How to win a 100+ mile ultramarathon
How I won (and set a new course record) the Summer Spine Challenger - 110miles on the Pennine way from Edale to Hardraw.
My race started 9 months earlier, at Ultra Tour Monte Rosa, where a series of errors resulted in a DNF at mile 86 thanks to a chest infection leading to an asthma attack, 3nights of no sleep (2 prior the race start itself thanks to poor travel options!) and insufficient nutrition. I vowed to learn from those mistakes and deliver the 100mile race performance I knew I was capable of. A year ago I had finished in 3rd place at Race to the Castle 100km after previously being 1st at Race to the Stones 100k. Realising I either needed to get a lot faster to get back to the top spot or pick longer / harder races… I went for the second option. The Spine Challenger was perfect. I live just a couple of miles from Thornton in Craven so I knew the route well already and knew it suited me. So how could I break the course record and in the process hopefully win the race? In this blog I will describe the processes I went through and how you can do the same to reach your own peak performance.
Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance
First understand where you are now
I am not a super fast athlete. My marathon pb at my best is 2:58, which is good but it’s nothing special, and I’m not that quick now. If you read my background story you’ll understand how my body is still pretty broken with a number of limitations, especially in terms of right leg strength, ankle stability and hip stability. So pure ‘talent’ alone wasn’t going to cut it. My CTL (Chronic Training Load) had peaked at 91 prior to UTMR and with the taper was around 82 going into the race. I’ve raced 100K races with CTL’s in the low 100’s so maybe that wasn’t going to be enough? I therefore set the goal of a CTL of between 110-120 for the Challenger. But a more pressing problem was because I had DNF’d UTMR I didn’t actually ‘know’ what a 100miler felt like. I therefore entered the Lady Anne Way (LAW) 100mile race which is Skipton to Penrith linking all the castles owned and restored by Lady Anne Clifford who was one of the last of the great medieval dynasties. Another local race which enabled me to recce every inch of the course. I didn’t want to put much pressure on myself to perform here, simply finishing was the target. I did the recce’s, I tested my kit and nutrition, I got pretty fit (CTL peaked at 82 and I raced at 73). The race went really well, despite being in storm Malik the whole time and dealing with 60mph headwinds for large sections! I finished 4th overall (3rd male, 1st vet 40) in 20hr34. The route was similar in difficulty to the Spine, albeit all the climbing at the start then largely flat for the second half. The number of feet per mile elevation was almost identical, the ground was very similar, navigation challenges pretty similar. The key difference was the number of aid stations (with 3 access points to a drop bag) vs the Spine with only 1 drop bag access. So after taking that race fairly ‘easy’ to ensure a finish I had a lot of confidence going into this campaign, I just needed to maintain that same pace for another 10miles and the record was within my grasp.
Next understand the demands of the race
Terrain
So what does the Spine Challenger actually involve? 108miles with 4000m/13000ft ish of elevation. Add on a bit more in case of diversions - I worked on the assumption it would end up being 110miles in my planning, which it turned out to be! A mix of all sorts of terrain; road, rocky path, very rocky path, flagstones, peat bog, fields, fell, and everything in-between. Shoe choice was going to be critical - I needed good stability for the uneven ground, plush cushioning for the hard flag stones / road / tracks, and a grip which could handle mixed terrain. After a lot of searching I found the Scarpa Golden Gate Kima shoes, the new offering from Scarpa, which were utterly perfect. Wide stable platform, superb grip, great support in the mid foot and hind foot but a wide spacious toe box, and a nice amount of cushioning. I paired these with Sidas max protect insoles for that added bit of cushioning and foot support. As I’ve already alluded to, my ankle stability is poor (barely any ligaments left in my left ankle) so improving my confidence on rough rocky ground led to doing intervals on Pendle hill, plus lots of balance exercises such as brushing my teeth on a wobble cushion or while working at my desk, with the extra addition of my compex SP8.
