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50k

The Complete Guide To Virtual Races: How To Run a Virtual Race

Last updated on Nov 23, 2020 By Thomas Watson

Given the current global state of affairs, marathons and other races everywhere are being canceled – and are being replaced by virtual races.

Until things can return to some form of normality, it’s likely that virtual races are most distance runners’ best option if you want to get your racing fix in.

Today, I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know about virtual racing – what they are, how they are tracked, how to find one, how to run a virtual race, and perhaps most importantly – how to prepare yourself both logistically and mentally – two areas that come to the forefront when we get into virtual races.

What Is A Virtual Race?

A virtual race is a competitive footrace in which each competitor registers online, then goes out and runs the required race distance in their own time – choosing their own start line and route – then they upload their race data or finish time, and the organiser mails them out a certificate and finisher’s medal.

Virtual races have existed for years in fairly niche sections of the running community – whether through things like High School regional runner competitions or more recently through online channels ( I like to think of Strava segments as mini-virtual races).

The main benefit of virtual races is that it removes many of the barriers that prevent people from making traditional races – runners can complete a virtual race in their own time, on a route that suits them. That means that virtual races remove the need to travel, and can be worked into a runner’s personal schedule.

Virtual races allow races to be held without a large crowd gathering too – something that’s critical in today’s world.

Some of the potential drawbacks of virtual races are that they are naturally harder to police, that every runner is competing under slightly different conditions (weather, underfoot conditions, etc.) and that a lot of the race-day buzz of a regular race is lost – which actually can acutely affect your race day performance.

Why Run A Virtual Race?

While nothing can quite compare with the genuine buzz every runner feels at the start line of a regular race, virtual races are currently our safest option if we want to continue to participate in running events.

Training for a virtual race mirrors the training for a traditional race – there are no special measures you have to take in your physical preparation.

However, there are a few steps you want to take to ensure you’ve prepared logistically and mentally.

Virtual races provide a lot of the same long-term benefits as regular races:

  • The training is great for our health, in terms of weight loss, muscle development, cardiovascular fitness, bone strengthening, to name a few.

  • Having a goal to train towards can be incredibly motivating and stimulating – especially in today’s uncertain times.
heading out for a virtual race

How To Find a Virtual Race

At the time of writing, most cancelled major races – such as city marathons – have announced virtual alternatives.

If you’ve already signed up for a race that has since been canceled, check the organizer’s website to see if they have a virtual race lined up.

Otherwise, you can start searching online or through running communities to find a virtual race that suits you.

A great place to start is the FindARun.com Virtual Race directory, which has races listed from all over the world which you can take part in.

Likewise, the British site Virtual Runner UK has a huge directory of virtual races – sorted by distance – which you can sign up for using their own app.

Once completed, you upload proof of completion, such as Garmin or Strava screenshots, and you’re all done!

Tips For Planning Your Virtual Race

Although virtual racing gives you the freedom to run the race distance whenever and wherever you want, it also lacks a lot of the support structure found in regular races.

Things that each of us take for granted at regular races – like aid stations, toilets, route markers, medical support, pacers…even the buzz from other runners – is completely missing in a virtual race.

In a virtual race, you essentially become your own race director – which means you call the shots when it comes to route planning.

So don’t just jump in with both feet and start running!

Here are my tips for planning out your virtual race:

1. Choose a Familiar Route

You’ll likely be running solo for your virtual race, so it makes sense to choose a running route you’re familiar with.

For many of us, it makes sense to plan your route around your home (or that of a friend) – which can serve as an aid station and toilet stop.

This can mean that your route might involve a few out-and-backs, or smaller loops that bring you back past your makeshift aid station several times over the route.

A while back, I ran a virtual marathon while on vacation in Portugal – I used our vacation apartment as my aid station, and had my girlfriend meet me with water at planned stops too.

It took a little co-ordination and extra en-route communications, but it worked well.

2. Ensure You’ve Got The Distance Right

There’s nothing more frustrating than planning out a challenging route, getting to the finish point, and realising that you’d miscalculated the distances involved!

Use Google Maps, or your run history, to measure your planned route as accurately as possible.

And a good GPS watch is practically essential for virtual races – no-one else is measuring how far you’re running!

3. Plan Your Nutrition and Hydration

Just like in a regular run, you’ve got to map out your nutrition and hydration in advance.

During training, figure out what you’re going to be eating – and how frequently – and map that into your aid station strategy.

One of the few benefits of virtual race aid stations is that you can fill them with whatever you want – so stock up on a few different food options from the kitchen!

