steve.runs.ultras (@allthingssteve)

Cronulla to Stanwell Park 50ks, 1600ms of vert and over 5 hours on feet A run I’ve been wanting to do for a while and so happy that I got it done today. Temperatures were cold and windy but that didn’t affect the views I got over the course of the whole run today. I had never run past eagle rock on the coastal track so heading to garie beach and into burning palms was unknown territory. It’s safe to say I’ve been missing probably the most beautiful part of this track. Hopefully next time we will do a bundeena to Otford out and back 👀 #coastaltrack #royalnationalpark #longrun #gariebeach #otford

UTA Miler 2026 Every 10km of my first 100 miler Months and months of training came down to this one day. The goal… Sub 24 hours to climb 7200m over 163km in the blue mountains This course is relentless, with thousands of stairs, steep descents, long descents, tricky climbs, technical and muddy single track. Thankfully I had a near perfect race.. my nutrition plan worked and my pacing strategy was well thought out. My body held up surprisingly well with no little niggles or random aches or pains Time to let this soak in. Then we can assess what’s next.. #utamiler #uta #100miles #miler #160km

After being postponed due to weather, finally got the chance to better my 25 loop PB at Reds over the weekend. Everything was going well until it wasn’t, I pushed and pushed until the pain got too much and finished off with an extra 5 loops from my PB, creating a new 30 loop PB A big shoutout to the race directors and organisers, the 100 runners who went out there and pushed themselves, the spectators cheering us on and most importantly my crew who kept me going for 30 hours Backyards are hard #backyardultra #redsbackyardultra #backyard #ultramarathon #byu

Let’s talk cramping… Is it an electrolyte imbalance like most people think or is a condition issue that can be fixed with more training? Think about it… if electrolytes were always the answer, why do runners still cramp despite taking salt tablets, electrolyte drinks, and carefully planning their sodium intake? 🤔 Muscle fatigue and the demands we're placing on our bodies deserve far more attention in the cramping conversation. We should be asking whether our pacing, conditioning, and muscular endurance are up to the task. Because I feel like that’s what my limiter was during my first attempt at running sub 3. When cramping starts your muscles are reaching a point where they can no longer handle the demands being placed on them. This can be influenced by pacing, training load, muscle strength, and how well your body is prepared for the event I'd love to hear what other runners think because this debate isn't as straightforward as many people make it out to be. 👇 What's your experience? Do you think cramping is primarily caused by electrolyte imbalances or muscular fatigue? Let's hear both sides! 🏃‍♂️🔥 #cramping #marathontips #electrolyteimbalance #conditioning #runningscience

Ultra runners tries to run a sub 3 hour marathon You’d think as an endurance runner I’d have the conditioning to run a sub 3. That wasn’t the case last year. I failed to run a sub 3 Fast forward a year and now I’m approaching the 2nd attempt differently. My aerobic base is built so working on speed and durability will be focus during this short 10 week block Vo2 max sessions, threshold work and marathon specific long runs are 3 areas which I am working on in this block in order to avoid the cramps that slowly creeped up on me during my first attempt at a sub 3 Time will also be spent in the gym working on getting these muscles not only stronger but more stable Lets get to work #sub3marathon #marathontraining #runningdiaries #marathontips #runnerdad

Dynafish Xionian Review After 300km I think it’s time to review my first Chinese running shoe This shoe is one of the best shoes I’ve had the pleasure to wear. This shoe is designed for speed, it’s firm, responsive and bouncy I find myself reaching for this shoe all the time, I love the comfort of it, it’s snug fit and how light it feels on my feet when I’m doing and easy warm up or pushing speed during an interval It’s going to be hard to go back to a western shoe when you can pick these up for $110. For the price and how good this shoe is I would buy this again and again Highly recommend #dynafish #dynafishxionian #chineserunningshoe #shoereview #runningshoe

How to tell if you are running your easy runs easy enough Here are 3 super simple ways to test if you are running easy while on your runs. A quick couple of tests that take no time at all but can tell you a lot about how hard or easy you are running Yes heart rate data can be a great way to track your easy runs but all your runs don’t need to be tracked to a certain value Make running simple and sometimes you just gotta run without the numbers #easyrun #conversationalpace #breathing #rpe #easyruntips

Week 2 of marathon training and my speed session didn’t go to plan today Body didn’t want to run 3:30min/km for 1k today. I tried to push but it was a struggle. Same pace last week was comfortably hard. Just going to cop that one on the chin and accept that I had a shit run If I’m using the rule of thirds when it comes to running this run was one to forget. Let’s hope I get a few good runs this week As a runner you gotta take the good with the bad #intervals #1krepeats #speedsession #hardrunning #vo2max

