Lizzy Hawker

2011-04-16T19:05:00.000+02:00

Running with a little bit of pride and a lot of humility ….

The light is coming back into the sky. The days are becoming longer and the winter months are drawing to a close. Soon the snowy trails will be melted out and the weather will be a little kinder. Spring brings with it a wonderful and incredible energy and a promise of renewal. This is the time to breath new life into our dreams.

As an endurance athlete I have a multitude of hopes and dreams - races, times, goals, expedition plans. The list can feel never ending. But one of the lessons of the journey is to learn to focus and to channel energy into each moment. One moment at a time. And so to bring a dream to reality.

I have a 'big' dream in 2011. To return again to The North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and to make the very best race that I have inside of me. It is a dream that will need me to reach deep inside of myself. This year I want to focus on the challenge of reaching even beyond that which I feel I can do.

There will be many steps along the way. In the words of one Chinese Proverb, "to get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping". Every race, every training run is a step forward, something to learn from, something to build on.

For me the journey of 2011 started 'on the run' - literally! The 1^st January 2011 I made the Annapurna 100 - an incredibly beautiful 100km trail race in Nepal. Taking advantage of a few extra days in Nepal I 'fastpacked' myself around the Annapurna Circuit in 5 days. It is a wonderful journey that takes you through incredible contrasts of landscape, cultures, religion and people. Being in the 'off-season' with far fewer trekkers made the journey doubly special for me. There was solitude, a time to think and a time just to be in the moment. Walking literally from the pre-dawn until dusk (not running in order to save myself for the next race), the journey became for me almost a 'moving meditation'. Images to remember - from the pastoral scenes of rural mountain villages, to the windswept solitude of the Thorong La (5300m), to the wild landscapes beyond, and back to village life. Fastpacking in and of itself is a wonderful preparation for something like the UTMB. Invaluable experience of moving fast for hour after hour - long, long days on your feet. And the next race came soon - another 100km trail race - this time in Hong Kong. A whirlwind of contrast from the wilds of the mountains, to the endearing chaos of Kathmandu, to the towering skyscrapers of modern Hong Kong where I was invited to compete in the first edition of the Hong Kong 100. I was so happy and privileged to be a part of both these races and beyond that just to share the trail and the experiences with some wonderful people.

But the end of one race is just the beginning of the journey to the next. In each of these races I was the 1^st lady (4^th and 3^rd overall, respectively). But in each there was much to learn and to take forward. Mistakes and frustrations as well as joy and success! This is the 'game' we are in.

Perhaps we never have a 'perfect race'. Each and every race is unique with its own challenges and demands. But somehow if we can dig deep in there to really 'be in ourselves' at every moment of the race - then surely we can reach beyond what we believe possible.

Flexibility and adaptability - it is an essential part of being an athlete - whether we are racing, training or just wanting to keep moving. Weeks in the depths of an alpine winter - running on snowy trails, running on ice-hard cross country ski tracks, making friends with the treadmill, learning to spend time in the gym, out on snow shoes, ski alpinism, langlauf.

That was my story before dipping briefly into the warmth of the Canary Islands for The North Face Transgrancanaria, a 123km mountain trail race crossing the island of Gran Canaria. Another win, another experience to learn from and another step along the way.

The start line. I think it might be one of my favourite places during an ultra race. Finally you are free. No more plans or logistics. No more thinking about if you have the right kit, food or fluid for the distance and conditions. You will make what you have work. You have to. So it is just you and your journey. A strange and wonderful freedom, and that beautiful yet terrible mixture of apprehension, anticipation, fear, excitement and joy. Finally all that you have to do is run. And smile!

The finish line. It might be another of my favourite places during an ultra. That and so many moments during the journey, the inbetween. Because it is those moments that count. And being 'in' the moment?!

In every race we need to run with a little bit of pride and a lot of humility.

There will be times when we feel great and times when we feel we cannot go on, times when we forget everything but getting to the next checkpoint. There will be moments of camaraderie with supports and fellow competitors, and moments of feeling entirely alone. Focus and determination. That is what we need so that we can follow the advice of the King in Alice in Wonderland who said, “Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end: then stop”.

Whatever your journey in life - reach high, seek far and look deep - and dream. Then you can be who you are.

http://annapurna100.com/

http://www.hk100-ultra.com/

http://www.transgrancanaria.net/

change ...

2010-09-10T20:07:00.000+02:00

All is change; all yields its place and goes.

- EPITECTUS

The cows came home from the alp today .... they passed by our house on the narrow cobbled street, bells clanging. Their return heralds for me the almost melancholic change of the season. But it has somehow been a 'wintry' summer - so the chilly days and sight of snow on the mountain tops is even not such a distant memory. But now as I run home there are hues of brown on mountainside ahead so now even the trees will soon change their garb.

Mirroring those changes surrounding us in the nature - comes a feeling of change within .....

For everything there is a time.

And it was 'change' that we had to deal with in The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc this year.

This kind of says it for me:

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.

- ALAN WATTS

More 'thoughts' to follow on the 'dance' of UTMB 2010.

Mountain greetings to all who are reading!

2010-08-24T17:15:00.000+02:00

I love the upward ways

to the sun tipped crest of the mountains

High over the billowy world;

Where the wind sings hymns of praise,

And the snows break into fountains,

And life is a flag unfurled.

- HARRIET MONROE

These beautiful summer days are flying - and to whoever reading - I hope you are too ..... legs, hearts and minds! And I wish you strength and lightness of foot and of heart. Let your lives 'unfurl' ... and keep a song in your heart.

Now some news:

Earlier this month I made a beautiful 2-day stage race (the Gondo Event) a double marathon over the Simplon Pass – a race created in memory of the inhabitants of Gondo who died during terrible floods during 2000. I was truly happy to be a part of this race, and to feel again that 'flying' feeling, 1st woman, and 4th overall! Then a quick 'training' run around the Tour du Monte Rosa (really a wonderful and special mountain journey) before returning 'home' to Scuol for some work. Now this past weekend (Sunday 22nd) I stopped in Zermatt on route to Chamonix to participate in the Matterhornlauf – another beauty which finishes at the foot of the Matterhorn. Just enough to get my head, heart and legs into race ‘mode’ for the big goal ahead.

Now finally I'm back again in Chamonix to compete in The North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. It is my 4th participation in the UTMB, having been 1st woman in 2005 and 2008, and 2nd woman in 2009.

