"The best ultra runners spend as much time in the gym as they do running." >Brb just gotta hit this 6 hour gym session! In all seriousness a great video, thanks for sharing your wisdom.
Running my first Ultra in 18 weeks. Haven’t called myself a runner since college. Mileage is already feeling great. Was a 68 minute half marathoner 14 years ago but I have never trail raced. This is a lot of great info. Thank you for putting this out there. Really excited to get to that day but I’m enjoying the runs every morning right now.
Glad it was useful Chase! Good luck with your first ultra. I'm sure you'll love it. Trail races are such different experiences to road races. Also 68 minutes is seriously impressive!
One of the most informative and useful videos I've seen about this, thank you so much. The info will be put to good use in April 2023 (22 weeks from now) when I'm planning to run my first marathon. Looking forward to it!
Thanks for a great video. I am going for my 10th ultra of 100 miles or longer in about 2 weeks and still found this helpful to brush up on some topics! The only thing I would add is “take care of small things early before they become big things later”.
Something people don’t talk about is the trash generated by the race event and the items you bought. ie could one eat more whole foodsss like banana n dates n raisins n nuts with zero packaging vs gels n tabs etc. always carry a water bottle container…always, n avoid picking up the prepackaged food n bottles especially at the end and pre race activities. Let’s all reduce our impact on our beautiful earth 🌍
This video is so good. Running my first 100k next week and this video had a bunch of great info. Your aid station remark is spot on. Wasting 10 min (especially the later stations) adds up and there’s almost always an uphill after. Take your stuff, eat and get organised on the uphill!
This was perfect! Thank you! I also have a mom who had done a handful of ultras 4x 100. Super grateful and I started consistently running since Feb. have my first half this Saturday and first 50k this November. I’m gonna try to apply as much as I can with this to my half and see what I can take for my 50k. My biggest worry as of right now is stomach issues I just do t wanna deal with that. Nutrition for me personally is a bit overwhelming to deal with so this video helped with that, making notes of what feels good for my body and what I should avoid.
Running my first Ultra in October, and really appreciate the information and deep dive into each aspect of what it takes to prepare for these sort of distances. You got a subscriber and a like from me. :)
Thanks for this James! :) I did my first ultra last year (RTTS 50k day 2) and loved it so much that i've signed up for 3 x 50km ultras this year! My first being Goring Gap in just over 2 weeks time. Slow and steady wins the race and I need to remember to just go at my own tortoise pace and enjoy the experience rather than worrying about what others are doing. Really useful and comprehensive info and things I mostly knew but good to have them reinforced by someone way more experienced than me so thank you! :)
Glad it was useful Nic! I'd love to run RTTS. Looks like a great event! Definitely, pacing makes such a huge difference to how enjoyable the event is and everyones pace is different. Good luck with your ultras for this year!
Thank you very much. I generally train for power and speed on mountain trails and tend to go without taking in much for calories or fluids. I’m going only 15 km or so. But I am going to use your suggestions and start practicing with different nutrient sources and water as we prepare for a 30 km trail run.
This is a great thorough video. I currently am training for my 3rd half marathon (have only done that distance as my farthest) but have older friends who do trail ultras and for some reason it looks fun! They say its like playing outside in nature! Maybe once I do this half I can jump to 50k; a road marathon does not have much appeal to me but I love running on trail.
I'd definitely recommend a trail 50k or also you could find a trail marathon. Very different experiences to road marathons! Good luck with the half marathon!
@@jamesday1sadly had to defer after doing my first and second ever marathon only 28 days spat in the spring. Left me injured for 7 weeks so missed a lot of the early training. But all is well now - signed up for the London to Brighton in May 24 and Thames 100 sept 24👍
Thanks Patrick! You should consider doing a similar video for first Ironman events 🙂 I'd love to see a video like this for Ironman events. I'd love to do one someday but have no idea where to start preparing for one.
I’ve a 50 mile race coming up, I haven’t had the volume of training I wanted in the run up, but I’ve been consistent for a couple of years with moderate-high volume with no real breaks and my calves are thick and ready for hills…. I managed 3 hour back to back runs with similar race day elevation. Safe to say I’m nervous but quietly hopeful I’ll do it.
Good luck with your 50 miler! If you're unsure about your training volume, focus on starting slower than you planning and pacing it conservatively. It'll make the race far more enjoyable.
