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 […]

Sodium – do we need it?

The ability to measure our sodium losses in sweat during exercise has led some to thinking that we need to replace at least some of what we lose in sweat to ensure our blood sodium levels don’t fall to levels that effect performance or health. The thinking goes that somewhere between 230-1700mg of sodium can […]

Fuelling for optimum performance in ultras

One of the main reasons for a DNF in an ultra is nausea and vomiting (23% of DNFs at the 2009 WSER were for this reason). Even among those that finished, up to 40% of the Western States field experienced nausea and or vomiting that affected race performance. Stomach problems can sabotage all the hard […]

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 […]

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 […]

Does dehydration impair endurance performance?

For many years we have been lead to believe that a dehydration level of more than 2% will negatively affect performance and therefore we should drink to limit dehydration to this level. This advice has even been given out by coaches and trainers for years and was the official recommendation of the American College of […]

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 […]

Hoka One One – marketing hype or running shoe revolution?

Ever since Hoka One One was launched a few years ago it has divided runners opinions – depending on who you speak to its either a revolutionary shoe or a fad that will disappear with time. Since they were launched right at the height of the minimalist shoe trend they stood out amongst the zero […]

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 […]