I've had a pretty shaky last 2 years when it comes to ultra running: I DNFed my 2025 focus race The Wild Horse, then lost the joy entirely when I dropped out of the 2026 Epona and stepped back from the Ona Series.

Now, as I prepare to take on the Epona 100 again as a solo redemption effort this weekend, I wanted to focus on what's gone well over the last 6 months, what gear I'm vibing with & how I've changed training to rekindle the love of it all.

Gear

Altra Olympus 7 & Altras in General

First up my true love, buying unhealthy quantities of footwear.

Having flitted back and forth between Altras and other brands (Brooks Cascadia, Topo Mtn Racer & Merrell Agility Peaks to name a few) I've ended up spending the whole of the last 3 months in Altras. This is part of refocusing to enjoying runs as much as possible, focusing on the adventure, and the comfort of an anatomical toe box twinned with a more natural (less injury prone) running form has really helped with that.

My daily driver has been the Altra Experience Wild 3+, which for my money is one of the best shoes Altra has put out in years with a solid grip, comfortable fit and slight drop to save my (only recently healed) calves.

The lack of rock plate and lower cushioned however means for silly long races, I've been looking for something more substantial.

The Altra Olympus 7 released at exactly the right time, a lighter, springier and better fitting variant that I am now in love with for long days on the trails. It'll be the shoe I run 100 miles in next weekend for sure.

Darn Tough Ultralight Cushion Socks

I could (and have) write reams about how goddamn awesome these socks are. The perfect mix of breathable, wicking and cushioned, they fit my shoes nicely, the high merino wool content helps regulate temperature, and they stay comfy hour after hour even when soaking wet.

They also look sick.

Bringing 3x pairs next weekend!

Manumit Trail Sun Hoody

As next weekend is firmly in shoulder season, I'm having to dress for temperatures from a wind chilled 3-4c up to a midday 15c, a bit of a challenge.

Manumit do this lightweight merino wool sun hoodie that's making the perfect base layer for this run. The thing with a normal polyester base layer is that, once it gets wet with sweat, any warming properties disappear, as I've found out the hard way shivering on the finish lines of previous races. Merino wool on the other hand remains warm even when soaking wet.

Having lived in this for a few weeks I'm sold, I reckon it'll serve me well both in the valleys and up the mountain tops.

Training

I Saw A Physio

After hurting my left calf in December then totally ignoring it for 6 months until it became untenable, I finally went to see Ed at Trust Physio Bristol.

He helped me get the injury healed with a set of exercises, advice and taping. Took a few months to fully settle it, however it allowed me to rebuild my volume again back to where I need it to be for a mountain ultra.

Mostly MAF

I'm guilty of running all my easy runs a little too hard. My Zone 2 HR range currently sits at 140-158 bmp, but on easy runs I used to try to hit 158, often pushing over into Tempo at the slight hint of a hill.

Recently I've thrown the ego aside more and tried to do all my easy running at a Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) or lower heart rate of 150 bmp.

This has lead to a few really interesting benefits for me during training:

1. It's made recovering during training a lot more straightforward, the easy runs don't feel like they are adding lots of fatigue anymore, so when I have a harder run planned I'm no longer dreading it
2. I'm finding I'm increasingly able to sustain a faster pace at the same low heart rate, often surprising myself
3. It's given me a solid "all day pace" heart rate to target for 50+ miler ultras, I know if I stick to 150 bmp or lower I can sustain that whilst being able to eat and hydrate easier
4. Most importantly, I'm enjoying those runs a lot more, it really is a super relaxed, enjoy the scenery, take it chill pace

Strides, Hill Sprints & Granny Gearing the Hills

I've been throwing 4x strides into easy runs in a fartlek style way, which is a fancy way of saying once I've warmed up and stayed in MAF for a while, for some easy runs when I'm feeling good I'll do 4x 30 second sprints at random parts of the run. This helps keep some anaerobic development whilst I'm otherwise focused on volume.

The Ascend App I've been using for training recommends weekly hill sprints, which I've been sticking to. I do feel like a right plum doing it up Bridge Valley Road next to all the cars waiting for the traffic lights, but it sure is an effective anaerobic workout.

Finally, I stole Granny Gearing the Hills from Jon Hares, during easy runs, again if feeling good, when I hit a hill I try to run up it, at a super duper slow, sustainable pace. Advantage is a good workout for the legs and mental discipline.

Mindset

The final thing I've been working on is ensuring I'm focused on the right thing during adventures.

I've removed any focus on these events being races. They are adventures, long days out exploring somewhere pretty. Ever since I started treating them like races, it has sucked all the joy out of it. Looking down at my watch whilst mainlining Precision Hydration gels isn't a vibe, smiling and appreciating the beauty of the world around me is.

Don't focus on the time you are taking, focus on the time you are having
- James Dunn

Now, the mountains are calling. Let's go.