Well done Carla that is wonderful determination in horrible slippy conditions ☔️🏃🏻♀️🏁. Great filming Ben ….and supporting “why did I sign up for this?” “Here have some bashed up water melon on this cold miserable wet day” 👊lol
This comment really made me laugh. You picked out the best bits of this video. Next time I am going to ask Ben to pack a whole watermelon and see how that plays out 😂. Even though it was raining a lot I did enjoy the maddness of it. Thanks for your support Michael 😊.
Terrific video guys. Carla seemed to be running really well the whole time. Well done! 👍🏻🏃♂️ Can totally see how getting home and getting dry was top of the wish list at the end 😂
Cheers Mark. Yeh I wondered if Carla was going to give us a poignant reflection on the momentus nature of her achievement at the end but 'I'm cold, wet and want to go home' probably captured it best 😂
Amazing Carla! Well done! If you can get through an ultra in those conditions, you're ready for anything! I know your pre race nerves! Totally normal, you did great! And well done to you Ben for sticking up there in that typical weather! Great insight from the various competitors. Loved it.
Thank you 😊. I'm surprised Ben even made it out the door seeing the weather 😂. Was great to see so many people on route just getting on with it and to the volunteers who were all very supportive 🙂.
Hey Ben, congrats on completing your first ultramarathon! It's great to see that you pushed through despite the tough weather conditions and physical challenges. Your takeaways from the experience are valuable reminders to trust the training process and take things gradually. Looking forward to seeing your future runs!
Those conditions looked foul. Extra kudos on completing your first ultra in that. I'm sure you had the best of advice from Ben to guide you through. You'll go from strength to strength now as the race morning nerves get easier to handle.
Thanks so much for your support. Ben has given me great advice for ultra and off road events which has certainly helped my preparation for it. Even though it was very rainy it made it in some ways more eventful. Good luck to both of you for your ultra training. You never know how the weather will turn out so I found getting out there even in not so great conditions helped with the preparation.
Huge congrats Carla!! Completing an ultra is an achievement by itself but doing it in such horrendous conditions takes even more mental strength. I can relate to not feeling great on race morning up then feeling better when I start running.
Thanks Chloe. Congratulations on your recent 5K PB 🎉. Amazing time! Rain did get worse along the South Downs Way but found once I accepted it, it was a lot easier to forgot about it. Happy it was not hot - think my body definitely works better in cooler conditions 😊. Thanks for your continuing support.
Ben you did such a great job filming and interviewing there, it was REALLY interesting hearing from other people as well as Carla during the race, and her voice over at the end there was just GREAT!!! It's sooooo motivating and helps ease our own nerves and feel like we can do more ourselves!!!! I wonder why Carla went with the road shoes in the end, was it because they're more cushioned than her trail shoes?? IF you both feel up for a post race interview, that would be so interesting and helpful, but this video is just soooo helpful and motivating so thanks so much to both of you!!!! 👍🏻🏃🏻♀👍🏻
Thanks for your kind words Bev. I went with road shoes in the end as I have been having issues with my foot so thought I would play it safe going for a shoe with a bit more cushion. They were great for the majority of the race but when the rain was getting worse they weren't so great on the slippy muddy bits. If it was not raining for the whole event then you can definitely get away with road shoes for this event as the Downslink and South Downs Way tend to dry around his time of year it was just a bit unlucky.
Well done Carla!! A great achievement. I was running this event as well and the conditions were certainly not ideal! A big difference to the weather last year... I enjoyed bumping into Ben on the downs, it was a good little energy boost. You might remember me shouting something about seeing your youtube as I went past. Thanks for filming this and the previous video on RTTS as it really helped my race prep seeing some of the course!
Thanks Angus, big congrats to you too 🎉. Ben does a great job filming even the bits that are a bit of a struggle 😅. Thank you for saying hi - you zoomed past! Hope your recovery is going well and I look forward to seeing what you do next 😊.
No worries! Those were some tricky conditions out there, pretty relentless 😅 Hope you had a good day on the trails and could still enjoy it in spite on the weather
Well done running Carla! Well done hosting and filming Ben! So exciting to see someone conquering their first ultra! Very inspiring in some challenging weather!
