Fitter Than Ever
...and using his strategies can take your running to the next level
The lifechanging plan for body and mind: time to step up a gear
In 2012 I ran my first marathon, dressed as a toilet (yes, by the end I did look a bit flushed). And my first ultramarathon, not dressed as any sewerage apparatus. Whether it was the sense of achievement, the camaraderie, the gorgeous scenery, the lack of spectators laughing at me, or the amply stocked aid stations, something about trail ultramarathons had me instantly hooked. Though I squirmed in agony all the way home, I knew I’d be doing more.
A handful of years later – and I say this still pinching myself – I’ve placed on the podium at the Spine Race, Dragon’s Back Race and the UK Ultra Trail Championships; represented Great Britain at the IAU Trail World Championships, set a Fastest Known Time (FKT) on our longest National Trail (the 630- mile South West Coast Path) and completed the world’s biggest trail race, the 105mile Ultra-trail du Mont-blanc (UTMB), three times – finishing 12th (1st V40; 1st Brit) last year. How can a 40-something, self-employed father of two manage this?
A midlife crisis helps in terms of motivation (if you haven’t yet experienced one, I strongly recommend it). And while I’ve searched hard for shortcuts, I’ve found that, simply, the more you run (without getting injured or overly fatigued), the better you’ll be at it. Also, when I’ve needed advice, rather than asking someone anonymous in a Facebook group, I’ve gone directly to experts. And the biggest lesson I’ve learned from them is this: to improve as a runner there’s so much we can do when we’re not actually running to support our bodies and we need to eradicate things in life that work insidiously against them.
It could be said that all this has turned me into a chronically dull person with no room for a social life. But I don’t care, because running long distances in lumpy places makes me very, very happy. You might not want to go as all-in as me, but picking and choosing from the strategies outlined here could take your running to places you never imagined possible.