Thank you, I appreciate that ☺️🙏

I'm so pleased it helps ☺️🙏

Thanks so much, and I'm so pleased it helped 😊🙏

Amazing! Say hi if you see me there. Best of luck with your training 😊🙏

Thanks so much 🙏

Thanks so much, James! 😊🙏

Amazing! Best of luck with that trail half. I bet it's a hilly one! 😂

Thanks so much, I appreciate that 🙏😊

Thanks so much! And it's tricky, we should feel tired in our training blocks - that's a sign that our body is adapting to the new stimulus, but there's a fine line between fatigue and burnout. I think with all the other craziness of life, I have crossed into burnout in the past. I wish you the best with it!

Yes, it's hard to get out on tired legs, but it creates such a good change and feels more efficient on time 😊🙏

Thanks so much! I'm so pleased they're helping. Best of luck with your training 😊🙏

That's so kind of you to say, thanks so much! And I wish you the best for your first 50k - you'll love it ☺️🙏

Thanks so much, that's very kind to say 😊🙏 Which ultra are you training for?

@ChrisBranch The Fellsman in the Yorkshire Dales. Not sure how many K's I should be getting in. Its hard to find time with work and kids.

Hey Felipe! Great to hear from you! And yes, it's definitely a tough aspect, but there's no way I'm sacrificing the strength this time ahead of UTS100. I think it's going to be key in getting me to the finish line this time

Amazing! I saw that Eiger race pop up on my feed and it instantly went on my bucket list. I will be there one day for sure! Best of luck with your training :)

Amazing! It would be great to see you out there 👊 Best of luck with your training 🙏😊

Thanks so much! I hope it helps 😊🙏

Thanks so much! Funnily enough, I'm just editing (well, my editors are) a video to come out tomorrow about long-run nutrition. I also have a video planned about 'what I eat in a week' sort of thing, because for a long time I struggled to eat enough in a training block, and I've picked up a few tricks that I think could help people. That will be out soon 😊🙏

This sounds amazing! I bet it's a totally different experience in Paris. It's definitely fun to push for a fast time too, but it's so nice to enjoy the run in zone 2 and not get beaten up by it. Best of luck with your training ☺️🙏

Amazing! I'm so glad it helped, and best of luck with your first 100k. It's exciting! 😊🙏

How'd it go?

Went great! Finished in 14 hours , took a lot of your advice thanks for reaching out

Thanks so much! And it sounds like you have a solid plan yourself. I'll definitely get a plyo video out soon, but I will probably share little snippets sooner on Instagram before I end up making a long-form video about it, so follow me there too if you're on it (link in my bio of my channel). Best of luck with your training 😊🙏

Honestly, this has been my biggest problem in the past too! I'm now if the late stages of this plan, and I'm tired, but not burned out. I feel the best I've felt at this stage of the plan. Time will tell if I've trained enough for the big race ahead, but I'm enjoying the plan more than usual and I feel fit and strong. I hope it helps you too 😊🙏

Thank you, I appreciate that 😊🙏

Well done on transitioning from being an expert sitter! And that sounds like a wonderful adventure you will have. Best of luck with your training 😊🙏

These are all great thoughts. And yes, Snowdonia is known for quad bashing 😂 Best of luck with your training 😊🙏

Haha thanks 😂🙏

Love it! Congratulations on booking your first 50k, I really hope your training is going well. And I wondered if anyone would notice the TWSBI You're the first 😂

PS. I just looked at your channel. I can play Romance anónimo on the guitar too 😂 - this is getting eerie..

Definitely! Im scripting it now and it will be out soon 😊🙏

Thanks so much, that's very kind of you to say 😊🙏 you're right, zone 2 is a great place to start, and you will quickly be able to build your distance that way. It's important to bring in some speed work too, but that can come a bit down the line (or now if you feel ready). Have you seen my 'Only 4 runs you need' video? (I'll link it below). That outlines the structure you could follow, although right now you would reduce the mileage a bit. It sounds like you've got a great year of running ahead of you 😊🙏 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ipZkacpy0pm-l4k.htmlsi=6Kt9bZ__NtXCF9oz

@@ChrisBranch Thanks for the fast reply, I'll take a look at the video! Will try and keep the updates coming as I progress through the year, looking forward to new videos :)

Thank you so much, I appreciate that. And yes, UTS100 this year. The 165 still feels utterly ridiculous to me and too much of a monster, but the 100k gives me that nervous excitement that I think is a mark of a worthy challenge. Are you running it?

