Readers training for hot-weather runs and races would love to hear about your home heat-chamber, can you tell us a bit about it? The shirt provides the comfort and light feeling whilst stilling carrying the essentials you need.

The WAA ultra vest, it’s a shirt that has pockets on front and back for gels/phone/water etc providing the ability to run without a bag. What is your favourite bit of running kit? Too many of us (me included) do junk miles because we believe we need to but it’s smarter not harder training that works. Too many of us (me included) do junk miles because we believe we need to but Ride a bike, Kayak, Do Yoga, Go to the gym, walk in the mountains… most of all don’t be frightened to incorporate other fitness aspects into making you a better trail runner. Keep it fresh – Don’t just concentrate on running. RELATED: Finding Gobi Book Review What advice would you give to a new trail runner? I went about finding a running/fitness coach and started working on this to correct it and now as I get older I realise how much important this aspect of my training has become. I was finishing races and getting results by just running training with no core work or specific exercises and it wasn’t until I had a continual leg injury that a physio asked me what strength and conditioning I did. How have you adapted your training to reduce likelihood of getting injured in the future? You mention in your book (‘Finding Gobi’) of having suffered with running injuries in the past. On average I run 60 miles a week and 3 months out from a race this will increase to 100 miles plus a week. Living in Scotland we have amazing trails but the weather can be brutal which is another factor that hinders me. What is your approach to training? Do you follow a particular training plan?Īs with everyone finding the time to train and train effectively is always a challenge.

I nearly never ran again but ended up going to my first 155 mile multi stage race across the Kalahari Desert a few months later and came 6th overall. I just didn’t have it in me, I was cold and not enjoying it at all. I actually never finished my first ultra race of 30 miles because I got bored and pulled out at the 26 mile mark because to complete the ultra you had to run past the finish line and do an extra loop. Tell us about your greatest running fail (we’ve all had – or will have – them at some point!) There are no showers and a week out in this survival mode pushes you beyond your limits. Only limited water is supplied and a covered area to sleep at night. What makes multi stage racing even more difficult is they also require you to be self-sufficient, meaning you need to carry all of your food and kit to survive the week.

Dion leonard gobi