For me the motivation to run UTMB is to again, 'be part of something that is so much more than just the incredible challenge of the race itself. Every runner, every volunteer and every supporter becomes part of something truly special - the shared passion and dedication make this so much more than just a race - more a shared journey of exploration and endurance within the greater journey of our own life.'

My thoughts about the race ahead: 'I am truly looking forward to again being part of this experience, and to making what is such a beautiful mountain journey. Of course I have expectations, but with a race like this anything can happen. So my goal is to run the best that I can, to give as much as I can, and to run with joy inside. The challenge in this race is to embrace the difficulties it throws at you - to get yourself through any 'hard moments' - to keep heart and mind strong - and to keep on running for the pur love of running.'

And the days to come: 'For me it is important the week before a big race to find some quiet - to allow myself the time and space to prepare physically and mentally, to absorb some of that beautiful energy of the mountains, and to realise how lucky we are just to 'be' and to be alive'.

The 'wonders' of modern technology mean that it is possible to follow the race, and to become a part of the experience - wherever you are in the world!

Pre race interview on Trailrunningsoul Part I
Pre race interview on Trailrunningsoul Part II
Follow the race 'live' on the race website
Follow the race 'live' by sms
Follow the race 'live' on The North Face microsite
Follow the race 'live' on Facebook

Movement

2010-05-15T01:30:00.000+02:00

'Stillness is what creates love. Movement is what creates life. To be still and still moving - this is everything!'

DO HYUN CHOE

When we can be still within our movement, and yet move within our stillness - in some way this is how we can live with love. For me movement is special - to be on my feet and moving. Running is just one expression of this. And in some way it is just a reflection of the movement of our lives .... the ebb and flow.....

And so a small note about my next challenge ....

Lizzy is to compete in the 85th Comrades Marathon - and 89 km ultra-distance road race in South Africa on 30th May. She will be joined by four US athletes, also part of The North Face Global Athlete team.

The team hope to raise money and awareness for Starfish, a South African based chariy whose mission is to bring life, hope and opportunity to children orphaned and made vunerable by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The charity focuses on community-based organisations, and the team's fundraising will directly support orphaned and vunerable children in the town of Chesterville, visible from the race route. The programme is called Vukukhanye, which means 'Arise and Shine' in Zulu, reflecting the people's optimistic hope for the community of Chesterville and also their country, the hope that they will arise and shine and be examples to the world.

Lizzy looks forward to the race as, "an incredible challenge, a unique opportunity and a truly special experience. For our team, for every runner, every supporter, and the community of Chesterfield whom we hope to support, the race will become so much more than just a race - rather a journey of exploration within the greater journey of life."

www.firstgiving.com/tnf_comrades_starfish

The Comrades Marathon is arguably one of the greatest ultra marathons in the world - the oldest, and certainly the largest. 2010 is the 85th edition bringing together over 23000 runners from all over the world. The 89 km (56 miles) route between Pietermaritzburg and Durban tests each competitor to his/her limit - both physically and mentally.

The marathon itself owes its beginnings to the vision of one man, World War I veteran Vic Clapham. Fighting in the eastern savannahs of Africa during the Great War 1914-1918, witnessing the pain, agonies, death and hardships of his comrades left a lasting impressions. When peace came in 1918, Clapham felt those who had died should be remembered and honoured in a unique way, 'where an individual's physical frailties could be tested and overcome'. Thus the Comrades Marathon was born as a living memorial to the spirit of the soldiers of the Great War. the marathon 'spirit' is continued by all who take part and is described in the race constitution as, "a festival celebrating the triumph of mankind's spirit over adversity through a jubilee sports event".

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T19:57:00.000+01:00

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter."

RACHEL CARSON

On the eve of the new year there is a full moon to light our way into the new decade ... Whether it is obscured by cloud or not, the light is still there if we reach high enough for it. Dawn will come after this night, and spring will come after this winter .... just as in our own life there is a season for everything.

But all we have to do is try to live each moment - on the mountain, on the run, at work, at play - with lightness and with joy. Trying is all we are asked ...

Dreams of a journey ....

2009-10-05T11:28:00.000+02:00

Dreams of a journey ……

Sometimes things don’t always happen as we plan or as we hope. We had a dream to make an expedition to Cho Oyu - to reach the summit and then return to Kathmandu under our own steam. For each of us in a different way it was to be an incredible endurance challenge. But now we look deep inside ourselves for a different kind of endurance.

I was prepared to perhaps not realise my dream of reaching the summit if we had bad weather, or because of the cold, the altitude, or perhaps being sick. I was prepared that perhaps after attempting to climb an 8000’er I might not have the strength to run back to Kathmandu in a good time.

But I think the one thing that I didn’t expect was not even to see our mountain.

I write from Kathmandu, as we wait for our flight back home. We are fit, well and acclimatized - but - for us - with the Chinese decision to close the borders between Nepal and Tibet until at least 15th October - our dream must wait and we have taken the decision to postpone our expedition until (we hope) autumn 2010.

Our life is movement, it is a journey, not a destination. Sometimes we ‘wonder why’, but perhaps this is part of what Tibet has to teach us - to have the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can and to have the wisdom to know the difference.

Thank you for being with me.

Read about our journey and our decision: http://thenorthfaceeu.typepad.com/trilogyexpedition/

Namaste

2009-09-17T18:55:00.000+02:00

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Until the end of October I am on expedition in the Himalaya - please forgive me - I may not be able to update my blog - but there WILL be news on The North Face website - so please, please read there if you are interested!

I will be thinking of you all.

Namaste!

http://thenorthfaceeu.typepad.com/trilogyexpedition/

Back to the chaos of a city, the sights, smells, noise and heat that are Kathmandu ….

It brings back memories of 2 years ago, a journey to the summit of Ama Dablam and running back to Kathmandu. Precious memories of this world - this world that is a world away from ‘home’, a world away from the familiarity of Europe.

24 hours in the city - the confusion of tiredness after travelling over 30 hours and kris-crossing time zones, and this after the intensity and emotion of a fleeting weekend in New York for my younger brother’s wedding. But finally we had a night’s sleep, my bags are packed for the acclimatisation leg of our journey, and I can really start to believe and to feel ‘here’ and that this incredible adventure is about to begin.

Tomorrow the mountains are waiting for us - and I look forward being back once again in the Khumbu. Step by step, one step at a time. Each moment to be savoured.

