Training Craft
Training craft for ultrarunners. What actually works out there, and why.
Training
A 50K on three running days a week works if one day is long and slow. How to spread 31 miles across three runs, where a hike fits, and the longest run.
Ike Lacey Oct 16, 2026
Gear & Tech
Every NavRun feature for ultra and trail runners, from finding a race to the morning after, what worry each one takes off you, and what is free.
Ike Lacey Oct 16, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Cruel Jewel lists 30,000 feet, then Dark Divide, HURT, Wasatch and High Lonesome. The top eight from NavRun's race catalog, and what the number leaves out.
Ike Lacey Oct 15, 2026
Race Prep
Big's Backyard Ultra 2026 World Team Championship starts October 17 in Bell Buckle. The format runs on one number: how many minutes your recovery window gives you each loop.
Ike Lacey Oct 15, 2026
Race Prep
NavRun's free race catalog lists hundred-mile courses in 35 states and provinces, with time limit, climbing, crew and pacer rules. Search by state.
Ike Lacey Oct 14, 2026
Features
Put your route and climb on your own photo, or paste it as an Instagram sticker, with no pace on it. Why a long slow day on the trail is worth posting.
Ike Lacey Oct 14, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
A flat pace chart breaks on a mountain course. Build the chart from aid stations and clock times, and give your crew the times, not the paces.
Ike Lacey Oct 13, 2026
Race News
Cottonwood Creek flooded past Bridger Jack. About 70 runners and volunteers sheltered overnight, the sheriff got them out, and the race was cancelled.
Ike Lacey Oct 12, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Yes, you can walk an ultramarathon. The time limit sets the pace you need: about 20 minutes a mile for a 100 miler, aid stations included.
Ike Lacey Oct 12, 2026
Training
How to tell if a training week is a lot for you: time on feet, your last 7 days against a usual week, and what the NavRun iPhone app shows you for free.
Ike Lacey Oct 12, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
How to pick a first ultra: a time limit you can see yourself inside, terrain you can train on, and travel that is not a second race. Real limits inside.
Ike Lacey Oct 11, 2026
Training
Start from the week you are in, not the one you had before you stopped. How to return after two months or a year off, from a 5K to an ultra.
Ike Lacey Oct 10, 2026
Race Prep
Work out the water each leg of your ultra takes at your own sweat rate, check it against what you carry, and learn to measure your sweat rate by hand.
Ike Lacey Oct 9, 2026
Read MoreUltra Basics
An ultra is anything longer than a marathon. The common distances, what a 100 miler is called, and the timed and backyard races with no fixed distance.
Ike Lacey Oct 9, 2026
Getting Started
If you keep reading about ultras, you already want to. Most let you walk, most are on trail, and the time limit is the number to check first.
Ike Lacey Oct 8, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Train for a mountain ultra from a flat city: treadmill incline, stairs, parking garages, how much climbing to build to, and how to prepare for downhills.
Ike Lacey Oct 7, 2026
Race Prep
What to do in ultra race week, the night before and race morning, and a race page that moves through those days with you. Free, on iPhone.
Ike Lacey Oct 7, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
What to eat the night before and morning of an ultra, how much during, and whether to carb load for a 50K. Plus a free fueling calculator.
Ike Lacey Oct 6, 2026
Getting Started
Pick a race, then train for it. What a first 50K asks of you, whether you need a marathon first, and what to do if you are slow.
Ike Lacey Oct 5, 2026
Training
See every week between now and your ultra: time on feet, miles, and which weeks are base, build, peak or taper. Built from the running you log. Free.
Ike Lacey Oct 5, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Most hundreds give you 30 to 36 hours. Time limits from 61 hundred-mile courses, what moves your own time, and how a crew works out when to be there.
Ike Lacey Oct 4, 2026
Training
How long to train for a first ultramarathon depends on where you start. The twelve-week rule, and how to count back from race day.
Ike Lacey Oct 3, 2026
Read MoreFeatures
Free ultra race pages with every aid station, cutoff, crew stop, drop bag and pacer point, and "not checked yet" where nobody has looked. No account.
