We all have moments when something goes wrong in a race... Congrats on those 73 miles, Craig! Let's look on the bright side! Thanks for the beautiful footage along your ultra event, for the beautiful music, too, and for sharing your experience, mate! All the best wishes!
Fair play mate. I also had an ankle injury this year, which happened a week before I was supposed to do my first marathon. Onwards and upwards. We’ll both smash 100 miles one day! Soon for you!
Cheers Terrie, it sucks having an ankle injury doesn't it?! We will definitely smash 100 miles one day for sure, hopefully you get to do your marathon soon!
Thanks Avinash! I will certainly be giving the Thames Path 100 another go in the future. First, I'm going to try the North Downs Way 100 in August and see how I get on with trying to beat 100 miles for the first time again!
Awesome video thanks Craig. I am sure you will come back stronger for NDW 100. I was in the race - my first 100mile attempt, death marched it in all the way from Henley.
To get to 73 miles after one month of training is an incredible achievement mate. With a good solid 4 month training block, I'm sure you could make it to that finish line.
I can't even contemplate trying 100 miles. You made a great effort on minimal training. Well done! I'm sure you learned a lot. I'll be trying my first ultra next year, a mere 55km.
Great effort and lovely vid. Did TP100 myself last year and brought back so many wonderful memories, especially as you were faster than me so could see the scenery in the light!
Glad you enjoyed it Neil, it's a special course for sure. I'm going to be doing it again next year so maybe see you there again if you're thinking about a repeat!
Haha, we'll see! I had 2 lockdowns to train and despite being the final finisher, it was such an awesome day I doubt I could ever top it, but you never know...
what stunning scenery you had. 100 for the effort. ive never attempted anything more than a marathon. also running at night is so hard i tried it once and said to myself never again.
It was a lovely day and there was lovely scenery to match. Running at night is a different beast altogether as you need to make sure you don't trip over anything unexpectedly. Cheers for watching mate!
Thanks for this comment man, I agree with you 100%. You've got to analyse your failures twice as much as your successes! Yes, I will aim to do the Thames Path 100 again in 2023. First, I've signed up to the North Downs Way 100 in August of this year, so let's see what happens with that one!
Great video and sorry you had a dnf, but completely understandable. Also it will just fuel you to finish the next one even more. You actually passed my road on the video 😂, just after Walton Bridge!
Hey mate thanks for that. I've never DNF'd in a race before so this was not something I enjoyed doing but I knew that I was at the end of my limits as I was struggling to walk let alone run. Crazy that I passed your road haha, it's a massive course. Cheers for watching!
Cheers for the kind words Stephen. Yes, roll on the NDW100 for sure. Thanks for the aid station help too about 30 miles in. I must have been in dreamworld during that checkpoint because it was only when I was half a mile out of it someone said ‘that was the guy from film my run’ and I realised it was you 😂 Keep up the good work
70 miles is an accomplishment for anyone. 70 miles on a blazing hot day with 1 month of training is INCREDIBLE! At least you learned a lot, and you know you'll be able to kill 100 miles next time! I was impressed with how fresh you seemed up to mile 50. What were you eating/ drinking?
Cheers Kelly, really appreciate that! I was seriously considering pulling out due to my level of fitness and the lack of training from my injury but I decided to give it a go anyway. Happy I did because, as you say, I learnt loads from my first 100 mile outing. Nutrition wise, I think I was quite on top of it which is further testament to the fact that good fuelling doesn't make up for a lack of training. My brother, who was much much fitter on race day and smashed the course in 21h 40m, said that his nutrition was awful during the race so just goes to show. I was trying to eat at least 200 calories (if not 300) an hour and this consisted of: - Science in sport energy gel every 45-60 minutes - Salt tablet every 1 -2 hours - Drinking plenty of water at aid stations before filling bottles up (I should have drunk more tailwind / energy drinks of some kind, as this would have bumped my calories up easily) - Chewable energy tablet every 1.5 - 2 hours - Grabbing whatever the aid stations had to offer including sandwiches, sausage rolls, fruit etc
Really enjoyed watching that. To get so far with only a month's training is insanely good. I'm gearing up for the Thames Path 100k (not 100mile!) in September - will be my first ultra. In fact, thus far I've only ever done 3 half marathons. Two marathons planned in the spring, then full gas for the ultra in September. Looking forward to watching some of your other videos!
Thanks Conrad! I'm still gutted I wasn't able to finish but I'm taking it back on in May this year for round 2, so determined to get a finish in the bag this time. Best of luck with your first ultra in may and happy training. If it's with ultra challenge series, you'll have fun as they organise great events. I've done London 2 Brighton and the South Coast Challenge and can't really fault anything about their events. Cheers!
