“To Finish Is The Goal”

I have always had a fascination with Hadrian's Wall. Having visited it when my boys were young, that fascination grow deeper. And it was while on that trip I saw a sign that gripped me further. "Rat Race. The Wall". ?Wait. What? You could run this?

That seed was planted in 2014, and despite fast-hiking it (across 3 days) in 2017 with my hiking buddy, the thought of running (almost) coast to coast along the wall has occupied a space in my mind since.

Those with a keen eye or faint interest may have noticed last week that I teased about a bucket-list physical challenge?I was embarking on this past weekend.

And so, on Saturday, with a training block like no other behind me, and 112km of Hadrian's Wall country ahead of me, I was on the start line and ready to run the 2024 edition of The Wall - "the UK’s most iconic ultramarathon".

Over the next 19 ? hours, I battled, the terrain, the weather, the elevation and myself pushing and willing my mind and body to get to the end.?

19 ? hours gives you a lot of time to think, but more reflection was done afterwards, specifically about what got me to the end. ?

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1.??????? The importance of a plan.

?I have talked about the comparisons between business and physical challenges before, but I think the most significant of these is to have a clear plan. A plan that is realistic. It is not a hope, it is not a dream, it is a plan.

And planning means considering if, and preparing for, what might actually happen in the most likely eventuality, even if that means looking at difficulties in the face.

I knew from the outset that running for every kilometre was never going to happen. So, I prepared myself for the moments that I would slow down, identified on a course profile that I carried where they might happen, and built them into my plan. When those moments arrived, rather than beat myself up and doubt my resolve, I was able to treat myself with kindness and admiration that I was simply sticking to the plan.

2.??????? Asking for help.

Being a leader (and being a man?) asking for help is not something that always comes easy to me.

I had originally planned this race to be a solo effort, but late on I realized I was taking on unnecessary stress on top of the physical challenge. I was reminded of the bravest thing Charley Mackesy’s horse said, and asked for help and got a last-minute crew together to be at the rest stops with kit and fuel for me.

I also asked friends to help me by texting through the day - with them having no expectation of a reply. Just little hits to lift my spirits along the way - and boy, did they come through for me, with the right messages often landing right as I needed them.

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3.??????? Make decisions.

The day before the race, my running coach left me a simple piece of advice, "make small little right decisions all day". The key to this was making decisions at all. When running, it is all too easy to ignore signs and push through them. Yet, in races like this one, situations rarely get better, let alone go away.

Especially with time not a factor today, taking the time to recognize warning signs, consider the best option and then ACTING without delay, would be crucial to making it to the end.

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-????????????? After only 5km when my shoe felt too loose, I stopped, letting the group I was running with pull away, and tightened it.

-????????????? At 40km when the hills kicked in, I took a pause to get out my poles to help with the ascents.

-????????????? At 70km when I could feel the hunger building but couldn’t eat, I took an extra sandwich from the pit stop and tucked it in my pocket so it would be easy to grab with minimal effort when I needed it.

-????????????? At 75km when my core temperate plummeted, even though I had just left a pit stop I stopped again, unpacked my entire pack and put on every bit of kit I had.

-????????????? At 85km when I started to feel dizzy and lost my balance, I made a phone call to ground me back into reality.

-????????????? At 100km when I was ready to stop, I focused on sugar intake to not only fuel my body (even if for a short burst) but to lift my spirits for the last push.

-????????????? At 110km with no end in sight and my morale flagging, I ‘Google-Mapped’ the finish line to know exactly how far remained.

-????????????? And at 111.5km when I saw the finish line, I hit a 'sprint'. No matter what had happened along the way, I wanted to end this race at pace – to always know it had not beaten me.

Small little right decisions. All day. Incrementally building for the perfect result. Decisions not deferred. Action not delayed.

These three approaches allowed me to be present and enjoy the journey. And let’s be honest, 112km is hard work if it is not fun.

Reminding myself that I didn't want to run a 100km ultramarathon. I wanted to run the UK’s Most Iconic Ultramarathon, along Hadrian's wall, I remembered to lift my head and appreciate the views.

I took time to chat with runners I found myself alongside, hearing their stories, their goals and even their singing.

And remembering this was not a race to win. There was not a time to go for.

No, to finish was the goal.

And thanks to making a plan, asking for help and making decisions that's what I did.