My 2 Year Ultramarathon Journey | From Injuries To Success 

Thanks Phil. That's such great advice! I know some of the experienced ultra runners did that at the SDW100.

Yeah bro that’s a great idea!

Start last, then you feel good as you overtake lots of other runners….hopefully

@@markthomasson5077 the hope is just stay running stronger for longer.

​@trailrunningphil But passing people isn't a bad hope either. 😉

Congrats on the 50k! Yeah definitely! Hills make such a big difference with ultras. Always worth looking at the race elevation before signing up. I haven't done a big mountain ultra yet where the hills are crazy. Definitely need to get more strength before I try one!

Thanks! Good luck with your first marathon and 50k! I hope you love the journey to 100 miles!

AND it'll make you appreciate it even more when you get back!!!! Hoping that's very soon for you!!

I hope the chest infection clears up soon! Definitely all about the long game. I'm currently taking a period of 6 months just to train without races. No rush to push the body too far.

You're welcome! Good luck with your race. Just remember to pace it conservatively and you'll have a lovely time! I'm sure you'll love it!

So kind of you to say! I would definitely recommend going for a 100 miler. Running in the night is far less scary when you're in an event and you're experiencing it with other runners!

Thanks George! It's always half way when you feel it 😅 Yeah, I'll have a think about the nutrition video. I think pacing does play a factor in how many calories you need for an ultra. The harder you run, the quick you'll burn through carbs and the hard it is to get enough calories down.

I think the faster you run, the more sensitive your digestion can be, too? I'm a slow runner, and enjoy nothing more than a big bowl of Mac n cheese with kielbasa, grilled cheese with bacon, etc. My advice is honestly that you need to eat what you like, and what will get calories in. One race, it was extremely hot and humid, and my stomach was feeling poorly beforehand. All I wanted was fried chicken, coke, and raspberry danish... not my normal healthy fair. I hit the grocery store on the way, and fueled the brutal hot hilly 50k on that! 😂 In another, i ate an entire bag of Pepperidge Farm cookies. I just tried something new before each of my long runs, especially whatever is listed on the race menu. They're supplying quesadillas and PBJ? I'll try that just to be sure I can handle it. Have fun with it, food should be one of the enjoyable parts! The only race I had serious stomach pain and GI issues in, I tried to take my nutrition "seriously", with regularly spaced gels. Never again. Bring on the yummy food!

Amazing! I hope the race goes well this weekend! Very exciting! I hope the journey to 100k and 100 miles goes well for you!

I'm glad you liked it! Well done on doing your first ultra. I hope the race goes well!

Haha totally understand that! I lived in Greece for 3 summers on Lemnos and Lesvos and I have no idea how you train through those months!

Thanks Neil! Cheviot Goat looks like a beast of a race! Good luck! Looks like great fun.

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video!

Thanks! Good luck with your journey. It really is a special experience!

Glad it was useful! Good luck with the 100k on Saturday! Hopefully you're tapered, rested and ready to go!

@jamesday1 Thanks, I feel like I'm ready for this run. It'll be a hot day, but I'll still have fun😉

Thanks Grant! Good luck with your race! Thanks for sharing as well 🙂

Thanks! I really hope you have a great experience with your first ultra!

Thanks! It's definitely achievable! Good luck with your journey into ultras!

Nice! Good luck with your first ultra! The lakes are an amazing place for long distance running. I'm heading up there in a few weeks for a Christmas break.

@@jamesday1 I d’éther 55k last summer, will give the 100k next year. The 55 was relatively easy, as the cut offs so generous you could walk it. ps, I am from the Scottish Highlands, so the Lakes are a bit tame!

Thanks!

Amazing! Good luck with the 80k! Such a great distance!

Thanks! I've got a few videos in progress and 1 being edited so hopefully should be finished in a week or so!

Thanks Dan!

Thanks Ken!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks!

Thanks! The 100k was around 1800m elevation with most of the hills in the first half of the race. Not super hilly for a 100k event.

Thanks Davey! Yeah, I think I planned to run 50k but only ended up doing 40k. I think that you could definitely get away with running less but I got a lot of confidence from the 40k long run.

That's amazing Jane! Congrats on your first 50k! Doing that after having cancer is seriously impressive. Good luck with your 73k!

That's amazing, what an effort congrats 🎉

Wow, I don't like reusing other people's words, but amazing and inspirational are all I got!! Best wishes, I hope you'll update us!

