Challenge and Inspiration | Strength Training | Forum

Everyone on here is such a huge inspiration and the posts are incredibly informative. This site has led me to make some life changes. I have been lifting for over three weeks and to my utter amazement, I am already seeing bigger changes than I saw after two years of long distance running (40-50 miles a week). I'm hooked. I follow the diet plans on the site to the letter, dropped the alcohol, dropped cardio way, way down to no more than 30 mins at a time, lift heavy and wow…what a difference.

But….

There is one last challenge on the ole bucket list that I'd love to scratch off first before I hang my running shoes up. There is an ultra marathon in July. I will be through the 12 wk plan I am currently following by the time I would need to start picking my distance training up in May. Now the question – how badly will it set me back if I keep doing what I am doing until May and then start running 40 miles every weekend? I desperately want to do this – it's a 60K that starts at night, in South Texas heat in the middle of summer, and on dirt trails (come on, what sane person wouldn't want to do that, lol?) but I am so scared of sabotaging all the gains I hope to have by then.

So please tell me…is there anything I can do to (nutrition, etc) to be able to do this race without taking too many steps back?