The Trail and Error Podcast (Jay Grady)

Stephen Cousins from Film My Run returns to the Trail & Error Podcast to discuss his ambitious (and enviable) race calendar, UTMB, running with poles, running backwards down hills, barely running at all at Val d'Aran, and other, less relevant things.

On this episode Jay and Tris discuss the Arc of Attrition 100 & 50 mile endurance race, which will take place on the 28th January 2022. Jay and Tris are both training for the 100 mile race and have both run it before, so this episode gives some insight in to their past experiences and future plans for the race.

Jay & Tris discuss their upcoming races and current training, and reveal the big race they are both competing in in September '23. In the second half they take listener questions which range from how to pack waist belts to monitoring heart rate during exercise, foot care and whether caffeine should be classed as a banned substance.

If you would like to submit question for Jay & Tris you can drop us a message on social media or use this magic voice link, where you can record your question and then you get to hear yourself on the podcast: https://anchor.fm/trail-and-error/message

Toby Lowe is a Cornwall based trail runner, photographer, and co-founder of Perran Trail Runners running club. In a past life he was part of the team responsible for maintaining Cornwall's footpaths, bridleways and coast path... all 2,000 miles of them. We discuss the the coast path and how it is paid for and maintained, Toby's running and climbing background, the founding of Perran Trail Runners, their upcoming event 'St Piran's Revenge', and hear Toby's thoughts on race entry fees and medals... and our thoughts. And there's probably some other stuff.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/perrantrailrunners

Race Special - Tris competed in the Centurion Track 100 mile race at Bedford International Athletics Track on 22nd April. In the first half of this episode (recorded a few days before the event) Tris and Jay discuss Tris’ preparation for the event, the event format, and his goals. In the second half (recorded the day after) we find out how he and the other athletes got on!

Race Director and rebel runner, this week we welcome to the show Andrew ‘Fergy’ Ferguson a Race Director at MudCrew Events here in the UK and a well travelled runner of the world trail running scene.

Ferg talks to Tris and Jay about some of the trials and tests of establishing a trail running events company back when such things were new! MudCrew famously don’t do easy!. Ferg and the other two race directors at MudCrew have travelled the world to experience the best and worst in events’ organisation, pulling the parts they like into MudCrew’s iconic RAT (Roseland August Trail) weekend and the epic winter, internationally renowned Arc of Attrition 100 on the savage Cornish coastline in deepest darkest January. We hear how they managed to turn a race from single digit entry numbers into a Western States qualifier.

Race Directors have an unforgiving job and MudCrew’s reputation as friendly, hospitable (we talk ‘honey pot’ aid stations) and tough are all accolades they have earned. Keeping everyone from land owners to locals happy while herding over a thousand runners along single file cliff top paths safely, sometimes in both directions, takes some doing, and in the start no one knew how.

We also hear some of Ferg's thoughts on the future of running clubs and whether the anti establishment, rebel runners are the future in our hyper connected lives. Less club night, more flash mob.

Listen to the show here: https://www.trailanderror.co.uk/podcast or via your favourite podcast source.

We hope you enjoy the show and if you do, please ‘Like and Subscribe’

Thanks for listening!!

Jay and Tris

Show Links

You can find MudCrew here:        http://mudcrew.co.uk

and here:            https://www.instagram.com/mudcrew_events/ 

Follow Fergs adventure on Instagram:     https://www.instagram.com/ultrafergy

And get a flavour of the BRUTAL Arc of Attrition here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uojIZtERh9w

In a record breaking week of UTMB action, we break a record too with our longest ever podcast episode! As has become customary with our race episodes, this one is split in to two sections: in the first half we discuss the 100km CCC that Jay is racing in, his preparations, hopes, dreams, aspirations; and in the second half we pick through the debris like carrion crows on a battlefield. 

https://utmbmontblanc.com/en/page/21/21.html

Ellie is a relative newcomer to the ultra running world, and on this episode she chats with us about her experiences racing and supporting around the world, her friendship with ultra running megastar Mira Rai (and her charity the 'Mira Rai Initiative'), donuts, injuries, and what not to do with energy gels.

The Dramathon is a 42km trail race through the heartlands of whisky country, passing by and through around a dozen single malt distilleries (10% off the whisky distilleries in Scotland no less!) on mixed terrain ranging from exposed hills, technical woodland, golf courses, castles, road and rough track. Tristan raced this event on 15th October - listen here to find out how he prepared and how he did.

Ben is an evolutionary biologist, primatologist and broadcaster. He has been Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement at the University of East Anglia since 2019. Much of his career has been focussed on primates in Africa. On this episode we talk about the Dragons Back race, which Ben, Jay, and Tris are all training for. We hear about Ben’s experiences reccying the course, and in particular Crib Gogh. We then tap into Ben’s wealth of knowledge around human evolution, running mechanics and form, touching on fascia, strength training, psychology, endurance and breathing, and how he has - in our words - been “sciencing the shit” out of his training.

