Are time goals for races a help or a hinderance ?
Is setting a goal time and then working out splits to achieve along the way the best way to approach a race? Is time the best means of measuring your success? A goal can be defined as “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result”. Is the finishing time really […]
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 […]
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?
TNF100 – Was your training specific?
The TNF100 is over for another year and the combination of 100km with a LOT of stairs, single technical tracks and big climbs and descents caught many a runner unprepared. Two weeks on and many runners are already planning how they can come back and improve their time or finally make it to the finish […]
Hardmoors 2010 lives up to its name
Saturday approx 3am Guisborough Woods, 49 miles covered, race time approx 10 hours The darkness envelopes me as I run silently through the forest, only the beam from my headtorch illuminating the trail. It is cold but not uncomfortably so, five layers of clothing, two beanies and a pair of gloves are doing their job […]
The Pennine 100 Challenge 2008
From a race with 2300 competitors in 2007 in the UTMB, things were a little different on a wet windy weekend in the Peak District for this tough 100 miler. The gale force wind cut through my five layers of clothing causing an involuntary shiver. The continuous rain over the last 15 hours had long […]
The Ultra Trail du Mt Blanc 2007
UTMB 2007 Without any audible noise the race has begun. I stand unmoving waiting for the runners ahead to move forward through the narrow streets of Chamonix to allow me some space to start running. There is over 2300 runners all packed into a very small area behind the start line, each runner with a […]
The West Highland Way 2006
Rannoch Moor. The vast expanse of Britian’s largest uninhabited wilderness surrounds me. I am all alone save for the peaks of the magnificent Scottish Highlands that can be seen in every direction. Its 4pm Saturday 24th June, I have been going since 1am this morning and am now walking, my legs rebelling against the brains […]