The Year Ahead

This is going to be the year that I fully commit to running ultra marathons.  I feel as if I've been playing with the ultra over the last few years.  In 2010 I ran the first ever Isle Of Wight Ultra.  This was a two day run covering the entire 70 miles of coastal path around the island.  On completion of that event I concluded that I had never had so much fun running.

Then in 2011 I put my ultra running on hold in order to run one marathon in every calendar month.  I got a little carried away and ended up running 16 marathons in total.  Then last year I had another go at multi day ultras.  First of all I repeated the Isle Of Wight Ultra.  The number of competitors had doubled to just over 100, and I finished second overall and was the first man over 40.  I never expected to do so well and was in complete disbelief to be told I was second when I crossed the finish line on the first day.  I then ran the three day, 90 mile Thames Tow Path ultra in September, this time finishing third overall.  I was also due to run the 3 day Ridgeway ultra in November, but was prevented from starting due to an injury.  However, I now have the ultra bug and want to keep on going to see how far I can go.

I also must point out that I have an aim of joining the 100 marathon club before I'm 50.  I'm currently at 37 marathons (including ultras), so I have a long way to go over the next 5 years.

The popularity of running ultra marathons has dashed some of my plans already for this year.  My plan to run a two day, 66 mile, run on the South Downs in February has been thwarted as it was already full by the time I tried to register.  I'd delayed signing up as I was waiting to see if I had recovered from a niggling injury I picked up last October.  The truth is, I haven't fully recovered but I wasn't going to let that stop me.  Maybe it is just as well that the event was full.  But seriously, how many nutters can there be in the world?  Plenty, it would seem.

The event I had really been looking forward to taking part in this year was the 100km CCC race around Mont Blanc in September.  Unfortunately, the event is very popular and places are awarded via a ballot, much like London marathon, and I was unsuccessful at securing a place this year.  However, I have signed up for plenty of other events, so here's my list so far:

Cambridge Boundary Marathon - 3 March

Cambridge Half Marathon - 10 March (yes, it is just a half, but it is on my doorstep)

London Marathon - 21 April

Neolithic Marathon - 5 May

North Downs Way 50 mile ultra - 18 May

Malvern Midsummer Marathon - 22 June

Addidas 24 hour Thunder Run - 27/28 July

Swiss Mountain Man Ultra - 17 August

The Swiss Mountain Man Ultra is 80km and includes a total of 5000m of climbing.  I've entered this as a replacement for the 100km CCC.  The Addidas 24 hour run is the event I am most nervous about.  It does mean running for 24 hours, starting at lunchtime on Saturday and not stopping until lunchtime on Sunday.  The course is a 6 mile loop around a country park.  This will be as much a test for the head as it is for the legs.  I'm not even sure how I'm going to train for this event.

O.k. I think that's enough for today.  In my next post I'll write a little about how training is going so far.