What I learned from my year of running

If you don’t follow me on Twitter, Insta, Facebook or Strava… then why not? Joking aside, a couple of folks suggested I share my recent post here, and since I’m increasingly seeing stories of a personal nature on LinkedIn I thought I’d add mine on what is arguably going to be a ‘slow news day’. So here’s a slightly adapted version of that post and hope you enjoy.

It’s that time of the year when things come to an end and we reflect on what we’ve achieved. A bit like my races, my articles are few and far between, but when I get going there’s no stopping me.

If it ain't on Strava - it never happened!

Thursday 27th December 2018, marked an epic finale to an incredible year of running and general life/body transformation for me. Loving tech and the concept of the 'quantifiable-self' as I do, my sports watch and I have become inseparable buddies and I've fastidiously logged every single run throughout the year. You know what some say, if it ain't on Strava - it never happened! Aside from giving me the ability to analyse pace, elevation, heart-rate and the like of each individual session, it was gratifying to learn that my running app was able to aggregate all this data at a macro level.

How can I unpick and make sense of what, for me, are figures of such magnitude that I would never have envisaged as remotely possible at the start of the year? What began in April with the ‘Glastonbury of running’ that was the London Marathon, led me to a day by the seaside in October to claim my sub-4 in Bournemouth, before dipping my toes in the world of ultra-running with my most challenging race to date - the Winter Cross Ultra.

On a perfect winter’s day, I made my way to the quintessentially English village of Meonstoke in Hampshire and joined some 200 others as we set off to tackle the trails of the South Downs. The challenge of the ‘Winter Cross Ultra’ was to start before dawn and finish by dusk on one of the shortest days of the year. The course legs are run in the order of the compass N-E-W-S and you could opt to do the first 3 legs for the 50k, or, time permitting, tackle the final leg for the full 72k (45 miles).

Having made it back to base just before the cut-off I decided to go for it. Being called a lunatic by a fellow runner who was doing ‘just’ the 50k gave me a sense that I was about to take things to new levels. It was tough. I won’t pretend it was pretty towards the end, but I finished and was quite emotional as the weighty medal was placed over my head.

Running has taught me so much about myself

Running has taught me so much about myself and has helped me get through a sometimes-stressful year. I can’t overstate the role that running has had on my overall wellbeing and would heartily recommend it as a way of putting things into perspective and keeping on an even keel. Thinking of the ultimate goal, and focussing on where you want to get to, can help overcome any obstacles and hurdles. Getting through an endurance race is, in many ways, similar to managing the often complex and lengthy process involved in technology sales – only with the support and encouragement of those around you will you successfully get to the finish line. As much as determined stubbornness plays its role, I couldn’t have achieved all this without the support and inspiration of some key individuals – you know who you are!

Not sure my pics did the stunning scenery of the South Downs Way justice, and they certainly don’t convey the camaraderie between fellow runners that keeps you going, but here’s a flavour of my day as captured on my Relive of the race.

Before I sign-off I'd like to share one of the best pieces of advice I was given by a fellow runner on the course, but can equally apply to any aspect of your life, Listen to everyone, follow no one. There's a great deal of advice out there but ultimately you have to run your own race in life, and, to quote the Levellers' anthem: There's only one way of life, and that's your own!

so let me wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope that whatever 2019 throws at you, you're well equipped to get to your finishing line. And if any of you would like to catch up over an easy run - just give me a shout or follow me on Strava! All the very best, Dan.

Postscript

The day had an unexpectedly eventful end. After a two hour drive, I was almost home and the clutch suddenly went on my car. There I was blocking a lane on a major roundabout on the A41 and the police arrived on the scene. The officer was determined to move me on ASAP and wouldn’t wait 30 minutes for my breakdown recovery to come. The only option was to call out the official police recovery that would leave me significantly out of pocket and miles from home. Talking about my day I mentioned the 45 mile run and he told me he was training for the London Marathon next year. We had a nice chat about running, training and exchanged a few stories. Suddenly his demeanour noticeably changed. ‘Let me try something’ he said with a grin on his face as he strode into the road to stop the flow of traffic in the two adjacent lanes. A couple of burly lads were ‘invited’ to volunteer their services, and I was duly pushed around the corner to a safe haven.

You see, I’ve found running to be one of those few things in life that can unite people in such a positive way. With the capacity to cut through all the noise of of politics, race, religion and class that surrounds us it’s so much more than just putting one foot in front of the other.