We will see the sky - not limited to glimpses caught between high buildings, not clouded by dust and dirt - but the wide open sky of the mountains. It will be our daily bread - food for the soul.

2009-08-26T20:15:00.000+02:00

Alone, in the clear air and searching sunlight, we are afoot with the quiet gods, and men can know each other and themselves for what they are.
A.F. MUMMERY

In three short weeks we leave for Kathmandu and it will be the start of our Cho Oyu Trilogy Expedition. Three short weeks and a world away ….. a world away from the familiarity of these Alpine mountains in Europe, from friends and from family. But before I can focus completely my energy on Cho Oyu and the journey ahead, there are a few things to think about.

In a little less than 2 days I will be standing in the Place du Triangle de l’Amitie in the centre of Chamonix. Alone with my thoughts - at the start line of my 3rd The North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc - alone with my own hopes, expectations, fears and doubts. Excited and yet trepidatious. The spirit of the Ultra Trail is a special one - the moments of camaraderie with fellow runners, with the volunteers, with all the supporters - something to be treasured. The cries of ‘bon courage’ keeping you going long after you thought you were finished. But still there are moments of feeling entirely alone. Alone in the sense that it is only us that can make our race. Those hours ahead are the unknown. But somehow in the unknown we will come to know ourselves deeper, to know ourselves for what we are. Race or no race, there is no victory except the joy that you feel if you let your run ‘flow’. And so each of us can feel that ‘victory’ ….

Our Trilogy Expedition too … so much is the unknown.

What does it mean to me at this moment?
‘Belonging. A dream. On foot to the summit heights. On the run across the mountain trails. Simplicity. Focus. Solitude and camaraderie. The arrival and the in-between. The preparation and the unknown.’

But for sure we will find the clear air and searching sunlight?
And there we will come to know each-other and ourselves for what we are.

2009-07-23T21:47:00.000+02:00

The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.
EMILE ZOLA

Running is an art …..
So maybe we need a little bit of a gift ….
But even when we have the gift, we need to do a little bit of work …

Endurance - it’s more than just competing in ultra distance races - it is more than simply running. It’s the lifestyle of never looking for the easy way out. It’s finding opportunities whatever the situation. It is a freedom, if you have the courage to seize that freedom. It’s an exploration towards the edge. For each of us this ‘edge’ will be in a different place. And that place will be constantly changing. It is the journey to find that edge which maybe teaches us more about ourselves.

But back to the moment …
Another weekend, another race - 78km in the Graubunden. I’ll make the start-line, but with cracked ribs and sore grazes from the last race - I’ve come to an edge before I even start. And the last race - less than two weeks ago - the IAU World Trail Championships (68km and ±3500m) - Bronze Medal for Great Britain. Just a little bit of the magic seemed to come back …. until my head forgot to race, and I fell, and I fell again!

So for now my work is to allow things just to flow, just to be what they will … and to run for the love of it. One step at a time.

The longest day of the year …..

2009-06-21T17:26:00.000+02:00

Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.
RABINDRANATH TAGORE

Spring melts into summer
the days lengthen, and so do the thoughts ….
a time for growth - for doing, for thought, hopes, plans.

A time for living in the moment,
Then we know what it truly is to be rich?

Run - run lightly and run quietly
It’s to do with attention - listening to yourself
And it’s to do with intention - thinking ‘lightly’
Grounding the feet and the body so the spirit can fly …..
Mindful running - graceful, it becomes a work of art, an act of creation.

Why do you run?
Sometimes, and for all of us this is true, we are running away …..
Sometimes we are running to search ….
But if we realise deep down that the truth of our running is that in our running, in our moving,
We ‘find’ ourselves …
Then for us running is the gift that lets us know ourselves deeper.
And then for us, when we loose our way for a time,
our ‘moving’ hindered by a physical injury or a mental disquiet,
It is then that we loose ourselves.

Take some time
just to ‘be’ - and just to ‘be’ in the mountains or in the nature
Draw on the strength you find, use that strength as the core of your ‘movement’.
Run lightly - be light of foot, light of heart and light of spirit.
Lightness - not in the sense of lack of care or of thought.
Lightness as a humility, a realisation that the world is far greater than our own concerns.
Light as a gentleness - both in our relations with eachother, and our impact on our environment.

Be ‘mindful’ then maybe, just maybe, the run will ‘flow’.

Alpine Trail Running in Chamonix, France

2009-05-18T13:48:00.000+02:00

Would you like to run on some mountain trails? We are hosting a training course in the Alps this summer at the end of June .... based in Chamonix, with the option of either a full week from 21st June to the 28th June, or a short week from 21st June to the 24th June.

A beautiful mountain setting, a fully catered chalet with hot tub, and even the possibility of competing in the Mont Blanc Cross at the end of the week (either 10km or half marathon)...!

"Join us running in nature - be inspired by the beauty of the mountains,
challenge yourself and you will find another world."

You can find more information on the Tracks and Trails website.

2009-05-10T13:43:00.000+02:00

“Alone, in the clear air and searching sunlight, we are afoot with the quiet gods, and men can know each other and themselves for what they are.”
MUMMERY, 1894

Knowing yourself for what you are ….

It’s a warm, almost balmy evening - I’m sitting in a café in a church square of Mainz (Germany). A long way from the winter snows …. It was a long winter this year - maybe too long?

‘Sometimes running is a joy, and sometimes it feels hard.’ Do your own words ever come back to haunt you?

Today for me was confirmation that I’ve lost (I hope only for the moment) the magic that was in my legs? A flat half marathon on the road - in a time that, for me, was very slow. My legs seem to have forgotten how to run fast, my head seems to have forgotten how to push myself, and my heart seems to have forgotten how to will the head and the legs to play the game. But it’s early days. The long winter of ski alpinism races and running mainly on the snow happened more by situation perhaps than by design. But as it worked out I couldn’t help feeling that a break from road training would be a good thing in the hope of being strong and injury free for the summer. That was the ‘theory’, but it’s the practice I’m left with now ….

How to coax the heart and soul to convince the head and the legs to play the game? Just for a while longer, just so I can see how far I can go. Just to feel that magic again. Race or no race, there is no victory, no reward except the joy you are living while you are ‘dancing your run’1. Just to dance again …

1 Fred Rohe in ‘The Zen of Running’

2009-02-20T19:26:00.001+01:00

'Be faithful to that which exists within yourself'.
ANDRE GIDE

I was just asked to write a short piece on 'the hardest race'. It made me think a little ....