@@runningcafe1 thank you. I know you’ll do the 100 miler this time. Watched your London to Brighton last night - well done! My ultra is September Thames path 100k. Marathons this April and May
All the cool people drop at Goring! My left quad went at around mile 40 and got worse as I went on, especially after a 20 min break at Henley. I hobbled on to Pangbourne and by Goring I knew it was over. Enjoy NDW100 - that was my first.
Haha, glad I'm not the only one! It's a really tough decision to make but you know when you're at the very end of your safe limit and I was 100% confident to make that call at Goring. Thanks, looking forward to NDW100. If you have any tips, do shoot them over!
@@runningcafe1 The first 24 miles are the easiest terrain wise so don't get caught up in the rush. If you don't know the route but can recce any of it, I'd suggest the bit between Holly Hill and Ranscombe and the bit between Detling and Hollingbourne. It's a goodun and better IMO than TP.
DNF will always beat a DNS. Well done for getting out there and giving it a go 👏 I’ve been looking at this one for next year. Did book hotels for the start/finish or travel on the days?
Thanks very much Tina! This is a good route as mostly flat so highly recommended. I was lucky enough to get a lift up to the start line in the morning from a family member and then my brothers girlfriends family came and picked us up from Oxford so lifts both ways fortunately! There’s a lot of decent hotels nearby both points though so worth a look. It’d be pretty tough after all the running but maybe public transport is worth looking into as well
Great video Craig. Also my first 100. Like you picked up an injury running GMU 45 start of March (tear in knee) Really struggled from mile 30. I was waiting for the hot finish to towards the end of Saturday in your video! 😂. Running into that late low hot sun was brutal. Then the hilly diversion after Henley! 😫😂 I noticed a couple of runners asleep In goring. You might of been one? Not happy with time do I’m back next year! 😂 I hope NDW 100 went well? I’ll check your videos now. 👍
Thank you James! Yeah it did feel particularly brutal having to run through that hot sun for such a huge chunk of the race, made me feel even worse to be honest. If you saw a runner sleeping on two chairs at the back right of goring as you come through the doors, then it was me 😂 That race ruined me, just goes to show how important being in good shape is and that injury really can scupper your plans. Massive well done to you for finishing it, sounds like you had a blast! I’m back next May at the Thames path 100 to get my revenge 🙏 Maybe see you there
@@runningcafe1 I was glad to finish after not feeling good from mile 30. 26.25 hrs. 😲 Really wanted that IN ONE DAY buckle! 😂 Which is why I’m going back! 😂 Think I’ll try and plan this one a bit better. As No hills to walk I’m looking at maybe running 9 miles, walking 1. I noticed on the Facebook group somebody done this and finished in just over 20. I’ll have to check the paces. 👍 I’ll say hello if I see you on the start line! 👍
Thanks! I trained under 20 miles a month during February and March as injury prevented any more. In April it started to get better so I ramped up training significantly to like 100 miles but honestly this month wasn’t enough to get the body prepared and was too dramatic an increase in monthly mileage. Still happy with the 73 miles and I will finish it next May!
Great try! Inspiring and maybe try it again in the future? What tips did you learn from others there for how to increase your stamina? I'd only be able to do just 1 marathon in about 13 hours man. Would you ever do a portion of something like the Pacific Crest Trail in the USA?
Thanks! I will certainly be trying it again in the future as I've already booked my place onto the run for next year lol. Stamina wise, I would put my lack of it down to the fact that I was only able to train for a month prior to this race as I was injured pretty bad at the start of the year. I ran 18 miles in March and then 190 or so in April so really tried to squeeze in the training but it wasn't enough unfortunately. I'd love to give some of the Pacific Crest Trail a go, the views look absolutely stunning over there
Thanks mate, I was pleased with the performance given the circumstances. Prior to my injury, I was running everyday (at least a mile) for 3 years straight and never felt better fitness wise. Almost sub 3 marathon, top 25 100km finish, good half marathon times and no injuries throughout. I am in conversations with my doctor and the relevant specialists at the moment so rest assured any issues will be identified, investigated and solved. Thanks for the concern and for watching :)
@@PoetWithPace 100% agree with you mate, those sorts of claims cringe me out to be honest. The only reason I could run up to 73 miles with a month and a bit off of running was because of all the hard work I put in before the injury. People saying they ran 100k or an ultra with 0 training is just click bait haha. Keep up the good work with your channel, just checked it out
Craig, I’m running the Thames Path 100k in September. How is it underfoot? Road show or trail shoe? I’m thinking you’ll be recommending the Speedgoat 5. Thanks in advance - any advice muchly appreciated
Underfoot is fairly easy going. Very flat and mixture of tarmac and trail paths. I'd say it's down to personal choice but you might want to make the decision based on the weather on the day. If you're able to do some runs on the route to train, you can see what you think will be best. Not sure how similar the Thames path 100k run is to the 100 mile race, but I plan to use road shoes for the first half and a bit, then switch to trail shoes at the 70 ish miles mark as after then it's mainly fields. Cheers!
