Susan Donnelly Ultramarathon Trail Runner. Motivational Speaker. http://www.susanruns100s.com
First Ultramarathon Date : May 7, 2009
Twelve years ago last weekend, I ran my first ultramarathon, the Strolling Jim 40 mile. Like that race, the time has gone fast. Looking back, I don’t remember much about making the decision to run it except for a deep belief, a bedrock sureness that I could do it. I found the race in Ultrarunning magazine that spring and the idea stuck in my mind. The longer it stayed, the more familiar it became. Somewhere along the way, it must have joined forces with the part of me that knew it was possible. I never had to “make” myself believe I could succeed, the belief was just there under some insubstantial shouldn’ts and couldn’ts. If nothing else, I was willing to try, even if I didn’t succeed. No harm done, since I didn’t know anyone there. Wow. Even with all my marathons, I knew so little. Looking back, I’m amazed at what selfconfidence, some physical ability, and a positive outlook can accomplish. I remember flowery meadows and a bridge way out in the country. Jugs of water left for us on the side of the road, fine with me because that’s the way I did my long runs at home. Trailers with lots of barking hounds. A loooong, hot stretch of pavement that just wouldn’t end. Then the Walls (a respectable roller-coaster) and the relief of their hills after all the flat. I was by myself most of the way but had an excellent crew, which helped tremendously with morale. It was all asphalt, something I thankfully don’t even have to consider today. Strangely enough, I don’t remember finishing but I do remember turning the fact that I could run 40 miles over and over in my mind, like rolling a huge diamond around in my hand. What would I do with it? This one race, an almost casual decision, opened one of the most defining doors of my life. Beyond it were new possibilities and potential I’d never dreamed of. It led me finally to trail ultras, the passion I’d been seeking all my life. There are still so many trails to explore – in the Southeast, the US, and around the world. More than a lifetime’s supply. Now, twelve years later after that first Strolling Jim, I’m still like a kid in the world’s biggest candy store who’s only sampled a handful of jellybeans.
I think I had subscribed to Ultrarunning and the Strolling Jim 40 mile was on the schedule about the time I’d feel ready.
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