The hardest race, the toughest race? How can I explain?

Could it have been my first race as an adult, a marathon at the age of 24? I knew nothing of what to expect and I had little time to prepare only having been home for about six weeks after being at sea working for two months on a research cruise in the Antarctic…

Knowing little of what to expect seems to have been my 'trademark' as I went on to compete in my first ultra, my first 100km race, my first mountain trail race ..... But then as the unknown became known the races became hard in a different way - living with my own hopes and expectations.

Or perhaps the hardest race is the race you don't run when last minute injury renders those hopes and expectations meaningless?

Or could it have been just last weekend - a very different race - this time ‘running’ on skis instead of on foot? It was my first ski-alpinism race, a relentless ascent of 1500m. I was daunted by the prospect yet again of the unknown but inspired by the beauty of dusk falling in a clear mountain sky ….

But what is gone is gone, the past is just a memory. It is the ‘now’ that we have to live with.

So I think for me it is ‘today’s’ race that is the toughest. Whether that ‘race’ is a competition, a training run, or even a ‘non-run’ when injured. Living with your own hopes, doubts and aspirations. Living with the contradictions of having to plan ahead while living in the moment. Giving your best, making it count. Realising that, race or no race, there is no victory, no reward except the joy you are living while you are ‘dancing your run’1.

1 Fred Rohe in ‘The Zen of Running’

Perfection

2009-01-22T18:48:00.000+01:00

'IF a man walks in the woods for the love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen.'

THOREAU, 1853

I read these words last night, in a book about, or of, silence. They made me think.

And then this morning I awoke to the perfect beauty of a winter mountain landscape. The clouds of the last days lifted to reveal a perfect winter day. The mountains were cloaked in a thick coat of fresh snow, the summits lay stark against a sky so blue. The depth of intensity gave a beauty that was almost so sharp that you might wonder if it could tear. And if it did, what would it rip apart?

A day to be treasured, but just a day as any other, as if to remind us that every day is a treasure. Otherwise what are we for? Even when it is hard, even when it is gloomy, even when everything does seem to be ripping apart?

For me now, balancing work and play, training and pleasure - sometimes hard to make the right decisions for the long term, to know where to be, to know how to live, to know what to make my life work. But for this day I'm happy to be running again, training with ski alpinism and langlauf too... Perhaps it doesn't matter so much what we are doing if we remember that maybe, just maybe Thoreau is right. Whatever we are doing must be only for the love of it, the true love of it, else we will be making the earth bald before her time?

for everything there is a time ...

2008-11-20T09:45:00.000+01:00

'But like of each thing that in season grows'
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

For everything there is a time - it gives life depth and vibrance. But sometimes, just sometimes, we wish it were time again for the 'other time'. Learning to live in and for the moment is not always perhaps the way we want.

15 days ago I woke to the mountains, to a beautiful clear mountain sky, and to the company of friends. Instead of where I had planned to be - waking to an apprehensive breakfast before the 100km World Championships. Learning again to take the time for a while, not to run and not to plan too far ahead.

Walking these days in a winter landscape - how the seasons turn - I have trod this one path in all seasons this year - the cool of early dawn on a summer morning, drenched by pouring rain, the smells of summer, the heat of the sun, then the intensity of autumn colours shocking the senses, and now to this world of white.

A training run that in summer days is just an easy hour or two, clad in shorts and t-shirt .... becomes a day's occupation, with icy feet and the air cold on your face.

Life is an intensity of emotion and experience.

There is always a time to be happy and a time to be sad. A time to move fast, a time to slow down. A time for cold and a time for warmth. A time to have company and a time to be alone. Chaos or peace; silence or noise; beauty or ugliness; to be in haste or to be at rest; to feast or to fast; to have plenty or to do without. For everything there is an opposite. That is nature. But sometimes, just sometimes, we wish it were time again for the 'other'.

Disappointment and hope ...

2008-11-05T18:46:00.000+01:00

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never loose infinite hope."
MARTIN LUTHER KING

Stars in a mountain sky after a beautiful autumn day in Austria.
I'm here and not on route to Italy as planned.

This week I had to make the tough decision to withdraw from the 100km World Championships on Saturday. I say tough - well - the decision sort of made itself. Initially I thought it was just knee pain and hoped that the physio and a few days rest would allow it to settle. But now it is not isolated to the knee, I'm unable to run without pain - and I'm concerned as to what the injury is. With a Gold Medal in 2006 I've had my own hopes and expectations to live with during my training and preparations. Now those hopes and expectations are meaningless. I can’t run. After all the training it seems almost unbelievable to be injured at the last minute. There is nothing I can do. But it doesn’t make it any easier. The feeling that not competing I let down the team, Great Britain … and myself.

It is perhaps inevitable that the words competition and performance are in use at a Sales Meeting - and I'm here in Austria at the autumn sales meeting of The North Face. In a way, with a long summer of races behind me, these are words I have been living.

But we live in an uncertain world. And beyond competition and performance we have to dream. We have to endure and we have to explore. We have to learn to live with it when sometimes, just sometimes, that exploration takes us to an edge we didn’t want to find.

I might be facing uncertainty now, but there are stars in a clear mountain sky. And I dream.

7 days ......

2008-10-31T19:42:00.000+01:00

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."
VAN GOGH

Tonight I know nothing with any certainty. But there are stars in a clear mountain sky, and so tonight, just tonight, I will dream.

Zermatt - two weeks in one place - and waking to the mountains. It has been a privilege just to have had the chance to be here, and for that I am grateful. Time in one place - a time to take stock - a time to prepare - a time for work - and a time for training. But the days have swept past too fast.

From autumn to winter. During the past few days winter has arrived. An incredibly swift change. Beautiful. And yet somehow it seems to have shocked the mountains into a hushed quiet. Me too - neither mind nor body quite prepared for the cold, the intensity of white.

Those beautiful days of autumn have past. The intensity of colour, the warmth of the mid-day sun, the frosty cold of morning and night.

But now again I leave - tomorrow to Winterthur - Sunday to meetings with North Face in Saalfelden - and then back to Winterthur before my flight to Rome. But that is the root of my uncertainty. Pain in my knee during my long run last Sunday has forced me to stop training for a few days.
Will I be fit to compete for the 100km World Championships on the 8th?

Mal luega ....

I haven't given up hope yet. Trying to keep strong in heart and mind.
If the knee is good I run ... if not ... then this one is not for me.

