Well, after weeks of training, my first 52 mile ultra marathon is in 4 days… yes 4 days! Gulp!
The Chester Ultra Marathon is brought to us by the great people at GB Ultras @ChesterUltra. You will not find a more supportive, dedicated and friendly team and ultra community.
I am running to help raise funds for Mind, running 117 miles over 2 ultras and a half marathon. You can read why I am supporting Mind here, and sponsor me here – thank you in advance!
I did my penultimate short run tonight, aiming to keep my legs turning over during the last week of taper.
Whilst running tonight I think I thought about it all a bit too much, and my inner dialogue went something like:
• It’s great to be out running after weeks of cold, coughs and aches
• This is lovely, a short run at a decent pace, and doesn’t seem too difficult
• Certainly easier than a snow/ice covered trail
• Well, it will be all the training paying off, it’s my final week of taper of course
• Wait, this is a short flat road run, not a hilly trail run… it’s bound to seem easier
• It certainly ‘seems’ easier….
• Have I trained enough?
• Yes, it will be fine, I am set
• But I have had weeks of sub optimal training because of being ill, colds, coughs, tired…
• I haven’t done enough, I won’t make it… why am I doing this??!!
• Well I have done long runs, regular runs, different tempo runs, some hills (could have done more hills)
• Wait, is that a twinge in my calf?
• Yep, oh no, that’s it, I am injured days before the race!
• Nope, I’m fine, it’s gone
• Don’t trip over now, I can’t get injured just days out from the race
• I should stop now just in case I hurt myself
• No wait, I’m fine
• What am I thinking (well maybe talking out loud… nobody heard me though)
• I’ve got this!
• 52 miles… pah!
• It’s just 2 marathons, a nice ‘jaunt’ in the country
• I’ve got this
• So 52 mile ultra marathon… who’s your Daddy?
• I am
• I am
• I AM!!
• I’ve got this (I hope)!
I am looking forward to the run, but daunted at the same time. Will be great to be among like minded Ultra runners… I hope you are, or based on the above am I going mad… do we all think/talk to ourselves?
My thoughts exactly today on a 5 miler. Be my first ultra and I’m feeling ready now, just thinking one foot in front of the other see you there
Thanks Hayley, glad it is not just me then! Totally agree with the one step at a time mentality; my strategy is check point to check point, so roughly 5 x 10 mile runs.
I’ll be at chester, not my 1st ultra but we all suffer with a good dose of mind demons. All will be good on the day though, always tough but as Hayley says, one foot infront of the other. Keep the faith.
Thanks Ian, good to learn from others experiences.