Trail Run West-Midlands

Most people are capable of far more than they realise, the problem is they never put themselves in an environment that allows them to discover it.

Over the years, I’ve seen it time and time again, people believing they need to get fitter before they can enter a race, join a group, tackle a mountain or think about an ultra.

What they often need isn’t more fitness, they need confidence, knowledge, and guidance, and most importantly, they need to be surrounded by people who help them believe that bigger things are possible.

The trails and hills have a remarkable way of teaching lessons that extend far beyond running, they teach resilience when conditions aren’t perfect, self-belief when doubt creeps in, perspective when life feels overwhelming.

I’ve seen runners go from doubting whether they could run a local trail race to standing on the start line of ultras they once thought were impossible, because they became more committed, more coachable and willing to learn.

Whether through military leadership, strength and conditioning, or coaching trail, fell and ultra runners of all abilities, one thing has remained consistent:

Growth happens when people place themselves in environments that challenge and support them in equal measure.

That’s why community matters.

That’s why coaching matters.

That’s why learning matters.

Not because someone else has the answers, but because the right environment helps you discover what you’re capable of.

If you’re looking to take the next step in your own trail running journey, I currently have one coaching space available.

There are also a limited number of places remaining on the Ultimate Trail Running Workshop at Waseley Hills on 18 October, where we’ll be covering strength, movement, hill skills, mindset, nutrition and performance in the real world of trail running.

If either sounds like it might help you move closer to your goals, send me a message or visit my website for more details.

You might be capable of far more than you think.

Jola Związek and Emma Lambert went out on an adventure yesterday taking on the Stretton Summits round, starting at the Outdoor Depot in Church Stretton and taking on 18.5 mile circular route with around 4000 feet of ascent.
A tough day to do it, but taking plenty of fuel and hydration, a great way to take on a challenge and train in the heat sensibly.
Well done guys

Holidaying in Greece this week, I found myself thinking about Dean Karnazes, the ultrarunner whose 2005 book Ultramarathon Man helped bring the idea of ordinary people choosing to tackle extraordinary challenges into the mainstream.

Not just because of ultrarunning… but because of what it represents.

Long before carbon shoes, Strava segments and sports science, the original endurance stories were born here.

Humans moving through mountains.
Testing themselves.
Exploring what they were capable of physically and mentally.

That’s probably why trail and ultra running continues to grow.

It’s rarely just about fitness.

It’s about challenge.
Perspective.
Resilience.
Community.
Adventure.
Finding out who you are when things get uncomfortable.

And honestly, that’s exactly why I created the Ultimate Trail Running Workshop this October.

Not just to help people “run trails”…
…but to help runners become more capable, confident and prepared in the mountains and hills.

Strength.
Movement.
Hill technique.
Mindset.
Nutrition.
Performance.

Real coaching for real trails.

The trails have a way of teaching us things the road never can.

October 18th.
Waseley Hills.

A few spaces left.
Come and join us, along with Jon Shield, RealMeal, TrailSkin, and Pain Cave headwear

A fantastic event

The countdown is on…….

Wow, what a weekend for Trail Run West Midlands.
Paul Instone has been on a massive adventure and ticked off a dream of cycling Lands End to John O Groats, varied conditions throughout the journey, and harsh weather once in Scotland, he pushed through to finish strong.

Jennie Waters completed the Cotswold Marathon, on her journey to her first 100 miler, she finished strong coming 3rd in age cat and 9th female overall! A fantastic achievement.

Daniel Woodall completed a fast Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB 25k, the week before his Grand Union Canal ultra, finishing 16th in age cat and 61st overall.

And HIIT the Trails athlete Jon Marshal also completed the UTS 25k, finishing in a fantastic time and coming 62nd in age category.

Well done all

A fantastic event in localish woodland

You can run fast 10ks, and hit decent paces on the road, then you off road, and suddenly everything changes, you get humbled. Road fitness doesn’t automatically equal off road fitness.

They expose things the road can hide:

* Strength deficits
* Poor uphill mechanics
* Limited posterior chain endurance
* Weak hiking efficiency
* Unable to manage effort over uneven terrain

On the road, pace often dictates the session.
On the trails and fells, the terrain dictates everything.

Gradient.
Ground conditions.
Foot placement.
Cadence changes.
Power hiking.
Descending confidence.
Fueling under load.

Hill fitness is a different kind of fitness.
It’s strength endurance, movement efficiency, resilience, problem solving under fatigue.

That’s why some incredibly fit road runners hit the hills and feel humbled.

The mountains don’t care about your 5k PB.

They care whether you can keep moving when your legs are burning, your breathing is ragged, and the climb still isn’t finished.

That’s the beauty of it.

I’ve got a couple of coaching spaces opening next month (June) for runners wanting structured support for future events. Drop me a DM