In It To Win It
I started to run again eight years ago to get a bit fitter for my true sport of climbing. On a climbing holiday in Calpè, Spain I was getting cabin fever after bad weather had a group of us holed up together in a typical Spanish appartment. There's only so much drinking, story telling and eating one can do!
It was later on in the day when it was to late to head out to the crag but the rain stopped and the sun showed it's face. I slipped on my porno shorts (small Ron Hills), a vest and shoes and headed the down the 5 stories of steps and bolted the 100 meters onto the beach.
The plan was simple, run to the end of the beach and back, probably 1.5 miles in total. I enjoyed it so much I did it twice! This was the first time I'd ran properly since leaving collage when I hung my trainers up in defiance!
A few months later I ran the Southport 10k then the following month a Preston 10 miler, I have to say that after these two races I wasn't impressed by how sociable these runners were. Everyone I ran with didn't really want to talk to me, so I'd run a bit harder catch someone else up and try again but it didn’t matter what subject I touched on all they could come back with was one word replies! When I mentioned this to Steph afterwards she put me right (as she still does!).
A month or so later a poster arrived at work, it was for the Endurance Life race in Cornwall- 'The Classic Quarter'. This race follows the coastal path for 44 miles from The Lizard to Lands End, I immediately knew that I wanted to do it. For fear of not being able to complete it and look a failure I did not tell a soul except a few family members.
Why all this pre-ramble I hear you mutter, well it was about this time that we'd moved to Frodsham and I'd heard whispers about a walking challenge of 34 miles that finished near my door step! Surely this would be a good training run to base my level of fitness on before the big race in a couple of months.
Without knowing much about ultra running Steph duly dropped me off at Whitchurch with my maps and Mars Bars and I set off, Frodsham bound on The Sandstone Trail...
To be continued.