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Trail & Ultra Running

A goal race chosen well, kit that passes the check, long runs and climbing built week by week, the navigation and safety skills hills demand, and a route from first trail race to 100 miles.

Free · Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows · v1.0.0 · Other platforms

Then open the Marketplace in the app, search for Trail & Ultra Running, and click Install. It goes into your own files, and works offline from then on.

Before you start: this plan is general information, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting a new training programme, especially if you have a health condition, are pregnant or are coming back from an injury, and stop if you feel pain, dizziness or chest discomfort.

What it installs.

1

Pillar

1

Area

50

Projects

201

Starter tasks

🏋️ Fitness & Sport

Trail & Ultra Running

Training for trail races and ultramarathons: vertical gain, back-to-back long runs, kit, fuelling and navigation for runners going off-road and beyond 26 miles.

  1. Choosing your first trail or ultra goal race
  2. Current running volume and vertical baseline
  3. Trail shoes matched to your terrain
  4. Hydration vest and core kit
  5. Solo trail run safety plan
  6. Local trail route library
  7. Time on feet and ascent training log
  8. Medical certificate and rescue insurance for mountain races
  9. Fixed weekly slots for long runs and hills
  10. Weekly long run and back-to-back routine
  11. Weekly hill and vertical gain session
  12. Strength work for downhill legs
  13. Gut training on every long run
  14. Shoe rotation and kit care
  15. Foot care and blister prevention routine
  16. Monthly night run with a headtorch
  17. Monthly ultra training block review
  18. Conditions check before mountain days
  19. Technical descending on loose and rocky ground
  20. Power hiking and pole technique
  21. Map and compass navigation for trail races
  22. Following a GPX course on your watch
  23. Pacing climbs by effort, not pace
  24. Reading race profiles and cut-off times
  25. Cold, wet and hypothermia awareness on the hills
  26. Heat acclimatisation for hot races
  27. Deciding whether to race with poles
  28. GPS watch with ultra battery life
  29. Race-spec waterproof jacket and trousers
  30. Headtorch and battery system for night sections
  31. Coach or self-coached ultra plan
  32. Race kit weight and packing audit
  33. Race debrief and changes for the next one
  34. First trail race of 20 to 30K
  35. First 50K ultra
  36. Course recce of your goal race
  37. Mountain training camp weekend
  38. Drop bags and crew plan for a 100K
  39. Race week logistics for a mountain ultra
  40. Road runner moving to trails
  41. Ultra training from a flat city
  42. Ultra training around young children
  43. Time-crunched ultra build on seven hours a week
  44. Coming back after a DNF or a long break
  45. Crewing or pacing a friend's ultra
  46. Qualifying points and lottery entries for major ultras
  47. First 100-mile race build
  48. Multi-day stage race preparation
  49. Skyrunning and altitude race preparation
  50. Fastest known time attempt on a local route

Where it starts.

Each project arrives with its purpose, milestones and first tasks written out. Here is how the first three read.

Choosing your first trail or ultra goal race

Picking the race first sets almost everything else: how much climbing to train for, whether you need night kit, and how many months the build must run. A first ultra six to nine months away, with cut-offs you could meet while walking the climbs, leaves room for a cold or a busy month at work.

First tasks

  • List three races within reach, with distance, ascent and cut-offs
  • Read the mandatory kit list and course notes for each race
  • Check each race date against work, family and holiday plans
  • Enter your chosen race or note when its entry window opens

Current running volume and vertical baseline

Before adding long runs and climbing, it helps to know what your legs already handle: weekly hours, longest run and how much ascent a normal week contains. Eight weeks of honest numbers plus one timed climb become the starting point every later increase is measured against.

First tasks

  • Export the last eight weeks of runs from your watch or running app
  • Total weekly hours, distance and ascent for each of those weeks
  • Run a timed effort on one local climb of five to fifteen minutes
  • Repeat the timed climb and compare with the baseline @recurring(quarterly)

Trail shoes matched to your terrain

Road shoes slide on wet grass and mud, while a deep-lugged fell shoe feels harsh on hard forest tracks. Matching grip, cushioning and fit to the ground you will actually race on prevents falls, black toenails and a lot of late-race misery.

First tasks

  • Describe the surfaces of your goal race in two lines
  • Shortlist three trail shoes suited to those surfaces
  • Try the shortlisted shoes on in the afternoon with your running socks
  • Run three training sessions in the new pair before racing in it

Make it yours.

Install Trail & Ultra Running, then tell Aurum the date you're aiming for. It checks whether the plan fits the weeks you actually have.

Free · Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows · v1.0.0 · Other platforms

Blueprints are general information to help you organise your own work. They are not medical, financial, legal or other professional advice. See the Terms.