Adventure Is Out There

I’ve ran a further 53 miles since my last blog post and I can honestly say I am feeling the benefits of all this training. No longer do I reach halfway (no matter the distance) and feel like going home for an early shower – perhaps that was the footballer in me! Instead I find myself enjoying the run the further I get into it. I’m even enjoying the challenge of running in difficult conditions, such as hail, sleet, snow, horizontal rain and complete darkness. I think it is these tests that make us appreciate the adventure we have set out on.

‎A week or so back I read a great quote by Michael Landon, who said: 'Somebody ought to tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit every minute of every day. Do it, I say, whatever you want to do, do it now!'


Since reading this, I’ve tried to see each and every run as a new adventure – not knowing what challenge will come your way, how your legs are going to feel or how steep the next hill is going to be. No matter what it is I’m going to try and enjoy it. I’ve even started carrying a camera in my bag incase I stumble (quite literally) across something exciting when I’m out and about.

On Monday I enjoyed a new route – running from Hexham up to Slaley, dropping down to Riding Mill, which then led me to Corbridge, followed by the old favourite run back to Hexham. The run was 17 miles, with over 1000 feet of climbing to be done, but I still enjoyed it! Perhaps I have gone slightly mad, perhaps it was a good day or is it the feeling of adventure that excites me? Whatever it was I was delighted to complete the run in a time of 2hours 32mins.

Times like that could see me achieve a marathon finish time of under 4 hours – If I can keep to that pace for a further 9 miles.