Ike Lacey Oct 2, 2026
Read MoreRace Day
Plan ultramarathon drop bags station by station: what goes where, a packing list you tick off, and a plan your crew can read. Free on web and iPhone.
Ike Lacey Sep 30, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Write what you need at each aid station before the race, so your crew reads your own words when you can no longer say them. Free on web and iPhone.
Ike Lacey Sep 28, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
One link your crew opens with no account: when to leave for the next aid station, an arrival window as wide as the truth, and where to park. Free.
Ike Lacey Sep 25, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Bear 100 starts 6am Friday in Logan. Here is how to pace the opening climb and what to check in your data tonight before the gun goes off.
Ike Lacey Sep 24, 2026
Race Prep
When you reach each aid station, the cutoff there, and the room between them, as a plain sentence. How NavRun does it for free, and how to do it by hand.
Ike Lacey Sep 23, 2026
Read MoreRace News
Last Soul Ultra goes worldwide in 2027: qualifiers in the USA, UK and Australia, a final in Germany. How the places work, and how to train for a backyard.
Ike Lacey Sep 22, 2026
Read MoreRace News
Jordan Heinrichs won Lost Soul Ultra 2026 in 18:04, a 61-minute course record. Full results plus the pacing model behind a sub-19-hour prairie 100-miler.
Ike Lacey Sep 16, 2026
Race News
Ben Dhiman won UTMB 2026 in 18:16:29, the fastest winning time on this year's course. Blandine L'Hirondel took the women's race in 21:54:49. Results, splits, and the race behind the times.
Ike Lacey Sep 2, 2026
Race Prep
UTMB expanded its parenthood policy in 2026. What it covers, how long you can defer, and the one line in it that matters most: miscarriages stay covered.
Ike Lacey Sep 1, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Rachel Entrekin joked that workouts might have won her UTMB. What she actually did for a month beforehand is the more useful story, in her own words.
Ike Lacey Aug 30, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Running Stones, the two-year rule, the 30% travel boost, and every route into Chamonix that is not the lottery. Plus what 2027 has not announced.
Ike Lacey Aug 30, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Full UTMB 2026 results. Ben Dhiman ran the fastest time in race history, Blandine L'Hirondel broke 22 hours, and a storm pushed the start back two hours.
Ike Lacey Aug 30, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
A free race time predictor for ultras. Enter one race you already ran, get finish times out to 100 miles with a confidence label on every row. No signup.
Ike Lacey Aug 25, 2026
Read MoreTraining
A free training pace calculator that turns one race into five training paces. No signup. Plus how to read those numbers once the ground starts going up.
Ike Lacey Aug 25, 2026
Read MoreNutrition
A free ultra fueling calculator. Enter weight, time on feet, and conditions to get carbs, fluid, and sodium per hour plus an aid-station plan. No signup.
Ike Lacey Aug 25, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
A free pace calculator gives you an average you will never run on trail. Here is the arithmetic that turns it into segment budgets for race day.
Ike Lacey Aug 25, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
UTMB 2026 live tracker opens Friday at 17:45 in Chamonix. Three checkpoints that reveal whether a race is on track or falling apart, and what to steal for your own racing.
Ike Lacey Aug 20, 2026
Read MoreRace News
Aaron Kubala won Bigfoot 200 2026 in 47:21:11. Aimee Warnke first woman in ~61:18:35. 187 finishers, storm reroute, and the sleep framework that 200 miles actually requires.
Ike Lacey Aug 19, 2026
Race News
Dowdle's fastest loop at Last Soul Ultra 2026 was lap 87: 38:16 vs. a 51:42 average. What the split data shows about racing a person, not a clock.
Ike Lacey Aug 19, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
The gun goes off at 4am Saturday. Use your first two days at 10,200 feet to set a personal heart rate ceiling for each Leadville 100 segment before you need it.
Ike Lacey Aug 19, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
UTMB 2026 starts August 28 in Chamonix. Full cutoff math at all 13 checkpoints, why Courmayeur claims the most DNFs, and what reaching Champex-Lac means.
