I sat at the back of the Lakeland 100 starting pen with my eyes closed. The music finished, it was time to go. Crowds cheered and I high-fived other Delamere Spartans as we left Coniston. Jim and I ascended together chatting and watching the beautiful Friday evening views. I pulled slightly ahead on a bit of downhill as I like to run to save my quads. We high-fived as I left and he entered the first check point (Seathwaite). He overtook me when I went the wrong way, just because the person in front is holding a gate open for you doesn't mean it is the right way.

 Two things attracted me to this race; a distance challenge above 50 miles, having done several of those already, but below 100 miles, as I tend to be made of glass at times! Secondly, the midnight start gave me a chance to run all night and experience an endurance race on zero sleep. There is a third; I just love the Lake District!

Being our local trail and nearest ultra, this event has steadily attracted more Spartans year by year and now has a special place in my calendar.

 I have run the full distance about 9 times now, so I am pretty familiar with the route.

This includes two epic, cold December night time headtorch runs, with my last pilgrimage coming on a hot Easters day with Dave and Andy. I guess we must like this trail!

Failure. That is the only feeling a felt as I got my phone out of my pocket and phoned my mum to pick me up from Barnsbridge Gate. Spartans never quit. We just keep going despite looking like death but I just couldn’t.

The race had been going perfectly. My only aim at the start of the race was to finish. After completing the London Marathon two weeks before, I had not specifically trained for this kind of race. My fitness was absolutely fine though so I knew I could finish and I just wanted a PB, even if it was just by one second.

When I walked the West Highland Way (WHW) last May, I thought it was a great way to recce the Highland Fling, and the idea to run it soon percolated to the front of my mind as firm goal for 2015. The difference of course is that I’d be running what we took a leisurely 4 days to walk!

I help out with the Trailkidz as part of the Montane Trail 26 series and entered the Trail 13 event whilst I was there.

After I'd done my foxy impression for Trailkidz I made my way to the start and got kitted out ready for the race and saw a fellow chilly looking Spartan - Jon Hawker.  It was -5C and not damp and miserable like last year.

The marathoners set off 20 minutes before us.  The claxon went and we were off hunting them on the undulating fire trails.

I love running on the Anglesey coastal path. I have run every section of it over various visits and it has some stunning sections of headland and beautiful beaches that match anything you can find in Britain. Lately however, I have begun to think that the path doesn’t like me that much.