Ultra Trail Running Skills Weekend | Patterdale Hall | 05 to 07 March 2021

Your ultra journey starts here: we’ve teamed up with Beth Pascall, Damian Hall, Nic's Nordic Walks and Inspired Life Yoga, plus The Lakeland 100, Pure Outdoor Events and Keswick Mountain Festival,to create an immersive weekend of skills and training that will prepare you to tackle your next (or first!) ultra with confidence. Expect two packed days of running skills with expert coaches, opportunities to learn from world-class elite ultra runners, and evenings talking trails and swapping stories over a glass of wine or a pint. You will:

• Discover Running Form
• Learn Navigation for Ultra Runners
• Learn to walk and run with Leki poles, in conjunction with Nics Nordic Walks
• Build your core strength and balance on a slackline
• Try out the essentials of yoga for runners
• Run with world-class ultra runners
• Enjoy practical and inspirational talks from Beth Pascall (4th place UTMB 2018) and more to be announced
• Discover some of the finest trails in the Lake District
• Be led on a night run in the Fells
• Be inspired by like minded runners
• Have some awesome fun

If you’re thinking about tackling your first ultra-distance run, this course is for you. You don’t need to be a hardened trail runner to take part: from total trail addicts to off-road newbies, we’ve designed this ultra-immersion weekend to cater for everyone.

Need to know more? For more details please contact enquiries@mountainrun.co.uk

• Two nights' accommodation at the Patterdale Hall (note: this is single-gender premium dormitory accommodation)
• Home cooked and hearty food all weekend – breakfast, packed lunch and dinners, with brews and cake thrown in [Vegan options available]
• Notes to take home so you can review what you’ve learned
• Fun with likeminded people and the chance to make friends for life!
• Two full days of training with world-class tutors and coaches
• Two chilled out evenings drinking beer or wine (or a G&T if you must!)
• Fun and smiles – on and off the trails!

Course Program: Friday 05 March 2021

• 16:00 - Early arrival time
• 16:30 - Social 15km to 20km guided run with Charlie Sproson from Mountain Run
• 18:00 - Later arrival time
• 18:15 - Social 5km to 10km guided run with Nicky Sproson from Nics Nordic Walks
• 19:45 - Dinner at Patterdale Hall
• 21:00 - Film or easy listening talk/chat with film

Saturday 06 March 2021

• 06:00 - "Run to Swim" or if weather is bad, "Wake up Run to Yoga"
• 06:30 to 07:30 - Session 1: Yoga for running form and flexibility for Ultra and Mountain runners with Inspired Life Yoga - Session delivered by Shelley Barlow
• 08:00 to 09:00 - Breakfast at Patterdale Hall
• 09:30 to 12:30 – Session 2:Nordic Walking and Running with Poles - session lead by Nicky and Charlie Sproson. Wake your muscles up with some light Nordic Walking around the valley. Nicola will show you the benefits of Nordic Walking, the Nordic Running Style, Double Polling and much more, then Mountain Run will take over and explain how to make the transition to 'Running with Poles' for Ultra Distances and Mountain Travel. Once you have the skills working their magic, we will then go for a short run (3 to 7km) to get this ingrained in to your muscle memory and mind. - Remember, you can't run before you can walk, so the walking cycle is essential to good efficient travel.
• 12:45 to 13:15 - Lunch at Patterdale Hall - Supplied by Patterdale Hall
• 13:30 to 16:30 – Session 3:How to train for Ultra Running with Beth Pascall and Damian Hall - Have Beth and Damian had a run of good luck?? Or is it that they know exactly how to train for Ultra Distance and Mountain Running? Beth has placed highly in many world class ultra distance races, taking 3rd place in the UTMB in 2018, 4th place in the highly prestigious Western States 100 this year, 11th place in the World Trail Champs in 2018 amongst a very impressive set of results in many Ultra and Mountain races over the last 5 years or more.Bet also holds the FKT with Damian Hall for the Cape Wrath Ultra Trail. Damian has placed 5th in the UTMB, holds the FKT for both the South West Coastal Path (solo) and Cape Wrath Trail with Beth, he also holds the record for the Paddy Buckley round in Wales. So Beth and Damo seem to know a thing or two about ultra running and its with our great pleasure to welcome Beth back to her second MR Ultra Trail Weekend and Damo to his 6th to share with us theio experience of how to train for some of the world’s most iconic races and mountain challenges, followed by Q&A.
• 16:45 to 18:00 - Session 4 Slacklining - with Charlie from Mountain Run: a great way to improve core strength, improve balace and propreception and have brilliant fun.
• 18:30 to 19:30 - Dinner at Patterdale Hall
• 20:00 to 20:45 - Talk by UK Top Ultra/Mountain Runner [TBC]
• 21:00 - Relax and chat in the Patterdale Hall

** Night option: Guided night run after dinner. There will be a £30 supplement for this session. You will be lead by head torch somewhere around the Patterdale Valley or the Helvellyn Massif, conditions dependant.

