Montane

With ultra-running and ultra-athletes currently receiving more media attention than ever before, we thought it was time to introduce you to the latest Montane sponsored athlete, Stuart Mills, originally from New Zealand.

Principal Lecturer at the University of Brighton and ultra-runner, Stuart holds an impressive portfolio of ultra-races, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, New Zealand Ironman Triathlon and Hawaii Ironman.  In 2010 he won the prestigious Montane Lakeland 100 ultra-race.

We interviewed him to find out more about his experiences and his philosophy when approaching ultra-events.

1. When did you start running? 

I have been running for many years.  While at school I participated in numerous sports including rugby, softball and athletics.  However it wasn't until the age of 14 when I joined my local running club, Hutt Valley Harriers, that running became my main sport.  I started running training on the 1st of January 1978, when I received a running training log.  I have recorded my run training to this day, now totalling 33 years and 38,080 miles!

2. Have you always focused solely on running or have you become involved in other endurance sports?

Since 1978 I have focused on a variety of endurance sports.  Running was my sole focus from 1978 - 1984 and I ran my first marathon, the Fletcher marathon in Rotorua, New Zealand, at the age of 17.  In 1984 I competed in my first multisport triathlon.  This consists of cycling, running and kayaking, rather than cycling, running and swimming.  For the next two years I focused equally on multisport and running.  I started cycle racing whilst training for multisport and found it really enjoyable, so between 1986 - 1990 I practically ceased running as road cycling took over. 

In 1990, I relocated to the UK from New Zealand, where I have lived ever since.  In 1991 I competed in my first Ironman triathlon, the inaugural and only Ironbridge Ironman, finishing 7th in 9 hours 50 minutes.  For the next five years, Ironman triathlon became my key focus.  I competed in various Ironman events including those in Hawaii, Lanzarote and New Zealand.  In 1996 I returned to university to complete a Masters in Sports Science.  During this year of study and the following four years I didn't really have a priority endurance sport focus, only occasionally competing in running, cycling and duathlons .  Then in 2001 I ran my first trail marathon and over the next seven years I raced in 19 trail marathons.  Finally in 2008 I raced my first ultra-trail run.  I ran three trail ultras that year, with the first two as training for the inaugural off-road 56 mile London to Brighton ultra-race.  To my surprise I won all three!  Since then ultra-trail running has become my priority, although I still run the occasional trail marathon as 'speed work' for ultra-trail runs.

3. What drives you to take part in ultra-races?  Is it the thrill of testing yourself or something deeper, more psychological?

There are many reasons why I take part in ultra-races, ranging from the competitive aspect, to enjoying a change of scenery, to the friendships formed, to being part of the ultra-running community.  I only race ultra-trail races as I prefer running in the countryside, over mountains, across fields.  I also like events that are point-to-point, or one large circuit; this gives me a real sense of running a journey, as opposed to multiple laps.  To me the actual journey, i.e. the feelings and experiences I encounter are often more important than crossing the finish line or setting a new personal best time.  I love challenging myself to run fast and hard over a variety of terrain.  I am a 'lazy trainer', as I tend to 'cruise', enjoying the rhythm and relaxation of running easily and comfortably.  So when it comes to race day, I do the exact opposite and focus on pushing myself to the limit to complete the course as quickly as possible, to test my true capabilities.  I love racing's competitive, but this isn't at the expense of the appreciation of amazing scenery encountered during the race.

4. What ultra-events have you run in to date?

Since 2008 I have raced 13 ultra-trail events, shown below:

• July 2008, Downland Challenge, 30 miles, Sussex, 03:47:46, 1st
• August 2008, Ridgeway Challenge, 85 miles, Berkshire, 14:28:54, 1st
• October 2008, London to Brighton, 56 miles, 07:59:37, 1st
• April 2009, Montane Highland Fling, 53 miles, Scotland, 08:33:24, 10th
• May 2009, Marlborough Challenge, 33 miles, 04:10:00, 5th
• July 2009, Classic Cliffs, 57 miles, Cornwall/Devon, 11:54:53, 1st
• August 2009, Ultra Trail Mont Blanc, 167km, France etc., 26:29:13, 22nd
• December 2009, Doyen of the Downs, 30 miles, Sussex, 03:36:12, 1st
• March 2010, Hardmoors, 55 miles, Yorkshire, 08:59:41, 1st
• May 2010, Marlborough Challenge, 33 miles, 03:55:04, 3rd
• July 2010, Montane Lakeland 100, 100 miles, Lake District, 24:10:50, 1st
• September 2010, Pumlumon Challenge, 27 miles, Wales, 04:02:00, 3rd
• September 2010, High Peak Challenge, 40 miles, Peak District, 05:49:52, 3rd
  

5. Which races that you have participated in stand out the most for you and for what reasons?

The two that stand out for me are the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB) and the Montane Lakeland 100.  UTMB was such an amazing experience in so many ways.  The course involved running one complete circuit of Mont Blanc, from France through Italy, then Switzerland before arriving back in Chamonix, France.  The amazing mountain scenery combined with a 167km circuit and extreme ascents made completing the race really demanding.  On top of this, 2300 runners from over 50 countries and thousands of spectators made the event truly unique.

