Run 4 Your Life - Ultra Running

A strange feeling, going from chasing running goals to nothing in the pipeline. I feel like I am back, it’s hard to be yourself when focusing on these achievements. A successful year of growth, I can feel I can take my running to another level, gather everything I have learnt and form a plan to get stronger.

Wow what an endurance weekend of running that was. I would thoroughly recommend The Maverick Jurassic Coast X-Trail 2026 , what a well-organised, friendly event. The scenery was out of this world and regular outposts to top up fuel never made you feel stranded for too long. I go through my lessons learnt to take forward to the next adventure. Where will this running take me.

Trying to articulate my apprehension on my upcoming mission. Mavericks Jurassic Coast 100k trail run. The anxiety is inevitable, its how we learn to deal with it. It’s only in these build up moments and events where growth actually comes from. Planning, learning and preparing is good but the action is required to experience the emotional rollercoaster. The feeling at the top of the mountain cannot be felt by reading about it. The more of these moments we have the more we expand. Ask Super Mario, he had to start and work out level one before moving on.

Tapering madness. I enjoyed the A to Z of running a couple of weeks ago. So I thought I’d do one for life in general. It made me realise how similar running is to the ups and downs of life. Lessons learnt, confidence built and skills acquired are all transferable to the main event.

Everyone complains about the availability of the big events and the expense. There is enough people to run these events hundreds of times over. If not more. Why not support local, where you will be support and welcomed as part of a community. Below are just some suggestion: Field and Forest Ultra: https://www.instagram.com/fieldsandforest_ultra_marathon?stkn=NWVvb3NxamtpZ3d2 Coastal Trail Runners: https://www.instagram.com/coastaltrailrunners?stkn=MXdwb3o1c3Bwa2htdQ== Runaway Racing: https://www.instagram.com/runawayracing?stkn=MXdsZmd6NTR3cnJ6MQ== Challenge Running: https://www.instagram.com/challengerunning?stkn=bDQzOGNzYTFhamJy Stour Valley Path: https://www.instagram.com/svp100ultra?stkn=MWR5a3Zib3RnMWpweA== Zig Zag Running: https://www.instagram.com/zigzag_running?stkn=dHFyd3V6aTY4endn Top Day Events: https://www.instagram.com/topday_events?stkn=MXM3NWlwMDJ0OXN4eg== Endurance Life: https://www.instagram.com/endurancelife?stkn=MXF4NTdzcGRqN3Q0cA== St Edmunds Pacers: https://www.instagram.com/teampacers_?stkn=enB2MGxvc2o3eGpu

To help with beginners I run through my A to Z of anything running related. From body parts to belief.

If running is your passion then this one is for you. What a pleasure to met both parts of the The Coastal Trail Runners, Dan and Hayley. I had a feeling we only discussed the tip of the iceberg. With a list of achievements between them including SVP50 & 100, The Lap, Race to the Stones, Lakeland 100, The Arc, South Downs Way 100, UTMB and the winter Spine. Great insights into ultra running, kit and training for hills. You can tell they are building more than events, but a welcoming, encouraging community. Please see below for their event list and descriptions. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coastaltrailrunners?stkn=MXdwb3o1c3Bwa2htdQ== Website: COASTAL TRAIL RUNNERS - The Fort 20

One year of podcasting, amazing how time flies. Weekly download keeping accountable. Running has become a big part of my life. It’s given me more than just fitness but confidence, friendship and a purpose.

Bit later this week due to another technical error of my part. Always keeping a challenge running helps to keep going when motivation fades. Looking back is a good way of seeing how far you have come.

Focus is back on, I learnt not to underestimate any event. Mavericks Jurassic Coast 100k trail ultra marathon is in just over 7 weeks. Time to lock in for a good strong training block. Elevation gain and weight vest back on the agenda.

Due to a technical error the story of Jules will have to wait. I talk about Last Soul backyard ultra, running the Stour Valley 50k ultra trail event and the story of Cliff Young.

What a privilege to spend time with Gary unpacking his latest challenge, running the Rat Race Castle 2 Castle 100 mile trail ultra marathon. Running from Edinburgh castle to Glamis castle. We discussed the event, the distance and the mindset needed to get on the start line. Gary quoted me Henry Ford after the interview “ Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right” Well done again on a monumental achievement, see his instagram details below to follow his next adventure: https://www.instagram.com/garypruns https://www.instagram.com/ratracehq

Up coming events this weekend. Normalising normal people moving more. Achilles pain and ultra running tips.

With my big 5-0 looming imminently how fitting to unpack our mountain climb experience. A challenging hike up Scafell Pike in the Lake District. It just shows what you can you when you put the work in daily.

More insight into run specific strength training to enhance the running form. What are you choosing to do in this world and your life. After all we get to choose until life chooses for us. “If you live every day as if it is your last, one day you will be right” Gary P going for his 100 adventure. We might be lucky enough to have him on to tell us all about it after.

Life is moving very fast, you can’t wait for something to happen to you. You have to go out and get it. Running is a good way to start searching.

Connecting the brain with the body, just like when we were small. Learning to use our hands for the first time. It’s good to get it running and start strength training but you’ll get much more from it if you train your brain to use the correct body parts. Again, consistency wins over everything. Be a student of your own body and mind.

Definitely a quiet period after the 100 miler. A time for reflection and growth from the work that has been done. Or maybe an incubation period. Making room for what’s to come. Also my running style evolution.

You can’t run away from the hard, it’s inevitable . By choosing to do hard things you condition yourself to be more resilient when life’s hard comes along. Running, training, moving your body especially when you don’t want to. Short term hard for long term gain or short term comfort for long term hardship.

Well this week is a real doozy. I tried my best to stay composed but the emotions got the best of me. Very hard to put an experience like running the South Downs Way 100 into words. The emotions just show how immense it was. We can do the unthinkable and are way more capable than we think. The only thing holding us back is ourselves. There’s things don’t come to you, you have to go o get them. Big thank you to Julie, Julian, Danny for getting me through. Also to the massive support from everyone. It all helped no end.