The Ultra Sound Podcast

Tom and Brett debrief UTMB from the crew and athlete perspective. Tom goes through how the race went, what he thinks went wrong, learnings from the race, why the elite men struggled and his plans going forward. (00:00) Introduction (00:40) How is Tom Feeling Post UTMB (01:03) Why is Tom Feeling Physically Ok?  (02:00) Why did so Many of the Top Men Pull Out?  (04:48) Cooling in the Dry vs Humid Heat (08:25) Learning from Results  (11:20) Brett’s Thoughts on Chamonix in Race Week (12:47) How Much Free Stuff did Brett Get at UTMB?  (13:12) The Evolution of UTMB  (16:10) The Community in Trailrunning (18:18) Pre Race Thoughts and Feelings from Tom (20:09) Deleting Social Media Pre Race (21:50) Feeling Extremely Prepared and Still Failing  (24:40) Race Start Through Courmayeur (28:40) What was Crewing like in the First 5 hours?  (30:06) Underdrinking & Overheating (35:07) Courmayeur Onwards    (40:41) Arnouva Onwards (44:10) Pulling Out (47:07) How is Tom Feeling now?  (48:05) Has Tom had Time to Debrief and Evaluate the Race?  (49:15) Biggest Learning from UTMB this Year (52:27) Tom’s Racing Plans for the Rest of 2024 and into 2025 Thanks to the sponsors of the Ultra Sound Podcast: MaurtenTo benefit from the one-time code and get 20% off your next purchase on Maurten.com, simply enter the code UltraSound20 at the checkout.  (Valid until 9/30/2024. The code is applicable on all products except Maurten Bicarb System). Website - www.maurten.com Instagram - @maurten_official YouTube - Maurten Official - YouTube   Plasmaide Experience the benefits of PLASMAIDE for yourself, use the code “ULTRA20” online to get 20% off your next purchase Website - https://plasmaide.co.uk/ Instagram - @plasmaide YouTube - @plasmaide   Garmin UK Forerunner 965 https://bit.ly/3I0O4cN Enduro 2 https://bit.ly/4bRHFyv InReach Mini 2 https://bit.ly/3T9CX7X HRM Pro Graphic Design by Georgia Humphreys Video by Alex Robertson from Bar Studios Introduction by Red Bull UK  Produced and Edited by David Lipman

In the last episode before UTMB, Tom and Brett discuss Tom’s preparation for UTMB. They touch on altitude, specificity, training camp locations and much more. They also talk about last year’s UTMB and Tom’s biggest training weeks in prep for this year.     (00:00) Introduction (00:43) What Does Tom’s Training for UTMB Look Like?  (03:45) How is Tom Preparing for Altitude?  (05:10) At What Altitude Does it Start Impacting Performance?  (07:34) What is the Protocol for Coming Down from Altitude?  (09:50) Has Tom Ever Made a Mistake with a Training Camp Location?  (11:53) How Does Tom Balance Family Life with Training Camp? (15:11) Does Tom Feel Like he is Reaping the Rewards of his Earlier Years’ Cross Country Training? (16:59) What was Tom’s Biggest Learning from his Cross Country Season? (18:53) How Long Before UTMB is Tom Starting his Preparation with Poles? (21:21) What does the Heaviest Week of Training Look Like for UTMB vs Western States? (29:04) What are the Trails like in the Alps?  (30:37) Are there Supporters Around the Whole UTMB Course?  (31:35) What did Tom Learn from Killian? (35:21) Tom’s Van and How it has Helped Training (39:22) This or That   Thanks to the sponsors of the Ultra Sound Podcast: MaurtenTo benefit from the one-time code and get 20% off your next purchase on Maurten.com, simply enter the code UltraSound20 at the checkout.  (Valid until 9/30/2024. The code is applicable on all products except Maurten Bicarb System). Website - www.maurten.com Instagram - @maurten_official YouTube - Maurten Official - YouTube   Plasmaide Experience the benefits of PLASMAIDE for yourself, use the code “ULTRA20” online to get 20% off your next purchase Website - https://plasmaide.co.uk/ Instagram - @plasmaide YouTube - @plasmaide   Garmin UK Forerunner 965 https://bit.ly/3I0O4cN Enduro 2 https://bit.ly/4bRHFyv InReach Mini 2 https://bit.ly/3T9CX7X HRM Pro Graphic Design by Georgia Humphreys Video by Rowan Greenwood from Bar Studios Introduction by Red Bull UK  Produced and Edited by Lauren Williams and David Lipman

