Every stride tells a story, and this week's episode is no exception. I found myself at the starting line of 2020, primed for a personal record at the Wokingham Half Marathon, only to watch as the unfolding pandemic rewrote the race calendar. But when I traded my runner's bib for a grocery delivery badge, I discovered a new rhythm in serving the community, a heartbeat that sustained me through the silence of empty streets and cancelled events. The tale I share isn't just about the miles logged or the races lost; it's about finding meaning in the movement and connection in the unexpected roles we play.
Imagine the resolve it takes to confront a solo ultra marathon, the kind where every turn could be a wrong one, and each mile might as well be a mountain. That's the story I bring to life as I recount the muscle-searing, mind-bending journey of pushing beyond marathon distances, alone against the elements. From the adrenaline-fueled start through the punishing elevation to the battle against post-run migraines, this chapter is a raw look at the extremes of endurance. There's solidarity, too, in our shared struggles and the resolve to press on when every fibre screams to stop.
But even as the pavement lay dormant, the spirit of the marathon thrived in virtual races across the globe. I reveal the solitude and solidarity of running a backyard ultramarathon, the rush of crossing a finish line that's both everywhere and nowhere. In the echo of my footsteps, I found the camaraderie of an online community running with me, and in the chiming of my virtual medal, a testament to the unyielding human spirit that races on, even as the world holds its breath. Join me for tales of tenacity, the camaraderie of runners worldwide, and the shared triumphs that defy distance and disruption.
Every stride tells a story, and this week's episode is no exception. I found myself at the starting line of 2020, primed for a personal record at the Wokingham Half Marathon, only to watch as the unfolding pandemic rewrote the race calendar. But when I traded my runner's bib for a grocery delivery badge, I discovered a new rhythm in serving the community, a heartbeat that sustained me through the silence of empty streets and cancelled events. The tale I share isn't just about the miles logged or the races lost; it's about finding meaning in the movement and connection in the unexpected roles we play.
Imagine the resolve it takes to confront a solo ultra marathon, the kind where every turn could be a wrong one, and each mile might as well be a mountain. That's the story I bring to life as I recount the muscle-searing, mind-bending journey of pushing beyond marathon distances, alone against the elements. From the adrenaline-fueled start through the punishing elevation to the battle against post-run migraines, this chapter is a raw look at the extremes of endurance. There's solidarity, too, in our shared struggles and the resolve to press on when every fibre screams to stop.
But even as the pavement lay dormant, the spirit of the marathon thrived in virtual races across the globe. I reveal the solitude and solidarity of running a backyard ultramarathon, the rush of crossing a finish line that's both everywhere and nowhere. In the echo of my footsteps, I found the camaraderie of an online community running with me, and in the chiming of my virtual medal, a testament to the unyielding human spirit that races on, even as the world holds its breath. Join me for tales of tenacity, the camaraderie of runners worldwide, and the shared triumphs that defy distance and disruption.
Thanks for listening. Keep on running.
Speaker 1:
The race is on. The race is on, so let's get straight into this eighth episode of 30 years of running marathons. 2020 was the year that Covid hit the world and everything shut down, including most events. In fact, you were lucky just to be able to get out for your hour of exercise a day. I mean, the year started off great. I ran my usual Wokenham Half Marathon and, because I'd done such good training over the winter, I ran a super fast time. In fact, it was my second best half marathon time ever, in a time of 1 hour 36. Previously my best time had been 1 hour 31. So I was on top form and I had many races, many half marathons and marathons planned in for the rest of the year. So I was certain by the end of the year I could probably get under an hour and a half and get a new personal best. Little did I know how Covid was going to alter all of my plans.
Speaker 1:
Here in the UK. We didn't shut down until about approximately about March time. For example, the London Marathon, which is held in April that was called off and that didn't look good. For the rest of the races I mean a lot of the running races, certainly the races that I had planned were a lot smaller and there was hope because they weren't the thousands of people gathering together like they were at London that you know they might still go ahead. Obviously they're out in the open air, so something like the Covid virus wouldn't spread as well outside. There's not as many people. So there was always hope that maybe these events would go ahead. But obviously you know when you're. When you're running, you're close to people, you're breathing, even though you're outdoors. I guess it still wasn't ideal. So a lot of these races became cancelled.
Speaker 1:
What happened next was turned to what was known as virtual events, and these virtual events meant you'd literally be running on your own, recording your own time, sending them in and then guessing that a metal sent through the post to say that you completed the distance. And certainly in the UK here we're allowed to go out for approximately one hour of exercise a day and it depended what job you were on. I mean, at the end of the day, you know, obviously running became low down on the list of priorities. You know, for most people it was staying alive, it was not catching the virus and it was not being furloughed, it was still staying in the job. I had many housemates who were furloughed For me. I was one of the lucky ones.
