Just over a week ago, I ran in my first ultra marathon distance endurance event. Having spent the next seven days with my head reeling from the experience and being pretty busy with various other things, I've only just got round to a full reflection. It's a bit epic...
Following busy weekends at the UKRunChat training camp in Eastbourne and Liverpool Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon pacing duties, finally the scariest weekend in June rolled around. It was time for TrailBlaster12, my first attempt at anything over marathon distance, which would see me finding out how many 5km trail laps I could run in 12 hours, from 8am to 8pm on Summer Solstice round a country park in Burnley. Though I ended up being accompanied by a super-supportive friend which meant catching a lift, I’d already decided to camp as there was no public transport to Towneley Park for 8am on a Sunday.
 Chips 'n' Curry! Yes Please! | Still, it was enjoyable to arrive at the site early and after supplementing my packed dinner with chips and curry from the local takeaway we went for a stroll around the grounds. It wasn’t until after I’d hopped on the round-a-bout and almost turned myself upside down on the swings that I realised being unable to run from a kids playground induced injury would be a bit daft, so we cut the evenings activity short and decided to get an early night! As we walked back to the tent, it was interesting to see many of the preparations for the following day, including the onsite physio setting up his gazebo. I noted with interest an inflatable ice bath; I never knew such a thing existed, though I commented that with the cold wind, gloomy skies and soggy forecast, it seemed pretty optimistic! |
The morning started smoothly enough; not the best night’s sleep ever but that was only to be expected and I was at least well rested. A substantial breakfast and a couple of painkillers to be on the safe side (no, the pesky ITB still hasn’t totally settled down) and we were off to collect our timing chips and listen to the details of the day in the race briefing. There’s really very little of interest to say about this point in the day to be honest and that’s to the credit of Cannonball Events staff and their organisational skills. It was nice to see some familiar faces at the start though and I caught up with Scott and Nicola who formed the main part of the UKRunChat relay team and who I knew from Anglesey.
At 8am, on the dot, we were off. I had thought I might walk the first lap just to get the lie of the land but of course, with so much pent up enthusiasm that idea quickly evaporated. As I was planning to stick to the 4:45 marathon pace I’d been training to for Liverpool, a warm up hardly seemed necessary and I decided it was best to just get ‘in the groove’ as soon as I could. I was initially rattled by the number of people speeding off like rabbits at the first shot but the tell-tale batons they were invariably gripping soon gave away their alternative aims for the day; they weren’t expecting to be running non-stop for 12 hours and could afford a bit more speed! Shortly after we set off, I was delightfully unsurprised (I was expecting the pleasure!) to encounter Autumn Howard, an inspirational runner whose own adventures in the sport I have been following since meeting her at the first race of the Todmorden 5k series last summer. Her efforts have been impressive but strangely parallel to mine and this would also be her first ‘ultra’. We caught up for a while but she surprised me by dropping back to walk the first hill, telling me to go on ahead as she knew it went on for about a mile. Now, I had been expecting to walk at points myself but having eventually decided to set off running I was surprised that someone whom I perceive to be almost bionic was walking so early on. Nevertheless, we all have our own game plans and I was fairly sure our laps would cross again later when she overtook me!
At 8am, on the dot, we were off. I had thought I might walk the first lap just to get the lie of the land but of course, with so much pent up enthusiasm that idea quickly evaporated. As I was planning to stick to the 4:45 marathon pace I’d been training to for Liverpool, a warm up hardly seemed necessary and I decided it was best to just get ‘in the groove’ as soon as I could. I was initially rattled by the number of people speeding off like rabbits at the first shot but the tell-tale batons they were invariably gripping soon gave away their alternative aims for the day; they weren’t expecting to be running non-stop for 12 hours and could afford a bit more speed! Shortly after we set off, I was delightfully unsurprised (I was expecting the pleasure!) to encounter Autumn Howard, an inspirational runner whose own adventures in the sport I have been following since meeting her at the first race of the Todmorden 5k series last summer. Her efforts have been impressive but strangely parallel to mine and this would also be her first ‘ultra’. We caught up for a while but she surprised me by dropping back to walk the first hill, telling me to go on ahead as she knew it went on for about a mile. Now, I had been expecting to walk at points myself but having eventually decided to set off running I was surprised that someone whom I perceive to be almost bionic was walking so early on. Nevertheless, we all have our own game plans and I was fairly sure our laps would cross again later when she overtook me!