One step at a time .... always one step at a time?

A grimshaw moon ....

2008-10-14T20:50:00.000+02:00

"Music in the soul can be heard by the universe."
LAO TZU

So tonight the moon is half hidden by a little cloud - but it is a still and beautiful evening. It is a true 'grimshaw' (see below for explanation) moon ....

Back in the nature - back in the mountains - a privilege after days in the cities. The music of the soul can again play. Or that's how it feels. I wonder if the universe hears ....?

So - after leaving the UK, I went to Koln/Cologne to compete in the city marathon there. Just one week after the 50km time trial it was maybe too much to hope for a PB. The conditions were wet, very windy and street after street after street .... 2:52 (6th woman and 1st in my category) ... so the PB waits for the next time?! And then a series of talks/presentations for TECOSIM in Russelsheim, Stuttgart and Munich. I hope they were worthwhile for the company - I'll be happy if in some small way I could open a door for someone into a new world. But traveling to a new city each night - for me - it's sort of more tiring than being out on the mountain all day!

Onwards to the Austrian Tirol - there I was happy again to be in the nature - this time to experience a 'press trip' writing an article about the Tour de Tirol for Athletics Weekly. It is certainly a very beautiful region and we were treated to a stunning autumnal weekend. An autumnal celebration of running: the warmth of the autumn sun, the vividness of the autumn colours against a blue sky, the clear crisp mountain air, the silhouette of the mountains against a moonlit sky and the warmest welcome you could hope for!

The 3rd edition of this Tour de Tirol has only served to strengthen its position to become a classic event and it well deserves the honour of hosting the World Long Distance Mountain Challenge in 2009. The Tour consists of a series of three races; a 10 km on the Friday evening, followed by a marathon on the Saturday (with about 1616 m ascent and 460 m descent over the classic course of 42.195 km), and a flat half marathon on the Sunday. It can be completed in its entirety, or any number or combination of the three races. It has something for everyone - whether you are aiming to enter your first 10km or half marathon, if you are keen to try your first mountain marathon, or whether you take the challenge of completing all three races (73 km). The Tour welcomes all runners - novice, elite and anything in between. But for the elite there is the ultimate challenge of performing well in some very different disciplines of running - a fast 10km, a mountain marathon, and a fast half-marathon - and churning out those performances on consecutive days. A small British contingent gave sterling performances and their enthusiasm was great to see. I have grown over the last couple of years to really love these mountain races that inspire you on to try (and sometimes, just sometimes, to achieve …) more than you thought possible. So it meant a lot to me to see that an event like this is a special experience for other runners from the UK. For myself it was a mixture of frustration and the joy of just being in the mountains again. I competed in the 10 km and half marathon - but with the 100 km World Championships fast approaching I couldn’t get permission from UKathletics (despite being an independent athlete without UKA funding) to compete in the full Tour. Having run on the mountains all summer the focus must now be on training again on the flat. Feeling a little the effects of a bit of flu, I was disappointed not to perform as well as I could have done - and my heart bled not to be part of the marathon and so the entire ‘Tour’ - but the welcome from the organisers, the Tourist Office in Soll, the other runners, and all the supporters was something very special that I will not forget. I hope very much that in 2009 I can compete in the Tour in its entirety - including the challenge of the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge.

Now an oasis of calm - two nights with friends in the Graubunden on my way back to Winterthur. The autumnal colours really are something very special in the mountains .... And just now we have a brief return to warm sunshine before the first real snows herald the start of winter. Tonight in the city and then tomorrow to Zermatt ..... Two weeks in the one place and waking to the mountains - it will be a treat!

http://www.tourdetirol.com/

http://www.atkinsongrimshaw.co.uk/

2008-10-01T22:20:00.000+02:00

"People do not resist change; they resist having change imposed on them"
FRITJOF CAPRA

Life is at the moment a rollercoaster of constant change - a night here, a night there .... Sometimes hard to keep track of where I am, literally and figuratively. But it is good .... I guess at the moment for me there is still a lot of change, but it is created by opportunity rather than being imposed.

Now ahead I have the challenge of focusing on preparation to again represent Great Britain in the 100km World Championships (8th November in Italy). Somehow legs and head and heart worked together and I achieved the time I needed in Boddington 50km race at the weekend. At 3:29:10 it wasn't my best time (3:20), but still 2nd fastest in the world this year - and with only 10 days back on the road and still relatively soon after the Tour du Mont Blanc - it was better than I'd hoped. But hard work to do before I am ready for the World Championships.

But one step at a time - for now I enjoy the last night home with my parents in the UK. Then back to Winterthur for a night and onward to Cologne. I will run the Cologne marathon on Sunday - having run hard last weekend I can't hope for a good time, but it will be good preparation for the 100km. Then a series of five presentations for TECOSIM before a train journey to Austria to cover the Tour de Tirol for Athletics Weekly. Finally ... I will wend my way back to Zermatt and my beloved mountains.

2008-09-23T20:09:00.000+02:00

"Look to the hills, from whence cometh your help."
PSALM 121

And I have been looking ...... Sitting in the Kirchplatz in Zermatt one week ago and my heart was already sad to leave. Some things never change. From the age of six and sad to leave after my very first visit. And they were my first mountains ..... the start of a long love affair.

The cold air of the coming winter, warm sunshine on my face and the mountain peaks stark clear against the stunning blue autumn sky. A long journey back first to Winterthur and then to London. Time with family and friends, and a wonderful weekend in the hilly dales of North Yorkshire to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of some special friends.

But now ahead 50km time trial on the road to prove fitness for the 2008 100km World Championships in Italy in November. Trepedation - despite all the running I have done this summer I've not really been training on the road since before my stress fracture last Easter. Hard to gauge if my legs will be fast enough, and if my heart and head will keep strong....

Mal lüegu .... ("we'll see" in Walliserdeutsch) ....
sometimes that's all you can do ...

2008-09-08T09:52:00.001+02:00

"Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be." KAREN RAVEN

Running high, running far and looking deep within yourself to find the strength. You need to dream and to have the courage of your dreams in order to find within yourself your edge, and to learn to be who you are.

The Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc - a long mountain journey. The words escape me. How do you capture those emotions and those feelings? How can you express them in writing? So forgive me the delay….. Days have passed, but the mind and heart are still full …...