Nutrition
Next was going to be the nutritional demands. With only a single guaranteed aid station this required very careful planning. At UTMR one of the reasons for my DNF was insufficient calories. I’d travelled with hand luggage only and thus only a limited amount of gels etc. For LAW I tested and tested until I found a good mix; which was Maurten drink and gels, supplemented with SuperNaturalFuel pouches for some easily digested but real food to deal with any hunger pangs. For the Challenger I’d have less opportunity to get refills for the Maurten drink, but the gels and SNF pouches worked well in training and that's what I went with. I knew that pushing hard my stomach wouldn’t want much in the way of solid food, but while energy levels can be maintained on sports drinks and gels you reach a point where the mouth and stomach need something a little more solid, and this is where SNF is perfect. A good mix of natural carbs, fats and proteins. All real food, blended up to a consistency which gives your mouth something to play with but is still very easily swallowed and digested. Plus a good range of flavours to avoid any taste fatigue. I also did a night run (BG support legs 1,2 and 3) ensuring my night time nutrition plan worked.
Recce - and testing SuperNaturalFuel - looking over towards Manchester.
Kit/Equipment
The kit list for the Spine races is legendary in itself. Everyone worrying about the size of their packs. Have they got the right type of jacket? Will XYZ pass kit check? Plenty of entertainment on the Facebook page…. Success in the race demanded having the right kit for the conditions, but also the lightest kit possible (without sacrificing safety). I have a detailed spreadsheet recording each potential item of kit choice down to the gram. I bought new lighter items to replace older heavier ones (new bivi bag, new mug etc). Most of my clothing and kit was from Montane, the title sponsor of the race, as I have a relationship with them already. Were my inov8 or Bridgedale socks lighter? I even trimmed the blister packs for the various medications we had to carry (should have just had a haircut before the race!). When it came to the race I placed key items I knew I’d need access to at the top of the pack, eg. waterproof and head torch. There was no scrabbling around at the bottom for those. Hat and gloves were in my waist belt, again - quick and easy access. The morning before the race I had a choice of 3 different hats and two different waterproof options in my drop bag depending on the weather. Point being I paid a lot of attention to my kit and its weight. Test, test, test.
My final race kit choices
Recce
Any time spent on recce is time well spent. Coming from a military background I understand the importance of studying the ground before going into battle and this is a key element to my success. I ran every section of the route multiple times (apart from Edale to snake pass, I only managed that in person once). I read multiple guide books. I watched endless youtube videos from Pennine way walkers and Spine racers. I read race reports. I spoke to previous racers (it helped I coached Tom Hollins, a previous winner too). I made my own GoogleEarth 3D flythough to visualise the route. I tested my pace on key sections so I knew exactly how long it would take at race pace between key landmarks. I worked out the best lines, running the vectors on paths with a bend - not short cuts, but not taking the longer outside bend of a road/track. By the time the race came around I had already run the race hundreds of times in my head. I knew every inch of that course.
Mental preparation
Along with the visualisation that came with the recce’s, mental strength and resilience for ultra running is the biggest deciding factor between success and failure.
Belief in your own abilities is paramount. I had the utmost belief that, conditions allowing, I could achieve my goal. The saying ‘whether you believe you can, or you can’t, you’re probably right’ is appropriate here. If you go into these events thinking you probably won’t finish, then the chances are you won’t. I believed in myself that I could do this. Now I’m generally the quiet one in the background, going into this race there were only a very select few who knew my goal and believed I had a chance. You don’t need to be shouting about it on social media, just have that deep belief and confidence in yourself.
I broke the race into chunks. Chunking is a very useful mental skill for big events like this. When you stand on that start line and try to imagine the next 110miles that can become overwhelming. All I was thinking about on that start line was Snake pass and then beyond that, Torside Resevoir. Fifteen miles, that was all I was thinking about. I had wrapped my nutrition up into little bundles for each section and written on the tape. So when I grabbed that selection of gels/bars/pouches I could read my notes and keep my mind firmly focussed on the present - get to the next ‘checkpoint’ and don’t worry about the rest. When you think only about the next 15miles all you are really thinking about is your standard medium long or weekend run. That’s not scary, we do them week in week out.
Tested nutrition and chunking the race into smaller sections.
Planning, yes more planning! I had checklists for everything. These checklists were even laminated! I had a checklist for packing my race pack. A checklist for packing my drop bag. A checklist for the finish line kit. A checklist for the night before the race. A checklist for the morning of the race. A checklist for the checkpoint. You get the idea! What this meant is there was never any doubt about whether I had done something/packed something. I packed my race kit once. That was it. How many times do you normally pack your race kit? When I got to the aid station I was able to use the checklist to ensure I remembered to do everything I wanted to do/ refill everything I wanted. Nothing was forgotten. No stress, no fuss.
