Serpent Trail 100km | My DREAM Race Day

I have never had a race go so well, let alone my first 100km ultramarathon! This is my race vlog from the Serpent Trail 100km Ultramarathon organised by Salomon and Freedom Racing. This was my first 100km ultramarathon, my longest run and my furthest run ever. The route was almost entirely trail running through the South Downs National Park. It was a perfect day! I couldn't have asked for more! I hope you enjoy the film!
Race Organisers: @serpenttrailrace
Photographer for the Thumbnail: Phil - @thephbalance
#ultramarathon
#trailrunning

[@ourwilliam2405]

Well done, Thats a truly inspirational video

[@burrianaUK]

Only got into fell running this year and looking to do my first Ultra next year in The Lakes, so videos like this are great inspiration - thank you 👍🏼🙂

[@jamesday1]

Amazing! Good luck with your first ultra! The lakes are such a beautiful place for running.

[@bev9708]

🎊🏃‍♂️🎉BRAVO BRAVO James!!!!🎉🏃‍♂️🎊 Awesome and really what an impressively great time, I'm amazed!!! So inspirational , so motivating for us your viewers!!! And what an absolutely gorgeous route in gorgeous weather... WONDERFUL!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! 💪🏻🏃‍♂️🏅💪🏻

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Bev! Really appreciate your kind messages! It was a wonderful day. Glad you enjoyed the video 🙂

[@alertbri]

What a wonderful achievement and thank you so much for sharing the experience. Can't believe you had the energy to take a go pro and film all those stages!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Brian. Happy to share it. I really enjoy making these films. It's like a nice reminder of the races. I'd never be able to remember the races without these films.

[@stevedevlin7511]

Great videos mate, thanks from an Irish bloke in Aussie

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Steve! One of my favourite running channels is from down in Australia. Dan Whitehead's vlogs about running and ultramarathons are worth a look if you've not come across them! He hasn't posted in a while but has some great videos on the channel.

[@sarahlachowsky2177]

Heck YES James! Well done! Enjoy the recovery and all of the celebratory sweets that you can fit in your face!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Sarah! Oh I'm definitely enjoying the recovery! Snacks, Snacks, Snacks 😁

[@trailrunningphil]

Raced to perfection there!! Well done for holding it back early doors. It paid off later on didn’t it! :) looks a phenomenal route and certainly one that I would enjoy doing. Perhaps I can look at that one next year. Great running though mate, always great to see a great day come together like this.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Phil! Yeah, taking it easy made a huge difference. I've got other runners and my heart rate alert to thank for that. Spent most of the first half running with other people and chatting to keep the effort down. I'd definitely recommend it, if you get a chance. The set up for this ultramarathon is amazing. The event village with the camping setup and the same finish line for four different races makes it a great experience.

[@markg99]

That perfect training really paid off. Well done! 👍🏻🏃‍♂️

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Mark! Yeah, the training clearly hit the spot. I feel like it was also one of those lucky days where everything just clicks.

[@Q8Patriot]

Well done, great race 🎉🎉😅😅

[@jamesday1]

Thanks!

[@brionia9760]

Well done James, great racing and fab video.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Brioni!

[@nishib89]

Congratulations!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Nick!

[@granthouniet104]

Well done James, you nailed it. I’ve been watching some of your videos from down here in Tasmania. I love the raw honesty that comes through in the videos so thanks for making the effort to share it. Cheers

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Grant! Glad you’re enjoying the videos. Im a big fan of videos by run steep get high’s race vlogs and Dan Whitehead’s vlogs about ultra running. They always came across as themselves during their films so I’m trying to replicate that as much as I can. Also, it’s very cool to think you found these videos from down in Tasmania!

[@dannygrays]

Super inspiring James. So happy for you as you put in so much work and so you got the result you deserved. Looked like a beautiful trail. Huge congratulations!!!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Danny! Really appreciate your support. It was an amazing day.

[@charlottejohnson6057]

Congratulations! Massive kudos for your great pacing, it clearly paid off and can’t have been easy not to get carried away. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Charlotte! Easy pacing is always a challenge, especially in a race. I found running and chatting with other runners really helped and also I had a heart rate alert set up on my watch to stop me running too hard.

[@nancythompson9412]

Well done James! Excellent effort and success. I find this video extremely encouraging. Thank you so much. Does encourage me to look toward a 50K.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Nancy! Glad you enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend running a 50k if you get the chance! They're such great experiences. Hard but so much fun!

[@gavinbooth3649]

Well done James - brilliant result, you must be pleased. Great channel really enjoy the content. What’s the next one? 100 miles? Thanks - Gavin

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Gavin! Yeah, I’m super happy with how it went. Glad you’re enjoying the videos! I’ve got a 50 miler in September - Chiltern Wonderland 50 which is supposed to be a beautiful course. I am planning on signing up for my first 100 miler for next summer. Probably the 2023 South Downs way 100 👍 I just need to plan my races for this winter and in the build up to the 100.

