High Peak Running BLOG

Returning to running after having a baby? Learn why rushing back can be risky, and discover a safe 6-18 month postpartum running plan to rebuild strength, protect your pelvic floor, and return to training safely.

1. Race Overview & Context What is the OCC? OCC is one of the Finals races in the UTMB World Series. It is essentially the “shorter ultra” (mid-distance ultra) final, sitting between the lottery-accessible 20 km and the longer CCC / UTMB races. montblanc.utmb.world +1 For 2026, OCC is listed as ~57 km with ~3,500 m of positive elevation gain. The maximal allowed race time is long (~ 14h 30m as of the 2026 edition) to account for technical terrain, weather, and altitude effect

Preparing for The Lap ultra around Lake Windermere? Coach from High Peak Running shares expert advice strength and conditioning to help you race strong and enjoy the challenge.

The Lake District offers an unparalleled experience for trail runners, boasting stunning landscapes, picturesque views, and a variety of challenging terrains that cater to all levels of runners. For those looking to participate in events we've a list of our favourite 5 ultramarathons. We hope this information inspires you to lace up your running shoes and explore the beautiful trails of the Lake District.

1. Understand What Heat Exposure Does Before diving into tactics, it helps to know why  heat training works — and when it can backfire. Physiological Adaptations Plasma volume expansion: Repeated heat exposure forces your body to retain more fluid, increasing plasma volume. This aids blood circulation, reduces cardiovascular strain, and improves cooling capability. Earlier, increased sweat response: You begin sweating sooner and at higher rates, improving evaporative cooling.

Fuelling long distance races, ultra’s and training runs over 4hrs is crucial for performance and can make the difference between finishing a race strongly and a DNF. When you have invested so much time in training the last problem you want in your race or challenge is poor attention to your nutrition strategies that could lead to a lot of problems ranging from stomach issues to complete energy depletion.

What Is Ultra Pacing — and Why It Matters When you run an ultramarathon (anything significantly beyond marathon distance), one of your biggest challenges is how to distribute your effort over many hours so you don’t collapse late. Pacing is the art of managing your speed, effort, rest, walk breaks, fuel, and terrain to minimize excessive slowing and to preserve energy. Poor pacing can lead to big slowdowns, excessive fatigue, injury risk, or getting cut off by time limits. Go

Introduction Brennan Townshend, a former professional road cyclist who raced for teams such as Raleigh  and Madison Genesis , is now one of the UK’s leading mountain, fell, and trail runners. Drawing on his unique background in both sports, Brennan explains how adding cycling to a running training plan can help runners improve performance, recover faster, and stay injury-free. Why Runners Should Consider Cycling Runners are always looking for ways to boost speed, strength, an