This is what every week should look like when you are training for a marathon Easy runs Vo2 max runs Threshold runs Long runs Strength sessions If you want to build speed, endurance and strength during your marathon block you need to be structuring your weeks exactly like this If your training doesn’t include one of these runs, you need to add it #easyruns #intervals #threshold #marathontips #marathontraining

32km Sunday Long Run to finish of week 1 Left my long run late on Sunday so it was a 7:30pm start for this one. 32km easy on the road was smooth and really enjoyable considering I had no headphones Week 1 is done, 9 weeks to go #sundaylongrun #easyrun #marathontraining #32km #easy

A couple of easy runs before a big long run tomorrow Easy running is majority of my running volume so these runs come up very often on the program Sometimes they are easy and sometimes they are the hardest runs of the week #easyrun #marathontraining #zone2 #runnerdad #sub3marathon

Ultra runner goes back to road running to try and break sub 3 hours in the marathon Last year I tried to run a sub 3…I failed and it’s been stuck in my mind ever since. It’s something I need to get done and now’s the time to do it This time I’m going to do it properly… a 10 week block, speed work, race specific long runs, a taper, carb loading. All the things I didn’t do on my first attempt. Follow along to see if this trail runner can run 42.2km under 3 hours #sub3marathon #roadrunning #marathontraining #ultrarunner #marathon

Day 3 training for a sub 3 hour marathon First tempo session of the block 5k easy 5k tempo 5k easy Thursday done ✅ #tempo #sub3marathon #marathontraining #marathonrunner #runnerdad

Day 2 of trail runner tries to run a sub 3 hour marathon Double session today with a morning gym session into a 12km easy run Follow along to see if I can break a sub 3 hour after my failed attempted last year #marathontraining #easyrun #zone2running #doublesession #marathon

Ultra runner tries to run a sub 3 hour marathon! It’s been over 4 months since UTA Miler and having nothing to train for has been a nice change for once… but it’s time to do another block A short 10 week block to see if I can get redemption from last years failed attempt at a sub 3 hour marathon Follow along as I trade the trails for road and try and run fast #sub3marathon #intervals #800s #marathontraining #marathon

Sunday Trail Run No big weekend of running for me this weekend. Managed to get out on the trails close to where I grew up and get an hour of power in #trails #trailrunning #sundayrun #trailrunner #ultrarunner

What do you do with your old retired running shoes? For me, I give a few pairs to my dad to get some extra use out of them. He uses them to do the gardening, some walking and he even runs in some pairs Today, I forgot my running shoes and I was at my parents house. The plan was to go for a run while my baby sleeps. Luckily I could throw on a pair of my old shoes that dad had in the garage and I was able to get my run in. I didn’t want to skip it They might have 800km on them, they were tough to run in but boy did they bring back some good memories… So, what do you do with your old running shoes? #runningshoes #trailshoe #hoka #hokachallenger #trailrunning

I thought I’d give an introduction into who I am and how I got to become an average ultra runner I never imagined running would change my life the way it has. 🏃‍♂️ 12 years of smoking, years of partying, and a life that felt like it was going nowhere. Now I’m a dad, working 6 days a week in construction, chasing 100-mile finishes, and training for my dream race, UTMB. ⛰️ I’m here to myself that I’m capable of more than I thought. Overcoming self-doubt, getting uncomfortable, and learning to back myself, even when it’s scary. That’s also why I started creating content. To share the highs, the lows, the lessons, and the reality of chasing big dreams while juggling work and family life. I’m not an elite athlete, and I definitely don’t have it all figured out. I’m just an ordinary bloke trying to do extraordinary things. If you’re chasing your own goals, battling self-doubt, or just love a bit of trail running, you’re in the right place. Follow along. This is only the beginning. 🤝 #Ultrarunning #TrailRunning #RunningJourney #MentalStrength #ChasingUTMB

The hills don’t have to destroy your legs. ⛰️ Here are 3 things I use to get up them while saving energy for the miles ahead 1. Keep your foot flat Try to keep your foot relatively flat rather than running up on your toes. This helps reduce the load on your calves and Achilles, which can save your legs for later in the run 2. Shorten your stride and increase your cadence Shorter, quicker steps help you maintain momentum without overstriding and wasting energy on each step 3. Run by effort, not pace Your pace will naturally slow uphill, so focus on keeping your effort controlled. Push too hard and you’ll burn through your legs way too early The goal is keep the effort controlled and to crush those hills without destroying your legs #uphillrunning #uphill #elevation #trailrunning #runningtips