4. Enlist Your Support Crew!

Without doubt the most important element of planning a virtual run is enlisting your support crew!

Whether it’s your significant other, running buddy, or family member, make sure you pick someone dependable and organized.

You want someone who will follow your progress, be ready with whatever support you need ahead of time, and be prepared incase you need some unplanned assistance.

Before you begin your virtual race, sit down with your support crew and map out roughly when and where you’re going to be at each part of the run, and have them check in with you regularly.

lady running her virtual race

Tips For Running Your Virtual Race

So you’re physically prepared and got all your race day logistics in place…all that’s left is to run the distance!

But when it comes to virtual races, there are a few things you need to bear in mind – things which you might not need to worry about so much in a traditional race.

Here are a few pointers:

Running Alone Is Mentally Tougher

Race day buzz actually counts for a lot .

The groups of runners, the music, the momentum, the crowds . . . the whole atmosphere can buoy you, and has been shown to improve performance – especially towards the tail end of your race.

In a virtual race, all that is gone.

You’re running alone.

No fanfare, no distractions from other runners . . . and running alone has been shown to be associated with more negative sentiments.

In other words, virtual races are mentally tougher – which can affect your performance (as your Rate of Perceived Exertion is linked to your mood).

Having your race goal clear in your mind can help and give you something to focus on – whether it’s simply making it to the finish line, or beating the sub 4-hr marathon mark.

Stay Safe

Racing virtually means running alone – which some people may prefer, but can many of us feel slightly uneasy – especially when we’re really pushing hard.

Use a tracking tool like Strava Beacon to share your live location with your support crew, and keep in touch via regular messaging.

Pace Yourself – Be Mindful Of Your Pace Strategy

Another drawback of running alone is that it can be harder to stick to a sustainable pacing strategy.

Regular races often have pacers, and you often gravitate towards other runners who have a similar speed to you.

When you’re running alone, all of that pacing support is gone – it can be harder to moderate your speed when you’ve got no-one to run with.

That’s why it’s so essential to have a good pace strategy.

As part of your race prep, you should define your race goals, and figure out what your pace strategy is going to be.

If in doubt, pick a reasonable – and achievable – pace and try to maintain it throughout your entire run.

More: Why Marathon Pace Is So Important

Choose The Right Time (Even If You Have To Wait)

Perhaps the biggest benefit of running a virtual race is that you can choose when you run it.

This means you can plan your race in line with your training and personal schedule.

So if you’re a few weeks out from race day and start to develop a nagging knee ache, there’s no need to try and push through it – you’re free to hit the pause button and address the injury, then resume training when ready.

You can also run your virtual race at whatever time of day suits you.

This means no more ridiculously early alarm clocks and anxious journies to the start line.

You can wake up, eat a good breakfast, prepare in your own time, then head out when ready.

There’s no ‘dog and pony show‘ with a virtual race – it’s just you and the road.

Some of us might even find that a little reassuring!

Have you run a virtual race? I’m interested to hear how it went, and of any issues you might have faced – and how you overcame them!

Drop me a note below!

Written by Thomas Watson · Categorized: 100km, 10k, 50k, 5k, Half Marathon, Marathon

Essential Guide To Training For Your First 50k (+ Training Plan)

Last updated on Jan 30, 2020 By Thomas Watson

Running a 50k is a great personal challenge and introduction to the world of ultramarathons – especially if you’ve come from the world of half marathons and marathons.

But despite what you might hope, running a 50k isn’t just like running a marathon with a little bit extra added on at the end. 

A successful 50k run requires a different approach when it comes to pacing, fueling, mindset, and training. 

Why?

First off, most 50k events take place on the trails. 

Trails are a completely different setting from the flat roads on which city marathons are held. They include ups and downs, changeable underfoot conditions, and in general slow you down.

Secondly, running 50k requires you to adopt an endurance-based mindset.  Half marathons and marathons are relatively forgiving events compared to ultras. You can push yourself uncomfortably hard in a marathon, and if you blow up and bonk you can usually still limp to the finish line.

Ultras are different. You need to be thinking in terms of endurance, not in terms of performance. This means revisiting your pace strategy, your goals for the race, and your fuelling.

Ready to get into the weeds of how to run your best 50k?  

Let’s jump in!

Essential Guide To Training For Your First 50k (+ Training Plan) 1

1. Tackling The Trails

Many 50k runners and ultra rookies are graduating from the world of city marathons to trail ultras, and that’s a transition you’ve got to manage gradually.

Many urban runners hit the trails and assume they can use the same approach they’ve employed on the pavements and roads, but that’s a mistake.

