The Importance of Running Your Own Race
Hear me out. This might sound quite obvious but you’d be surprised just how easy it is to get caught up in a number of things on race day. When you’ve spent all of the time preparing for the race, it’s important not to let various external variables impact race day once you are there.
Especially in trail races, you are likely to come across some single track sections. It’s in these sections where it’s easy to feel rushed and like you cannot run your own race.
Here’s a scenario that I have certainly experienced in a number of races- The pressure to not be ‘too slow’ for the person behind you. The pressure to keep up with the person ahead of you so that you can clearly show that it isn’t you that’s holding up the single file line of people that’s just getting longer and longer behind you. Next you find that you’re worrying too much about keeping up with the person ahead of you and not slowing the person behind you that you’ve actually forgotten to fuel when you were supposed to. So not only are you now not running the race to your pace, but you’re now behind on fuelling and still have a way to go. Oh, and now your heart rate is higher than you were aiming for too.
Perhaps it’s just my ‘people pleaser’ nature… but I suspect that I am not alone in feeling this pressure during a race.
We all enter races for different reasons and with different intentions for race day. For some, this may be their ‘A’ race, the race they’re giving absolutely everything to. For others, this might be a training run- a chance to get a long effort in whilst having the opportunity of a marked course, aid stations and not having to grind it out alone. Some people might also be using the race as part of their strategy in working towards their ‘A’ race- a chance to test fuelling, to test a slightly higher output on hills or a smoother journey through aid stations for example. The list of reasons for why someone might be at your race goes on and on. This is why it is important to run your own race.
For the first time, I actually managed to do this during the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 100km. I kept reminding myself- ‘run your own race’. This was particularly important since I’d never run for this length of time before. I’d run a 100km race before but not with this elevation, spanning this length of time. Since I was in new territory it was incredibly important not to get swept up, feel the pressure and then pay for it later. I kept having conversations with myself preparing for when someone might have asked me to speed up or move or whatever, that we were all just out running our own races… but no one did say anything. If people wanted to get around me they did, I even stepped aside a couple of times to let people past who I could sense were really close because that was a better experience than feeling the pressure from behind. I would also call back- you can come past if you want to. Sometimes people would, sometimes they wouldn’t and I think they were just happy moving as part of a group. Trail and ultrarunning are different. There has to be patience in what you are trying to pursue and that has to happen in both training and the events themself. Less tactics around blocking people and not letting them pass- notice I say less, not no. These things do still happen but certainly less so than in traditional road running.
If you want to reach what you are trying to achieve in your race, you can’t be out there running someone else’s race. You HAVE to run your own race. Unless you have entered to specifically pace someone else, it is not your job to pace anyone else or run to their speed. If you have entered to practice things like pacing and fuelling, you shouldn’t feel the pressure to move any faster than planned as this could then throw off the rest of your race along with your training after. You may be taking part in this race to practice these things whilst someone else is going hell for leather as it’s their ‘A’ race… your races are INCOMPARABLE. Don’t get caught up in running their race. Similarly, this might be your ‘A’ race and someone else’s training race. They may have a strategy to absolutely storm it up the hills to practice whether that particular pace/strategy will work for them in their own ‘A’ race… don’t get caught up running their race, putting yourself at risk of declining performance later on.
I know, it’s easier said than done. I am writing this as these weren’t things I’d read about or considered before my first in person ultramarathon [my first was virtual due to race cancellation]. When I was new to ultrarunning and trail running, I didn’t know that people would enter races for any other reason than to race them… so hopefully this can help. Even considering these things pre-race could help you work around it during the race when/if you encounter any of the above scenarios.
Some Tips:
Repeat the mantra to yourself -run your own race. Or - my race, my pace.
Remind yourself why you are there
Write any reminders on your hand pre-race if you think you might get caught up
If you start to feel pressure from behind, you can always call back- let me know if you want to pass.
