Look, I'm not in the best of shape, but I'm trying to get there. The thought of running one marathon sounds daunting. But one runner took it upon themselves to compete in seven marathons in a week.
Ultrarunner Ashley Paulson competed in seven marathons across seven continents in seven days. It's all a part of The Great World Race, a challenge unlike any other. Speaking with the New York Post, the runner explained how she competed in the grueling ultimate race. The experience ended with her on crutches.
Going The Distance
"That was probably my most panicked race up to that point," Paulson said. The race led her to Istanbul, Turkey where she broke the world record by 30 minutes for that marathon. She completed it in 3 hours and 18 minutes. From there, The Great World Race led her to Antarctica to compete on Wolf's Fang runway. She ran 26.2 miles at just 2 degrees Fahrenheit. She wasn't used to running in triple layers and double gloves.
"From the time we landed to the time we took off, there was an eight-hour window where the weather was good," she said. "It was very obvious where we needed to run, because there was a beautiful, crystal blue on either side of us. It looked like a frozen ocean."
Bundled up in double gloves, triple layers and a thick fuzzy hat, Paulson found herself shedding layers mid-race. By the time she crossed the finish line, her bottom layer was soaked with sweat — an unexpected challenge in the Great White South.
From Antarctica, she went to South Africa for the next marathon. There, she was suddenly running in a much warmer climate. Then, she headed to Perth, Australia. One thing, the runner noted about the experience was getting to swap stories and spend time with her fellow runners. That's what kept her pushing forward.
Marathon Runner
"When it was your turn up front, you'd be like, 'OK, I can make this because I know in the next lap I'll be in the back again,'" she said.
However, in Cartagena, Colombia, the runner injured her hip before the race.
"I hadn't been injured in 15 years," she said. "I've had sore muscles or a fall, but no overuse injuries.... I wish I could say I kept cool, but internally I was freaking out."
But fortunately, after some time passed, she found that she could walk. The racer managed to complete the marathon at a slower pace. Two hours after the race, her hips became bad again, and she could barely walk. The only problem was that she had one race left in Florida.
"I've gotten through muscle cramps, diarrhea, everything. But this was very different," she said. Her husband encouraged her to push through with the mantra, "You know pain. This is just a different pain."
"Just hearing those words got me through," Paulson said.
Paulson finished the grueling race and finished something few people have ever accomplished. After the race, she ended up in crutches and out of the game for five weeks while she healed from her injuries.
"The races are going to come and go, but the difference you make on the course for the other athletes will make a difference for yourself as well," Paulson said. "You might just surprise yourself what a smile can do."
