. Hope you will enjoy Copenhagen !

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! Really looking forward to Copenhagen! I've heard there are big endurance benefits from cross training so it's great for ultramarathons. A lot of the elite ultra runners will do cross country skiing and cycling to supplement their training. For the higher intensity training, I believe it's best to stick to running, but the elite runners will often cross train for their low intensity training.

[@markusz4447]

I assume you are doing some strength traininh as well? Whats your stance on legdays (hypertrophy focus, not just stability) in combination with a lot of running? Is it detremental?

[@jamesday1]

Hi Markus, yeah I do a mix of strength and mobility work. There is definitely benefits to strength work when training for ultras. I tend to do most of my strength work when I'm just building my fitness. When I'm preparing for a specific race/event, I'll reduce my strength work to avoid additional stress and injury. I try to do my leg days on the days when I do speed work. This allows for my recovery days to be less stressful on the body.

[@markusz4447]

@@jamesday1 thanks for your input! :)

[@TamaEnergy]

My first uktra this year (62km) i hate speed stuff and imagine my lactate threshold is bad😅 but can already run about 30km ok :) never enjoyed following a plan as i work full time in the NHS but if i can focus on ONE thing eg. How can i grt a long run in each week thay will be

[@jamesday1]

Good luck with your first ultra! I wouldn't worry about speed work if you're just training to enjoy ultras! Long runs and training volume is definitely more important for finishing an ultra.

[@channel44277]

Do you halt the counting of miles when your walking or count them as half miles cause bias data is not true data. I'm drawn to long distance running but the whole walking lots and counting the walked miles as ran is just lying

[@jamesday1]

Yeah good question. When I'm out on a long run, I typically walk to bring my heart rate down when going up hill. Because I'm going uphill, my heart rate would rarely fall below 130bpm so I don't stop my watch. I'm still getting the exercise benefits and the time spent walking is a small fraction of the run. I typically measure my runs by time so as long as I'm spending the full 3 hours working with my heart rate elevated, I wouldn't worry about pausing the watch.

[@AAscension]

Which plan of Jack Daniels did you use?

[@thepatternforms859]

How do you pace for a 100 miler?

[@jamesday1]

Good question! I spent a lot of time thinking about this before the SDW100. In my race recap video, I speak about my pacing strategy and how it went on the day. The video is called: "I Ran 100 Miles In 22 Hours." Hopefully it helps!

[@James-J-J-J]

Sounds like you’re training your slow twitch way more than your fast twitch. Hence your top end has diminished in lieu of being able to run long long runs. Specificity is key.

[@jamesday1]

Definitely, I want to improve my fast twitch but my primary focus is ultramarathons so I accept that I'll sacrifice high-end performance to get there.

[@mmichaelis6]

Man you are worrying about way way to much and self sabotaging yourself. Ultra Marathons are hard on everyone, even the elites. It’s mostly mental not physical.

[@jamesday1]

Yeah maybe, but the more prepared you are physically, the more enjoyable it is. I don't run ultras to suffer 🙂 It's all about enjoying long days on the trails.

[@Kelly_Ben]

​@@jamesday1My approach is a bit different, but then, I'm not running anywhere near full potential. I LOVE running ultras and trail marathons... but I also love all of my other hobbies, my husband, and not being sore and exhausted all the time. I'd rather do moderate training, with strength, mobility, etc, so that I've got a good overall base of fitness, and then run my race. No, I'll never uncover my full potential this way... but I'm simply not willing to make the sacrifices needed to do so. Running is just one (important) part of my life, that I do for health and enjoyment. I love your videos, and hope to learn more tips and techniques to help me improve my performance incrementally, without ever going over 50-60k a week in training.

[@Swooze]

Absolutely loved this video and definitely feels it stands out from other ultramarathon training KZbin videos. I appreciate your frank and honest approach to training, and the personal experiences that come along with it, injuries included. Thank you for sharing the reads, will check all of them out!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks for the great feedback! Glad it was useful!