Sunday 14 January 2024

Winter has Finally Arrived ! A Chilly Start to the New Year

Well, we're almost two weeks into 2024 and things so far are going pretty well. As in previous years, I signed up for the January Battle at the request of a friend, the goal being to run 400km by the end of the month. That's quite high mileage for me, especially when I have no races on the horizon, but I signed up regardless and am currently ahead of target with 204km in just the past 13 days.

I may have already mentioned that at present, I am taking a break from structured training. Andy will be working away quite alot over the coming weeks, and I find it hard to complete all the runs on my training plans when he's not home. Rather than paying somebody to take time to write training plans for me, only for me to let them down by not completing them, I decided to take a break until the spring, when hopefully things will have settled down a bit and I can get back into the swing of things.

This means of course that I can run as often as I like right now, as fast as I like, and as far as I like. To some degree, I find it hard not having a coach - there is a sense of drifting without any clear direction or accountability with my running - but then it is also quite nice having that flexibility and just doing things if and when I can.

Weirdly enough, I ended up doing a speed session last Tuesday evening, even though I had absolutely no reason to do so. Even more unusual was that I really wanted to do it at the local outdoor track, despite track session still filling me with dread after all these years. My plan was to do 8 x 2 minute repeats off a one minute recovery, a session that I used to do at the running club many years ago, and that had contributed to my running a 2.47 marathon back in the day. We hadn't really had a great deal of snow so far this winter, but the small amount we had had created a covering on the track which had melted in the mild daytime temperatures, only to freeze again overnight. It was terribly icy on the bends, and I found myself slowing down to avoid a wipeout, but I was still happy to be knocking out just under 7 minute miles.

I had a few more decent runs in the week, but the most enjoyable one came at the weekend when for the third year in a row, I took on the Fat Ass 50km.

The Fat Ass is an unofficial race that is organised by the Blackfoot Ultra team. There is a choice of doing one lap of 25km, or two laps for the 50km, and the entry fee is a mere $4 which goes towards the aid station food and drink. Any excess funds are usually donated to a chosen charity, this year The Saffron Centre benefited with a donation of $174 or thereabouts. There are no official results, although runners are asked to submit their times so that some sort of ranking can be provided. It really is just a bit of fund, and a great way to get folks moving again at the start of the year after quite possibly overindulging during the festive period. This year, my friend Barb joined me for the 50k.

I’m not usually an early morning runner, but we were both up at the crack of dawn, and by 7.30am, we were ready to get going from the Kinsman Centre in Edmonton. The weather had turned a little cooler by the Saturday, and it was hovering around -13c when we set off although the expected high for the day would be around -8c. Conditions were really good – no ice and only a little snow that provided some cushioning on the paved sections. Neither of us really had a goal except to make sure we did the full distance, although I suspected that at an easy pace, we would be out there for a good 5 and a half to 6 hours. As the sun started to rise, the trails looked really pretty as it glinted through the trees, and although things were starting to warm up a little, our food and drink still froze in our backpacks making our fuelling strategy go out of the window!

It was great to see our friend Laura managing the aid station at the midway point on each loop, and we took advantage of the propane fire pit to try to warm things up a little so we weren’t drinking Tailwind slush puppy or breaking our teeth on rock solid gummy bears! The first lap was fairly quiet and we didn’t really see too many people, but things did get busier as we set off on lap 2, me personally refuelling up on a blueberry muffin and a sausage roll, washed down with a couple of mugs of hot coffee as we passed by the car at the half way point. The second loop seemed far easier for some reason although we did take a little longer, probably due to taking more pictures as we admired the structure of the ice shelves on the north Saskatchewan River, but we ended up finishing the full 50k in around five hours 50 minutes, both Barb and I feeling tired, but happy and accomplished.