@@jamesday1 I managed to survive it, the terrain was more technical than I thought it’d be… lots of walking in the second half, 5:05 first half, finished in 11:49:44, was brutal 😂, would do again ✌️
Great idea! Just make sure you're comfortable dropping out before it gets too hard. I think I would be too stubborn and I would just keep pushing myself to the limit. Can't wait to try a backyard ultra though!
Good video. I have a Salomon vest with soft flasks too. At the aid stations, do you need to remove the flasks from the vest to refill them? I find they take a lof of time to reinsert in the vest. Is it possible to fill them in-situ? Do you do this? Something I've not tried yet. I guess one would have to breathe in so as not to exert pressure on the flasks!
I ran my first marathon and really enjoyed it. I have done wuite a few runs throughout my life the marathon being the furthest. There is a 50k in 5 months I want to train for. My question is do you think this would be a good idea ? Or should I try to do a few more marathons before attempting a 50k ?
Definitely! If you've run a marathon, a trail 50k is definitely doable. Just remember to pace it slower to take into account the hills, distance and terrain.
Thanks for the video! How do you pre pack the tailwind powder you flashed up? I had my first 50k a few months back - used little sachets but it was a pain!
Glad the video was useful! I use the big bags of tailwind and take 3 soft flasks each with 2-3 scoops of tail wind. I’ll have at least 1 or 2 with water and then 1 or 2 without water and will use aid stations to add water when I need it. Once I run out off those 3 bottles of tailwind, I switch to running gels so I don’t need to spend any time adding tailwind powder to bottles. Some ultras will have energy drinks at aid stations but I quite enjoy switching to a different calorie source half way. Hope that helps!
Nutrition is my absolute problem!! I just really struggle to eat anything when I start running. I need to start getting this dialed in, what brands do you like using James?
Definitely. Running a marathon or ultra without any calories isn’t fun. I had to train my body to take on calories during runs. Any run 1.5 hrs or long, I take gels or tailwind. At least 1 run a week. Your stomach can be trained to take on calories during a run. It might take a month or longer but it’ll make a big difference. I use tailwind powder in my bottles. You can start with 1 scoop per 500ml and increase it once you get used to it. I’ll sometimes have 3 scoops per 500ml. I also use a mix of gels. GU, sis and maurten. Gu is the once I use the most. Maurten are probably my favourite and never cause me stomach issues. During a marathon I’ll take 1 maurten gel every 30 mins. During longer ultras I’ll use solid food as well like crisps, belvita soft bakes with choc chips. Ultra runners will eat all sorts like sandwiches and burritos during races. Training your body on gels and sports drinks will really help when eating more solid foods in long races. Hope that helps!
@@jamesday1 I'm planning on doing the Hurtwood 50k in December so I've got a few months to try and get my guts used to food while I run 😂 I want to do the SDW 50 in 2024 as well so definitely need to get a grip of it 👌🏻 Massive well done on your SDW 100 victory 👏🏻
Currently training for a backyard ultra marathon. Never run more than a half marathon before but training seems to be going well. Do you have any tips that would differ for the backyard utra format?
I haven't done a backyard yet but it's definitely something I want to do in the near future. I think it massively comes down to how far you plan to run. Some people will run 50k at a backyard but others might run 200 miles. You also have a luxury of leaving gear at the campsite so you don't have to carry unnecessary weight. What are you aiming for in terms of distance?
@@jamesday1 I am aiming for around 12 laps, I would love to hit 15 laps and the 100km mark though. Thanks for your reply. I think I am just slightly nervous about creating that backyard unique format in my training and knowing that the hours of training I am putting in are efficient.
@@jkapp8617 I would check out the elevation of each loop. Sometimes these BYultras can have quite a lot of elevation once you get to a high number of loops. But I wouldn't worry too much about the format. You'll get to see people a lot more often than other ultras and hopefully the loops are big enough that mentally it isn't too challenging. I wouldn't necessarily train any different for a backyard ultra. Let me know how you get on!
How do you do your splits? The race I'm doing has distances to checkpoints and a GPX file it's also on Strava but I'm not sure how to find the elevation from each point would love to hear how you do it
The best one I've used is the Garmin connect app which has a pace pro feature. You put the GPX file in and set up your goal pace and it shows a breakdown of each KM with guide pace and elevation. Alternatively, have a look at the race results from last year, and find one of the runners on strava. You'll be able to see their km splits which include elevation per km. Hopefully one of those works for you!