And so the run continued without much incident, my fantastic friend seeing me over the ‘finish’ each time as I completed a lap and doing his level best to supply me with sustenance and hydration from the bags of snacks I had pre-prepared with notional times. Obsessive? Possibly, but I’m a teacher, planning is what I do best (apart from running and eating of course). There was almost a hiccup when I managed to miscommunicate my ‘please may I have some water now?’ requirements as I legged it through waving frantically on one loop and got a bit dehydrated but this was easily fixed with an iso gel and a liquid top up. This was before I’d realised how many people were stopping to chill out and refuel between laps at the impressive picnic table laid out by the race crew. I really could have done that but I was absolutely determined to keep moving until I had reached official ultra marathoner status at mile 27. With that achievement in the bag at about 2pm, I decided a strategic change of trainers was in order (slightly sore tootsie pegs!) and then awarded myself lap ten as one to walk in entirety as I contentedly munched on avocado and houmous focaccia sandwiches and tried to reconcile myself to the fact that after 6 hours of almost continuous running… I still had another 6 to plod through. As I arrived at mile 30 at a walking pace and a tummy full of solid food that was now beginning to require energy to digest, I began to actually doubt for the first time all day if I could really keep going until 8pm.
| “Well…” I told myself mentally “You’ve already run further and for longer than you ever have before. It wouldn’t really matter if you just walked the whole thing now. Or stopped even. No one would judge you. Cut yourself some slack!” It was also at this point that my stiffening ankles and bruised toes began to politely suggest that perhaps I had been foolish in overlooking the 'trail' aspect of this race in my training. It’s one thing running a gentle 4:45 marathon on reasonably flat (undulating at worst) roads and another thing doing it on a hilly, grassy trail. I’d not stuck to 4:45 pace either and actually did the first marathon distance in around 4:30. Not superfast… on a road… when you are going to stop at 26.2. |  A somewhat familiar view... |
Thankfully, I then realised just how bloomin’ long it takes to walk 5k. If you think you’d get bored running it, trust me, you’d get a lot more bored walking it. I picked dull legs up into a little jog, spurring them on into more of a trot and then finally back to what passed for running. It wasn’t easy though and I think loops 11 to 14 were probably the toughest mentally. I don’t think I really would have stopped but the fact that it was an option seemed closer to mind then than at any other point. I also realised that those who had walked the hill from the start (she’s not daft, that Miss Howard) had a good thing going, as did the runners whose nutrition strategy was much more about the little and often than my avocado sandwich feast had really allowed. Being flexible is a pretty important life skill in any circumstance but here I think it was actually rather critical. I abandoned the ‘sandwiches at X and Y laps’ plan and opted instead for snatched handfuls of peanuts and bites of banana at the food stall, stopping to drink sips of water and becoming far more relaxed about walking the hills. I also turned to the dark side. So much for real food; I demand ALL OF THE GELS! That only lasted for so long before I started feeling like I was at a children’s tea party, however.
| I have long been familiar with the phenomenon that is the relationship between distanced travelled and the enjoyment of food. The more miles you run, the better it tastes. Fact. The inverse is true for gels however, the more you run, and therefore the more you try and consume, the sicklier and more revolting they become. I had to go cold turkey at about mile 40. No more pukey gels after that point. At mile 42 I discovered that I can officially go for longer than a Garmin battery. They charge fast though and I was only naked for 2 laps while long-suffering friend babysat the re-charging device on an ancient laptop. Funnily enough, by that point I really wasn’t even that bothered that the data would be incomplete. At a shorter distance that might have (sadly) bothered me but given that it was inevitable anyway and I’ already clocked over a marathon and a half, somehow I wasn’t vexed by this. It did mean I totally lost count of how many laps I’d done though and could no longer regale the saintly-patient marshals with my excited ‘I’ve run THIS FAR!’ updates. |  That's a fair amount of elevation gain, right? |
And when you add it all up... (plus 2 laps) you get 59 miles and nearly 12 hours!
| At around 6.30 pm, I judged that I had about 2 more laps in me. With the end in sight the common psychological boost kicked in and I began to feel really quite good. 7.15 and I started my final lap, determined just to really absorb every moment and suck up the experience. It was also an excellent opportunity to make sure I acknowledged the marshals. I know who faced the tougher endurance challenge that day. It’s one thing to jog on for 12 hours, gazing variously at the same 200 trees whilst being showered with increasingly supportive cheers and applause and fed regularly on salty snacks and sugary treats; it’s another to stand in one spot. On your own. For 12 hours. Looking at the same tree. And increasingly grumpy, sweaty runners. Thank you marshals. I don’t know your names, I don’t know your stories and I have no idea how you find the selflessness required to do that job but I do know that you made my crazy hare-brained idea of a good way to spend a Sunday infinitely more bearable by your smiles and your presence. If I had a hat, I’d take it off to you. | Marshals. You Rock. Thank you. |
 The official dirt! | And suddenly, there it was. The inflatable ‘FINISH’ arch that had lied to me an unknown number of times was suddenly telling the truth. What passed for a semi-sprint finish and I felt good. 19:56 on the clock. I’d been on my feet for nearly 12 hours. I checked around me. Yes, those cheers really were for me. I noticed my friend on the side, accompanied by another who had turned up, a lovely surprise. “Are you going to do another lap?” I was asked. “Haha, yeah right! No way, time out!” I declared. |
How could I possibly run 5km in 4 minutes? It wasn’t possible that they were being serious, surely. My timing chip was cut from my shoe and disappeared into the bucket. It was done and dusted. I jogged (I think I jogged. Maybe I walked!) over to the information screen. 19 laps. Not bad. Slightly frustrating that I hadn’t quite made it to a nice round 20 but hardly lacking in achievement. “Why don’t you do another lap then!?” I was asked, apparently seriously this time. “Um… Because… I can’t run 5km in 90 seconds…?” I ventured. It was then that I discovered I really should read the instructions more carefully. The rules, it transpires, are that as long as you start your lap before the cut off time… it’s all good. And no, you can't try and fish your chip back out of the bucket. So there we go. For want of having been a bit more on the ball I could have done 20 laps. That would have brought me to 62 miles, as opposed to my clocked 59. Lesson learned. Still. I shaln’t dwell on it. And you know what? Not one single person has said “59 miles? Why not 60?”
