Ultra Running
Why on earth would anyone in their right minds want to run a marathon let alone further?Seems a common enough question but there are good reasons for both. Running marathons tends to be viewed as the hign water mark of distance running and of course it is, the demands of training, on the body and the mind are hign but it has its constraints and they include the obvious and not so obvious.
Marathons tend to be a longer version of other road races such as 10k and half marathon, use the same techniques around pacing and because of that tends to be driven by the watch that therefore becomes the focus of the run.
The beauty of Ultra Running and in particular off road Ultra Running is that it changes these perspectives completely. It is pretty much impossible to think in terms of minute miling if at one point you are are climbing a 20%+ gradient and an hour later decending something similar, the perspectives become longer and runners think in terms of the ground they are covering per hour and therefore the whole game becomes longer.
This longer perspective also allows time to be more aware of where you are and as the terraine in off road ultra tends to be testing it comes with the natural added benefit of exploring the great outdoors, experiencing breathtaking scenery and visting sights and sounds that otherwise would be impossible.Some of this comes with marathons too, I would be the first to admit that the shear volume of sound in the London Marathon when crossing Tower Bridge or running through Birdcage Walk stir the emotions but I would trade that every time for a view over a lake from 1000 meters and watching a pair of sparrow hawks hovering over their prey.
Ultra running provides a freedom that no other branch of the sport offers and the opportunity to explore yourself, your limits the country side and share the experience of expedition with others that creates lasting bonds.