The Adv Skin 12. Definitely not the cheapest option but will probably last me years and has enough space to cover pretty much any ultramarathon race with aid stations and drop bags. I really like the fit as well. There are a lot of more affordable options out there though.
@@jamesday1 it’s usually a toss up between the ADV skin and the Hydra. The Hydra being half price. I’ve been comparing the two for a while and trying to decide which one to go with.
Great video James!! I often see Dan from Dan Runs with the hand-held water bottles in his ultras so I gave it a go in my last marathon , I only lasted 5 or 6km with that!😂 I can feel in my body I’m nowhere near ready for an ultra but it’s a dream of mine to get to up to that ability… maybe with another year of training I could try one!🤞🏻🤞🏻And it’s great to know that this video will always be there whenever I’m ready! Plus it’s motivating just listening to this too! 🙋🏻♀️
Oh btw, good call to advise runners not to take pain killers before nor during a race, I listened to a podcast with a sports doctor who said outright never to do it, and explained that it’s very bad for both performance and stamina and increased risk of injury ! AFTER, ok!!! Not during!!
Thanks Bev! From the sounds of your training and the volume you're doing, I'm sure you could do a 50k ultra! It all comes down to pacing. Use a calculator like mcmillan running. Put in your pace for a road marathon and see what it says for a 50k. Go out and run that pace on a flat road to see what your heart rate is at that pace. Then go out on hilly trails and try to stick to that same heart race. That should give you a good guide for your 50k ultra pace.
Amazing video thanks so much. I've been wondering about solid nutrition. I'm all good with gels, never had any issues..but thinking about longer races and eating solids..I typically get stitch about 5-10 mins after consuming. I've only tried energy bars. Does your body just get used to it and you don't get stitch? Or do you keep trying new foods until you find something that doesn't cause stitch?
Thanks! So you can definitely train your stomach to handle different types of nutrition when running. But it's also worth experimenting to see what works for you. I know some people run races like UTMB entirely off sugary gels and drinks, whereas others can touch gels even on short races. It's a pretty personal journey, but definitely worth experimenting and training your stomach with different options. I find solid foods often fix my stomach issues when in long races. But gels and tailwind are my primary nutrition source during ultras.
I’ll be running my first ultra next October so starting my planning now. It’s a 33 mile sea to summit in Wales, running from the coast to the top of Yr Wyddfa. This video has been incredibly useful and informative. Thank you!
Hi James. Great vid, super informative. Very glad to have “stumbled” across it. Got my first 50k in 10 weeks today and am starting to get super excited/nervous. This has really helped me out in my preparation for it. Thank you for the last half an hour!
Thanks! Glad it was useful! Very close names! In the 100 miler I just did, the SDW100, there were 2 James Day's running, and a few people following me thought I DNF'd because they were tracking the wrong James Day 😅
@@jamesday1 Blimey, way more popular than I thought! I live in Austria now, and after having spelt out my surname for the dentist or something over the phone there's always a very long pause, before I inevitably have to say 'That's it. Pretty short name'.
I feel like I’m watching something than you’d pay for. Yet it’s free! 👏🏻 so detailed and informative.
Thanks Daniel. Really appreciate the positive feedback!
"The best ultra runners spend as much time in the gym as they do running."
>Brb just gotta hit this 6 hour gym session!
In all seriousness a great video, thanks for sharing your wisdom.
Probably the most comprehensive breakdown online. Nice work James. I hope loads of runners new to ultras come to view this over time.
Thanks Shaun! I've really appreciated your advice over the past year.
Super, super comprehensive, without being either boring or too rushed.
Really nice feedback. Thanks Daniel!
Running my first Ultra in 18 weeks. Haven’t called myself a runner since college. Mileage is already feeling great. Was a 68 minute half marathoner 14 years ago but I have never trail raced. This is a lot of great info. Thank you for putting this out there. Really excited to get to that day but I’m enjoying the runs every morning right now.
Glad it was useful Chase! Good luck with your first ultra. I'm sure you'll love it. Trail races are such different experiences to road races. Also 68 minutes is seriously impressive!
One of the most informative and useful videos I've seen about this, thank you so much. The info will be put to good use in April 2023 (22 weeks from now) when I'm planning to run my first marathon. Looking forward to it!
Thanks! I'm really glad it was useful. Good luck with your first marathon!
This is what I can call an ultimate guide for running an ultra marathon,,, thanks alot for sharing all these info 😅😅😅
Thanks! Glad it was useful!
