Running a 100km Ultramarathon

[@AppByDesign]

Amazing! Well done and kept smiling the whole way. Only 3 weeks now and the nerves are beginning to set in already :)

[@ellenmelon1999]

Thank you ever so much! Oh wow of course this year's race isn't too far off now !! Hope you have an incredible time, I remember those nerves, but you'll smash it I'm sure 😊

[@trailrunningphil]

Just watched this again as I'm taking part in this years event. Great video :)

[@ellenmelon1999]

Ah wow I can't believe this event was around a year ago now!!! Feels like yesterday! Enjoy every step, good luck!

[@trailrunningphil]

@@ellenmelon1999 enjoy every step is something I also say to my friends before we embark on long adventures. Its a very good thing to remember :)

[@SarahBrandis]

Thank you so much for sharing this, especially the health part. I’m planning to do this race in 2023, and you’ve prompted me to get a proper check up (including ecg) before hand x so glad you are okay and i absolute loved watching you enjoy that run.

[@ellenmelon1999]

Aw no worries thank you very much for watching! Yesss it's super important, no matter what age, gender, race experience etc. It's really important to have your physical health checked beforehand by a professional as you just don't know what could be lurking. Thanks soooo much I hope your race goes well this year if you go ahead with it!! X

[@conradburdekin722]

I really enjoyed watching this. I’ll be taking part in September. I’m already super excited!

[@ellenmelon1999]

Thank you so much! Ooooh exciting!!! I wish you all the best for September, it's such a fantastic race :)

[@TheLeeroy2525]

Fantastic effort, hope you're on the mend.

[@johnghent5946]

Hope you’re OK. Brilliant result. I went to get a health check at the start of this year knowing that I was going to be doing some ultras this year, to make sure everything was alright.

[@ellenmelon1999]

Thanks John! That's a brill idea, I'd urge everyone taking part to do so, you just never know what could be going on internally. I was one of the youngest participants and I was still vulnerable to an underlying condition, so regardless of age, experience etc. having a health check is a good plan! Hope your ultras went well :)

[@lysettecherry6076]

Loved this video! You are both amazing

[@ellenmelon1999]

Aww thank you!!

[@michaelbennett6778]

Fantastic achievement 🏃🏻‍♀️✔️ Hope all ok and you’re still running well . 🤞

[@ellenmelon1999]

Aww thanks so much! I'm all well now thanks to taking tablets daily and keeping an eye on my body more than I was previously! I'm running stronger than ever, I'm happy to report :)

[@rachelmorris9272]

Well done! I struggle having a neurocardiogenic problem. I never knew how bad it was until I started collapsing on runs and even managed to struggle through a half marathon before starting medication. I'll never be "normal" (I can hear my family and friends laughing as I type that..!) but you know your own body and I just focus on what I can do and don't compare myself to others. People only tend to go to doctors when they know there's something wrong when they should have a check up before attempting any form of endurance. Well done both - glad you're on the mend! x

[@ellenmelon1999]

Wow, thank you for your comment! Oh gosh that sounds scary, I'm glad to hear you're on medication for it and are managing it by the sound of it! You sound like a tough lady💪🏼 I am still struggling a little to come to terms with 'slowing down' but I know that at some point in the future I'll be able to build myself back up again. I was put on tablets since coming out of hospital after this race and am just focusing at the moment on little runs and keeping my legs happy. Yes you are totally right, just don't compare yourself to anyone else - it's your body not anyone elses! Thank you so much for sharing your story, good luck with all your running❤️

[@rachelmorris9272]

@@ellenmelon1999 short term pain for long term gain - you'll get there! It's frustrating but everything happens for a reason I think. You'll come out stronger for it having started from scratch and had a break. Thanks - best wishes x

[@Ant-66]

Great watch, stay healthy .

[@ellenmelon1999]

Thank you very much 😊

[@letstudy2day]

this is inspiring before my 50km soon

[@ellenmelon1999]

I'm so glad! Good luck with your 50km 🤟🏻

[@maeve_26]

So proud of you ❤️

[@ellenmelon1999]

Thank you so much Maeve!! ❤️

[@stephenhorobin580]

Amazing achievement. Stay safe and well.

[@ellenmelon1999]

Thank you 😊

[@MM-Fitnesscoaching]

You need to be less vague regarding the health scare now that you have so many people invested. It comes across as if people need to be careful regarding their health to just go running where that is not true in the vast majority of people even if the distances are large. Was the health scare in anyway caused by the fact that you ran or was it just a separate issue completely?

[@ellenmelon1999]

I'd say the contrary, regardless of distance or speeds, you never know if something is going on internally. If you are going to partake in any sport I think it would be wise to be careful regarding your health, such as having a health check with your GP. Also, it's my personal business and at the time of making this video I didn't want to explain in detail my medical difficulties, so I'm sorry I came across vague. The health problem was made worse by the run, and hence I got taken into hospital where they found out my underlying issue. I'm not trying to be dramatic, I was just telling my story as it was very scary at the time. I do think even if it's just running a couple times a week or an ultramarathon, either way the majority of people taking place may never know if something concerning is going on inside their body, and actually somebody close to me found out they had a heart condition last year. They're a seasoned marathon runner and had chest pains during a race, they were sent to hospital and they found out they'd had an underlying condition since birth. If it had been left any longer they would have most likely had a heart attack during exercise, so yes I'm sorry I was vague in this video so soon after my own incident, but my point was to just have a health check if you do partake in running or sport because it may be that exercise can cause more harm than good unless a medical intervention occurs. For me, I was put on tablets and now I run safely and have regular blood tests to check my levels. Sorry for my long response and I'd only just seen this comment several months later.

[@MM-Fitnesscoaching]

Sorry to hear about that, you should have told me to stop being so nosey though. As a coach I can be a bit blunt in trying to extract information out of people regarding details of how things feel in training and events. It's obviously a good idea to keep an eye on your general health data, I perform the basic tests that a GP would do and I've referred quite a lot of people who wouldn't have had the tests otherwise with hypertension, low blood ox and high triglyceride/low HDL levels over to the GP for further tests. These basic tests can definitely help prevent a world of pain from common illnesses in the future. Unfortunately a lot of the cardiac based things are undetectable without getting symptoms first and in my experience as an ultra runner so many benign things can cause chest pains briefly. For some reason I get chest (in my ribs) pains when my electrolyte and water levels are out of whack, a few tabs and some good hydration and it's all good. My wife is a GP and seems unconcerned by my little occasional rib pain, although the life insurance policy does hold her out as my beneficiary so I can't be too sure of her motivations.