Elsie is a doctor, North Face sponsored trail ultra runner, 2:33 marathoner, and a returning guest on the T&E podcast. On the episode we talk about her recent win at Nice Côte d'Azur by UTMB, her winter Bob Graham round record, and reaching her limits with heat stroke at the Calamorro Skyrace. We touch on some of Elsie’s training strategies, including her 40% incline treadmill and depriving herself of oxygen in bed and while on the treadmill with an altitude mask. All that and more. PS. The audio quality is fairly poor on this one. We’ll try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

In this special episode of two halves, Jay and Tris discuss the The South West Traverse, a 44 mile trail race in Cornwall which took place on 30th May 2021. The first half of the episode was recorded four days before race day, where we both discuss the route, our training, nutrition plan and goals. The second half was recorded 24 hours after the race, where we review the highs and lows of the event and assess our performances.

The South West Traverse begins at the most southerly tip of the UK mainland and follows the coastal path 44 miles to the most westerly point at Land's End. The course undulates with over 6500 feet of vertical gain through rocky coves and bluffs, through fishing villages and the town of Penzance before heading into the rugged mostly unpopulated 12 miles leading to the finish.

http://mudcrew.co.uk/event/the-south-west-traverse/

Tom Sutton is race director of Freedom Racing, who organise a bunch of races in Cornwall and beyond, including the KVK, Serpent Trail & Hurtwood 50k. Tom started running through getting to the final selections to represent Great Britain in the 2003 LandRover G4 Challenge adventure race and has since competed in the Lakeland 100 (more than once) Skye Ultra Trail and done multiple Bob Graham Rounds. He’s also done a few Mountain Bike races such as Strathpuffer 24hr.

http://freedom-racing.co.uk/

This week Tris and Jay are joined by doctor and ultra runner Paddy Mitton whose office is normally the icy wastes of the southern hemisphere. Paddy is an expert in how the human body operates in terrestrial extremes, the very edges of our limits and how to prepare and perform in those places.

Ian is photographer, writer, endurance athlete, and the host of the Talk Ultra podcast. He is the author and photographer of the book 'Running Beyond: Epic Ultra, Trail and Skyrunning Races' and has many of the top ultra runners around the world on speed dial. We talk about podcasting, pushing the limits of endurance, how ultra running is perceived in the public eye, ingratiating oneself with the elites, the importance of packing the right kit, adventure runs, and Kilian Jornet.

Ellis is a British ultra runner and the co-founder of VÅGA. He is has logged the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on Hadrians Wall (supported), is the CR holder on the 100km RAT in Cornwall, came 2nd place in the 2022 Cheviot Goat and 2nd place in this year’s Arc of Attrition. We talk about yoga and the importance of intention and expectation in running, Ellis’ experience on the Arc in 2022 and 2023, training plans and race strategy, the ‘Bramble Guy’ at the 2023 AoA, the CCC race at UTMB and his CR on the RAT. We also touch on the Bland family, its legend legacy in Northern fell running and the expectation that comes with it. Finally, we talk about VÅGA and what the future holds for Ellis.

David Barry is the host of the Film My Trail Run YouTube channel and an ultra runner currently based in LA. On the episode we talk about some of David’s recent racing experiences, including the UTMB Canyons race, Transgrancaria, Cape Wrath Ultra, and running some of the biggest marathons in the world (including Kelvin Kiptum’s record breaking Chicago Marathon in October of last year). We also have a mildly heated debate around watches, pitting Coros against Garmin - which do you think is better?

Andrew McCauley is a physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach based in Truro, Cornwall. He is the founder of ProCare Sports Medicine, Cornwall’s only sports medicine clinic, which combines up to date sports science with strength and conditioning practices to assist with training goals, diagnose and rehabilitate injuries and help prevent injuries in the first place. On this episode we discuss how strength and conditioning can help runners, the differences between strength and power, the psychology of pain, tips for building strength, and much more.

https://procaresportsmedicine.com/

In the last of our Arc of Attrition 2023 episodes, we speak to Gavin Dale, this year’s male winner of the 100. We talk to Gavin about the race, his training, nutrition, and race strategy. We also talk about fell racing, the trail running scene in New Zealand, and backyard ultras.

Jay takes on the Cape Wrath Ultra by Ourea Events from May 19th and he’s joined on this episode by fellow race participants James Forbes of Trench Foot Cream and Stephen Cousins of the YouTube channel Film My Run. You can hear more from James on episode 59 and from Stephen way back on episode 4 and again on episode 35.

They chat about their race preparations (or lack of), the kit required to take on 400km of the UK’s most remote wilderness and their expectations of how the race will go.

If you’d like to learn more about this event you can check out episodes 69, 70 & 73 where we chatted to Shane Ohly the event director and previous Cape Wrath Ultra participants David Barry and Laura O’Driscoll respectively.

Equally, if Cape Wrath Ultra sounds interesting be sure to check out all of our coverage of Ourea’s Dragons Back Race from last year to learn about another epic wilderness race in the UK.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a moment free perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Tris and Jay

As promised, here is the bonus audio recorded by Jay with guests Stephen Cousins and James Forbes, after each day on the Cape Wrath 2024 Ultra. And at the end there is an interview with Event Director and Ourea founder Shane Ohly, where he discusses how the event team managed an infectious outbreak in the race camp and how they managed to keep it’s infection rate to a mind blowingly low 12.8%. Low enough to be the basis of a future scientific research paper on infection control no less!