Nice video James. A lot of these tips are useful to those of us still only at marathon level 🙂
Thanks for a great video. I am going for my 10th ultra of 100 miles or longer in about 2 weeks and still found this helpful to brush up on some topics!
The only thing I would add is “take care of small things early before they become big things later”.
Thanks! Glad it was useful! Totally agree with getting things right and addressing issues early in the race.
Something people don’t talk about is the trash generated by the race event and the items you bought. ie could one eat more whole foodsss like banana n dates n raisins n nuts with zero packaging vs gels n tabs etc. always carry a water bottle container…always, n avoid picking up the prepackaged food n bottles especially at the end and pre race activities. Let’s all reduce our impact on our beautiful earth 🌍
Yeah great point!
very good video, thanks. I like the slow and steady flow of wisdom 🙂
I love this video. From the room, candle, music to how important and valuable information you shared is. Thanks so much James!
Thanks Klaudija! I hope it was useful!
This is the best explainer I've found about ultra race strategy, cheers.
Thanks Thomas! Glad it's useful!
This video is so good. Running my first 100k next week and this video had a bunch of great info. Your aid station remark is spot on. Wasting 10 min (especially the later stations) adds up and there’s almost always an uphill after. Take your stuff, eat and get organised on the uphill!
Thanks Fabian! Good luck with your first 100k! I hope it goes well!
I have run many ultras but wanted to watch this anyways. This is a really great video for someone that would like to try ultras. Bravo!
Thanks for the great feedback Amber!
Really appreciated the way you explain the every things in detail 👏 it gonna help me a lot in my 1st Trail run🏃♂️.
Thanks Bikal! Good luck with your first trail run!
Great video James, I`m training for my first Ultra 50-mile trail run in June 2024. Some great tips here for me so many thanks, keep up the good work!
Thanks Carl! Good luck with your 50!
This was perfect! Thank you! I also have a mom who had done a handful of ultras 4x 100. Super grateful and I started consistently running since Feb. have my first half this Saturday and first 50k this November. I’m gonna try to apply as much as I can with this to my half and see what I can take for my 50k. My biggest worry as of right now is stomach issues I just do t wanna deal with that. Nutrition for me personally is a bit overwhelming to deal with so this video helped with that, making notes of what feels good for my body and what I should avoid.
Dude, that was quite detailed and thorough, thank you.
Thanks! Hope it was useful!
Got my first one in 4 months time, this was gold, thank you!
Good luck! Glad it was useful!
Excellent running advice. Thanks
Running my first Ultra in October, and really appreciate the information and deep dive into each aspect of what it takes to prepare for these sort of distances. You got a subscriber and a like from me. :)
Thanks Jeremy! Glad it was useful! Good luck with your first ultra!
What an insightful video, thanks for sharing James!
Thanks Ruben! Glad you found it useful.
Very informative and straightforward. I think I have enough to run my first ultra from this video alone, thanks.
Thanks! I hope your ultra goes well!
That was one hell of a video! Very, very informative 👍👌👏
Thanks! Glad it was useful Michal!
Im about your age and I’m considering doing this race in the next year or two, so was good to see your experience. Thanks for putting it up!
Nice! Good luck! Glad the video was useful!
Brilliant video. No BS just quality advise
Thanks James! Glad you found it useful.
An excellent video. Thank you so much for taking the time to make it. Very helpful, indeed.
Thanks for this James! :) I did my first ultra last year (RTTS 50k day 2) and loved it so much that i've signed up for 3 x 50km ultras this year! My first being Goring Gap in just over 2 weeks time. Slow and steady wins the race and I need to remember to just go at my own tortoise pace and enjoy the experience rather than worrying about what others are doing. Really useful and comprehensive info and things I mostly knew but good to have them reinforced by someone way more experienced than me so thank you! :)
Glad it was useful Nic! I'd love to run RTTS. Looks like a great event! Definitely, pacing makes such a huge difference to how enjoyable the event is and everyones pace is different. Good luck with your ultras for this year!
So comprehensive! Thanks for the great info!
A phenominal video and thank you for putting it together, comprehensive (of course) but not too long.
Glad it was useful Mark!
Thank you very much. I generally train for power and speed on mountain trails and tend to go without taking in much for calories or fluids. I’m going only 15 km or so. But I am going to use your suggestions and start practicing with different nutrient sources and water as we prepare for a 30 km trail run.
You're welcome! Good luck with your 30k!