Thanks for following the journey Danny! Really appreciate your support.

Do you have a gps watch? Some of them have a function where you can share your location in real time. Maybe the race organiser will give you a tracker which your partner can track on their website

Good luck with your first ultra! Two main ways I've seen are via the race organiser having a tracking website, or using a watch/phone with a live track feature. Centurion races have a tracking device on each runner so spectators can see exactly where the runner is. Others just have timing mats at aid stations. Alternatively, my garmin has a live track feature, and other watches have a similar feature. Or strava subscription I believe has a beacon feature you can use. A few options. Hopefully that helps!

Thanks! Good luck with your first marathon and ultra next year! I hope you have a great time!

Absolutely resonate with that! I think my motivations are petty selfish but I love running so I make sure to prioritise it.

How exactly do people find motivation in doing for their loved ones? I’m not sure how doing something like this helps them…

I'd love to see the scientific data that you base this on.

@@anfallwotlk9797 Oh gosh the research was quoted on one of physiotherapist Brodie Sharpe’s Run Smarter podcasts , and I think it’s in his book too if I remember correctly… if I come across the episode and/or chapter I’ll come back and let you know!!

Good question! I don't think I could handle the heat of Badwater! I'm looking at some harder 100 mile ultras like Kullamannen. I'd also like to try some other formats like a backyard ultra, a track 24 hour race and maybe a mountain ultra.

Thanks! Good luck with your 50 miler. I use a Gopro on the runs. It's a model from a few years ago but still shoots in 5k so it's pretty high resolution and the video stabilisation is amazing for running.

Thanks Roland! I'd definitely recommend it! I've loved my journey so far.

Thanks Conrad! Good luck with your first 50k! LtB 100k looks like a great race. Definitely one I'd like to do at some point!

Amazing! All great races! Good luck with the Hurtwood 50k! Hope the training is going well.

Thanks! Congrats on your first ultra distance run! Has it made you want to do more?

@@jamesday1 I think with some time to train I do a 50 miler 🤞🤞 next year maybe, but I want to finish a full Ironman first! 👍🤞

Thanks Tom! Well done with the 105km Ultra!

Thanks! 100k after 1 year of running is seriously impressive! Congrats!

Amazing result for your first marathon! I would definitely recover from the marathon first. You'll be surprised at how much damage your body takes during a marathon that isn't instantly obvious. I think I took 2 weeks off running after my first marathon. Take at least a full week off running so you're avoiding any injuries.

@@jamesday1 thanks for the advice James! 🙏

Thanks Melanie! Totally agree! It's all about enjoying the experience!

Thanks! Good luck with your journey! Lakeland 100 looks like an amazing race!

Thanks Billy! Glad you're enjoying the videos!

@@jamesday1 do you just use your watch or do you use a heart rate chest strap?

I just use my watch personally. I know when it's not 100% accurate or when there is likely a delay. From what I've seen, the difference between wrist and chest is fairly small and the chest strap has less of a delay when the intensity changes compared to the wrist. I've struggled to justify spending the money on a chest strap.

Haha it's all relative! I remember going through the same journey of building up to 15k. I hope your 15k goes well!

@@jamesday1 thanks! I ran for 1,5 hours today, longest I've ever run. I really want to get into ultra's one day I love just being out there for a long time. No phone, no music, no people. Just me and my footsteps 👌 so I'm building up sloooooowly

Congrats on your longest run! Always so satisfying extending out the long runs! Feels great to switch off without distractions. Slowly building is definitely the best way. Build up your endurance, fitness and strength over time. No need to rush 🙂

Amazing! Good luck with your first 100! I hope you love it!

Thanks! It was definitely a lot hotter than I expected! Well done on getting it finished. We picked a brutal day for our first 100 miler 😅

Hi Paul, I've been looking at some long mountain ultras but not sure I'm ready for UTMB yet. I had been looking at the Swedish UTMB race called Kullamannen. 100 miles in sweden in the winter. Possibly looking at that race for next year. Then maybe find some shorter mountain races like CCC or Lavaredo.

Thanks Gerome! Good luck with your ultra journey!

Thanks! Good luck with your 50 miler!

Thanks! Yeah, Centurion races are great. Very cool! Winchester is a great city for trail running. I've met a surprising number of ultra runners who live here!

