Ellen Cheetham went from London roads to French mountain trails — and landed on the podium at UTMB Nice 100 miler. In this episode, we unpack her transition to ultra running, the move to France, and what it takes to race 165 km from the Alps to the Mediterranean.

👉 Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trails, Tales, and Fails Facebook Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to continue the conversation and connect with fellow trail and ultra runners.

💚 If you enjoy the podcast and want to support what we do, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠— every bit helps us keep sharing stories from the trails.

Use code TTF15 at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠⁠ for your 15% discount.

This week, we’re talking pacing — the skill that separates finishers from faders. Whether you’re running a 50K or a 100-miler, smart pacing protects your body from bonking, inflammation, and breakdown.

We dive into the science behind restraint:

• Glycogen depletion and why fat-burning isn’t enough

• Cardiac drift and rising effort over time

• Muscle fatigue, form collapse, and injury risk

• Gut shutdown when blood flow prioritises your legs over digestion

• Why walking early climbs can save your race later

Plus: the talk test, segment thinking, and why patience is power.

💚 If you enjoy the podcast and want to support what we do, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠— every bit helps us keep sharing stories from the trails.

Use code TTF15 at ⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠ for your 15% discount.

This week on Trails, Tales, and Fails, Max, Sarah Rob are joined by Victoria Henderson, fresh off her heroic finish at the Tor des Géants — a 330km monster through the Italian Alps with over 24,000m of elevation gain. That’s 145 hours of sleep deprivation, technical climbs, and weather that can swing from blazing heat to alpine snow.

We break down the race step by step, score it using our Race Toughness Index, and dive into training, and finish-line emotions. Plus: celebrity pacers, truth or lie, ultra guilty pleasures, and a quickfire round.

Victoria’s ultra resume is stacked: CCC 2021, TDS, 5th at Winter Downs 200, and 17th at Arc 100 earlier this year. But TDG? That’s a whole new level.

👉 Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Trails, Tales, and Fails Facebook Community⁠⁠⁠⁠ to continue the conversation and connect with fellow trail and ultra runners.

💚 If you enjoy the podcast and want to support what we do, check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠— every bit helps us keep sharing stories from the trails.

Use code TTF15 at ⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠ for your 15% discount.