Jamie Stephenson is a well-known face on the Cornish running scene because he is very often the reason why it’s impossible to place first in a trail race down here. On this episode we talk about Jamie’s current training plan, his success at the Serpent Trail 50k, pacing and sweeping, pushing yourself to the limits (if there is a limit?) his plans for 2022, and - in an emotionally charged section of the episode - how much Jamie’s older brother Tristan has been an inspiration to him over the years ;-)

For the first ever episode of Trail & Error, Jay and Tris are joined by ultra runner/adventurer Jodie Gauld, who speaks about her experiences filming "Running the Roof" a Banff Film Festival award nominated documentary that saw Jodie and two pals run across Tajikistan (we hadn't heard of it either) from the border of Afghanistan to the border of China - 400km in 7 days, through one of the most remote valleys in the world. 

Jane is race director for Mud Crew and an experienced ultra runner based in Cornwall. On this episode we discuss Jane’s entry in to the world of ultra running and her role at Mud Crew. However most of the conversation is dedicated to the Marathon Des Sable, the 6-day 250km race through the Sahara Desert from which Jane has recently returned. If you’re looking to learn more about MDS this episode is for you!

Mimi is an endurance athlete and multiple world record holder. She has competed in numerous races across the planet, specialising in multi-day events in places like the Sahara Desert, Peruvian jungle and Arctic Circle, to name a few. More recently, in 2017, she attempted to break the women's transcontinental record by running across America. She is the author of two books: "Limitless" and "Beyond Impossible".

***

This episode is dedicated to the late Andy Bishop of Helston Trail Runners.

David Miller is a sports photographer and ultra runner from Weymouth. He has photographed numerous events in the South West of the UK as well as two UTMB’s and - a few weeks ago - the infamous Barkley Marathons in the USA. We talk about David’s background, how he got into photography, creating a style, kit and equipment, the business of events photography, UTMB, and Barkley.

Ex Royal Marine David Parrish joins me alongside a new guest co-host, Jodie Gauld, to talk multi-day adventures, his victory at the 2023 Cape Wrath Ultra and how he's preparing for the 2025 Dragon's Back Race.

Alongside his record breaking companion, 'Munro' the spaniel, David has been running and hiking in the mountains in his native Scotland since leaving the military and his skills in the mountains showed with a dominating performance on the CWU, but he's taking a slightly different approach now he's taking on the Dragon.

From humble running beginnings, recording his runs with pencil and paper, he's exploded onto the UK endurance scene as an all round and versatile athlete placing 3rd overall on the 2024 Northern Traverse.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Jay

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun

#toetheline #running

Sam Downing is a Cornwall based trail and ultra runner and the founder of the Ponnek trail running brand. On the episode we talk about the ethos behind Ponnek, how it was founded and where it’s going. He gives some hints as some new products in the pipeline and products that will never make it into the pipeline. We talk about the most useless bits of running gear and getting the longest lifespan out of kit. Sam talks about the beginning of his running journey, his recent experience at the Cheviot Goat, injuries and training, and we give the results of great Garmin vs. Sonos poll.

Tris raced in the Endurance Life North Cornwall 50km Ultramarathon on Saturday 14th January. In this race special episode which is, as usual, split in to two parts, Tris discusses his planning for the event and we find out how he got on.

In this episode Jay is joined by Stephen Cousins of Film My Run and friend and runner Richard Hurdle as they discuss their experiences of TDS over the past 5 years.

Starts tactics, the never ending climbs, and the tragic fatalities this race has seen over the past few years all come up as they impart their wisdom and knowledge of this iconic mountain race.

At approximately 94 miles and 30,000ft of elevation and with a start and finish at opposite ends of the Mt Blanc tunnel this event has a deservedly fearsome reputation.

In this episode we talk to Luke Grenfell-Shaw, a member of the Brooks Running trail running team and cancer survivor.

Luke was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2018 at the age of just 24. Far from recoiling he launched himself out into the world on a mission to make the most of life.

8 years on and Luke has a tandem bike ride from Bristol to Bejing under his belt as well as competing on the world trail running scene as part of the Brooks team and his work as a motivational speaker.

We talk training, coaches, adventures and about his recent race in China as well as his work with cancer charities.

We hope you enjoy this episode.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a moment free perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Tris and Jay

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner

Our biggest ever race deserves our biggest ever episode. Join Jay and Tris as they delve into the belly of the beast that is the Montane Dragon's Back, a six day ultramarathon through Wales. Featuring content captured throughout the course of the week, a day by day synopsis of the event, as well as our own experiences on course, this is the Dragon's Back recap that you are looking for.

Lewis Ryan is a Scarpa sponsored ultra runner who recently won the Arc 50 in Cornwall, resulting in is his fifth race win in the past year. On the episode we talk about cramping in Hayle,  Lewis’ past races and upcoming challenges (including the Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB and Dragon’s Back). We also talk about training around a young family and balancing a life in the alcohol industry with running - something that Lewis and Tris both share in common.