Well done Carla, what a topper. And I can't believe it she's done all of it in road shoes. It's cool you filmed so much of it, Ben. Shows the wholesome experience. By the way, when was this race?
@@timeonfeet I asked about the day because I was curious about the weather. We had such a dry Saturday up North. It only started raining really late at night.
11:30 in, a beautiful moment that all runners can embrace, when you know a DNF is no longer a threat and you can bring it home feeling a real sense of both accomplishment and relief. Well done, Carla.
Great to see you out there on the course Tobias and well done with your race, excellent time 🙌 it was really nice at that point as Carla could relax and just enjoy it (even though she had some aches and pains) as she just knew she had it in the bag. Hope the legs aren't too stiff today 👍
Tough conditions, way to go Carla!!!! This is the inspiration I needed, thank you! Great job on the support Ben. Summary at the end was really helpful.
Superb job Carla. it was great watching this back, almost like reliving the race. really good time as well. thanks again Ben for the plug. looking forward to seing you both soon 👍😊
Amazing well done Carla, I actually did a little 10k and finished in and around the finish line and saw Val, I must have missed you guys, that weather was brutal. Great video as ever Ben
Thanks Terry! Sorry to miss you at the finish line. Definitely not the best conditions for it 😅 I guess it's all character building when we're out in those conditions!
Shame we missed you Terry! Even though the rain was kept on coming I was happy it was not boiling hot 😅. Ben does a good job capturing the reality of ultra running. Hope to see you soon.
Thanks Lee 👍 Definitely, I think Carla's stomach will settle down over times as she gets more familiar with doing these races. Pretty harsh weather for her first ultra 😅 so hopefully there's some better luck with the weather on her next race
Huge kudos to Carla! What a true inspiration! 👏 Her attitude throughout was top notch. She battled through all the tough parts and kept going. She is a great example of what being an ultra runner is all about. She's got a great career ahead of her! Awesome job on the support too Ben. Well done for getting out there mate. Good to see Jay too and also one of the GTR boys Matt Perks who was the nutter in the vest with the handheld bottle. 🤣 Great video once again mate! 😎🤘
Thanks so much Ben. Really proud of how she did in not the nicest conditions 😅 Ah I should have guessed that he was one of GTR runners going out in a vest in that monsoon. Hardcore, crazy or maybe a mixture of the two. He seemed to be having a good time out there 😄 Thanks for checking out the video mate
Thanks so much Ben 😊. Ben does capture the rawness of the events I do 😂. I am not sure what will be my next challenge. I hear you and Dan are doing the Downslink ultra. I think I still need to get used marathon distances and a bit over that before attempting anything over 50K 😅.
Congratulations Carla and well done, Ben for a great film! Those conditions looked foul so massive kudos for getting through it! I hope Been bought you a big watermelon afterwards!
Well done and congrats. I was also running and again it was my 1st ultra. It was nice being able to reminisce whilst watching you run 🙂. For me it was an itch I had to scratch and dispite the shocking weather I kinda want to do it again 🙂
Congratulations Michael 🎉 - the weather did not make an easy first ultra to complete but I agree once you do one you think what could I next 😅. It will be certainly one to remember that's for sure 😊. Hope your recovery is going well and thank you for your support.
@@carlastevens2993 the recovery is going well. I also did a lot of cross training because of slight ache and pain since Xmas. I tried a 50k ultra hoping to find my limit but realised I didn't get there 😂. I'm sure your the same. Good luck on your journey 🙂
WOW 700m of elevation!!!🙇🏻♀🙇🏻♀ CHAPEAU Carla, that is BRAVE to say the least!!! Tu as du cran!! Talk about doing it the hard way for your first, and then the weather on top of that!! BRAVO BRAVO, Carla!!! My first 50k next month (5 weeks 🤯) will be a nice flat cushy 1.610km bitumen loop under the trees, 31 times plus a bit in a nice quiet corner of the Bois de Vincennes here in Paris 😁😁 0m of elevation!😂 A far far less traumatising way to start my ultra journey!!! I hope to do my first ever trail marathon this year as you have greatly inspired me!! 🎉CONGRATS🎉
Thanks for your support Bev. An ultra with less elevation has its own challenges as your using the same muscles over and over again. I'm sure you will do brilliantly and the location of it sounds beautiful. Would love to hear what trail marathon you decide to do 😊.
