An ultra important story to tell
I want people to know this journey as ultimately I was just an average runner with big dreams but low confidence. It’s important that we remember that the survival part of our brain is wired to keep us safe, drawing us towards what is comfortable. I know now that ultra running isn’t comfortable the whole time, but that’s what makes the achievement feel so damn good. It takes a lot of mental power to fight that survivalist inclined brain, but learning and practicing to do so is what unlocks our true potential.
So my message to you is this, if the possibility of ultra running is something that excites you, make a plan of incremental steps, be prepared to adapt, meet challenges head on, be consistent and don’t give up. You are more capable than you realise.
Here is how my story into ultra running unfolded…
In the beginning
In 2021 I was lucky enough to spend 5 days walking the Old Ghost Road, an 85 km trail that weaves its way through the mountains of the West Coast, South Island, New Zealand. This was bigger than anything I had tackled before and despite it being intimidating it roused a sense of adventure in me and gave me the opportunity to overcome something that felt huge. I didn’t know if I was capable of such a big distance and to make it even more daunting I would need to do it whilst carrying a 16 kg pack on my back.
I knew that there is no get out clause once you start this track, there are no access roads of any form. If you walk in, you walk out, a concept I found more than a little disconcerting. I didn’t want to be the idiot who completely overestimates their abilities and needs an emergency rescue to get out.
The ultra seed was sown
Turns out that the story I had been telling myself in the weeks leading up to my trip was far from reality. I had an absolute blast, and have put it up there as one of the best experiences of my life. Whilst I wouldn’t say it was easy it was still well within my capabilities. I was amazed at how my body adapted as the days went by. My feet on day 2 and 3 were sore, they were complaining about this new workload I was inflicting on them, but by day 4 they settled into their new rhythm and the pain changed to that of mere discomfort of understandably tired feet.
Throughout this escapade I learned about The Old Ghost Ultra, an event where runners would complete this track in a single day. The idea of running the whole track in one day was unfathomable to me, especially considering the elevation gain of 2,700 metres that came alongside the challenge. Despite its unfathomability the ‘ultra seed’ had been sown and I knew I wanted to be able to run this track. I craved the feeling of running seemingly insurmountable distances.
Conquering the Mt Oxford Odyssey marathon
By conquering one scary challenge I suddenly felt compelled to take on another: The Mt Oxford Odyssey marathon. It was advertised as the hardest marathon in the country and considering it had 3500m elevation gain over its 42 kms it was a well deserved title. It was my local mountain and I knew it well having run the tracks over and around it multiple times. I went in with my eyes open, I knew it was relentless. It was deemed by many, pretty crazy to take on this particular challenge having never completed a more ‘normal’ marathon before.
Somehow, just six weeks after my Old Ghost Road adventure I found myself standing on the start line of the Mt Oxford Odyssey marathon at 6am, in the freezing cold and pouring rain feeling like a total imposter. It was as terrifying as it was exhilarating. I battled through that day, one step at a time coming in almost last place, but I didn’t let that take away from my achievement. I had completed something that I had been intimidated by for years. It was another huge victory and instrumental in my journey to ultra.
You can read more about my Mt Oxford odyssey marathon adventure here: https://dreadedrunner.com/2023/06/09/42kms-at-mt-oxford-odyssey/
Discovering the world of ultra running
It was at this point that I allowed the possibility of ultra distances to open up before me. I began reading books, blogs and listening to podcasts about people who could run for many kilometres off a well put together training plan, a passion for adventure and challenge and a very determined state of mind. I spent what seemed like an endless amount of time finding out how best to train my body in a way that would get me to an ultra start line.
Through a lot of trial and error I began to apply the things I was learning to my training and gradually my weekly mileage started to edge upwards and my legs got stronger and more resilient. I noticed improvements in both my running distance and speed. I certainly wasn’t setting any records but progress is progress, no matter how slow.
Testing my training at the Port HIlls Ultra
After my Mt Oxford odyssey success I bit the bullet and entered for the 2022 Old Ghost Ultra. I trained as hard as I could, but then just a few weeks before the event it got cancelled due to COVID, a crushing disappointment.
I quickly came to peace with the fact that Old Ghost Ultra could wait until next year but I still wanted to test my fitness, training and mental determination NOW! And so I made the spontaneous decision to enter the 50k event at one of the few events to survive the COVID restrictions, The Port Hills Ultra.
Race day came and I was full of trepidation but determined that I would get this done. Once again I found myself on a start line in the pouring rain. Typical!
I crossed the start line and very quickly found myself settling in at the back of the pack and then at just 12 kms I was dismayed to feel a pain in the back of my knees that was totally new to me. I didn’t understand how this could happen so early on in the race after so much careful training? By 40 km I was ready to give up, the pain was excruciating and I had lost all power on the uphills. In an event with 2,700m elevation gain this was quite a problem and slowed me down considerably.
At this point I’d been soaking wet from head to foot for hours and running on my own for the majority of the day, it had all become quite demoralising. Then just as I was about to give up and call it a day I was picked up by a seasoned ultra runner who had really only entered to have an ‘easy potter’ in the hills. Turned out that he was to be my saving grace.
And just like that I became an ultra runner
My new running companion set a slow steady pace all the while offering me some good robust conversation to take my mind off the pain. With his encouragement and refusal to allow me to pull out I found a new confidence in myself that pushed me through the pain, which I realised wasn’t that bad once I stripped back the fear and worry surrounding it.
All of a sudden the finish line was in sight and I crossed it soaking wet, freezing cold but smiling from ear to ear. It was one of the proudest moments of my life, I had finally become an ultra runner!
I realised that day that when you remove your fear and come to a place of acceptance its possible to find a running flow even at a time when your brain and body may be screaming at you to stop. This is where we, as runners of any distance, can really step into our power and excel in ways that we never thought possible.
