When it goes to Sh*T!

I really don’t know where to start on this blog, but I need to write my thoughts down for some closure. My brain needs to move on and refocus on other things. I guess a DNF is always a possibility when you take on any race but it’s not something I had really thought about. My only other experience of this was a small 10k event back in 2015. I guess my luck just ran out on the Pennine Way in 2024.

I am not going to go through everything specifically but more an overview of what happened and how I found myself having my tracker cut off around 2.50am on Sunday the 14^th of January. 

Training had, surprisingly gone really well, apart from the 2-week hiatus for an operation and recovery. I had put in some pretty big runs over the block, a fair bit of speed work, recces on the course and a training race in the lakes. I had tested kit, clothing and nutrition. I put together a race plan that would bring me into the finish around 35-40 hours depending on how my day went. I felt I did everything I could to put myself in the best place to succeed. All I had to do is turn up and run/hike the darn thing.

The Spine challenger is a 108ish miles (170ish KMs) non-stop race covering the first section of the national trail. You start in Edale at 8am on Saturday and you have until 8pm Monday to complete. That’s 60 hours total. There is one main Check point about 76km in Hebdon and small CP1.5 later (with a 30min stay limit). There are some MRT support points, cafes and shops along the way but really you need to be self-sufficient for most of the time. This is what drew me to the race, an adventure in winter, which could really take me out of my comfort zone.

I used the taper weeks to try and bank sleep, the longest I had been on a race for was 24 hours, so I was fully expecting to get a little tired at some point later into it. I went to bed early and tried to get 9 hours a night. Sometimes it worked others I found myself with pre-race dreams that kept my brain awake! The night before the race, I unusually slept well. After a meal of sausage and mash with Yvette in the hotel I was excited to get started. We had excellent starting conditions, dry and a little cool but not too cold with no high wind.

I set off at a nice comfortable pace, sticking to my run/walk strategy. Light jogging when I could and hiking all the ups, even the slight ones. I figured on a 5-6km per hour pace would be great. I think it was more 7km for the first few hours but there was quite a bit of runnable terrain here plus I wanted to cover as much of the technical ground in daylight. I was having the best time, talking with other runners, Spine safety team (SST) volunteers, Mountain rescue (MRT) and the public (there were loads of other people out as the day was so good). I was eating well and drinking to thirst. 

At some point I did notice that maybe a I was drinking a little more than I thought I would, I didn’t run out, but I thought it was to do with the changing temps from up on hills to down in the valleys. I even stopped at a food van to grab an extra water and downed half can of Fanta too. Just after it got dark, I arrived at Nickys Food bar (a trucker stop which also serves the Pennine way), I went inside and had a Vegan burger and drink. It was starting to get a bit colder outside too now. The food went down well but as soon as I went back out, I noticed how cold I was and it took a bit of time for me to warm up. During the next section I started getting a bit of a cold cough too, from the dry air, I think. Something started feeling off, you know in yourself when things just aren’t right.  This part had some big old rocks to jump over/navigate which slowed me down a bit. I just remember the relief of getting into the MRT tent at White house after this section ended. I refilled my bottles but stupidly didn’t eat anything before going out to tackle a very boring reservoirs, that was an error

It was during this part that the coughing got worse and ended up with me vomiting some liquid. It tasted like the squash I had been drinking but no food came up. I thought nothing of it and carried on hoping it was just a glitch. A short while later I had a gel, then some Veloforte chews as I realised, I hadn’t eaten for a while and would soon be on the climb up to Stoodley monument. But my brain started going off, I was feeling a bit all over the place. I also noticed that I had been yawning quite a bit and for a while. This was odd as it was still relatively early for me to be doing this. My brain felt tired, but my legs felt great. Progress was slow but I came up with a plan on the descent into Hebdon. “Just get to the CP, charge watch/phone, eat and assess”. That was the mantra, I knew I would have time.

