
I’ve never been a very fast runner, so a little while ago I made the decision to go for distance over speed. Having done the usual progression from 10km to Half Marathon and on to full Marathon the logical next step seemed to be to run an Ultra, but it was a very big and scary step.
So, on Sunday 19th April I took part in my first ultra distance run, the Wychavon Way Ultra. 40 miles of hills and trails from Broadway in the Cotswolds to Droitwich Spa. To say I was nervous in the build up was an understatement, but I trained hard, I ate the right food (ish) and I tried to keep a positive attitude. Easier said than done though, knowing what lay ahead.

The first 10 miles passed really quickly and checkpoint 1 came into view with it’s array of sweet treats, fruit and malt loaf to keep us all going. I scoffed down a couple of flapjacks, filled my bottle and got ready to set off again. However, annoyingly I could already feel a couple of blisters developing so I took the time to get them taped before I carried on.

Onwards to CP3, another 10 mile stint, through some beautiful countryside and impressively wealthy looking villages, including the wonderfully named Wyre Piddle. The end of this section marked the furthest I’d ever run in one go, so I was moving into unknown territory. I couldn’t help but smile. I left CP3 knowing that there was only 10 miles left, I was almost there, the experience/pain would soon be over.

And then it was over. Having worried about it for so long I’d done it, and also proven to myself that I really can do anything if I put my mind to it.
The question now though is where do I go from here. Oh yes, the small matter of a 24 hour solo run in July...