Avoid the painful, shoe-swallowing mistakes that derail even the best ultra-marathon training plans by learning from my own hard-won lessons on the trail. This is a straight-talking guide to the errors that cost me time, skin, and dignity, so they don’t have to cost you yours.
TL;DR: Ultra running is a game of system management, not just physical determination. From losing shoes in HS2 construction mud during the Escape from Meriden to running races just to please others, I’ve made some classic blunders. The key takeaways are: never try new gear on race day, stay mentally engaged with your navigation, respect your pacing plan, and always run for your own reasons.
This article was created with the supplementary use of generative AI. The content has been reviewed and edited by Coach Steve.
As an ultra running coach, I spend a lot of time telling athletes how to avoid the “avoidable” mistakes. But let’s be honest: the reason I know these mistakes so well is that I’ve made them myself. The starting line of any ultra is never just physical; it’s a mental and logistical puzzle that can fall apart with one bad decision.
I don’t believe in the “perfect” race. I believe in being prepared to adapt when things go pearshaped. Here are five times things went very sideways because I was, quite frankly, being a bit dumb.
1. The Mud Sacrifice: Losing a Shoe at Escape from Meriden
The Escape from Meriden is a unique event. You start at the centre of England at midnight and run as far as you can in 24 hours. My goal was Barry, a roughly 115-mile trek involving a lot of creative navigation and, as it turned out, a very deep mud pit.
I was crossing an HS2 construction site near the Midlands. It was dark, I was only half paying attention, and I was being stubborn about my route. I saw a patch of mud that looked “manageable.” It wasn’t. It took my weight on first pass, a look ahead revealed the route was unpassable so I turned around. Second time of asking the surface crust gave way and I was waist-deep in thick, sludgy mud. When I tried to pull my left leg out, the mud kept my shoe.
I stood there, one foot in a sock, staring at a hole in the ground where my footwear used to be. The mistake wasn’t just stepping in the mud; it was the arrogance of trusting the plan over the actual terrain without re-assessing the risk. I spent the next 20 miles “shuffling” with one shoe and a very wet, very cold foot before I could find a spot to regroup and eventually sort out a replacement.
The lesson: Gear choices and route adjustments matter more than your ego. If the terrain looks sketchy, it probably is. Don’t be too stubborn to take the long way around. I’ve written more about the importance of adapting in action during Meriden here.
2. Zoning Out: The High Cost of Not Paying Attention
We’ve all been there. Sometimes your brain is “absorbing the load,” and you enter a sort of meditative trance, other times it’s simply not focusing at the start. While being in the zone can feel great, it’s not always great for navigation.
During one race, I was so focused on chatting after not seeing my running partner for ages due to Covid lockdowns that I missed a glaringly obvious marker. I followed a well-trodden path before realising the tape had disappeared. By the time I retraced my steps the backmarker had removed the markings and I needed to call for directions, I’d added 3-4 unnecessary, miles to my total distance before I had even covered 4 miles of the route. In an ultra, mileage is a finite resource. You don’t want to spend it on a detour because you were daydreaming.
Now, I tell my athletes to use “mental check-points.” Every time your watch beeps or you hit a landmark, do a system check: Am I on the line? How is my fuelling? Am I still on the right path?
3. Too Fast Too Soon: Adrenaline is a Liar
This is the most common mistake in ultra marathon training, and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. It was a race where the first 10 miles were flat, fast, and felt effortless. My “adrenaline window” was wide open, and I convinced myself that I was having a “red letter day.”
I ignored my heart rate, ignored my pacing strategy, and pushed the pace. The race doesn’t start until the second half. By mile 40, I was knackered and being overtaken by ducks on the canal path, not swimming past, no waddling along and leaving me standing. My legs felt like lead, my stomach turned, and I was reduced to a “zombie walk” while runners I’d overtaken hours ago cruised past me.
Straight-talking advice: If you feel great in the first 20% of an ultra, you’re probably going too fast.
Managing your effort is about discipline, not just fitness. I use a traffic light effort system with my athletes to prevent this exact meltdown. You have to save your “matches” for when the real work begins.
4. The “New Gear” Sin: Blisters and Hubris
I broke the golden rule: Nothing new on race day. I’d bought a pair of high-end socks that had great reviews and were a few pounds a pair cheaper than my go to’s. They felt great in the shop, so I figured they’d be even better over 50 miles.
Within two hours, I felt a “hotspot” on my left heel. By four hours, my feet were soaking, sore and a full-blown blister that felt like a hot needle every time I landed was well on it’s way. I spent the rest of the race compensating for the pain, which led to a “niggle” in my opposite hip and a much slower finish than I was capable of.
Your gear needs to be an extension of your body, tested through weeks of marathon training plans. Even something as small as a sock seam can become a weapon against you after 100,000 steps.
5. Running for Others: The Expectation Trap
I once entered a massive, high-profile race simply because I felt like people expected me to be there. I was the “running coach,” the “ultra guy.” I felt like if I wasn’t on that specific starting line, I was losing relevance.
My heart wasn’t in it. My training was half-hearted because the “why” wasn’t mine: it was theirs. Predictably, as the event approached I wasn’t in shape as I simply hadn’t put the training in. I didn’t have the internal drive to push through training, to get up in the morning or go out when the weather was awful. the result, a DNS and a waste of money for an event I never really had interest in.
Your “why” must be internal. If you are running to prove something to strangers on the internet, you will fold when the true suffering begins. Run the races that excite you, not the ones that look good on a CV.
Key Takeaways for Your Next Ultra
Avoiding “dumb” mistakes is about building a robust system. Here’s how to stay on track:
- Audit your gear: If you haven’t worn it for at least a 3-hour long run, it stays in the bag.
- Trust the plan: Your early-race “feel-good” factor is a trap. Stick to your prescribed paces.
- Stay engaged: Use your tools (like a Garmin) and do regular mental “navigation checks.”
- Respect the terrain: If the mud looks deep, adjust your route if possible. Your shoes will thank you.
- Own your race: Only sign up for events that genuinely matter to you.
Ultra running is hard enough without us sabotaging ourselves. If you’re tired of making these mistakes and want a plan that accounts for your life, your goals, and your specific “niggles,” let’s chat. I provide personalised running coaching that focuses on the human behind the athlete.
Ready to stop making the “dumb” mistakes and start seeing real progress? Contact PFM Coaching today to build a bespoke plan that actually works for you.
