How small improvements make a big difference in ultra running.

Top ultra-runner & coach Damian Hall (1st Ultra Tour Monte Rosa, 5th UTMB) discusses how small improvements can make a big difference when it comes to running ultramarathons.

The pioneering theory of marginal gains was developed by Dave Brailsford, the head of British Cycling and Team Sky. His idea is that small, seemingly insignificant, changes can collectively have a big effect. If you make a 1-5% improvement in, say, six areas, that could be a 10% improvement overall and in elite sport 10% is huge.

By experimenting in a wind tunnel, he noticed bikes weren’t aerodynamic enough. He discovered dust accumulating on the floor was hampering bike maintenance. He redesigned the team bus to improve comfort. British Cycling had been a laughing stock. But in the last two Olympics, the team bagged 16 gold medals and British riders have won the Tour De France in six of the last eight years.

"There's fitness and conditioning, of course,” he told the BBC. “But there are other things, like sleeping in the right position, having the same pillow when you are away. Do you really know how to clean your hands? They're tiny things, but if you clump them together it makes a big difference."

Aside from all the wonderful lumpy scenery and the fact custard becomes a perfectly legitimate breakfast option, what I love about ultramarathon running is that there are so many factors to consider. So there are lots of ways to improve.

Skills

For ultras there are at least four movement skills; uphill running, uphill hiking, downhill running and flat running. When I got into the sport I had a hiking background and that seemed to my strength at long mountain races such as Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. And it was clear descending was my biggest weakness.

So I ran more on mountainous terrain in the Brecon Beacons, to strengthen my legs – along with additional strength work – and get more confident. But I also worked closely with world-renowned movement specialist Shane Benzie to improve my technique. Good grip helps too, of course. All that changed my mindset, from dreading long downhills to looking forward to them and seeing them as ace fun. When I ran the Madeira Island Ultra-Trail I took a Strava segment for a long technical downhill off Francois D'Haene. That's a feeble boast, because he was much faster than me overall. But it showed I had improved significantly – and was now placing in the top 10 in Ultra-Trail World Tour races.

Technique & Efficiency

Talking of strength work, it has been shown to improve running economy by a few per cent. It allows muscles to utilise more elastic energy and reduce the amount of energy wasted in braking forces. Paula Radcliffe improved her running economy by 15%, over 12 years, to break the women's marathon world record.

Running economy is how much oxygen your body needs to run at any given pace below your all-out race pace. There are other ways to improve economy too, such as overall say volume, shorter intervals and strides – and better technique.

Another study has shown a faster cadence means less overall effort in runners, so overall running technique – running in the most natural and efficient way – is an obvious way to improve and has certainly worked for me.

Nutrition

Fuelling is important too. Gels may be fine for 26.2 miles, but will probably lead to you emptying your stomach in a spectacularly unsophisticated way if you try and survive on them for 30 hours. If you can teach your body to take on different calories sources, and drip feeding them in, you may not just have consistent energy but also, a recent study suggested, suffer less muscle pain.

Hydration is similar. Even as little as 2% dehydration, a study has suggested, impairs performance. And that's before we look into electrolytes.

Mental Tips

Then there’s the mental side of things – much more significant if you’ll be out there for 30 rather than three hours. How is your goal setting and your levels of motivation? Self-talk mantras have been proven to improve performance. As has showing gratitude – thanking the volunteers at aid stations. When it hurts, smile! That simple act releases hormones that help athletic performance.

Sleep

Sleep is one of the biggest legal performance boosters. Just getting a bit more than normal – and reducing mental stress (avoiding social media for example) and fatigue – in the lead up to a key race or challenge could make another small but ultimately big difference.

I like to wear red for races. Not just because of my politics and my football team, but also because studies have shown that's the colour most likely to triumph in a sporting contest.