Trails vary.

Sometimes you have to climb, sometimes you’re headed downhill.

Sometimes you can run, sometimes you have to watch your footing.

When training for a trail ultra, you want to start to do as much of your training in trails as you practically can (aim for at least 50%).

This gets you used to adapting your style, and speed – warning: your overall speed will be slower on trails, especially at the beginning.

Get used to dialling things back on the uphills (even walking them where necessary), and learning how to control your descent on the downhills.

Get comfortable in constantly reading the terrain 15-20ft ahead of you as you run, while simultaneously finding your footing for each step.

Depending on how extreme your race is, consider hiking poles – but learn how to run with them (an art form in itself).

And most of all, learn to enjoy the trails!

They’re an awesome place to get some exercise and time in nature.

* * *

When running in trails, you can’t be too married to preconceived ideas of pace.  As I’ve mentioned, the terrain changes constantly, and it can be a fallacy to try and hold a certain speed.

So, how best to measure your effort? 

Let’s talk about RPE.

2. Embrace RPE As Your MPM (Most Important Metric)

Too many acronyms?

Don’t worry, I’ll make this as easy as possible.

RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion, and it’s essentially a self-defined measure of how hard you’re pushing yourself : 1 being extremely light activity, 10 being all-out sprint; check out the chart below.

Essential Guide To Training For Your First 50k (+ Training Plan) 2

RPE is a metric much like speed or heart-rate – but it’s one that is much more useful when you enter the world of ultra-running.

When you try and use traditional sports metrics in ultra-running, things quickly become tricky.

Let’s say, for example, you’ve got a target pace you’re trying to stick to.  That’s fine for a city marathon, but when you take that to the trails, you’ll suddenly find yourself pushing hard on tricky terrain to maintain your pace, and holding back on easy downhills because you’re running too fast.

Likewise, if your legs start to lock up after 42k (lactic acid build-up, for example), then it can be counter-productive to try and push through the discomfort to maintain some arbitrary pace.

As for Heart Rate Zone training, this can work well enough – to a point. After bouts of intense exercise, runners experience heart rate drift – where the heart begins to pump less blood each stroke, so begins to pump faster to compensate. In other words, the pre-defined zones that HRZ training is based on no longer apply.

Which is why we recommend training to, and getting comfortable with, RPE.

RPE might at first seem a bit subjective – or, dare I say it, holistic – it is, after all, about listening to your body first and foremost.  But that’s pretty much the point. 

If you feel like you’re pushing your body too hard, then you probably are pushing it too hard. It’s not rocket science – sometimes we have to just not pay too much heed to what pace is on our GPS watch, and listen to our body a little more.

3. The Ultra Mindset: Become An Endurance Monster

Ultrarunners typically have a different mindset than their shorter distance friends.

Their overall approach is concerned with endurance and survival (as in, getting to the finish line) – two key tenets of ultrarunning, and important when you make the leap to 50k.

Want an ultrarunner mindset? Become an Endurance Monster.

Here are some of the defining characteristics of an Endurance Monster:

  • Endurance Monsters are humble and conservative
  • Endurance Monsters always keep some energy in their back pocket
  • Endurance Monsters train at a variety of speeds and distances, but always race at a sustainable pace
  • Endurance Monsters keep their Rate of Perceived Exertion under 8 out of 10 (until right near the end)
  • Endurance Monsters know how to manage their fuel, water, and electrolytes as they run
  • Endurance Monsters don’t worry if they’re taking longer in a race than they thought they would.

(Here’s my full post on becoming an Endurance Monster)

4. Ultramarathons Are An Eating Competition

It’s often been quoted that ultras are all about eating and drinking, and it’s true.

One of the most common issues new runners experience in ultras is poor fuelling or hydration.

Get your fuel, salts, or fluids levels wrong and things can go wrong pretty quickly.

Some key points to bear in mind:

1. Practice, practice, practice.  By the time you reach the start line of your 50k, you should know exactly what you’re going to eat, how much of it you’re going to eat, and when you’re going to eat it.  This is because you will have practiced all of this in training. Trial different types of fuel, trial quantities and intervals – trial everything!   

2. Mix it up. Don’t get all your in-race carbs from one source. 

3. Research your race. Figure out what’s supplied at aid stations, and incorporate that into your fuelling plan – if it’s compatible.   The last thing you want is to eat a banana at the 40k mark, then discover your stomach can’t handle bananas during an ultra!

