Get out there and dream big...

Since finishing the Virtual West Highland Way Race I went on two weeks later to complete the Virtual Great Glen Way Race.

These races were born out of necessity because runners need a race to train for and the racing calendar came to screaming halt with the covid-19 pandemic lockdown! We are a community of crazy people who like to spend all of our time running around training to come together for a common goal - to get to the end in one piece!

You all know that I love a running challenge, and these two events were very real challenges despite them being virtual. The cut off points really added an incentive to get on with it and finish the event. 

These event really confirmed that I wanted to set in motion an idea which has been brewing in my head for a long lot of years, and with the experience we have all had this year I have decided to take the plunge and start planning my challenge.

For many years I have been inspired by the 10 in 10 runners in Windermere, but absolutely know my limitations - I could not do 10 marathons in 10 days, however, having just completed 2 virtual ultra marathons of 95 miles in 9.5 days and 73 in 7 days I am absolutely hooked on this long distance sort of a challenge.

To help explain why I am hooked I can share this passage written by Krissy Moehl (http://krissymoehl.com/) in Relentless Forward Progress: A guide to Running Ultramarathons which explains exactly where I am coming from:

"How often in life do we have the opportunity to inspire ourselves? Often we look outward, to other individuals and teams, to fill that need for inspiration, whether it be in our work, sport or daily living. Pushing your physical limits, putting yourself to an unknown challenge is personally inspiring.

It inspires you to get out of bed in the morning and train no matter the weather. It inspires you to learn more about nutrition, training, and equipment to help you accomplish the task. To make it to the starting line is personal inspiration and to pull off the feat is an accomplishment hard to match. You know the time you have dedicated to that end goal, to the finish line. You know the experiences you've gained through the process as well as the rough times you endured to make it happen. It is a very personal goal and one that will fulfil a soul.

The energy gained in having a goal, in training for that goal, and reaching that achievement not only grounds your daily life, but also adds meaning and purpose. It creates memories both personal and shared. It brings you into a community no matter where you travel, because runners like you exist all over the world."

People often say to me that I inspire them, but in all honesty I hate to say I don't set out to inspire people, I'm not sure that is how 'inspiring' people works. But I do set out to inspire myself. There is so much life to be had out there. I'm not super fit, I'm reasonably fit, I am definitely not a fast runner, but I am strong and incredibly stubborn. Given training you can just wind me up and point me in the direction you want me to run and I will keep going until someone tells me to stop. 

That stubbornness is my strength. I like to see just how far I can push myself. I also know my limits, no matter how much I would love to be able to run 50 mile ultra marathons in one go, I know from my experience in Kielder that even 50km was pushing me to the edge of my limits. However, multi day long distance running is something I am falling in love with. I have it in me to get up day after day and trot round a set distance to achieve a goal!  

So my plan next April and May is to run/walk the Keswick Half Marathon five days in a row (culminating in the final day as the actual race - date subject to confirmation). For anyone who knows this route, it isn't easy but I know I can do it!

Some of you are already in on my plan as I have taken advice from Chris "10 in10" Renton

and talked Yvonne, Mark and Tracey into supporting me at different points in the challenge.

It is a wee while away and my training will not officially start until around October this year but I wanted to put it out there to make sure that I actually crack on with this challenge and get myself fit enough to at least give running most of the 65.5 miles a good shot.

As a last thought Meghan Hicks (https://twitter.com/meghanhicks?lang=en) poses the question:

"If you haven't figured out the root of this ultrarunning business quite yet, I'm about to let you in on the sport's secret. Happiness. Simple. Isn't it?

Many ultrarunners are driven, in part by competition, by setting and achieving goals, or by spending time in attractive natural settings. But each of those motivations can be traced back to that secret: doing stuff that makes you happy.

So get out there and dream big..."

 

Life is for living after all, the adventure is out there, you just have to go find it!