Thanks for all the advice
Just listening to the She-ultra podcast on the long drive back from running the UTS 50k in Snowdonia. My long suffering support crew/dog sitter/wife suggested I put a podcast on and I knew just the one for her. My cunning plan has worked and she is now keen to do the 2025 she ultra- I hope that there are some places. Any way, I just wanted to say thank you for all the advice especially from brew with the coaches. I pretty much ignored it all but thanks anyway. UTS50 features pretty frequently in brew with the coaches. Someone asked if UTS 50 is a good first ultra. The answer was no. This was my first ultra l, I entered anyway. Someone asked how to prepare- recces are vital. I thought this was a good idea but I live in Cambridgeshire. It’s a bit flat and Snowdonia is a long way away. I did manage to get to the hills of Swindon on a visit to my mum. Snowdon/ Swindon it’s only one letter different so I figured it counted. Other advice, don’t get anything new on race day, don’t use poles unless you’ve trained with them (Eddie) and you don’t need them on the UTS 50 anyway (Russell). - you can guess what is coming next- at the race village I got carried away at the Leki stand, and you’ve guessed it I walked away two bright pink carbon poles. So I got to the start line and although I got to the first check point in good time after that I was skimming the cut offs. The vert was relentless- I’ve been to Snowdonia but I don’t think it’s ever not been hidden by clag. The tiny ant line of fast competitors gave the it an unwelcome sense of scale. After two ascents of Snowdon by the third hill I was hanging from my new poles, and struggling to take on food and fluids. I was beginning to hope that I wouldn’t make the cut off at the next and final checkpoint- especially as I could see the entire massif of the next stage. Unbelievably I made the cut off and was back back out with minutes to spare. After couple of km of gentle incline the course took a right turn and the mass of Moel Eilio was evident. To saw I was daunted would be an understatement. Clutching for some kind of hope to cling onto. What would Gary and Eddie say. Now all I could think of was “keep your shield high “. Now I have never really understood what this meant and had now idea how it applied to the situation but it was all I had so I thought I’d take it and I started moving on again. There was a sneaky little hill before the long downhill trail to the but once on it I tried a little jogging and soon I shuffling along. I heard some feet coming up behind me, thinking I was about to be lapped by a 100 k runner I drifted to the side. It turned out to be a DNFed 100 miler out for a training run. We started for a bit and with his encouragement I was soon jogging rather than shuffling. Suffice to say I pulled back half an hour and was able to run to the finish line. The hardest thing I’d ever done and I swore I’d never run a never run another ultra, but then I started listening to the latest podcast… thanks for a great advice, the humour and banter, and must of all the inspiration.
Thacky v69 via Apple Podcasts · Great Britain · 05/12/24
More reviews of Tea & Trails
So happy that I discovered you guys. You are both clearly nuts but I love sharing my headspace with you on my solo runs. I’m a very slow trail runner, didn’t start until my 40s, but thanks to my wonderfully supportive running group led by The Hay Runner, I’ve now signed up for my first marathon...Read full review »
jtdiytdgjrdtyi via Apple Podcasts · Great Britain · 07/10/23
Love the podcast. Eddie and Gary don't hold back when sharing the real-life juggles, the highs, the lows, and the extremes of trail running. Listener's tales from the trails are equally explicit with stories that keep you giggling forever. The inspirational chatter with fascinating...Read full review »
Jo White25 via Apple Podcasts · Great Britain · 08/07/23
So pleased the guys are back , loved run to hills and love the new pod too , go to listen for my long runs
ski_mythic via Apple Podcasts · Great Britain · 12/09/22
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