Or- you can just step aside anyway to let them pass if it’s going to make your experience less stressful. [I have done this many times in ultras]
At aid stations, get your bottles out as you approach so that you don’t feel the pressure from those behind while you’re fumbling to get your bottles out and open once you’re already in front of the table.
You don’t HAVE to stop at aid stations if you have enough supplies to keep you going until the next
Likewise, you don’t have to rush through at record speed. Take the time you need, HOWEVER, don’t take so long that it could put you at risk of being timed out later, or make it harder to get going again.
Run what you can. Walk what you need.
Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 100km Race Report
Race date: 11/05/2024
The tagline of the race is- ‘Beautiful beyond belief, Savage beyond reason’... and they were not wrong.
Let’s start right at the beginning. After saying I would not run another 100km because I’ve been enjoying the 50-60km distance, how on earth did I end up on the startline of one of the hardest 100km ultramarathons out there?? I was already entered into the 50km. I decided I wanted to make this my ‘A’ race for 2024 and having already done the UTMB OCC in 2022 I felt I wanted a goal that felt a bit more out of reach… enter the transfer. I contacted the race and asked if I could transfer. Fortunately I was just in time, there was still space and the transfer could happen. This was the beginning November 2023.
Cue 6 months of graft, a tumultuous journey with our reactive dog and then being made redundant just 2 weeks before race day. Those two weeks prior are when you really want stress to be at a minimum, so this timing was less than ideal. Somehow, I was able to compartmentalise the stress and not let it affect my prep for the race.
On Thursday 9th May we packed up the car, dropped the dogs off and set off on the 6hr+ journey from Dorset to Snowdonia.
Registration was Friday 10th at the event village based at the Llanberis Slate Museum.
We had ID checks, Mandatory kit checks, trackers being fitted and tracking photos being taken. It was a great atmosphere. I felt calm and just ready to go- this was my response whenever anyone asked how I was feeling. I stayed to watch the 100 mile race start at 13:00 that day and then was interviewed at the startline about my ‘why’.
It was a great experience and what a way to kickstart my race experience. The rest of the day was about soaking up the atmosphere, enjoying some sun (and the biggest ice cream!) and heading back to our airbnb to repack my kit, relax, eat and hydrate.
Bedtime: 20:30
Race Day
Alarm set for: 2am for a race starting at 4:45am
First port of call was coffee. Aeropress with oat milk. Always.
A breakfast of frosted shreddies and honeynut cornflakes.
I woke up feeling a bit congested so I also had a lemsip for good measure too. I was only day 4 or 5 of my period which was very inconvenient timing but just one of those things we need to navigate as a female athlete. I’m also proud to have managed my stress and fuelling etc with all of my training for such a big event that meant I never lost my cycle.
I had asked Mark to think of something to write on my arm incase i needed a reminder to keep on going throughout the race. He went with:
“Keep on inspiring”
I got myself ready and we left the airbnb at 3:40am for a 25min drive to the start. It was dark, the nerves were kicking in, but the good kind and not overpowering.
At 4:30am they were calling my wave through to the tunnel. I downed a gel, threw my fleece and fleece trousers at Mark and headed through to join everyone else. Right there I found my friends Cat and Becca and we were ready to start this crazy, huge adventure together!
0-12km. Start to AS1
The race started straight out of the Llanberis Slate Museum and up the Llanberis path to summit Snowdon. It was straight into 7.7km of climbing with just shy of 900m of elevation straight away. Basically, a sixth of the total elevation in the first 8km of 104! I had told myself from the off that I wouldn’t get swept up because I’d pay for it later on. I just had to trust that by taking my time up this first ascent, it’d pay off later and I’d be able to come into my own on the descents. Descending was definitely where my strength was! It was actually mentioned a few times by different people across the race just how comfortable and nimble I seemed on the descents.
