Meltham 10k 2012

The runners were greeted with snowy hills and icy roads this morning, it certainly was chily at the start with my car registering -2 degrees!

It was a very casual affair, people gathered around the starting area around 9:30 and we were bunched up ready for the start.  I was close to the back and I didnt hear any sort of official "GO!", but when everyone started moving in front of me, i clicked my watch, and off we went.

The initial mile or so was quite annoying. Lots of people cramped into small roads leads to lots of dodging and bumping into people until everyone finds their place and the field spreads out a bit, it would have been nice for there to have been some indication of finishing time, and lining up accordingly, but it wasnt too bad.  I enjoy passing people anyway!

I got into a nice rhythm as we hit the first hill and i ploughed on strongly, not letting anyone past.  Felt good.

I have decided this will be my last road race.  I just find it boring.  I can handle the exertion if I'm jumping over tussocks, slipping on rocks, splashing through puddles and dodging sheep, but on a road....plod....plod....plod......i just find it really hard to get motivated.

Another reason I'm giving up roads is....it makes my feet hurt!  I haven't run on roads in ages and well....it felt like I was at the gym doing some kind of foot workout!  It burns, especially on the uphills!

This reduced me to a walk up some of the hills, constantly having to stop and shake them out.  I would stop, shake them out and get passed by people, who i would then pass when i set off, but then they would pass me again as I stopped.  I pretty much lost all motivation.

One plus from the race was the final downhill!  I found this amazing.  It was steep, and I think a lot of people are scared to run this fast....

Luckily, i have been throwing myself down much steeper hills with many more hazards recently, so I just flew down here, getting to a speed of 5.08minutes per mile, with a HUGE grin on my face as I passed lots of people.

I ended up finishing in 53.25.  Very disappointed with that, I should have been under 50 by a minute or so, but my constant walking and stopping, and lack of motivation ruined my race.

From now on, I am a fellrunner!

My Ultrarunning philosophy. Who is suited to ultrarunning? More people than you think!

I think a lot of normal people like me, who want to do ultra marathons, dont have time for clubs or a strict training schedule.  I even would say if I am part of the majority, we dont even have any natural talent toward ultra running.

The sad truth is, I am never going to be a fast 100 meter sprinter or a 2:30 marathon runner.  I dont have the right genetics to be a world class runner.  The physical boundaries that block me, the sheer fact that my heart, lungs and muscles are not capable of achieving such amazing speed and endurance should tell me that I will never be any good at running.

But luckily, me and many many average and below average people like me have a huge asset that is not bound by genetics, vo2 max, lactate thresholds or any other scientific sporting jargon.

Your mind!

I dont want to sound like a religious crazy but its true.  I might not be physically able to run a marathon in olympic time, but I can damn well run very slowly for a long long time.

No doubt this does use your body a bit, and fatigue does definitely set in.  But as long as I stay within my physical parameters, the only thing that will limit my performance is my mind.


I have a theory about why I tend to place well in ultra events.  It seems the longer and the more boring the race, the less appealing it is, and the higher the pure boredom factor, the better I perform.  The truth is that anyone fast enough to run a quick marathon will compete in a marathon.  Anyone who can run a quick 10k will do 10ks.

With very little training, last year I ran to 32nd in a 12 hour ultramarathon.  Had I managed an extra mile I would have jumped to mid 20s!   I did this simply with a strong head and a strong attitude.  I told myself that I was going to go forwards for the whole 12 hours, even if it was a walk.  Relentless forward progress.

Sure, there were the genetically gifted runners who managed 70+ miles in the 12 hours, but I was well prepared for that.

Placing around me in the 20s and 30s were all people similar to me.  Middle aged men and women who werent athletes.  They were just ordinary people, most not even part of clubs.

This just goes to prove my point that ordinary people CAN be above average athletes, where the most important part of your training is not physical but mental, and those genetically inferior people who have a strong will can be successful in sport!

So for all you average and below average runners out there, with no natural talent, but heaps of mental strength, ultrarunning is for you!