The Unscripted Nomad

15/06/2026

Ultra X Wales Training Update
Smarter Long Runs & Moving Indoors for Abu Dhabi Summer Sports
This week’s Ultra X Wales prep was all about adapting with purpose.
I’ve shifted my longest long runs to match true trail‑running principles, focusing on time on feet, controlled effort, and building durability instead of chasing arbitrary mileage. It’s a change that already feels more aligned with the demands of ultra pacing.
And with the Abu Dhabi heat now fully switched on, training has officially moved indoors. Most of my sessions are happening inside the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre as part of Abu Dhabi Summer Sports, a huge indoor setup that lets me keep the volume high without battling over forty degrees temperatures. Long treadmill efforts, incline hiking, and race‑specific work are now dialled in and consistent.
In this video I break down why I’ve adjusted the longest long runs to fit trail‑running ideals, how indoor training at ADNEC is keeping the momentum strong, the benefits of controlled environments for ultra prep and what this means for the next phase of Ultra X Wales training.
Adaptation isn’t a setback - it’s the strategy.

Ultra X Wales Training UpdateSmarter Long Runs & Moving Indoors fo...

08/06/2026

Week 18 Ultra X Wales Update
Hotel Life, Athens Hills, and a 5-hour 48-minutes Treadmill Epic

Week 18 was one of those weeks where everything should have made training harder, travelling again, living out of a hotel, routines thrown out the window, but somehow it still turned into a seriously successful block.

Athens ended up being the unexpected hero. I found an incredible park tucked away in the city, giving me proper hills, urban trail vibes, and enough elevation to keep the legs honest. It felt like discovering a training cheat code in the middle of a busy week.

And then came the big one...

I wrapped the week with a 5-hour 48-minute race simulation on the treadmill, covering 31K. Mind‑numbing, brutal, and exactly the kind of session that builds more than fitness. This was mental resilience training at its purest, staying locked in, staying patient, and proving that I can grind when everything in me wants to step off.

Building not just distance, but the mental armour needed for Ultra X Wales, week 18 wasn’t glamorous, but it was gritty, disciplined, and exactly what this stage of training demands.

Week 18 Ultra X Wales Update Hotel Life, Athens Hills, and a 5-hou...

01/06/2026

Week 17 Ultra X Wales Update
Confidence Restored, Full Race Simulation Mode, and New Strength Work

Week 17 felt like a turning point. The confidence is back, properly back, and the work is starting to feel like race prep rather than just training. With the weather forcing everything indoors, I’ve fully committed to treadmill sessions, and weirdly… it’s working. No distractions, no excuses, just controlled effort and pure focus.

Time on feet walking has now become full race simulation. Those uphill walking sessions aren’t just filler anymore, they’re rehearsals. Same effort, same grind, same mindset I’ll need on the climbs in Wales.

Long run day has levelled up too. It’s now a full race simulation between checkpoints, including the elevation gains. No shortcuts. No soft options. Just honest work that mirrors what’s coming.

And this week, I added something new: eccentric plyometrics on the walking day. A small tweak with a big purpose, building downhill resilience, leg durability, and that ability to keep moving when the quads want to quit.

In this video I cover:
- Why Week 17 finally felt like a breakthrough.
- How indoor treadmill training is sharpening the focus.
- Turning time-on-feet walking into true race simulation.
- Long run day structured around real Ultra X Wales checkpoints.
- Adding eccentric plyometrics to build downhill strength and durability.

The momentum is real again. Week 17 was a reminder that progress isn’t always loud, sometimes it’s just consistent, disciplined work stacking up until you feel the shift.

Week 17 Ultra X Wales UpdateConfidence Restored, Full Race Simulat...

29/05/2026

Dedication to the Race!

26/05/2026

Chasing Every Ultra Doesn't make you stronger...

It makes you forget why you started. When every run becomes “training”.

The trail stops being freedom and starts being a checklist.

You lose the spark, you lose the curiosity and you lose the joy of just being out there.

But chasing an ultra two years ahead? That’s different.

It gives you space. Space to grow, space to explore and space to fall in love with the process again.

Long‑term goals don’t kill passion. They protect it.

Slow down. Dream bigger. Let the mountains mean something again.

Run for the journey, not the deadline.

25/05/2026

Week 16 Ultra X Wales Update
UAE Heat, Pre‑Sunrise Grit, and Fighting Off Self‑Doubt

Week 16 is done and this one hit differently.

The UAE climate has officially flipped into that brutal summer mode where the evenings feel like stepping into a steam room. Heat, humidity, zero airflow. Running after work just isn’t an option anymore, so it’s back to those pre‑sunrise alarms, chasing whatever cool air the desert gives before the sun takes over. It’s a mental shift as much as a physical one.

And somewhere in the middle of all that, the self‑doubt crept in!

I found myself wondering if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. Ultra X Wales is a serious challenge, and when I look at my running background of two road half marathons and two trail half marathons, it’s easy to question whether I’m out of my depth.

Whether I’m trying to level up too fast.
Whether I’m actually built for this.

But that’s the thing about ultra training: the doubts show up, and you keep going anyway.

This week reminded me that progress isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s just showing up at 0445, lacing up in the dark, and trusting that every small effort is stacking toward something bigger.

In this video I talk about how the UAE heat has forced a full shift back to pre‑sunrise running, what Week 16 looked like inside that new routine. The self‑doubt that hit hard this week, and how I’m dealing with it. Why I’m still committed to the long game with 8 weeks left before Ultra X Wales.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re capable of the thing you’re chasing, this one will resonate.

23/05/2026

Long Run Day - Cut short due to the climate again!

20/05/2026

Always dread doing strength training but then an hour later it feels great

19/05/2026

Almost the Perfect Week… Until Charles De Gaulle Happened

Week 15 should have been one of those rare, clean, confidence‑building weeks, the kind where everything lines up and you finally feel the momentum you’ve been chasing. And honestly, it was shaping up that way… right up until the baggage handlers at Charles De Gaulle decided my kit had other travel plans.

So instead of a tidy, structured training block, I ended up improvising, adjusting, and trying to keep the wheels turning with whatever I had. Not ideal when you’re this close to Ultra X Wales.

And I’ll be real, a little bit of doubt has crept in now. The cut‑off time is looming, and after a disrupted week like this, you can’t help but wonder if you’ve done enough. But there’s only one way to find out, and that’s to show up on the start line and give it everything.

In this video I break down:
- How Week 15 was almost perfect
- The travel chaos that derailed the plan
- What training I managed to salvage
- The honest doubts creeping in about the Ultra X Wales cut‑off
- Why I’m still pushing forward anyway

Ultra training isn’t tidy. It’s messy, unpredictable, and sometimes it’s at the mercy of airport baggage handlers. But the mission stays the same, keep moving, keep adapting, and find out what you’re made of on race day.

Almost the Perfect Week… Until Charles De Gaulle HappenedWeek 15 ...