In the last episode before UTMB, Tom and Brett discuss Tom’s preparation for UTMB. They touch on altitude, specificity, training camp locations and much more. They also talk about last year’s UTMB and Tom’s biggest training weeks in prep for this year.     (00:00) Introduction (00:43) What Does Tom’s Training for UTMB Look Like?  (03:45) How is Tom Preparing for Altitude?  (05:10) At What Altitude Does it Start Impacting Performance?  (07:34) What is the Protocol for Coming Down from Altitude?  (09:50) Has Tom Ever Made a Mistake with a Training Camp Location?  (11:53) How Does Tom Balance Family Life with Training Camp? (15:11) Does Tom Feel Like he is Reaping the Rewards of his Earlier Years’ Cross Country Training? (16:59) What was Tom’s Biggest Learning from his Cross Country Season? (18:53) How Long Before UTMB is Tom Starting his Preparation with Poles? (21:21) What does the Heaviest Week of Training Look Like for UTMB vs Western States? (29:04) What are the Trails like in the Alps?  (30:37) Are there Supporters Around the Whole UTMB Course?  (31:35) What did Tom Learn from Killian? (35:21) Tom’s Van and How it has Helped Training (39:22) This or That   Thanks to the sponsors of the Ultra Sound Podcast: MaurtenTo benefit from the one-time code and get 20% off your next purchase on Maurten.com, simply enter the code UltraSound20 at the checkout.  (Valid until 9/30/2024. The code is applicable on all products except Maurten Bicarb System). Website - www.maurten.com Instagram - @maurten_official YouTube - Maurten Official - YouTube   Plasmaide Experience the benefits of PLASMAIDE for yourself, use the code “ULTRA20” online to get 20% off your next purchase Website - https://plasmaide.co.uk/ Instagram - @plasmaide YouTube - @plasmaide   Garmin UK Forerunner 965 https://bit.ly/3I0O4cN Enduro 2 https://bit.ly/4bRHFyv InReach Mini 2 https://bit.ly/3T9CX7X HRM Pro Graphic Design by Georgia Humphreys Video by Santara Studios and Rowan Greenwood Introduction by Red Bull UK  Produced and Edited by Lauren Williams and David Lipman

Brett and Tom discuss racing this week. Touching on goal setting, breaking a race down and pre race routines. There’s also some quickfire “Tails from the Trails” and much more.    (00:00) Introduction (00:39) Racing Your First Ultra (04:46) Pre Race Routine (15:23) Mobile Phone Requirements at Races (18:20) Does Tom Experiment in Preparation to Races? (23:00) What are some Mistakes Tom has made in Racing?  (23:54) Goal Setting  (29:27) Breaking a Race Down  (36:56) Having the Right People in Your Team (43:49) Tom’s Biggest Regret from 2023 (44:30) How Does Tom Navigate Mishaps & Mistakes When Racing?  (50:49) Tails from the Trails - Favourite Race (51:03) Best Race Memory (51:15) Most Random Food from an Aid Station (51:37) Favourite Country to Race in?     Thanks to the sponsors of the Ultra Sound Podcast: Maurten To benefit from the one-time code and get 20% off your next purchase on Maurten.com, simply enter the code UltraSound20 at the checkout.  (Valid until 9/30/2024. The code is applicable on all products except Maurten Bicarb System). Website - www.maurten.com Instagram - @maurten_official YouTube - Maurten Official - YouTube   Plasmaide Experience the benefits of PLASMAIDE for yourself, use the code “ULTRA20” online to get 20% off your next purchase Website - https://plasmaide.co.uk/ Instagram - @plasmaide YouTube - @plasmaide   Garmin UK Forerunner 965 https://bit.ly/3I0O4cN Enduro 2 https://bit.ly/4bRHFyv InReach Mini 2 https://bit.ly/3T9CX7X HRM Pro Graphic Design by Georgia Humphreys Video by Santara Studios and Rowan Greenwood  Introduction by Red Bull UK  Produced and Edited by David Lipman  and Lauren Williams