To push to your limits requires total concentration. In the week following the race I am more mentally tired than physically! In order to prepare for this I reduced my job workload and mental load (mental tapering) and also built in some slack for an easy few days afterwards. To maintain that concentration during the race I used music a fair bit - mostly 90’s dance music for some high tempo to entrain that faster cadence with my running/hiking. I was lucky that my aeropex headphones lasted nearly the whole race - not sure how!
Understand your why. These things take a lot of sacrifice. You will go to some dark places. To survive and come out the other side you need a solid answer to the ‘why are you doing this?’. When you start to suffer in the event if you can clearly answer the ‘why’ you can survive the how.
Physical preparation
I’ve already mentioned the target I had in terms of CTL. But for these events that doesn’t mean a huge amount, and as it turns out I was way below that for a specific reason. What I knew I needed was strength and resilience to maintain form on that uneven terrain. Thus gym work featured highly in my program, to the point if time was limited and it was a choice between strength and going for a run, I hit the weights. I spent several months just lifting heavy, getting my squats/deadlifts to 2x bodyweight for 6-8 reps and ensuring my tendons and ligaments were strong. Then later adding more strength endurance with lower weight work and plyometrics for jumping around on the rocks! I’ve talked about how I got my pack as light as possible, but in training I went heavy - maxing out at tabbing with 18kg in my rucksack (that was probably a bit too much in hindsight, 15kg was plenty). This then meant that not only was I developing that functional strength on the hills, but my race pack felt light as a feather.
All those recce’s I mentioned were lots of 15-20-30mile runs, just time on feet. I had several 12-14hr days on feet doing 40miles in the Howgills or Lakes (more elevation than the whole spine in those 40milers). I worked on hill strength with longer tempo efforts, as well as longer flat tempo efforts for running economy. I also included a sprinkling of ‘faster’ running (we’re talking fast for me- not a really good runner). But supplementing all this was cycling as well, because there is only a certain amount of running my body can take, and I’m a big believer in ultra runners supplementing their training with non-impact aerobic exercise. Within the build phase I had a week out in Spain mostly riding with a couple of the athletes I coach, as well as a sportive ride with my brother-in-law (fellow supreme ultra runner, Tom Couldwell - 2nd place finisher at the Summer Spine Challenger in 2019) in Wiltshire to help break up the running focus.
Everyone automatically thinks about legs and maybe trunk when it comes to ultra running, but poles are very useful when conditioned and well practiced - thus upper body strength was also a key part of my preparation, both in the weights room but also using resistance bands to simulate using poles and strengthen that specific movement pattern.
A final ‘secret weapon’ was using my Compex SP8.0 muscle stim’ both for training recovery, but more importantly for conditioning the quads, calves, trunk muscles and reducing the risk of an ankle sprain. For the final 9 weeks of the preparation I’d be using it most days, right up to the night before the race! I also used my Fixx massage gun a lot to ease those training aches and pains.
Compex recovery for the quads and hamstrings after a long cycle ride.
The race itself
After dropping our drop bags off, quick toilet break, it was then sit down and rest the legs. Too many people stand around chatting. We’re going to be on our feet for a long time, no need to stand around for an hour or two before the race even starts! A short jog round the car park with some drills to ensure the body is moving well then it was off to the start line. I positioned myself at the front and in the middle and had a final bit of banter with my team mates to keep all our nerves under control. A few deep breaths then we were off. I wanted to be in front for the first section, just so I didn’t get jostled going down the steps from the car park more than anything, but quickly found that myself and Andy Morley were at the front. The pace perhaps a little too fast over the fields to the bottom of Jacobs ladder but all still comfortable. By this point we had Adam and Joe with us and the four of us started the climb up Jacobs ladder then off towards Kinder. I was aware at this point that we were up on my schedule for breaking the record, but it was early days and everything was feeling good.
