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.

This week on Trails, Tales, and Fails, Max and Sarah are joined by Seb Briggs and Emma Harris, fresh off their epic 37-hour, 57-minute finish of the Kerry Way Ultra. That’s 200km of Irish wilderness, bogs, climbs, and unpredictable weather. We break down the race step by step, score it using our Race Toughness Index, and dive into training, fails, and finish-line emotions. Plus: celebrity pacers, truth or lie, ultra guilty pleasures, and a quickfire round that reveals more than you'd expect.

Seb and Emma are part of the George & Falcon Runners, a friendly, inclusive trail running crew based in Hampshire. They meet regularly for social runs, training sessions, and big race adventures.

👉 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 on Ultra Tip Tuesday, Max dives into one of the most overlooked performance boosters in ultra running: sleep. From muscle repair and glycogen replenishment to mental resilience and injury prevention, sleep is your secret weapon. Learn how to optimise your sleep routine, avoid common pitfalls like caffeine and screen time, and treat rest like the training block it truly is. Your legs will thank you.

💚 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.

Welcome back to Trails, Tales, and Fails! This week’s Ultra Tip Tuesday is all about the unsung heroes of your stride — your calves. Whether you're climbing, descending, or cruising through long miles, your calves are working overtime.

We break down the difference between the gastrocnemius and the soleus, why most runners neglect one of them, and how to train both for better performance, injury prevention, and smoother movement. From straight-leg to bent-knee calf raises, we’ve got the tips to build bulletproof lower legs.

🎙️ Want to support the pod? Check out our Patreon in the show notes.👟 Join our Facebook community to share your strength wins and fails — we’ve all had both.

In this week’s Ultra Tip Tuesday, I'm diving into one of the most overlooked keys to endurance success: fuelling early and often. Whether you’re training for your first ultra or your fiftieth, timing your nutrition is just as important as what you eat.

I’ll break down why waiting until you’re hungry is too late, how to keep your energy steady with small, frequent fuel hits, and how to train your gut to handle fuel on the move. From gels to real food, this episode is all about keeping your engine running strong — and avoiding the dreaded bonk.

This week on Trails, Tales, and Fails, Max flies solo and is joined by returning guest Daniel, fresh off completing the 130-mile Leeds–Liverpool Canal Race.

We dive into:

• UTMB 2025 — snow at 2,500 m, frozen hands at night, and nearly 1,000 DNFs. With Tom Evans storming to victory, Josh Wade taking 3rd, and Courtney grinding through injury to finish 10th, it was a year of resilience as much as speed.

• The Leeds–Liverpool Canal Race — Daniel takes us step by step through 130 miles of towpaths and mental battles.

• Race Toughness Index (RTI) — our brand-new scoring system breaking races down across 10 categories (terrain, weather, aid stations, fatigue, etc.) for a total toughness score out of 100. Daniel gives the Canal Race its first ever official rating.

• Quickfire round — bucket-list races, forgotten kit, irrational pre-race rituals, and more.

👉 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.