River views at the Fat Ass 50km

I was expecting to feel somewhat tired for Sunday’s run, but with the snowfall overnight, things felt much more wintry again and I was excited about getting out for a run. I did a decent 10 miles on the Sunday, the legs feeling much better than anticipated, and I had a smile the whole way now that I was finally running in some snow and could justify wearing the trail shoes. It still wasn’t too cold at around -10c, but things definitely changed a couple of days later when an Arctic air mass moved in over Alberta, and we got our first blast of proper winter.

The cold and snow has never really bothered me. Yes, it slows me down and I hate having to wear all the layers, but once I’m done, I always feel glad that I’ve got outdoors and ran. Tuesday of this week saw temperatures already starting to plummet, and it was in the -20s when I headed out. Come Wednesday, things had gone even colder, and we were experiencing closer to the mid -30s. I still got outside for my runs, making sure I was well wrapped up to prevent any frostbite, and getting in a good 10 miles each day. I was glad that a couple of friends from Leduc Runners were happy to head outdoors too, and I did about 5km with them on Wednesday evening with the remaining miles solo. We had had a good dump of snow and some of the pathways hadn’t been cleared, so not only was I battling the frigid temperatures and wind, but also slogging it out in snow that was a good few inches deep. But my legs felt great, I was still enjoying the running, and other than my face covering freezing as I ran along, I had no problems.

Things are starting to get a little chilly!

Come Thursday, the deep freeze really had really taken a hold, and even during the day, temperatures were still below -30c. By the time I was due to head out for my run after work, it would be at -45 with windchill, and I knew that heading out for another 10 mile in those kind of temperatures was starting to get a little risky. I figured that an hour or so would be ok providing I dressed appropriately, but anything longer than that would just be irresponsible. Normally I can run a 10 mile run in around 85 minutes or quicker, but with the wintry conditions, I could potentially be out there for two hours - it was too long to be outdoors in such conditions so I opted to do just 10k instead.

I could tell that things had gone much, much colder, and despite an extra two layers, I didn't feel like I was overheating. My quads usually suffer the most in such cold temperatures so I put an extra pair of shorts over the running tights and wore the thermal skirt. I was actually toasty warm, although for some reason my fingers tips got really cold again towards the end, and I was concerned that I was going to get frost nip on them. It was another good run, not fast, but definitely consistent and feeling strong. It was fun and I was happy.

It's now Friday night, and we are still under the extreme cold warning with tomorrow morning expected to be the coldest of the week.  The forecast is calling for -50 or even lower, and that is definitely far too dangerous for me to even consider heading out for an outdoor run tomorrow. I've already decided that I will be heading to the indoor track instead, and I hope to get in another good 50 or 60km towards the January Battle this weekend. I know for sure that I do much prefer to run outside, but then I know that I'll enjoy doing what seems like endless loops of that 200m track, listening to music and using that to keep me going. I am actually looking forward to it :) 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday 30 December 2023

Brief Year End Review

As 2023 comes to a close, it's that time when we reflect on the past 12 months, and make some decisions as to how next year will be even better. For me personally, this year has been amazing, and it really is going to take some beating. As is typical with life, there have been some downs as well as ups, but the fact that we keep moving forwards is a positive in itself as we make the most of every situation. 

From a running perspective, I have no complaints whatsoever. I ended up doing far more races that I had initially planned, but every single one has tested my resilience both mentally and physically in one way or another. Every race I have done this year has been an ultra, which now brings my tally over 100 since I first started ultra running some 15 or so years ago. Whilst I still consider myself a competitive runner, the competition these days is more against myself, and I am happy to say that I have surprised myself this year with the race results I have had. A second place finish at Hill of a Race, Survivorfest 6 hour track race, and The Dark 24-hour event, a third place finish at Sinister Seven Ultra 50-miler, and then of course finishing the Canadian Death Race despite a really rough 4 or 5 hours on the course, a fairly decent run at the Lakou Backyard Ultra with 17 yards (next year I will do better!), and finally, my biggest challenge of the year - finishing the Divide 200 in 84 and a half hours, placing 7th female. I have already written about each of these races and you can read all about them in the archives of this blog, but in short, it's been a really great year, especially when I consider that I turned 50 earlier this year and I'm lucky enough to still be able to get out there and run, and compete against much younger runners. 