Holly Stables is an former international road marathon runner who has competed in the Commonwealth Games and bagged a bronze medal for GB at the European Championships. She’s clocked multiple 2:37 marathons as well as rapid PB's on 10k and HM. . She’s now focussing on trail running and ultra distance and has done rather well at that too, with a clutch of gender and overall wins at races from the Hurtwood 50k to Cotswold Way 100 mile and Wye Valley Trail Marathon. We talk about Holly’s training regime, the transition from road to trail, her experiences racing, and her build up and planning for the Arc of Attrition 100 mile race this coming weekend.

On this AMA episode Tris takes your listener questions and rambles through some answers.

A special edition episode where Jay interviews Tris about his preparation for the Freedom Racing Salomon Serpent Trail 100k, which was held on 3rd July 2021, followed by a race de-brief that reveals how Tris got on plus some other stuff about toenails.

It’s two weeks until the 2022 Arc of Attrition 100 and 50 mile ultra marathons. Jay and Tris are both running in the 100 mile distance, so following on from the 10-weeks-to-go episode (which feels like it was recorded about 10 days ago) we’ve taken some time to talk about our build up and to go over plans for kit, shoes, nutrition, crew, and finishing the race.

Good luck to all who are running the Arc this year - we shall see you at registration on the 28th!

On this special episode which was held at the pop-up Ponnek Running Store in Falmouth on 28th October (yeah, took a while to get this out!) Tris records the first every live episode of Trail & Error with Jay Medway from Left Handed Giant Running Club in Bristol. On the episode we talk about the Arc of Attrition, Jay’s philosophy on running clubs and the details of how LHG running club operates with its typical number of 150 runners per week. We talk injury and recovery, adventuring over racing, crewing a 200 mile race around a town square, and how running clubs can support communities. Plus much more!

Victoria Cousins is an ultra runner who has had a dramatic rise to running supremacy over the past couple of years, going from knee surgery to completing Centurion’s Grand Slam of 100 milers in 2023 and running three marathons in three weeks in three countries. Spurred on in part by her husband and previous podcast guest Stephen Cousins, we think she’s one to watch, however as you’ll see Victoria is extremely humble about her achievements. A lot of races get shout outs here - we discuss the GU36 race in Guernsey, The Brecon Beacons Ultra, Suffolk Backyard, SDW50, Thames Path 100, South Downs Way 100, North Downs Way 100 and the Autumn 100… and much more.

Tris ran in the Centurion Thames Path 100 Mile race on 7th May 2022, following the River Thames from Richmond in London through to Oxford. As has become customary on this podcast, this episode is formed of two parts (1) recorded a week before the event (2) recorded 18 hours after. Enjoy!

https://www.centurionrunning.com/races/thames-path-100-2022

On this episode I speak to ultra runner and coach Julia Davis.

We turned this chat into a travelogue of sorts, talking about Julia's running experiences donning the GB vest to race in India, her love of a race over Cape Town's Table Mountain and her uncanny ability to attract snow and unseasonable weather as well as chatting about the Arc of Attrition podium and her coaching with Centurion Running.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Jay

https://www.centurionrunning.com/section/coaching

https://www.instagram.com/juliadavis101

I’ve been itching to have Shane back on the show for a number of reasons.

The foremost of these was his completion of the Dragon’s Back in a one’r, creating an FKT for this iconic route. It’s also the first real ‘3 peat’ achievement in appearing as a guest on the pod’!

We chatted about his sub 24 hour finish on January’s  Arc of Attrition by UTMB 100 miler and discuss how his experience as both a competitor and viewpoint as a race director measured up and how the first race under UTMB banner went. 

I’m also asked a question that left me lost for words for the first time in 87 episodes! 

It’s a great chat about the ‘went rights’ and ‘went wrongs’ which is why I love doing these interviews so much. 

Finally we talked about my new project, Ginger Goat Events which will touring the UK this year and why Ourea chose to become our primary sponsor. 

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Jay

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun

#toetheline #running

Mark Darbyshire is a Brummie ultra runner and the course record holder of the Lakeland 100, Arc of Attrition 100 and North Downs Way 100 to name a few, as well as 13th place in last year’s UTMB. He is, not to put too fine a point on it, one of the best British 100 milers of recent times. We talk about Mark’s training regime, his experience racing over the past few years, we take a deep dive in to the AoA 2021 (where Tris and Mark battled for the top spots on the podium), we talk UTMB and Mark’s aspirations for the Arc 50 in two weeks time

On this special before and after episode Jay and Tris talk about their experiences planning for and running The Plague, a 100km ultra marathon on the South Cornwall coast path which was held on Saturday 7th August.

www.mudcrew.co.uk

Welcome to Season 2 of Trail & Error. This week’s guest is Dr. Marco Altini. Marco has a PhD in Data Science and Masters degrees in Computer engineering, Human Movement Science and High-Performance Coaching. He is Data Science Advisor at Oura (the wearable sleep rings) and the founder of HRV4Training app. He’s also a passionate runner, based in Amsterdam. On this episode we uncover what heart rate variability is, how it affects performance and adaptation, what lifestyle variables impact HRV, continuous glucose monitoring and what it might mean for the sport of running, and even more geeky stuff besides that.