Nice! The New Forest Marathon is definitely on my list to do at some point. My training has evolved over the years. I've used a mix of plans and books to understand different approaches and then adapted it to find what works best for me. I would recommend starting with a training plan but don't feel like you need to stick to it if certain elements don't work for you. You can get some free plans online, or I've always found Ben Parkes plans on his website to be a good starting point.

Thanks Bev! I really appreciate your support along the way! Can't agree more on comparison. I struggle with that a lot - especially with running where it sometimes feels like you can put in more work but get less out than others. But the journey and the enjoyment of running is so much more important. I think everyone struggles with this to some level.

Thanks! My choice of black running gear during the SDW100 was definitely questionable 😅 90% of my clothes (incl. running gear) are black hence why I'm wearing black t-shirts in most of my race videos. I definitely need to invest in some white running gear for the heat! Glad the 50k went well and good luck with your next challenge!

@@jamesday1 thank you for the reply. my next event is in 5 weeks and it's a 50k again if it's not too cheeky could I have some tips on racing 2 so close together?

Yeah definitely! I would focus on recovery. Don't rush back to training to early. With a 5 week gap, you won't gain much fitness, so focus on maintaining. Return to training once your body is ready and focus on keeping in shape. Any high stress workouts like speed work or extra long long-runs will massively increase the chance of injury. You've got the fitness for 50k, so just focus on getting to the next race injury free!

@@jamesday1 thank you. I am focusing on recovery at the moment. I think the 50k coming up is an easier course than the last one so I am hoping that will help as well.

Thanks! Good luck with your first ultra! I'm sure you'll love it!

Yeah definitely! Our bodies get conditioned for certain types of running and any change introduces new stress. I probably should have eased into the hills more slowly.

Good question. I think part of it is luck. Some people are more susceptible to injuries than others. But there are definitely things you can do to reduce the risk of injury. I don't do much stretching or strength training - I should do more to be honest. My biggest recommendation is to steadily and consistently build up your running over the long term. I started running 7 years ago. In the first year I only ran 20k a week. I then slowly built up my volume each week. After a few years, my body could comfortably handle 100k per week. Any new stress on the body increases the risk of injury. Stress comes in many forms - more running, different terrain (trails, road), faster running (speed sessions, strength training, races, diet, life stress. Try to limit the amount of new stress you are adding each week. Also make sure you focus on good recovery. If your muscles are tight or fatigued, ease off the training for a week until you feel fresh again. Hopefully the stress fracture recovers soon!

Sorry to hear that! It's never fun when an injury stops you running. Good luck finishing the race in April!

Cheers! Glad you enjoyed it.

Currently living in Winchester in England. Lots of beautiful countryside near us!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

Yeah, used a combination of GU and Maurten gels, tailwind drinks powder and then some more solid food for the longer races like crisps.

Thanks!

Blimey! That's a pretty serious first ultra! Good luck!

@@jamesday1 thank you! Could of picked a lighter one but I like a challenge 😅

Thanks Jon! I would highly recommend it! Spending a day out on the trails is such a rewarding experience.

Thanks! Really nice feedback! Good luck for your first marathon and ultra! I'm sure you'll love it!

Thanks David! Good luck with your first ultra! I would definitely recommend trying an ultra if you're considering it.

Congrats on running your first half! Definitely a big milestone. Slowly building up the distance over time will make it much more enjoyable and far less risk from an injury perspective. I'd recommend looking at nutrition like gels when you go beyond the half marathon distance. Topping up your carbs makes a huge difference when running further.

No worries! I hope the 50k went well this weekend!

Thanks Clifford!

Thanks! It was a pretty special day!

Thanks Neil! Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks Chris! Really appreciate that!

Glad it was useful Daniel!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks Bradley!

Ahh amazing. Congrats on getting through it as well! The heat was brutal. Have you got any other 100's planned?

@@jamesday1 Quite madly I got into Western States with my single ticket from SDW. So that'll be 100-miler number two 😅

@@edscottdotblog Amazing! What a great race for your second 100. Super lucky getting in with 1 ticket as well. I didn't even think to enter as it felt so unlikely! Hopefully you have a great race over there.

Thanks! Yeah, I just did an updated video on my current approach to training.

@@jamesday1 Awesomest man, will check it out

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks Addie!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks Lynsey!

Thanks!

Thanks Chris! Really nice of you to say!

Thanks! Glad it was useful!

Thanks Dan!

Thanks Darius!

Thanks Dan!

They are great running hats!