The Black Spur Ultra race, presented by Sinister Sports, is coming back to Kimberley for the sixth time on August 21 to 22, 2021. The race has runs of 54 and 108 kilometres, done solo or in relays.

Paddy Humenny of Kimberley has been involved with the Black Spur since its inception, from three different perspectives: a participant, a volunteer and a sponsor.

He had already been running ultras sa国际传媒� generally speaking any race over a marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres sa国际传媒� for a while before Bryan Gallant, owner of Sinister Sports, chose Kimberley as the home for the Black Spur, so Humenny got on board very early.

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Before running ultras, Humenny was an ultra endurance mountain biker, up until about 2012, when he started crewing for friends who were getting into endurance running. He quickly fell in love with the scene and in 2013 trained for an 80 miler called the Canadian Death Race. The first Black Spur wasnsa国际传媒檛 too long after that and itsa国际传媒檚 just snowballed from there.

He explained that he enjoys running and found he was quite good at it. As a self employed man who owns an outdoor supply store, he loves getting out into the backcountry but doesnsa国际传媒檛 always have the necessary time to do so. Endurance running has become a way that he can get out and do an excursion in a single day that would take an average backpacker three or four.

Humenny agreed that these ultra races are certainly not for everyone, but the Black Spur offers a few ways for people interested in pushing themselves to get into ultra racing without doing the full 108 km solo run.

The Black Spur in particular thrives on participants who join up as relay teams, allowing the runners to attack a stretch and then rest while their teammate takes over.

Asked to described what motivates someone to put their bodies and minds through something as intense as an Ultra, Humenny had many thoughts.

sa国际传媒淯ltras are kind of like life in a day,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淵ousa国际传媒檙e going to go through bad spells, yousa国际传媒檙e going to go through great highs, yousa国际传媒檙e going to see people that are struggling, you might struggle yourself and theresa国际传媒檚 going to be perseverance within that too.sa国际传媒�

While running up and down a mountain, over rocks and roots, pushing yourself to the very limit, Humenny said you go through the entire gamut of human emotion and while the course is long, the biggest distance in a 54 or 108 kilometre race is the sa国际传媒渟ix inches between your ears.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 going to be highs and lows,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淧eople talk about runner high, like in a marathon where you get to that point where everything feels effortless, your mind is zen because yousa国际传媒檙e just focused on one task, yousa国际传媒檙e just out there running.

sa国际传媒淭rail running is the same way. When yousa国际传媒檙e out in the mountains if yousa国际传媒檙e in a good mindset and yousa国际传媒檙e staying hydrated and on top of your nutrition, generally your mind is in a happy place, itsa国际传媒檚 when you start getting tired, maybe a little dehydrated, maybe a little fatigued that the brain worms as we call it work their way in.sa国际传媒�

He said that while ultras donsa国际传媒檛 necessarily attract one specific type of person, competitors are likely very strong willed, strong in the mind, a little stubborn and perhaps a little quirky.

There are some who are extremely competitive and want to set the best time for the rest of the group, there are others for whom it is a purely personal battle. Humenny, for example, said he tends to be more on the competitive side, but what blows him away are those who sa国际传媒渃lose out the course.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e chasing time limits, theysa国际传媒檙e chasing the cutoffs, theysa国际传媒檙e out there the longest, theysa国际传媒檙e ultimately going the slowest but theysa国际传媒檙e also going through all of those experiences.sa国际传媒�

Intentions going in are important, Humenny said. If yousa国际传媒檙e in it to try and impress other people, yousa国际传媒檙e probably doing it for the wrong reasons, and yousa国际传媒檙e more likely to struggle than succeed.

sa国际传媒淭hat struggle isnsa国际传媒檛 necessarily defined by a result, you could be first place and not necessarily be strong mentally and you could be last and come out of it so well that the rest of your life is changed because yousa国际传媒檝e realized you can really do anything that you put your mind to.sa国际传媒�

Following the race, itsa国际传媒檚 easy to tell whosa国际传媒檚 participated. Look for those who appear extremely fit, but are walking like theysa国际传媒檝e aged 40 or 50 years. Humenny said that after an effort like that your body takes a day or two to come down from the experience, and itsa国际传媒檚 usually accompanied by swollen muscles, sore bones, blisters and chaffing.

After the comedown from the runners high, almost like an addiction, theresa国际传媒檚 a period of crash, and then yousa国际传媒檙e left thinking sa国际传媒渨hatsa国际传媒檚 next.sa国际传媒�

paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin
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