Caldera Trasera is a wonderful loop from our base location, Club La Santa. It provides a short and hilly technical route that more ‘more’ exposure than many are used to. The Lanzarote Multi-Day Training Camp is all about pushing boundaries and learning.
Hands-on action provided some mega smiles, especially when the summit was reached. The level of comradeship was superb, everyone supporting each other to achieve their goal.
Day 3 of the Lanzarote Multi-Day Training Camp and a long run that included soft sand practice. It was a perfect day… Clear skies, hot temperatures and an opportunity to understand how to run up , down and across soft sand.
After a break, the afternoon session on ‘Fast and Light’ provided an insight on Fastpacking by Ian Corless and Abelone Lyng. While an emphasis was placed on Marathon des Sables, other races and environments were considered, such as rainforest, mountain and snow/ ice.
MDS Kit
Once again a short recovery run concluded the day.
Tomorrow, participants will spend a night under the stars, in bivouac, fine-tuning their self-sufficient skills in a real environemnt, with rationed water and just a tent provided.
Interested in joining us? 2024 is open for booking HERE
At just 70 (ish) meters of vertical, the route may well not seem to hard, however, when you repeat it enough times, it becomes very tough. The target was 10-reps, of course it varies what each individual can achieve…
The decent is a single-track trail of loose stone and gravel and the ‘recovery’ phase is a flat gravel road back to the start. It’s always a great session.
The day concluded with a short recovery session of 30-minutes as the sun set over the lagoon and sea that surrounds Club La Santa. It was a perfect day and stunning weather. Tomorrow, soft-sand.
Interested in joining us? 2024 is open for booking HERE
It was day-1 of the 2023 Lanzarote Multi-Day Training Camp and what a perfect day! The rain from ‘arrival’ day disappeared leaving a perfect sunny and windy day.
The morning was a 24km ‘Coastal Run’ that had over 50-participants moving along some wonderful, technical single-track on the outward route and easier gravel trails for the run home.
Spilt in to three main groups, Tom Evans and Pierre Meslet guided the faster runners, Ian Corless and Abelone Lyng the middle group and Inge Nijkamp, Kevin Webber and Steve Diederich guided the run/ walker and walkers.
The trails here a stunning and the backdrop superb. Technical trails are compensated with easier non-technical trails but the group bonding, chats and views help the km’s fly past…
After a lunch break, the afternoon was taken up with two talks: the inspirational Kevin Webber told his story of his Prostrate Cancer diagnosis and Steve Diederich (UK agent for MDS) gave an informative talk around MDS logistics.
A 5km recovery run conclude the activities of the day and then relaxation was the order of the day, with some good food, as plans were made ready for day-2.
Interested in joining us? 2024 is open for booking HERE
Episode 231 of Talk Ultra has a chat with Tom Evans after his 3rd place at UTMB. Shane Ohly tells us about ‘Classic Rock’ and Speedgoat co-hosts and tells us about his UTMB.
Importantly, go to iTunes and subscribe so that you automatically get our show when it’s released we are also available on Stitcher for iOS, Android and Web Player and now Tunein. We are also on Spotify too. Our web page at www.iancorless.com has all our links and back catalogue. Please support Talk Ultra by becoming a Patreon at www.patreon.com/talkultra
Welcome to ‘The Chamonix Tapes’ an inside look at the adidas Terrex Team during the 2022 UTMB.
Starting on Sunday August 21st and running through to UTMB 2022, there will be a series of podcast releases for your audio pleasure in ‘The Chamonix Tapes.’
In episode 5, we speak with Tom Evans who battled a stressful injury and surgery… A process that started 12-months ago.
” What can I do, how do I control the controllables…Western States is more like a 100km in comparison to UTMB… I can’t begin to imagine how many nights I have spent without a head torch… I Can’t wait for the night… The night is coming, like it or not!”
Episode 222 brings you and in-depth chat with adidas Terrex athlete Tom Evans about his comeback to racing and victory after surgery and rehabilitation. We also talk to to Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel about an epic journey around Lesotho.
It almost feels like a new beginning for Talk Ultra and in a way, I suppose it is. We have just had the longest period ever without producing a show, but we are now back with some new fire.