With most of the training done and a two week taper left, Jay & Tris discuss their preparations for Dragon’s Back 2023 - a 380km, six day, stage race, through the length of Wales with 18,000m of elevation gain and loss. On the episode we discuss the highs and lows of training, our training plans, nutrition, kit, hopes, and fears.

Shane is a former elite mountain runner and the founder of Ourea Events, who organise some of the toughest races in the UK including the Dragons Back (6 days, 380km) Cape Wrath (8 days 400km) amongst others. We talk about Shane's background and his in-road in to running running events, and take a deep dive into the logistical considerations of shepherding hundreds of people through some of the most remote and technically challenging bits of the British Isles. This year's Dragon's Back race begins on the 5th of September and you can keep up to date with the action through @Oureaevents and @DragonsBackRace on social media.

This is available as a video episode on the Trail & Error YouTube channel.

Laura O’ Driscoll is an ultra runner, cyclist, swimmer and yoga instructor. Laura has clocked up numerous races in her time, including 1st place female at Cape Wrath, 1st place at the Kerry Way Ultra, 1st at Seven Sisters Skyline ultra, 1st place at Waterville WFT 3day, and many more. Following a car accident in 2012, she embraced yoga during her recovery from a serious knee injury.  This journey led her from an Ironman hopeful to a certified yoga instructor through Ashtanga Yoga Mysore in 2013.  On the episode we talk about Cape Wrath and Dragon’s Back (which Laura is entering this year) with focus on camp life, recovery and map reading. We then move onto the totally epic Himal Race in Nepal, which traverses the entire Himalayas. Laura is competing in the short version of this race later in Spring, which is only 8 days!

Loyd Purvis is the host of the Run4Adventure YouTube channel and a prominent member of the Cornish trail running community. On this episode Jay and Loyd talk about the Cornish trail running scene, UTMB, Loyd’s transition into content making and the birth of Run4Adventure, what it takes to run his channel, pushing the limits, the Arc of Attrition, and much more….

#88 Max King

A resident of Oregon and ‘Dragon Tamer’, running legend and coach Max King joins me and guest co-host Lewis Ryan on this episode.

We talk about his 2024 DBR win, taking on locals in their own back yard and the narrowing differences between race experiences around world.

We even got the scoop on Max’s upcoming attempt at the Barkley Marathons and his tips for on the go repair and recovery in the middle of multi day races.

Find more of Max here:

https://www.instagram.com/@maxkingor

https://www.maxkingtrc.com/

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Jay

Shane is a former elite mountain runner and the founder of Ourea Events, which organise some of the toughest races in the UK including the Dragons Back and Cape Wrath Ultra. This is his second appearance on the podcast. On this episode, which was recorded between Christmas and New Year, Jay is hosting solo and chats to Shane about his experience running the Dragon’s Back race in Autumn 2023 and looks forward to the racing in the Cape Wrath Ultra in a few months. Shane delves into his race and event philosophy, the differences between DB and CW and the incredible logistical challenges of operating these events.

On this special episode Jay and Tris discuss the Gloucester Track 24 Hour race which Tris competed in on 23rd October. As we have done with other race specific episodes, this recording is made up of two parts: the first half was recorded the day before the race and covers Tris’ preparation and aspirations for the race; the second half picks through the battlefield debris in attempts to work out what went right and what went wrong.

http://www.severnvalleyevents.co.uk/events/blackbridge.html

Stephen Cousins is the host of the 'Film My Run' YouTube channel, the in-house running journalist and vlogger for Zwift, an accomplished ultra marathon runner and daily treadmill pounder. In this episode we talk about Zwift running, training, camera tech, the positives and negatives of treadmill training, and discuss Stephen's experiences in various European races.

You can find Stephen here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjphxoB7x0A_VhB1CUz3AwA

and learn more about Zwift Run here: https://www.zwift.com/uk/run

Matt Whyman is an ultra runner, artist, dad, and author of a number of very good books (fiction and non-fiction) including one about running: Failure Is An Option “the story of an average runner who sets out to discover just how far he can go.” On this episode we take a deep dive into the Dragon’s Back Race, a six day ultra in Wales which Matt ran in 2021 and is attempting (along with Tris and Jay) again in September 2023. 

www.mattwyman.com

Fi Pascall is a rising star in the ultra world. She set a remarkable new course record at this year’s Arc 50, holds the course record for the Wendover Woods 50, and has the female Lakeland 24 hour record - summiting 68 peaks in 23.5 hours. We talk about her Arc victory, the allure of ultras, Wendover, running fast downhills, coaching, marathon running and suffering, route planning and strategy in the Lakes, the top of Skiddaw, and beards.

#86 Noor van der Veen

On this episode I speak to ultra runner and mountaineer Noor van der Veen. 

