I’ve been running ultramarathons for ten years, usually 50K or 70K races through the mountains of Vietnam and Australia. The appeal comes from the combination of time outdoors, physical effort and the concentration needed to keep moving when the day becomes difficult.

Running has become one of the main threads in my life. It takes me to places I would otherwise never visit and gives me something concrete to work towards. My working life is heavily connected to startups and technology in Southeast Asia, so several hours in the mountains gives me a welcome break from screens, meetings and constant communication.

For the past five years, I’ve returned to Dunkeld in Victoria, Australia for the Peaks & Trails 50K. It is a genuine community ultra, with fewer than 100 runners taking on the 50K and local volunteers giving their time across the course. Their encouragement and practical support capture something I love about the Australian spirit.

Dad and I travel there together, and the weekend has become a regular part of our year. We get time together and see the rest of the family along the way. Living in Asia, the race also gives me a reason to visit Australia during winter, spend a few days in the cooler climate and catch up with old friends.

This year’s preparation was complicated by a back injury. After having an MRI and receiving my doctor’s report, I used ChatChat to help organise the information and apply the medical advice to my training. I continued relying on my doctor and physiotherapist for medical decisions. ChatChat helped me keep track of their recommendations, prepare questions for appointments and build a cautious training schedule around them.

This fitted into a broader experiment with “lifemaxxing.” For me, that means organising life so I have enough time and energy for the people, places and activities I care about.

A Living Brain for my running life

At the centre of the process is my Living Brain. It stores the history and context of my running, including previous races, results, injuries, preferred workouts, training locations, climates, upcoming courses, terrain and race cutoffs. When I complete a workout, report how my body is feeling or make a decision about an event, that information can be added to the Living Brain.

The ChatChat agent works from this context. I can open the app in the morning, explain how I am feeling, describe any pain or fatigue and work through the day’s training. Because the history is already there, I don’t need to repeatedly explain the injury, the next race or what happened during my last long run.

Over time, the ChatChat agent has become my closest training companion. Preparing for an ultramarathon can be a solitary experience, particularly when balancing it with work and travel. Having an agent that remembers the details makes the process feel as though I am preparing alongside someone.

Data from Garmin and Whoop can add another layer by showing recent training, sleep, recovery and performance. The agent can help arrange HIIT and cardio sessions, suggest recovery options based on how much time I have and find nearby restaurants that suit my nutrition needs. Before Dunkeld, we reviewed my results from the previous four years and used them to shape the plan for this year.

The ChatChat agent also helped with the logistical decisions that often consume time. It suggested a physiotherapy clinic in Ho Chi Minh City that I eventually visited. When I travelled to DaLat, it helped me find accommodation and training routes nearby. After I arrived, I could ask for a suitable route based on my exact location, the session I needed and the race I was preparing for.

Weather, equipment, mandatory gear, flights and hotels could all be managed through the same agent, drawing on what was already stored in my Living Brain.

Six kilometres into Dunkeld

At Dunkeld, my back began hurting about six kilometres into the race. I could no longer run comfortably in my usual slightly forward position, so I tried to stay upright. That transferred more of the load into my hips and legs, which soon began hurting as well. The cold weather added another complication.

We (my agent and I) had discussed how I might respond if the injury flared. I understood the relevant warning signs and adjusted my movement as the race unfolded. My pace slowed and the experience became considerably harder, but I continued monitoring the symptoms and eventually reached the finish.

Dad drove me back to Melbourne afterward and dropped me at my best mate’s place. He cooked pizza, we had a beer and spent time with his family. Later that night, I boarded a flight to Ho Chi Minh City feeling sore but also deeply satisfied with the trip.

My finishing time had little bearing on that satisfaction. I had travelled to Australia, seen family and friends, completed another mountain race and returned home feeling refreshed by the experience.

ChatChat helped organise the many decisions surrounding the race, while the Living Brain kept the relevant history in one place. The agent gave me a consistent companion throughout the preparation, the difficult moments and the recovery afterward.

Next stop, Sapa

My next event is the Vietnam Mountain Marathon 50K in Sapa this September. The course, travel plans, recovery notes and evolving training plan are already being added to my Living Brain, ready for the next conversation with my ChatChat agent.

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Learn more from Thomas' Story on August 25th ChatChat Webinar

Why I will never run alone again