Importantly, Karl and myself THANK YOU all for the support, messages and encouragement. It really does make producing the show worthwhile.
I personally had questioned if Talk Ultra should stop in this downtime period. It’s been a great run, 12-years, hours, hours and hours of audio and it was actually only when I looked back and realised that we have created and documented the history of the sport since 2010 that I can’t let that stop… Your support and encouragement and very kind words also was significant.
Importantly, go to iTunes and subscribe so that you automatically get our show when it’s released we are also available on Stitcher for iOS, Android and Web Player and now Tunein. We are also on Spotify too.
Our web page at www.iancorless.com has all our links and back catalogue.
Please support Talk Ultra by becoming a Patreon at www.patreon.com/talkultra and THANKS to all our Patrons who support us. Rand Haley and Simon Darmody get a mention on the show here for ‘Becoming 100k Runners’ with a high-tier Patronage.
We announced earlier this week that the Lanzarote Multi-Day Training Camp 2023 would have two ’Special Guests’ and this has resulted in a surge of entries for 2023.
Rachid El Morabity the 8x MDS champion will join us Friday to Monday for run sessions and a 2-hour talk/ workshop on MDS, Multi-Day running and ‘What goes in the pack?’ of a champion. ‘Dead Man Running,’
Kevin Webber will join us for the whole week looking after a walking group and providing a 2-hour talk and workshop telling his incredible story of his Prostrate Cancer diagnosis and how he has embraced running and adventure to not only inspire others but to raise money for charity and raise the bar of what is possible as a human.
RECENT NEWS
It has been great to confirm Tom Evans will once again join us. Tom guided on the 2018 Training Camp after placing 3rd at the 2017 Marathon des Sables. It was the start of an incredible story that has resulted in victory at CCC, Tarawera Ultra, and a 3rd place at the iconic, Western States 100-mile race in the USA.
Rab athlete Abelone Lyng should have joined the camp in 2022 but unfortunately had to withdraw late in 2021 due to the pandemic situation and her role in the medical profession. We are pleased to confirm that Abelone will join us for 2023. Abelone has won the Ice Ultra and placed 4th at The Coastal Challenge. An adventurer, ultra, trail and mountain runner, Abelone is a specialist fastpacker who loves to travel solo or with friends.
Pierre Meslet, a physiotherapist, placed 9th at the 2021 Marathon des Sables and joined us in Lanzarote Jan 2022. Pierre provided excellent guiding, a superb talk and the added bonus of offering the 2022 attendees with the option of treatment. A huge success, Pierre returns in 2023.
LATEST INFO Currently, we only have 4-apartments remaining for 2023 which will sold on a first come, first served basis. If you’d like to join us, don’t wait too long…
Latest deal (2 available) – We do have the option to add 3 adults in a 1-Bed apartment (2 single beds and 1 sofa bed) at the price of £875 pp making a saving of £170 pp on the normal ’shared’ occupancy price. Please email if this is an option you are interested in.
Tom Evans burst on the ultra running scene when he placed 3rd at the iconic Marathon des Sables in 2017. An unknown runner, what followed was a meteoric rise in the sport.
Tom joined me at our Lanzarote Multi-Day Training Camp in 2018 and his presence was a great success. I knew then, one day that we’d have him back…!
Tom doing volcano hill reps, Lanzarote 2018.
January 2023 and Tom returns to Lanzarote amongst a stellar line-up that included 8x Marathon des Sables champion, Rachid El Morabity and the amazing and inspirational, ‘Dead Man Running,’ Kevin Webber.
MDS opened the door for Tom. He followed up with a win and course record at The Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica.
A 3rd place at the IAU World Trail Championships, a foray in the world of skyrunning and suddenly top was on the start line of the CCC, one of the key races of UTMB week. Running a perfect race, Tom closed on the lead in the latter stages of the race, forged ahead and won the biggest race of his life. A sponsorship deal with adidas Terrex followed and the dream of Western States started to fall in to place.