| Another lesson learned; scoff not at deflated ice baths. It’s amazing how your perspective changes on that one and no matter how cloudy or grim it might be for June there was little else I could think of that I wanted to do (once I’d eaten the remaining avocado sandwiches) aside from leap straight in to that puffy pool of icy joy. And boy did my leggies love me for it. Many, many thanks to Gary at GW Fitness and Rehab for that one! Good call! As my glutes, quads and calves relaxed (yes, really) into the cooling water, my feet decided to join in the sensory conversation with my brain. |  Hell, yeah I'm an ultra marathoner and ice baths is just how we roll, yo. |
 This little piggy went to Burnley... | “Excuse me, do we have time for an ouch yet? It’s just that there might be a bit of a blister, and maybe a bruise or two, if you’d be so kind as to become aware of the damage, it might be good to take some action, such as, please don’t put shoes back on us. Also, would it be OK to stop running up that sodding hill now? Please?” So yeah. That’s what your feet look like when You’ve run on them for half a day. Well, that’s what my feet look like. The black toenails were historic, and from what I can tell from looking at other photos, I’ve really got off quite lightly! |
In terms of recovery, the last seven days have been every bit as surprisingly fine as the race itself. I knew due to my sheer bloody mindedness that I’d batter myself through as much of the race as I possibly could but I was absolutely dreading Monday morning. This time of year is incredibly busy at work and there was just no getting out of it. I had prepared for the worst as best I could, scheduling totally justifiable student one to one tutorials instead of full classroom sessions and I’d even made Monday lunch before I left on Saturday but there wasn’t much else I could do. I barely slept on Sunday night, waking up almost every hour for toilet trips as my body tried to balance my hydration levels and feeling strangely queasy. Bizarrely, I had no appetite for breakfast (unheard of!) and forced down some Weetabix and a sugary coffee (I never put sugar in my coffee!) as the only things I could stomach. Actually, though I did feel a bit odd, almost like I had a mild hangover, Monday was not even half as bad as I might have feared. I didn’t get my appetite back properly for a good few days though and for the first time in I cannot remember how long I actually left dinner on my plate on Monday night! I suspect, the jiggling up and down whist simultaneously putting food in it just didn’t sit well and perhaps I need to practise that a bit more before my next long distance attempt. Aside from that… Not much to report at all. Slightly sore ankles (Yes, I should have trained for the trails) and a blister or two is pretty much the worst of it. A week later and I’ve now done 3 runs, including a not badly timed 10k race and I feel what passes for normal. The only thing I am aware of really now is that the Recovery Advisor feature on my Garmin has been reporting my recovery as only ‘fair’ far more than usual (I’ve rarely seen it ever say anything other than ‘good’). From this I think I can learn that my biomechanical recovery may well be fine but perhaps there are other processes, such as the cardiovascular that are still getting over the beating. Generally though, it seems ultras are much quicker to get over than marathons, a fact I put down to the reduced speed.
Without turning this into a novella, I think I’ll stop there. (If you fancy a much briefer and far more entertaining summary of the day by the way, please do look at Autumn's 'video diary' of the event on her own blog here.) So yes, this is ‘late’ in terms of my usually prompt blog posts but I really think I’ve needed the time to reflect fully and digest what was a uniquely exceptional experience. It also seems timely to reflect on the achievement as I begin my 35th orbit on the 29th of June. I’ve run 1,470.47 miles in the last 365 days according to Garmin. But there were two laps I didn’t clock, right, so you can add 6.2 miles onto that and round it up to 1476.67... So there’s some distance covered, and there’s some lessons learned and in a year where I have been required to accept many of my own weaknesses, coming to know these better than I really might have liked, I have at once discovered depths to my strength that I could never have known existed.
I am genuinely excited about what the next 12 months will bring!
Without turning this into a novella, I think I’ll stop there. (If you fancy a much briefer and far more entertaining summary of the day by the way, please do look at Autumn's 'video diary' of the event on her own blog here.) So yes, this is ‘late’ in terms of my usually prompt blog posts but I really think I’ve needed the time to reflect fully and digest what was a uniquely exceptional experience. It also seems timely to reflect on the achievement as I begin my 35th orbit on the 29th of June. I’ve run 1,470.47 miles in the last 365 days according to Garmin. But there were two laps I didn’t clock, right, so you can add 6.2 miles onto that and round it up to 1476.67... So there’s some distance covered, and there’s some lessons learned and in a year where I have been required to accept many of my own weaknesses, coming to know these better than I really might have liked, I have at once discovered depths to my strength that I could never have known existed.
I am genuinely excited about what the next 12 months will bring!