Anyway, we were almost at the summit and were treated to the most gorgeous golden sunrise. Everyone was stopping to take photos and it made the climbing seem worth it. Since we’d been training through winter, everyone’s recce’s had had no visibility so this was a real treat and something to stop and take in. I continued on. It was about 1km to the summit now. We cut off just before the summit to head down onto the Pyg Track towards Pen-y-Pass. It was a technical descent that meant that you couldn’t actually properly run it but skipping over rocks and moving with intention felt good. It was getting busier now, so there was a lot of the general public to contend with, but everyone was so great! While it would have been very easy for people to voice their frustration with the trail being overtaken by a stream of 700 people, I didn’t hear a single bad word. I reached the first checkpoint at Pen-y-pass at 6:58am. Refilled my bottles, popped to the loo and headed straight back out. I didn’t want to spend too much time here as I knew I’d need to take longer at aid stations later on.
12-24km AS1-AS2
We crossed the road and headed up in pursuit of Glyder Fawr. This was the section I head recce’d with Becca back in March but I’d taken a funny turn at the top then so to say I was a bit nervous about this section, was an understatement. I just had to trust that that was a one off and thank goodness it was! My strategy on the climbs was to just try and stay calm and collected. If I felt pressure from behind to move faster than I wanted to, I just stepped aside and then slotted myself back. In other races I’ve felt the pressure to keep moving at a speed to suit the person behind me on a single track so as not to slow them down… but this was my race too and especially in the heat, it was important to remember that. I was shaken once when someone wasn’t paying attention and got so close to me that they stood on my pole whilst it was still in the ground- at this point, the path wasn’t even narrow so this was just an inconsiderate move on their part. But moving on, I carried on toward the Glyder Fawr summit. It looked very different in daylight! When we recce’d it, it was 5am in March and it wasn’t daylight until we reached the top.
Next I had my sights set on the Glan Dena checkpoint. 24km in and almost ⅓ of the elevation climbed. This was the first check point that we were allowed assistance at, so Mark was waiting for me with supplies and most importantly, my toothbrush! Honestly, having my toothbrush on course really helped to just keep things fresh. I felt good reaching this check point and circumnavigating Tryfan to get there was stunning! It was almost 10am now and it was really starting to get warm. I made the decision to leave this aid station with 4 bottles of fluid- 2 plain water, 2 with carb mix in. I chomped on some watermelon, orange and banana, brushed my teeth and off I went again.
24km-50km AS2-AS3
This next section was HOT it was around 25km to the next proper aid station and 18km to the smaller water station. I stuck with the same strategy I’d had previously, take my time up the ascents and enjoy skipping down the descents. It was in this section that I got to spend more time with Cat. She was like a mountain goat going uphill, absolutely flying! And then I’d catch her on the downhill. We did this for a while chatting away on the sections we actually spent together then around 38km or so in Cat left me in the dust and went on to have an incredible race. I’m absolutely in awe of her performance!
Do not underestimate the power of a buff dunked in a cold stream. I did this so many times! I was wearing a visor and when I’d see water, i’d dunk my buff, squeeze it out onto the top of my head and then dab my face and neck- it was the best feeling and something I repeated over the next sort of 30km until it cooled down. Back to the route. Not knowing if there would be much water at the water station I rationed myself to 1 bottle per 6km. I’d packed a ‘lifestraw’ filter and refilled one of my bottles in a stream just in case. I didn’t actually end up needing it before reaching the water station but I’d rather carry the weight of one extra bottle than the panic of not having enough water. I filled two bottles, added carb mix to one and started on the last 7km toward the half way point.
It was at around 40km in that i felt a blister tear under my right foot… and around the same time something starting going on with my left ankle. It felt like it wasn’t far off snapping… but I was going to keep on going until it did… or at least with the hope that it wouldn’t. I’d packed some Voltarol and kept applying it when needed.