In episode 4 Tom and Brett cover training for ultramarathons, from how to plan your year all the way down to your training week. They also discuss how to work with a coach, cross training, mental training and the use of pacers.     (00:00) Introduction (00:40) Planning a Year  (05:00) Breaking the Year Down into Blocks (05:51) Microcycle Length  (08:16) Who’s in Tom’s Team? (17:07) Mental Training  (19:35) Tom’s Cape Town Incident  (24:46) What Does a Microcycle look like In Preparation for UTMB (32:16) Advice to Amateur Runners  (35:32) The Coach Athlete Collaboration  (39:06) How Does Tom Replicate UTMB Course Profile in the UK? (42:08) Weekly and Microcycle Volumes  (43:30) Cross Training  (45:52) Choosing Pacers (49:02) Tail from the Trail; Worst Post Race Experience    Thanks to the sponsors of the Ultra Sound Podcast: MaurtenTo benefit from the one-time code and get 20% off your next purchase on Maurten.com, simply enter the code UltraSound20 at the checkout.  (Valid until 9/30/2024. The code is applicable on all products except Maurten Bicarb System). Website - www.maurten.com Instagram - @maurten_official YouTube - Maurten Official - YouTube   Plasmaide Experience the benefits of PLASMAIDE for yourself, use the code “ULTRA20” online to get 20% off your next purchase Website - https://plasmaide.co.uk/ Instagram - @plasmaide YouTube - @plasmaide   Garmin UK Forerunner 965 https://bit.ly/3I0O4cN Enduro 2 https://bit.ly/4bRHFyv InReach Mini 2 https://bit.ly/3T9CX7X HRM Pro Graphic Design by Georgia Humphreys Video by Santara Studios and Rowan Greenwood Introduction by Red Bull UK  Produced and Edited by Lauren Williams and David Lipman

This week’s episode is all about gear, Tom and Brett break down choosing gear, what’s important to have in your pack and when to practice using full race gear.    (00:00) Introduction (00:30) How does Tom choose his gear? (01:47) How did Tom manage the changing climate at Western States? (04:09) How does Tom choose his race shoes? (08:20) Are Tom’s race shoes new or well worn in?  (11:15) What was Tom’s role in the development of the Adidas race shoe? (17:38) How do shoe choices differ between Western States and UTMB?  (20:36) Does Tom use full race gear in training?  (24:33) How does Tom choose his race pack? (30:48) What is the most important part of your pack? (32:50) When does Tom start using his race pack in training?  (34:41) What are the three most important things that stay in Tom’s pack?  (36:20) What was the story behind Tom’s top for Western States? (38:28) Tom’s biggest gear mishap (40:42) What does Brett consider when choosing gear?     Thanks to the sponsors of the Ultra Sound Podcast: MaurtenTo benefit from the one-time code and get 20% off your next purchase on Maurten.com, simply enter the code UltraSound20 at the checkout.  (Valid until 9/30/2024. The code is applicable on all products except Maurten Bicarb System). Website - www.maurten.com Instagram - @maurten_official YouTube - Maurten Official - YouTube   Plasmaide Experience the benefits of PLASMAIDE for yourself, use the code “ULTRA20” online to get 20% off your next purchase Website - https://plasmaide.co.uk/ Instagram - @plasmaide YouTube - @plasmaide   Garmin UK Forerunner 965 https://bit.ly/3I0O4cN Enduro 2 https://bit.ly/4bRHFyv InReach Mini 2 https://bit.ly/3T9CX7X HRM Pro Graphic Design by Georgia Humphreys Video by Santara Studios and Rowan Greenwood  Introduction by Red Bull UK  Produced and Edited by Lauren Williams and David Lipman

