My path to ultra-running was quite straight forward, turbulent past, a desperately dark time, a change of mindset and then some learning about the sport.
What I didn’t know I would find Is a sense of being.
As I sit here over my lunch thinking on this subject and thinking on a question that was asked the other day at the pool ‘How did you find out you were good at long distance running?’.
The truth is I didn’t just go out and run. I absolutely destroyed myself at the start. I pushed so hard that my hips gave out my knees were fucked and my feet…… well I’m not even going there.
It was a hard realisation, but I enjoyed the process. I enjoyed those mornings not being able to walk down the stairs because id earned that feeling. My knees were stiff from the constant pounding not just sitting on the sofa.
After a while I started to notice the further I went the more doors and windows in my mind would open, images of a young me saying something or doing something would pop up here and there. Tears would form and id remember bad times, they would pass, and I’d be remembering trips and good times with friends.
Thinking on previous relationships and my current one. How my past had shaped me to the person I was when I started running and how my running was changing me as a person.
The community around the ultra-scene is like nothing else. Because its full of longstanding runners and the sport is all about finishing the distance rather than pace and times the egos are kept low or for the top dogs competing for the win.
The sport is geared for people to push themselves personally and this shines through on every race event or personal challenge. People want to come out and support. People want to give their time to help.
From my fist ultra-race seeing people just come to stand and cheer us and other on was amazing seeing people come out to the check points to help us, the last event I did In wales a lady and her daughter stood on top of a mountain in the rain because there was a mix up and where there was meant to be an unmanned water point there was none. The pair stood and waited from the people in first place to the people at the back this was through the early hours of the morning. The thought of people doing that brings me nothing but happiness.
And this is what ultra has brought to my life. A sense of belonging and community a sense that no matter what’s going on someone is there to help. And this shines through to everyday life and is what made the connection between running endurance events and talking mental health or day to day struggles. There is always someone that will listen and/or help. As long as you step up to the start, start a conversation, start a race take it in your stride and start.
I will continue to connect the two and create space for people to take up running or take to talking more to better themselves.
If only one person gets something from any of this then it’s been more than worth it.
Take time for yourself and find what connects you.