Speaker 1:
I was a supermarket grocery delivery driver, so I was delivering groceries and I was out about on the roads which were now empty Because people weren't going to work. We had this whole new era of home working. So for me, out on the roads, it was peaceful and quiet. I still got to meet people. So life more or less carried on the same for me I would do my training, my runs, early in the morning, then I would go off to work, I would drive on the near empty roads and I would deliver to people and I became what's known as a key worker. I was essential to a lot of customers who couldn't even go to the supermarkets, even with a face mask, because their immune systems were so fragile they had to isolate, and obviously people with the virus who were isolating as well. So I became a key factor in delivering essential groceries to them. And I became such a key worker, in fact, that over here in the UK we had it was clapped for the National Health Service on Thursday evenings and in fact I'd be working Thursday evenings. And I remember one time I was driving through this small village and people were outside obviously clapping for the NHS and they were clapping my van as I went past and I was like, well, I'm just a grocery delivery drive, but that's how important I became and I was quite honoured to be a key worker during this time.
Speaker 1:
But back to the running anyway. So obviously all my races were cancelled. I'd done the run good race early on in the year and I had so much hope for the rest of the year and obviously all of this was curtailed. In fact, one of my big goals for the year was to do an ultramarathon and it was a race called Race to the Stones, which has ran along England's oldest pathway, oldest road. It's a trail road and you literally run to a place. There's the stone, so it's similar to Stonehenge and it's a great tourist site. Now the trail is approximately I mean, the whole trail is approximately 100 miles, but we'd be running sort of about 60 miles of it.
Speaker 1:
So it was a 100K event, about 60 miles, and this event you could run it over one day or you could run it over two days If, or you could even walk it. So people would walk it over one day, people walk it over two days. You could run it over one day or run it over two days. If you chose to run it over the two days, at the halfway point they provided a campsite for you, all the tents were provided for you and there was a catering. There was even a bar, you know, there's a real sort of party atmosphere in the evening. But then you had to get up and you had to, you know, run another 30 miles.
Speaker 1:
So it was approximately 30 miles each day and I was thinking I think I'd rather get it all over and done with, because I could see myself obviously having to get up the next day and I've had a couple of beers the night before and I just didn't fancy having to do it. I was worried that my legs would be stiff. So I, along with some other friends, had agreed to go for the one day. So you'd literally do it all in one day. And this is 60, 60, approximately 62 miles, so it's 100K and you'd be doing it all in one day. And this is what we had planned and my friends and we were all planned it. Obviously, this event got cancelled, but they were offering a virtual race, so you would record your time, record it on your watch, on your phone, via a Strava app and then you'd send you details and then they could see, obviously, that you had run this distance. And yet again, you could run it over the two days to one day, obviously, because I'd be running on my own.
Speaker 1:
I couldn't foresee myself just running a whole 100K or 60 miles in one day. I just thought that's probably too much. I thought, do it over two days. For starters, I couldn't think of a route really, because I have to do 100k or a 60 mile route and that would either have to be several laps or a route I know or be ours and back and or point to point, but obviously on your own, when you've got no pit stops and You've got no support. You don't want to be stuck out and be a little nowhere. So I Tose to do the two days. So it'd be approximately 31 miles each day. I didn't quite work out like that. Anyway, I I've done some training for this anyway already, so I was pretty sure I could do the mileage.
Speaker 1:
Obviously it's just over one marathon per day and I had a hydration pack that I would wear, so I like a bladder in it. Straw was attached to it and let down to my mouth. So you know, it's about things about a liter and a half of water. I could carry water or sports drink in there, had some gels and I set off on the first day Really early because I knew it would take me quite a few hours. I wanted to sort of finish by lunchtime and I set off my route that I knew quite well.
Speaker 1:
So I set off along the canal, which was lovely route, and all the way down to Denham Lakes, which is approximately it was 10 miles to the front of the lake, you probably doing about 12 to the other side of it, and I'm thinking, you know, I'm banking on the fact that I've probably got to do about 16 miles out, 60 miles back, and that's fine. I got out the other side of the lake and I was going down the road and I thought, right, I was carrying on down this way. Now what I had to do was remember where I was going and since I turned one way, had to remember which way I was turning. Anyway, obviously, after I'd been doing quite a few miles, I Sort of let's believe it's why I sort of lost my way. So I Turned one way and I couldn't find my way back and basically I was running I don't know it was. It was up this hill. I could see the lake and I because it was quite a few lakes around I wasn't sure whether it's like that I'd come through.
