posted 4th November 2026
By Jon Shaw, Ironman Certified Coach Contact Us page
November : Why 100 Miles?
Ok… I've finally decided to do it.
100 miles is a challenge I’ve thought about for a long time, and one I’ve finally committed to finding out whether I can do it.
I’ve entered the Cheshire Ring 100 for September 2027.
It is actually 102 miles, but what’s an extra 2 miles after 100!
If I'm being completely honest, there’s a mixture of excitement, nerves and that slightly ridiculous thought we all have of “What am I signing myself up for?”.
The distance isn't the important bit.
For me, right now, the boundary I'm curious about is 100 miles.
For someone else it might be their first 5K, their first marathon, a sub-two-hour half marathon, their first Ironman, or simply getting back out running after years away.
The numbers are different, but the feeling can be very similar.
It’s that little voice asking, “Can I actually do this?”
Why 100 miles? And why now?
For a long time, the idea of completing a 100mile ultra has been sitting quietly at the back of my mind. It's a bit like when I first started going through the distances in endurance sport, moving from 10K and marathons towards Ironman.
Each time I took on something new, I discovered a little more about what I was capable of.
Now I find myself at another point where I want to explore those boundaries again.
Not because I think I have something to prove, and certainly not because I think running 100 miles makes me a better athlete than somebody running 5K.
I'm quite simply curious. Can I cover 100 miles within a 30 hour time limit?
I've spent years pushing my endurance boundaries through marathons, ultras and Ironman racing. And every time I thought I'd probably found my limit, something else came along and made me wonder, “Can I go a little further?”
I chose the Cheshire Ring because it’s local, it’s raw, and it’s a loop that I know will test everything I have. As for why now? September 2027 gives me just under a year to prepare. That might sound like plenty of time, but developing the physical durability required for 100 miles isn't something that can be rushed. My priority is to build progressively, give my body time to adapt and arrive at the start line knowing I've prepared as intelligently as possible.
What scares me? What don’t I know yet?
What scares me most isn't necessarily the distance itself, but the dark places I suspect it will take me.
I also know that preparing for an event like this isn't simply about increasing running mileage. There will be a lot to learn about fuelling, hydration, strength, recovery and managing fatigue. I'll need to understand how my body responds to progressively longer training sessions and how to balance that with the rest of my life.
I know there will be some quite dark moments somewhere out there. Maybe they'll come around mile 70. Maybe they'll come much earlier. Maybe they'll surprise me completely.
That's one of the things I want to find out.
The worry of potential blisters, the stomach issues, and the sleep deprivation are very real.
What don't I know yet?
Almost everything about the back half of this race. I don't know how my digestive system will handle fuel after 18 hours of continuous movement. I don't know how to keep my mind sharp when my legs feel like lead. I don't yet know the person I am going to become when I'm reduced to a shuffle in the dark. But finding the answers to those unknowns is exactly why I'm signing up.
Why aren't I simply sticking with triathlon?
I know many of you reading this—especially my existing triathlon community—might be wondering: Have you abandoned swim-bike-run?
Let me be openly clear: I have not abandoned triathlon. Triathlon is, and always will be, a massive part of my DNA.
But endurance is a big, many-sided landscape.
I’m not stepping away from triathlon; I’m just exploring another side of endurance for a season. I’ll still be swimming and cycling as part of my training, and I’m sure the experience of preparing for 100 miles will teach me plenty that I can bring back to triathlon. In fact, I'm looking forward to exploring how I can use all three disciplines to develop my endurance, with running providing the event specific preparation and swimming and cycling contributing to my overall aerobic development.
And perhaps the biggest reason I'm doing this is because I think it will make me a better coach.
I can coach an athlete through a long-distance challenge. I can analyse their data, adjust their training, talk through their doubts and help them prepare.
But there is something different about sitting on the other side of the desk and being the athlete who doesn't know exactly what's coming.
Coaching athletes has taught me that the physical challenge is only one part of endurance sport. Understanding how an athlete thinks, responds to fatigue, manages expectations and deals with setbacks is just as important. I'm looking forward to experiencing those things from the other side again.
I want to experience that again.
The empathy I have for a client trying to run for 30 minutes without stopping comes from the exact same place as my fear of running 100 miles.
We are both standing at the edge of our current capabilities, wondering if we have what it takes to take the next step.
What this means for my athletes
One thing I already know this challenge is going to remind me of is that every athlete has a different starting point.
I don't need to prepare every athlete for 100 miles. I need to understand their goal, their life, their current capabilities and what stands between those things.
My job isn't to give everyone the same plan.
It's to help each athlete find their own next boundary — and then work towards it safely, patiently and with a plan that fits their life.
Over the coming months, I am going to document my journey right here. The good runs, the sore blisters, the fuelling mistakes, and hopefully the breakthroughs.
We are all searching for our boundaries. I hope by sharing my journey to the Cheshire Ring 100, you might feel inspired to go out and find your new one.
What's your next endurance challenge?
Whether you're thinking about running your first 5K, improving your marathon time, taking on your first 70.3 or Ironman, or exploring just how far you can push your endurance, the starting point is always the same.
Understanding where you are now, what you want to achieve and how we're going to get you there.
At Infinite Endurance Coaching, I work with runners and triathletes of all abilities, developing individual training programmes around their goals, experience and everyday commitments.
My own journey towards the Cheshire Ring 100 is another opportunity for me to keep learning, challenging myself and exploring the boundaries of endurance.
I'd love to help you explore yours.
If you've got a goal in mind and would like to talk about how we could work towards it together, get in touch with Infinite Endurance Coaching. Contact Us page
Next up in December : The realities of base building and how I'm adapting my training.
