The title says about me but I guess when you are an Ultra runner it is not just about the individual it’s also about the support network you have which enables you as the runner to train and take part in the adventures and challenges.
So here goes:
My name is Phil Spiers and I am an Ultra Runner.
I am no longer single - I have a wonderful Girlfriend Sarah who is very supportive of my running. It helps that she is a runner as well.
Between us we have 6 wonderful children 5 boys and one girl (ages 13 – 4) and who are full of life and never ending energy, but I would not have it any other way, they take up a fair bit of our time in looking after them.
I also have the support of my family and friends who have helped me in many ways to achieve my goals. Most of them think I am Bonkers some tell me I am, but all who have helped say they would do it again for the experience.
My Running:
My running started when I took part in an experiment with a work colleague to see if we could get fit using the fit for life book. This was in 1998, prior to that I had done very little exercise since leaving school and I smoked and I guess was classed as a binge drinker.
I would not say I had a Damascus
My running became more regular and although I took part in a smattering of events I was more interested in the training aspect and pushing myself to see how far I could go. Bredon Hill and The Malvern Hills became regular training sessions for me.
I took an interest in Ultra’s since 2000 but only from afar, I would happily digest all the info I could get my hands on in races like Comrades, MDS etc. Then I discovered that there were more and more Ultras in this country and I started keeping tabs on races like GUCR, Marathon of Britain etc. All this was looked upon in awe and I seriously did not think I could ever enter.
Then in 2007 I did a couple of training runs that were around 50miles which was a huge deal for me. I was totally in experienced and had an old camelback flashflo (bum bag) which held 1.4l and a few gels. I ended the first run vowing I would not do that ever again. I did another a few months later a little better prepared but still woefully inadequate.
Then at the beginning of 2010 I decided to have a go properly there was a new Ultra local to me called the Malvern Ultra which was just over 52miles at the beginning of May. I set about upping the training but about a month before I picked up some niggles and decided to not run it. At the end of May I was fully fit and injury free, I had been looking at a 100mile run close to where I live so I decided to enter I absolutely loved the experience and the rest as they say is history.
My race report for the Cotswold 100 (known as the Ultrarace 100 now) appears at the bottom of the official report the link is here if you wish to see it:-
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