Thoughts before my first ultra of the year

Questionable preparation ahead of running 82km across Gran Canaria

I wrote this on Friday, before setting off to run 82km across Gran Canaria. Then I chickened out of sending it in case everything went horribly wrong and I had to be helicoptered off a mountain or something.

Anyway, I’m happy to report that (spoiler) I had a really good day out, better than I probably deserved. I’ll send you out a full debrief in a couple of days but for now, here’s the prelude ahead of my first ultra marathon of the year.

---

It’s just before dinner time on Friday evening and I’m writing this on the balcony of my hotel room in Gran Canaria. I’ve pushed the table and chairs into the little bit of shade in the corner and I’m eating some salted pretzels before heading to the buffet for dinner.

The more carbs the better today. I flew out here yesterday ready for this year’s edition of Transgrancanaria. I’m attempting the ‘Advanced’ race this weekend: 82km with 4,000 metres of elevation over the island’s mountains. We set off at 9am tomorrow morning and the cut off is 21 hours. Meaning that, hopefully, I’ll cross the finish line at some point before 6am on Sunday morning.

Here’s what I’m excited about: February sunshine, not wearing head-to-toe waterproofs, paella at the aid stations, the post-race pool day on Sunday, drinking a sangria by the sea, going home a bit less pale than I arrived.

Here’s what I’m nervous about: how I’m going to handle the February sunshine after a winter of wearing head-to-toe waterproofs, the actual running, the fact one of my ankles is already looking a bit chunky and we’ve not even started yet.