Koop Jason - Training essentials for ultrarunning: how to train smarter, race faster, and maximize your ultramarathon performance

Copyright 2016 by CTS

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The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

Names: Koop, Jason, author. | Rutberg, Jim.

Title: Training essentials for ultrarunning : how to train smarter, race faster, and maximize your ultramarathon performance / Jason Koop with Jim Rutberg.

Description: Boulder, Colorado : VeloPress, [2016] | Distributed in the United States and Canada by Ingram Publisher ServicesT.p. verso. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015048379 (print) | LCCN 2016007183 (ebook) | ISBN 9781937715458 (Paperback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781937716806 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Marathon runningTraining. | Ultra running.

Classification: LCC GV1065.17.T73 K66 2016 (print) | LCC GV1065.17.T73 (ebook) | DDC 796.42/52dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015048379

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For Liz, the best crew chief I could ever ask for

CONTENTS

When I first met Jason Koop, I was skeptical. He had been assigned to train and prepare me to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. What could this ultra rookie, from an organization that specialized in training cyclists, possibly teach me? Id completed many ultramarathons, including the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run and the grueling 135-mile Badwater ultramarathon, without a coach. How could Koop help me?

The answer surprised me. Koop began by assessing my current training program and diet. Without being pushy or overbearing, he suggested ways that I might adjust my routine and practices to improve my endurance and overall level of fitness. I was reluctant at first, but what he was saying made sense. I was largely self-coached at the time, as there wasnt a lot of information about training and preparation for ultrarunning in 2006. Much of what Id learned was through conversations with other runners at various events or by attempting to scale existing marathon training programs for ultrarunning.

Much has changed since that time. Ultrarunning has experienced a boom in popularity, and the number of participants and events has multiplied exponentially. A whole new generation of ultrarunners has emerged, and the level of energy and excitement is like never before. However, there still remains a dearth of reputable and vetted training resources that have demonstrated proven results. Until now.

Training Essentials for Ultrarunning is a breakthrough work that brings together sound scientific principles and years of coaching experience to create the definitive training manual of our time. An elite runner, and now an accomplished ultramarathoner himself, Koop is uniquely qualified to author such a work. He taps into his extensive background, experience, and formal professional training to create a resource that is comprehensive and complete, covering everything from proper fueling and hydration to technology and data tracking. The book is logically organized into chapters that provide rich context and perspective, flowing naturally from one section to the next in a hierarchy that builds the readers knowledge and insight, with key lessons and practical advice peppered throughout.

Yet you dont have to be an elite ultramarathoner to benefit from this bookit speaks to people of all ages and abilities. Training Essentials for Ultrarunning draws upon the expertise of some of the sports top athleteswith contributions from the likes of Dylan Bowman, Kaci Lickteig, and Dakota Jonesbestowing upon the reader the lessons and practices of these remarkable athletes. Koop does a masterful job of translating how you can use the advice of these champions to better your performance, whether youre a front-of-the-packer or just starting out.

A timely work, Training Essentials for Ultrarunning offers a comprehensive look at the state of the sport as it stands today, examining everything from popular North American ultras to the everyday demands of the sport. Koop offers practical advice for ultrarunners managing the demands of everyday life along with a sport that commands its own brand of toughness and perseverance. He provides an inclusive road map for training, nutrition, hydration, and environmental factorssuch as heat or coldalong with a proprietary ADAPT strategy for problem-solving and decision-making. As I have experienced firsthand, such knowledge can help build confidence and self-assurance, two qualities that are invaluable in finding the courage to start an ultra and summoning the strength to finish one.

Having worked with Coach Koop, and having known him for many years, I can attest to his passion and devotion as a coach and trainer. He takes his responsibility seriously and is a student of science-based logic, constantly seeking and researching the latest studies and trends in the field of endurance sports. Koop lives for this stuff and is tireless in his quest for more information and greater insight, which he applies to his profession and to his own racing career.

Where once there was only anecdotal inferences and self-prescription, now there is a complete resource for ultrarunners, one that is vetted and proven. And having such information doesnt take the fun out of it; on the contrary, it makes running and racing all the better. Whether youre an aspiring ultrarunner looking to tackle your first race or a veteran looking to take your training and fitness to the next level, Training Essentials for Ultrarunning positively belongs on your bookshelf and is sure to remain there for the long run.

Dean Karnazes

There is nothing like the experience of finishing an ultramarathon. As the final miles click by, theres a lot of time to think about how far youve come, not just over the past day or two but also through the months of training and lifetime of experiences that led to that moment. As a runner, I have been fortunate to experience the final rush of emotion that seems to sweep us over the finish line, and as a coach, I have had the privilege of experiencing it again and again with the athletes I work with.

The beauty of ultrarunning is its accessibility; ours is a sport that is open to everyone. But the sheer magnitude of 50- and 100-mile races is intimidating to many, and for a long time information about preparing for ultramarathons has been hard to find and largely based on it worked for me anecdotes. This is the problem I set out to address when I started coaching ultrarunners more than a decade ago.

What Ive learned, and what I hope to teach in the following pages, is: Training for ultrarunning isnt as complicated as it may seem, and theres a logical progression that yields measurable and meaningful improvements regardless of your starting point. Im not here to make ultrarunning easy; its not. Instead, Ive devoted my career to applying sound sports science and effective coaching methods to the unique demands presented by ultradistance running so you can push yourself farther and have more fun every step of the way.