4. Gels are awesome . . . if you can stomach them.  Gels work for most runners, but after 4+ hours of running, gels get a little monotonous, and can make your stomach a little…shaky.  Avoid the runs during your run by testing your gel strategy and mixing gels up with other foods – nut butters, trail mix, and other snacks!

5. Stick To The Plan (Get Your Free Training Plan Here)

The best way to get ultra-marathon ready is to follow a good training plan. 

Benefits of a good training plan include:

 – gradual, planned weekly mileage increases that are manageable and avoid overtraining

– a balanced training week of intense workouts, recovery time, easier runs, and cross training

– provides structure and guidance to your training week

– it’s been proven that simply following a training plan increases your probability of training properly, and completing your running event.

Each of our ultramarathon training plans have been designed by me, Thomas Watson (I’m an ultrarunner myself and a UESCA-certified running coach) and have been road-tested by thousands of runners.   

They’re free to download, and you can choose to get the Excel/Google Sheets version to customise it around your own schedule.

Check out all our ultra training plans, or click on one of the images below to see out 50k training plans!

Check out our free downloadable – and customisable – 50k training plans:

50k ultramarathon training plan - just finish
50k ultramarathon training plan – just finish
50k ultramarathon training plan - improver
50k ultramarathon training plan - compete

6. Take Your 50k Training Further

If you want to get deep into ultramarathon prep, check out my Ultra Runner’s Playbook – it’s an online course with 6+ hrs of exclusive video content, guides, and downloadable material – all designed getting you ready for your ultramarathon!

We cover:

  • Detailed daily training plans for ultramarathons, based on running ability
  • Ultra training modalities broken down; in other words, how to train smart
  • Ultra running strategies for success
  • Expert videos and guides on . . .
    • Having an ultrarunning mindset
    • Balancing training with your other time commitments
    • Maintaining motivation throughout your ultra journey
  • How to become an injury-free ultra-runner
  • Strength and resistance training for improving performance and reducing injury
  • Fuelling and nutrition for ultrarunners
  • How to achieve your ultramarathon goals
  • And plenty more expert interviews, articles, and guides 
Ultra Runner's Playbook

Check out the curriculum for the Ultra Runner’s Playbook!

I hope the tips in this article help you on your 50k journey!

Questions? Ideas?  Suggestions for things I’ve missed?

Let me know below! 

Written by Thomas Watson · Categorized: 50k, Guides, Training, Ultramarathon

Best Ultra Running Watches: Recommended GPS Watches for Ultramarathons, 2021 Edition

Last updated on Dec 24, 2020 By Thomas Watson

In this post, I share the best ultra running watches on our radar, and give you some pointers on what to look for in a GPS watch for your ultramarathon!

Finding a good GPS watch for your ultramarathon – the training and the race itself – requires some research.   

The requirements of an ultramarathon GPS watch are way different from your regular GPS watches. A marathon GPS watch might not go the distance when it comes to ultras.

For example: for my day-to-day activity tracking I actually tend to use my Apple Watch.   It’s functional, it syncs with my iPhone, and the GPS and Strava app are decent-enough quality. I even use it for logging the occasional short run.  But, it’s not designed for distance running. The battery life craps out after around 4 hours, and the metrics it produces aren’t as reliable.

Once you’re into ultra-distance runs, you need a GPS watch that has great battery life, as well as reliable GPS tracking, and other features like HR monitoring so you can track your training progress.

Let’s look at some of these features: 

best ultra running watch

What I Look For In An Ultramarathon GPS Watch

Battery Life

Battery life is a key feature of an ultra-running watch.   Most regular GPS watches on the market are good for 8 – 10 hours, then you’re on your own.  

So finding a GPS watch that boasts and extended ‘GPS Active’ battery life is essential.   You should also consider the length of ultras you’re running, and the maximum time you’d expect to be out in the field.

An important factor to consider is the ‘sample frequency‘.   

This is how frequently the watch checks your position.

A regular GPS watch will record your position every second; however some will have different settings to allow you to extend this to up to once every minute, in order to extend the battery life.   

While this is a great feature, it leads to less accurate real-time position / speed data when you’re on your run.   So be aware that when a watch advertises “up to 50hrs battery life”, you should check the sample rate of those 50hrs.

The most suitable and best ultra running watches will include an ultrarunning mode, where the GPS signal is sampled less frequently (such as the UltraMAX mode on the Coros APEX) which can extend the battery life by 200-300%.

Actionable Metrics

In other words, these are things the watch tracks which give you information about your performance.  A watch with a heart-rate monitor is useful, especially if you have been tracking your HR in training runs, or are training based on HR zones. Frankly, I just like having that data available and stored automatically – it’s not something I analyse after every run, but every few weeks I’ll scan over how it’s tracking.

