Five oh...Oh!

I've signed up for the Kurrawa - Duranbah 50k road race this December.

It's something I've wanted to do for a few years now. Last year I decided it was too much to hope for in the leadup to the two Ironman races I'd ended up in this year. The year before I chose a Foo Fighters gig over the 50k run.

(Theoretically I could have done both; the Foo Fighters gig was on the Gold Coast the night before the run. But, like last year, I thought it was too much to hope for.)

I've bitten the bullet now and here's what's going through my mind.

It's only a little bit more than a marathon. 7.8ks more in fact. I don't often get out of bed for 7.8ks... and more to the point I usually don't run a marathon until I've swim 3.8ks and ridden 180ks. So if I can get through the first 8ks feeling better than I do after all of that, I'll be OK, right? Right!!??

This thing is going to take me six hours minimum. The event website says there are no cutoffs and that they wait for everybody. I'm relieved to see that several competitors in the last couple of years have taken as long and longer than this.

Being in December in Queensland, it's going to be hot by the time I finish, and in fact by the time I reach the 25k turnaround. I've started carrying a Camelbak on my long runs and practicing hydrating a lot more.

My run has let me down on my last two Ironman races. Well, my digestive system has let my running down at least. Time to start experimenting with nutrition.

I have to run a marathon in training. A marathon as a training run! This seems fairly extreme. Not only because there won't be a medal, Tshirt, or fancy finish line waiting for me on that day.

And that leads to this. The reality of my first ultramarathon. Part of me is freaking out a little, about where taking this next step might lead. I've seen coverage on TV of events like the North Face 100 and the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc and wondered whether these goals would be achievable for me. I've also been inspired by my friend Kate who recently took on Race the Planet Iceland and emerged victorious.

So in biting the bullet this once, it may just be that I'm biting off a whole lot more.