Ike Lacey Aug 19, 2026
Read MoreRunning Science
Garmin's running economy metric arrived. Here's what ml/kg/km actually measures, why your trail runs don't count, and what your Strava history fills in.
Ike Lacey Aug 14, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
The Javelina Jundred's 5-loop structure hides lap 1 damage until lap 3. Lap pacing math for 22, 24, 26, and 28-hour finish goals, with the heat window built in.
Ike Lacey Aug 12, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
You finished Leadville on Aug 22. Wasatch starts Sept 11. Here is what Grand Slam runners do in the 20-day window between two altitude hundreds.
Ike Lacey Aug 7, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Descents destroy unprepared quads. Here's the repeated bout effect science and a 6-week eccentric training protocol for Wasatch and Run Rabbit Run.
Ike Lacey Aug 6, 2026
Race Prep
The ultramarathon taper runs 3+ weeks because structural muscle damage clears on a slower clock than fitness fades. What's happening in the body, and how to hold the quiet.
Ike Lacey Aug 5, 2026
Race Prep
NYC Marathon 2026 has five bridges that compound into a miles-23-25 collapse. Here's the elevation data for each crossing and how to train for the course.
Ike Lacey Jul 31, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
83% of 100-mile finishers skip the nap. Whether you should is a function of one number: your projected finish time. Here's the framework.
Ike Lacey Jul 30, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Wasatch Front 100 starts September 11: 24,000 feet, extreme temperature swings, and a re-entry penalty no other major 100 carries. Cutoff math and prep inside.
Ike Lacey Jul 29, 2026
Read MoreRunning Science
New science names the post-ultra flatness that outlasts sore legs: red blood cell damage that scales with distance. What the study found, and what it means for recovery.
Ike Lacey Jul 23, 2026
Race Prep
The Leadville 100 starts at 4 AM on August 22. Here's the cutoff math: Winfield, Twin Lakes inbound, Mayqueen, and what your training data says about 30 hours.
Ike Lacey Jul 22, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Fat oxidation, pacing splits, and muscle fiber data explain why ultra distance closes the sex performance gap, and what Entrekin's Cocodona win proves.
Ike Lacey Jul 17, 2026
Read MoreRunning Science
Your watch computed your zone 2 using a formula with no lab validation. New 2025 research shows the error can reach 15–20 bpm. Here's the 20-minute field test that fixes it.
NavRun Team Jul 16, 2026
Read MoreMarathon
4–6 weeks into fall marathon training? Here's the 3-signal data check, heat-adjusted pace drift, HR creep, and mileage ramp, that tells you if your Chicago goal time still holds.
Ike Lacey Jul 15, 2026
Read MoreRunning Science
Before you back off a session, diagnose why HRV is low: training load, degraded sleep, or the feedback loop driving both. A framework for ultra runners.
Ike Lacey Jul 10, 2026
Gear & Tech
Connect Claude, ChatGPT, or any AI to your NavRun data and ask real questions about your training. Free, read-only, and it never sees your Strava password.
Ike Lacey Jul 9, 2026
Read MoreRunning Science
HRV answers the daily question ACWR can't: should today's hard session happen? A practical decision framework for runners with Garmin, Whoop, or Oura.
Ike Lacey Jul 9, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
UTMB 2026 starts August 28. Here are your weekly vert targets for the final 7 weeks, the heat block decision if you're not alpine-based, and the exact taper week.
Ike Lacey Jul 8, 2026
Read MoreMarathon
Your fall marathon block is already running in summer heat. Here's the two-phase structure that keeps your training honest through week 16.
Ike Lacey Jul 3, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Your summer running pace looks terrible, but the algorithm doesn't know it's 78°F with a 68°F dew point. Here's the math that makes your fall marathon training data honest.
Ike Lacey Jul 2, 2026
Read MoreTraining Physiology
Summer's spiking HR isn't a problem to survive, it's a 10-day stimulus. The science, two protocols (including the 6-day HWI shortcut), and what to watch in your Strava data.
Ike Lacey Jul 1, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Accumulated fitness is not the same as a built ultra base. Here's the 5-signal readiness check and a 12-week base-building plan for experienced ultra runners stepping up to longer goals.