Western States, the iconic 100-miler in the USA is a ‘bucket list’ dream for any trail and mountain runner. For Tom, it would be his first time racing such a long distance in one day. Taking a unique training approach, Tom moved to Ethiopia to prepare. Race day was a dream scenario with a podium finish and a time that dipped under 15-hours.
Victory at Tarawera Ultra in New Zealand at the start of 2020, whet the appetite for what was to come.
A certain pandemic got in the way of racing plans and Tom decided to have surgery to fix a persistent injury problem. 2021 was very much a year of rehabilitation gaining strength and fitness.
With the arrival of 2022, Tom is back and it is now a great pleasure to confirm his attendance at the 2023 Lanzarote Multi-Day Training Camp.
With some new routes, new talks and workshops, new guests, the 2023 Multi-Day Training Camp will take what is already a special and unique formula and take it up several notches.
I have just retired my adidas Terrex Speed Ultra shoes…. Looking at the photo above, you may well be thinking that this is going to be a harsh look at how the shoe has lasted long term! For perspective, please read my adidas Terrex Speed Ultra shoe review first.
Look different when new – adidas Terrex Speed Ultra
I received my Terrex Speed Ultra in February and now 4-months on and 834km later they have given up! A recent 5-day trip to the mountains of Jotunheimen in Norway and 168km of rocks, snow, ice, mud and harsh terrain pushed them to the limit and over. Even on the final day of 33km with the right upper torn, the shoes performed perfectly.
Recent fastpacking trip to Jotunheimen, Norway – Perspective on the terrain.
I am reluctant to retire them!
Without doubt, the Speed Ultra have not only been a highlight shoe of 2021, but they are a highlight shoe in my collection of run shoes, and trust me, I have many, many pairs.
Until the recent run trip, the Speed Ultra was holding up really well, the upper showed little deterioration and the Continental outsole, while showing wear on key strike points, was still good.
Outsole after 800+ km
Some may say that they want more life out of shoes than 800km. Not me, I am super happy with 800km and especially when the ride and feel is as good as it is in the Terrex Speed Ultra.
Terrex Speed Ultra in action
I have not found a shoe yet that comes close to the Terrex Speed Ultra that manages to combine grip, comfort, flexibility and pure enjoyment. No matter what terrain, this shoe has been awesome.
On road, they have excelled. Modelled on the Boston 9 road shoe, you can feel the adidas road shoe experience here, but, I would go as far to say that on road, I have preferred the Speed Ultra over the Boston. Alternating them, the Speed Ultra gave me more fun and more bounce – a real winner.
On trails, the Continental grip has been superb offering secure confidence on rocks, roots, and hard trail in the wet or dry. It’s not an aggressive outsole, so if you encounter lots of mud, there is a compromise to be made.
The toe box was wide allowing for toe splay but it did not compromise precision and this is no doubt due to how well the Speed Ultra holds the foot via the lacing and excellent fit. The 8mm drop is just superb for comfort, and the cushioning of 18/26 was perfect in managing long-term comfort with no loss for a feel for the ground.
The upper was extremely breathable and as such allowed feet to remain cool, allows water to disappear quickly, however, running through snow and water, I certainly had less insulation.
GOOD and BAD
GOOD
The Terrex Speed Ultra been a joy to use and without doubt are my favourite shoe. So much so that I have now ordered two pairs to replace the sadly retired test pair. Comfort, grip, great design and a shoe that makes you want to run longer, farther and faster.
BAD
After a complete smashing up, the upper has torn and the outsole has split. However, both these failures came at the shoes life expectancy end and on some of the most harsh terrain and conditions you can put a shoe through. I really have thrown everything at this shoe, plenty of road miles to wear down the Continental grip and then mud, snow, ice and rocks. In all honesty, I used the Speed Ultra for the last fastpack as I knew at the end of it I would be saying goodbye. While the upper and outsole tearing could be seen as bad, I see it as just the end of the shoes. However, had this come early, then without doubt I would be asking questions about life/ durability.
Conclusion
The adidas Terrex Speed Ultra is my shoe of 2021 so far and the shoe I want to use on a daily basis, irrespective of the conditions. Light, responsive, fun, fast and great grip. I want nothing more from a shoe and yes, they look pretty darn good too!
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IAN CORLESS 