Training for a 50 Mile Ultra | North Downs Way 50 Weekly Training Vlog | 20 MILER FAIL

[@neilharrison842]

Great save on the ice!👏 Weather looks warmer now for the next days...!

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thanks Neil. It really was like running on an ice rink. Back to the wet and mud this week.

[@TheFODRunner]

Another quality week mate well done, don’t blame you on that long run, the trails have been horrific here too!

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thanks mate. We've gone from deep mud to frozen icy trails. What will come next? Probably back to mud again but looking ahead to next week, it's supposed to be dry and warm - fingers crossed.

[@IRunThings]

I have done a couple of PACK sessions on Zwift as well. I really like them Nice week again Chris!

[@HereWeAreRunning]

The PACK session are great for a bit of elevation which is ideal for my Ultra training . Nice and sociable as well.

[@racheld1844]

I think we’ve (uk) all battled the weather this week and had adjust our plans. But the weatherman is telling us different for next week 😀 Another good training week Chris - keep it up!

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thank you :) Fingers crossed for some milder, dryer weather. Would love to be out on the trails without fear of falling over or sinking into mud 😆

[@movemorenowjames]

Nice week. Was freezing 🥶 sat, went for a good too.. 👍

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thank you :) Nice that it's warmed up again now but hoping that we'll get some dryer, milder weather soon, to really experience some good long runs on the trails.

[@soupyruns9709]

Another great solid weeks running mate 👍🏻

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thanks mate :)

[@philipklink5406]

Hi Chris, You guys are really getting hammered up there by the weather. I admire your dedication under the circumstances. Congratulations on the recent accomplishments. I have no doubt that you will be in a good position to handle the NDW 50 miler. Good luck with it and wishing you injury free and happy running. Cheers! Phil from Sydney

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thanks Phil, we certainly went through a cold and icy couple of weeks but looks like things are warming up now and the sun has come out for today's long run. But will be sticking to the pavements for a while, until the trails dry up a bit.

[@SeeChadRun]

Those are some rough trails to run 20 miles in! Keep up the great work and consistency!

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thanks mate. They were certainly worse than I was expecting.

[@clairesweter-millar260]

Wise decision not worth the risk. We missed out on the snow last week was still cold but the pavements and roads were dry. Warmer this week spring is on the way. Another good solid week for you Chris.

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thanks Claire. You were lucky to miss out on the snow. Hopefully we've seen the back of the cold weather now.

[@BenNotley]

Awesome week of training once again Chris! The temperature and terrain has been brutal last week. Hopefully it will warm up and thaw out for us this week. Well done for getting out there and getting it done. When I saw the ice on that hill in thought about the slopes coming down near denbies and I thought they would be like slides. They are very steep. Take care mate and keep pushing! 😎🤘🏻

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thanks Ben. It seems that we've gone from snow to ice and now back to rain again, which we know what that means.... muddy trails :( Longing for a dry week, maybe week week will improve.

[@BenNotley]

@@HereWeAreRunning yeah it will be back to thick mud again. Great fun 🤣 I am sure it will start drying up over the next couples of weeks. At least we won't have to wear so many layers.

[@HereWeAreRunning]

@@BenNotley Fingers crossed :)

[@lauradryden]

Great week Chris! The snow and ice has been absolute havoc for running, the paths have been almost unrunnable so ive been getting out early/late when traffic isnt as bad and been running on the roads.

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thanks Laura. Hopefully we've seen the end of the cold weather now and Spring is on its way!

[@DanRuns]

Another great week of running! That ice looked chaotic! Hopefully that is the last we'll see of that kind of weather (here's hoping!). A really great looking watching as well! I look forward to finding out how you get on with it

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thanks Dan. The ice was not nice! So far so good with the watch. Plenty for me to learn about it I'm sure and probably plenty of features that I'll never use but looking forward to seeing what the new data can tell me and at least now I know the battery won't run out mid way through the ultra.

[@DanRuns]

@@HereWeAreRunning we’ll dissect the course and then come together to share the wisdom when the weather improves!

[@milliejake2]

Nice week again Chris, I didn’t fancy that icy hill much 😂.I’ve been having fun on my shiny new noble pro!

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Thanks Tina. Great news that your new treadmill has arrived. Did I hear right, that they were auto inclining with Zwift?

[@milliejake2]

@@HereWeAreRunning yes, it seemed so, I’m going up titans grove today, to see if it was a fluke or I imagined it😂

[@HereWeAreRunning]

@@milliejake2 Haha - Great feature to have but only if you can turn it off when you want to run on the flat!

