Hot on the trail of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) 2024, we find ourselves begging the question - can someone who works full-time ever compete against the professional athletes who do this for a living? Juggling the demands of work, family, and training is a real struggle for everyday athletes. And an endurance race like the prestigious Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc requires a level of dedication and commitment to training to just complete it, let alone win it.
Yet, Vincent Bouillard, the chief product engineer for HOKA and a dedicated athlete, accomplished the remarkable feat of winning the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) 2024. Balancing a demanding job with rigorous training, Vincent’s story serves as a source of inspiration for all of us who juggle work with our passion for sport. Even with a full-time career, achieving greatness in endurance sports is possible. Derek Dazell wrote a great article for the COROS blog, which dives into Bouillard's approach to uncover valuable insights on how you, too, can elevate your performance, full-time job be damned.
Inspired by Dazell's detailed blog post, we've put together a practical guide on balancing training, recovery, work and racing to serve as motivation for your next competition.
Conquering the UTMB with a Full-Time Job: A Practical Guide
The graph above from the COROS blog post shows Vincent Bouillard's base fitness from his COROS data from 2023 - 2024.
"Bouillard focused much of his year on training for UTMB. Leveraging data from the past year, he put a plan in place to support a peak at the correct time. For those working a full-time job, the takeaway is that you can still get value out of lower periods of the year, if they create a foundation for your peak season of competition."—Derek Dazell
Training
Juggling a demanding job with UTMB training might seem like a monumental task, but the key lies in efficiency. Focus on quality over quantity. You don’t need endless hours on the trail to be race-ready. Instead, prioritize your training sessions.
- Plan key runs, such as long efforts and hill sessions (hello Bukit Timah Hill!), for your days off.
- During the workweek, shorter but high-intensity sessions can build your stamina without consuming all your time.
- Incorporate strength and conditioning exercises to keep your body resilient and avoid injury.
The goal is to maximize every available minute, making each run or workout count. If you can't get out, then work out at home to your fave training video. Much of maximizing training will boil down to time management, as well as collating the data from each session so you can make informed decisions on future workouts to continuously improve. Consider a COROS optical heart rate monitor, which goes around your arm for over 38 hours of continuous accurate heart rate monitoring to track your workouts. Or consider a COROS PACE 3 for more detail data tracking.
The Tailwind Nutrition Booth at UTMB 2024. Gentle on your gut and e asily-absorbed with the optimal combination of electrolytes and calories - just mix with water and its ready-to-go.
Nutrition
Fueling for success starts long before race day. With a full-time job, meal planning is essential.
- Opt for nutrient-dense, easy-to-prepare meals and snacks that support your energy needs without adding stress. Our faves at RDRC include Tailwind Endurance Fuel and Bix Active Electrolytes which provide power while being easy-on-the-stomach, along with and nutrient-rich and delicious whole food energy bars like those from Veloforte.
- Focus on balanced meals that include lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbs to keep you sustained during your busy days.
- On the trail, practice race nutrition strategies, whether that’s testing gels, bars, or whole food options. Or give energy chews a shot to see if something like Bonk Breaker works better for your electrolyte replacement and taste buds.
Ensuring you have a system that works for your body is critical, so test these during your long runs to avoid any surprises on race day. If in doubt, speak with our RDRC staff for personalized fuel and recovery nutrition recommendations based on your unique needs.
You'll literally be climbing mountains at UTMB, so resting well and recovering is crucial to ensuring your performance is optimized on race day.
Recovery
Recovery is often the first thing sacrificed when life gets hectic, but it’s just as important as your training.
- Prioritize sleep, aiming for 7-9 hours to allow your body to heal and prepare for the next session.
- Incorporate short, effective mobility routines that can be done during breaks or at the end of your day.
- Foam rolling or using a massage gun can ease muscle tension.
With limited time, consistency is key. Even just a few minutes of recovery work every day can make a huge difference in how your body responds to training. Our RDRC staff, all athletes themselves, swear by CrampFix - an all-natural formulation created to prevent cramping and relieve muscle soreness during, and after, a run.
Running and training together with a like-minded group of friends can make all the difference. Especially in your fave rabbit gear! Image by rabbit.
Balance (Community)
One of the biggest challenges of training for an ultra while holding down a full-time job is maintaining emotional and mental balance. Both require great amounts of focus, dedication and stamina and it is easy to get overwhelmed, especially when you have a project deadline and the last thing you want to do is clock up 50 KM for the week.
- Stay connected with a supportive community—whether it’s colleagues, friends, or a running group—can help keep you grounded, and focused.
- Surround yourself with people who understand your goals and can help you stay motivated, and accountable, on tough days.
- Seek out other UTMB participants or trail runners who share your journey.
- Make sure work is on board - or at least, supportive of the essential leave time required to travel, train and compete.
Building these connections offers a space to share training tips, swap nutrition ideas, or simply provide encouragement. Need more motivation? Check out this must-read for anyone attempting their first (or 20th!) UTMB.
Conclusion
Tackling the UTMB while balancing work is a monumental challenge, but with proper training, nutrition, and recovery strategies—and by leaning into your community—you can make it happen. To support your journey, consider using tools like the COROS APEX 2 Pro for efficient tracking and data analysis during your training. Tailwind Endurance Fuel can simplify your race nutrition, providing balanced hydration and calories on the go. Finally, for recovery, a Theragun Mini can be a lifesaver for easing muscle tension when you’re tight on time. These tools will not only make your journey smoother but also more enjoyable, leaving you well-prepared for race day.
Need more motivation?