@@runningcafe1 thanks Craig super helpful! I think it might be similar early on. Sadly I’m in Yorkshire so practise runs aren’t overly likely… tho my brother lives down there so I might go down when my training runs get longer and do a weekend.
We all have moments when something goes wrong in a race... Congrats on those 73 miles, Craig! Let's look on the bright side! Thanks for the beautiful footage along your ultra event, for the beautiful music, too, and for sharing your experience, mate! All the best wishes!
Thanks for that matey, things do go wrong unfortunately and race day can be unpredictable. Thanks for the kind words
Fair play mate! Great effort. Looks like a great route and race.
No shame in getting 70 odd miles in matey 👍 good luck for the next one! I’m thinking about maybe doing one in a couple of years
Cheers, Tom. It was a tough and painful slog but happy to have made it to 70 miles. Give it a go if you can, it's an unbelievable challenge!
Fair play mate. I also had an ankle injury this year, which happened a week before I was supposed to do my first marathon. Onwards and upwards. We’ll both smash 100 miles one day! Soon for you!
Cheers Terrie, it sucks having an ankle injury doesn't it?! We will definitely smash 100 miles one day for sure, hopefully you get to do your marathon soon!
Great video mate. Didn’t realise the Thames got so pretty. Only ever seen it from Erith and central
Cheers! Yeah, it's a beautiful river for sure with many sights and sounds to keep you entertained along the way
Good man and good attitude. No doubt you will return and complete the challenge.
Thanks Avinash! I will certainly be giving the Thames Path 100 another go in the future. First, I'm going to try the North Downs Way 100 in August and see how I get on with trying to beat 100 miles for the first time again!
That's a great effort Craig, and well Documented. Hope you mend well, mend fast and get back after it. All the very best in your training for NDW 100.
Thank you very much! Looking forward to the NDW 100 but there's lots of proper training to be done first for sure
Awesome video thanks Craig. I am sure you will come back stronger for NDW 100. I was in the race - my first 100mile attempt, death marched it in all the way from Henley.
Cheers, Jasper. I'm looking forward to the NDW100 already! Massive congratulations to you for completing the race, it was a tough day so kudos to you.
A massive well done - it's quite the distance. The training is hard enough without injuries so ruddy well done to you x
Cheers, Rachel. It's a crazy distance indeed! Lots learnt and I'll bounce back ready for the next one! x
To get to 73 miles after one month of training is an incredible achievement mate. With a good solid 4 month training block, I'm sure you could make it to that finish line.
Thanks for that Phil! Yeah I'm sure that with some proper training the 100 mile mark will be achievable. Onwards!
Well done Craig. Good luck on training and running the NDW in August. I will watch the video of your success.
Thanks very much for the kind words!
I can't even contemplate trying 100 miles. You made a great effort on minimal training. Well done! I'm sure you learned a lot. I'll be trying my first ultra next year, a mere 55km.
Hi mate, thanks for the kind words! It was a crazy experience for sure, lots learnt for next time. Best of luck with your first ultra
Great effort and lovely vid. Did TP100 myself last year and brought back so many wonderful memories, especially as you were faster than me so could see the scenery in the light!
Glad you enjoyed it Neil, it's a special course for sure. I'm going to be doing it again next year so maybe see you there again if you're thinking about a repeat!
Haha, we'll see! I had 2 lockdowns to train and despite being the final finisher, it was such an awesome day I doubt I could ever top it, but you never know...
what stunning scenery you had. 100 for the effort. ive never attempted anything more than a marathon. also running at night is so hard i tried it once and said to myself never again.
It was a lovely day and there was lovely scenery to match. Running at night is a different beast altogether as you need to make sure you don't trip over anything unexpectedly. Cheers for watching mate!
Fair play!!!! That’s some doing!
Thanks buddy!
Love your videos! Keep making them
Thanks Jack, it's comments like this that make it worth it!
Mate, full credit to you for posting this. It teaches us all - if any need reminding -that progress is not linear. Will you go for it next time round?