Next year definitely won't be as crazy when it comes to racing. I have already registered for the four races I intend to do - Lakou Backyard Ultra where I really hope to run well in excess of 30 yards - maybe even a PR if I have somebody willing and able to go with me! Then I have the Crazy Muley 50k in Wainwright which will see me running a hilly route that includes sand dunes - yep, you read that correctly! This will be followed by Sinister Seven Ultra 100 miler in July, then the Iron Horse Ultra 100 miler in October. I don't really have a goal at Sinister - I just want to enjoy being on the mountain trails again, but Iron Horse will be different. I currently hold the ladies course record at Iron Horse, and I really would love to break it next year - it's stood for over 10 years and needs a bit of a refresh! Of course, it does depend on who else races the 100 miler that day too, but my goal is to break the 21 hours, and hopefully take the win in the process. 

In addition to my races, I have also set my sights on setting a Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Staffordshire Way over in England. I'm hoping to be back in the UK sometime in February and assuming I am fit and ready, that's when I will be attempting to do the 93 (or 96!) mile long distance footpath in less than 24 hours. I have walked the route in the past and I know that some sections are not very well marked or are terribly overgrown from lack of use, but with no current ladies' time, it's something that I just want to try so I can set a benchmark for others. I will likely be writing about my preparation on here as well as making a couple of videos, so keep a look out if you're interested. 

Talking of videos, this year I haven't been able to record as many YouTube videos as I would have liked, simply due to Andy being away alot and me having to look after the pups and fit in a ton of training to get me ready for my races. My YouTube channel is still going strong though, and this year alone has seen an additional 200 or so new subscribers, taking me over the 700 mark. I still get some internet trolls making offensive comments that are hard not to take personally, but when I think of the millions of people out there and the number of horrid comments I do get, it really isn't so bad. I do hope to get back into the video making next year although it's hard knowing what type of video appeals to people. My camping and outdoorsy ones get the most views from random people, but then I have a loyal following when it comes to my running and racing videos. It's hard to strike a balance and please everybody, but then I have to remember that I am doing this for my own enjoyment and experience - if other people enjoy watching and feel inspired to try something new, then that is of course an added bonus. 

In terms of life in general, Andy and I are still going strong and next year will mark 12 years since we left the UK. We still have our little boy Wilson who left the UK with us as a young pup back in 2012, and he is doing really well despite now being 13 years old.He has definitely slowed down and he can't run with me as much as he used to, but he still tries so hard, and he has completed a couple of parkruns with me recently, taking around 30 minutes compared to his 20 minutes in days gone by. He has given us a few health concerns this year bless him. Last winter he came down with bronchial pneumonia and pancreatitis and he was in a bad way. He had blood tests and xrays, which highlighted the problems, and it also showed that he has arthritis in his lower back which explains the stiffness he sometimes displays. He then started to pass blood in his urine and poop in the summer months, so he was once again off to the emergency vets for treatment. Then a couple of months ago, he was attacked at the dog park and ended up with stitches to repair a nasty puncture wound. But he is such a strong resilient little boy, and we love him to bits. He knows we're here for him, and always will be, and he still likes to play like a puppy, even if he's a little unsteady on his legs and gets tired more quickly these days. 

April and Tillie have thankfully been ok. Tillie did dislocate her tail a few months ago plus her allergies flared up again, so she too has been on medication this year. But thankfully it hasn't been anything serious, and other than being reluctant to go for walks now it's winter time, both her and April are doing really well. There isn't really much more to add. Work is going well and I am still enjoying what I do, Andy is still extremely busy with work and will likely be working away far more next year, but so long as we have our health and happiness, and so long as our family are all ok, we know that we will be ok. 

