Over the last few days, I have been taking part in the hardest event I have ever attempted, the Winter Spine Race. The Race is 268 miles (431km), along the Pennine Way from Edale in the middle of England to Kirk Yetholm in Scotland. I was not able to complete the full distance, but I ran further in winter conditions than I had ever run before, and it was a magnificent adventure.
Yesterday, I took part in a 24km social run on Kinder Scout organized by my good friend and clubmate Pete Henley. It was another wonderful day on the hills with lovely people. Running can be quite solitary, but it can also be a great social activity. Thirty of us met at the car park in Edale and headed up towards the fells.
I run every day, I have done it for five years, and here is how I fit it into my schedule – and why i do it.
Over the weekend, I took part in one of my favourite events, the Ranger Ultras Peak District South and North. This race can be seen as a two-day, 93km stage race or as two standalone races (50km on Saturday and 43km on Sunday). If you run just the Saturday or just the Sunday, it is a standard fell race. If you run the Saturday and Sunday, your times for the two races are added together to give you your total time.
I am lucky enough to participate in a wide range of running events, including marathons, cross-country, fell races, track races, ultramarathons, and relays. But, without a doubt, my favourite runs are social, i.e. runs where I head out with like-minded people to run, enjoy the conversation, appreciate the scenery, and explore new areas.
I have written before about my notion of ‘running within myself’. In essence, this means listening to your body and ensuring that you do not go ‘into the red’, i.e. not pushing too hard. Following this course of action, I have been able to: run every day for nearly five years, take part in a wide range of events (from 100 metres to 440 kilometres) without injury, and (bar one lapse of concentration) without getting into distress or difficulty.
Today was a fun outing, participating in the Chester Marathon. This race was a triple competition for me. First, it was a regular marathon (along with 4586 other people). Secondly, it was the British Masters 2023 Marathon Championship (I was competing in the Men, aged 65-69 category). Finally, it was an international masters match between England and Wales (and I was selected to run in the England team).
Today, I took part in my 39th Robin Hood Half Marathon, which is my hometown’s main half-marathon. I took part in the first Robin Hood Half in 1981 and missed just three of them since (and there was no race in 2020 during the pandemic).
If you like running and have not heard of ParkRun, you are in for a pleasant surprise. ParkRun refers to free 5km events, held on Saturday mornings, across a wide range of countries. All of the ParkRuns are free, run by volunteers, and are a great way to run with other people and a great way to volunteer.
I spent last weekend cycling in Cornwall, with about 40 other riders and a great bunch of organisers and volunteers. We were taking part in the tenth CoppaFeel! Hilly Hundred. The ride is a two-day event raising money for the amazing breast health and cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel!
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