Ultra Trail Mastery: Ellie Greenwood’s Training Secrets and Race‑Day Strategies
I still remember the first time I missed a turn on a familiar trail and ended up sprinting uphill for three minutes, heart hammering, only to realise I’d completely mis‑judged my effort. The sun was low, the forest floor was slick with autumn leaves, and I was convinced I was ahead of the pack. In reality I was simply out of sync with my own body – a feeling every runner knows too well.
Story Development
That moment stuck with me. It wasn’t a spectacular race‑day drama; it was a quiet, solo run that forced me to ask: how can I stop guessing and start listening? Over the past year I’ve experimented with a simple but powerful concept – personalised pacing. Instead of relying on a generic “run at 10 mph” or “keep a steady heart‑rate”, I began to map my own physiological sweet spot and let that guide every kilometre.
Concept Exploration
The science behind pace zones
Research shows that the body operates most efficiently at a lactate threshold – the intensity where lactate production begins to outpace clearance. Training at this threshold improves aerobic capacity while keeping fatigue manageable. For most recreational runners, the threshold sits somewhere between 70 % and 85 % of maximal heart‑rate, but the exact point varies with fitness, terrain, and even sleep quality.
A 2020 study in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that runners who trained using individualized pace zones saw a 12 % improvement in race performance compared with those who trained by perceived effort alone. The key is not the number on the watch, but the relationship between that number and how you feel on the day.
Why it matters for self‑coaching
When you own your own pace zones, you become the coach. You set clear, data‑backed targets, watch real‑time feedback, and adjust on the fly. No longer do you need a friend to shout “push now!” – your body tells you.
Practical Application
Step‑by‑step self‑coaching with personalised pacing
- Establish your baseline – Run a 5‑minute time trial on flat ground. Record average heart‑rate and perceived effort. This is your reference point.
- Define three zones
- Easy (Zone 1): 60‑70 % of max HR – for recovery runs.
- Threshold (Zone 2): 70‑85 % – the sweet spot for tempo and interval work.
- Hard (Zone 3): 85‑95 % – short, high‑intensity bursts.
- Use adaptive training – As weeks pass, let the zones shift automatically based on your latest test. If your threshold heart‑rate drops, the zones move lower, keeping the work relative to your current fitness.
- Leverage real‑time feedback – During a run, glance at your wrist only to confirm you’re still in the intended zone. If you drift, adjust cadence or effort.
- Create a collection of custom workouts – Build a library of runs that target each zone (e.g., “Trail Tempo 6 mi at Zone 2”). Over time you’ll see which workouts deliver the biggest gains.
- Share with the community – Post your zone data and workout notes to a local running forum. Seeing how others hit the same zones on similar terrain can spark new ideas and keep you accountable.
Subtle nod to useful features
All of the above works seamlessly when you have tools that let you set personalised pace zones, adapt training plans as you improve, and deliver real‑time feedback on each run. A collection of custom workouts means you never have to reinvent a session, and sharing those sessions with fellow runners builds a supportive community around the same philosophy.
Closing & Workout
The beauty of running is that it rewards curiosity. By turning the vague feeling of “I’m going too hard” into a concrete, data‑driven zone, you gain confidence, avoid burnout, and watch your mileage translate into speed.
Ready to try it? Here’s a simple, zone‑focused workout you can slot into any week:
Trail Tempo + Intervals (6 mi total)
- 1 mi easy (Zone 1) – warm‑up on gentle trail.
- 3 mi at threshold (Zone 2) – aim for a steady heart‑rate 75 % of max; focus on consistent effort, not exact speed.
- 2 × 0.5 mi hard (Zone 3) with 2 min jog between – push the heart‑rate into the 85‑90 % range, then recover.
- Cool‑down 1 mi easy (Zone 1).
Track your heart‑rate, note how you felt in each zone, and after a few weeks compare the data. You’ll likely notice a clearer sense of effort, a happier body, and faster runs.
Happy running – and if you want to explore more zone‑based sessions, consider building a collection of similar workouts that you can pull from whenever you need a focused training day.
References
- Ellie Greenwood, 2014 Chuckanut 50k Champion, Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
- Rory Bosio Pre-2015 TNF EC 50 Mile Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
- Ellie Greenwood Post-2015 TNF EC 50 Mile Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
- Ellie Greenwood’s favourite trail workout - Canadian Running Magazine (Blog)
- 2015 The North Face 50 Mile Championships Women’s Preview – iRunFar (Blog)
- Ellie Greenwood Pre-2015 TNF EC 50 Mile Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
- Ellie Greenwood 2011 TNF 50 Mile Post-Race Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
- Ellie Greenwood, 2014 Squamish 50k Champion, Interview – iRunFar (Blog)
Collection - The Ultra-Endurance Kickstart
Segmented Threshold
View workout details
- 15min @ 6'30''/km
- 4 lots of:
- 6min @ 4'52''/km
- 2min rest
- 12min @ 6'30''/km
Recovery Run
View workout details
- 5min @ 6'45''/km
- 30min @ 6'45''/km
- 5min @ 6'45''/km
Long Run with Tempo Finish
View workout details
- 5min @ 8'30''/km
- 60min @ 6'08''/km
- 15min @ 5'20''/km
- 5min @ 8'30''/km
to import the collection after you install it.
