A 26.2 Mile Adventure

“Running has thrown me into adventures that I otherwise would have missed.”

Benjamin Cheever

Two years ago I hobbled across the finish line of the Liverpool marathon 56 minutes over my target time of 4 hours. A swollen knee at 10 miles had seen off any hope of going under 4 hours. As I sat dejected at the finish line, surrounded by other elated runners, I said I wouldn’t come back to the marathon until I was sure I would finish with the clock still showing 3 hours.

So why then, 2 years later, was I waking up at 5 am and putting on my running shoes to go and run a marathon having done no specific training. The inexhaustible sense of adventure was why. When my friend informed me he had bought a map and had been busy planning a route, it didn’t take much persuading before I agreed to go. 26.2 miles of unseen trails would be my pathway into an adventure.

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Lockdown – Looking Local

For the past 3 months we’ve been restricted to exercising outside in your local area only. This has meant I’ve had to rely even more on what’s on my doorstep. There is a nature area near to my house which I’ve visited more times in the last 3 months, than I had in the 3 years prior. A full loop around the lake and back to my house is just over a mile long, but in that mile I’ve spent a lot of time looking around.

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Why I Run

Mention running to a non-runner and you’ll hear phrases like ‘running’s not for me’, ‘it’s too boring’ and ‘I can’t run long distances’. So why then, is there some of us for who running is a fixation, an itch that needs to be scratched. What makes me look out the window early on a weekday morning, see the rain falling onto the dark streets, and think it’s time to go for a run.

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Goggins 4x4x48 Challenge

For those that don’t know, David Goggins is an ex-US Navy Seal who takes mental toughness to the next level. This challenge was born from Goggins wanting others to truly experience the importance of self-discipline.

The challenge is simple. Every 4 hours, on the hour, you run for 4 miles. You do this for a total of 48 hours. The prospect of running 4 miles for your average runner is not a lot. However they quickly build up, and after everyone, you’re left dreading the next. But it’s not the miles that make this challenge so tough. Having to run on the hour, every 4 hours means you need to have the discipline to make sure you’re out there on your start line regardless of what else is going on. It includes waking up in the night to go out and get a run complete. 

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The Longest Day

If you’ve got a social media account then you will have seen plenty of influencers glamorous travel photos. Hundreds of photos of good looking people on far away exotic beaches without a worry in the world, living their best life. When we see these photos, we start to compare our own lives to theirs. It’s important to remember that people’s social media pages are a highlight reel of their lives. We want other people to think well of us, and social media gives us a platform to transform our lives into something we want it to be.

In February 2017 I went to Wales and bike packed for 4 days through Snowdonia park. Now I have in the past and could continue to post about how great this trip was. Don’t get me wrong, I have fond memories of that trip which I will hold onto, but there are also dark times. So rather than tell you about how great the adventure was and show off a load of great photos of me looking happy, I thought I would share with you the downside to travel adventures. Here is my longest day.

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Ordnance Survey Map Challenge

“You can continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.”

It’s early 2021, 9 months after Coronavirus spread into the UK, and here we are back in a national lockdown in England. The news that outdoor exercise can continue is a lifeline for many of us, but for those seeking adventure ‘’you should not travel outside your local area’’ is the big one. Staying local would be an obstacle to overcome. In the part of the Midlands where I live there is a particular lack mountain ranges and beautiful national park, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t adventure out there to be found.

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Small changes you can make to get outside more!

More and more we are spending time inside. Hours of on demand TV at our fingertips. Food and drink delivered to our door within the hour. Any item from the shop through our letterbox the next day. Kids kept quiet by phones and tablets. Getting outside more can feel hard when staying in is so easy.

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