Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid in a 100 Mile Race - Part 2

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After my own mistakes (and a little bad luck) in my last 100-miler, I thought it might be useful to lay out a few of the mistakes that are commonly seen. I'm sure a lot more could be added to these but here are my top 10, all 100-mile specific. The bottom five of the list were posted here, and here's the top five.


5. Running on an injury - it can be incredibly tempting to just 'run it off' if something goes wrong in those last few weeks, especially with the prevalence of lotteries and the time and money expended to get to the start line. But when making that decision to start or continue on an injury, ask yourself which is more important - finishing at all costs or being able to run (or even walk) again within the next few months. Make the judgement as objectively as you can, ideally from a qualified third party if pre-race. Within this mistake category is not looking after your feet and letting them get in bad shape. One little 'secret' I can certainly mention is to use Drymax Socks, as these tend to keep feet in good condition, but if you go through a wet section and have a dryer section coming up (like after a river crossing), it's usually helpful to change socks and shoes.

4. Only running in training - it may seem counter-intuitive but the odds are that you'll be hiking at least part of the race so it's worth practicing this within your training. Power-hiking compared to slow walking will gain much more time than a faster running pace compared to a slower running pace, so a lot of time can be saved if you can hike fast. It'll also allow you to recover and take on calories.

3. Not eating and drinking enough (or the right stuff) - a lot of calories get burned in 100 miles and, generally, the sooner you can start getting calories in you, the better. However, it's not as easy as it sounds and after a while you're almost guaranteed to not want to eat some or all foods. In addition, the amount of liquids and the balance between water and electrolyte drinks will depend on the effort level, temperature, altitude and also the individual. The best advice is to try out as much as you can in long training runs and build-up races to refine what works for you.

2. Not training for the specifics of the course - the conditions and terrain vary hugely from one ultra to another and training will be most beneficial if it includes a lot of mimicking of those factors. Training on the actual course is best, but not often practical and if there's heat/cold/mountains/altitude or anything else in the race which you don't train for then it'll be a lot harder (and thus slower) to deal with.

1. Going out too fast - men have a greater tendency to do this than women, but it's very easy to do since 100-mile pace is gentle compared to any other running. You almost can't go out too slow as it's all about maintaining the pace and not dropping off towards the end, which is when the biggest impact will happen to your overall time.

Good luck in whatever race you're doing!

Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid in a 100 Mile Race - Part 1

After my own mistakes (and a little bad luck) in my last 100-miler, I thought it might be useful to lay out a few of the mistakes that are commonly seen. I'm sure a lot more could be added to these but here are my top 10, all 100-mile specific. Firstly the bottom five of the list, then the top five in a few days (here).

10. Not training enough - it's self-explanatory that 100 miles takes commitment and a good build-up, ideally over several years.

9. Training too much - the flip-side is that 100 miles can be so intimidating that too many miles and too many long runs leave you tired on race day. It's easy to hear about insane training regimes and assume that huge mileage is the only route to success - it isn't and a quality training regime can peak at a fairly reasonable mileage. This will depend on the experience and years of training the individual has already built up.

8. Getting too focused on a finish time - with buckles for sub-24 hours or other time targets, it's easy to set a time then go off and try to achieve it despite less than ideal training, bad weather conditions (trust me on that one) or any number of other factors. In general, go with the flow and judge the day as it comes to you instead of rigidly sticking to arbitrary goals. It'll almost certainly result in a more enjoyable day and a better time.

7. Not knowing the course - it's helpful to know the frequency of aid stations and where the harder terrain is. Eight miles of a steep climb will take a lot longer than a flat eight miles, so more food and drink needs to be carried in-between. Some people may find it hard to concentrate on anything but the distance to the next aid station and can get demoralized when the distance they have in their head isn't covered as fast as expected. But in general it's better to have an idea of how far and how long it'll take to get to the next load of food and drink.

6. Trying new stuff on race day - whether it's food, clothing, shoes or something else, it's best to stick with things you've had a chance to practice with. The less new factors you have to deal with, the better. Shoes, in particular, should be ones you've worn in well (try not to have them in hold luggage if you fly to the race and have any essentials on you or your hand luggage, in case the airline loses your bags).

More to follow in a few days...