UltraMarathon....Not for me thanks!

Thanks, but no thanks!

I'm nearly back to normal now as I sit and write this latest post.

I've had something to eat, had my recovery shake, lanced my blister on my big toe (It was that big, it looked like I had six toes!) and I've had an hours nap.

This morning I set out for my 18 mile long run in preparation for the Farnham Pilgrim's Marathon in September. I know this is only my second time I've been out at this distance but I'm hitting 'The Wall' at mile 16 making the last 2 miles hell! I'm being hard on myself. This is quite an undulating course with the first half mainly climbing, and it's 18 miles which is not to be sniffed at. You tell non runners that you've been out for that kind of distance at the weekend and they hail you as some kind of super athlete...or idiot!

I felt quite nauseous after the run, just to add to today's 'Joys of being a Runner',although I think this is down to the fact that I filled my Camelbak with Lucozade rather than water. I guess you have to try these things out, but in the end it was too sickly and I was craving water at the end of the run but having to quash my thirst with the syrup Sports drink.

It was on those last two miles today that I thought, I've still got to do another 8 miles after I finish so why the hell have I been flirting with the idea in my head of actually doing an Ultra race. It stems from the daft brain of my running partner Brian and until today we were trying to finalise a day in July to do this. Talk about 'Run before you can walk' we have not even done a bloody Marathon yet, so why am I even contemplating running 35 miles (this is what we planned). I know Brian has the capabilities to go on to this and beyond, so good luck to him on his journey.

I must admit the subject fascinates me and I am currently reading Ultra Marathon Man for the second time. I know of a couple of people on Twitter who I regularly talk with tweet with who have tackled anything from 50 miles to 100 miles. I also follow a couple of blogs on the subject too. I really cannot fathom how people can physically and mentally run this sort of distance.

So I'm staying in awe of these people, why I concentrate on the Marathon distance. I'm sticking to what Pheidippides set out to do back in the day (490BC to be exact!). This to me is the ultimate distance to first complete and then master and I have decided this to be my goal in my running life.