Journey to Ultra

The day the seed was planted on running an Ultra was the day I ran Surf Coast Century (Leg 3), back in September 2017.

I never wanted to run a marathon,  yet a 50km trail event sounded highly appealing.

Trail running and road running are very different, and I enjoy both for very different reasons.

To me, road running is all about being fast and pushing boundaries.

There have been many training sessions where I thought, I don’t think I can do that, but then I go and do it, and I feel highly accomplished.

Road running has its rewards.

On the other hand, trail running is all about slowing down and enjoying your environment.

It’s my happy place.  Every time I go out there it’s always different, and it has its own set of challenges, with elevation, terrain, and wildlife.

The road and I had unfinished business, which is why in 2018 I decided to focus on some road goals.  One of those was to get a personal best in the half marathon, which I achieved at the Australian Running Festival in Canberra.

There was also the aspect of training load.  I knew that running an ultra would mean a lot more time on my feet.  To get my body used to longer runs and longer distances, I needed to up my mileage.  Which is why I set a yearly running goal of running the year (2018).

Taking the time to prepare my body meant that I knew that this crazy goal was something that I could achieve.

This is why on Wednesday 27th March, I took the plunge and registered for the 50km.

Argh! Crazy I know.

Scared? Damn straight.  This is way out of my comfort zone, but I know that once achieved I will feel in awe. Besides, magic always happens outside of your comfort zone.

To get me ready for this crazy adventure, I’ve registered for other events.

• UTA22 (May 17th)
• You Yangs Trail Running Festival (22nd July)
• Wonderland 36 (25th August)

I’ll be using Wonderland (home turf advantage), as a training run for Suf Coast 50.  However, I don’t currently qualify for it.  This is why I plan on doing the 30k event at the You Yangs Trail Running Festival, hosted by TrailsPlus

https://www.facebook.com/RapidAscentUltraRunningEvents/videos/2263982763648332/

I’m excited, but I’m also looking forward to this milestone journey and the ultimate reward at the end.  To give myself the title of Ultra Runner.