Ultra_Tales_Issue_4_v2

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60to see why. We chatted as we moved along the sandon Runswick Bay, with Nick soaking up the coastalscenery that is rarely glimpsed in the Runfurthercalendar.Ascending the steps of the ravine out of Runswick,he pressed on ahead of me and my slow pace anduncomfortable footsteps were becoming moreacute. I have no way of gauging it, but I felt asthough I was moving slower on this stretch after 20miles than I was doing on the same stretch duringthe Hardmoors 110 after having travelled 70. AsNick disappeared into the distance and a steadyprocession of runners trotted past me, I was leftwith the familiar views of this beautiful northeastern coastline for company."I realised that acompletion under thecircumstances was goingto consist of me walkingthe next 40 miles in a lotof pain"I realised that a completion under thecircumstances was going to consist of me walkingthe next 40 miles in a lot of pain, which wouldprobably then result in me taking time off work.Having done my heroism for the year with my 110completion, and having completed the routebefore, the logic of the decision to pull out atSandsend was established long before it actuallydawned on me that that is what I had to do.At 27 miles, I descended the steps to Sandsend carpark and withdrew 33 miles short of the grand slam.As I sat on a wall by the sea in the pleasant middaysun and watched the few runners left behind mecome through, I chatted with Flip Owen who hadalso withdrawn. Listening to him, and ignoring therace director’s threats to kick my arse, I knew mydecision had been the right one.The experience was another salutatory one. As an atbest averagely talented athlete, my ultra runningcan only be sustained through continued hard workand training. Whilst a gifted runner might be able torock up at a 60 mile ultra under trained and underprepared, and somehow wing it, the nature of mybiomechanics dictate I must get to start lines in thebest possible condition. If not, as experience hastaught me several times, a finish is not guaranteed.It also occurred to me, I think for the first time, thatthere isn’t actually any shame in DNFing, despitewhat all the tough guys out there might think.Carrying on injured and in pain is all well and good,but it’s not some unwritten ultra running rule youhave to follow. I’d much rather finish races fit andstrong and running well, rather than drag myselfaround them in pieces. I’ll be making a consciouseffort to improve on that in the future. Serioustraining, conditioning and injury proofing thiswinter will be a good start. Middle of the packrunners, be warned!37 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://