Julian Alps by UTMB® 120K, Slovenia
In one week, I’ll stand on the start line of the I FEEL SLOVENIA 124K – an ultramarathon covering 124 kilometres through the Julian Alps, with 5,855 metres of elevation gain.
The race begins at 9pm in the medieval town of Radovljica. From there, we’ll run through the night, passing Lake Bled before climbing into the mountains, ascending Mt Stol and eventually finishing in Kranjska Gora.
It will be the furthest I have ever run and, mentally, perhaps the hardest thing I have ever attempted.
I’m excited. I’m nervous. And I feel ready.
Three Months of Preparation
Over the past three months, I’ve accumulated approximately 350 miles of running.
There have been long runs, tired runs and plenty of sessions completed when I didn’t particularly feel like training. Alongside the mileage, I’ve continued strength training with barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells, while using functional movement to keep my body mobile, capable and resilient.
For an ultramarathon with this much elevation, running fitness alone isn’t enough.
The quadriceps need to tolerate thousands of metres of descending. The calves need the strength and endurance to keep climbing. The feet, ankles, hips and knees all need to absorb repeated impact for hour after hour.
That is why strength training has remained such an important part of my preparation.
Rather than seeing running and strength as competing disciplines, I see them as complementary. Squats, lunges, hinges, loaded carries, calf work and functional movement have helped me develop a body that feels stronger and more prepared for the mountains.
Most importantly, my knees currently feel better than they have in years.
Consistent strength work has played the biggest role in that. I’ve also been using bovine collagen peptides as part of my nutrition and recovery routine, which I feel has helped support my joints and connective tissues throughout the training process.
Going into this race with confidence in my knees is enormous. There is a very big difference between simply hoping your body holds together and genuinely trusting the work you have done.
Losing Three Weeks to Illness
The preparation hasn’t been perfect.
During August, I was hit by a flu that lasted approximately three weeks. It disrupted my training at a crucial point and forced me to reduce the mileage when I would ideally have been completing some of my biggest weeks.
It was frustrating, but it also became part of the challenge.
Instead of trying to force my way through it, I focused on rest, sleep, hydration, nutritious food and plenty of vitamin C. I allowed my body to recover rather than digging myself into a deeper hole.
That experience reminded me that discipline doesn’t always mean doing more.
Sometimes discipline means backing off, accepting what you cannot control and giving your body what it needs. Fitness is built through training, but it is revealed through recovery.
Over the past week, I’ve started feeling like myself again. My energy has returned, my legs feel good and the accumulated work of the past three months is still there.
Fuel for 124 Kilometres
Fueling will be one of the biggest considerations on race day.
Over this distance, the stomach can become just as important as the legs. The objective is to take in energy consistently without overwhelming the digestive system, especially as the hours accumulate.
My plan is to keep things relatively simple and use foods I know my body tolerates.
I’ll be carrying honey diluted in water as an easily digestible source of carbohydrate. I’m also planning to bring a block of Parmesan for something salty, satisfying and calorie-dense later in the race, alongside electrolytes and additional food from the checkpoints.
The challenge will be staying ahead of hunger, thirst and fatigue. By the time the body is demanding fuel, it is often already too late. Eating and drinking will therefore need to be deliberate from the beginning, even while I still feel fresh.
The same principle applies to pacing. This race cannot be won in the opening hours, but it can certainly be lost there.
Why I’m Doing It
There is something deeply honest about endurance.
Eventually, the excitement disappears. The music stops helping. The body hurts, the mind starts negotiating and there is nobody else who can take the next step for you.
That is where you discover what is underneath.
I’m not running 124 kilometres because it is sensible or comfortable. I’m doing it because I want to find the edge of my current capacity—and then see what exists beyond it.
I want to experience the mountains at night. I want to feel the uncertainty of having an enormous distance ahead of me. I want to meet the version of myself who appears after 15, 20 or perhaps 25 hours of continuous movement.
This race is going to stretch me mentally more than anything I have done before. It will test my preparation, patience, courage and ability to remain calm when my body is asking me to stop.
I know there will be low moments. There may be pain, nausea, doubt and long stretches where the finish feels impossibly far away.
But I also know that difficult moments pass.
The task will be to keep eating, keep drinking and keep moving. One checkpoint at a time. One climb at a time. One step at a time.
One Week to Go
With one week remaining, the work is largely complete.
This isn’t the time to chase more fitness or compensate for missed training. It is time to recover, move gently, prepare my equipment and arrive at the start line healthy.
I am nervous because this matters to me. Because there are unknowns. Because 124 kilometres through the mountains should command respect.
But beneath the nerves, I feel a quiet confidence.
I’ve stacked the miles. I’ve strengthened my body. I’ve recovered from illness. I’ve learned to listen to my body without allowing discomfort to dictate my decisions.
Now I get to find out what all of that work has created.
Whatever happens in Slovenia, I want this journey to remind people that we are capable of far more than we normally ask of ourselves.
Your challenge doesn’t need to be a 124km ultramarathon. It could be your first 5K, rebuilding your body after an injury, becoming stronger, losing weight or simply taking responsibility for your health again.
The distance is personal. The decision is the same.
Choose something that stretches you and begin.
Ready to Discover What Your Body Is Capable Of?
At Maxwellness, we help people build strong, capable bodies through intelligent strength training, functional movement, nutrition and sustainable lifestyle change.
Whether you want to move without pain, prepare for a physical challenge or become stronger and fitter than you have been in years, your starting point is a one-to-one consultation.
We’ll discuss where you are now, what you want to achieve and the clearest path to getting there.
Your next challenge begins with one decision.