Thanks for this comment man, I agree with you 100%. You've got to analyse your failures twice as much as your successes! Yes, I will aim to do the Thames Path 100 again in 2023. First, I've signed up to the North Downs Way 100 in August of this year, so let's see what happens with that one!
@@runningcafe1 Great! I aim to do both. Will no doubt meet you on the start line..
Great video and sorry you had a dnf, but completely understandable. Also it will just fuel you to finish the next one even more.
You actually passed my road on the video 😂, just after Walton Bridge!
Hey mate thanks for that. I've never DNF'd in a race before so this was not something I enjoyed doing but I knew that I was at the end of my limits as I was struggling to walk let alone run. Crazy that I passed your road haha, it's a massive course. Cheers for watching!
Great work anyway Craig!
Cheers fella!!
Well done Craig. Great effort. As you say, big learning curve and lots of experience gained. Good luck at NDW.
Cheers for the kind words Stephen. Yes, roll on the NDW100 for sure. Thanks for the aid station help too about 30 miles in. I must have been in dreamworld during that checkpoint because it was only when I was half a mile out of it someone said ‘that was the guy from film my run’ and I realised it was you 😂
Keep up the good work
70 miles is an accomplishment for anyone. 70 miles on a blazing hot day with 1 month of training is INCREDIBLE! At least you learned a lot, and you know you'll be able to kill 100 miles next time! I was impressed with how fresh you seemed up to mile 50. What were you eating/ drinking?
Cheers Kelly, really appreciate that! I was seriously considering pulling out due to my level of fitness and the lack of training from my injury but I decided to give it a go anyway. Happy I did because, as you say, I learnt loads from my first 100 mile outing.
Nutrition wise, I think I was quite on top of it which is further testament to the fact that good fuelling doesn't make up for a lack of training. My brother, who was much much fitter on race day and smashed the course in 21h 40m, said that his nutrition was awful during the race so just goes to show.
I was trying to eat at least 200 calories (if not 300) an hour and this consisted of:
- Science in sport energy gel every 45-60 minutes
- Salt tablet every 1 -2 hours
- Drinking plenty of water at aid stations before filling bottles up (I should have drunk more tailwind / energy drinks of some kind, as this would have bumped my calories up easily)
- Chewable energy tablet every 1.5 - 2 hours
- Grabbing whatever the aid stations had to offer including sandwiches, sausage rolls, fruit etc
Really enjoyed watching that. To get so far with only a month's training is insanely good. I'm gearing up for the Thames Path 100k (not 100mile!) in September - will be my first ultra. In fact, thus far I've only ever done 3 half marathons. Two marathons planned in the spring, then full gas for the ultra in September. Looking forward to watching some of your other videos!
Thanks Conrad! I'm still gutted I wasn't able to finish but I'm taking it back on in May this year for round 2, so determined to get a finish in the bag this time.
Best of luck with your first ultra in may and happy training. If it's with ultra challenge series, you'll have fun as they organise great events. I've done London 2 Brighton and the South Coast Challenge and can't really fault anything about their events.
Cheers!
@@runningcafe1 thank you. I know you’ll do the 100 miler this time. Watched your London to Brighton last night - well done!
My ultra is September Thames path 100k. Marathons this April and May
All the cool people drop at Goring! My left quad went at around mile 40 and got worse as I went on, especially after a 20 min break at Henley. I hobbled on to Pangbourne and by Goring I knew it was over. Enjoy NDW100 - that was my first.
Haha, glad I'm not the only one! It's a really tough decision to make but you know when you're at the very end of your safe limit and I was 100% confident to make that call at Goring. Thanks, looking forward to NDW100. If you have any tips, do shoot them over!
@@runningcafe1 The first 24 miles are the easiest terrain wise so don't get caught up in the rush. If you don't know the route but can recce any of it, I'd suggest the bit between Holly Hill and Ranscombe and the bit between Detling and Hollingbourne. It's a goodun and better IMO than TP.
Nah I'm out, half marathon is the max for me... Fair play!
Haha, 100 miles is a bit on the longer side I agree
Nice video man!
Cheers fella, just checked your channel out and looks like we've both had some problems with the 100 mile distance. Let's smash our next attempt!
DNF will always beat a DNS. Well done for getting out there and giving it a go 👏 I’ve been looking at this one for next year. Did book hotels for the start/finish or travel on the days?
Thanks very much Tina! This is a good route as mostly flat so highly recommended. I was lucky enough to get a lift up to the start line in the morning from a family member and then my brothers girlfriends family came and picked us up from Oxford so lifts both ways fortunately! There’s a lot of decent hotels nearby both points though so worth a look. It’d be pretty tough after all the running but maybe public transport is worth looking into as well
@@runningcafe1 That’s great thanks for that!
