Ultrarunner Jez Bragg talks to Jamie Bunchuk about running, the weekly training regime, what lessons were learnt on his mammoth run across New Zealand, and the art of finding your flow.

Jamie: What first got you into long distance trail running?

Jez: I first got the running whilst bug training for the London Marathon in 2002, but it was taking part in a long distance charity walk soon afterwards that really sowed the seed for trail running. I met guys who were running these off-road events of 50 or even 100 miles in quite remarkable times, and this introduced me to the somewhat underground world of ultra distance trail running. Of course that’s not really the case these days with the rapid evolvement of the sport.

I loved the idea of covering long distances off-road, on foot. I entered my first trail race in 2004 which was a 175 mile/six day stage race across the Midlands (start as you mean to go on) and I haven’t looked back since.

What do you enjoy about running, and do you find anything annoying about the sport?

I enjoy the simplicity – one foot after the other, the flexibility of being able to run wherever you are in the world, the opportunity to explore amazing places and the mental health benefits of clearing your head and having quality thinking time. I am annoyed by people who have never given running a chance, who preach about it being bad for your joints and not good for you. There’s a rant coming on, I shall restrain myself…

How does the mentality of an ultra-distance runner differ from that of, say a marathon runner?

I think runners of every different type and distance have plenty in common, but when it comes to really long journeys on foot, it becomes a lot more about the experience as opposed to the distance or time. With distances up to a marathon it’s a lot more about split times and personal bests, but with ultra-distance running there are typically lots of different factors coming into play such as terrain, topography and weather which pushes time down the priority list. My number one priority when I go out for a run is to find a nice route and to enjoy it.

What does your weekly training regime look like?

This varies depending on the time year and what I’m specifically training for. When I’m in shape and it’s all going to plan then I will aim for 100+ miles a week, typically a mixture of road and trail running. I will try to replicate the race route or whatever I’m preparing for in training. It’s not always straight forward living in Dorset – for example preparing for a mountain run in Scotland – but there are always ways and means with a little creativity.

My training plan is typically not dissimilar to a marathon runner’s with weekly sessions including intervals, tempo running, hill repeats and long runs. I train with our local road running club, Bournemouth AC, and all the local speedsters give me a good kicking in training! I will also run local road races up to 20 miles in distance to help prepare for ultras – it’s always good to focus on speed and resist the pull in the opposite direction (slowing down) from running longer distances. My recovery and long runs will typically be off-road.