@@carlastevens2993 I was wondering Carla, did you have a mantra or two that helped you? If you had an attitude or something that helped you get through those tough moments, I'm so curious please and would really appreciate any advice, thanks!!
@@bev9708 I broke up the distance in my mind so instead of seeing the distance as a whole I saw it as 3 X 10 miles which helped. When I was struggling I just focused on getting to the next aid station and thinking about what could help. Stretching out parts of your body if you need to, to help reduce the aches and break up the running with some walk breaks if you need it. Hope that helps 🙂.
@@carlastevens2993 GREAT advice Carla, truly!!! Thank you so much, very helpful !!! That stretching out idea is new for me and even the women’s London marathon winner did that !!! 👍🏻💪🏻👍🏻
Oh Carla HUGE well done!! And 6 hours, wow! What brutal conditions for your first ultra tho!! Hope that hasn't put you off and you are recovering ok. Looked like a nice route (what you could see of it). nice filming Ben, thanks for doing that but thanks to Carla for letting you film her whilst battling through. x
Thanks Nic! Definitely 😅 I felt bad for Carla as the conditions I had for my first ultra were a walk in the park in comparison! Great to see her battle through and get her first ultra complete
Thanks for your support Nic. I don't think it has put me off 😅. Ben does a good job capturing the reality of doing an ultra 😂. Think I'm learning that you have to adapt when it gets tough whether it's the weather and/or not feeling your best when you start a race.
@@timeonfeet lol, mine too (although I had the opposite at sunny and 29 degree heat but i'll take that over rain any day) Carlas review of your watermelon gift also made me laugh, so polite 🤣🤣
@@carlastevens2993 ahhh good! Will be interesting to hear what other races you sign up for but hope the recovery is going well in the meantime. 🏃🏻♀ And yep, definitely a massive (constant) learning game of what mental games you have to play along with knowing what foods/drinks you need before/during/after depending on your body's needs (and the weather). 🥯🥤🍉 x
Well done Carla that is wonderful determination in horrible slippy conditions ☔️🏃🏻♀️🏁. Great filming Ben ….and supporting “why did I sign up for this?” “Here have some bashed up water melon on this cold miserable wet day” 👊lol
This comment really made me laugh. You picked out the best bits of this video. Next time I am going to ask Ben to pack a whole watermelon and see how that plays out 😂. Even though it was raining a lot I did enjoy the maddness of it. Thanks for your support Michael 😊.
Thanks Michael 👍 Just what I thought Carla needed after running 20 miles in a monsoon - some beaten up watermelon 😂 gold star crewing there!
Terrific video guys. Carla seemed to be running really well the whole time. Well done! 👍🏻🏃♂️ Can totally see how getting home and getting dry was top of the wish list at the end 😂
Cheers Mark. Yeh I wondered if Carla was going to give us a poignant reflection on the momentus nature of her achievement at the end but 'I'm cold, wet and want to go home' probably captured it best 😂
Amazing Carla! Well done! If you can get through an ultra in those conditions, you're ready for anything! I know your pre race nerves! Totally normal, you did great! And well done to you Ben for sticking up there in that typical weather! Great insight from the various competitors. Loved it.
Thank you 😊. I'm surprised Ben even made it out the door seeing the weather 😂. Was great to see so many people on route just getting on with it and to the volunteers who were all very supportive 🙂.
Hey Ben, congrats on completing your first ultramarathon! It's great to see that you pushed through despite the tough weather conditions and physical challenges. Your takeaways from the experience are valuable reminders to trust the training process and take things gradually. Looking forward to seeing your future runs!
Thanks Mihai, really proud of Carla and completing her first ultra! She's started looking at others to sign up to which is a good sign 😅
Those conditions looked foul. Extra kudos on completing your first ultra in that. I'm sure you had the best of advice from Ben to guide you through. You'll go from strength to strength now as the race morning nerves get easier to handle.
