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 

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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….

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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/

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/

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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

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...

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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

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!

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.