I was reading something a friend posted recently about these year end reviews that people do, and how we celebrate our successes and how we hope to do even better next year. It's human nature to do such things, but my friend's comment did make me stop and think. Some people have had a really tough year, whether through illness or loss or from other things that we have no control over - the fact that they have gotten through the year and are able to look forward to the next is a celebration in itself, and sometimes I think we do forget that. So for anybody reading this that perhaps hasn't had the best year, I'm hoping that things improve for you over the coming months and beyond, and you too can get back to doing the things you enjoy doing most. 

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2024, and thank you as ever for following along.



Friday 15 December 2023

The Dark 24-hour

 After completing The Divide 200, I had no plans to do anymore races, but then I ended up registering for Bar-ka-koo – a 55km trail race in November that I was already familiar with, having competed in the augural event back in 2020. That year, I finished as 1st lady and 1st overall in some extremely challenging wintery conditions. I was really looking forward to doing the race again, but a distinct lack of snow and mild winter temperatures caused my enthusiasm to wane, and when race day came, I wasn’t one of the runners that toed the start line. 

Looking back, it was a good thing that I had already decided against doing the race; the day before, I had an urgent email from my brother over in the UK – my mum was seriously ill in hospital and had gone into respiratory failure, and the doctors and nurses were doing all they could to keep that breath in her lungs. It certainly wouldn’t have felt right gallivanting around woods and collecting tokens with things as they were, and I was glad I had already decided not to race given the circumstances, especially as there was a possibility that I would have to fly out to the UK at a moment’s notice. Thankfully, my mum recovered after a couple of days and was well enough to go back home a week later, much to the relief of all of us. 

It’s been a long time since I last saw my parents, and it’s been almost 9 years since I was last in the UK. I don’t really miss my previous life, but I do still have lots of family and friends over in England and I found it hard being so far away. Knowing that my mum is now back home, the sense of urgency to get over there has eased somewhat, but I do plan on heading over for a visit in the new year – there is certainly lots of catching up to do!


With the emotional strain hearing about my mum, and having already had a busy year of racing, I was relieved that I hadn’t pushed myself once again at Bar-ka-koo, but then Sinister Sports came up with another of their amazing ideas for a race, causing intrigue and curiosity. This time it was a 24 hour event, to be held in early December in an old disused mine. Part of the mine has been refurbished, with a 250 metre tunnel dug into the mountainside consisting of a gravel path and historical facts throughout. The Bellevue Underground Mine (or BUM) is open to the visiting public, but for one weekend only during the mine’s closed season, Sinister Sports would be taking over and having up to 100 runners going up and down that tunnel in the dark. What a crazy yet wonderful idea!


I have been saying for a while now that I wasn’t going to do anymore timed events – I’ve done enough of them over the years and I much prefer to mix things up and challenge myself in different ways, yet this one really had got me. The temperature in the mine would be a constant 0 to 2 degrees, it would be dark with no natural light, the course would consist a 500m out and back route with a turnaround at each end with the idea being to do as many laps as possible, and it would take us up to 200 ft underground at the furthest point. Andy thought it would fun, I thought it would be fun, even the pups thought it would be fun, so it was that I ended up registering for my 10th 24 hour event.


 We made our way down on the Friday, opting to stay at the Stepping Stone Cabins in Beaver Mines, about 20 minutes drive from the race venue. We were taking all three pups with us and with them not being allowed in the mine nor around the aid station (that went out of the window very quickly with some people!), the plan was for Andy to stay at the cabin with the pups for the weekend whilst I ran, and he would drive over to crew me every 4 to 6 hours depending on weather conditions and time of day. From my perspective, I figured this would be ok with it being a looped 24 hour event – I would take advantage of the official aid station rather than taking all my own food for once, and Andy would bring me fresh flasks of tea and coffee to drink, to make sure I had instant access to something warm just in case it really did get chilly in the mine.


A 10am start for the race meant that we were able to have a decent sleep in on the Saturday morning, and we even had time to give the pups a bit of walk before nipping over to Tim Hortons to grab a few things before we started. 


