I have finally bitten the bullet and entered my first Ultra Marathon event.. I was umming and aahing about it for a few weeks because I didn't genuinely believe I would be ready for it. It is on Aug 6th and is 48 miles around this beautiful island of Jersey. It is demanding terrain, covering mostly cliffpaths. Yesterday I did a training run with some of the guys taking part, and we ran from Greve De Lecq to St Aubins which totalled just under 17 miles.. Was hard going but it was actually enjoyable, the scenery was amazing, dramatic cliff drops, beautiful green/blue sea, challenging trails and the general free feeling of being out in nature. So I kind of got coerced into entering, and so I capitulated and did it last night.
Yesterdays run was a testament that the ultra will not be easy.. I had vague ideas of running a bit walking a bit but no real concept of how hard it actually will be.. We did the 17 miles in 3 hours and I probably could have carried on had I had extra food and electrolyte etc etc, but the legs were definitely starting to hurt by then. I was pleased with the pace though, on certain stretches even towards the end we were averaging 8-8:30 min miles, which for me is great.. I now know that I have alot more training between now and then just to be psychologically ready to do it.. I have planned my long runs to take in the hardest sections of the route so that I can really prepare as well as I can.
Wish me luck over the coming weeks! :)
As an aside to this, I used SIS Rego Electrolyte on the run yesterday for the first time. I have really struggled using gels in the past and am intending to use the runs in the future to find the best way for me to refuel. I found the lime tasting electrolyte/energy drink to taste nice, and definitely gave me the energy I needed. I also discovered the Power Bar Shots, which somebody had with them. I needed a kick at the end and I took 2 of these, I will definitely be including these in my run kit next time. They taste of cola and also contain caffeine.
The website for round the rock is www.roundtherock.co.uk
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