Thanks so much for your support. Ben has given me great advice for ultra and off road events which has certainly helped my preparation for it. Even though it was very rainy it made it in some ways more eventful. Good luck to both of you for your ultra training. You never know how the weather will turn out so I found getting out there even in not so great conditions helped with the preparation.
Huge congrats Carla!! Completing an ultra is an achievement by itself but doing it in such horrendous conditions takes even more mental strength. I can relate to not feeling great on race morning up then feeling better when I start running.
Thanks Chloe. Congratulations on your recent 5K PB 🎉. Amazing time! Rain did get worse along the South Downs Way but found once I accepted it, it was a lot easier to forgot about it. Happy it was not hot - think my body definitely works better in cooler conditions 😊. Thanks for your continuing support.
Ben you did such a great job filming and interviewing there, it was REALLY interesting hearing from other people as well as Carla during the race, and her voice over at the end there was just GREAT!!! It's sooooo motivating and helps ease our own nerves and feel like we can do more ourselves!!!! I wonder why Carla went with the road shoes in the end, was it because they're more cushioned than her trail shoes?? IF you both feel up for a post race interview, that would be so interesting and helpful, but this video is just soooo helpful and motivating so thanks so much to both of you!!!! 👍🏻🏃🏻♀👍🏻
Thanks for your kind words Bev. I went with road shoes in the end as I have been having issues with my foot so thought I would play it safe going for a shoe with a bit more cushion. They were great for the majority of the race but when the rain was getting worse they weren't so great on the slippy muddy bits. If it was not raining for the whole event then you can definitely get away with road shoes for this event as the Downslink and South Downs Way tend to dry around his time of year it was just a bit unlucky.
Great running in grim weather Carla 👏👏 🌧🌧 That girl running in the bin bag must have been cooked by the end!! 🥵😂
Cheers Ben 👍 😄 Yeh probably not the best breathability rating on the bin bag! What a day for it 🌧️
Well done Carla!! A great achievement. I was running this event as well and the conditions were certainly not ideal! A big difference to the weather last year... I enjoyed bumping into Ben on the downs, it was a good little energy boost. You might remember me shouting something about seeing your youtube as I went past. Thanks for filming this and the previous video on RTTS as it really helped my race prep seeing some of the course!
Thanks Angus, big congrats to you too 🎉. Ben does a great job filming even the bits that are a bit of a struggle 😅. Thank you for saying hi - you zoomed past! Hope your recovery is going well and I look forward to seeing what you do next 😊.
Sorry for photobombing Carla’s interview at CH but thanks so much for the video so I can share quite how mad those conditions were.
No worries! Those were some tricky conditions out there, pretty relentless 😅 Hope you had a good day on the trails and could still enjoy it in spite on the weather
Those conditions were hard. Big kudos to you for getting out there and completing it. 😊
Congratulations Carla, great effort!
Thank you Steve 😀
Fabulous shares new friends 💛🌻💫✨💛🌻💫💛🌻✨💫
Thanks for watching 👍
Well done running Carla! Well done hosting and filming Ben! So exciting to see someone conquering their first ultra! Very inspiring in some challenging weather!
Thanks so much Paul, it was quite a day out there! The weather made it interesting running 😂
Well done Carla, what a topper. And I can't believe it she's done all of it in road shoes. It's cool you filmed so much of it, Ben. Shows the wholesome experience.
By the way, when was this race?
Thanks so much Olga 😀 Bit of a mud fest out there in places! This race was on Saturday just gone
@@timeonfeet I asked about the day because I was curious about the weather. We had such a dry Saturday up North. It only started raining really late at night.
Well done guys. Especially in the rain. Amazing achievement Carla!
Thanks so much 👍
11:30 in, a beautiful moment that all runners can embrace, when you know a DNF is no longer a threat and you can bring it home feeling a real sense of both accomplishment and relief. Well done, Carla.
Great to see you out there on the course Tobias and well done with your race, excellent time 🙌 it was really nice at that point as Carla could relax and just enjoy it (even though she had some aches and pains) as she just knew she had it in the bag. Hope the legs aren't too stiff today 👍
Thanks Tobias. That moment felt so good 😊. Congratulations on getting through it too 🎉.
