Track & Field

Running

How many days did you rest for before race day?

Mastering the Taper: Perfecting Rest Days for Race Day Success

Put me in a taper. I'll have to full rest days in a two-week period. I don't actually like doing no training, or any sort like, and for me, in a normal week, I don't really think a rest day, I'll just do some easy training, maybe a half-an-hour jog or an hour ride something easy, like, I like moving, but it's just really paradise, and it's really specific. And I practice my tapered throughout the year, it's the reason why I do quite a lot of Some B and C Level races that are just really good training run. So I get to practice the taper and see how they go because everyone is so different. Everyone so individual. And yeah I think it's really important to get that perfected because it can be really hard. And for me I trained quite high volume in training blocks. So even if I'm doing five six hours in the week of a race it's significantly less than my body is able to adapt and recovering those times that then yes it's meant for race day. I also Duke lot of intensity in the two weeks before the race just to sharpen up and make sure my legs are ready to go. I'm start line.

I practice my taper throughout the year by doing B and C level races to get it perfected. I train with high volume in training blocks, and reduce that significantly for race day. I also do lots of intensity in the two weeks before the race to make sure my legs are ready for the start line.

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Before race day, I typically follow a tapering period. In a two-week period leading up to the race, I have two full rest days. Normally, I don't take complete rest days during a regular week of training. Instead, I engage in easy training like a short jog or a relaxed hour-long ride. I prefer to keep moving, but during the taper, it's crucial to prioritize rest and recovery.

Throughout the year, I practice tapering by participating in some lower-level races that serve as good training runs. This allows me to fine-tune my tapering approach and understand how my body responds to different strategies. Tapering is highly individual, and it's important to find what works best for you.

In my training blocks, I typically have high volume, so even if I'm only doing five or six hours of training in the week leading up to a race, it's significantly less than what my body is accustomed to. This allows for adaptation and recovery, preparing me for race day. Additionally, I incorporate a lot of intensity in the two weeks prior to the race to sharpen up and ensure my legs are ready to perform when I reach the starting line.

What has been your toughest race mentally not physically?

UTMB Champion's Mental Battle: Digging Deep for Victory

Good question. I think si si si, so part of the UTMB races in 2018, erase CCC, which is 100 kilometers with just over 6,000 meters of vertical Ascent. I just felt a horrendous from the gun just found it really hard. Just had to keep digging, keep digging keep digging. I train so much prepared, so well for the race. And, yeah, all of the hard work in the end paid off and managed managed to take the win. So yeah, and I think when it Stuff sort of for me. I just focus on the training that I've done and the result that I want to achieve and no matter how bad things are, they'll always get better. So yeah, I think just keep believing in yourself, believe in that process. And yeah you'll make it make it there in the end.

To succeed in a UTMB race, such as the CCC in 2018, one must have faith in their training and preparation. No matter how hard things get, they will eventually get better if one keeps believing in themselves and the process.

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One of the toughest races for me mentally, not physically, was the CCC race as part of the UTMB races in 2018. It was a 100-kilometer race with over 6,000 meters of vertical ascent. Right from the start, I felt horrendous and found it incredibly challenging. However, I kept pushing and digging deep. I had trained extensively and prepared well for the race, and all that hard work eventually paid off as I managed to secure the win.

In tough moments like these, I focus on the training I've done and the desired outcome I want to achieve. I remind myself that no matter how difficult things may seem, they will eventually get better. Believing in myself and trusting the process is key. With perseverance and determination, you can overcome any mental challenges and reach your goals in the end.

How do I train for a net downhill race like Boston?

Mastering Cadence: Key to Training for Downhill Races

It's downhill. Running is really difficult in your muscles because it causes far more muscular damage, because more Force because you're obviously going downhill. So you've got your weight as well as the gravitational pull. So training for downhill running is really difficult but the one thing that I would Master you recommend doing is just training your Cadence when you run downhill, your Cadence is going to pick up. So if you normally run it 175 to 180 steps per minute, this is probably going to go up to 185. 290 steps per minute. So allowing your body to be able to have that leg. Turnover is going to be really important. So, by doing extended strides, where you focus on Cadence, or in your sessions, you'd folks a little bit more In Cadence, then that would be as beneficial is actually doing the specific downhill running training.