The next checkpoint where my drop bag was waiting was at Capel Curig, 50km in - just under half way and a little over half of the elevation climbed. This aid station was overwhelming. It was a small space for the amount of people that were coming through and planning to spend some time sorting themselves out to continue on. There was nowhere to sit indoors, it smelled like a men’s changing room, it was warm and stuffy and there were people sorting their feet right next to the food… I took some watermelon and found a space in the corridor. It wasn’t really a space though, I was in the way and getting more overwhelmed by the second, I couldn't even start to take things out of my drop bag, I couldn’t think about anything other than the fact I was in the way. I grabbed all of my things and left the building. There was a seat outside. It wasn’t the respite from the hot sun I was after HOWEVER at least I could breathe fresh air and think a bit better out here. I left my bags at my seat, grabbed some more watermelon, some orange, banana and a cup of coke and then sat back outside. I didn’t take on any of the hot food on offer here- pizza, curry and soup weren’t quite what I was after halfway through a hot 100km ultra. I ate a McVities Gold bar from my drop bag and made a decision NOT to change my shoes OR socks. I run in Injinji toe socks so I didn’t have to worry about my toes rubbing against each other, but I did have blisters forming on the soles of my feet from all of the bogs. I had to decide if it was worth me changing socks and shoes and things feeling worse.. Or not even getting my feet into different shoes… OR if I should continue on as I was and just deal with it later. I went with the latter.
I popped to the bathroom, used the mouthwash from my drop bag and then got ready to leave again. I’d messaged Mark during the race asking him to bring the marker pen for when I saw him next but it hadn’t gone through. What I did have though, was my eyebrow pencil in my pack. Now, carrying that might seem, I don’t know- shallow, vain, unnecessary… BUT for those that don’t know, I struggle with something called Trichotillomania and have done for nearly 14 years and do not have my own natural eyebrows anymore. This is also why if you follow me on instagram I don’t get to be all nice and barefaced in my posts as much as I’d like to. Anyway, back to the race, I didn’t know how my drawn on eyebrows would hold up for up to 32 hours of running, in the heat and what not so I did carry my eyebrow pencil. Not to repeatedly top up along the way… but I just knew that crossing that finish line proudly, I wanted to see me and be proud of my accomplishment, not define myself by my Trichotillomania if I was missing half an eyebrow in all of my photos… somehow though I actually didn’t need to use it atall…. Apart from this moment at the aid station. I wrote STRONG down my left quad. A reminder to myself that things were about to get tough but I was strong, my legs were strong and we’d make it.
I dropped my drop bag back off, dunked my buff in the bowl of cold water by the exit, found Mark for a kiss and off I went again. This was where the race really started for me.
I’d wanted to reach this aid station in around 12 hours so that I then had 20 to play with for the second half and the night section. I had reached here in around 10.5 hrs so I had some extra time to play with if I needed it and that felt good.
50-62km AS3-AS4
We crossed the main road and headed off in pursuit of the Summit of Moel Siabod. 10minutes in and my ankle was not happy. I threw my poles to the ground, took my pack off and rummaged for my Voltarol. A couple of runners asked if I was alright and I called back- “nothing a bit of Voltarol won’t fix”. I don’t recommend it or advise it but I also took Ibuprofen and paracetamol every 4 hours. I’ve always run on ibuprofen as I have a TMJ disorder and I was also experiencing absolutely RAGING period pains the whole way so for me, I knew I’d be okay doing this. Pack back on, poles in hand. Come on Moel Siabod, let’s be having you.
I was NOT ready for this to be the hardest climb. It felt NEVER. ENDING. It seemed to be the general consensus. We all just took it one step at a time. I did have a weird experience where another female participant OVERTOOK me… whilst complaining to me about how slow she was moving. It was just a weird comment to make to me whilst moving evidently faster than me.
After what felt like FOREVER I reached the top. It was 5km from Capel Curig with 700m elevation and it took me about 90 minutes. The longest 90 minutes of my life. Up until this point I hadn’t taken on any caffeine since my coffee at 2am and it was now 5:20pm so I took a seat and added some caffeinated Tailwind to one of my bottles. I just needed a minute after that dreadful climb to collect myself before heading back down again. I enjoy descending much more and I wanted to bring that enjoyment back. The problem was, my ankle didn’t enjoy the descent so I had to go with a conservative effort.
