BACKYARD ULTRA TRAINING PLAN | 20 WEEKS | 24 HOUR TARGET
A complete 20-week build for your first 24 hours of a backyard ultra. 24 yards is 100 miles. This plan is about making the hour feel ordinary.
WHO THIS PLAN IS FOR
You have finished a 50K or longer and you want 24 yards, not a podium
You are currently running 5-7 hours a week and a 2 hour run is routine
You can commit 8-14 hours a week, peaking at a 9 yard overnight dress rehearsal
A GPS watch with heart rate, and a gym or a set of dumbbells
WHAT'S INCLUDED
20 weeks across four blocks: Foundation, Build, Peak and Taper, with three build weeks followed by one recovery week
Peak weeks of about 14 hours
A Week 1 field test that sets your personal zones, so the plan is calibrated to you rather than to a formula
Every hard session is a structured workout targeting a percentage of your threshold heart rate, so it syncs straight to your watch and paces itself - with an RPE cue in every description if you would rather run on feel
2 strength sessions a week in 4 phases: foundation, max strength, loop durability, then maintenance through the taper
BACKYARD-SPECIFIC SESSIONS
Yard blocks on your own measured 4.167 mile loop, building from 3 yards to 9
Night yard blocks, run on tired legs without a nap first
Corral and transition practice built into every block
A full overnight dress rehearsal in peak week
WEEKLY NOTES COVERING THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY DECIDE A BACKYARD
Picking a loop split you can repeat at 4 a.m.
Transition discipline and the chair problem
Fueling to 60-90 g of carbs an hour, one item every hour
Night running, caffeine and the 3 a.m. hour
Feet, socks and shoe changes
Crewing, weather, taper, race week and a full execution plan
COMMUNICATION
This plan is self-guided. Every workout explains what to do and why, and the weekly notes handle strategy. Start with the Week 1 note, then do the Week 1 field test to set your zones.
EQUIPMENT
GPS watch with heart rate that syncs to TrainingPeaks (a chest strap is recommended)
A measured 4.167 mile loop you can run from home or your car
Gym access, or dumbbells or kettlebells, a box or bench and a resistance band
Two pairs of shoes, four pairs of the same sock, and the fuel you will train with
Headlamp plus a backup light, a warm layer for the night, and a low chair
GOOD TO KNOW
Workouts are prescribed in time, not distance. Yard blocks are prescribed as total elapsed time, not running time - a 5 yard block is 5 hours from the first start to the last finish. That is how a backyard eats your day, so that is how it is written. Check your race's athlete guide for the current loop, the night loop and the rules on crew and corrals.
Ultra running coach for trail and mountain ultramarathons, 50K to 200 miles. Thirteen 200+ mile finishes including the Triple Crown of 200s, four straight Cocodona 250s with two top-fives, plus Western States, Leadville and Badwater 135. I build time-based training that fits around your life rather than replacing it. I also co-host the Distance To Empty podcast. Reach out for a free consultation to see if we're a good fit: distancetoemptypod.com