Ike Lacey Jun 25, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Training for a 50K or 50-miler on 40 miles a week is achievable -- if you spend those miles in the right order. Here's the allocation framework that actually works.
Ike Lacey Jun 19, 2026
Training
Mileage misleads ultra runners the moment terrain enters the picture. Time-on-feet targets for 50-mile and 100K training -- and how to restructure your week in hours.
Ike Lacey Jun 18, 2026
Read MoreTraining
A structured 24-week training plan for first-time 100-miler runners with ultra experience. Six phases, what each builds, the three decisions that separate finishers from DNFs, and an honest look at the life cost by phase.
Ike Lacey Jun 17, 2026
Read MoreTraining
You've finished 50Ks. But 50 miles starts a different race after mile 35, one your 50K training never touched. Here's how to close the gap.
Ike Lacey Jun 12, 2026
Read MoreTraining
What VDOT is, the five Daniels training zones (Easy, Marathon, Threshold, Interval, Repetition), and how to get all of them from a single recent race.
Ike Lacey Jun 8, 2026
Read MoreNutrition
How many carbs, how much fluid, and how much sodium per hour for an ultramarathon, the real ranges, why gut training matters, and how to dial in your own numbers.
Ike Lacey Jun 8, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Enter one recent race result and get predicted finish times from 5K to 100 miles. Free, no signup. Here's the math behind it, where it works, and where it lies to you.
Ike Lacey Jun 8, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Pace is just time divided by distance. Here's how to use a pace calculator to set even splits, why even pacing beats going out hot, and how to turn the number into a race-day plan.
Ike Lacey Jun 8, 2026
Read MoreGear & Tech
Strava now connects to Claude. Open Claude, find Strava in the connector directory, approve read access, then ask about your training. Five steps.
Ike Lacey Jun 5, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Speed training can improve your ultramarathon finish time by 15-25 minutes without sacrificing durability. Learn which intervals and tempos actually transfer to 50K racing.
Ike Lacey Jun 4, 2026
Training
Learn why running tired on Sunday teaches your body the core demand of a 100-miler. Discover when to add consecutive long runs and how to validate the adaptation in your training data.
Ike Lacey May 29, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Build a 50K training plan designed for ultrarunning durability, not speed. Learn the metrics that predict readiness and a proven 12-week training structure.
Ike Lacey May 27, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Your watch records elevation gain on every run. Here's how to actually use those numbers to plan ultra training and predict race performance.
Ike Lacey May 21, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Your training splits already know how your ultra will go. Five signals to read in your data, weeks before the start line.
Ike Lacey May 20, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
How to train for Western States 100, canyon climbs, downhill quads, heat acclimation, and pacing the most competitive ultra in North America.
Ike Lacey May 19, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
A data-based readiness checklist for your first 100-miler. Use your Strava training metrics to honestly answer: are you actually ready?
Ike Lacey May 14, 2026
Read MoreInjury Prevention
Your GPS watch calculates ACWR every week but never explains it. Here's how ultra runners actually use training load data to avoid injuries.
Ike Lacey May 13, 2026
Read MoreTraining
The 9 exercises that prevent injury and build durability for 50K to 100-mile races. Plus a 12-week programming guide for ultra runners.
Ike Lacey May 12, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
How to handle ultra aid stations in under 5 minutes without underfueling. The pre-arrival checklist, in-station workflow, and downstream bonk math.
Ike Lacey May 6, 2026
Read MoreGear & Tech
Honest comparison of Strava, TrainingPeaks, and NavRun for ultra runners. What works for 100-mile training, what doesn't, and what to use when.
Ike Lacey May 5, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Why runners over 40 dominate ultras, the science of masters performance, recovery, and how to train as your body changes.
Ike Lacey Apr 29, 2026
Read MoreGear & Tech
What ultra runners actually carry vs what stays in the drop bag. A gear-by-gear breakdown of mandatory kit, dead weight, and pack organization.
Ike Lacey Apr 28, 2026
Read MoreMotivation
Named mental frameworks ultra runners use when the brain says stop. The pain cave, the 10-minute rule, chunking, mantras, and reframing pain.
