The Art of Ultra Running

Ultra running has become increasingly driven by data. We can track pace, heart rate, recovery, sleep, fueling, training load, and almost every variable imaginable. Platforms like TrainingPeaks and modern wearables have made it easier than ever to train with structure and precision, and that’s a big part of how we coach our athletes. But despite all of that, there’s still a side of ultra running that can’t fully be measured. That’s where our philosophy of “Train Smart, Run Wild” comes from.

Train Smart

Training is the controlled part of ultra running. It’s where we can zoom in, analyse, adjust, and improve with some level of predictability. We can measure volume, intensity, recovery, fueling, and sleep, then use those things to gradually build you into a more capable runner over time. A stronger aerobic engine, more resilient legs, better recovery, and smarter fueling strategies are all things we’re trying to develop.

Through TrainingPeaks, I can collect data, identify patterns, and make logical decisions about the best move forwards for my athletes. Training becomes a process of applying stress, observing the response, and adjusting over time.

For many runners, especially earlier in their journey, this phase is hugely important because confidence often comes from understanding. When my athletes begin to understand why sessions matter, why recovery matters, and how adaptation actually happens, training becomes less emotional and more grounded. The process starts making sense. They stop chasing random hard sessions and start trusting consistency instead. Science answers the question: what gives us the best possible chance? But ultra running eventually moves beyond what can be fully predicted.

Run Wild

At some point, every ultra becomes messy.

Weather changes unexpectedly, nutrition stops working, pacing drifts, and emotions become louder in ways training never quite replicates. That’s why our approach has never been just about training smart. It’s also about learning how to run wild. Because during an ultra, you’re rarely just executing a perfect plan. You’re constantly interpreting what’s happening around you and within you. You’re deciding whether discomfort is something to push through or something to respect. You’re trying to understand whether the moment requires patience, aggression, restraint, or acceptance.

Running wild doesn’t mean running recklessly. It means learning how to move freely when the race drifts away from the plan. It’s the ability to adapt, trust your instincts, and stay emotionally steady when things get difficult. That kind of responsiveness can’t be downloaded from a spreadsheet. It’s developed through experience, self-awareness, mistakes, and honest reflection over time.

I’ve seen runners become so attached to data that they panic the moment the race stops matching the prediction. Others swing too far the other way and mistake chaos for instinct. The strongest ultra runners sit somewhere in between. They prepare intelligently, but when race day comes, they know how to respond to the reality in front of them rather than forcing the day to match the plan.

That’s what I mean by run wild. Not abandoning structure, but moving beyond dependence on it.

Because the goal of smart training isn’t to control every outcome. It’s to build enough trust in yourself that when things get difficult, you can still move forwards with clarity.

Beyond The Data

This is something that has shaped the way I coach over time.

Most runners initially need structure, consistency, and guidance. Early coaching is often about helping athletes trust the process and understand how training actually works. That foundation matters because without it, runners often swing between doing too much, doubting themselves, or constantly searching for shortcuts.

But eventually, coaching stops being only about making someone fitter. It becomes about helping athletes understand themselves better as runners. Helping them recognise effort honestly, interpret their reactions under fatigue, and trust their instincts without becoming reckless or emotional.

Because the reality is, no coach is standing beside an athlete at mile 80. Your watch might tell you pace, heart rate, or elevation, but it can’t decide how you respond when things become uncertain. It can’t tell you whether to stay patient, when to push, or how to handle the emotional side of a difficult race.

Good coaching isn’t just about constantly providing answers. It’s about helping athletes develop awareness, confidence, and the ability to respond calmly under pressure. That’s why I think the best coaching sits somewhere between science and instinct.

We train smart first, so eventually, you can run wild with confidence. Because eventually, every ultra becomes less about the plan, and more about the runner underneath it.