It was 9km to the next aid station and my friend Tatiana from my running club was volunteering there. I couldn’t remember what time her shift ended but I was hopeful I’d see her friendly face. Along the way to the aid station it was so boggy! This impacted momentum and the rhythm of running and I was sinking more into my ankle. Somehow, when we approach a short path section towards the aid station I’m able to pick up the pace a little and trot in.
MUCH to my delight I see Tatiana running towards me. The smile on my face is huge.The smile on her face is huge. We had a great hug and then headed into the aid station together. She helped me fill my bottles, asked if I needed anything and we had a little catch up about my experience so far and who else she’d seen coming through from run club on the 50km. It wasn’t until I was about to leave that she told me her volunteering shift ended FIVE HOURS AGO! This was really special.
Time to go. A marathon left. Next up, the second summit of Snowdon.
62-80km AS4-AS5
It was time to head back up Snowdon for the second time. This time via the Watkins path. I reached the start of the path and I knew that if I had to summit this mountain again it was time for a podcast or two. Up until this point I hadn’t listened to anything and I was over 14 hours in. I chose the Rebel Wilson episode of Diary of a CEO- I’d been saving up my podcasts for this occasion and I’d wanted to listen to this one all week. It was the perfect distraction. I was still enjoying chatting and connecting with the other runners around me so I paused and played as we went along as I came across other people I got to chat to. Once we were through the woodland kind of section we hit the path that would take us up to the top, the higher we went the more scrambly it would get. Just before the scrambling section I perched on a rock, took down a gel and got myself ready to climb.
At this point the sun was coming down. It was still SO warm, I was ascending still in just a t-shirt and shorts. This section was hard. Coming up to 70km and mobility and flexibility have left the building…. Right when I needed my little legs to be able to take big steps up and over scrambling these rocks. The podcast was the best idea, it was distracting me enough from how I was feeling and allowed me to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Once this episode ended, I switched to the Russ Cook (Hardest Geezer) episode.
We were losing light. I could see others putting their torches on. I kept on without mine for a little longer and then found a spot to crouch for a moment on a ridgeline to get my torch and the long life battery. I was using the Silva Trail Runner Free 2 Ultra with a long cable and a large battery. I was also using the Silva 17+3 Mountain pack which had a hole for the cable to feed through and a pocket inside for the battery. This was a game changer. Why? Because I didn’t have to carry the weight of the battery on my head and the battery lasted the entire night so I didn’t have any faffing changing batteries.
There was actually a little line I kept repeating to myself the entire way up-
“ Up Snowdon. Down Snowdon. See Mark. ”
I repeated it over and over. I reached the top of Snowdon in darkness after what felt like false summit after false summit. I’d almost had a cry at one point because I didn’t understand HOW there was still so much climbing to do after we’d been climbing for so long. I managed to keep myself together to reach the top without actually crying.
I had just started the descent heading for the Ranger’s Path and came across a Mountain Safety marshall. He asked me how I was doing. I said okay. I pointed downwards in the distance and said-
“you see those lights. That’s your next checkpoint”
I cried instantly. Until that point, it’d felt so far away. He asked if I was okay…I said- “I was until you just told me that” and gave a little laugh.
Off I went, continuing down the Ranger’s Path making a beeline for the aid station. It was still about 4-5km to get there. My ankle was sore and some of the ground was quite loose beneath my feet. I’d slipped a few times but there was no stopping. I just had to get to the aid station. I turned and looked behind me to see a gorgeous trail of headlamps snaking all the way from the top of the mountain along the path I’d just descended.
