20 reasons why Breaking 250 is different from other multi stage ultra marathon training plans
Tell me , does this sound familiar?
You’ve been toying with the idea of entering your first multi-stage event for years but you’ve held back because you’ve been worried that you’ll have to dramatically scale your training.
You still have doubts and wobbles about what you think is possible and wonder if you’re totally crazy to think you have what it takes when you've not even completed a regular ultramarathon.
You’re completely terrified of carrying such a heavy weight because you can’t even imagine carrying a bag full of stuff for one mile, never mind a marathon a day for seven days.
But you still hold this wild belief that at the very least you've got it in you to get to the start line, you just need a proper plan and a supportive community to make it happen.
This is where my flagship Breaking 250 programme comes in. I want to share 20 reasons why it’s the best fit, so you’re super clear why this is the programme you need, not anything else:
1. You’re in it for the long term
I’m yet to come across an online training plan for a multi stage ultra marathon that is more than four, let alone six months long. No matter how beginner or experienced you think you are when it comes to ultra marathons, everyone can benefit from a program that’s centred on longevity not quick wins.
This year I led the group through a 10-month program and the feedback was it could have been longer. Even when you start working with me one-to-one there is a 12-month minimum term commitment because there is power in committing to your goals in the long term.
2. Spots in the program are capped
There are a limited number of spaces to join the Breaking 250 program to ensure you receive the attention required to pursue your goal. I onboarded 10 women into the 2023 cohort for Atacama Crossing (Chile) and the 2024 cohort will be no different.
Our group Q&As are intimate and the small group size ensures everyone gets their chance in the hot seat to ask questions and receive support from the group. I want you to feel like they are a safe space to ask questions and talk about the lows (not just the highs!) in training.
3. You get physiotherapy support
As part of the program, you’ll get one free Online Initial Physio Consultation (worth £70) with Hannah Walsh Coaching partner, Lucy Sacarello and 15% of future sessions together. This service is something you rarely (if ever!) see in other training programs and so if you get injured, you’ll have someone who’s got a wealth of experience to get you back on track.
If you decide to join us on the Breaking 250 Retreat in the Lake District, UK during April 2024 you’ll also get an additional 45 minute follow-up treatment with Lucy during the week.
4. I’ve done the event(s) before
Gobi March (Mongolia) will be my fourth RacingThePlanet and 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series event
Atacama Crossing (Chile) was my first multi stage ultra marathon back in 2018. And just like you, I’d never done anything like this before. It was totally out of my comfort zone, and I felt like I had no business standing on that start line. I didn’t have a running coach and I didn’t know where to start when it came to structuring and approaching the training.
Learn from someone who’s been there and can tell you exactly what to expect on the course, how to approach the training and more importantly help you avoid making some of the same pitfalls I see so many women make.
5. It’s designed for women
Most training plans are designed for men, it’s no wonder so many female athletes struggle to reach their full potential. I specialise in helping only women through my signature Breaking 250 program and 1:1 Run Coaching because I recognise women are different and we need different support.
At the beginning of my training as a running coach, I completed Dr Stacy Sims flagship course Women Are Not Small Men™ (WANSM) and I’m excited to continue the learning early next year with her Menopause 2.0 course. There are so many nuances when it comes to helping you perform with your physiology for your first multi stage ultra whether this is heat acclimation, daily fuelling, or strength training. I share all of this inside this program.
6. We’ve got a WhatsApp community group
As much as I tried to get away from creating another WhatsApp group in 2023, I found it was the only way to maintain that intimate level of connection with a virtual program.
The WhatsApp group is supportive, helpful and a chance to connect with other team members who are on the other side of the world. Being a part of Breaking 250 means you’ll have access to a small but mighty community of women in your back pocket who’ve got your back every step of the way.
7. We are all training for the same event
The 2024 cohort of Breaking 250 will all start training together (virtually) in November 2023 and be working towards the same event, Gobi March (Mongolia) on 23-29th June 2024. Last year’s cohort trained for 12-months together for Atacama Crossing (Chile) in September 2023.
Being a part of this program means you belong to a community where you can help each other to get ready to not only survive but thrive in this event knowing you have all never done anything like this before.
8. There’s a UK training retreat
In April next year there will be an opportunity to meet some of the inspiring women you have been training with (virtually) in person at a UK training retreat held in England’s largest National Park, the Lake District.
We’ll be staying in the beautiful Heaning Estate and over the four days you’ll have the chance to experience the technical terrain of the surrounding rugged mountains and build your confidence on the trails through guided hikes, trail runs and pole technique workshops.
This was something that was complete new for the 2023 cohort and I’m so excited to be able to offer this next year. It will be exclusive for Breaking 250 participants (both old and new!). *Available at an add on cost.
9. There are no finish line guarantees
This program and what you get out of Breaking 250 is very much dependant on you, where you are starting from and what training you do and action you take based on the coaching calls and resources available.
When I started the Breaking 250 programme, it was never about crossing the finish line. And this year was no different, because 50% of the group didn't reach the finish line in San Pedro.
Breaking 250 is about having the courage to start a huge crazy adventure, letting go of the outcome and proving to yourself along the way that you are capable of getting through some bad ass sh!t.
It is my job to support you in arriving on that start line healthy, having left no stone unturned in your race preparations so you feel confident and can ultimately trust the process.
10. It’s so much more than a training plan
This is one of the comments I received early on from the 2022 cohort. Being a part of Breaking 250 means you are a part of something that’s supportive and encouraging. We are here to help you believe that you can do it and help lift you up when the doubt creeps in.
I won’t be sending you an off the shelf training plan and waving you on your way. Think of this program as everything my 1:1 coached athletes get plus the support of the group and guidance from our resident team of experts.
