Becoming an ultra-runner (!!!)

😩 I TOOK A BIG FAT L

In July, I set a goal of running 10 kilometres in less than 40 minutes. Unfortunately, in the recent "Fleet 10K" road race held on October 30th, I only managed a time of 41:06.

🤨 Moving the goalposts

Leading up to the race, it became apparent that road running was not for me. Consequently, I didn't do much speed work or interval training (which would have helped) and instead, I pitter-pattered around the local woodlands for about three months.

The trails got me out of bed everyday, built up my mileage, and cleared my head before a day's work. I could soak in my surroundings at a slower pace, enjoy being outside, stop to take photos and appreciate things – a welcome break from the hustle and bustle that usually followed my morning run.

It's often repeated that the key to running is consistency. I adjusted my mindset to 'just jog' 4/5 times a week. As described by James Clear in his book "Atomic Habits", there are four rules to forming a new habit:

• make it obvious
• make it attractive
• make it easy
• make it satisfying

Over the course of six months, without any efforts or heroics, my weekly mileage grew from an average of 25 km to 50 km. December 26th will mark one full year of consistent weekly running!

📚 Learning to listen

Hours of running alone presented an opportunity. Listening to music whilst running was my norm, but I wasn't gaining much from it (apart from on Mondays when there's a new Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify).

Podcasts were easy to digest – one run meant one podcast – and they provided great company. To name a few go-tos:

• HCPod
• Freedom Machines with Freddie Dobbs
• The Diary of a CEO
• Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats
• Your Moms House

They were, and still are, perfect for the restorative jogs when mentally and physically drained and just in the mood for some easy listening. In David Goggins's terms, Podcasts and Music are my paths of least resistance.

🎧 Audiobooks – Libby

"I should read more", I often thought, and on the rare occasion I did, it felt nice to swap my phone for a book, but I still didn't do it enough.

My fiancee, Gabriella, is an avid bookworm. She recommended the app "Libby"; an online library of free audiobooks. It replicates a real-world library where you must return a book after a set amount of time, and a limited amount of people can have a book at once, meaning you are more likely to read it and not put it off.

Whilst running the following day, I tried listening to a random audiobook but seriously struggled to concentrate. Without realizing it, I would zone out for 4-5 minutes and, upon returning from my mental absence, hadn't the foggiest who was who or what was what. Random thoughts, uninvited worries, problems yet to arise – my attention was neither here nor there. "I can't even listen to books, let alone read them!" I thought.

It took a few attempts, and a more gripping storyline – "The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides, to be exact – before I could listen properly. It made me wonder what effects this had on my day-to-day life.

I listen to audiobooks on 80% of my runs now! I aim to keep practising the simple skill of listening and focusing, exercising my mind with its own little brain gym. I finished The Silent Patient a few days ago and can highly recommend it, and Libby, to anyone.

🏃🏼 Running guy

I never thought I'd see the day. It feels weird to call running a hobby. "Going for a run" is like "going to the gym" – to me, it's a lifestyle choice, a daily 1% improvement, a little bit of cardio – is it a hobby? I don't know, maybe it is. I'd probably keep it under wraps if someone ever asks me what my hobbies are. The truth is, the 'return on investment' with running has been enormous, especially compared to investments with cycling, for example. Put on some shoes and touch some grass!

A few weeks ago, on a bit of a whim, I entered the Ultra Trail Snowdonia 100K (DEFINITELY A HOBBYYY) set to take place May 13th. I will elaborate on that event in a different diary entry.

🤓 Becoming an ultra runner (!!!)

Over the summer, at least once a month, I would run 8.5 km to the second-nearest Parkrun, around its 5 km course, then 8.5 km back home. The route was a mix of woodlands and canal towpaths – a favourite – and took about 2 hours to complete. It was hardly a large chunk of the day as I would be home by 10:30 AM.

After half a dozen of these runs, prioritising distance over speed, I became curious about how much further I could go and what else I could survive.

I took a lot of inspiration from Sarah Place, a fairly regular-seeming person who posts YouTube videos of herself running 100+ miles over multiple days, through night and day and night again (not so regular).

She often posted about the North Down's Way, where she would do her 'shorter' training runs. Despite the North Down's being on my doorstep, I had never explored it, so I thought it was as good opportunity to run part of it for my first Ultra.

The furthest I had ever run was 25 km, so doubling this to 50 km was probably doable, I thought. There was only one way to find out!

😊 1st Ultra

I did it! I was sore, tired, and exhausted, but it was one of the most enjoyable tests of mental and physical endurance I've ever put myself through. After a few days of recovering, I resumed my usual local trail runs and began to think about what to do next.

😄 2nd Ultra

I did another 50 km three weeks afterwards! A 'point-to-point' this time, my Dad dropped me off in Betchworth at 10 AM for me to run back home, "See you in a bit!" he said to me after the 50-minute car journey. The task at hand seemed a bit daunting after seeing how far we drove to get to Betchworth. Nevertheless, one foot after the other, I made it home after 9 hours and 4 minutes.

I was slightly more sore this time due to the 1,000m elevation, but I loved it. Eating all day, running all day, into the dark, pulling my headtorch out of my backpack and running some more. I listened to the first 6 hours of Jo Nesbo's "The Bat". I was really proud of myself and slept like a log that night.

🙈 All the gear, no idea

Back in January, whilst visiting Gabriella in NJ, I bought some Nike "NEXT% Alphaflys". They were on offer – still really expensive – but I wanted to get back into running, and at least for me, investing in good gear solidifies those ambitions and makes them stick.

After ~300 km in the shoes, I got a puncture! The little air bubble on the bottom of the shoe had burst, rendering me lop-sided. Luckily, much to my surprise, Nike agreed to a full refund on them – I had run in them for over eight months. I found a handful of other people online with the same issue who also got refunds, so I guess it's a known fault.

❤️‍🔥 Hoka

I've fallen in love with Hoka and their shoes! I first bought their "Challenger ATR 6", which felt comfortable when I tried them on, but after a few long runs, it became apparent they were slightly too narrow for me and hurt my feet. Luckily, Hoka have a 30-day guarantee, so I sent the shoes back with no trouble, even after running 50 km in them.

I ended up buying the Speedgoat 4 Goretex, which have been absolutely remarkable. Being well-equipped for any condition is one of my favourite aspects of an outdoor hobby, so anything Goretex makes me rather happy, especially in winter. ESPECIALLY in England.

⌚️ Garmin Fenix 6X Pro

On the first 50 km run, my trusty Apple Watch Series 3, now about six years old, was on it's last legs towards the end. I had to charge it everyday, regardless of any activity, so it's not fit for ultra-running.

The Apple Watch worked well for me this year, and was perfect for much shorter, light-weight runs. I was reluctant to upgrade, as I'm saving for a house, but Black Friday rolled around. A refurbished Garmin Fenix 6X Pro presented itself at £250, down from £650. Ka-ching!!!