There it was. The 80km aid station I’d been holding out for. It was the second and last aid station that Mark was allowed to assist me at. Coming into the aid station, supporters were behind a barrier and it was a case of- find your person and head in with them. I spotted Mark and we headed in. I gave him a big hug and just cried my eyes out. We found a spot on a camp bed to have a seat and just be vacant for a moment. I’d been feeling a bit nauseous for a while and hadn’t had my bottom buckle of my pack clipped to just take some pressure off my mid section. I tried some coffee and quickly decided that my stomach didn't want that. We refilled my bottles with carb mix and caffeinated tailwind and I ate a packet of ready salted crisps…at I’m sure record breaking pace for the slowest a packet of crisps has ever been eaten. I’d have taken some more watermelon but there wasn’t any at these later aid stations. I sat with Mark talking about how hard it was. I had said I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that I would finish this. I just didn’t know how.. Or how long it would take. At this point it was just after 11pm and I had 24km to go and around 13.5 hours left before the final cut off time. I’d started cooling down whilst in this aid station so decided to layer up heading out for the next section. I was fine in my shorts and calf sleeves but went with a ¼ zip layer and wind break… a decision I’d soon regret but we’ll get to that. I felt like my soul had left my body at this aid station and looking around me, it seemed many others felt the same way. I could also hear other runners talking about DNFing and asking how long it would be for transport to take them back to the end. It was so hard but I just had to keep on going.
I brushed my teeth, popped to the bathroom, gave Mark a kiss and then headed into the darkness toward the next mountain- Mynydd Mawr.
80-88km AS5- AS6
Off we went into the night darkness. I looked up and could see headtorches ascending the two mountains ahead of me. My last two big mountains. Luckily with an aid station between each, I could concentrate on one at a time. It was a mix now of 100km and 100mile runners. At this point I’d run 80km and climbed 5150m. It was 4km up to the next mountain and then 4km down to the next aid station. I started this climb and instantly regretted my choice of layering. I pushed on for a bit but then stepped to the side of the path and took my ¼ zip off but put my thin windbreaker back on. It was light and airy and just right. At the start of this path there were so many felled trees to climb over, it felt cruel to have to try and lift your legs so high to get over the trunks this far into a race. I can’t really remember too much of this climb. Just that I was only concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other and really hoping my headtorch wasn’t going to catch the eyes of any animals. I don’t remember reaching the top but what goes up, must come down and before I knew it I was on the way back down again heading for the next aid station. I’d joined up with a couple of other runners and we were slipping and sliding all over the shop through bogs, navigating lots of gates and moaning and groaning.. But we were in it together.
Then we had to be quiet… the aid station was nestled in a campsite. So we navigated our way through to this aid station in silence for the final bit of respite before the end. We were greeted by lovely jolly volunteers that honestly couldn’t have done more. A guy grabbed me a cup of coke and I think I refilled my bottles. I sat for a minute but didn’t hang around for long. I was ready to just plough on and get it done now. Due to the location, Mark wasn’t able to meet me at the aid station but he’d parked up by the entrance to the campsite where we’d pass on our way back out on the route. I left the aid station with two others, I ran over to Mark and said- I’ve got some friends for this next bit- gave him another kiss and off we went. I’d next see him at the finish.
All that stood between me and the finish now was 16km and 800m elevation.
88-104km AS6-Finish
Me and my new pals Nadia and Nick left the aid station together in agreement that it was better to have company for this last bit. It was around 2:30am now, 21.5hrs into the race. They were going strong and, if I'm honest, dragged me up the ascents to come that would’ve taken me far longer had I been alone but I was able to keep more momentum going with them.
I remember Nick commenting on how ‘together’ I seemed and that I wasn’t slurring my words or anything. To be honest, I was just as surprised as he was. I felt like my cognitive function wasn’t compromised. I’d been worried before the race about hallucinations and how the tiredness would affect me but I felt alert and well.
Nadia was telling us how she’s done dozens of 100km races around the world and that this was the hardest. It made me feel a) validated for how I was feeling and b) proud knowing I’d finish it at this point.
