Helen Newman | Winning the Lake District Sky Race, Sky Running & Ultra Marathon Training

What does it take to become a seriously strong female ultra runners—and how do you train for mountain races when you live in one of the flattest parts of England?In this episode, we sit down with Helen Newman to explore her incredible journey through ultra running, trail running and sky racing.Helen is building an impressive ultra running CV, including:🏆 Winner – Five Valleys Ultra🥈 2nd – Winter on the Downs 50 Mile🏅 6th Female – South Downs Way 100 (19:50)🏆 1st Female & 8th Overall – Lake District Sky Race (65km / 4,500m elevation)We dive into her recent victory at the Lake District Sky Race, discussing what makes sky running so different from traditional ultra marathons, how she prepares for steep climbs and technical descents without living near mountains, and the lessons she's learned from both successful races and the ones that didn't go to plan.We also discuss:How Helen got into ultra runningTraining for mountain ultras from the South CoastThe South Downs Way 100 experienceTechnical trail running and descendingUltra marathon pacing and race strategyStrength, resilience and mindsetCommon mistakes ultra runners makeWhat's next on Helen's race calendarAs always, we have our regular icebreakers, Truth or Lie, and a quickfire round.Whether you're training for your first 50K, preparing for a 100-mile ultra, or simply love trail running, this episode is packed with practical advice, race insights and plenty of laughs along the way.If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating, follow the show, and share the episode with your friends. Every share helps us reach more runners, inspire new adventures, and grow the trail and ultra running community.⁠⁠Coaching enquiries⁠⁠⁠ Support the show via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and buy us a coffee.We’re proud to be supported by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — get 15% off with code TTF15⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beta Outdoor Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BV Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ compression and apparel, plus 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Näak Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ products to fuel your adventures using TTF10.⁠⁠⁠Trailskin⁠⁠⁠ get 20% off with TTFS_20Don’t forget to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Strava club to connect with fellow trail lovers and celebrate your own achievements.👉 Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trails, Tales, and Fails Facebook Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to continue the conversation and connect with fellow trail and ultra runners.If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a rating and share it with your running buddies.