The setup for the racers was located just outside the mine entrance, and it included a warmed aid station that had a wide variety of hot and cold food, a warming tent for the runners, and even a trailer with camp beds, just in case anybody needed to snooze at any point during their race. The warming tent was already overflowing with racers’ gear when we arrived, and there was no space to place my chair nor my gear bag. The weather was pretty chilly outside, and the wind gusts were crazy, already causing damage to some of the equipment provided by Sinister Sports, so they had to reduce the available space to prevent any further damage to things. There were tables located just inside the mine entrance which provided more space, so a few of us decided to set our things up there instead, although spectators were coming and going in the mine throughout the day and stood in that area, which meant weaving through bodies to get to our gear.





I think there were around 30 or so runners that had registered for the 24 hours, with the remainder consisting of those competing in either the 12 hour or the 6 hour events. To avoid congestion at the start, we ran up the hill for approximately 600m, before turning around to head back down the hill and into the entrance of the mine. This worked really well, and despite the tunnel only being a couple of metres wide, at no point during the race did I feel like I needed to squeeze past others or dramatically alter my pace to go around people.


The first thing I noticed when entering the mine was just how dark it was. In the main, there was enough light to see where you were going thanks to the dimly lit lanterns hanging on different sections of the course, but there were a few rocks and stones and some uneven ground in the shadows that caused tripping hazards later on. There certainly wasn’t a need for a headtorch, but it did take some time to get accustomed to the dimness, especially when leaving the tunnel to go the toilet or to grab some food and it was still daylight outside. The bubbling stream running through the mine also made it feel quite chilly, and there was the occasional smell of sulphur in the air which is to be expected given we were in a mine. There were various historical displays that lined the route too that told the story of the mine over the years, and these were a great distraction over the coming hours as we soon lost count of the number of laps we had completed.




With timed events, I find that the hours and minutes just become a blur, and I have no recollection of how things were going at hour 2 or 10 or 15, or at any other point during the race. I do know that for the first 12 hours, we changed direction every 6 hours, but then from 10pm onwards, we changed every 3 hours. These changes in direction are the highlight of timed events - they are refreshing and provide a change of scenery believe or not, and that repetitive motion of using one side of the body for making the turns becomes reversed, giving a break to tired muscles and allowing the other side of the body to catch up. The turns can cause havoc on the ankle, knee and hip joints, and I certainly found my hips starting to suffer far earlier on when compared to running track events, most likely because the turns were much sharper with being an out and back route, rather than a nice oval shape.


In the main though, my race went pretty well. The first few hours were far busier thanks to the different race durations and start times. The six hour runners were flying past, some of the 12 hour runners were moving steadily, whilst the 24 hour runners started at a much slower pace, holding back to conserve energy to help them get through the night. I was aiming for laps of no quicker than 3 and a half minutes, which would give me something like an 11 or 12 minute mile - a pace which I knew I could likely keep going for quite some time. I was running comfortably and well within myself, getting in to the groove and enjoying the motion of running. It was nice to have so many friends taking part, and the support was continuous from beginning to end as we all encouraged eachother to keep pushing forwards.


Although I was running well and feeling strong, there were a couple of things that I wasn't exactly struggling with, but were certainly impacting on my race performance. I can handle running in the cold - crikey, I've ran marathons in -40c as training runs in the past - but that constant freezing point for 24 hours was more difficult, simply because I needed to drink more often, but everything was of course freezing cold. Andy had brought me flasks of tea and coffee which I was drinking every half hour or so, but I desperately needed to drink water and electrolytes as I was still using fluids. But the water was so cold that it hurt my throat as I tried to drink, and the Tailwind and protein drinks I had with me weren't much better. Drinking the icy fluids were then causing a stitch which slowed me down, so I resorted to drinking just the warm drinks which didn't really meet my hydration needs. I got the occasional cramp whilst running – not enough to stop me in my tracks, but certainly enough to be noticeable, and I did crunch my way through some chewable salt tablets to make sure I maintained some kind of electrolyte balance. When I noticed my hands getting puffy and wrinkly, I knew that salts and fluids were a problem, but despite eating and drinking every hour, the swelling wasn’t really subsiding. I wasn’t too concerned, especially as I started to slow down later on and resorted more to walking, but it was something that I really needed to keep an eye on.