Noor turned up with an awesome performance on this year's 100 mile Arc of Attrition by UTMB taking 1st place in the women's race comfortably.

As always we cover a whole host of topics including race recce's and tactics, opinions on the race and the realities of female participation in the world of trail ultras.

As humble as she is talented it was an absolute pleasure to chat with her for an hour despite the fact we both came down with colds last night.

Special shout out to Lily the cat who provided perimeter security for Noor during our interview. Outstanding

job Lily x

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Jay

@rab.equipment

@rab.benelux

@noor.vanderveen

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun #arcofattrition #dutchtrailrunners

#toetheline #running 

Tracy Waite is an endurance runner and fitness and lifestyle coach who was recently awarded Personal Trainer of they Year for the South West of England. Based in Cornwall, she loves nothing more than spending back to back days running very long stretches of Cornish coast path.

http://www.personaltrainerincornwall.co.uk/

Jay takes on the 400km Cape Wrath Ultra along with friends Stephen Cousins and James Forbes

Winding along the route of the historic Cape Wrath Trail from Fort William at the base of the Great Glen this race heads north into the Knoydart region over 8 days. As with all mountain races the weather and its unpredictability can affect the conditions massively and this edition of the race was to prove challenging in unexpected ways.

Tris takes the role of interviewer and Jay as guest alongside James and Stephen as we chat about our experiences of the Cape Wrath Ultra and (SPOILER ALERT) its companion event the Cape Wrath Explorer.

Jay recorded daily content each evening too including an interview with Event Director and Ourea founder Shane Ohly where he discusses how the event team managed an infectious outbreak in the race camp and how they managed to keep it’s infection rate to a mind blowingly low 12.8%. Low enough to be the basis of a future scientific research paper on infection control no less!

Day 1 to 8 round ups and the interview with Shane are included as bonus content at the end of the podcast.

We hope you enjoy this extended episode.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a moment free perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Tris and Jay

In this episode of Trail and Error we talk to endurance runner and coach Chris Kelly.

A former footballer, hip surgery in 2016 forced Chris to look at sport in a new way and thankfully he discovered he was a runner! We talk about his running, injuries and rehab, 1st place on the GUCR and his epic 24 hour/169 mile feat as well as his sub 21 hour finish Arc of Attrition.
Despite his injuries and surgeries Chris is one of the most positive runners in the sport and a true gent. Softly spoken and humble, it was a pleasure to chat with him.
Join us as we spend an hour diving into his experiences.
You can find more from Chris here:
@chrisk_runs and @rts.coaching
Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!
Tris and Jay

Mike McKNight is a Salomon sponsored ultra endurance athlete who specialises in the 200 mile distance and multi-day FKTs. He was the winner of the Triple Crown in 2017 and 2019, ran a 100 miles with zero nutrition in 2020, then took on the 486 mile long Colorado Trail FKT, which was fully documented in the new ‘Broken to Breaking’ film on YouTube.

Debbie Martin-Consani is a British ultra runner. She has represented Scotland and GB in 100km and 24 hour disciplines, and finished top female in the Lakeland 100, Thames Path 100 and, more recently, the 2022 Spine Race, where she completed the 268 mile distance in 104 hours. She's also one of the few lucky (or perhaps not) Brits to have been invited to run the Badwater 135 in Death Valley. We talk about her experiences in that race, and others, plus her planning for the upcoming Arc of Attrition 100 which she is racing in this year.

Paul Maskell is a Cornish ultra runner and paramedic who, amongst his many successes, has represented Great Britain at the 24 Hour World Championships where he ran 156 miles (251km). On this episode Paul tells us about how he got in to running, his experiences running the Arc of Attrition and Grand union Canal, the fact that drunk people seem to appear at every race he competes in, 24 hour track competition, getting lost, and the Cornwall Air Ambulance service.

Jay heads over to Chamonix to take on the TDS.

A race with 9400m of elevation change over 145km of remote alpine trails, the TDS has a formidable reputation for difficulty and testing the endurance of those seeking more of a challenge than the classic UTMB 100 miler can offer.

TDS takes its participants from Courmayeur in Italy back to the iconic finish line in Chamonix, giving the runners a maximum of 44 hours for the journey. Its remote and exposed course includes sections of via ferrata with potentially fatal drops at 2600m and relentless climbs and descents at lung busting altitudes.

In this episode we'll find out how Jay got on vs his pre race predictions. Will it be glory or will TDS claim another scalp?

We hope you enjoy this episode.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a moment free perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Tris and Jay

Michael Stocks is an ultra-runner who competes in the 24 hour track standard for Great Britain. He is also the author of One Track Mind, an account of his experience running for 24 hours at the Self Transcendence 24 Hour Track Race in London, in 2018. Besides discussing the various challenges one faces when attempting to run all day, we also cover training, nutrition, meditation and equality in ultra distance running.

Jordan is an endurance runner from Leighton Buzzard who, at the ripe young age of 24, has competed in a number of trail and ultra races across the UK and, more recently, Europe. He also holds approximately half of all the Strava CR’s in Cornwall. We talk about Jordan’s approach to running, his current (enviable) nomadic lifestyle, the Gold Trail Series, and much more.