Speaker 1:
And now I found myself on this main road and there was, there was cars coming, coming by. I mean not not many, it was a country road, but the old car would come by and it's quite scary, it's quite a dangerous road, I mean because it's there was no. There was no pavement, no sidewalk that I had gone to and cars were coming very close to me. And I was now really tired and frustrated the fact that I had missed the route that I was supposed to be on and I knew I should be turning back now and I Didn't know whether I was heading in the right direction. And of course I was getting more stressed and the more stress and anxious I was getting See the tire I was getting. And now I'm thinking I'm gonna be doing way more miles than I need to do. You know, I'm supposed to be doing like 31. This is gonna be more than that.
Speaker 1:
And now I was just worried about getting home in one piece. I thought, am I ever gonna get back? And I could foresee myself. You know I'm to stop and walk and I didn't fancy stop because I know if I once stopped I'd just, I'd just seize up. But I kept going in this one direction. I thought this, this is just so, I'm gonna have to turn back. So I turned back and now I'm thinking I've got to go all the way back down this hill and that's even more miles. And I'm looking across just trying to find the entrance to the lake. So I'm sure if I can get into the lake, then the other side of the lake is out where I'm coming and that's the route back home.
Speaker 1:
And I cut long story short. I eventually found myself back to the lake. But now I added quite a few miles on and but the time I was coming down the, the, the slough arm of the canal, about, maybe it was five miles in the that. Then I still had another mile up this hill back home. I think it was at the end of the canal. I just literally had to stop and I think I was something on like now, 33 miles and I still have to go up this, this really steep hill, back up this hill, which was just over a mile, and so it took me yet to be to 34 miles on that first day. 34, I've got the record here. 34.4 miles, and that's far longer. Should be into me. Six hours, ten minutes, and we look at my elevation of 1,178 feet, and it was. It was absolutely crazy.
Speaker 1:
So you know, I started in the morning. I'm looking at my record so I started at 539 in the morning. So you know I'd I'd got back by, I think, just before two, two. So about you know, late lunchtime, which gave me which was fine, it gave me all of the afternoon to recover and I didn't feel too bad. And the rest of the afternoon, you know, I had a nice rest and I felt fine.
Speaker 1:
It wasn't to the evening that my legs got really, really stiff and I was really feeling it. I just had this thought oh no, I've got to get up the next day and I tried to go to bed early but I had this like restless leg syndrome. My legs were all over the place. I think it's adrenaline flowing from my body. I mean, I had a really, really good meal, so I carboloaded with pasta To stop me up for energy from next day.
Speaker 1:
Eventually I felt asleep and I wanted to wake up early next morning because I wanted to get out early and be back by lunchtime again. I didn't want it to be too busy out there. But when I woke up I felt like I had the most massive migraine. My head was absolutely buzzing and my whole body was listless. I just couldn't get out of bed, and normally I'm really good early in the morning. So I just couldn't get out of bed.
Speaker 1:
And you know, I had my usual black coffee and I thought that's gonna kickstart me, the sports drinks and that, and it was a good. It was a good hour or so, probably an hour and a half, and I still hadn't moved. I Put my kit on, filled up my hydration pack, put that on and I went downstairs and Open the door and what and where I live, we had this massive courtyard and then there was this long drive when it was out in the countryside and I'm like, okay, let's, let's give this a go. I remember I got to the end of the courtyard and I thought I just can't do this. I just can't do this. What am I doing? And I thought, well, I've already achieved so much. Really, you know, I'd run over a marathon. I'd never run that far before and you know any distance over 26 miles they called an ultra marathon. I've done like a good eight miles over, so it's a third the systems I'd run in a day and I'd posted that evening.
Speaker 1:
I posted to my friends in the Facebook group that I've done Race to the Stones and of course, when you enter Race to the Stones, not only can you do one day, two days or two days, both. You can just do one of the days, you can even just the second day or the first day. So they assumed that I was only going to run one day. So when I posted it, you know I had all these you know excellent congratulations, comments and that, and that was it. I hadn't told them I was actually going to run the next day. So already I was adhered to them, you know. I think, wow, you know brilliant stuff. And so to me I'd already, you know, achieved something, something really good, certainly by my peers who are really impressed.
Speaker 1:
So I'm thinking I don't have to do this. But at the back of my mind I was really only competing with myself and I knew at the back of my mind I wanted to do the two days. And if I didn't, you know, the feeling would be worse than if I struggled on and suffered. So I knew I had to break through that pain barrier. So what I did was I just I tried to get to the end of the drive. I've got to end the drive, but then, of course, then you come into the like, there's like a main road, and then this really freaked me out.
