An Ultramarathon: any distance longer than a marathon.

The Green Man Ultra (GMU): a 45 mile loop around Bristol along the Community Forest Path.

Why on earth would anyone want to run an Ultra Marathon!? As if 26.2 miles wasn’t far enough. For the challenge of course! Why else!? Running an Ultra Marathon has long been on my running to-do list to be honest. Since my main goal has been on improving my marathon time though - I thought I’d bat the long long distance into the long long grass. So have I given up on trying to get faster in marathons? Well, not quite yet! So what’s changed? Some of you crazy inspirational fools to be honest! Seeing the exploits of a crazy bunch of you in the Green Man this year and last made me think - I wanna piece of the action. Plus I figured that it’s all good marathon training as well. 

As it was my FIRST ULTRA (worth capitals I think) - it had to be the Green Man Ultra (GMU). Who’d have believed you could run a 45 mile loop around Bristol pretty much entirely on trails!? That’s what makes the GMU such an inspired route. It runs mostly along the Community Forest Path. Woods, fields, paths - trails. There is some tarmac. This is Bristol after all. But you can absolutely guarantee that you’ll see parts of Bristol you’ve never seen before doing the GMU. A fantastic part of our country (and something often overlooked I think) is the fact that within a short distance, often several metres, of most roads and tarmac - there is a footpath. They often go unnoticed. Especially on four wheels. On the GMU, you can be running along a footpath you never knew existed, parallel to a road, somewhere in the suburbs, then pop out and run across a small road (oh yeah! - I know where this is!) then back onto another footpath. It’s as if a secret world exists. A parallel dimension of woodland tracks, trails - and footpaths - the arteries of our fair kingdom. Nature people nature! The GMU has this in abundance. To describe the GMU I’d say think the Cotswolds Way Relay (CWR) but flatter, more woody and a lot longer! The comparison with the CWR is the need to recce the route. But when I say recce - I do mean recce! The route is pretty insane. The Community Forest Path is still pretty much as nature intended. The Forest often winning the battle with the path. The route is very poorly signed and often overgrown. This makes it all the more fun! Finding your way is as much a challenge as the run itself. Okay, I take that back! The real challenge is obviously the distance itself. 

So did I actually manage it and how does it feel to attempt your first ultra!? Hell yeah I did! & Ooof! It hurt like hell. So there I was on the start line. 24th August. 8.00am. The temperature was already starting to hot up. I knew that the key for me was to try to slow myself down early on. I’m used to running shorter distances (aren’t we all!) so going off too quick would not end well! This did prove easier said than done which leads me onto my Top Tip Number 1. Recce, recce & recce again! I had recced the route in four or five parts (as it’s so damn long!) in the months leading up to the race but I wasn’t confident I knew the whole way without GPS. As such I found myself running a bit quicker than intended on some of the early parts due to wanting to keep people in my sights. IF I do it again I would try to get out for some recces with some GMU vets. There is a GMU Training Facebook page for just such a purpose. Top Tip Number 2 - food! This is always going to be trial & error on your first ultra. Testing stuff out on a training run would be useful. The GMU has 4 checkpoints which serve as food & drink stations. One or two of them have sandwiches. If you like jam sandwiches or peanut butter then you’re in luck. If not then not so much. They also have some sweet stuff. IF I do it again I will take my own sandwiches. For me - I felt I needed more of the savoury and less of the sweet, but everyone’s different. Top Tip Number 3 - listen to your Chairman. As I ‘ran’ past Neil up a hill about an hour in he told me ‘this is an ultra - you can walk the hills’. Good advice. IF I did it again I would walk or at least try to expend very little energy by plodding up the hills. 

The first checkpoint (CP1) - Blaise Castle - came and went very quickly. By CP2 - Hambrook I was definitely flagging. This was only 15 miles in, which was a bit worrying. The heat was definitely taking a toll. It was a real boost then to see all the Green Boy runners (including some familiar faces!) waiting to set off on their 30 miler at CP2. I managed to negotiate my way through Bradley Stoke, having ended up on my own. I did go the wrong way through a field somewhere between Shortwood and Warmley. Thankfully it was only a brief backtrack as I saw another chap going along a different track. I got through CP3 at Keynsham with a welcome boost of liquid refreshment and more familiar faces. Top Tip Number 4 - bring more energy drink as there is only water at the checkpoints. The pain started really kicking in around mile 33. From this point on I had little choice but to follow our Chairman’s advice. Luckily for me I had managed to catch up with one Jack Blanchard, nephew of one Pete Blanchard - Doynton Hard Half organiser-in-chief & EGRC Club treasurer. Following him guided me through some sketchy bits where I would have undoubtedly got lost otherwise. Jack and I managed to keep on slogging away through CP4, running down the hills and staggering along the flat. About a mile or two from the end - the wheels finally came off for me. The last hill before Ashton Court saw me stop at one point with hands on my knees. Walk, stagger, lean on tree, stagger, walk - just keep going. Thankfully I managed to keep on going. ‘Running’ when I could, walking when I couldn’t. I have to give huge thinks to Jack for staying with me in that last couple of miles. He could have easily gone on as he had more in the tank but chose to stay with me as I was badly suffering in the last mile. When the finish line and the GMU flags finally came into sight, about half a K away, with others around I reassured Jack that I was ok and I told him to go for it and off he breezed. I managed to break into a jog across the final field and felt more than a bit emotional as people applauded me across the finish line. I somehow managed to get 11th place out of 150 ish on day! - how - I’ve no idea. More than that though, just completing the distance felt like an awesome achievement. The feeling at the end was indescribable. 

If you have ever run a marathon - I’d say you can - and definitely should - try an ultra. If I’ve not yet managed to convince you to do the 45, then give the 30 miler a try first. The best part of the GMU is the camaraderie amongst the runners and supporters and the spirit epitomised by Jack. Look after your fellow runner. The impromptu water stations that popped up en route. From the ‘hero with the hosepipe’ at the top of Dundry, to the lovely lady giving out water and goodies along the cycle path, to the legendary ‘Frazzle man’ (he gives out Frazzles) and accompanying EGRC members at Shortwood. You can’t put a price on that. That’s what makes the GMU one to move up your running bucketlist. If you're not yet convinced to give the ultra a try, I’ll end on a quote by T.S. Eliot that I know off by heart (ok - that I robbed off the GMU Facebook page!) ..... “Only those that risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” Now see next years' Club Champs list .... :)