Training lead time

For someone running 30 kilometres a week the calculation gives 14 weeks, about 3 months. At 50 kilometres a week 8 weeks is enough. The difference comes entirely from the starting volume: the shorter the climb, the shorter the preparation.

For a 60 to 70 kilometre mountain ultra, someone running 30 kilometres a week needs 19 to 20 weeks, roughly 4.5 months. Climbing is counted in, so it takes longer than a flat race over the same distance.

It is the habit of not raising weekly running volume more than 10 per cent above the previous week. It is a common safety margin rather than a law; the point is to leave muscle, tendon and bone time to adapt. The lead time on this page is built on that rate of increase.

Adaptation happens while recovering, not while loading. Building for three weeks and cutting volume in the fourth is a common pattern, which is why the calendar runs about a third longer than the build weeks alone.

This page allows 1 to 3 weeks depending on race size: 1 for short races, 2 at marathon scale, 3 for long ultras. Volume drops during the taper while intensity is kept; the aim is to shed fatigue without losing fitness.

If fewer weeks remain than the plan needs, speeding up the build is the riskiest option. Moving to a shorter course at the same event or postponing to a later date are the two safer choices. If you race anyway, fix the goal at finishing and write the walking breaks into the plan from the start.

Count every 100 metres of elevation gain as 1 kilometre and add it to the total. Running 30 kilometres with 800 metres of climbing in a week makes 38 effort kilometres. The race side uses the same conversion, so the two numbers are comparable.

For short races the peak week is bigger than the race, for long ultras it is smaller. At 42 kilometres the peak week sits a little above race distance; beyond 100 effort kilometres nobody carries weekly volume equal to the race, and trying to would be wear rather than preparation.

No. Starting from nothing you need a few months of base first, three days a week of 20 to 30 minute run walk sessions; this page measures the preparation built on top of that base. Entering zero makes the calculation assume the lowest volume and stretch the answer accordingly.