Tools
Khadakwasla Ultra training plan
The full ten-week block for the 25K, 35K and 55K at Khadakwasla on 22 November 2026 — every session, the pace zones, the fuelling, and what to do on race morning.
Distance
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The Bridge to Ultras · out-and-back toward Panshet
22 November 2026 · Krushnai Resort, Donje, Pune · ten-week block, 14 Sep – 22 Nov 2026
How the block builds
The calendar
Five runs from week 2: Tuesday quality, Thursday easy, Saturday recovery, Sunday long, plus a Friday shakeout. Monday always off. Both strength days stay. The 35K is the gateway to ultras — long enough to need a fuelling plan, short enough to recover from quickly.
W0114–20 SepRe-entry at volume — four runs, all easy38km
NoteBuild the volume habit from day one. If the bridge weeks went well this should feel unremarkable.
W0221–27 SepHills in, five runs44km
NoteHill reps by effort, not pace. If Sunday's legs are still there on Tuesday, cut to three reps.
W0328 Sep – 4 OctOnly pure tempo of the block50km
Note50 km week. Sleep is the limiter from here — protect it before you protect any session.
W045–11 OctRecovery week · legs absorb35km
NoteAbsorb weeks 1–3. Downhill reps go in a recovery week on purpose — the soreness has somewhere to go.
W0512–18 OctDress rehearsal · 28 km long55km
NoteBiggest week before the peak. Log the route, note aid station locations, and test race-day kit head to toe.
W0619–25 OctDown week — sharpen into the peak40km
NoteArrive at the peak week rested, not cooked. Don't add volume.
W0726 Oct – 1 NovPeak · 28 km with race pace blocks58km
Note80 % of race distance off the highest weekly volume. Go at race effort, not faster. Bail at 22 km if it's going badly.
W082–8 NovRecovery — Diwali32km
NoteDiwali mid-week. Eat the food, move the runs. If anything still aches Tuesday, walk the whole week.
W099–15 NovSharpen · final race effort48km
NoteLast meaningful week. From here everything is subtraction. It will feel wrong — that's the taper.
W1016–22 NovTaper · race Sunday18km
NoteDown 69 % from peak. You'll feel sluggish and doubt the whole thing around Thursday. Every taper feels like that.
Pace zones
Anchored to a comfortable finish pace of 6:45/km. The terrain is rolling — heart rate wins over pace on every hill.
| Zone | Pace | Heart rate | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery | 7:45–8:30 | < 128 | Saturday, post-long run |
| Easy | 6:45–7:30 | 130–142 | Most of your weekly volume |
| Long | 6:30–7:10 | 138–148 | Sunday, first two-thirds |
| Race effort | 6:35–6:55 | 145–155 | Closing km of long runs |
| Steady | 6:00–6:25 | 150–158 | Blocks inside the long run |
| Tempo | 5:15–5:40 | 162–172 | Weeks 3 and 7 only |
Fuelling
At ~3:55, the 35K is long enough that fuelling matters. Build from one gel to race density across the block.
| Wk | Long run | Est. time | Gels | Salt tabs | Carbs/hr | Rehearsing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 km | 2:10 | 2 | 3 | 20 g/hr | Gel at 0:45 and 1:30. |
| 2 | 20 km | 2:25 | 2 | 4 | 18 g/hr | Fixed 50-min interval. |
| 3 | 24 km | 2:55 | 4 | 5 | 30 g/hr | Tighten to 40 min. First real gut test. |
| 4 | 16 km | 1:55 | 1 | 3 | 11 g/hr | Recovery week. One gel is enough. |
| 5 | 28 km | 3:25 | 6 | 6 | 39 g/hr | Dress rehearsal. Every 30 min. |
| 6 | 20 km | 2:25 | 3 | 4 | 27 g/hr | Race rate on a shorter run. |
| 7 | 28 km | 3:25 | 6 | 7 | 39 g/hr | Peak long run. Full fuelling. |
| 8 | 18 km | 2:10 | 2 | 3 | 20 g/hr | Recovery / Diwali. |
| 9 | 22 km | 2:40 | 4 | 5 | 33 g/hr | Race density stress test. |
| Race | 35 km | 3:56 | 7 | 7 | 39 g/hr | Gel every 30 min. Carry all 7. |
Race day
Pacing — sub-3:56
- 0–10 km · 7:00/km. Deliberately easy. HR under 148. Reach 10 km at 1:10.
- 10–17.5 km · 6:45/km. Settle in before the turnaround.
- 17.5–30 km · 6:40/km. The return. You know the road now — find a rhythm.
- 30–35 km · 6:50/km. Protect the legs. Push only if you have it. Finish at ~3:50.
- Hills: shorten stride on uphills, recover on flats. Don't brake on descents.
Kit
- Hydration recommended. Headlamp if starting before dawn.
- Race shoes: cushioned road shoe with 100+ km break-in. The 17.5 km village section doesn't need trail shoes.
- Carry a 500 ml soft flask + back pocket for gels.
- 7 gels, every 30 min from km 5. Salt tabs at the top and bottom of each hour.
- Test socks and anti-chafe on every run over 20 km.
This is one runner's training block for one race, published as it was written — the paces are anchored to the fitness it was built around, not to yours. Read them as the shape of the block rather than as targets, and adjust to your own threshold. It is not coaching, and it knows nothing about your injury history: talk to a professional before starting a new block.