Ultra Marathon BEST Pacing Strategy

Ultra Marathon BEST Pacing Strategy
Patreon Question - I have a couple of questions here for the coaches about the upcoming Northern Traverse.
I have completed four previous 100 milers in the past. Until last year I finished in a respectful time but at a slow hobble for the last few miles.
Last year after starting slower on the South Downs Way was the first time I have gone under 24 hours at 23:17 and still felt reasonably good at the end.
Now for the big question. This year I have booked the Northern Traverse, no I’m not just following Eddie, it has been on my bucket list for many years but until last year it felt out of reach.
I obviously want to do the best time I can but have absolutely no idea how long it will take? I know I will need to run the first 100 miles slower than the South Downs Way and the second half will be slower still, but how slow is slow?
I felt I was running very easily for the first half last time; will I really need to go slower still?
Also, although I would hike all the ups, I normally still climb at a decent pace with a slightly elevated heart rate. As there is a large proportion of the climbing and elevation gain in the first third of the race, how much effort should I put into the climbs and how cautious should I descend?
I know these are impossible questions and completely athlete-specific, but I really have no idea how to plan for this distance.
I would like to think that 2.5 - 3 days would be possible, I’m not planning structured sleep breaks and plan to wing it and see how it goes. So currently I’m thinking of aiming for a sub-3-day finish.
Precision Fuel & Hydration helps athletes personalise their hydration and fueling strategies for training and racing. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised race nutrition plan for your next event.
Tea And Trails Podcast listeners get 15% off their first order of fuel and electrolytes with Precision Fuel & Hydration. Use this link and the discount will be auto-applied at the checkout.
Trail runner interview, training advice, nutrition advice and kit reviews too. We'll talk about current trail running stories and stories from inspirational people we feel you might be interested in. If you like what we do, then please tell your friends.
We have merch! Check it out at - www.summitcraz...
Trish - www.hidden-str...
Russell - russellrunner....
Please check out our Patreon group if you would like to get involved and support the podcast. / teaandtrails
Support the show
Amazon links are affiliate links.
Celeste Yvonne's Book - amzn.to/40FYLK9
Fix Your Feet Book - amzn.to/3FE4nf0
Microphone - amzn.to/3huN86K
Gary's BGR Headtorch - amzn.to/3DQkoO2
Eddie's Spine Race Headtorch - amzn.to/40pFXhg
ROAR - amzn.to/3WU7xB2
NEXT LEVEL - amzn.to/3Hu15Lr
The Daily Stoic Book - amzn.to/44qDm9j
Ultra Trails - www.ultratrail...
Greener Miles Running - greenermilesru...
Dales Runner - dalesrunner.co...
Hannah Walsh Coaching - www.hannahwals...
Punk Panther - www.punkpanthe...
Disclaimer
The information in all of our content is provided as an information resource and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information does not create any patient-physician/doctor relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any healthcare decisions.

[@graemelornie5884]

Good video with some wise words in there.
G

[@teaandtrails]

Thanks Graeme 🙏🏻