The Ultra Life: Hedgehogs, Headwinds & Heroic Toilets (13th June Training Recap)

Let me set the scene: 3 AM. It's dark, it's damp, and I'm doing battle with two cats who think breakfast is a competitive sport. One insists on eating, only to swan off mid-crunch so the other can swoop in. Cue the Benny Hill chase sequence. All before coffee. Why the ungodly hour? Because apparently I like to suffer in new time zones. A month ago, I was waking at 4. Now? 3 is the new 5. And why not, it’s ultramarathon season, baby.

Today’s mission: 50km before 10 AM. No pressure.

Made it to Exmouth just before 4 AM. It was darker than a coffee addict’s soul. No sunrise, just clouds and that eerie glow of streetlights. Genuinely spooky. Nature offered me a heart attack in hedgehog form, right in the road. I briefly debated becoming the Hedgehog Hero on Wheels, but the logistics (and scaring it into cardiac arrest on my lap) said no. Thankfully, it made it across the road safely. Small wins!

I Started rolling by 4:18 AM. I had tailwind. Then headwind. Then both. Physics took a day off, apparently. My arms were screaming, my leg was screaming louder, and my body was pulling a solid 9/10 on the Pain-O-Meter. But I’ve got a rule: if I let pain dictate my life, I’d never do anything. So I kept pushing.

The magic of random playlists kept things fresh. And for once, my thoughts weren’t a warzone. No mental gremlins, just friends, future plans, and a whole lot of good vibes. Running (okay, wheeling) through Exmouth felt like a solo concert with a sea breeze.

Normally, I don’t peek at my distance, I go by time and gels. But today? Smashed it. Finished 50K in 4 hours, 55 minutes. New PB. And somehow, a 10K PR too... just over 17 minutes. No clue how that happened. Possibly adrenaline. Possibly the race against the random man? There’s always that guy, the one who can't handle being overtaken by someone in a wheelchair. I sense the drama building around the 2.5K mark. His feet pick up pace. My wheels hum faster. It becomes a silent duel, and spoiler: I always win (so far!!!). Must be infuriating. But also… satisfying. Not that I'm competitive at all?

So, my bladder is unfortunately tied into my medication, and so I have to visit the loo every 5k in the first couple of hours... Now, can someone explain why Exmouth has one accessible loo for the whole beach? ONE. And why do men treat it like a portal to the apocalypse? Every time I wheel in, it looks like a Jackson Pollock painting... if he used only bodily fluids. I salute the poor cleaner. He deserves a medal. Or at least a hazmat suit.

Post-ultra traffic tried to ruin my vibe, but I got back just in time for a fantastic meeting with the Childfund-rugby crew. We're prepping for the virtual handover of the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup whistle (yes, that’s a thing and yes, it’s awesome). I got to meet some brilliant people, even if my brain fog temporarily ate their names. You know who you are. You’re all legends.

Was it a weird day? Absolutely. Did I break records, dodge hedgehogs, and mildly shame a few men with fragile egos? You bet. But I will do it all again tomorrow! (Hopefully with the Hedgehogs still safe in their houses!).