Tom and Brett discuss all things nutrition in ultrarunning, from in race, in training and how to prepare for races. They also discuss some of Tom’s worst nutrition mistakes and his favourite post race meal.   (00:00) Introduction (00:44) Tom’s weekly mileage  (01:11) Using time rather than distance for training volume  (01:34) Weekly nutrition (02:08) Training nutrition  (02:46) Race nutrition (06:27) Deciding on race intake targets (09:36) Disaster planning in race nutrition  (10:47) Executing the plan vs fueling by feeling (17:01) Caffeine use in training and racing (18:33) Different caffeine sources  (19:59) Risks of caffeine use (20:39) Nutrition planning for amateurs  (24:09) Pre race nutrition  (27:37) Nutrition in the day leading into UTMB  (35:23) What is the strangest thing Tom has eaten in an ultra? (36:45) What is Tom’s go to post race meal? (38:45) What is Tom’s favourite nutrition product? (39:32) Tails from the Trail - What is Tom’s worst nutrition related experience whilst running?    Thanks to the sponsors of the Ultra Sound Podcast: Maurten To benefit from the one-time code and get 20% off your next purchase on Maurten.com, simply enter the code UltraSound20 at the checkout. (Valid until 9/30/2024. The code is applicable on all products except Maurten Bicarb System). Website - www.maurten.com Instagram - @maurten_official YouTube - Maurten Official - YouTube   Plasmaide Experience the benefits of PLASMAIDE for yourself, use the code “ULTRA20” online to get 20% off your next purchase Website - https://plasmaide.co.uk/ Instagram - @plasmaide YouTube - @plasmaide   Garmin UK Forerunner 965 https://bit.ly/3I0O4cN Enduro 2 https://bit.ly/4bRHFyv InReach Mini 2 https://bit.ly/3T9CX7X HRM Pro Graphic Design by Georgia Humphreys Video by Rowan Greenwood from Bar Studios Introduction by Red Bull UK  Produced and Edited by David Lipman

In this first episode of the Ultra Sound Podcast, hosts Tom and Brett discuss getting into ultrarunning and their background, including their relationship. They discuss Marathon des Sables, preparing for races like UTMB and answer some listener questions.    (00:00) Introduction (00:36) Why are we here?  (01:08) Who are we?  (02:19) How did Tom and Brett Meet?  (04:05) Brett’s Sporting Background (04:43) Brett and Tom’s School Experience (06:15) How did Tom end up in the Army? (07:50) Tom’s Sporting Transition into Endurance (08:14) Did the Army Push Tom Towards Ultrarunning?  (08:43) What was Tom’s Training Like for his First Ironman? (10:11) From Ironman into Ultrarunning and doing Marathon des Sables  (12:10) Did the Success at Marathon des Sables make Tom Realise he could be a Professional? (13:55) What does Marathon des Sables Entail? (15:45) What sort of paces was Tom Running at Marathon des Sables? (18:22) How do Tents work at Marathon des Sables? (19:20) How does Tom pick his Crew?  (21:45) Crewing Tom at UTMB and Lessons Learned (23:04) Learnings for Tom from UTMB (25:15) Planning with a Crew (25:54) Ultrarunning as a Team Sport (27:34) Preparation for Marathon des Sables vs Other Races (33:48) Three Tips for Non-Elites Prepping for Races like UTMB (36:17) Questions from Followers (36:47) Season Planning for Tom  (37:50) Tom’s Memories from his Early Racing (39:08) Tom’s Biggest Lesson from Racing     Thanks to the sponsors of the Ultra Sound Podcast: Maurten To benefit from the one-time code and get 20% off your next purchase on Maurten.com, simply enter the code UltraSound20 at the checkout.  (Valid until 9/30/2024. The code is applicable on all products except Maurten Bicarb System). Website - www.maurten.com Instagram - @maurten_official YouTube - Maurten Official - YouTube   Plasmaide Experience the benefits of PLASMAIDE for yourself, use the code “ULTRA20” online to get 20% off your next purchase Website - https://plasmaide.co.uk/ Instagram - @plasmaide YouTube - @plasmaide   Garmin UK Forerunner 965 https://bit.ly/3I0O4cN Enduro 2 https://bit.ly/4bRHFyv InReach Mini 2 https://bit.ly/3T9CX7X HRM Pro Graphic Design by Georgia Humphreys Video by Rowan Greenwood from Bar Studios Introduction by Red Bull UK  Produced and Edited by David Lipman

A quick bit of background on your cohost Brett before the season starts.