Wonderful information and you have a great way to present it. Thank you!
This is one of the best ultramarathon preparation video I’ve ever watched 🫶🏼 Good job!!
Thanks! Glad it was useful!
Very, very informative! This has been the best video I have watched so far preparing for a race.
Thanks Alix! Hopefully it helps!
Brilliant! So informative. Wonderful delivery. Thank you!
Thanks! Glad it was useful!
Great video James, really good info! Running my first Ultra in May 2023 so will definitely be taking your advice on board! Thanks!
Thanks Steve. Good luck with your first Ultra! I’m sure you’ll love the experience.
This is the video ive been looking for! Thank you for your time and dedication.
Thanks! Hope it was useful!
That was a great video, thank you for passing along all that info
Great video. I'm still new to longer runs so this was very helpful. Thanks!
Thanks! I'm glad it was useful!
Brilliant, James. I'll be watching this again 👍🏻🏃♂️
Thanks Mark!
Great content, keep it up mate. You'll blow up soon!
Cheers! Really appreciate that!
This is a great thorough video. I currently am training for my 3rd half marathon (have only done that distance as my farthest) but have older friends who do trail ultras and for some reason it looks fun! They say its like playing outside in nature! Maybe once I do this half I can jump to 50k; a road marathon does not have much appeal to me but I love running on trail.
I'd definitely recommend a trail 50k or also you could find a trail marathon. Very different experiences to road marathons! Good luck with the half marathon!
I’m running the Thames path 100k in September. It will be my first ultra. This was super super helpful. Thanks so much
Glad it was useful Conrad! TP100k looks like a great event. Nice and flat for your first Ultra. Good luck at the race!
@@jamesday1sadly had to defer after doing my first and second ever marathon only 28 days spat in the spring. Left me injured for 7 weeks so missed a lot of the early training. But all is well now - signed up for the London to Brighton in May 24 and Thames 100 sept 24👍
Excellent advice - Will probably come back to this vid a few times.
Thanks. Glad it was useful Will!
Thanks James. Great advice. Very clear and professional.
Thanks! Hope it's useful!
Step 1: sign up for race
Step 2: start running
Step 3: finish the race
A great video!! Just... wow!! Straightforward and comprehensive!
Thanks! Glad it was useful!
Great time stamp of your topics you are discussing 👍🏽
Thanks! Hopefully it was useful!
Fantastic video, thanks 🙏 Some actual good advice rather than cliche clickbait crap.
Thanks, glad it was useful!
Fantastic video packed full of advice and came at a great time with my first one in 3 weeks time 🙂
Thanks Paul! Good luck with your first ultra!
Running my first this year eeek! 62km trail 😮 ive run only 2 marathons but live on the south downs so used to hills eek
Good luck! If you've run 2 marathons, I'm sure you'll smash the ultra!
This is very helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was useful!
Great video, very useful. Thanks James.
Thanks! Glad it was useful!
Excellent video 👌. Thank you
Thanks Mike!
Top man great tips 🎉
Brilliant video mate. Cheers😊
Thanks Linus! Hope it was useful!
@@jamesday1 I'm sure it will be. I'm doing my first ultra race this November 😀
Great video, thank you so much 👍
Great video, thanks
Thanks Patrick! You should consider doing a similar video for first Ironman events 🙂 I'd love to see a video like this for Ironman events. I'd love to do one someday but have no idea where to start preparing for one.
So useful! About to run my first 50k...
Ahh great! Good luck with your first 50k! I hope you have a great time!
Excellent video
Thanks!
Thankyou! Well done.. a ton of info
I hope it's useful!
Super!Thank you.
Thanks! Glad it was useful!
I’ve a 50 mile race coming up, I haven’t had the volume of training I wanted in the run up, but I’ve been consistent for a couple of years with moderate-high volume with no real breaks and my calves are thick and ready for hills…. I managed 3 hour back to back runs with similar race day elevation. Safe to say I’m nervous but quietly hopeful I’ll do it.
Good luck with your 50 miler! If you're unsure about your training volume, focus on starting slower than you planning and pacing it conservatively. It'll make the race far more enjoyable.
@@jamesday1 thank you! I’ve averaged 40 miles per week over 19 weeks, with some 0 mile weeks, and peaked at 65 miles… goal is 11 hours finish.. 🙃
@@jamesday1 I managed to survive it, the terrain was more technical than I thought it’d be… lots of walking in the second half, 5:05 first half, finished in 11:49:44, was brutal 😂, would do again ✌️
Thanks for the good info!