The other problem was that we were not allowed to eat in the mine, so we had to leave whenever we needed to refuel. I am so used to walking fast and eating on the move, but I was losing a good 10 to 20 minutes every time I needed to consume calories to keep me going - over the course of the race, this equated to a good 2 hours of stoppage time and I know this is the main reason why I didn't reach my goal of 100 miles. It was also pretty chilly outside the mine as well as inside, and with falling snow on and off and a gusty wind, I having to go outside to stop and eat was becoming a little tedious. I tried to warm up around the fire pits which were of course greatly appreciated, but they just weren't cutting the mustard, so I was heading back into the mine where despite the chill, it was probably still warmer than outside.


In terms of fuel, I was definitely eating more solid foods for this race as my pace was slow enough to digest things without me throwing up. I managed to get quite a few meatballs inside of me, and I think I may have somehow managed a burger at one point. Andy had also brought me Tim Bits and sausage rolls, and a couple of slices of Malt Loaf made a huge difference, providing the taste buds with something a little different from the usual sugary things I tend to eat during longer events. At one point I really fancies a cheese toastie, but having waited for it to cook, I found it a little greasy and fatty tasting for me and ended up munching on a few jelly babies and some chocolate instead. The ice cold crunchy chocolate was very tasty, but the frozen jelly babies were hard work – they took ages to soften and they just sat in my mouth for ages before I gave up and spat them out.


For the first few hours, it was buzzing in that mine, everybody was chirpy, we were even treated to some music that had us singing and maybe a little dancing as we ran around and around, but after the first of the 12 hour runners finished their race at 10pm, things definitely quietened off. I spent a couple of hours with my headphones plugged in, listening to some good old Robbie Williams and singing away to myself. I don’t usually run with music, but this time it helped the hours to pass by more quickly, and it made me feel far more energised.


Usually in a time event, I’m waiting for the sun to go down to cool things off, or eagerly awaiting the sunrise to warm things up. Seeing the dawn breaking when doing these kind of events makes those last few hours feel far more bearable, yet when running the mine, I had absolutely no concept as to what time of day it was. I was using a stop watch so was obviously able to work things out, but those sensory things weren’t there – the sound of birds as they sing their morning chorus, the sky getting lighter as the sun starts to rise and the change in temperature that comes from the warmth of the sun. The BUM gave no hints whatsoever that it getting dark or getting light, nor that life even existed outside of those rock walls. It was very strange. I remember at one point looking at my watch and it was something like 2am – I still had another 8 hours to the finish, and I found it hard just thinking about being in that dark, cold tunnel for another 8 hours extremely hard. It wasn’t just the lack of sensory stimuli, it was also that I had absolutely no idea how far I had ran, nor what pace I was doing. Normally I can focus on hitting the distance milestone, but in the mine, with no GPS, it really was a case of just moving forwards and keeping those legs turning over. We did have a timing chip, and I do know that I hit the 50 mile mark in about 9 hours – with 15 hours to do another 50 and hit the hundred miles, I felt confident that it was going to happen – but the computer system was struggling with the cold and the damp, and even the timing chips were falling off some people’s numbers, and for many hours I had no idea whether I still had a 5 lap lead over the next lady or not. 


I was having trouble staying warm in the early hours. Even the hot coffee that Andy had brought earlier and left in a thermos flask was now only lukewarm, and I started to feel the chills. I initially had no intentions of using the campbeds for a snooze and even scoffed a little at the idea, but a nice warm bed – even if only a campbed – seemed far more appealing after 18 hours underground, so I decided to go for a bit of a lie down in the hope I could warm up a little and feel more revived.


