How To Train for a Backyard Ultra with Iain and Julie Bethune

From Born on the Trail: Going Longer · 1:36:40

Show by Niki Micallef

In this episode of Born on the Trail: Going Longer, I sit down with Iain and Julie Bethune of Miles Together; a husband-and-wife duo with roughly 20 Backyard Ultras between them, UK national team runners, and 2026 World & National Championship qualifiers.We tackle the question I get asked more than almost any other: how do you actually train for a Backyard Ultra? Together we break the problem into five pillars - mental training, race day execution, nutrition, physical training and gear - and rank them by how much each one actually decides your result.The order surprised even them. We dig into why physical fitness is a weak predictor of Backyard Ultra success, how to build a "plan A, plan B" toolkit so a bad patch never spirals into a DNF, the sleep strategies that let you push through a second and third night, and what you should, and shouldn't, ask of your crew.If you're looking to run your first Backyard Ultra or you've ever stood at a Backyard Ultra start line with no real idea what you're training for, this one's for you.Looking for more resources about how to train for a Backyard Ultra?Visit https://backyardultra.training to learn all you need to know about how to prepare for this event.Looking for coaching or guidance? Learn more at https://backyardultra.training/coachingRELATED CONTENTBackyard Ultra Tips – Part 1: Pacing & Sleep: https://www.milestogether.co.uk/byu-pacing-sleep/Backyard Ultra Tips – Part 2: Hydration & Nutrition: https://www.milestogether.co.uk/byu-hydration-nutrition/Backyard Ultra Tips – Part 3: Mental Strategies & Crewing: https://www.milestogether.co.uk/byu-mental-strategies-crewing/Backyard Ultra Tips – Part 4: Logistics & Training: https://www.milestogether.co.uk/byu-logistics-training/RELATED BORN ON THE TRAIL CONTENTHow To Train for a Backyard Ultra: https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/p/how-to-train-for-a-backyard-ultraThe Workouts Missing From Your Backyard Ultra Training Plan: https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/p/the-workouts-missing-from-your-backyard-ultra-training-planWhy Backyard Ultra Runners Quit (And How Not To): https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/p/why-backyard-ultra-runners-quit-and-how-not-toBackyard Bliss: 6 Tips for an Enjoyable Backyard Ultra Experience: https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/p/backyard-blissAre Pain and Fatigue Physical or Mental?: https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/p/are-pain-and-fatigue-physical-or-mentalFOLLOW IAIN AND JULIE (Miles Together)Website: https://www.milestogether.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runmilestogetherFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/runmilestogetherWATCH THIS SHOW ON OTHER PLATFORMSSubstack: https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/podcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bornonthetrailSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6o5yHthUidO0No4VA3xdVbApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/born-on-the-trail-going-longer/id1857231629YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvFOih1rUBA2F_3Bi7Ii-cAqieAQSumU_FOLLOW BORN ON THE TRAIL ON SOCIAL MEDIASubstack: https://bornonthetrail.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bornonthetrail/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bornonthetrailFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bornonthetrail/ Get full access to Born on the Trail at bornonthetrail.substack.com/subscribe

More episodes of Born on the Trail: Going Longer

More episodes

PodSearch is a free, independent podcast search engine. Read about PodSearch, the privacy policy or contact us.