It's the final episode of the ultra running diaries series, the series in which we have shared our journey scaling from 10k fitness to 100k ultra. We’re recording this episode a few days after the 67-mile ultra, and we reflect on the last 8 months, talk about the event in detail, and go over what we have taken away from the journey.

Trying to be as honest as possible, we discuss the positives and negatives of the experience and the main challenges of ultra running. We cover the night before the race, the highs and lows on the day, the main reasons to run an ultra as well as the main reasons not to, and our summaries of the overall experience.

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It’s part 6 of the ultra running diaries series, where we share our journey scaling from 10k fitness to 100k ultra. We're just over a week out from our 67-mile ultra, and we’re once again joined by our cousin and ultra mentor, James Randall, who, if you listened to part 5, was about to take on his first ultra event of the year called The Wall. 

Off the back of a training marathon and a 50k hike/run, we're now in the tapering phase. So we chat with James about how we should be spending the final two weeks before the event, as well as get James' thoughts on his learnings from The Wall, the value of time on feet, and reflections of the last 8 months. 

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In part 5 of the ultra running diaries series, the series where we share our journey scaling from 10k fitness to 100k ultra, we are once again joined by our cousin and ultra coach James Randall to discuss the dreaded long run. 

We cover why the long run can't be avoided in the training process, preparing for it properly, getting through it, and what the long run should be. We also discuss the impact of running in different weather conditions, with heat significantly affecting our training in the last few weeks. Lastly, we also chat with James about dealing with setbacks and mental doubt, as well as his upcoming 70-mile ultra event, The Wall. 

With our 67-mile ultra less than two months away now, reality has kicked in and self-doubt has taken over. Can we actually do this? Have we done enough training? How do we approach the training in the last 8 weeks? Do we have the right gear? 

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In part 4 of the Ultra running diaries, the series where we share our journey scaling from 10k fitness to 100k ultra, we discuss using events for training, the importance of recovery - before, during and after the run - and the lifestyle challenges of an 8-month training plan. 

Events are back and our first race in over a year was a half marathon at Eton Dorney. We chat about the race experience and how events provide the perfect short-term goals for training, but also the perils of getting carried away and running events differently from training runs. With life often getting in the way, we also cover the difficulties of juggling full-time work with parenting, as well as the impact of socialising and fitting training into a busy week.

Finally, we talk about the recovery strategies we have tried to avoid injury and improve performance, and why recovery should be as important as actually running.

‘You know you’ll have to run a lot to do an ultra, but do you know you need to rest a lot?’

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In part 3 of the Ultra running diaries, the series where we share our journey scaling from 10k fitness to 100k ultra, we’re going to be talking about the mindset of an endurance runner and we thought it was time to get some more experienced runners on the podcast to give us some advice. So our cousin and ultra runner James Randall joins us to provide us with an update on how he thinks our training is going, as well as Vince Savarese, who shares his running journey and recent exploits doing the 4x4x48 challenge, which involves running for four miles every four hours for 48 hours, inspired by the one and only ex-Navy Seal, David Goggins.

Endurance distances are just as much a mental as a physical challenge, if not more. Being able to handle pain and go through the mental barrier is a constant theme in ultra training, so in our interview with James and Vince we wanted to find out a bit more about what it takes to be an endurance runner, what gets you over the line, how to manage pain, and what we should know about endurance running mindset.

'Make friends with pain and you'll never be lonely.'

And as for those who you who didn’t expect us to get this far, sorry to disappoint. We’re still going!

In part 2 of the 'Ultra running diaries' series, where we chat about our journey scaling from 10k fitness to 100k ultra, we discuss the common mistakes to avoid during endurance run training. 

I think it's fair to say we've historically made quite a lot of mistakes during the training process for longer runs, so share our experiences, as well as discuss the things that regularly go wrong when doing endurance training, and how to avoid them. These tips are especially helpful for beginners, but experienced runners will hopefully benefit, too.

Lastly, we also cover what the hardest thing is about long-distance running, where we are up to on our Ultra training plan, and why recovery is just as important as the actual running. 

Our new season, 'Ultra running diaries', will be an honest, open and light-hearted account of the training and running of our first 100k ultra. Over the course of the season, we'll be sharing anecdotal training stories, analysing our running data, talking about the tips we pick up on the way, and the highs and the lows of scaling from 10k fitness to 100k ultra.

If you want to hear a relatable and brutally honest account of two normal people training for an ultra, stay tuned. If you are seeking professional running advice, probably best to switch off now. Having said that, we will get on some special guests in the run-up to our ultra event as expert advice is always welcome. So, fear not, we'll make the mistakes so you don't have to.

In part 1, we cover our running motivations, getting started with training, the mindset of running long distances, and developing healthy running habits.

Tom Dunning, aka the Mental Health Runner, joins Chris to give an open and honest account of his battle with mental health, and discuss the critical role of running in his recovery. We chat about life before and after finding a love for running, some of his darkest experiences, the impact of exercise on his mental health, lockdown, writing his book 'Surviving the war against yourself', and the lessons he's learned from his experiences. 

After digesting the disappointment of the cancellation of this year's marathons, Nick asks guest, Matt Williams, Founder of Prima Fitness, to talk about the importance of good nutrition and core strength in being healthier, happier, and achieving your goals... whatever they may be. Matt is a qualified PT and former professional dancer, who helps clients not only get into better shape but also improve their mental strength.

Prima Fitness - Website

Bikepacking has never been more popular - the Vivi team give it a go in the cycling paradise that is the Isle of Wight. We cover the basics of bikepacking, what a bikepacking weekend might look like, as well as the merits of making the trip on the Solent to the Isle of Wight if you’re a cyclist. For time-poor cyclists looking for a cheap, short adventure, bikepacking is a great option this year.