The trailer wasn’t exactly warm despite the heaters, and as I lay on the campbed with my hips, back and glutes throbbing away from all the turns, I still couldn’t get warm. I lay there shivering, trying to get a short 10 minute nap, but sleep just wouldn’t come. I gave up, went and grabbed a bit of hot food, and then headed back inside to continue my forward motion towards what I hoped would be 100 miles.


As we approached the final direction turn with three hours remaining on the clock, my energy levels seemed to return, and my pace started to quicken. Bodies were starting to return to the mine again, and there was a buzz of activity as other runners picked up the pace, hoping to hit their goals for the 24 hour period. Andy came back again at around 9am, and I was so relieved to see him, not only because he brought warm, fresh food and drink supplies, but also because we were finally into the last hour, and the countdown had begun.


It was difficult for me running blind so to speak, not knowing how far I had already gone and whether I needed to move even quicker to hit the hundred miles. The sole purpose of a timed event is to go as far as you can in a given time, so in reality it didn’t really matter – but then everybody has their own targets, and I think we were all chasing them over that final hour. I must say that the Sinister Staff were absolutely amazing, hanging out with the runners for pretty much the entire race, offering encouragement, cheering us on and giving us high fives at the start and end of each lap. 


With 10 minutes on the clock, there was a frenzy of activity and some folks were absolutely blasting it through that tunnel. I got caught up in all the excitement, and my pace quickened too, and as we came in to the last couple of minutes, folks were yelling at us to keep running, keep pushing, as we could still squeeze in another lap. I went out on what I thought was my final lap, and finished with 30 seconds to go before the race ended. The rules stated that we could start another lap if time still remained, but we had to be back within 10 minutes of the race ending. I wasn’t going to go, but with so many people cheering and yelling, I had no choice but to go out for that final lap. It was wild, it was crazy, but it was so much flaming fun!


I had no idea where I had finished nor how far I had ran until I actually got to the post race brunch that was provided for runners, support crew and volunteers. I finished 2nd lady with 150.5km or around 94 miles, with the winning lady breaking the hundred. Was I disappointed? Not in the slightest! I know that without all the stopping to eat and drink, I would have got to the 100 miles and I was actually very happy to finish on a nice round(ish) number – 150km in a mine doesn’t sound too bad at all. Position wise I wasn’t really thinking of a podium finish for this one, but I was of course very happy to complete my racing year with another 2nd place – at almost 51 years of age, I’m very happy that I can still get up there, and compete with some much younger runners!



Would I do this race again? At the time, I would say no, and even today I would hesitate. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it – the whole concept is still wild to me, and I loved the innovation from the Sinister team – but it is more to do with it being a timed event, and the fact that yet again, I am saying “no more!” It’s crazy to think that I can happily fun for 24 hours or more when there is no time limit but you have to run a set distance, yet when I know I HAVE to run for 24 hours, I find it much, much harder. Loops don’t bother me as I tend to get into the rhythm of running consistent laps, but running for time means you don’t really know how far you have to run. Even if you speed up or slow down, the time is still the same – it’s  not like you get to the destination or the finish line or the aid station more quickly, and therefore the finish comes more quickly. Time events are HARD!


The race itself was top notch, and everything appeared to go perfectly to me, with only minor issues that can easily be resolved for next time. There were some who were concerned about the environmental conditions and the impact on health, but whilst it was chilly and damp in there, I have experienced far worse and still come out the other side - it's like anything else in life - you assess the risk and make your own decisions as to whether to participate or not, and I'm glad I did take part.


So as my racing season has finally come to an end for 2023, there's no denying that it has been one heck of a year, and I have been happy with every single race that I've done. Turning 50 has been amazing, and I'm so happy that I have been able to fulfil the challenges I set for myself. Next year won't be quite as busy but I still hope to have some fun and get out to the trails and mountains for some amazing adventures, and I hope that anybody that still follows this blog gets out there and has some fun too.


Wishing you all a lovely Christmas, and here's to happy and healthy new year.