The Montane Lakeland 100 involved an equally scenic and challenging course, but not to the same extreme in terms of the mountains and climbs involved.  The reason this race stands out is that it was my 2010 focus race largely went to plan.  Prior to racing I recced the entire 104 mile course, spending hours planning my strategy to ensure that I completed it in as quick a time as possible.  I decided to run on my own and from the front.  My plan was to start fast, get to the front and stay there for as long as possible.  As the race progressed overnight and into the afternoon of the next day, my challenge was to maintain focus whilst remaining positive and relaxed.  Although I slowed during the latter stages of the race, I managed to maintain my lead and felt a real sense of achievement as I returned to Coniston first. The friendliness and support from the aid stations during the race and from fellow competitors and supporters added to the experience.

6. On your blog, you write about psychological approaches to running an ultra-race.  Could you explain for us how you would prepare mentally for an ultra-race?

My belief is that mental preparation is more important than physical preparation.  It is more about developing the self-belief that you are capable of both completing and competing in an ultra-event. This has a greater influence on ultra-running performance than any physical training.   For me, this is key to ultra endurance performance. 

To prepare mentally, I spend quite a bit of time focusing on the race demands.  I consider the course, distance, terrain, elevation profile, likely duration, possible weather, likelihood of running solo or with others, etc.  I think about how I will respond to various situations and place high expectations on myself.  I aim to remain positive throughout, staying within the present moment, enjoying the journey.  I look forward to the satisfaction I will gain by running hard and fast with a high heart rate and extensive 'puffing and blowing'.  Throughout my preparation I don't allow myself to think negatively or use negative terminology like 'pain' or 'suffering'. 

7. Similarly, how do you go about training for the physical endurance and extreme stamina levels ultra-races demand?

My main advantage is the 38,000 miles that I have run since 1978.  This is my physical training.  Through these 38,000 miles, plus over 93,000 miles on the bike, I have developed an efficient 'body and mind'.  It is these working together as one that allow me to run extreme distances and courses.  I am heavily reliant upon this and possibly do less physical training than I should.  But as mentioned, to me crossing the finish line to obtain a particular position isn't the sole reason I run.  I enjoy amazing scenery as I run, with others or on my own, running at a relaxing rhythmical pace.  Through this relaxed pace I believe I am developing my running economy, which in terms of ultra endurance running is the key physiological determinant of performance!  Scientific research has shown that performance in endurance running will improve over time, even when V02max and lactate threshold physiological measures remain constant.  I therefore place more emphasis on other factors.  I also gain tremendous training benefits from the seven trail marathons or trail ultras that I race each year.  Each race improves me for the next.

8. Who would you say has inspired you to push your limits and run further and faster?

My inspiration comes from several people.  The first that springs to mind is the great New Zealand miler, John Walker.  When I first started running, I remember him setting the world mile record and watching him on TV live as he won the Gold Medal in the 1500m at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.  The fact that John Walker was a runner from my tiny country of New Zealand, with only three million people, and that he could be the best in the world was a mind blowing thought.  More recently I have read numerous inspirational running books.  I particularly enjoyed Ron Hill's work about his running, especially his attitude to experiment and discover what worked for him.  Steve Prefontaine's story, about which I have read, seen two movies and watched video footage of his 5000m at Munich, has also been inspiring in that he did things his way.  Similarly, the cyclist Graeme Obree from Scotland has inspired me to question the norm through his experimentation with training techniques, bikes, riding position, etc.  Amazingly, for a while he was the best in the world, even though physically there were far superior cyclists - another great story of the underdog coming through. 

I gain inspiration from these types of athletes because I feel the limited success that I have achieved within my endurance running is largely a result of doing things differently: trying different approaches, thinking 'outside of the box', to perform at a level beyond what physiologically one would expect.

Find out more about Stuart on his blog, Ultra Stu (links to http://ultrastu.blogspot.com/). 

Photography by Mark Gillett and Paul Cosgrove