No worries! Hope it was useful!
Thank you so so much!
We hang at the aid stations because its not about the finish time. And we run up hills because we don't like to walk.
Haha fair enough. I like to cruise through aid stations and walk up hills.
Thank you for this 🙏
You’re very welcome!
Choosed a backyard for my first ultra :-)
Great idea! Just make sure you're comfortable dropping out before it gets too hard. I think I would be too stubborn and I would just keep pushing myself to the limit. Can't wait to try a backyard ultra though!
thx
@@jamesday1
How does this not have more views!? One of the best videos out there.
Thanks Jeremy! Really nice of you to say!
Good video. I have a Salomon vest with soft flasks too. At the aid stations, do you need to remove the flasks from the vest to refill them? I find they take a lof of time to reinsert in the vest. Is it possible to fill them in-situ? Do you do this? Something I've not tried yet. I guess one would have to breathe in so as not to exert pressure on the flasks!
Thanks Josh! Good luck with your ultra!
👍🙌🙌💯💯. Thanks
You're welcome! 🙂
I ran my first marathon and really enjoyed it. I have done wuite a few runs throughout my life the marathon being the furthest. There is a 50k in 5 months I want to train for.
My question is do you think this would be a good idea ? Or should I try to do a few more marathons before attempting a 50k ?
Definitely! If you've run a marathon, a trail 50k is definitely doable. Just remember to pace it slower to take into account the hills, distance and terrain.
Thanks for the video! How do you pre pack the tailwind powder you flashed up? I had my first 50k a few months back - used little sachets but it was a pain!
Glad the video was useful! I use the big bags of tailwind and take 3 soft flasks each with 2-3 scoops of tail wind. I’ll have at least 1 or 2 with water and then 1 or 2 without water and will use aid stations to add water when I need it. Once I run out off those 3 bottles of tailwind, I switch to running gels so I don’t need to spend any time adding tailwind powder to bottles. Some ultras will have energy drinks at aid stations but I quite enjoy switching to a different calorie source half way. Hope that helps!
Paper maps are a necessity. The digital tech will not always be there
ENJOY RACE DAY😂😂
Nutrition is my absolute problem!! I just really struggle to eat anything when I start running. I need to start getting this dialed in, what brands do you like using James?
Definitely. Running a marathon or ultra without any calories isn’t fun. I had to train my body to take on calories during runs. Any run 1.5 hrs or long, I take gels or tailwind. At least 1 run a week. Your stomach can be trained to take on calories during a run. It might take a month or longer but it’ll make a big difference. I use tailwind powder in my bottles. You can start with 1 scoop per 500ml and increase it once you get used to it. I’ll sometimes have 3 scoops per 500ml. I also use a mix of gels. GU, sis and maurten. Gu is the once I use the most. Maurten are probably my favourite and never cause me stomach issues. During a marathon I’ll take 1 maurten gel every 30 mins. During longer ultras I’ll use solid food as well like crisps, belvita soft bakes with choc chips. Ultra runners will eat all sorts like sandwiches and burritos during races. Training your body on gels and sports drinks will really help when eating more solid foods in long races. Hope that helps!
@@jamesday1 I'm planning on doing the Hurtwood 50k in December so I've got a few months to try and get my guts used to food while I run 😂 I want to do the SDW 50 in 2024 as well so definitely need to get a grip of it 👌🏻 Massive well done on your SDW 100 victory 👏🏻
Currently training for a backyard ultra marathon. Never run more than a half marathon before but training seems to be going well. Do you have any tips that would differ for the backyard utra format?
I haven't done a backyard yet but it's definitely something I want to do in the near future. I think it massively comes down to how far you plan to run. Some people will run 50k at a backyard but others might run 200 miles. You also have a luxury of leaving gear at the campsite so you don't have to carry unnecessary weight. What are you aiming for in terms of distance?
@@jamesday1 I am aiming for around 12 laps, I would love to hit 15 laps and the 100km mark though. Thanks for your reply. I think I am just slightly nervous about creating that backyard unique format in my training and knowing that the hours of training I am putting in are efficient.
@@jkapp8617 I would check out the elevation of each loop. Sometimes these BYultras can have quite a lot of elevation once you get to a high number of loops. But I wouldn't worry too much about the format. You'll get to see people a lot more often than other ultras and hopefully the loops are big enough that mentally it isn't too challenging. I wouldn't necessarily train any different for a backyard ultra. Let me know how you get on!