Sitting in the Kirchplatz in Zermatt, surrounded by my beloved mountains and again I am just happy to be here. I cast my mind back a few days - to another church square - the Place du Triangle de l’Amitie in Chamonix -18:30 on Friday 29th August 2008 and the start of the 6th edition of The North Face Ultra-Trail Tour du Mont Blanc. Warm sunshine, clear skies, the square crowded with runners, the streets packed full of supporters and the sound of Vangelis’ ‘Conquest of Paradise’ resounding in my ears, and in my mind and in my heart.

Trepidation and apprehension, anticipation and the joy of freedom. Standing at the start was a bundle of emotions all in one. For me it was just a great privilege to be again participating in the ultra trail - but was I prepared, would I be fit and strong enough for the challenge? Questions that are always in the thoughts beforehand. I missed so much training during the spring with my stress fracture, but now after a long summer of running and racing hard, did I have too much in my legs? I sometimes find myself doubting if even my legs will start to run - a sort of fear I always have at the start of a race. But then the moment to ‘go’ arrives - and then life becomes simple - you have a destination to reach. And the journey to that destination is yours to enjoy, to savour and to cherish every moment of. Perhaps that is one of the special things about a long race like this - it is a journey through good times, through bad patches and you have simply to try to live in the moment with integrity - a mirror to the journey through life itself?

Running far and running high on a beautiful mountain journey. A ‘big’ dream - that needed us to reach deep within ourselves - to be true to what we could do. But perhaps the challenge of reaching beyond what we feel we can do is eased by the tremendous support that characterises UTMB. The organisation, the sponsors, the volunteers, the runners, the supporters and every person who wished us ‘bon courage’ - that is what makes this race so special.

The 2008 edition gave us a tough course - 166km and 9500m of up and down. Having walked it 2 weeks before, it was very fresh in my memory just how long a journey lay ahead. But somehow you forget that when you are running. Feeling good I started fast … just taking one step at a time … from one village to the next, refuge to refuge, valley to col and col to valley. It worked - a beautiful evening gave way to a still night - hard work but the peace of the mountains eased the labour. There were moments of camaraderie - with fellow runners and supporters - interspersed amongst the many many moments of being entirely alone. There were moments of feeling strong, and moments of feeling not so good. For me the hardest part was when the signs of tenosynovitis started before Champex. Slowing drastically and feeling like I could manage no more than a walk I struggled in my head with whether I would be able to make it. But then I sort of ran through the pain - over Bovine and down to the Col de Forclaz and Trient. From there you are running ‘home’, strength and determination returned. I relished just being on the move, on my feet and being free. The heat of the day gave way to the warmth and ‘quiet’ of early evening. The last climb up from the Col de Montets and the majesty of the Mont Blanc was before me. Then alone and surrounded by the nature I wished almost that the journey was longer - that the night could continue - that the race wouldn’t end. But then downwards to Chamonix, the final descent … sort of a strange feeling to know I had the distance on the 2nd woman …. I hit the streets of Chamonix and with light heart and feet I ran those last metres back to the Place du Triangle de l’Amitie - for me the journey complete. I won’t forget the welcome - moments like that are to treasure.

Whatever your challenge, whatever your journey in life - reach high, seek far and look deep - and dream …. Then you can be who you are.

Sitting down ....

2008-08-22T21:09:00.000+02:00

Trust no thought arrived at sitting down .....
SHEEHAN, Running and Being

It's true. Or at least that's the way it feels to me? My head works when I'm running or when I'm walking. Lose that time and I lose my thinking time. So it was when I was injured with the stress fracture and unable to run. I just don't seem to get the same 'thinking time' when I'm sitting. So .. just at the moment I'm relishing the freedom of this summer - running and walking and climbing in the mountains. Time on my feet to let the mind wander. It won't make me wiser, but I think I'm happier. Footloose and fancy free. Well or as near it gets when you are living in the 'world'. But I'm lucky. I've been meeting wonderful people. They are true friends and their generosity to me means so much.

A time for everything - a time to give, and a time to receive. I'm doing a lot of the latter at the moment. I just hope in some way I'm also doing some of former. But the time will come. And I hope I have the generosity of spirit that so many have shown me.

At the moment - I'm homeless at 'home' in my beloved Zermatt. Having just walked around the route of the Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc over three days last weekend (in preparation for the race on 29th/30th/31st) - now I go to the other extreme - I compete in the Matterhornlauf on Sunday. A 12km 'sprint' and nearly 1000m ascent. Well ... life is full of contrasts?

Another day of training ....

2008-08-11T21:16:00.000+02:00

Men do less than they ought, unless they do all that they can.
CARLYLE

Two weeks after the 78km Swiss Alpine Davos, and one week after the Gondo Event with its double marathon …. Friday I climbed the Nadelhorn (4327m) between the Saas and Mattertal valleys in the Valais of Switzerland. Then I sat on a bench waiting for the bus, and wondered if it was too late to go to run Sierre-Zinal afterall. I had been invited to this race - but the timing of the invitation came when I was still suffering from my stress fracture and unsure about how the summer plans could work out. With first a 78km race and then an 84 km race in the previous two weeks, and a 4000m mountain just 2 days before (let alone all the other running and walking) - perhaps this would be a step too far? Was it too much to expect my legs to forget the miles in them and be fresh and fast enough for a race of this stature?

Sierre-Zinal is one of the most respected mountain races internationally with a well-established reputation. Highly regarded by both the athletics community and the local population, it is a race that draws elite international runners, and huge crowds of supporters. This was the 35th anniversary of this race of the Five Four Thousand Meter Peaks, a true classic mountain race - which was created as an expression of the real delight of running in the mountains. At a distance of 31km (leading from the town of Sierre in the broad basin of the Rhone Valley to Zinal) - it is ‘short’ for me - but it is a tough race with 2000m ascent and nearly 1000m of descent, demanding high levels of endurance and technical mountain running ability.

I took a deep breath as I was sitting on that bench in Saas Fee - and made the telephone call. Not only was it still possible to race on the Sunday - but they would be delighted for me to be there …. It was meant to be. I just wasn’t so sure my legs thought so too.