The Climb back up the other side to the CP was tedious and slow. I remembered from the recce, that it would be a crappy part but that’s life. I was feeling worse by the minute though and nearing the top I threw up again. This time more liquid and gels etc. Still no solid food! I stumbled in the CP (which is down a horrible little hill) around 9.45pm. This was right in the window I needed for my race plan. So I executed my CP strategy.

Phone and watch were put on charge, and I went to get food. I felt awful though. I ordered a vegi pasta and sat down to eat it. I think I pushed the food around for 30mins not really eating much. Maybe a ¼ bowl. My friend Mikey came out to say hi (he was in the kitchen cooking and is a total ultra legend), he tried to give me encouragement. I made the choice to try and have a sleep, sleep will cure me!

1 hour in a slightly noisy bunk room was completed, I came back down and met up with Yvette, Phil and Ilona. They had come in about an hour or 90mins after me. I tried to eat some more but then things got worse. I threw up my entire stomach in the toilet. I felt awful again. I went back to bed again. I think this was around midnight. This time a bigger dorm, that was lounder, I didn’t bring ear plugs!

Then around 2.30ish I mentally made the decision to go and get my tracker cut off. My stomach hurt, I had a little cry in the bunk but I just couldn’t work out how I could continue.

The volunteers tried to persuade me to give it another sleep. And try again but I knew. There was no way I was going to get out and do another 97km when I couldn’t even keep down some pasta or tea.

I went back to bed

Around 5.30 I got up to try some toast, but that just went through me, the other end.  I had a shower, changed and went home (luckily I had the company of Phil & Ilona who had decided to call it too and a lift to the station from Alison).

Post race, my stomach didn’t get better until Tuesday lunchtime. I am not sure exactly what happened, but it must have been either some kind of virus or food poisoning. Which is really shitty luck and that’s what I am most pissed off about as I stayed away from people for two weeks to avoid covid. If I had tripped and fallen or got a running injury then I think I might have accepted that more as my own stupid fault but this, well it just sucks. I put so much time, energy and money into this race. It was my A race for the year and now it’s gone. I am writing this 2 weeks after as I want to close off this chapter and try to re-focus and move on. I won’t finish on a downer.

I made some important learnings for when I go back (I’ll get to that in a min).

1. I think I need a bigger bag. I was super happy with the montane Gecko 20+ pack. The fit worked for me, as did the way the storage worked but I feel it’s just a little too small. I knew the next 97km was going to get really cold, so I would have wanted some more/different layers to change into/add on, there wasn’t any room for that.
2. I need to practice a bit more on the technical terrain at night. I was a bit slower than I should have been due to nerves. Maybe it was the sickness but I think some tactical training on rocky paths in the dark would do me the world of good.
3. Put more of my food into food bags like I did for the jelly babies. Makes for easy eating on the move. Should have done with the veloforte and other chews I had.
4. The Naked belt just doesn’t work for me, too tight on the stomach. Try something different. Maybe a bum bag or front pouch.
5. I am considering not planning accommodation at the finish as this might put too much pressure on me but that’s still something to ponder. This time it was totally wasted. Also not booking a return train that is a specific time. This also puts pressure on a finish time.

The positives

1. I ran well up to when I couldn’t. I hiked strongly and smiled a lot. I was really having the best time until I wasn’t.
2. My kit choices worked. My feet were in a pretty good shape at Hebdon, with only two little hot spots what would have been taped for the next part.
3. My legs were also in really good shape at Hebdon. I didn’t smash my quads. I knew what was coming and was doing a good job of saving them for later.
4. I remembered a lot of the course from the recce’s so this really helped with navigation.

Back to returning. I am 1000% going back. Sadly, I can’t in 2025 as we have a family trip at Christmas for 3 weeks, where training will not be possible. I am targeting 2026. I have the kit, I know what the first part is like on race day, now I just have to get to Hawes. I know I am capable I just hope the luck swings my way in two years.

Thank you to all the volunteers and to you all for the kind words of support, it has meant the world to me, truly. I will be back!