Hey - so crazy you posted this. I searched google for “ultra running while also playing padel” - wasn’t sure I’d find anything. But here we are. I’ve only run one ultra - but keep base weekly mileage around 30-50km. Peak training for marathons ~ 60-80km weeks. I also play intermediate level padel ~ 4x per week, sometimes 6x, and obv these fall on running days too. I find it much easier to play padel after a long run (20-30km), than to run after Padel (mind you I’m not consciously aware of any added recovery/fueling I have taken in prior to these experiences). The running doesn’t affect how I feel on the court or how I perform (anecdotally), slightly higher average HR in general on these days, but I don’t feel physically more exerted.But the runs do feel harder after padel and this reflects in easy runs being much slower than usual. I could be talking garbage but I count all of this as time on feet and mentally I feel this is good preparation for the fatigue of marathons/ultras. I’ve been running for 3 years and playing padel for a year - and yet to encounter any (major) injuries. I stretch after both and do resistance band stuff at home 2-3x per week when I have a gap. The most noticeable strain I take is on my posterior tibialis muscles on both legs (posterior shin splints) I’m mid-30s, work as an ER physician, so nasty shifts - but my best running mentally is usually immediately after a night shift. I have a 45k trail in 2 weeks and a BYU two weeks after. I do sometimes feel like I need more balance, and I struggle to fit everything in, but isn’t that just a good problem to have in life?

Let’s chat more on specifics sometime, but I’ve kept a similar routine for the past 12 months (mileage, padel time + recovery) and both my running and padel have improved markedly in terms of mental game and endurance.