How to Achieve your Ultra Marathon Goals
As part of our ‘Your Challenge, Your Story’ campaign, we’ve been asking participants what the most difficult part of an Ultra Challenge® is. The moment that almost stopped them from reaching their goals. The toughest barrier on route to the finish line.
The overwhelming answer was a surprising one: signing up.
To frequent walkers, joggers, and runners this answer is hidden in plain sight, much like the most difficult part of training is getting out the door. We often worry about the Challenge day, our longest training session, or the state our feet will be in after 50km, but all the excitement and determination that builds around an Ultra Challenge® gets us through. Simply committing to such a significant goal is the hardest part.
So how do you get over that obstacle of committing to a goal and signing up to push yourself further? Below are some approaches that suit different personality types – take your pick.
1. Visualise Your Goal
Imagine yourself crossing the finish line of your chosen Ultra Challenge®. Imagine the feeling of complete accomplishment and pride, admittedly mixed in with some emotional tiredness, surrounded by a Cheer Squad celebrating your Ultra Challenge®.
Think about the person you will be after months of dedicated training, exceeding your expectations of what you thought you were capable of. If in need of an extra prompt, look at the first week of an example training plan and imagine your training slotting into your life. Just the first week though – looking too far ahead can be daunting, and your abilities will improve rapidly.
Picturing this goal and the incredibly positive emotions around it might just be motivation enough to sign up.
2. Normalise the Challenge with your Friends and Family
Telling somebody that you are taking on an Ultra Challenge® can help normalise the idea not just to family and friends, but to yourself. Talking about it, and getting surprised reactions out the way, can take the doubt out of signing up. You might even find that mentioning an endurance event prompts your loved ones to pester you to sign up!
This is especially helpful if you are fundraising. It will encourage others to be invested in your cause and makes publicising your donations page easier. Friends and family are your biggest cheerleaders during training and Challenge day, and it is good to have them on side early.
Talking will only take you so far though! Remember to sign up at that golden moment where excitement is high and others are expecting you to. Leave it too long, the moment will pass and with it your chance to reach new goals.
3. Just Do It
For some, no amount of visualisation, preparation, or chatting around the subject will ease you into signing up. Just ‘rip the band-aid off’ and sign up to that event you have your eye on. That commitment pushes you into taking the actions needed to complete an Ultra Challenge®.
There has never been a better time for this approach as our New Year Deal allows you to sign up from just £10, with buy now, pay later options and discounts on charity fundraising. Take that step, sign up now, and the rest will follow.
