With about ten weeks until my 50 km ultra, training is taking up a fair amount of time. Following the Runna plan has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. I have something clear to work towards each week, rather than deciding what to do when I put my shoes on.
Making room for it
My Strava log for the week ending 4 October shows four runs covering 33.6 km and five walks covering 15.8 km. That includes a 13.11 km run on Sunday. I’ve already reached 30 km in this training block, which I wrote about in my earlier running update.
I try to use mornings and lunch breaks strategically so that training has as little impact on family time as possible. Longer runs take some arranging. Cycling and a small amount of strength training also have a place, and I’m making sure I get enough sleep.
I tend to run the same loops. Knowing where I’m going leaves me with less to think about, although the distances rarely match the plan perfectly. Sometimes I add a road, turn back for a short stretch or do another loop to reach the distance I need.
Food and feeling well
I recently did a 45-hour fast, partly with the aim of bringing my weight towards 66 kg. When I finished, I started eating again slowly, with small amounts before a larger meal later on. I fast occasionally and have often spoken positively about it because I’ve noticed a better mood and longer stretches of concentration.
That is my own experience. Still running and walking during the fast made the hunger harder to get past. I don’t want that account to read as advice to combine prolonged fasting with endurance training.
The most important thing to me is feeling well and being able to get on with normal life. Feeling fine, though, doesn’t establish that I’m eating enough for training and recovery. The UK Sports Institute’s nutrition guidance explains how prolonged under-fuelling can affect health and performance. Getting lighter would be counterproductive if it left me less able to train or recover.
The space to think
I rarely think about running itself for much of a long run. My mind moves through the day, things I want to learn, jobs I need to finish or something I haven’t quite resolved. It gives me room to process what’s happened and think about what comes next.
Sometimes there’s a podcast or music. Sometimes I just pay attention to my surroundings. Familiar routes help me settle into that without constantly thinking about the next turn.
I run because it keeps me level-headed. I enjoy the atmosphere at running events, and I like how running makes me feel, even when my legs ache and I’m working hard. A hot day and a freezing morning are very different experiences, but I enjoy being out in both.
The ultra gives me a goal. The runs themselves are already doing something useful for the rest of my life. For these next ten weeks, I want to keep following the plan, eat enough to support it and arrive at the start feeling well.
Activity totals cover 28 September to 4 October 2026 and were checked against my Strava log. These are recorded activities, not prescribed workouts.