Ike Lacey Apr 23, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Your ultra race splits, heart rate, and pace data hold the forensic evidence of where you left time. Here's how to read them.
Ike Lacey Apr 22, 2026
Read MoreTraining
A 6-metric framework to measure if your back-to-back long runs are producing adaptations. Track ultra training effectiveness using Strava data.
Ike Lacey Apr 21, 2026
Read MoreTraining
The 5 numbers ultra runners should check every Monday. Learn which weekly training metrics actually predict race readiness and injury risk.
Ike Lacey Apr 16, 2026
Read MoreRunning Science
Science-based recovery timelines after ultramarathons. How long to rest after a 50K, 50-miler, 100K, or 100-miler, and when to start running again.
Ike Lacey Apr 14, 2026
Read MoreInjury Prevention
Spot overtraining before it sidelines you. Learn the 7 warning signs ultra runners miss and how to monitor training load without guessing.
Ike Lacey Apr 9, 2026
Read MoreInjury Prevention
The 6 daily habits that keep high-mileage ultra runners healthy. Science-backed injury prevention for 50K to 100-mile training.
Ike Lacey Apr 8, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
How altitude affects ultra performance and a practical prep plan for sea level runners racing above 5,000 feet. Acclimatization, pacing, and fueling tips.
Ike Lacey Apr 7, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Specific real food options ultra runners use during 50-mile and 100-mile races. Includes what to carry, what to grab at aid stations, and when to eat what.
Ike Lacey Apr 2, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
How much sodium you actually need per hour during an ultra, how to test your sweat rate, and how to avoid hyponatremia. Science-backed hydration guide.
Ike Lacey Apr 1, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
A week-by-week gut training protocol for ultra runners. Build race-day nutrition tolerance so your stomach cooperates at mile 60.
Ike Lacey Mar 31, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
How to calculate your calorie targets and build a nutrition plan for 50K to 100-mile ultras. Includes a per-hour fueling framework.
Ike Lacey Mar 26, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
A clear decision framework for when to drop from an ultramarathon and how to process a DNF without regret. Physical, mental, and contextual factors.
Ike Lacey Mar 25, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
The complete guide to crewing and pacing an ultramarathon. Gear checklists, aid station tactics, night pacing tips, and the mistakes that cost runners hours.
Ike Lacey Mar 24, 2026
Read MoreTraining
How to train for, gear up, and mentally survive the dark hours of a 100-mile ultramarathon. Practical strategies from sports science and race experience.
Ike Lacey Mar 19, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Learn power hiking technique, when to hike vs run, and how to train the skill that saves your legs and wins ultramarathons. Free training tips inside.
Ike Lacey Mar 17, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Road runner going off-road? Learn the gear, technique, and training shifts you need for a safe, fun transition to trail running.
Ike Lacey Mar 17, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Racing 50Ks, 50-milers, and 100s in one year? Learn how to structure your ultra season with A/B/C race tiers, recovery blocks, and smart periodization.
Ike Lacey Mar 12, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Break your 5K PR with proven workouts, race-day execution tips, and a data-driven approach to finding your realistic goal pace.
Ike Lacey Mar 11, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Negative splits, even splits, or positive splits, which pacing strategy leads to a faster race? The science, the tradeoffs, and when to trust the plan.
Ike Lacey Mar 10, 2026
Read MoreTraining
Your road PR means nothing on trails. Learn why pace drops 10-20%, how to set realistic trail goals, and why effort matters more than splits.
Ike Lacey Mar 10, 2026
Read MoreRace Prep
Master the marathon taper: cut mileage correctly, keep intensity, and arrive at the start line fit, fresh, and ready to PR. Week-by-week guide.
Ike Lacey Mar 9, 2026
Read MoreGear & Tech
Strava tracks your runs, but it won't warn you about injury risk, predict your race time, or build your next training plan. Here's what's missing.
Ike Lacey Mar 8, 2026
Read MoreRunning Science
What really happens when AI builds your running plan. The data, the logic, the limits -- and what to look for in a good one.
Ike Lacey Mar 8, 2026
Read More
