The secrets to improving your hill running

Hills. Love them, or hate them, running on the trails you can’t avoid them. For many of us, they are a great excuse to walk, as we know we will spend too much energy running up them. Although walking has its place, perhaps we shouldn’t give up on running them, or at least some of […]

Are you a fair weather trail runner?

Do you look out the window watching the rain pour down and start to dread your run? Clients often ask me what to do if the weather is “bad” for a particular training session. I’m not exactly sure what “bad” weather is. If you are looking for a sport that’s only played in “good” weather […]

Heel Strike – all you need to know

There is a lot of discussion in the media and running circles about running technique, and specifically heel strike vs forefoot and the pros and cons of each. Unfortunately almost all the discussions have over simplified the topic and miss a few key points. Before I go into more explanation let me summarise by saying: […]

27 ways to improve your ultra running

Many ultrarunners I know like to keep it simple; put shoes on, head out the door and run. There is nothing wrong with that approach but if you want to improve then the body has to have the right stimulus to force it to adapt and become stronger. Elite athletes aim to leave no stone […]

Racing in the heat

Its been just over a month since I collapsed at the Great North Walk 100 miler. Recovery was relatively quick thankfully and I have spent the last few weeks researching all I can on what happened to me and how to prevent it happening again. I have also heard from many other runners who have […]

Blister prevention 101

Blisters are a common problem for many marathon and ultramarathon runners. There are many ideas for how to prevent them, some of them old wives tales and some of them have a bit more credibility. But despite the use of every remedy known to mankind some of us still suffer blisters. Maybe our understanding of […]

Observations of an Ultra Coach

What is the difference between the elite runner and the back of pack runner? Is it fitness, training, genetics, mental or some other factor? How can the rest of the field improve without putting in the miles the elite do?

How to avoid cramp – training, tapering and pickle juice

Cramp. It’s a runner’s worst nightmare. One minute you are running along feeling great, next minute you are clutching your leg trying to find a way to relieve the cramp that has taken hold of  your calf or hamstring. If this happened at the finish line it wouldn’t be such a problem, but when it […]

The long run – how long is long enough?

The long run is obviously the most important training session of the week for an ultra runner but how long should it be? I was initially of the opinion that longer was better but after building up to a long run of 75km before my first ultra and dying big time in the race I […]

Tempo running for ultrarunners

As you may have guessed from a previous blog on speed training for ultrarunners you’ll know I’m a big fan of speed training and tempo running is a great speed workout. But what is a tempo run?