These first 10miles the chat was non stop, which was good for stopping us going too hard. Just after Bleaklow head Andy Morley gapped us, he’s a stronger descender than me, and I was chuffed for him - he wanted sub 30hrs and I knew we’d trained him to be at least sub 25, maybe he was going to be even faster! However for some reason I managed to catch him at the bottom as we approached Torside. Just before going over the dam Andy and I took a wrong turn due to another event having an aid station sort of blocking our way which confused us putting Tim B (who had caught us by this point) and Adam in the lead. Error quickly identified and we were back on track. By the time we were leaving Crowden we were all back together - Andy, Adam, TimB, Joe and myself.
On the climb up to Ladder rocks Tim B then puts a gap on us, a super strong climber which we were not able to match whatsoever. Within 10minutes he was out of sight! We got a brief glimpse of him on our way off Black hill and then started to reel him in. Just before the A635 I saw Tim fill up from a stream ahead of us but when we got there I took one look at the water and despite having a good filter on me I quickly decided I was stopping at the coffee van instead. Andy and I then took a slight diversion to pick up a bottle of water and can of lemonade. This early into the race maintaining hydration and not upsetting the guts due to bad water could be the difference between finishing and not. This stop however put an even bigger gap between Tim B and Andy and myself. Dropping down and up to Wesenden brook I managed to catch a glimpse of Tim B and take a time split, he was 5minutes up. Not too bad, I was expecting him to be further up. From previous editions of the race I was expecting a mountain rescue / spine support team water stop at Standedge, but when we got there it was empty. Hey ho, on we go. We knew we couldn’t rely on additional water support but the next section was going to be pretty dry. It was here I had a little bit of a low, probably a sugar low after that can of lemonade and realising I was going to have dry bottles with no opportunity to refill. Andy was looking and sounding strong so the chatter in my head was now ‘I hope Andy goes on to win this thing’. But we got to Nicky’s cafe and there was Tim B! so rapid refill, I decided not to have the bacon butty - just water, tea and a banana. Walking out while drinking the tea (relentless forward progress - no standing around drinking tea!). Andy decided to have his bacon butty and was eating it as we headed off over Blackstone edge. When we got to the White House pub I could see TimB and again took a time split calculating he was 5mins ahead. On this flat ‘road’ section I decided to really focus on form and see if I could reel Tim in as we went past all the reservoirs. I kept taking splits on Tim, 5 turned into 4, then 3, then 2mins. I glanced behind and I’d put a gap in between me and Andy, oops - but I wasn’t going to wait for him now. Maybe he’s having a bad patch after eating that butty, he’ll come good and I’ll slow down at some point so he’ll catch up. On the approach to Stoodley Pike I was closing in on Tim, I wasn’t trying harder so he must be having a low point. Still a long way to go….! I breezed past him and didn’t look back- it’s racing after all. Then I stopped at the spring just down the hill to refill my bottles, calling out to Tim as he goes past to highlight the water point but he said he was ok. The trail then kicks 90degrees left, but Tim had gone straight on…. I shouted after him to bring him back but I was then back in the lead. Little did I know but I would remain here for the next 69miles!
Dropping down to Hebden Bridge I caught a glimpse of Tim B behind me, but as we started the climb back up the other side I decided to put a little extra effort in. The navigation is a little tricky here and down to Checkpoint 1, if he’d made that mistake coming down from Stoodley Pike maybe he wasn’t sure of where to go and would be slower. It clearly worked as on the approach to the Checkpoint there was no sign of either him or Andy.
Focussed at CP1
As I finish reloading my pack, grabbing a few slices of buttered malt loaf and a cup of tea Andy appeared- good lad! he’s caught Tim too. Turns out Tim had taken a wrong turn again but the race organisers had got him back on track, he arrives as I’m leaving. This is where I realise it’s game on. I’d been pretty slick in the aid station, so just got to maintain my pace, no mistakes and it’s all good. However during the run over to Cowling I realise I’ve become dehydrated, while I’d refilled at the aid station I should have drunk more. I therefore dropped the pace a little to minimise sweating and keep a close eye out for any water source, finally refilling at the stone cottage on Ickonshaw moor before then getting a good refill at the Craven Energy aid station thanks to Gary Chapman and the team there. Resupply of water with Precision Hydration and I got my fluids sorted again. As I’m leaving the aid station drinking my brew I see Tim B walking out just behind me! A slight panic set in and for the rest of the race I was looking over my shoulder at regular intervals, yet I never actually laid eyes on him again.