Another race special, and this time it's Jay's turn to don running shoes. He is returning to the island of La Palma to run up an active volcano, run along the top of it a bit, then run down the other side. Sounds simple enough, right? Let's find out how he did...

Andy Blow is the founder of Precision Fuel & Hydration, a company that makes sports supplements for endurance athletes. He has a BSc Honours degree in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Bath and has co-authored a number of scientific studies and books.

He was once the Team Sports Scientist for the Benetton and Renault Formula 1 teams and remains an adviser to the Porsche Human Performance Centre at Silverstone. Andy has finished in the top 10 in Ironman events and won the XTERRA Age Group World title. 

On the episode we talk about Andy’s sporting background and how it led him to setup Precision F&H. We then talk about hydration, electrolytes, sweat testing, peeing during exercise, and calibrating hydration to your personal needs. Then it’s onto fuelling, carbohydrate intake for energy and recovery, with examples of where the low-carb and high carb approach have seen results.

Check out the below links to articles on the Precision F&H website (authored by Andy) that cover many of the topics discussed in this episode. 

Measure your sweat rate - https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/hydration/how-to-measure-your-sweat-rate/

How Much Dehydration Can you tolerate - https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/hydration/how-much-dehydration-can-you-tolerate-before-your-performance-suffers/

Nutrition Endurance per -  https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/nutrition/nutrition-endurance-performance/

How Much Carbohydrate do you need?  - https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/nutrition/how-much-carbohydrate-carbs-athletes-per-hour/

On this episode Jay and Tris sit down and chat with Sam Grady and Rachel Stephenson, two of their respective crew members and also Jay's wife and Tris' mother. We talk all things crewing from selecting crew to race planning, kit, tips for crew and crew etiquette, with examples of success and failure along the way.

Jeri is an extreme ultra distance runner, and the owner of Red Dot Running store and Fat Bird events based out of Singapore. On this episode we learn about Jeri’s introduction in to ultra running in Cornwall leading to her experiences running 400km+ ultras all around the world. We also discuss risk management and death, how to deal with a stampede of highland cows, backyard ultras, recovering from injury and napping.

David Laney is an American ultra runner and Craft Sportswear ambassador based in the Pacific Northwest. He has placed 3rd and 4th at UTMB and was the winner of the 2019 Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile. Back in the day he ran a 2:17 marathon too!

We talk about life on the professional endurance running circuit, ice baths and saunas and his upcoming season as well as discussing some recent races including the 90km Ultrvasan in Sweden (an almost totally downhill event on surfaces including trail, tarmac and wooden planks) and the Desert Solstice 100 track event among others.

It’s safe to say David excels in multiple terrains and environments. He’s also a really nice, humble funny guy.

In this episode I chat to Lewis Ryan, overall winner of the Arc of Attrition by UTMB 100 mile race.

We cover how the race unfolded and his experiences along the route as well discussing comparisons between his 2024 victory on the 50 mile race and how that race unfolded this year with a victory from Tom Evans and also how he felt about the race being a UTMB World Series event.

We also talk a little on his 2024 Dragons Back Race and how it went among other things and there's a little announcement about the future direction of Trail and Error tucked in there somewhere too for good measure.

Another race special, and this time Jay is racing the Canyons 100k by UTMB in California. In the first half we discuss Jay's planning, the route (and how it has changed) and all aspects of the race. In the second half we pick through the wreckage like carrion crows, discussing how the race went for Jay as well as the elite performances.

Elsey Davis is one of the UK’s top marathon runners with a PB of 2:33 (in Valencia in 2019). She has more recently began shifting away from roads to trail. Elsey is a doctor, lives in Chester with her wife, runs for Preston Harriers and is coached by double Olympian Helen Clitheroe.

Shane Benzie is a running coach, researcher, and author known for his work on the biomechanics of running. He is the founder of Running Reborn, a coaching company that helps runners improve their performance and prevent injuries by focusing on proper technique and natural movement patterns. Shane has worked with a range of runners, from recreational to Rhonex Kipruto and Elide Kipchoge. He has also conducted extensive research on running technique and movement, and has presented his findings at conferences and workshops around the world. On the episode we take a deep dive into running mechanics, touching on the following topics: muscle vs. fascia, actively training fascia, running dynamics, anthropology of running, perfect form, Kipchoge, pronation and trainers, and treadmills for running assessment.

Shane can be found at: https://runningreborn.com

Josh Perry is a British ultra runner and hiker. He specialises in very long FKT’s (fastest known time) and is the current self-supported record holder of the Arizona Trail (817 miles) and Pacific Crest Trail (2,663 miles - not a typo) which he set in August ’22 in a time of 55 days, 16 hours and 54 minutes, averaging 50 miles a day. If you want to know what 50 miles a day for two months feels like, Josh tells us on this episode.

James Elson is the host of the British Ultra Running Podcast, an ultra runner and race director. On this episode we talk about everything from Leadville to the London Marathon, James' life before running and his journey with Centurion Running, from a single race in 2010 to arguably what is now the UK's most prolific and well respected organiser of ultra distance trail running events. 