[@shaunnicholson5389]

Epic James! what a great achievement and time! That smile at the end was awesome. I see some other 100km and multi-day events on your horizon! Rest and recover well. Don't feel you have to come back too soon...as my coach says, come back when the mind is fresh and you are getting itchy feet...don't come back because you see others doing so. Great advice.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Shaun! The finished line was definitely a highlight 🙂 I'm already itching to get running but I think my body needs a little more time! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@akfilms6748]

What a run man! So impresesive! I became a member of local club of trail runners this year and did my first trail marathon in October. Despite that I had pretty serious preparation for it, I still thought I was crazy when I decided to run a marathon. It was only around 500 meters of elevatation, but my time was still really decent (3 hours and 43 minutes) and now I'm so excited for next year. Already registered for Andorra Trail 50K next June and even thinking about 100K in next October. Trail running is so addictive!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! Congrats on the marathon. That is a great time on trails with hills. I just had a look at Andorra Trail 50k. It looks like an amazing race. Good luck with the 50k!

[@bensmith6633]

Well done👍 Fantastic achievement 👏👏 The 100k route looked great….

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Ben! It was a lovely course. Lots of variety in terrain and environment.

[@MajaNoer]

Congratulations! Looks like the route was incredible!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Maja! Yeah it was an amazing course.

[@Krilin84]

You looked really competent out there and route looks really pleasant to run - dream day indeed! 💪👌👏

[@jamesday1]

Cheers Kristoffer! It was a really nice route. Definitely a dream day. Can't imagine I'll have another race go this well! Glad I documented it 🙂

[@findingultra7149]

Great job dude! Thanks for sharing. Just signed up for my first 60k in November. Super stoked to see you progressing. Keep up the good work!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! Good luck with the 60km. I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time!

[@paulvymeris425]

Great stuff James, 100k done! Congratulations!!! Looks like some really solid pacing there - your training was clearly spot on. I did the 50 (my first 50k) which I found really tough, so hats off to you - I was asleep when you started and having dinner in Pizza Express 50 miles away when you finished, and I felt *my* day was long! Thanks for the video - great to see the course again. Awesome content as always!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Paul! It looks like you smashed it with the 50k! 34th out of 450 with a competitive elite field. Very impressive! From the timing it looks like you finished strong as well. Glad you enjoyed the video as well!

[@heathera5938]

Fabulous running, James.. well done!!

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Heather! Really appreciate that 🙂

[@namits3775]

Well done James and for pushing through the cramps. I get cramp on the long runs (although not so much on training runs which is a mystery) however extra salt tabs for me didnt seem to work. I'm working on more volume, as I think its more muscle fatigue. If actual salt loss, I'd expect cramp all over the body, not just the legs which are doing all the work.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks! Interesting point about training runs. I never get cramp during long runs but ultra races I always get cramp! Yeah, good point on the muscle fatigue. I've done fairly high volume (100-140km per week) for the last 6 months but still find cramp is an issue. Maybe I need to build strength work into my routine. I'm currently doing some research on cramp so hopefully I can figure it out before the next race.

[@namits3775]

@@jamesday1 Thanks James for your time to reply. My hamstrings seem to cramp first, so I'll try some strength training for that. I'm also trying some Mountain Fuel "energy fuel" as also includes magnesium and potassium which may help. I do wonder how marathon runners in the 70s/80s coped when none of this "product" was available. Pinch of salt, dash of lemon and jelly babies. Before Brighton Trail, I was 100km a week for about 6 weeks, 30km long runs - some fasted and no cramp. At Brighton, I cramped at 19km, which is unheard of and I am going same pace as training. So it is a mystery and I will keep trying. Be interesting to hear how you get on with any research in the future.

[@jamesday1]

Yeah, interesting how much it varies. SWD50 I had cramp at 40km, ST100km I had cramp at 60/70km. SWD50, the cramp just got worse, and never went. ST100km it completely disappeared by 80/90km. I've been reading that a lot of it comes down to muscle fatigue when the major muscle groups get tired and then your body relies on the less dominant running muscles which are less conditioned to the stress. Strength training to build muscle across both major and minor running muscles seems to be the suggested answer. Will be interesting to see how it works out.

[@Ultrarunningamber]

Just found your channel and the few videos I have seen are really good. Congrats on the 100k finish. It is an amazing feeling. I did my first one last October and now I am training for it again and hopefully I can run it a bit faster to bet the darkness. Congrats again.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Amber! Good luck with the 100k in October. I can imagine it's quite challenging finishing in the dark. I've signed up to a 100 miler next year so need to get comfortable running on trails at night.

[@philipking3010]

What a lesson in pacing! Nice work 👍 be interesting to see how you moved up the field as the day went by given how many people seemed to be in front of you at the start. Have fun in Tjörn

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Philip! Yeah, I’ve got a recap video coming on Tuesday where I discuss that. I think I went past something like 80 people during the race.

[@andrewinpompey]

Massive congratulations! And nice video too. I did the 50k and loved it as well.

[@jamesday1]

Thanks Andrew! Well done with your 50k. Beautiful route! I'd love to run the 50km race. Maybe one for next year!