A hot day, but a stunning course - running towards the Matterhorn yet again - this time from another perspective. As I gained height from the floor of the Rhone Valley the mountains opened out before me drawing me on until the final descent into Zinal. A beautiful race. Stretching the envelope of endurance - I took 3rd position. Sometimes when you try to do more than you think you can, you find the more is possible?!

http://www.sierre-zinal.com/

Back in the Wallis, Switzerland

2008-08-04T10:22:00.000+02:00

Only those who risk going to far can possibly find out how far they can go.
T.S. ELIOT

Just one short week after the Swiss Alpine Davos - too soon for a tough event such as the Gondo Event? A double marathon - 42.2 km on Saturday, from Gondo to Ried-Brig, with 2000m elevation to climb and then to descend, followed by 42.2km on Sunday, from Ried-Brig back to Gondo, with another 1900m elevation (climb and descent). Too soon perhaps still to run my best - but I was so tempted by this …. Having walked in this area alone a few years ago, I knew just how special it would be. And good training towards The North Face Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc at the end of August?

The Gondo Event is a unique race with a unique atmosphere. It is relatively small - with this year about 110 participants, but the race has a very special quality and a close relationship is formed amongst the runners and the supporters.

We were blessed with stunningly beautiful days. I was happy to be there, to be running, and to be part of a race over a historic pass and in such beautiful mountains. Following my 2nd place at the Swiss Alpine Marathon only one week ago, this was a good race for me. My cumulative result for the two marathons together was 8 hours 19mins - just 14 minutes behind the 1st man - and I was 4th overall. I was 1st woman - 1 hr 14 mins ahead of the next.

The race is in memory of a giant mud avalanche on October 14th 2000, when part of the village of Gondo was buried and 13 in habitants lost their lives. It is a two day stage race over a distance of 84.4km and 3900m ascent and descent. The first stage follows the impressive Gondo Gorge to Simplon Dorf, via the Simplot Pass (2005m), across the Bistinenpass (2417m) as the high point, down into the valley of Nanztal, across the foot of the Glishorn, crossing the Saltina Gorge and river to Ried-Brig. In memory to the first Gondo Event when the bridge across the Saltina river was washed away, the creek is crossed still through the water rather than using the bridge (2km before the finish). The second stage starts at Ried-Brig and follows the heritage path Stockalperweg along the Ganter valley, crosses the Simplon Pass (2005m), and thence downhill via Simplon Dorf to Gabi. From there a second, strenuous climb up to Furgga marks the second summit of the stage, followed by a 10 km downhill stretch through the Zwischbergental and back to Gondo.

http://www.gondoevent.ch

Graubunden, Switzerland

2008-07-29T20:57:00.000+02:00

We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.
HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

But sometimes, just sometimes .... it is hard to even ourselves judge what we feel capable of doing?

78km - the Swiss Alpine Marathon - the 26th July
I started ... and I finished ... happy yet sad too. In 2006 I set a new record, I was first woman again there in 2007 - and it would have been very special to make it again. It wasn't to be. I finished 2nd behind Jasmin Nunige of Davos, in what for me was a very slow time. But I finished despite sickness during the race, and on relatively little training.

When I was last here in the Graubunden in early June I could run maybe just 10 minutes a day. Step by step. Injury teaches you to take the time; to have the patience to take those 'baby steps' to climb back up to the peaks. But sometimes it is tempting to try what you think may still be out of reach. Because unless you try, you will never know.

So - I guess I will judge myself by what I know is possible for me to do - and so be disappointed with my run on Saturday, while yet happy to have held the strength of mind to finish. But others look sometimes to what we have already achieved - and the incredible support I received from so many during the race and after showed me that. To be known by name by strangers from near and far, and to know they are rooting for you - is an incredible source of strength. Thank you.

But most of all - I am happy to be running - and happy to be in the mountains!

Now I have some days with family - and we stay with friends who have been such great support to me. So I am lucky. Very lucky ...

Uncertain yet of my plans for the next few weeks as I aim towards The North Face Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc - but living from day to day - and all will become clear ...

Swiss Alpine Marathon Davos http://www.swissalpine.ch/

Right to Play: ‘when children play, the world wins’.
http://www.righttoplay.org.uk

Zermatt, Switzerland

2008-07-07T08:36:00.000+02:00

The future depends on what we do in the present.
MAHATMA GANDHI

The head said don't run ....
The heart said try ....

I tried. I started, I finished and some miracle was working with me because I defended my title at the Zermatt Marathon for the 3rd year.

I was so happy just to be here in Zermatt amongst the mountains which are so special to me. It must have given my heart extra strength. I was so well looked after by Dany and Felicitas Biner and all at Hotel Silvana - they gave me wonderful support and encouragement. The good wishes of so many people were carrying me. From one hour running a day for maybe two weeks to a half marathon to a marathon? But it worked this time .....

The morning of the marathon I stared up to the Riffelberg from the Silvana - and wondered if and how I might be there that day. Not at all, by train, by walking if I pulled out of the race, or by running?! The power of the mountains here drew me onwards and upwards. And it feels all alright still now - so no damage done I hope. Now for an easy few long days of walking, some running and some mountains if weather permits.....

July 11th

Still here in Zermatt - and the weather has been kind to us this week, although now will turn to rain for the weekend. From Hotel Silvana to the campsite to Monte Rosa Hutte. A wonderful few days in the mountains - almost to the summit of the Doufourspitze of the Monte Rosa. Almost but not quite - a mountain to return to. And then a solitary jaunt along the ridge from Gornergrat to the summit of the Stockhorn. A walk - but a lone summit moment - peace. It was special.

Zermatt Marathon http://www.zermattmarathon.ch

Right to Play: ‘when children play, the world wins’.
http://www.righttoplay.org.uk

Winterthur, Switzerland

2008-07-02T13:48:00.000+02:00

Adventure means risking something, and its only when we are doing that, that we know what a splendid thing life is and how well it can be lived ….
GERBOULT

Bettmeralp … they call it the “better” alp …. and so it was perhaps an apt place for me to go just now when I start to feel that the injury is finally getting better?

So … well …. good and bad news.

Not so bad - but disappointingly I was deferred on my IML (International Mountain Leader Assessment). It wasn’t the best time for me this summer, and I feel I let myself down badly. So now I’m determined to get more group leading experience this coming year and then it will just be a one day test early next summer. It was a long week - assessments of any kind are a strain - even if this one did mean I was on home ground walking in the mountains. But the assessors were great, we were so well looked after at the gite, and some lasting friendships were made I hope.

Now the “better” news …. I was running every morning from St Luc up to Hotel Weisshorn and feeling good. Steep uphills are probably the best thing at the moment?!