How do you do your splits? The race I'm doing has distances to checkpoints and a GPX file it's also on Strava but I'm not sure how to find the elevation from each point would love to hear how you do it
The best one I've used is the Garmin connect app which has a pace pro feature. You put the GPX file in and set up your goal pace and it shows a breakdown of each KM with guide pace and elevation.
Alternatively, have a look at the race results from last year, and find one of the runners on strava. You'll be able to see their km splits which include elevation per km.
Hopefully one of those works for you!
Hall Joseph Lopez Timothy Young Sharon
Which Salomon vest do you use mate
The Adv Skin 12. Definitely not the cheapest option but will probably last me years and has enough space to cover pretty much any ultramarathon race with aid stations and drop bags. I really like the fit as well. There are a lot of more affordable options out there though.
@@jamesday1 it’s usually a toss up between the ADV skin and the Hydra. The Hydra being half price. I’ve been comparing the two for a while and trying to decide which one to go with.
That was awesome, thanks!
Brown Amy Jackson Angela Gonzalez James
Great video James!! I often see Dan from Dan Runs with the hand-held water bottles in his ultras so I gave it a go in my last marathon , I only lasted 5 or 6km with that!😂 I can feel in my body I’m nowhere near ready for an ultra but it’s a dream of mine to get to up to that ability… maybe with another year of training I could try one!🤞🏻🤞🏻And it’s great to know that this video will always be there whenever I’m ready! Plus it’s motivating just listening to this too! 🙋🏻♀️
Oh btw, good call to advise runners not to take pain killers before nor during a race, I listened to a podcast with a sports doctor who said outright never to do it, and explained that it’s very bad for both performance and stamina and increased risk of injury ! AFTER, ok!!! Not during!!
Thanks Bev! From the sounds of your training and the volume you're doing, I'm sure you could do a 50k ultra! It all comes down to pacing. Use a calculator like mcmillan running. Put in your pace for a road marathon and see what it says for a 50k. Go out and run that pace on a flat road to see what your heart rate is at that pace. Then go out on hilly trails and try to stick to that same heart race. That should give you a good guide for your 50k ultra pace.
@@jamesday1 THANKS James!! 👍🏻
Amazing video thanks so much. I've been wondering about solid nutrition. I'm all good with gels, never had any issues..but thinking about longer races and eating solids..I typically get stitch about 5-10 mins after consuming. I've only tried energy bars. Does your body just get used to it and you don't get stitch? Or do you keep trying new foods until you find something that doesn't cause stitch?
Thanks! So you can definitely train your stomach to handle different types of nutrition when running. But it's also worth experimenting to see what works for you. I know some people run races like UTMB entirely off sugary gels and drinks, whereas others can touch gels even on short races. It's a pretty personal journey, but definitely worth experimenting and training your stomach with different options. I find solid foods often fix my stomach issues when in long races. But gels and tailwind are my primary nutrition source during ultras.
I’ll be running my first ultra next October so starting my planning now. It’s a 33 mile sea to summit in Wales, running from the coast to the top of Yr Wyddfa. This video has been incredibly useful and informative. Thank you!
Nice Robert! Good luck! Sounds like a beast of an ultra. Glad the video was useful!
Thank you so much! I’m running my first in Shrewsbury in a couple of weeks and this is so helpful 👍
Nice! Good luck with your first!
Hi James. Great vid, super informative. Very glad to have “stumbled” across it. Got my first 50k in 10 weeks today and am starting to get super excited/nervous. This has really helped me out in my preparation for it. Thank you for the last half an hour!
Thanks! Good luck with your first 50k! I'm sure you'll love it.
Thank you for the great tips and good luck in your upcoming races!
Thanks Alex!
Thanks for this comprehensive video
You're welcome!
Really comprehensive, helpful and real world advice right here, thanks for taking the time to share it mate!
Also, my surname is Dey and I got a brother called James!
Thanks! Glad it was useful! Very close names! In the 100 miler I just did, the SDW100, there were 2 James Day's running, and a few people following me thought I DNF'd because they were tracking the wrong James Day 😅
@@jamesday1 Blimey, way more popular than I thought! I live in Austria now, and after having spelt out my surname for the dentist or something over the phone there's always a very long pause, before I inevitably have to say 'That's it. Pretty short name'.