Fuelling is like a science experiment…balancing chemicals in the body and seeing how it all reacts. When I first started doing long runs I always found myself struggling during the last hour. It was a slog, it was hard and my legs just didn’t have any energy. I thought this was normal, that it was just my body fatigued because I’ve run for 3 or 4 hours. I was fuelling correctly… approximately 60g per hour. That was enough surely. This went on for months, until I started adjusting my fueling strategy.. I was using different products and 60g was considered the low end of the number of carbs you should be taking. I started bumping the numbers and tracking my sodium intake too (400-500mg) per hour and my long runs changed. I could run my long runs and a consistent pace without my body fatiguing and I was finishing 5 hour long runs with more in the tank. I wasn’t exhausted after a long run and the next day I was ready for a fresh week of running Fuelling is critical when it comes to long runs so think of them as a science experiment until you get it right. Adjust the carbs, adjust the sodium and adjust the hydration. See what works… you might need more you might need less… running is a game and fuelling is part of it #fuelling #longrun #carbs #hydration #longrunfuel

Run cut short today due to weather Today’s plan was to do a big loop in the Royal national park. Once I got to the trailhead I could see lightning so I checked the weather and sure enough there was a storm brewing. I decided to do a smaller loop close to the car to see if it’ll pass but the lightning got closer and I felt uncomfortable I got to the car, checked the weather again and wasn’t sure how long it would last. I decided to go get a coffee and see what happens. It cleared up while I was on the way home so I decided to hit out 18km on the esplanade Maybe I called it too early today and I’m spewing I didn’t get my long run in, but that’s trail running. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way #storm #longrun #trailrun #easyrun #nationalpark

Strava Police pls don’t arrest me #elapsedpace #strava #easyrun #runnerdad #easy

Missing a run doesn’t make you a bad runner. Family first, always. Drop your best trick for training with kids below If you are a parent trying to find time to train here are a few tips I like to use to get my training in everyday If you have any tips to share to runner dads or runner mums out there drop them in the comments #runnerdad #runningtips #tipsforparents #dadlife #runnerlife

My Top 3 Running Nutrition Products 1. Bix Nutrition - Big 40 Gel - 40g carbs - 200mg sodium - 75mg caffeine (caffeine version) - $4.50 each 2. Precision Fuel and Hydration - 90g carb gel - 90g carbs - $9 each 3. Clif Bloks - Salted Watermelon - 24g carbs - 100mg sodium -$4.50 each - 2 serves per pack What’s your go to running nutrition and do you use any of these products? #runningnutrition #gels #clifbloks #bixnutrition #precisionfuel

Honeymoon Repeats 8 reps of going up and down the same 1km trail for over 2 hours 24km, 3hrs, 1100m of elevation #sundaylongrun #royalnationalpark #trailrunning #elevation #hillrepeats

UTMB are changing their qualification process yet again… It’s going to make it that much harder for an average Joe like myself to get a direct access entry into the biggest trail race in the world Now, we still have the lottery system we can use to get into the race but luck and years on the waitlist might just be the only way to get access now… What’s yours thoughts on the UTMB qualification system? #utmb #directaccess #ultrarunning #ultramarathon #ultratrailmontblanc

Wrist watch HR vs Heart rate monitor I don’t always run with a heart rate monitor on my easy runs but when I don’t…. my watch always gives me a reading that’s higher than the effort exerted. My HR can creep up into the 170s on an easy run when my effort stays the same and I feel like I’m running at a comfortable pace I decided to compare last nights easy run (no HRM) to tonight easy run (with a HRM). Effort was the same but the heart rate data tells a different story This is a prime example as to why you don’t always have to be so reliant on data on a watch. Just go with the flow of the run and if you feel like your running easy, if you can hold a conversation, then you’ll get the stimulus you are looking for #easyrun #zone2 #heartratemonitor #hrm #heartrate

Ranking Running Shoes Part 2 Sketchers, New Balance, Altra, Asics, Merrell Let me know your thoughts #runningshoes #rankingrunningshoes #asics #newbalance #altra

Ranking Running Shoes Part 1 Adidas, Nike, Hoka, Saucony and Brooks How did I go? My thoughts only but we will do a deeper dive when we spilt them into trail and road #shoeranking #runningshoes #hoka #adidas #nike

A slight niggle in my right ankle means taking extra precautions and I’m hitting the gym this morning Here’s what’s going on: I rolled my ankle a few times on the trail a few weeks ago and didn’t take any notice I noticed some slight pain in a few of my runs but nothing major and it was only very briefly. I could run pain free but on Wednesday I noticed some pain while at work (double session on Tuesday) and then again in my run that day Thursday during my run the pain came back briefly again but this time a little worse I’m taking a day or 2 off to monitor it and see if it gets any better #niggle #ankleinjury #ankle #pain #runninginjury