10 Mistakes I Made Training for My First Ultra Marathon

When I trained for my first ultra, I made a lot of the classic “everyday runner” mistakes — not because I was lazy or didn’t care, but because I didn’t know what actually mattered yet.

Some of those mistakes cost me energy, confidence, and a bit of skin. Others could have turned into injuries if I hadn’t adjusted in time. The good news is: you don’t need to repeat them.

Here are 10 mistakes I made training for my first ultra marathon, and what I’d do differently if I were starting again from zero.

Mistake 1: Treating Ultra Training Like a Longer Marathon Plan

At first I thought, “I’ll just take a marathon plan and stretch it.” I kept trying to hit paces, obsess over splits, and chase “perfect” workouts.

The problem? Ultras reward durability, not speed. I was wasting mental energy worrying about pace instead of building the ability to keep moving for hours.

What I’d do instead

Think in time on feet, not just distance and pace.
Use pace as a reference, not a target to force on every run.
Judge a week by how well I recovered and adapted, not by one “hero” session.

Mistake 2: Increasing Volume Too Quickly

I jumped my weekly volume too fast because I was excited and wanted to “catch up” to what I thought “proper” ultra runners were doing. On paper, it looked impressive. In reality, I was flirting with overuse injuries.

Warning signs I ignored

Always feeling slightly beat up, never truly fresh.
Easy runs quietly drifting faster and faster.
Random niggles in places that had never hurt before.

What I’d do instead

Follow the 10% rule loosely: average increases over a few weeks, not week-by-week spikes.
Every 3–4 weeks, step back total volume to let my body absorb the work.
Track how I feel (sleep, mood, soreness) alongside mileage.

Mistake 3: Treating “Easy” Runs as “Not Important”

I treated easy runs as the boring filler between “real workouts.” I’d speed them up out of impatience or a sense that I wasn’t doing enough.

That’s backwards. Easy runs are where you actually adapt. When they’re too hard, everything else starts to crumble.

What I’d do instead

Set a heart rate or effort cap and stick to it, even if it feels painfully slow.
Remind myself: today’s easy run is an investment in tomorrow’s long run.
Treat comfortable, conversational runs as a non‑negotiable part of the plan.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Strength Training (Again)

I’d dipped in and out of strength work for years, always dropping it when life got busy. For my first ultra, I told myself I’d “do it when I have time” — which meant I almost never did.

Predictably, my calves and hips complained first.

What I’d do instead

Commit to 2 x 20–30 minutes per week, no more, no less:
- Squats or goblet squats
- Deadlifts or Romanian deadlifts (light–moderate)
- Lunges or step-ups
- Calf raises
- Simple core (planks, side planks, dead bugs)
Accept that “short but consistent” beats “big but sporadic.”

Mistake 5: Underestimating Downhills

I worried a lot about climbs and elevation gain — and hardly thought about what all those descents would do to my quads.

My first long runs on technical downhills left my legs absolutely wrecked. It wasn’t fitness; it was eccentric load I hadn’t prepared for.

What I’d do instead

Include regular downhill repeats on gentle slopes to condition my quads.
Practice running downhill with good form: relaxed upper body, short quick steps.
Mix in strength work that includes eccentric focus (slow lowering in squats, step-downs).

Mistake 6: Practising Fuelling Too Late

I left fuelling practice until deep into the plan, thinking, “I’ll figure it out on the big runs.” That’s a great way to discover what your stomach hates… 3 hours from home.

Problems this created

GI discomfort on key long runs.
Decision paralysis at aid stations.
Mini energy crashes when I waited too long to eat.

What I’d do instead

Start experimenting with gels/chews/real food on long runs early in the plan.
Aim for 30–50 g of carbs per hour and adjust based on how I feel.
Test different electrolyte drinks well before race day.
Treat every long run as a dress rehearsal: eat, drink, walk briefly, then run.

Mistake 7: Ignoring Small Gear Issues

A slightly rubbing seam. A sock that felt “off.” A vest strap that dug into my collarbone. I told myself to toughen up.

On one long run, those “tiny” issues turned into raw, bloody patches that made me cut the run short.

What I’d do instead

Stop early to adjust laces, socks, or vest the moment something feels off.
Use body lube/tape proactively on known hot spots.
Do at least a few long runs in full race kit, from shoes to vest to bottles.

Mistake 8: Letting Social Media (and Strava) Set My Paces

I fell into the trap of chasing paces and distances that looked “impressive” when shared. If yesterday’s long run was 28 km, maybe today’s needed to be faster to feel like progress.

That’s not training; that’s performing for an imaginary audience.

What I’d do instead

Decide my paces and distances before I look at anyone else’s training.
Make peace with ugly GPS files: weird routes, slow paces, walk breaks.
Remember: the goal is to arrive at the start line healthy, not to win Strava segments.

Mistake 9: Skipping Recovery Because I “Felt Fine”

If I wasn’t sore, I assumed I didn’t need to bother with stretching, foam rolling, or proper sleep. For a while, I got away with it — until I didn’t.

Fatigue snuck up on me in the second half of the plan.

What I’d do instead

Build a simple 10–15 minute post‑run routine:
- Easy stretching for calves, hamstrings, hips, quads
- A bit of foam rolling where needed
- A quick check‑in: where feels tight or “off”?
Protect sleep as seriously as a long run.
Take niggles seriously when they last more than a few days.

Mistake 10: Neglecting the Mental Side of Ultras

I did a lot of physical training, but I arrived at race day with a very fuzzy mental plan. When things got hard, I didn’t have many tools beyond “try not to quit.”

What I’d do instead

Practise breaking the distance into chunks in training: next hill, next 5K, next aid station.
Use simple mantras on tough runs (“strong and steady”, “just this climb”).
Rehearse “low points” in my head: walk, eat, drink, reset, start running again.
Finish some long runs intentionally slow, to get used to moving on tired legs without panicking.

Bringing It All Together

Looking back, none of these mistakes were catastrophic. They were just the normal missteps of an everyday runner trying something big for the first time. But each one cost me something — confidence, energy, or comfort — that I didn’t need to lose.

If you’re training for your first ultra:

Build up gradually and respect recovery
Treat fuelling and gear like skills, not afterthoughts
Train your mindset as deliberately as your legs
Remember that the goal isn’t a “perfect” training log, it’s arriving on race day healthy, prepared, and excited

You don’t need to avoid every mistake I made to have a great first ultra. But if this helps you dodge even one or two of them, you’ll arrive at the start line with a little more confidence — and finish line photos that show a runner who still looks like they’re glad to be there.