Yep I am - its my 1st 100k mountain ultra so a bit of uncertainty that the training will be sufficient to get me through. My goals are similar - don't break on top of the glyders! I live in the south and have access to the southdowns so there are some small hills and I'm basing a lot of my training on elevation gain via these. I've done a recce in September which sufficiently horrified me. I'm a GP so fitting in runs much like yourself can be tricky and so improtant to make the most of the time available. I've downloaded your plan - very kind of you to share @@ChrisBranch

@@themallard78 haha that's funny about the recce 😂🤦‍♂. I've heard that the second climb up to the GLyders is brutal. I haven't done that section going the other side of Pen-y-Pass - we drop down the other way in the 50k. I haven't done a mountain 100k either. I'm hoping my experience in the 50k, smooshed together with my experience in the Track 100-miler should land somewhere in the middle and get me to the finish line 🤞 Best of luck with your training and say hi if you see me on the day 🙏

Thanks so much, I'm glad it helped! I just wrote it based on what I have learned in the past from other programs, but tailored it to my life at the mo.

Great idea. What would you like to know? Are there any specific questions about it?

@@ChrisBranch Hi Chris. My knowledge of it is zero, so any new information would be welcome. For example, what it entails and why it’s used. How would a total novice incorporate it and advance upon it in a training plan. Alternatives to it, and exercises / training that are complimentary to it. These are just a few ideas. Also I wonder weather you would care to venture into the murky world of diet! As a beginner I have not a clue how I should fuel myself for my run training, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Greetings once again from Lapland. Andy

My only strategy is to book a race that scares me! 😂 I think we all have a tendency to drift back to our comfort zone, this is normal. The only thing that keeps me pushing outside my comfort zone, and to stick to the plan when I start to get tired, is the knowledge that I have to do a monstrous race at the end of it. There are other tactics, like chatting to my wife each Sunday and figuring out our respective training for the week ahead so we know how we're going to fit it around the family (and get held accountable!). But, other than that, it's _fear_ that keeps me on it 🤦‍♂️😂

This sounds like a great alternative. We all have to do our best while juggling the realities of life, and I'm sure this will be fine. Best of luck with your training 👊

Thanks so much for your kind words! And in answer to your knee pain question, two words: strength training! You won't run your way out of pain (well, actually, you might, but that's another story), but you can strengthen your way out of pain. I finished filming a video today about strength training, it will go live next week, and I have plenty more to come. Also watch this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rbaPm7WXycDaqHk.htmlsi=b1zz9hQmJMjsRT8q 😊💪

Such great advice. I actually started strength training after the injury and it helped but then I fell off and went back to just running. Now I’m dealing with it again lol - I started strength training again a month ago so hoping it will help. Keep making Great content!

Hi Mike, thanks so much, I appreciate that. With races, I always start with having clear goals. My top level goal is that I want to have adventures, but I also want to look after my long-term health. What this means is that when I'm planning my year, I only have one or two 'A-races' a year, and if I've got two, they will be spread out. So I will never find myself, for example, having two monster races 6 weeks apart because it doesn't feel right for me in terms of managing my long term health. I know lots of people do many big races a year, but I like to have a bit more space between the biggies. Therefore, I will have my other races as training. Then they fit fairly neatly into my training plan and it really helps to have them 4 - 6 weeks before the big ones. I'm probably not being very helpful here if you're asking how I manage having two big A-races close together because I just don't do it 🤦‍♂️😂 And in answer to your last point, I definitely have an off-season and spend a bit more time on aerobic work and strength training. Again, this ties in with my long term health goals, and it gives me a buffer of strength before getting into my next ultra block where I might lose some. This means that my training volume dips a bit as well and I have to start a block a bit lower than where I left off. But it's coming back quicker now I'm a couple of years into it. I'm not sure how helpful that is? Either way, I wish you the best with your training 😊🙏

Thanks so much! And that's super exciting about your race. I must admit, I'm no expert when it comes to heat acclimatisation. When I see pro athletes I follow on Instagram get ready for hot races, they tend to get there 3 weeks before the race, do a bit of intensity and then do their taper there, but that's as much as I know. Sorry I can't be more help! 😊🙏

Thanks so much! I get a little achey, and I just do all the usual things; foam roll, massage gun, stretch, end-range strength training etc. ... as I was typing that I realised it might not be that usual! I do spend quite a bit of time each week looking after myself, but it's become quite natural for me now. This video might be a good place to start: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/arKYktt9npOtXWQ.htmlsi=8RxYbQ1QiFv_uvp2

@@ChrisBranch thanks so much for getting back fellow a few people but no one seems to put content on pulling up after a run with sore muscles.keep up the great work 💯

Totally! I've had plenty of questions around this, and I'm putting something together soon 😊🙏