I was now truly on home turf. A pretty uneventful run across to Pinhaw where I was greeted by a few of my club mates (Barlick Fell Runners) - Gary Bradley on the summit then Billy and Amanda Haines and their two boys walking up! That gave me a real boost. Coming down into Thornton I then saw Swell, Ben and Joanne (more club mates), and leaving Thornton Billy catches me up again to give me a final mental boost!
I stopped briefly going through Newton Grange to put my phone on charge via a battery bank (listening to music was starting to drain the battery - headphones still going strong!) and get my headtorch out ready for the night section. Going through Gargrave there were a few people out supporting, couldn’t quite hear what they said but turns out later they were people I knew - I was simply too focussed to hear anything now. I stopped again at the canal where there is a tap to refill, then off again over the hills and through the herds of sleeping cows.
The run through to Airton and Malham was pretty magical. The moon with clear skies so I kept turning my head torch off, partly to enjoy the atmosphere of running at night, and partly because that wouldn’t give my location away incase Tim was close behind! Knowing the trods and paths meant I could read the ground better without my head torch than with as mist was starting to form. I could tell the temperature was dropping and there were an increasing wind so I stopped in Malham to put my jacket on ready for the top of the cove, however I quickly proceeded to get too hot climbing up onto the top! hey ho, I quickly cooled off on the tops. I regret not pausing at the top to take in the nighttime view, but I was being chased so no time to hang around. Arriving at Malham tarn it was simply a case of a quick brew and water refill then off again. Drinking the tea as I walked out (never stop to eat/drink/pee - all can be done on the move!) I just kept visualising the paths over to Fountains fell in my head so that I’d make no nav errors. Brew finished, mug away and I was off. This was a section I’d run through the fields back and forth over and over again on my recces as I knew it would be in the dark and if the weather was bad it could be disorientating. Thankfully it was a really straightforward run. The wind picked up going over Fountains fell but it wasn’t cold. I took the descent down here quite easy, no point falling now. The run across to Pen-y-Ghent was uneventful but the wind was pretty strong on the scramble up. I glanced back a few times looking to see a head torch but couldn’t see anything, perhaps a light on Fountains fell (probably Andy) but no sign of Tim. I knew he was close though. I found the run off PYG really hard, visibility was poor, the wind was strong and I lost concentration tripping and falling a few times. I smashed my right toes pretty badly. Hey ho, popped a couple of paracetamol and cracked on. Quick water refill in Horton-in-Ribblesdale then that long drag back out again. My race plan had been to refill water at Ling Gill but I still had a little water left and conscious that I couldn’t waste time I pressed on. Was that a mistake? Cam road just goes on and on. Again this was a section I had recced a few times so I was clear in my mind how it should feel, but even so it didn’t seem to end. It was here that I unintentionally phoned my wife (pocket dial) and she answered sleepily but worried ‘what’s wrong, are you ok?’ - ‘oops, what time is it?’ ‘5:30am’ (eek, i’m in trouble now). ‘sorry, but while you’re awake can you check the tracker!’. Turns out I had a reasonable gap, but I still didn’t believe it. I couldn’t let up, sometimes the tracker is wrong / not refreshed. I pushed and pushed and pushed all the way down to Hawes, out over the river, still looking over my shoulder. Finally those flag stones to Hardraw appeared and I was greeted with that finish arch and the wonderful Spine support crew!
23hrs 3mins 22 seconds (on my watch- official time TBC) I’d taken 50minutes off the course record and won the Montane Spine Challenger - the goal I’d set myself a year previously. A goal I shouldn’t be able to achieve with my broken body. A goal many did not think was realistic.
A performance I have to thank Tim Bradley, and Andy Morley, for pushing me to achieve. A performance only possible with the support of my family to do the training, the recce’s and generally put up with the obsession. A performance only possible with meticulous planning and preparation. Ultra marathons are not about who is the fittest physically, it’s how you maximise your physical performance through precision application of tactics and mental resilience.
I hope that by sharing my thoughts on this race it will help you think about your preparation for whatever adventure, challenge or race you are setting out to achieve.
Thanks to all the Spine family for making this dream happen, from the smoothest of registrations and kit checks I’ve ever done, to the aid station crews, and the team at the finish who took such good care of us in our sweaty, smelly, physically and emotionally battered state!
What’s next….
time with the family, ride my bike a bit, then we’ll see…. ;)
