100 Mile Training Plan

Below is the training plan that I hope will get me to the starting line, and prepare me to finish, my first 100 mile race.  It’s a plan that I’ve adapted from the one in Bryon Powell’s excellent book – Relentless Forward Progress.  I have extended his 24 week program to 36 weeks in order to accommodate a 50 Mile Goal Race which occurs at the end of Week 16.

The precepts of the plan are pretty simple. Build mileage steadily with 1 recovery week for every 3 weeks of building.  Back to back long runs on the weekend to practice running on tired legs.  And some sort of mid-week “speed work”.  Nothing too aggressive, just some fartleks, tempo runs or long hill repeats to get your legs turning over at a more rapid than normal rate.

You’ll notice that I don’t have many “zero” days scheduled.  I do this because, for one reason or another, off days generally happen on their own anyway.  But, I do plan on taking my “easy” days very easy and substituting cross training (or gym time) as the body dictates. Eventually, when the weather decides to cooperate, I will be doing most of my longs runs on the trails.  But, for now, I’m on the roads    ... dreaming of dirt.

100 Mile Training Plan:
Wk.	M	T	W	T	F	S	S	Tot.	Comments
1	6	8	6	8	6	20	10	64
2	6	8	10	8	6	16	14	68
3	6	8	6	8	4	6	34	72	6-Hr Race
4	6	8	6	8	6	16	10	60	Recovery
5	6	8	10	8	6	24	12	74
6	6	8	10	8	6	20	18	76
7	6	8	10	8	6	22	18	78
8	6	8	8	8	6	16	10	62	Recovery
9	6	8	10	4	6	32	8	66	50k Race
10	6	8	12	8	6	24	12	76
11	6	8	10	8	6	22	20	80
12	6	8	6	8	6	18	12	64	Recovery
13	6	8	12	8	4	12	20	70	25k Race
14	6	8	6	8	6	12	4	50	Recovery
16	6	0	6	0	4	50	4	70	50m Race
17	4	6	8	6	4	16	6	50	Recovery
18	4	8	6	8	4	18	10	58
19	6	8	6	8	6	20	10	64
20	6	8	6	8	6	16	6	56	Recovery
21	6	8	6	8	6	20	12	66
22	6	8	8	4	6	28	10	70	28m Race
23	6	8	6	8	6	16	10	60	Recovery
24	6	8	8	8	6	20	12	68
25	6	8	8	8	6	24	12	72
26	6	8	6	0	4	50	4	78	50m Race
27	6	8	8	8	6	16	10	62	Recovery
28	6	8	10	8	6	24	12	74
29	6	8	8	8	6	22	20	78
30	6	8	12	8	4	10	32	80	50k Race
31	6	8	10	8	6	16	10	64	Recovery
32	6	8	6	8	6	22	20	76
33	6	8	6	8	6	26	20	80
34	6	8	6	8	4	20	8	60	Taper
35	6	8	6	8	0	12	6	46	Taper
36	6	0	6	0	4	100	4	120	100m Race
								69	weekly avg