Mental Feat - ultra running explored

I got to know Mark in 2009 when I did the Al Andalus Ultra in Spain. Mark is a phenomenal runner and has run in so many classical ultras: Badwater, UTMB and many more. This year he wrote a great piece on Spartathlon, it really makes me think that one day, one day I’ll be [...]

I ran into Mimi (no pun intended ha ha ha) at the Al Andalus in 2009. She is an absolute legend when it comes to running… Last week she not only did the Badwater ultramarathon, but continued on to scale the Peak and run back down and then from the finish line to the start… [...]

This year’s UTMB was cancelled due to a sudden change in weather resulting in a mudslide making the trail dangerous for the runners. Two of my fellow runners, Mimi Anderson and Martine Hofstede were in Switzerland at the time: “1….2…..3…U…T…M…B… we were off, the race had finally started – 166km of hard running and adventure [...]

There is an Ultra marathon on Iceland that many people have raved about. The landscape and beauty of the scenery is suppose to be extraordinary. Below is an account of the Laugavegur Mountain Ultra, posted on Running Monkey. “Laugavegur mountain Ultra marathon was my first ultra. It was the culmination of a challenge I set [...]

In a post on Lisa Bliss’ blog I was forced to think about success and failure. If success is secured, does that make it mundane and not worth pursuing? Lisa is writing about the quote “What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail?”, and argues that life would then be boring and mundane. [...]

“Suddenly, we were no longer slogging through the sticky humidity. The sounds, smells, the sensations of wet drops on our skin, the potential danger – all of my senses were on alert. I felt so attuned to my surroundings, my body, my running – all infused with purpose. Happiness. What made me feel so alive? [...]

Badwater, the word is a magical one amongst ultra athletes. One of the pinnacle events in the world, and maybe the toughest of them all. Mark Woolley, who I had the pleasure to meet in the Al Andalus last year, here gives his account of this gruesome race. DONT MISS his daughter’s account of the [...]

Three of the 12 runners in the JOGLE completed the whole run across the UK, from the very North to the very South. I think it must have been such a great race for the three to finish, a true endurance achievement. Maybe one day I will be on the start line, but first I [...]

I was running my “long” run yesterday and was thinking of the guys doing the JOGLE. In comparison to what they are doing, I am just playing around in the kids pool… They are covering close to 60 miles per day for 15 days in a row! They are only through day three and I [...]

A few of my ultra friends are embarking on an huge adventure… the JOGLE run, where over 15 days they will run the length of Brittain. In total they will run 868 miles (1,396km!) from John O’Groats to Lands End. It is Rory Coleman, the iconic UK ultra marathon specialist who is managing the event. [...]