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These are some tips to help you train for your first 100 mile race. This is a tough distance; it is hard to overstate the difficulty that is faced. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that there is little lore around training for a 100 mile race. Ultrarunning is where marathon running was in the 70's; an emerging sport. Today we have a vast number of marathon training plans to choose from, and maybe one day there will be a similar number of ultramarathon training plans. Until then, there are just some personal opinions, such as this.
== Low Mileage, High Quality ==
Running high weekly mileage in itself will not help you. Running 5 miles, three times a day, seven days a week will just wear your body out, without really providing results. I highly recommend running only four days a week (see [[How Often To Run]]). Each of your runs should have a purpose, and the purpose should not be the simple addition of miles. You should understand [[Supercompensation and Why exercise does not make you fit|Supercompensation]]. Doing a 16 mile run and having the next day off is far better than running 8 miles a day. The weekly mileage you do may be considered high as a consequence of your long runs, but this should not a goal. I consider myself a 'low mileage, high quality' runner even though I do 90-100 miles per week.
== Long Runs ==
== Overnight Runs ==
For most runners, a 100 mile race will last for most, if not all, of the night. It is critical to prepare for this overnight section. You should aim to do at least one run that lasts most of the night, ideally from dusk to dawn. In preparation for this, you should do a few runs in darkness, so that you work out the logistics of lights, etc. (See [[Running in the Dark]]) The overnight run will help prepare you for the [[Sleep Deprivation in Overnight Events|sleep deprivation]] and psychological difficulty. Pace for the overnight run is not critical - it is better to walk for most of the night than to run for just some of it.
It is also sometimes helpful to change your mental outlook while running at night. Being the meanest (or fastest) thing in the woods might be a beneficial way to approach your running through the woods at night.