A look back at 2021 (pt1)
It’s been well over a year since I last posted on here despite wanting to do so for the last 6 months or so. 2021 was a big year for me. This was mostly due to the lifestyle changes I made which massively contributed to a successful year with my running and fitness. So, with that said, lets begin my look back at what 2021 had to offer.
2021 goals
Ok, so we all know that Covid has disrupted our lives for the best part of 2 years now. This was evidenced again by me not being able to run a spring marathon. I had a club place for London marathon but it had been moved to October which then clashed with Berlin, my other planned marathon of 2021.
Instead of trying to book another marathon, I decided to change tack. Rather than stick to the roads, it was time to hit the trails for some adventures.
I had already attempted to do the Green Man Ultra in 2020 but it was cancelled. To be honest, even now, I still have no idea what happened to my entry for that race. I initially thought it might be on in the spring of 2021 but that wasn’t the case. And if it was, then I missed it!
The alternative was to enter a Maverick Race event in Exmoor. I chose the ultra distance, naturally lol, but before then, I decided to embark on a solo ultra as training.
Aside from the ultra, I only had a few half marathons and Berlin booked but all of those were in the autumn. So, at the start of the year it was full steam ahead with trail running and ultra training!
Training for an ultra
My coach, Simon, came up with my plan as always. However, alongside that, I had decided to make the first of what would turn out to be one of a few pivotal changes to my training/lifestyle. That was to ensure I did regular strength work but more on that in a future post.
To start with, I knew I had to start running off road more. Where I live, Burnham On Sea, is pretty flat. Brent Knoll and Brean Down are the only hills a runnable distance away from me. So, while Brent Knoll would become a well trodden route over the upcoming months, I knew I’d need to venture further afield.
I had used Crook Peak a few times for training for my 100k ultra marathon in 2017 so would go there too but I needed more. Speaking to my running club chairman, I was pointed in the direction of some of the sections on the West Mendip Way. The WMW is a footpath which runs from Wells to Uphill and was about 30 miles or so long.
I soon discovered several parts of this, mainly the sections between Crook Peak and Uphill. There were days where I had stunning views and others where it was cold, wet and muddy. But I loved it no matter the weather. Each run became a mini adventure, especially to begin with when I was running the route blind. I had to constantly keep my eyes peeled for the little blue way markers.
The West Mendip Way would be the route I would run for my solo ultra marathon.
Going solo
After a few months of training, the day of my solo ultra was upon me. On Sunday 4th April, Steph and the girls dropped me off by Wells Cathedral. It was around 9am and I was now on my own for the next 7 plus hours.
I had all my kit and food with me so all that was left to do was find the first way marker. After walking around in a circle for 5 minutes I finally figured out where I needed to go and got moving. It wasn’t long before I missed a marker and wasted a good 10 minutes or more in a little cul de sac before getting back on the right path.
This was the problem with starting on the section I didn’t know. Anyway, I was feeling pretty good and the elevation was over 1000ft in the first 10k of the run. This is why I’d spent as much time as possible in the few hilly areas near me.
Despite being early April, after a bright but chilly start, it got very warm as the day went on. I kept plodding away and things went pretty well until I made it to Cheddar and I lost my way a little bit. It was a frustrating section as I’d see way markers but then lose them. I ended up by the quarry which is not where I was supposed to be at all.
After a quick check on Google maps, the GPX file proved useless at this point, I had to run along a main road for a couple of miles. This was not great but it got me back on track. This day would prove to be a building block for mental strength when facing adversity.
Toughing it out
After my little directional mishap, I picked up the route and was soon at Kings Wood, just below Crook Peak. The rest of the route I knew well so I at least knew I’d not go wrong again. At this point though, it was getting tough.
I kept going but I found I was walking more than I would have liked. A couple of hours later though, I was homing in on Uphill. I would actually bypass Uphill and head for Brean Down instead. That was the end of my route and my rendezvous point with Steph and the girls.
Once there I was greeted by them all with the added bonus of a little bespoke medal which I was delighted with. It may not have been a race but it was a nice little gesture and memento.
This solo run not only assisted in getting me ready for the Exmoor ultra but it, and the training for it, also helped lay the foundations for what was to come from the summer onwards.
I loved all of the training for this and while it was extremely hard physically and at times, tough mentally on the day, it was an amazing experience. If you want to start learning more about yourself as a person, going on solo adventures is a great way to start. Running an ultra solo might not be everyone’s cup of tea but honestly, spending the day on your own in the world is an uplifting and cathartic experience.
Next up will be the toughest run of my life and the start of shifting my mindset.
