Arriving in South Oxfordshire days before the Centurion 100-miler, I traded pre-race chaos for calm rivers, autumn leaves, and quiet reflection. From breakfast in slippers to packing headaches, these days before the race reminded me that endurance begins long before the start line — in how we prepare, pause, and see ourselves differently.

Training for an ultra isn’t just about long runs — it’s about the small, daily decisions no one talks about. From skipping pizza nights to early mornings in the rain, here are the real-life choices that shape every ultra runner’s journey.

The closer race day came, the louder the resistance grew. Physically, my body shut down. Mentally, the battle had already begun. In this piece, I share the real “conversations with myself” — the negative voices, the reframes, and the mindset work that truly matters when training for a 100-mile ultra (or just navigating life). This is the endurance training no Garmin can measure.

I never planned to run 100 miles. My goal was simply to go a little further each time. But when plans fell apart and life tested my patience, I found myself signing up for the one race I never expected — and learning what true resilience and mindset really mean.

What happens when taper week turns into damage control? When life throws chaos and illness right before your biggest goal? This is my raw reflection — one week before my 100-mile trail run race — on resilience, surrender, and remembering strength when everything else falls apart.

For most of my life, I didn’t have a regular period. After 22 years without, my cycle returned last year, naturally syncing with the moon. What surprised me most was how deeply I began to experience the rhythm of each phase — not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Let’s face it: Calorie counting can feel exhausting, rigid, and disconnected from your body’s actual needs. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by food tracking apps or struggled to know how much is enough, you’re not alone.

As a holistic coach and nutritionist, I’m here to offer a more grounded, intuitive approach: Build your plate using your hand as a guide.

If I could change 3 things in today’s running culture, it’d be the following…

Most people assume that an organised IronMan is as hard as it gets — and physically, they’re right. The distance is brutal. But when I decided to complete a self-supported IronMan, I learned something most race-day participants never do…

When you sign up for a race, one of the big questions (whether you realise it or not) is: "Do I know this course — or am I about to meet it for the first time?"

Both options come with their own magic — and their own challenges. As someone who’s run both familiar trails I know like the back of my hand and unfamiliar routes in faraway places, here’s what I’ve learned.

Who needs a red carpet? Why finishing my self-supported IronMan meant more than any medal.

When you're hours (or even days) into an ultra-endurance event, things get… a little weird. But weird can be wonderful. Over the years, I’ve noticed a few quirks that have become my unexpected survival tools. They’re not in any training manual — but they work for me. Maybe they’ll work for you too, or at least make you smile.

The final days and weeks before race day can be tough because you need to rest even though you want to train. Here are my top tips to master your taper phase in order to reach peak performance on race day.

The mind is my strongest muscle. In this article I’m letting you inside my head. I’ll show you what I keep saying and thinking to myself during endurance challenges.