You don’t have to be the fittest person on the planet to run an ultramarathon. With the right race strategy, picnic skills and mental strength, anyone can achieve fantastic things. Here are some of the mind games I have learned from running around a 400m track for 24hrs at a time.
Always have a plan B. You may be aiming to finish your first ultra in record time, but if it goes wrong then you need a target for your mind to work towards. Aimless minds will lose motivation and grind to a halt.
Expect the dark patches. Remember, finishing is always a massive high point and as long as you keep moving forward when you feel rubbish, you’ll make it.
Break the race down into chunks. You can run for an hour, right? Well do that and then have a walk break or one of your favourite snacks. If an hour is too long, then just get to the next checkpoint, the next mile or the next tree, and then look up for a new challenge. One step at a time has got me round some low points in 24hr races. It all adds up.
Remember this is the fun part. This is why you put in those hard miles in the pouring rain in training: to push yourself and discover what you are capable of (and then boast about it to your mates down the pub).
If it were easy, everyone would do it. You, though, are doing it because you enjoy a challenge. So eat some sour Skittles and keep moving forward.