So …. Saturday morning I made the snap decision to go to Bettmeralp (in the Valais near Brig, on the north side of the Rhone Valley) and to run in the half marathon the following day. The organisers very kindly accepted my last minute request (!) and so I found myself on that beautiful alp on a beautiful evening, in the company of a good friend also running. I was feeling very uncertain I should run, and convinced myself I’d pull out if I needed to. For once I knew the head had to govern the heart. For such a quiet village we probably slept in the noisiest place - above the village bakery! But what a treat to be somewhere where the bakery is the noisiest place? Fretful sleep and awoke to a beautiful dawn. Breakfasting outside the bakery with the alpine panorama before us, the Matterhorn in all his glory, and just a 2 minute walk to the start of the race. Not often you get such pre-race preparation?!

And so to the race – it is a stunning course. And for me only just getting back into running again after the stress fracture it felt a true privilege just to be there - whether I could finish the race or not. The early kilometres maybe were the hardest. Wondering if I should be running, feeling not so strong as normal …. But no pain or twinge from the pelvis … and it was beautiful … and so I carried on … and on … until the finish. Slower – much slower than I guess I would have been - but 1st lady to my surprise. It was quite something for me even to start the race, let alone to finish. So for me, it was truly special to be there on the Bettmeralp.

Now a few days to catch up with life, staying with a friend in Winterthur. And tomorrow - back to the mountains - to Zermatt. A tough decision - but I think it wouldn’t be wise to run the Zermatt Marathon on Saturday. Perhaps doubling the distance and time in just one week would be asking too much of the injury? But I will go anyway to help. Andrea Schneider (the organiser) is going to welcome me there - whether I run or help - and for that I am so grateful. The heat here in Winterthur is too much … so I’m longing again to be high and in the mountains. I will stay in Zermatt for 10 days or so - perhaps my tent, perhaps a bunkhouse - we will see? I will meet some good friends there, so I hope for the chance of a few mountains as well as some good mountain training.

Vediamo?

Bettmeralp Half Marathon http://www.aletsch-halbmarathon.ch
Zermatt Marathon http://www.zermattmarathon.ch

Right to Play: ‘when children play, the world wins’.
http://www.righttoplay.org.uk

St Luc in the Valais, Switzerland

2008-06-22T17:57:00.000+02:00

The land! That is where our roots are. There is the basis of our physical life. The further we get away from the land, the greater our insecurity.
HENRY FORD

So maybe the mountains are my roots? It feels like home to be back amongst them. This time I lie in my tent - the beauty of a skyline ridge above me, stars in a clear sky. Sleeping in the laps of the gods? For now home is St Luc a quiet village in Val d’Anniviers in the Swiss Valais - preparing for my International Mountain Leader Assessment next week. Fretting …. So this time being ‘home’ is tinged with anxiety …

Since last up high it seems to have been a whirlwind. Dublin via London - to give a talk at the 53 Degrees North store as part of their lecture series. Daunting and humbling to be invited to talk in the wake of icons such as Chris Bonnington. But I was made very welcome and well looked after. A bit astounded by the media interest after countless interviews I felt ‘talked out’ even before my presentation. Ultra and endurance running doesn’t tend to draw huge attention, but people seemed to like what I said. Maybe in someway I gave them something to think about? Back via London and a meeting with Right to Play. I am very happy to support them as one of their Athlete Ambassadors (see link) - afterall when ‘children play, the world wins’. A special day with all the family (rare now that we can all - parents, brothers, sisters, nephews and niece can be together at the same time) and then back again to the Alps.

Ahead - the summer solstice and a meeting in Frankfurt before train back to St Luc and assessment …..

And the running? Just the last day or so it has started to feel more ‘normal’ - will be careful a little while longer - but maybe I’m on the road?

http://www.righttoplay.org.uk

Graubunden, Switzerland

2008-06-07T07:34:00.000+02:00

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
GOETHE

Do you ever wake up in the morning and not know where you are? It seems to be happening every few days at the moment! But this morning I awoke to birdsong, the insistent sound of the flowing river, the breath of cool mountain air on my face and the gentle rhythmic patter of falling rain.

Home. Back in the mountains .....

Of no 'fixed abode'. A nightmare of packing up and making logistical plans - but now I'm on the road - I feel like I have a one way ticket to a blank destination. A wonderfully terrifying sense of freedom. The Leeds flat is packed up, books and kit in storage, and leaving from an oasis of tranquility staying with friends in Linton the unknown lies ahead.

After a first aid course in Wales, a mad capped swop of bike for rucksack at Euston train station and a week of The North Face meeting in Austria now I have just a couple of days here in the mountains. Then next week a talk to give in Dublin.

If I manage to be in the right place at the right time with the right things and having done the right preparation it will be a miracle!

But now I concentrate on getting some 'time on my feet'. Still running only 15 mins at a time. I think healing is nearly there. But I need to be sure .... And so I must be patient and take things slowly.

But may I leave you with a challenge?

Whatever you can do, or believe you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Endurance IS exploration.
Be bold - begin to explore one of your dreams.
Sometimes, just sometimes dreams come true.

Yorkshire, United Kingdom

2008-05-05T15:32:00.000+02:00

When I rest my feet my mind also ceases to function.
J G HAMANN

After what has felt like a long winter, finally spring has arrived. And with it there is the promise of renewal to lift the spirits. The sun feels warm on my face, and there is a strong smell blossom in the air. The days stretch into wonderful light evenings.

It is a wonderful time to be training, to enjoy running on the trails. Plans to be made, adventures to be had.

Sadly, not yet for me. I have been injured since Easter and face another two to four weeks of no running before I can ease back into training. It is a lesson in living in the Here and the Now. It is just time of course, but time is not what we want to give to injury - and so we have to be patient.

“When I rest my feet my mind also ceases to function.” In some ways that is how I have felt these last weeks. Moving goal posts. Changing plans. The focus of my winter training had been directed towards the 2008 World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships at the 54th Three Peaks Race in Yorkshire (UK). Not often I turn up late to the start of a race, or start backwards, or arrive home as the course markers are being taken down?! And, again last weekend, my plans to compete in the 2008 Mainz half-marathon (Germany) were also scuppered. Now race plans are on hold until I’m back in training once more.

In the meantime I am keeping body and soul together. Cycling, swimming and walking every free moment. Although, perhaps training would be easier if I gave my poor bicycle a little more love and attention.

The determination and the motivation are there - to come back as strong, if not stronger, than before. And to savour again the sheer joy of running free.