Running 100 Miles Around Leeds

Running 100 Miles Around Leeds!!!

Why I Decided To Run 100 Miles Around Leeds?

I successfully managed to complete 100 miles (160km) running around Leeds on the 5th May 2024. It’s been a goal of mine for sometime to complete this distance and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. I still have aspirations of completing 200 miles on foot and hope to attempt this in the near future. The idea of running 200 miles first came about after I completed this distance on a bicycle in a little under 15 hours (2020). I know exactly how hard and how far this distance is, so to run this on foot would be an incredible achievement.

When Was My Last Long Run?

I had a place at this years London Marathon at the end of April 2024. I decided to run the 26.2 miles as my last long run ahead of the 100 miles which was 2 weeks out from my attempt. Obviously, with the Ultramarathon looming I couldn’t race or go for a time. I actually have a place at next years London Marathon in 2025 where I will be running for Young Lives VS Cancer. There will be another blog post where I will go into more detail about this years London Marathon and also some of the amazing results my clients achieved. Follow the link for our marathon package if you are interested in working with us.

Expectations?

I didn’t just want to complete running 100 miles. I actually wanted to make sure it was completed in under 24 hours. However, if it had taken me 24 hours or more to complete, I wouldn’t have been too disappointed.

How Long Did It Take To Run 100 Miles?

On Sunday the 5th May 2024, I set my alarm for 3am to wake up, eat, shower and stretch. I hit the start button on the Garmin watch at 5am and began the daunting challenge of attempting to run 100 miles around Leeds.

I successfully managed to complete the 100 miles on bank holiday Monday morning down Kirkstall Road in Leeds at the tender hour of 3am. Total time elapsed was 22 hours and 7 minutes which is currently the longest I’ve exercised for continuously.

What Did I Learn?

One thing I learned after 15 hours of running was that my Garmin 245 forerunner watch had depleted down to 10% battery. This caused a slight bit of panic because I obviously didn’t want my watch to die after 69 miles worth of running. Note to self, make sure to upgrade and purchase a watch with a longer battery life in GPS mode.

I was around 3 miles away from my next check point where I knew I’d have the opportunity to charge my watch. Unfortunately, I had to somehow up the pace and put the burners on to get back in time to avoid a disastrous situation.

This upping of the pace actually led to a rather unusual and unforeseen situation occurring. When I arrived back at the flat, I quickly whipped off the watch and threw it at my girlfriend to charge. Luckily, the watch managed to reach 40% before I headed back out the door.

It had been a really hot day and my body was overheating at this point after increasing the pace. My girlfriend pressed a cold flannel across my chest and my body went into complete shock. My breathing had completely gone into full panic attack mode and my body temperature was all over the place. I ended up with what felt like 6 duvets wrapped around me to warm me up as I was shivering.

Mile 72 ended up being a total time of 37 minutes, 17 minutes to complete the mile and 20 minutes were taken to re-charge the Garmin and re-stock my nutrition and hydration ahead of the last 28 miles.

How Did I Fuel The 100 Mile Ultramarathon?

I won’t bore you with every bit of food and liquid that passed my lips over the course of 100 miles. I’ll bullet point below a list of some of the foods that kept me fuelled for the 22 hours of running.

An Eating Challenge?

Lot’s of runners describe some of the big Ultra distances as a bit of an eating challenge. This is largely down to the simple fact you have to keep re-fuelling in order to avoid blowing up.

YES! You will reach a point where you will not want to eat and drink anymore, however, you simply don’t have a choice.

Super Carbs – Adding carbohydrates and calories to water is highly beneficial
Energy Chews – Energy toppers
Gels – Easy to digest & Gut friendly
Bagels, Sourdough bread & Crumpets
Haribo
Dark Chocolate
Nuts
Fruit – Banana, pineapple

Stats From Running 100 Miles Around Leeds?

Steps: 156,466
Calories: 11,103
Avg Pace: 13:16 /mi
Elevation: 3,835 ft
Avg Heart Rate: 121 bpm