From Jonathan Turner…

It felt a bit like out of the frying pan and into the fire when the Leeds Country Way Winter Ultra finally got under way on Saturday – the original dates in early December were cancelled because of Storm Darragh and rescheduled for the second weekend in January.

So wind and rain was replaced by lots – and lots – of snow and ice and on balance we probably had it a little easier. However it definitely added to the challenge for the 35 miles on the Saturday and then 30 on the Sunday. Those who have done legs of the LCW Relay will know most of the route well, though the southern half was markedly different in places.

Micro studs helped until they snapped early on Saturday afternoon. The phone died soon after because of the cold and then the watch, which made navigation tricky in the final section. I had a battery charger which got things back on track but it all gave me massive appreciation for the challenge Petra and others all had to come in the Winter Spine Race, a completely different league.

I made my way to the finish at Farsley Celtic FC around 5pm on Saturday, effectively the halfway point for the weekend, but I think the cold conditions had taken their toll as plenty of people were unsure about whether they’d be back for part two in the morning.

I was 50/50 at that point – I had good excuses as I’d been drawn out of the club ballot during the week for the London Marathon so that had suddenly become the running priority and I also knew the second half really well, so it was less a voyage into the unknown.

However a quick dash to a nearby outdoor shop to replace the broken Yaktrax-type footwear things probably gave a good indication of what was going to happen the next day.

And I was so glad I did go back. I made a conscious effort to exit the start right at the back and just make Sunday all about getting to the finish. It was completely new territory – Saturday had been my longest-ever run, and now I had 50k/30 miles to negotiate the day after.

But it couldn’t have worked out better. I joined up with two others before the halfway point near Harewood and we pretty much chatted all the way from then on.

It became obvious that lots had bailed before the Sunday so a very limited field by this point and we were now the last group but embraced it – and it was fantastic not worrying about time or position. Running with others also meant the constant looking out for black ice could be put on hold for sections – whoever was at the front would shout a warning – but to be honest the runnable sections were very limited.

I’ve realised that ultrarunners are definitely a different breed – one of the two I ran with had recently completed 130-miles plus at a Backyard Ultra – and it was good to get plenty of advice for the future.

Ritchie W and Petra had told me to set off steady and keep eating, which I tried to follow, but running with others was the game-changer for me – that turned it from a battle with the bad chimp on your shoulder telling you to quit to a really enjoyable experience.

Obviously it’s very, very early days for me but hopefully this is the first of many ultras and I’d definitely recommend Great Owl Running who organised this. A small company but they handled the initial cancellation well and the rescheduled event ran smoothly. Check points / food stations were great and friendly and they are now doing the LCW ultra all in one in September, starting at midnight. Think I might be tempted…