White Rose Ultra

I’d anticipated that a 30 mile Ultra Marathon would be pretty difficult, but I don’t think the fact that I was about to run further than I ever had before ever hit me. It was only 3.2 miles further than a marathon, how hard could it be? The race started in Golcar, Huddersfield and was a 30 mile long loop through the Colne Valley with just under 4,000ft of elevation gain.

I’d asked Lucy Rider to join me on this ultra, she was very keen and I knew she’d be a great person to run with. She’s full of great conversation, so I hoped she’d take my mind off the challenge. She brought along a fellow parkrunner, Alan who had never done a trail race before! They are both great runners, I knew they’d do very well.

I didn’t look at the course profile beforehand (my first mistake) and didn’t know how hilly the landscape was until we got there. I’m more than happy running on flat roads, so I really did feel out of place! I actively avoid hills, so I knew I had to take it at my own pace and keep moving forward.

We all set off at 8am for the 30 miler. Some people were doing two or three laps of the same course and had been running since midnight. At mile one, we hit our first hill and everyone was walking. I began to understand that run-walking would be the right strategy as the hills didn’t get any easier. At Mile 2, I ended up running through (well, straight into) a bog. With mud in my toes and shoes, I wasn’t very happy and started to wonder what I’d signed up to.

Aid stations were every five miles, where we could look forward to cakes, flapjack, jelly babies and ice cold water. I decided to treat myself to cake and took some jelly babies for the journey.

I couldn’t decide whether seeing other runners ahead of you conquering the steep hill you were about to go up was annoying or motivating. Sometimes it was great, I thought ‘Yes, I can do this’, other times the pain in my legs dictated my thoughts with ‘Not another hill’. The sun had come out for us and it was pretty warm, around 18 degrees. The views from the top of the moors were fantastic, alongside the beautiful weather, this really added to the experience. The warm weather had quite a draining effect, plenty of water was consumed.

I definitely hit some sort of wall around Mile 19, the ups were longer and my legs felt horrible. Knowing I was two thirds of the way just didn’t seem like enough, to manage another ten miles felt like it was going to be impossible. Whenever I struggle, I think about the people who inspire me, fellow runners who have conquered their own challenges. I kept moving forward and arrived at the 20 mile (which was actually 21 miles) aid station where I ate a snickers (why not?) and plodded on. Thankfully it was pretty flat and downhill onwards.

As I reached Blackmoorfoot Reservoir, I thought I recognised people taking photographs, I realised it was Anne and Noel who are Run Directors at Woodhouse Moor parkrun. I was very happy to see them, it really spurred me on. I looked at my watch, 26.2 Miles it said. I remember grinning and telling myself to hold on. The last three miles really were tough, my legs were tired, I kept banging them against each other, the downhills were really painful and I got lost near to the end. But I’m happy to say I made it, with Anne and Noel meeting me at the end to run me in, I did it! I was so thrilled to finish, it was a mixture of exhaustion and elation. I’ve never done a race where I felt like I couldn’t run any further, until I did this one- I really was exhausted! I was so happy to get a medal too, a lovely piece of evidence that I completed this challenge.

I thought back to two years ago, I was reluctantly gearing up for my first 10K. I was so scared, worried that I wouldn’t be able to complete the Abbey Dash. And now I’ve completed an Ultra Marathon and many races in between. I’m so very proud of myself and the journey I’ve made. If you ever doubt yourself, all you need to do is look back on your journey and how far you’ve come. Running is on your own terms, you get faster and further if and when you want to. Runners are inspirational people and I am so grateful for every run I do, every piece of advice I’ve received and every person I have ever run with.

I’d recommend the White Rose Ultra 30 to anyone who wants a challenge and would like to run in the beautiful countryside. Make sure you bring a few good friends and check the weather forecast!

http://www.whiteroseultra.co.uk/

Samantha Scarlett