When training for downhill running, it is important to focus on increasing your cadence. Doing extended strides and focusing on cadence in your sessions will be beneficial.

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Training for a net downhill race like Boston can be challenging due to the increased muscular damage caused by running downhill. One important aspect to focus on is your cadence. When running downhill, your cadence naturally increases. If your normal cadence is around 175 to 180 steps per minute, it may go up to 185 or even 190 steps per minute.

To prepare for the downhill race, it is beneficial to train your body to handle this increased leg turnover. You can do this by incorporating extended strides into your training sessions and focusing on maintaining a higher cadence. While specific downhill running training can be helpful, emphasizing cadence in your regular training can also be effective.

What tips can you give for a good long-distance transition from road running to trail running?

Mastery of Trails: Transitioning from Road to Trail Running

So I think the key here is specificity, if you've already done long-distance Road running the new obviously done to higher volume training and you're prepared for the distances that you're going to be doing. So I think yeah, specificity training on the trails. So making sure that you're able to read the trail, to be able to adapt your body to the demands of the trail. So yeah, how would my some top tips for that is one spending time on the trail. To importing most importantly is doing those really specific strength and conditioning exercises, that have mainly if your ankles because we are running on the trail, you're far more like could go over on your ankle and if you can make your ankles stronger, then yeah, that will really help. It's the best way to do that is just by using a little sarabande, attaching it to a fixed point and you had to doing internal and external rotators of the ankle. And yeah, that will really help to build up strength so you can transition As well as possible from Ultra Road running into Ultra trail running.

To transition from long-distance road running to ultra trail running, the best way to do this is through specificity training on the trails. Spend time on the trails and do specific strength and conditioning exercises to build ankle strength. Use a sarabande attached to a fixed point to do internal and external rotators of the ankle in order to build ankle strength for better transition.

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For a smooth transition from road running to trail running, specificity is key. Since you already have experience with long-distance road running and higher volume training, focus on training specifically for the trails.

First, spend time on the trails to familiarize yourself with the terrain and adapt your body to the demands of trail running. This will help you become more comfortable and efficient on the trails.

Secondly, prioritize strength and conditioning exercises, particularly for your ankles. Trail running increases the risk of ankle sprains, so strengthening your ankles is crucial. One effective exercise is using a resistance band attached to a fixed point and performing internal and external rotations of the ankle. This exercise will help build ankle strength and stability.

By incorporating these tips into your training, you can successfully transition from long-distance road running to trail running, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable experience in ultra trail running.

How do you deal with small injuries during your races?

Managing Small Injuries: The Key to Racing Success!

So if something like this, you just got to be really aware of if it's actually an injury or it's just a little bit of tightness or something else. It is going to turn into an injury or something that's going to last for a long time then for me as a professional athlete I would just take it super easy and make sure it's not gonna get any worse and if I think it's going to get worse and I've probably stop but yeah I think just being able to manage these things and realize if it is something that could be potentially This all or it's just okay. It's going to be fine then just go with it. But yeah, if any injuries, I'm no medical expert. But yeah, any injuries definitely be going seeing a Physio and making sure that there's no problems at all.

As a professional athlete, it's important to be aware of any injuries or tightness and take precautions to make sure it doesn't get worse. If it looks like it could be serious, it's best to see a physio.

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When dealing with small injuries during races, it's important to assess whether it's a minor issue like tightness or something that could potentially develop into a more serious injury. As a professional athlete, if I believe it could worsen or become a long-term problem, I would take it easy and ensure it doesn't get worse. If I think it will worsen, I may even consider stopping.

Managing these situations requires being aware of the severity and potential consequences. However, I am not a medical expert, so if there are any injuries, it's advisable to consult a physiotherapist or medical professional to ensure there are no underlying issues.

Tom Evans answers your Running questions. See all the advice Tom Evans has and get answers to your own Running questions.

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Tom Evans made his mark on the ultrarunning world in 2017, coming 3rd in the 251km Marathon des Sables. He won the Beacons Ultra in 2016 and the CCC race at UTMB in 2018, plus the Ultra-Trail World Tour in NZ in 2020 and the Madeira Island Ultra Trail in Portugal in 2021. He also finished 3rd in UTMB 2022.