Altitude is also useful, as you can pace your efforts dependent on the difficulty of the gradients.

Finally, some navigational features can be useful (dependent on the nature of where you run, or your race).   I recently ran a self-navigated trail race where the race director sent me the trail route as a data file before the race began.

Ability to Re-charge While Running

Even the best ultra running watches crap out eventually. I always try to choose a watch that has a battery life almost guaranteed to last longer than my runs, but when you get into really long ultramarathons and multi-day stage races, the ability to recharge the watch on the move might be something worth considering.   Several watches still function while being re-charged: good models include the Garmin Fenix 6 series, the Suunto Ambit Peak, and the Suunto Spartan series.

More recently, some models of the Garmin Fenix 6 series have incorporated thin solar panels in their design, which can at least stem the depletion of the watch battery.

Good Software Platform

Modern technology gives us the ability to go back through the data of our running GPS watches and analyse every aspect of our run.   

Thankfully, you don’t have to be tied to the software platform of one manufacturer – practically all the best ultra running watch manufacturers these days allow you to automatically export workout data to 3r party platforms like Strava.

Comfort and Durability

A good GPS watch should also be comfortable for wearing while running for hours on end, and durable enough to withstand the hours of knocking and sweating they’ll inevitably be exposed to.   All the watches I recommend below fall into these camps. 

Added bonuses like the ability to sync over wifi, play music, etc. all come down to personal preference and budget.

 best ultra running watch

The Challenger Brand: Coros APEX Ultrarunning Watch

coros apex best ultra running watch

Coros are relatively new to the world of ultrarunning GPS watches, but they’ve made a significant impact and have been adopted by some of the top names in ultrarunning.

Their Coros APEX watch is my current go-to GPS device for ultramarathon running; it’s battery life is ridiculous (up to 100hrs in the UltraMAX mode), and the price point is around HALF of other premium ultrarunning watches.

Check out my in-depth review of the Coros APEX here.

The Garmin Fenix series for ultramarathons

The Garmin Series 6 range are really leading the way these days for ultramarathon watches.   Though expensive, they are top performers in every feature and are packed with extras.

Here’s a breakdown of the range:

Garmin Fenix 6S Pro  best ultra running watch

Garmin Fenix 6S Pro

The smallest of the Fenix 6 range, the 6S PRO boasts a GPS battery life of up to 25hrs, or 50 hrs in ‘UltraTrac’ mode (lower sampling rate).   

It also can store up to 500 songs, and has navigational maps. The ‘S’ stands for small – at 42mm, it is well suited to women, or thinner-wristed runners (like myself!).

garmin fenix 6 pro  best ultra running watch

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

The most popular watch in the series, the Fenix 6 Pro boasts a GPS life of up to 36hrs, or 72hrs in UltraTrac mode.   

Note that listening to music roughly halves the watch’s battery life.   Like the other watches in the series, it even features ‘Garmin Pay’ contactless payment system!

garmin fenix 6x pro  best ultra running watch

Garmin Fenix 6X Pro

The ‘X’ is the best-in-class watch in the range, for the serious distance runner.   Boasting up to 60 hours of GPS time (or up to 120 in UltraTrac mode), as well as a blood-oxidation monitor for sleep improvement and altitude acclimation monitoring), the ‘X’ is slightly bulkier than the other two watches in the line.

Suunto Ultramarathon GPS Watches

suunto 9 baro  best ultra running watch

Suunto 9 Baro

The Suunto 9 Baro watch really stands out in terms of potential battery life.   By using it’s Intelligent Battery Mode, you can be tracking your activity for up to 120hrs before this thing will die on you.   

The secret behind this is the ‘Fusedtrack’ technology – the watch checks your GPS position less often than it regularly would, and uses it’s sensors and algorithms to adjust and ‘fill in the gaps’.  Field reports suggest this technology is pretty reliable and getting better.   One for the 100-milers!

suunto spartan trainer best ultra running watch

Suunto Spartan Trainer

On the cheaper end of the ultramarathon GPS spectrum, the Suunto Spartan is built for a variety of activities. 

There’s no HR monitor built-in (though you can purchase an optional HR chest strap), and the watch has a maximum GPS life of 26 hours – though it maintains a good sample rate of 1 second. 

Which features are important to you when choosing a new ultra-running GPS watch?

Which model are you currently running in?

Anything to recommend to me?

Leave a comment below!

Written by Thomas Watson · Categorized: Gear, 100km, 50k, Ultramarathon

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