sam_the_pt

8 months ago I stood on the start line of my first Backyard Ultra with absolutely no idea what I was doing.

I wasn’t an ultra runner.
Didn’t have the experience.
Didn’t really have the training.
Just curiosity, stubbornness and a pair of trainers.

Since then something has changed.

Not just physically, mentally too.

I’ve stopped obsessing over pace, PBs and trying to prove I’m a “fast runner”. Truth is, I don’t even really enjoy road racing that much. Give me hills, trails, heat, sand dunes, long conversations, getting lost, problem solving and just grinding away for hours instead.

I’ve realised I’m not built for perfect splits and smooth tarmac.
I’m built for discomfort, long days and just keeping moving forward.

The biggest thing I’ve learned is this:
Walking isn’t failure. Slowing down isn’t weakness. The goal is to keep moving, keep adapting and keep showing up.

Over the last few months I’ve:

- ran through sand dunes in 30° heat
- got lost on trails more times than I can count
- stopped to help friends through races
- trained tired
- learned how to fuel properly
- learned when to push and when to back off
- and honestly just started enjoying running again

Now there’s more on the horizon:
Backyard ultras, a 50k mountain ultra, The Dee Project, long training days and a lot more miles.

I’m still not the fastest.
Probably never will be.
But I genuinely believe I can go for a very long time now.

And weirdly… I think that’s what I was looking for all along.