What can trail runners learn from road runners?
We, as trail runners, gravitate to trails for a number of reasons. It might be the scenery, the lack of focus on split times and PBs, the grassroots atmosphere of trail races or simply because we prefer running in nature than on roads. But somewhere along the way I think those of us who have […]
Power meters for trail runners
What do you use to determine the intensity or pace in races or training on trails? For road runners pace is a good a metric as any to work from but pace on trails varies too much for it to be of any value. What about heart rate? Heart rate training has been around for […]
Top technique tips to help you get the most out of using poles
Running poles are common place in mountainous ultras but when you first start using them you can be left wondering what the fuss is about. They can seem more of a nuisance or hindrance than something that aids performance. A lot of that comes down to technique. Whenever I watch beginners using poles I see […]
Racing versus surviving an ultra
At some point in an ultra many of us cross the line from racing to surviving. We go from feeling confident about finishing well, feeling in control of our legs, able to run sections we think are runnable, meeting our target time, running a PB, to being resigned to just finishing, wanting it to be […]
How to choose an online running coach
As an online running coach I’m obviously a big believer that a coach is a good investment in your running. It’s not just for the elite, in fact many of my clients make up the back half of the field. If you want to take away the uncertainty of what type of training you should […]
The A, B & Cs of racing
Welcome to the blog, our newest coach, Mile 27’s Ben Duffus. Here Ben gives his thoughts on how he plans his minor and major races throughout the year to optimise his performances One of the attractions of ultramarathon running is the opportunity to explore the limits of both our body and mind. But as the […]
Fat Burning for Ultra Runners
Given an ultra takes a lot longer than 2 hours (the approximate limit of our carbohydrates to supply energy) it is clear that fat is going to be a big contributor to our energy supplies. The less effective we are at using fat for fuel the more carbohydrates we have to consume during a race […]
How to train for the mountains when you live on the flat
Trail and ultra races in the mountains are growing in popularity. The challenge of the massive climbs and descents, the stunning views and the chance to connect with nature at its most spectacular are powerful draws. But many of us also live in places where there is very little in the way of elevation. So […]
Is it all about the vert?
“It’s all about the vert” is a common catch phrase for those training for hilly ultras. But is doing lots of vertical all you need to do to perform well in an ultra with large amounts of ascent and descent? With the popularity of training software like Strava it is easy to compare the amount […]
Training for the Big Red Run (and other multi stage desert races)
The Big Red Run is the next race on my race calendar so I thought I would share how I plan to go about training for this multi stage desert race. It is a similar format to most of the multi stage desert races around the world, with 4 shorter days of 30-42km, and then […]