First Ultra in April (50k) – Training plan & balancing with skiing?

Hi all,

Long-time lurker, first-time poster! I finally signed up for my first ultra in April, the Outlands 50k (3500 feet of elevation). My goals are simple: 1. stay injury-free and 2. have fun.

I got into running about 2-3 years ago after discovering Spartan Races. To get more competitive, I focused on improving my running and fell in love with it. I’d consider myself an intermediate runner now. My first half marathon was in March (1h28min), and I’ve run similar distances (up to ~30km) on trails a few times since.

I took a break in December but am back to running ~30km/20mi per week in Zone 2 (5:30-6:30min/km or 9-10:30min/mi) over four runs. Back when training for the HM I'd do 5 runs with intervals, threshold, 2 easy, 1 long. My quads took a week to recover after the race.

I’d love advice on:

  1. A good training plan for my background and goals.

  2. How to balance training with skiing (planning to ski two weekends a month). I know downhill skiing isn’t ideal cross-training, but I’m hoping to make it work.

Thanks in advance for any tips!