11. It’s holistic
This is not just a running training plan. Whether it’s nutrition, your mindset or finding the right kit that’s holding you back, we’ll work through it together. The monthly spotlight sessions will be led by a team of guest experts covering topics such as stress management, nutrition, and mindset.
You’ll get physiotherapy support inside the program from our resident Breaking 250 Chartered Physiotherapist, Lucy Tri Physio who is also an endurance athlete herself and understands the demands of training for a multi stage ultra marathon.
On top of this you’ll also undertake a full body movement assessment from Movement Coach Ben Brooks early in the program. Based on his findings you’ll receive a personalised strength program will bang for buck exercises, so you don’t waste time doing anything that won’t make a difference.
12. I’m no pro ultrarunner
I live in Teddington, London with my partner, three step children and peanut butter loving pup Lupo. I never have been a professional ultrarunner and when I first start my coaching business, I was juggling all of this with a full time job and training for my second 100 miler.
I know what it’s like to train for massive endurance challenges in the midst of the daily juggle where training doesn’t even close to first, second or even close to third priority sometimes.
My guess is if you are thinking of joining Breaking 250 you are also busy with a lot of responsibility resting on your shoulders and you don’t have the luxury of training 24 hours a day either.
13. Each month has a different focus
Through each of the monthly building blocks starting in November 2023 through to July 2024 we focus on a different topic, so you don’t get overwhelmed with the entire undertaking and ultimate trust the process that is set out for you.
We’ll kick off the program with the welcome call and introductions with the group before finishing off the year looking ahead to 2024 and setting our respective goals. I’ve also got a couple of exciting new guests joining us for 2024 so stay tuned!
14. It’s high touch
You’ve got access to five touch points with me and the group during this 10-month journey together. We’ll have a 60 minute 1:1 coaching session on Zoom each month (that’s 10 x 60 minutes) and I’ll also check in with regularly on TrainingPeaks which is the program where all your training sessions will be uploaded.
On top of this we’ll have the WhatsApp community group, a monthly group Q&A session on Zoom (depending on group size these will last 1-2 hours) and a Circle community platform (a new addition for 2023!).
You can reach out whenever you need but know and trust that I set my own boundaries around my time and energy and will respond to you when I can. Sometimes just knowing someone who ‘been there’ is there on the end of the line is all you need to realise you have all the answers.
15. It’s tried and tested
Breaking 250 returns for a fourth successive year to help you achieve your dream of crossing that life changing ultra marathon finish line in 2024. This year I led a group of ten incredible women to the start line of Atacama Crossing (Chile). I pour my heart and soul into this program because I know it’s something that truly makes a difference and it’s something I would have wanted all those years ago.
Following the completion of this year’s cohort, I spent a lot of time thinking and chatting with the group about how I could make next years’ experience even better a fourth time around.
The 2024 cohort will receive additional physiotherapy support, tailored strength training, a new set of guest experts (specific for this race) and the additional of an in-person training retreat in April 2024. *Available at an add on cost.
16. There is strength in the collective
We are members of social species; we don’t derive strength from our ability to pursue a challenge of this size alone but rather from our collective ability. Our genetic makeup supports being members of the tribe over independence. Connection matters.
I want to share a quote with you I saw whilst waiting in Rovaniemi Airport returning from RacingThePlanet Lapland last year.
“A circle of women may just be the most powerful force known to humanity.”
It said exactly what I wanted to say when I couldn’t find the words. We have achieved the impossible. Together. Because together it meant more. We were stronger. Being a part of Breaking 250 means you belong to a community so you never feel like you are alone on this journey.
17. No cookie cutter plans here
Our coaching sessions will be led by what you need most from the process. Whether it’s nutrition, your mindset or finding the right kit that’s holding you back, we’ll work together it together. Every session will leave you with clear action steps to take, with detailed notes sent to you after our time together to keep you on track.
The same goes for the training plan itself. I appreciate that everyone in the group will each be starting from a very different place, all with wildly different goals which are often dictated by level of experience, availability, and commitment to training plus various other considerations. The training plan you receive through TrainingPeaks as part of the Breaking 250 program is personalised to where you are right now.
18. It’s in a different location each year
Breaking 250 is an annual run program which kicks off at around the same time each year (depending on the event date we are working towards). And there are a limited number of spaces to ensure you receive the attention required to pursue your goal.
I won’t be running this program again until the fall of 2024 for a different RacingThePlanet event in 2025 so if you want to achieve your dream of crossing that life-changing ultra marathon finish line, don’t put it on the back burner for another year.
Join us in 2024 for RacingThePlanet’s breath taking Gobi march (Mongolia) multi stage ultra marathon.
19. There is support after the event too
The training program doesn’t just stop the moment you finish the event, we run for another month until the end of July. You’ve heard of the ‘post-marathon blues’? After spending seven days in the desert (with little or no contact with the outside world!) where the only thing you need to do each day is eat, sleep, and get from point A to B, the transition back into everyday life can feel hard and take a little getting used to.
You’ve spent so long focusing on finishing the event, you rarely spend time thinking about how you will feel after it’s over and what happens next. That’s where we come in. Inside the Breaking 250 program, July is dedicated to celebrating this massive feat you’ve just accomplished.
We’ll work together on a full debrief for the event, reflecting on what worked and didn’t work. I’ll then leave you with details next steps to support you in whatever you choose or don’t choose to do next.
20. It’s not all high fives and you’ve got this vibes
In our monthly group Q&As I will always encourage you to share not just the highs but also the lows of training. I want you to keep it real, and the likelihood is if you are struggling with something there is usually someone else in the group who is also having a hard time on this exact same thing.
These sessions are a safe space and I want you to understand that anything shared in this Zoom room will stay between the group.