Absolutely fabulous job, Carla. It was brutal out there! Congratulations. 🎉
Thanks Joanna 😊
Thanks for your support Joanna 😊
Tough conditions, way to go Carla!!!! This is the inspiration I needed, thank you! Great job on the support Ben. Summary at the end was really helpful.
Thanks so much Sage! Really proud of Carla on this one, not an easy day out with that weather 😄 Hope your training is going well at the mo 👍
Glad to hear that you found the tips at the end helpful 😊. Thanks so much for your support and supporting the channel.
Superb job Carla. it was great watching this back, almost like reliving the race. really good time as well. thanks again Ben for the plug. looking forward to seing you both soon 👍😊
No probs at all buddy and well done with the race. What a day for it 😄
Massive congratulations Jay 😊. What an amazing time and in that rain too. Looking forward to see your next adventure.
Amazing well done Carla, I actually did a little 10k and finished in and around the finish line and saw Val, I must have missed you guys, that weather was brutal. Great video as ever Ben
Thanks Terry! Sorry to miss you at the finish line. Definitely not the best conditions for it 😅 I guess it's all character building when we're out in those conditions!
Shame we missed you Terry! Even though the rain was kept on coming I was happy it was not boiling hot 😅. Ben does a good job capturing the reality of ultra running. Hope to see you soon.
Yes see you guys soon, and well done again!
That weather was a battle in itself. Huge kudos Carla, 👏 unsettled belly is normal when you start big races like this. It gets better over time.
Thanks Lee 👍 Definitely, I think Carla's stomach will settle down over times as she gets more familiar with doing these races. Pretty harsh weather for her first ultra 😅 so hopefully there's some better luck with the weather on her next race
Thanks for the advice Lee. Was a bit annoying feeling sick before I even started but I'm just happy things started to settle 😊.
@Carla Stevens yes it's not the best, it's also usually accompanied with little or restless sleep. 😁
Congratulations Carla! And thanks Ben for holding the gate open 😀🙌🏼 (bib no 28)
Thanks Emily! And congrats on the win, super running. Hoping I gained you a second with that gate 😂
Congratulations Emily 🎉. What an event to win! Thank you for your support.
🎉🎊🥇HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to YOU Emily!!!🥇🎊🎉
Huge kudos to Carla! What a true inspiration! 👏 Her attitude throughout was top notch. She battled through all the tough parts and kept going. She is a great example of what being an ultra runner is all about. She's got a great career ahead of her! Awesome job on the support too Ben. Well done for getting out there mate. Good to see Jay too and also one of the GTR boys Matt Perks who was the nutter in the vest with the handheld bottle. 🤣 Great video once again mate! 😎🤘
Thanks so much Ben. Really proud of how she did in not the nicest conditions 😅 Ah I should have guessed that he was one of GTR runners going out in a vest in that monsoon. Hardcore, crazy or maybe a mixture of the two. He seemed to be having a good time out there 😄 Thanks for checking out the video mate
@@timeonfeet I think Matt ended up coming in 4th. He certainly is a bit of both.....like all of us! 🤣👍
Thanks so much Ben 😊. Ben does capture the rawness of the events I do 😂. I am not sure what will be my next challenge. I hear you and Dan are doing the Downslink ultra. I think I still need to get used marathon distances and a bit over that before attempting anything over 50K 😅.
@@BenNotley ah nice, he did great! Especially in those conditions 💪
Congratulations Carla and well done, Ben for a great film! Those conditions looked foul so massive kudos for getting through it! I hope Been bought you a big watermelon afterwards!
Cheers Ian! Lifetime supply of watermelon was in order after 😅
Well done Carla ! Thanks for making the video
🤩 super helpful as Im running this race next week . My first ultra
Thanks for watching Faith, glad you found it useful. Good luck with the race next week 😃
Well done and congrats. I was also running and again it was my 1st ultra. It was nice being able to reminisce whilst watching you run 🙂. For me it was an itch I had to scratch and dispite the shocking weather I kinda want to do it again 🙂
Congratulations Michael 🎉 - the weather did not make an easy first ultra to complete but I agree once you do one you think what could I next 😅. It will be certainly one to remember that's for sure 😊. Hope your recovery is going well and thank you for your support.