Great video Craig. Also my first 100. Like you picked up an injury running GMU 45 start of March (tear in knee) Really struggled from mile 30. I was waiting for the hot finish to towards the end of Saturday in your video! 😂. Running into that late low hot sun was brutal. Then the hilly diversion after Henley! 😫😂 I noticed a couple of runners asleep In goring. You might of been one? Not happy with time do I’m back next year! 😂 I hope NDW 100 went well? I’ll check your videos now. 👍
Thank you James! Yeah it did feel particularly brutal having to run through that hot sun for such a huge chunk of the race, made me feel even worse to be honest. If you saw a runner sleeping on two chairs at the back right of goring as you come through the doors, then it was me 😂 That race ruined me, just goes to show how important being in good shape is and that injury really can scupper your plans. Massive well done to you for finishing it, sounds like you had a blast! I’m back next May at the Thames path 100 to get my revenge 🙏 Maybe see you there
@@runningcafe1 I was glad to finish after not feeling good from mile 30. 26.25 hrs. 😲 Really wanted that IN ONE DAY buckle! 😂 Which is why I’m going back! 😂 Think I’ll try and plan this one a bit better. As No hills to walk I’m looking at maybe running 9 miles, walking 1. I noticed on the Facebook group somebody done this and finished in just over 20. I’ll have to check the paces. 👍 I’ll say hello if I see you on the start line! 👍
Quality effort bro 👏🏻👏🏻
Dude you did great. A month of training? That’s nuts!
Thanks! I trained under 20 miles a month during February and March as injury prevented any more. In April it started to get better so I ramped up training significantly to like 100 miles but honestly this month wasn’t enough to get the body prepared and was too dramatic an increase in monthly mileage. Still happy with the 73 miles and I will finish it next May!
Good job bro. Keep going
Thank you mate, I will!
Great try! Inspiring and maybe try it again in the future? What tips did you learn from others there for how to increase your stamina? I'd only be able to do just 1 marathon in about 13 hours man. Would you ever do a portion of something like the Pacific Crest Trail in the USA?
Thanks! I will certainly be trying it again in the future as I've already booked my place onto the run for next year lol.
Stamina wise, I would put my lack of it down to the fact that I was only able to train for a month prior to this race as I was injured pretty bad at the start of the year. I ran 18 miles in March and then 190 or so in April so really tried to squeeze in the training but it wasn't enough unfortunately.
I'd love to give some of the Pacific Crest Trail a go, the views look absolutely stunning over there
Great effort young man! Hope you have not done any serious long term damage to your body? How long have you been running and training seriously?
Thanks mate, I was pleased with the performance given the circumstances.
Prior to my injury, I was running everyday (at least a mile) for 3 years straight and never felt better fitness wise. Almost sub 3 marathon, top 25 100km finish, good half marathon times and no injuries throughout. I am in conversations with my doctor and the relevant specialists at the moment so rest assured any issues will be identified, investigated and solved. Thanks for the concern and for watching :)
@@runningcafe1 good to hear Craig. So many on the tubes claiming to run ultras with none or little training.
@@PoetWithPace 100% agree with you mate, those sorts of claims cringe me out to be honest. The only reason I could run up to 73 miles with a month and a bit off of running was because of all the hard work I put in before the injury. People saying they ran 100k or an ultra with 0 training is just click bait haha. Keep up the good work with your channel, just checked it out
@@runningcafe1 it is all click bait bollox lol...glad you like my channel. Zero BS there!
Craig, I’m running the Thames Path 100k in September. How is it underfoot? Road show or trail shoe? I’m thinking you’ll be recommending the Speedgoat 5. Thanks in advance - any advice muchly appreciated
Underfoot is fairly easy going. Very flat and mixture of tarmac and trail paths. I'd say it's down to personal choice but you might want to make the decision based on the weather on the day. If you're able to do some runs on the route to train, you can see what you think will be best. Not sure how similar the Thames path 100k run is to the 100 mile race, but I plan to use road shoes for the first half and a bit, then switch to trail shoes at the 70 ish miles mark as after then it's mainly fields.
Cheers!
@@runningcafe1 thanks Craig super helpful! I think it might be similar early on. Sadly I’m in Yorkshire so practise runs aren’t overly likely… tho my brother lives down there so I might go down when my training runs get longer and do a weekend.
You can run approximately 67 miles further than I can so you still fucking smashed it from where I'm sitting
😂 cheers matey!
I’m doing my first 100 miler next week, about to be the same experience lol
Best of luck, Paul!
Respect