In this episode of Trail and Error Tris is back on the start line... for the Centurion Running Winter Downs 200 race. 

200 miles obviously an extremely long race, and Tris's longest attempted one’r distance to date. 

We go through all the details of his preparations, the race details and his plans in the first half of this episode before catching up with him again to hear how it all went. 

There's also an important announcement regarding the podcast in this episode so let us know your thoughts on it in the comments. 

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Tris and Jay

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun

#toetheline #running 

James Hallett is a running journalist and the founder of Trails in Motion film tour. He talks to us about how an idea that started as a forerunner to Strava and a mountain trail race in Africa spawned a global trail running phenomenon. We talk about movies, mountains and chicken pox! 

Find out more about Trails In Motion and how to host a screening here:

https://www.trailsinmotion.com/

Watch Mountain of Greatness here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_7CNhATLGc&t=1030s

And James' other co production 'A Journey to Black Mountain' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjasWjx2jOU&t=64s

Vassos is a radio broadcaster, author and ultra runner. He has been the sports corespondent for the Chris Evans Breakfast Show for a decade and he also hosts the Parkrun Podcast. He has written three books on running including the bestselling ‘Running up that Hill, the highs and lows of going that bit further’. We talk jetpack injuries, the ethics of global travel and climate change, running the Lake District, the art of badly pacing an ultra, the 153 mile Spartathlon, Phidippides, Cretan ultra running and the Arc of Attrition.

What’s the best way to treat a blister? Or even better how to prevent it from forming in the first place? Ever wondered how to stop your toenails turning black and falling off? 

This week we’re joined by author and ultra runner John Vonhof and doctor of physiotherapy Tonya Olsen. 

Together they are stalwart foot specialists and checkpoint managers at Western States (John’s also a 3x finisher at WS among other notable races) and author and contributor respectively for the foot care bible that is…

Fixing Your Feet - Now in its just released 7th Edition this book is an absolute must have endurance runners. Join us as we dive into foot care 101 with John and Tonya

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

James Forbes is a mountain leader, rock climber, kayaker and runner. He is also the founder of Trench foot cream. On this episode we talk about James’ experience in endurance events, the 300km Northern Traverse, hallucinations, the founding of Trench and its subsequent success, being support crew on the Dragons Back, and how to plan and prepare properly for multi day events.

https://trenchfootcream.co.uk/

Jay & Tris discuss their experiences running in the 100 mile Arc of Attrition footrace held in Cornwall on 29th January 2022.

In this episode Tris and Jay talk to the team behind the iconic Cornish winter endurance race the Arc of Attrition and learn about what's changing and what's staying the same with 'The Arc' now that it has joined the UTMB stable of races as part of their World Series.

We're joined by Hayden, Jane and Ferg as we discuss the logistics of adding the additional 25 mile race and how the race rules have been adapted to match the standardised system across all the UTMB races worldwide and what that means for those hoping to support their runners on the rugged clifftop trails of Cornwall in the middle of winter.

With fanzones, rules changes and new races this episode is a whistle stop journey through the first stage of this race’s evolution and its journey to become a race that's sure to have global appeal for those wanting to test themselves on the jagged coastline of Cornwall.

We hope you enjoy this extended episode.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a moment free perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Tris and Jay

John Mergler is a multi-discipline endurance athlete, adventurer and triathlon legend. John has run over 100 Ironman events and won in his age category at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in 2010. In 2017, he and his partner Debbie embarked upon the Iron Century, an attempt to complete 100 Ironman distances in 100 days (Debbie did half Ironman distances and subsequently set a world record). After being based in Australia for a number of years, John has recently returned to his Cornish homeland and very recently competed in the the BOYD 24 hour endurance race.

Allie Bailey is an ultra runner, and endurance and mindset coach. She has run across Lake Khovsgol in Mongolia, crossed the Namibia Desert, run the full length of the Panama Canal, run the length of the UK and was the winner of the Wild Horse 200 mile race in the Brecon Beacons. On top of that she has run over 200 marathons. So it’s all the more incredible to hear that much of this was achieved under the cloud of an alcohol addiction. On the episode Allie talks to us about her road to recovery, what running can (and cannot) do for mental health, what constitutes a ‘good runner’, speed walking, and much sillier stuff besides.

Robbie Britton is an elite ultra runner, coach, and author. Robbie recently broke the longstanding British 24 hour record, completing a distance of 277.5km at 24 Ore di Torino in Turin. Robbie has competed for GB in the 24 hour discipline on multiple occasions and serves a coach for the GB ultra team. He is coach to numerous elite runners, including previous podcast guest and age group 100 mile record holder Michael Stocks. Robbie writes for FastRunning.com and is the author of 1001 Tips for Runners. On an episode that broke the T&E endurance record and saw Jay sadly drop out after 20 minutes due to tech issues, we discuss Robbie’s build up and experience at the Turin 24 hour as well as some of his past races. Tris and Robbie talk about carbohydrates quite a lot, focusing on fuelling strategies and recovery. We also discuss measuring heart rate during races and Robbie’s future plans.