Sunday 07 March 2021:

• 06:00 to 06:30 - Run to Swim or Wake up Run to Yoga
• 06:45 to 07:45 - Session 5: Yoga - Strength and Conditioning for Ultra and Mountain Running with Inspired Life Yoga - Session lead by Shelley Barlow
• 08:00 to 09:00 - Breakfast at Patterdale Hall
• 09:15 to 10:30 - Session 6: Mindset/Race Psychology for Ultra Running with Mountain Run, There is a lot more to the 'mind set' of ultra running than might first meet the eye. Learn to develop a positive outlook about your on-coming ultra and what to do if the 'chips are down' when your racing, and ultimately how to pull yourself out of the hole.
• 10:45 to 12:00 - Session 7: Nutrition for Ultra Running: Its very specific for each runner, but in this session you will learn some of the pitfalls of fuelling and nutrition for ultra running and racing.
• 12:30 to 13:15 - Lunch at Patterdale Hall - Supplied by Patterdale Hall
• 13:30 to 16:30 - Session 8: Navigation for Ultra/Mountain Runners with Mountain Run - Session lead by Mountain Run. Learn the tricks of the trade with a map and compass; understand the value of route recce's, and hear about all the most common ultra/mountain running navigational errors, so you can be sure you don’t make them on the big day!

• 16:45 to 18:30 - Blow the cobwebs of the weekend away with a guided trail run around the local fells of Patterdale. Session lead by Charlie (mountain run) and other running stars [TBC] - other Special Guests may feature here.

Monday 08 March 2021: - ** There is a supplement to pay for this day and will require an extra nights accommodation (£45 B&B plus £40 extra for the day)

• 08:00 to 09:00 - Easy morning start with Breakfast at Patterdale Hall
• 09:30 to 14:30 - Guided run around the Patterdale/Glenridding Valley's offering a real 'Tour de Force' of the area's using some of the epic Lakes Sky Ultra route, re-developed for 2019. The run will be lead by Charlie from Mountain Run and Nicola from Nics Nordic Walks

• Waterproof jacket & trousers (taped seams please)
• More than one spare L/S base layer, Primaloft layer or similar (NO COTTON).
• Multiple Hats, Buffs or similar.
• Multiple gloves, appropriate for the temperature and weather conditions.
• Head Torch and spare batteries - we advise 250 lumens plus.
• Survival Bag.
• Whistle.
• Hill food/Lunch Snacks for both days.
• Compass - we will supply the maps.
• Race Vest/Small Pack to put it all in.
• More than one pair of running shoes
• Multiple socks
• Thin soled shoes for slack-lining, if you have some (zero drop 3mm soles great)
• A spare set of clothes for the Natural Movement session: you WILL get wet and muddy
• Plenty of changes of running gear, in case of bad weather

Please be aware we might be moving at slow speeds at some points during the day: please account for this in your clothing selection. Check the weather forecast in advance of the training weekend and come prepared.

Charlie Sproson: The Nav, Running with Poles and Slack-line Expert

You can read Charlie's CV HERE

Nic Sproson: The Nordic Walking and Pole Expert plus back up Nav Trainer

You can read Nicola's CV HERE

Beth Pascall - The Ultra Distance Racing Expert

Beth started out as a runner. Then, over the following 20 years she dedicated a lot of time to a plethora of other sports. Then in 2013 she returned to running. Knowing little about ultrarunning, she was initially inspired by books, but later by the people she met and the places it has taken her. She love the simplicity of running, the feeling of being connected to nature and the way of life it encourages me to have.

She is based on the edge of the beautiful Peak District in England. When not out running in the hills she works as junior doctor specialising in paediatrics.

Beth has a massive amount of knowledge to share with the weekend.

Damian Hall - The Ultra Distance Training Expert.

Outdoor journalist and GB ultra-trail runner Damian Hall has finished on the podium at the Spine Race, Dragon’s Back Race (fifth overall), Lakes Sky Ultra in 2016 (finishing 6th) and the 2016 UK Ultra Trail Championships. In May 2016 the Inov-8 ambassador set a Fastest Known Time for the 630-mile South West Coast Path of 10 days, 15 hours and 18 minutes. He’s run a Bob Graham Round with Charlie from Mountain Run (in 21:57) and a Charlie Ramsay Round this year with him as well, the pair finished in 23:11 after a perfect on-sight attempt, he used both rounds as training for UTMB, the world’s most competitive 100 miler, where he placed 19th in 2016 and now 12th (and 1st UK Male) in 2017. What Damian doesn't now know about ultra-trail running isn't worth knowing really! He seems to be quite good....