Thanks so much! I will definitely be making a video about this. I will probably share little snippets sooner on Instagram though before I end up making a long-form video about it, so follow me there too (link in my bio of my channel) 😊🙏

Thanks so much! And I just looked back to the beginning of my 100-mile training plan written by 80/20 running, and it wasn't until week 7 that it programmed more than a 'normal' week for me. I think if you feel fine where you are, maybe just hang out with that volume for a while, focus on strength training and build a buffer of strength, and then pick it back up at the point at which you cross into week 10. We can still have a good baseline fitness outside our plans, and you can cope with that fine (arguably even better!) if you are consistent 😊🙏

This is a hard thing to cope with mentally, but you just have to trust that the plan has got you to a point where you can cope with it on the day. By increasing your weekly mileage, being consistent, and increasing your long run distance, you have it in you to cover the 100k. The main thing to focus on when in the race is pacing and nutrition. Hopefully you have figured out your 'go all day' HR in other races, and use that as a guide to manage pacing, and have a watch of my long-run nutrition video for tips there. The training you're doing is enough, and then it comes down to pacing and nutrition on the day. I hope that helps 😊🙏

Typically generous thoughts, thanks Chris. I’ll let you know how it goes. (Repeats to self - pacing and nutrition, pacing and nutrition …)

I've started to train more for time than for mileage, and I even think of my races in time. My 100k in the mountains is probably going to take the same amount of time as my hundred-miler on the track, so I just need to be someone who can keep moving for that long. As for your final question, I honestly think both would work. I was chatting to someone in my Track100 who doesn't do any training, but that was his 23rd hundred-miler that year (in October) - that's basically one every two weeks! I'm not saying that's optimal, but it's evidence that doing a massive run quite frequently and less smaller runs works. Having said that, every plan I have seen online takes the approach where you run most days with one long run a week. Maybe it's worth you experimenting and seeing what works best for you - that's what I'm doing with this plan 🙏😊

@@ChrisBranch Thank you Chris! appreciate the answer 💪

Thanks so much for your comment! My recovery runs are low zone 2. Nice and easy 👌😊

@@ChrisBranch Thank you Chris, last Q sorry. How long 'Time' do you do your recovery run for?

@@stefanlaing2802 it depends what stage in the an I am - at the beginning it's about 40 minutes, but towards the end it might be an hour. It's relative to the rest of my weekly volume 👍

@@ChrisBranch thanks for much for your advise Chris

I would love to say there's an easy way to fit it in amongst all the chaos of family life, but there's not. I've tried different models. I tried doing it on Sundays before taking the kids to sport. This meant that as my runs got longer, I ended up setting the alarm for 4am and heading out before 5. I've now changed my work around so I can fit it in on Fridays which helps. Double-days are also very effective. Say, 10k in the morning and evening. Best of luck with your training and I hope you have a fantastic day with UTS ☺️🙏

Thanks so much. I'm signed up for UTS100. How about you?

@@ChrisBranch I was debating that one. Look amazing. On my list for sure. I elected for the easier Ultra Challenge Lake District as a pre cursor for Ring o Fire round Anglesey at the end of August.

@@lukeburdon they both look great too! Best of luck 🙏

Thanks so much! And yes, when dropping down to just 4 runs a week, I thought the tempo was the one I could sacrifice. Having said that, I was actually pondering this topic this morning when out for my run, and I reflected that last year I did quite a bit of my tempo on the stair climber in the gym. Maybe what I could do is half an hour of stairclimber tempo after my heavy strength on Wednesdays 🤢

If I was going to drop a workout it would probably be the VO2 max as it is the least specific to the race. I enjoy my tempo runs though so I may be a little biased 😊

Or maybe as you get closer to the event swap the VO2 max for tempo?

@@user-ln6sf8uc6z I definitely see your point. Maybe my ego is at play here because I got sick in December with the flu and my VO2 Max dropped 3 points 😂. I also may have a bias because I love those hard 4-min runs for VO2 max training. I love tempo too, though... so we'll see what happens. I'll certainly be sharing any updates as the plan unfolds 😊🙏

Haha, most of us who are addicted to running don't have a problem with the motivation either 😂 Here, when I say 'burnout', I'm talking more about physiological fatigue. I've suffered with it before from too much training, work, family, and general life busyness, but I seem to be doing okay on this plan 😊🙏

I wish I had more hills near me! 😂

Plyometric training is where you do short, very explosive movements to target fast-twitch fibres. It's great for building resilience in connective tissues too. I'll make a whole video explaining this soon 😊🙏

@@ChrisBranch tnx, waiting for your videos👍