Ultrarunning and Mountain Sports: 100 Miles

It’s a long time since I ran 100 miles. In fact it was January 2008 when I last completed 100 miles in a single push and the fact that I have not managed to complete the distance since at either Hardrock or San Diego is easily explained by the other fact which is that I am pretty certain I have not completed that distance in a single training week since early 2008 either.

Essentially it was foolish arrogance that made me think I could toe the line on those events and compete in a meaningful way. So, i’ve been learning, again, the hard way that endurance is sufficiently tough to acquire that only the most determined will get there. I doesn’t matter if the alarm clock goes off at 5.30 on a Saturday morning and I don’t think it even matters if someone is paying you to do it (I don’t know but I am pretty sure that someone like Killian would confirm this) you have to love it and want it and that is all that matters.

Sandstone mountain beckons at around mile 22 of the Ray Miller 50 mile

Now I am doubly delighted to report that both my soul and my body decided that a 100 mile week was due. The two longer runs on the Ray Miller 50 course were fun and gave me the opportunity to see new trails, the 15 miler in the East Bay of San Francisco was certainly a grind towards the end and I fully enjoyed lying inverted for 30 mins or so with my feet in the air at the end but, yes, it was worth it and it makes me feel very positive for my first real race of the year – the Ray Miller 50 miler in 2 weeks time. What is even better is that after 26 on Thursday and the grinding 16 on Friday I tackled the return half of the Sonoma 50 on Saturday (25 miles). A cooler day plus just the right amount of mud, stream crossings and rocks to make an Englishman feel at home and encouraged me to push a little harder especially in the last hour or so.

OK – off to a track session in an hour or so and then the tough(ish) 16 miles and 4700ft out and back from the local trailhead tomorrow or Friday. Fingers crossed that things continue to go well as I have an entry in for the Fellsman now – the 50^th year and, above all, a chance for me to make sure that my Fellsman history does not start and end with a DNF. Having dropped out at mile 38 in my teens I really do not want last year’s drop at mile 11 to be the end of it.

Good luck to all those running in the HPM, in a slightly warped way I am jealous of missing the mini adventure that event offers each year and I also have a feeling that this is going to be a year of fast times, maybe even record times!!