Races
Part 7 of 7. From Bellingham CP5 to Kirk Yetholm. Bad weather contributes to a crisis situation atop the fearsome Cheviot hills
Read more “The Spine: My Race is Irrelevant”
Races
Part 6 of 7. From Alston CP4 to Bellingham CP5. By now, even navigating a checkpoint is a challenge – one that puts my easy run up to Hadrian’s Wall in jeopardy
Read more “The Spine: Sound The Alarm”
Races
Part 5 of 7. From Langdon Beck CP3 to Alston CP4. While some runners endured a perilous blizzard over Cross Fell, I enjoyed my own unique experience
Read more “The Spine: Alpennine Chilliewack”
Races
Part 4 of 7. From Hawes CP2 to Langdon Back CP3. Icy ground pushes me to my breaking point, and then things really go downhill…
Read more “The Spine: Ice Goes Better With Whisky”
Races
Part 3 of 7. From Hebden Bridge CP1 to Hawes CP2. Disaster strikes as injuries compound, and I prepare myself for an early DNF.
Read more “The Spine: Razor Fields”
Races
Part 2 of 7. From Edale to Hebden Bridge CP1. A lack of preparation and a freezing start blossomed into a beautiful winter day over the Peak District fells, but beneath the sole-face all is not as it may appear.
Read more “The Spine: Pride Comes Before A DNF”
Races
Part 1 of 7. When I first started running ultramarathons, there were three UK races that leapt out at me: Arc of Attrition, Dragon’s Back, and the Spine. Little did I know that my intrigue would set in motion a series of events leading me to the start line of Britain’s “most brutal” race.
Read more “The Spine: My Legendary Triad”
Running
It’s been 19 days since I finished the Spine.
Recovery has been a nonlinear journey. Initially I felt fine. Then I felt hungry. Frankly, I haven’t stopped feeling hungry. I had a numb toe for a week. Tiredness set in, but has reduced in recent days.
There’s been nothing majorly wrong with me though. I ran for the first time after a week, when a friend recorded a casual ‘interview’ with me (it’s now on YouTube). I’m still working on my Spine blog post.
I’ve met up with quite a few mates since to recount tales from the adventure. One, a superb cook amongst many other qualities, offered to rustle up a celebratory meal for us. Plant-based cooking isn’t his usual fare, but as a fellow ultranutter he’s nothing if not adaptable. The result was something so remarkable, inspired and accomplished that it left me speechless.
Read more “Trailsagne”
Running
Races
It was the height of the day in SDW100 2023, and the mercury had hit 30°C. The tarmac road before me disappeared off into the horizon. This was Truleigh Hill: notoriously devoid of shade, and a prime catalyst for DNFs from heat exhaustion.
I was overheating, but I couldn’t drink. I was saving the few sips of water I had left. Why hadn’t I learnt my lesson from SDW100 2021, and refilled my water back at Botolphs in the valley? I was replaying the exact same situation, in the exact same place.
As I castigated myself for failing to learn from prior mistakes, I remembered what stood proud at the summit of this hill. YHA Truleigh. An oasis in the desert, with a shady yard, and all the water one can drink and dowse oneself with. It had saved me in 2021, and now I knew it would save me again today.
Read more “Back to SDW100 for a 100M PB, Hopefully!”