When I signed up for this race back in March I was looking for a focus, something to help get my running back to some semblance of a routine after a fairly dreadful start to the year. I would love to say that’s what happened, but life just isn’t that straight forward, and my running routine still hasn’t materialised in the way I’d hoped. But last year’s ultra was still in my legs, and in my brain, and I crept the miles up enough to get myself to the start line this morning after all.
One of the most unexpected benefits of running an ultra is the change in perspective it leaves you with. I was under no illusions as to how hard today would be given my minimal training, but I found myself able to hold two seemingly disparate thoughts in my mind at once: it was going to be hard, and I knew I could do it without breaking myself.
That confidence is almost as hard to articulate as it is to find, buried deep inside under the doubts and the questions. Nor can it be too loud a voice, when there is still hard work to be done and a body to prepare. But taking away the doubt, having a carefully considered answer to the fears and questions, these were of immeasurable value as the race drew closer. By the time I walked to the start line this morning I had a huge grin on my face, bouncing with excitement, about to run a race with my sister for the first time.
The route itself was ideal: relatively flat around the lake for the first mile, then a fairly sharp pull up to the ridge line to reach gently undulating forestry and trails before a final, exhilarating descent. The weather was very much in our favour: sunny but not too hot, with a good breeze to keep us cool. The downside of the lovely weather was the lack of good muddy sections, although I tried to make up for that by getting tangled in a rather large branch and coming to a stop face down on the trail. No harm done, just a few bruises and a mouthful of dirt. And a bit of dent in my pride!
With checkpoints at 3, 6 and 9 miles, and encouraging words at each, the miles flew by. Before we knew it we were past 11 miles, with a lovely long downhill to see us in to the finish. So we relaxed a little more and enjoyed the adrenaline, right up to the moment where the path had shrunk to a very tiny track with a ditch and an old, barbed wire fence in the way. Clearly this wasn’t right. Somehow we had missed the (very clear!) markers that sent the route off to the left, leaving us trudging back up that lovely descent wondering where we’d gone wrong and trying not to feel guilty about the two other runners who’d followed our lead. Lesson learnt there, never rely on anyone else’s route finding! Fortunately we’d added less than half a mile, and had enough of the descent left to thoroughly enjoy the final mile.
I crossed the finish line side by side with my sister, full of the absolute joy that a great run can bring, and knowing that I’d been able to share that with her added a whole extra layer to that joy. I don’t do races very often, so they need to be special to make me commit to it. A beautiful route, a great event team, and my sister to run with very definitely made for a special one today.
I Run Free 