@@carlastevens2993 the recovery is going well. I also did a lot of cross training because of slight ache and pain since Xmas. I tried a 50k ultra hoping to find my limit but realised I didn't get there 😂. I'm sure your the same. Good luck on your journey 🙂
Well done Carla! What a legend 👏
Thanks 😄
Thanks Adam 😊
Thanks for a great video, I have signed up for this years race as my first ultra and this was super helpful
Thanks, great to hear you found it useful and it's a really good race. Hope you get better weather for it this year!
Superb effort!!
Cheers Dan 🌞
Thanks you Dan 🌱💚
WOW 700m of elevation!!!🙇🏻♀🙇🏻♀ CHAPEAU Carla, that is BRAVE to say the least!!! Tu as du cran!! Talk about doing it the hard way for your first, and then the weather on top of that!! BRAVO BRAVO, Carla!!! My first 50k next month (5 weeks 🤯) will be a nice flat cushy 1.610km bitumen loop under the trees, 31 times plus a bit in a nice quiet corner of the Bois de Vincennes here in Paris 😁😁 0m of elevation!😂 A far far less traumatising way to start my ultra journey!!! I hope to do my first ever trail marathon this year as you have greatly inspired me!! 🎉CONGRATS🎉
Thanks for your support Bev. An ultra with less elevation has its own challenges as your using the same muscles over and over again. I'm sure you will do brilliantly and the location of it sounds beautiful. Would love to hear what trail marathon you decide to do 😊.
@@carlastevens2993 👍🏻🏃🏻♀👍🏻 MAYBE the Trail d'Accolay (44km 1200m gain) in August, we'll see!!!😬🤒
@@carlastevens2993 I was wondering Carla, did you have a mantra or two that helped you? If you had an attitude or something that helped you get through those tough moments, I'm so curious please and would really appreciate any advice, thanks!!
@@bev9708 I broke up the distance in my mind so instead of seeing the distance as a whole I saw it as 3 X 10 miles which helped. When I was struggling I just focused on getting to the next aid station and thinking about what could help. Stretching out parts of your body if you need to, to help reduce the aches and break up the running with some walk breaks if you need it. Hope that helps 🙂.
@@carlastevens2993 GREAT advice Carla, truly!!! Thank you so much, very helpful !!! That stretching out idea is new for me and even the women’s London marathon winner did that !!! 👍🏻💪🏻👍🏻
Wow fantastic effort Carla!!!!
Thanks Phil!
Thanks Phil. It's definitely an event I will always remember 🌧️.
Oh Carla HUGE well done!! And 6 hours, wow! What brutal conditions for your first ultra tho!! Hope that hasn't put you off and you are recovering ok. Looked like a nice route (what you could see of it). nice filming Ben, thanks for doing that but thanks to Carla for letting you film her whilst battling through. x
Thanks Nic! Definitely 😅 I felt bad for Carla as the conditions I had for my first ultra were a walk in the park in comparison! Great to see her battle through and get her first ultra complete
Thanks for your support Nic. I don't think it has put me off 😅. Ben does a good job capturing the reality of doing an ultra 😂. Think I'm learning that you have to adapt when it gets tough whether it's the weather and/or not feeling your best when you start a race.
@@timeonfeet lol, mine too (although I had the opposite at sunny and 29 degree heat but i'll take that over rain any day) Carlas review of your watermelon gift also made me laugh, so polite 🤣🤣
@@carlastevens2993 ahhh good! Will be interesting to hear what other races you sign up for but hope the recovery is going well in the meantime. 🏃🏻♀ And yep, definitely a massive (constant) learning game of what mental games you have to play along with knowing what foods/drinks you need before/during/after depending on your body's needs (and the weather). 🥯🥤🍉 x
@@nicmarlow6388 Haha thanks Nic. Yes I had hoped the watermelon might get more of a rave review 😂
Thanks for this, running on Saturday and this was really helpful. Hoping for better conditions this year!
Have a great race out there and hope you get some decent weather!
@@timeonfeet weather was amazing, absolutely loved it! Was my first trail race and managed to take the win. Am hooked now!
@@robbdrums wow, what a performance! And especially impressive with it being your first trail race, congrats 🎉