[@milliejake2]

@@HereWeAreRunning that’s the big question!

[@milliejake2]

I’m pleased to report no auto incline today😀, must’ve been a glitch on Saturday . Phew!

[@solefreak2]

Thats good that you can keep your HR in Zone 2 for most of your runs! Whatever I run outdoors always end up being in Z3 or 4 even if I try slowing down my pace. Run 4 miles yesterday at a 9'38" / mi with an average hr of 151 and not much elevation.

[@HereWeAreRunning]

I used to be the same. Found it incredibly difficult to stay in Zone 2, however I gradually got there. A couple of things helped: 1. I got a heart rate chest strap. Even the less expensive ones are more accurate than the optical heart rate from watches. 2. As I got fitter, I adjusted my Max Heart Rate and therefore my zones changed accordingly. Running a flat out 5K is the way I used to find out my Max Heart Rate. It was a lot higher than the often used calculation of 220bpm-age. So even before when I was thinking I was running in zone 3, I was actually running in zone 2 because my zones weren't correct.

[@ellistron]

Do you have a video explaining your zwift setup?? Looking at potentially getting myself setup but don’t know where to start. Love the vids. Thanks

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Not yet Chris but it is a video I will make when I get a chance. Do you already have a treadmill?

[@ellistron]

@@HereWeAreRunning not yet, that’s what I’m researching currently.

[@HereWeAreRunning]

@@ellistron Things to consider when buying a treadmill. 1. do you want it to connect direct to Zwift. Mine doesn't but I wish I had bought one that does. They do tend to cost more but the Noble Pro E8.0 at around £1K can connect directly and is proving quite popular at the moment. 2. What is the top speed you need. Mine is 18kph but if I was buying again I would go for 20kph. I rarely need to go above 18kph but for a sprint finish in a race or during a speed workout session, that extra top speed would be very useful. 3. If you are looking for a lower cost treadmill that doesn't connect directly to Zwift, look for one that is at least bluetooth enabled and see if it is supported if the Runcline app. I use this on my phone. The treadmill talks to Runcline and Runcline talks to Zwift, so when I change the treadmill speed, it changes my speed on Zwift. Personally I find this a much better experience than using a footpod.

[@ellistron]

@@HereWeAreRunning thank you, very helpful. Good luck with your training and ultramarathon. 👍👍

[@TravelRunner]

Sometimes it’s best to call it a day and shorten a run in conditions like you were in. Better to run a bit shorter than to slip, fall, and possibly injure yourself. You’ll get it next run! Enjoy the new watch!

[@HereWeAreRunning]

I should have stuck to the pavements for the 20 miler, just didn't think it would be that bad but just climbing up to higher ground made a big difference to the amount of ice and snow. I was happy to get back home safely.

[@davidthompson3741]

Should have looked at the Coros apex pro! Had it just over 2 months and charged it 3 times!

[@HereWeAreRunning]

That's great battery life, David. However, I think it would take a lot for me to move away from Garmin. All my data is on Garmin and certainly up to now, I've really liked their watches.

[@davidthompson3741]

I was the same, always had a garmin and was scared to venture away, but glad I did, not as bad as I though 😂

[@solefreak2]

@@davidthompson3741 Just picked up their budget watch the Coros Pace 2, what a brilliant package for the price and battery life is mega.

[@FWFWFWF]

Is it the Centurion NDW you are doing? I'm signed up for that. Mainly doing road running at the moment as it's difficult to do trail running at the moment, what with the conditions and lockdown travel restrictions.

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Yes it's the Centurion NDW 50 on 22nd May. If you are interested, we have a Strava group for anyone entered into the race, so we can support each other during our training: www.strava.com/clubs/NDW50-2021

[@ThatRunningGuy]

Good call cutting the long run short

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Yeah, it just wasn't enjoyable and far too easy to fall and get injured.

[@gingeral]

Going good mate, this has sparked my interest, just looked and it full 😑 nevermind, don't think the wife would have been happy 😀

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Still space on the NDW100 I think 😆 The NDW50 sold out on the day it opened for entries. I got in really quickly.

[@gingeral]

@@HereWeAreRunning maybe 2022 for a 100 hmm

[@TonyJamesRunning]

Hi Chris, Zwift pod is being delivered this week, so hopefully see you in a run soon. #tonyjamesrunning

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Nice Tony, look me up when you get connected on Zwift and I'll follow you.

[@BenNotley]

I am beginning!......the comments!

[@HereWeAreRunning]

Haha :)

[@BenNotley]

@@HereWeAreRunning 🤣🤣🤣