This is a summary of a TrainingPeaks podcast featuring Scott Johnston, the coach of both the men’s and women’s 2022 UTMB winners, Tom Evans and Ruth Croft. The central theme is an inside look at the coaching philosophy, specific training strategies, and mental preparation that led to this historic dual victory. Johnston breaks down how a blend of data, subjective feedback, and a consistent training philosophy—adjusted for individual athletes—creates a foundation for elite performance.

Key Training Principles and Strategies

• Pacing and Discipline: A key lesson from Ruth Croft’s previous second-place finish was the importance of a disciplined pacing plan. Both athletes trusted their data-driven plans, resisting the urge to get caught in others’ races early on.
• Training Focus for Vertical Races: For a race like UTMB with significant vertical gain, training prioritizes fatigue resistance in propelling muscles over top-end speed. This includes specific workouts like steep incline treadmill sessions and weighted climbs.
• Use of Technology and ‘Artificial Vert’: Athletes without easy access to mountains, like Tom Evans, utilize tools like incline trainers (up to 25%) to simulate vertical training effectively.
• Emphasis on Poles: Johnston, coming from a ski coaching background, emphasizes using poles for significant propulsion, not just stability. He notes that proper pole use can save the legs and contribute to speed, a skill he believes is underdeveloped in many ultra-runners. Tom Evans reported his upper body was as sore as his legs post-race.
• Lactate-Controlled Workouts: Key workouts involve intense, 40-minute sessions on a steep incline, oscillating just above and below the anaerobic threshold. Intensity is precisely controlled by measuring lactate levels to stay within a target range (2.5-3.5 millimoles), which helps athletes internalize the race-specific effort.

The Mental Game and Athlete Perspective

• Building Confidence: Ruth Croft’s success was built on the confidence gained from her previous year’s performance and trusting the accuracy of her pacing plan, which had been proven in other races.
• Shifting Motivation: Tom Evans overcame previous race DNFs and the disruption of having a newborn. Johnston suggests the baby provided a healthier perspective, reframing running as something important but not all-encompassing. This shift in focus appeared to increase his internal motivation and lead to his largest-ever training load.
• Managing Conditions: Both athletes were disciplined in managing the cold and wet conditions, putting on rain gear early. This was a crucial lesson from a previous race where Ruth suffered from hypothermia.

The Modern Coach-Athlete Relationship

• Blending Hard and Soft Data: Johnston stresses that while hard data (heart rate, pace, etc.) from platforms like TrainingPeaks is vital, it only shows the external load. The ‘soft data’—the athlete’s subjective feedback in daily comments—is crucial for understanding the internal load and making necessary adjustments.
• The Coach’s Role: For elite, type-A athletes, a coach’s primary role is often to provide an objective perspective and prevent overtraining—to be the one who says “not today.” They act as a partner to bounce ideas off and reduce the mental energy the athlete spends on planning.

Conclusion: The Evolution of Ultra Running

The performance of top ultra-runners is advancing rapidly due to sophisticated coaching, technology, and training interventions. However, these gains are not yet trickling down to the mid-pack amateur athlete, whose finishing times have remained relatively stagnant. Johnston concludes by emphasizing that coaching is not just for elites; all athletes deserve expert guidance to help them navigate training, avoid mistakes, and achieve their personal best.

Mentoring question

The coach emphasizes the importance of combining ‘hard data’ (metrics) with ‘soft data’ (subjective feel). How do you currently balance these two aspects in your own training, and where could you improve in listening to your body’s feedback versus just following the numbers?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=sLFZJ-42v7o&si=SvlxWOJD3C18H3C0