Ultra Running is all about experiencing EVERY SINGLE human emotion in one day. It’s one of the draws for me. It does make you feel well and truly alive! Another major draw is all about seeing exact what I can do, to expose weaknesses to work on and to make sure that I am regularly flexing outside of my comfort zone (and at times, capability).
Eluid has famously coined the expression “no human is limited” and I truly believe that too. I can do whatever I wanna do and I set my mind to. I’m incredibly stubborn when I decide to do something.
I’d spent a little time before the race on various bits of prep – which you can find on other blogs – I also looked at the results from previous races. The results tell a story of the event. Sometimes looking at the deets of an event with the distance and elevation doesn’t quite tell you a full story but the results can give even more clues. From the results I’d seen there hadn’t been more than 10 women finish the 100k, I wondered whether it simply wasn’t an event that appealed to female athletes or if the female field was tiny weeny. The registration list before the event showed otherwise. Also looking at the times showed that it was a course with a bit of clout too.
Whilst I “could” have had a stack more training in my block I had had a decent block with the time I had rolling into the race and I had a bank of training that I hadn’t cashed in due to a lack of racing in 2020 (where I’d trained for 2 marathons that hadn’t happened) and then into 2021 where I’d started a 50 miler ultra training block that was an event that I wasn’t able to attend due to COVID regulations.
The race was ACE! I had so much fun. That doesn’t mean that there weren’t elements that were challenging or that there weren’t time that I was digging deep. I felt really good and strong through the first half of the race. Lots of smiles and enjoying chugging along.
I spent some early miles having giggles with runners about allocating a grown up within the little group that I was in to be responsible for the navigation as I don’t run and adult at the same time.
I was grateful for said adult when we headed through a field with cows who were with their calves and a couple of the cows were squaring up to us near the gate with a side order of pawing of the hoof. THANK YOU to that adult who had cattle experience and eliquently told them to “fuck off.”
There was amazing snippets of conversations. There was a number of runners that I would ebb & flow with throughout the race where we’d have little pockets of time together and then move apart with different ascent tactics or checkpoint strategies.
My mantra is always whatever happens DO NOT STOP! So I’m a straight through kinda gal at checkpoints. If I need water etc I’m a grab and go. All progress is progress and keeping going is really important to me.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#0c71c3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#ffffff” background_layout=”dark”]The Mind Will Always Give Up Before The Body Does
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”973px” custom_margin=”||-7px|||” custom_padding=”7px||0px|||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”991px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”]The mind is a naughty little muffin. You might have heard about the Central Governor Theory – it’s all about the fact that the brain panics and tries to stop you doing stuff that might hurt you. The brain is a selfish and greedy little blighter and wants to ensure that it has the energy it needs and then tries to nag you to stop. Your mind will try to pursade you it’s a bad idea to keep going well before that is actually the case. The knowledge of the Central Governor Theory is powerful as you can identify when it’s playing tricks on you. That knowledge, alongside then the ability to be able to check in with your body, allows you not to just listen to the default shouting from the brain.
With around 28 miles to go (about 36 miles in) was my first kinda nag from my brain – “how are you going to be able to run another 28 miles?!?” I find a couple of things help me masses;
1️⃣ the first one is the discharge. I do it via text to my husband. Now, if you are going to do this you HAVE TO KNOW that the person who is going to receive the text isn’t going to catastrophise what’s going on. I simply got a text back saying “Yes you can, and you bloody know it. Keep moving, I know you can do it” For me the perfect blend is a little reassurance, is a you know you can/you know you won’t stop so get on with it and a kick of encouragement. Know what works for you and if you’re going to implement the discharge then you can discuss in advance how people should respond to you. I know that, for me, the discharge stops the chatter rolling around in my head. There’ll be times when you can’t do that to an external source – either there’s no signal or the race conditions don’t allow for it etc – then it’s about you saying it out loud and doing the response yourself.
2️⃣ secondly is the mantra – this too shall pass. AND it does. Whatever state you’re in – whether you’re grumpy, whether you’re in doubt, whether you’re exhilirated, whether you couldn’t think of anywhere else you’d rather be IT WILL PASS! Like I said at the beginning, you will experience every emotion so none stick around too long.
From the last checkpoint I felt I “was done.” I knew that I wouldn’t stop. It felt like it was all taking too long to get to the end and I was probably getting cold (although I didn’t feel cold). I allowed that mantra to stick. “I’m done.” It’s my own fault that I allowed that to take hold and stick around. If I’d dealt with it as I would earlier in the race it wouldn’t have been allowed to stick around.
With the “I’m done” stuck in my head – 8k feet of elevation and 61 miles in my legs I might be being a little mean on myself to be critiquing that (but I always think it’s super important to learn from these experiences). My husband met me on the Causeway and the tears started to run along with the “I’m done.” To be fair he was super patient, I think I’d have slapped me! I did and allowed big ugly crying for the last 3 miles 🙈
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#ffffff” background_layout=”dark”]Lesson’s Learned
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.1″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]After every race I do have a debrief. It’s important to do these whilst things are still fresh.
Make sure you do both the positives and negatives.
Think about;
- the things you might do differently in your training cycle?
- your prep and whether there was things you took that you didn’t need/want (aside from mandatory kit)?
- whether you wanted/needed stuff you didn’t have?
- is there any lessons on how to deal with elements of the race?
- is there any mindset issues you want to take note of?
You can read my whole Race Report from the St Cuthberts Way Ultra here that will give you more details about the race/the course etc…
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