Aiming for 50

In May 2017 I’m running the North Downs Way 50 mile ultra-marathon.

The idea of running an ultra (any race longer than a marathon) first became an idea when I read ‘Born to Run’ and ‘Feet in the Clouds’. I challenge anyone to read those books and not at least entertain the idea of grappling with running such a long way.

I’m not an experienced runner. I’ve completed one half-marathon (1:34) and one marathon (4:17 — a disaster! I screwed this one up, but more on this later) but the goal has always been to take on the challenge of running further than many people would say is possible (or at least a good idea).

A fair few people have asked me why — normally asked with a fair degree of incredulity, scepticism, or at the very least concerns about the state of my mental health!

It’s hard to give a definitive answer, but it has a lot to do with adventure, entering the unknown and the fact that running an ultra is a ‘holistic’ sport. It’s not just about strength or fitness, but you need to be mentally strong, you need a great diet. You need your whole being — heart, body, mind and soul — all working together to get you round the course.

There’s a lot to think about in training for this kind of distance. What kind of mileage should you be aiming for per week? What should your diet look like? What role does strength training have? How do you get mentally ready for being on your feet for such a long time (8+ hours, more likely 9–10 or even more)?

I’ve benefited from some amazing writings from other runners, coaches, nutritionists and psychologists so I want to use this space to share their expertise as well as my own learnings from along the way.

I hope it’s useful, maybe a little entertaining, but most of all I’d love it if I could play a small part in you deciding to take on a BHAG (big-hairy-ass-goal) of your own. If you do, I’d love to hear about it!

You can follow me on Strava if you love the stats.