We travelled through some woodland, through a lot of bogs and joined up with a guy called Jay who was finishing the 100 mile race. We did that thing where we’d go forward for a bit, then he would, then we would, then he would right until we reached the long winding road that would take us to Llanberis. Rewinding slightly though, after summiting Moel Eilio at 94.5km at 6330m elevation, we had the descending to do. I was a bit frustrated here because my ankle wasn’t letting me enjoy the descent. I’d been going for over 50km now with this ankle feeling like it could snap. I was overpronating badly into it and really trying not to. I don’t usually use my poles whilst descending but I didn’t have a choice here.
Back to the road. Jay and I plodded it out together for a while. The sun was coming up and the sky was a gorgeous pink colour. We chatted away for a good 5km together. By this point Nadia and Nick had gone off and enjoyed the run into Llanberis but I couldn’t push just yet. I REALLY wanted to be able to run it into the finish and didn’t want to jeopardise that. Jay pushed on and then I was alone for the final section.
I remember being on the road where it met the Llanberis path and I paused for a moment. I took my head torch off and replaced it back with my visor I’d run most of the race with. I unpinned my number from my windbreaker and placed it back on my run club t shirt. I was proud to be finishing ahead of the time I was after and was also proud to be running it in my run club t shirt and wanted that to be my finish line photo.
I picked up the pace a bit, it still wasn’t a run but it was a march and with it all down hill on road, my ankle still wasn’t happy. I was SO close now. I reached Llanberis and crossed the road gunning for the Slate Museum. I was really marching now. Then there, staring at me, I saw Tatiana! She was there to see me finish! It was 6 something in the morning and there she was, I couldn’t believe it! She marched some of it with me. I wanted to run but Jay was just ahead of me and he was marching. I didn’t want to get too close and impede on his 100 mile finish. I was still so far ahead of the time I’d wanted to complete it in so I wanted to let him have his moment without me there too. I started a little trot with Tatiana by my side, I could see the finish line. Then I spotted Mark on the corner. I was so happy. I was so close to being done.
Tatiana dropped off and I entered the tunnel toward the finish line. Running it in was something I wanted to do and Jay later told me that me trotting it in, made him trot it in ahead of me too!
I had finished. 104km, 6500m elevation, 25:36:22.
I hadn’t said it out loud but I was hoping for somewhere around the 27hr mark, having compared my abilities to that of those I’d seen finish it last year. I’d only said to people that it would be ‘cool to finish in a twenty something time’. So to have finished around 90mins ahead of that and with 6.5hrs spare from the cut off, I was elated.
I had people telling me how fresh I looked at the finish… I don’t know how I did. I certainly didn’t feel it. I got my medal, took a couple of photos and hugged Mark and Tatiana. What a moment. I KNEW I was going to finish this race. I’d been told so many times in the lead up how tough this course was and I wasn’t sure if people were telling me that in a means of being like- wow what you’re doing it amazing; or trying to shake me; or if they thought I didn’t really know what I’d signed up for. I hope it was the former but even if there were people out there who didn’t think I’d do it…I only needed one person to believe I would and that was me.
It is my proudest ultrarunning accomplishment. The medal I am most proud of. A medal that I really had to grind it out for- both in training and the race. Only 60% of those that started the race, finished it. Out of the 431 finishers, only 53 of those were female and I AM ONE OF THEM!
People keep asking me if I’ll do the 100 mile race. I will absolutely do a 100 miler. But I do not have the desire to do this one.
I am so happy that this was my UTS experience. It was genuinely the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I am so proud of myself. A swollen ankle. Blisters on the soles of my feet. But so much pride that my mind and body worked together to achieve this. The ability to stay head strong on an event like this really is a superpower.
Top tip for anyone doing it next time… don’t jump in the car for a 6 hour journey home straight from the race.. Every position in the car felt like a stress position and hobbling around service stations was entertaining…
