Welcome to Trails and Tribulations… of ultra-running with Sam Middlemiss.
First and foremost, welcome to “Trails and Tribulations” a new blog written by me, Sam Middlemiss, which plans to share the (hopefully) relatable and interesting experiences I encounter as I enter the world of Ultra and Trail running. The Blog, as the name may suggest, will follow the Trails (yes pun-intended and not just a typo) and Tribulations I face as I go from being a cannonball-shaped, “broad and stocky” ex-rugby player to the slim(mer)-line and sprightly ultra-marathon runner.
Trails and Tribulations aims to not only conjure up interest and empathy from those with any form of enthusiasm for running and fitness, but also offer light relief to those who have no interest in ultra-running, sport, fitness or moving at all through stories of my inevitable pain and misery coupled with anecdotes of enjoyment and contentment.
Disclaimer – This is definitely not going to be another one of those inspiring articles with text book advice and excellent scientific evidence to back it up. It will follow the real experience of a complete novice runner (and novice blogger) entering a world of stupidly long-distance running/walking/crawling otherwise known as ultra-running.
Who is Sam Middlemiss and why ultra-running?
Now, I start with a warning, this is my very first attempt at a blog, and I am certainly not a linguist, (I had to research the spelling and meaning of the word linguist to make sure it made sense), so please bare (or is it bear ;)) with any inconsistent writing styles and the frequent switch from 1st to 3rd person.
I will also start by highlighting; I am a complete novice when it comes to running. I do come from a very active background, having spent the majority of my life (from the age of 5) playing rugby, as well any other sport I could get stuck in to. Therefore, I’d like to think that I have a decent base level of fitness and at the age of 26 hopefully age is still on my side. However, when it comes to running specifically, my experience is limited to a handful of cross-country races in year 10 where I was essentially making up the numbers and the odd “fun run” and fundraising event over the years. Where I lack in experience and gracefulness I make up for in enthusiasm and a tendency for turning anything into a competition. For reference I am the type of person who, will not let my 5-year-old niece win a game of noughts and crosses (as much as I try to) and I once carried out an “armed robbery” during a tense game of monopoly.
To provide context to those with an interest in running, the longest running “races” I have been involved with are mass participation Half Marathons (done 3 in total), which took place on the pot-holed ridden roads of Cardiff and Bath and I have a personal best time of 1 hour 30 minutes and 32 seconds.
Therefore, ultra-marathon running will be a step in to the unknown and will inevitably put me far out of my comfort zone, pushing me to both my physical and mental limits. But that is exactly the reason I am doing this, I am excited to find out my true capabilities and, ultimately, find my breaking point. Coming from a background of general comfort and routine with my “typical” upbringing and my 9-5 (often 8-6) office job, it offers me the opportunity to break out of the “normal” and pursue a more adventurous and fulfilling lifestyle. It will also give me the chance to explore both my local area and other parts of the UK (and maybe further afield), while offering a relief from the stresses and anxieties of the ‘real world’ in day-to-day life.
What actually is Ultra-running?
Now apologies to anyone who has read up to this point and has be asking themselves what “ultra-running” actually is. The official definition according to Ultra Running Magazine is that it involves running “anything past the marathon, or 26.2 miles (42 kms)”, however goes on to say “the shortest standard distance that is considered an ultra is the 50-kilometre distance, or 31.07 miles”. The most common ultra-marathon distances you tend to find are 50km (31.07 miles) or 100km (62.14 miles), as well as 50 mile (80.47km) and 100 mile (160.93 km) races, however in essence, as long as it’s longer than the distance of a ‘traditional’ marathon then pretty much anything goes.
To add another spanner in the works, it’s worth noting that there is a range of formats in which the ultras are hosted including single day races and multiple day events where a specified distance is the goal, but also timed challenges (eg. 24 hours) where the goal is to cover as much distance within that set timeframe. Furthermore, most ultra-running events take place on varied, changeable surfaces, with the majority on trails and pathways consisting of gravel, mud, sand and rock. In other words, and to cut a long story short, ultra-running comprises running for very long distances for an extended time on difficult and challenging terrain. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that the majority include sizeable elevation gains (i.e big hills/mountains) in case the long distances and tough going terrain wasn’t enough!
This weird, wonderful and diverse world of ultra-running and the wealth of formats and layouts will be covered in more detail as this blog series develops.
Outlook for Trails and Tribulations
My plan is to publish a new blog every week or two, each with a main topic of interest and a brief overview of how the training for that week(s) has gone. Each blog will brief, light-hearted and jovial and will hopefully appeal to both ultra-keenos and couch potatoes a like.
If this sounds like a blog for you then keep please follow me on Instagram via @samiddlemiss (link also below) to stay up to date with latest blog details and my training. You can also follow me on Strava to view my runs and make sure I’m getting the miles in!
The first (official) blog will be published on 5th March 2021. Thank you so much for reading, see you soon!
Thanks again! See you soon!
You can follow me on Instagram and Strava to keep up to date with the latest on the blog and my training via the links below!