Speaker 1:
So I knew, once I turned left, that was it, I was out with, you know, civilization, and that there was no sort of turning back. I mean, there was, but that's the way I was feeling I was. Once I'm out of the confines of my home grounds, that was it. There was no turning back. But I just couldn't do it. So I stopped again. I'm thinking okay, you stopped again, now just relax.
Speaker 1:
You know what is the why? Why are you doing this? Surely I'm not just doing it to impress the people in my Facebook group. They all know I've done really well. They already you know her praise me. I don't need any more praise for them. So anything I do now is a bonus and really it's just for me. So if I'm doing it just for me, think, why am I doing it for me? Maybe I'm doing it for my late nan, cause she was always, you know, my biggest fan of my running. Am I doing it for myself or for her, or for both of us? I didn't think, why was I doing this?
Speaker 1:
And then I changed my mindset completely around the other way, because of what it was. My mindset was thinking I've got another five to six hours, I'm not going to make another five to six hours running. And you could say, well, why don't you do a bit of walking? But I'm not one of these people who can walk and run, or, jeff, unless they call it. I find it very difficult because, you know, as, as you may have heard from my previous broadcasts, I've had injuries in my knee and and I think the the reason, if I want to stop, it tends to stiffen up and it's worse for me. So I'd just like to keep going. So my mindset was okay, you did the 34 miles yesterday. Any miles you do today is a bonus. So just get down the road and get, get to a mile. I think it's about just over a mile to the start of the canal.
Speaker 1:
So that was my next day, so I went down this road and obviously it's a little bit busy, it's the main road and that I thought get to the canal, get to the nice quiet canal. And that was a mile. And I thought, okay, jason, you've done the mile mile there and a mile back, that's two miles, brilliant. But I thought, well, let's see how far and get down the canal. Because down the canal there was a, there was a mile markers each mile and once you got to the end there was a fifth mile marker and then the slower on the canal it then turns to the left before we head to the lakes. So it was each of these like stepping stones and I'm thinking, you know, just one foot in front of the other. That's all you need to think of. And it was, it was a nice day, you know, it was a beautiful day, it wasn't raining, it wasn't too hot to cold, it was just a lovely calm day and I think it just just be in the moment, just enjoy every mile.
Speaker 1:
So I enjoyed every mile marker and I got up to the fifth mile. I'm like, okay, that's, that's fifth miles. Next, see if you can get to the, the next lock, and then, once you get to the next lock, across the next lock. And this is what I did all the way up to Denham Lakes, which I know was 10 miles, as I've said, and at the end of the lake it's approximately 12 miles. And I knew, I knew I didn't have to run. You know, the silver lining was, having got lost the previous day, I didn't have to run as far this time. So I'm thinking, well, as long as I don't get lost this time and that was my main concern but because I wasn't running as far I mean I'd come out the lakes but I wouldn't have to go as far I was certain I wasn't going to get lost this time. So I just kept going and I'm thinking, well, if I do about probably about 14 miles out, that'd be 28 miles. That should give me the 62 miles to make it to the 100K.
Speaker 1:
I was working, I was working in miles. I tend to work in miles. I can, you know, I can change it to my watch to kilometers. All my training had been done in miles and I just find it easier to work in miles. So I knew if I went to 14 miles out, 14 miles back would be 28. So I'd really got to 12 to end the lake. So I thought there's only a couple of more miles. So I cut more miles down this road.
Speaker 1:
Okay, it's a bit of a busy road, but then you got to a quieter section off the road and then I turned around and thought great, you've done it, you've practically done it, you've done it halfway. Now all you've got to do is come home. And you can, you might stagger home, but think of it this way as long as you get home, even if you're walking, you'll have finished and you've got. You know, I had to get home. I had no option. There's no one going to come and pick me up. I had no phone or me to call anybody. I know when to call to come and pick me up. So literally I had to get back home. And by getting home I would have done it.
Speaker 1:
And yet again, my whole mindset was taking it a step. So I took it in steps to get off the main road, get to the far corner of the lake. Once I was in the lake I had a stop, just a quick stop, a bit of a refill with gels and that quick toilet, and then straight back on it again, and then, once I come out of the lake, I got back on the canal and I'm thinking, okay, down to the canal, get to the corner, get to the corner five miles, down to the end, quick stop at the end. And then just that killer hill up to the house, mile up to the house, and it really was a killer hill. I was feeling the previous days mileage as well and I struggled up this hill. And as you come up this hill there's the crematorium on the left, with my light and hand. It's laid to rest, it's been cremated. And as I passed there I looked to the left where she was, and I'm just thinking you know, this is for you now and you've given me the strength to carry on and to do this and I'm gonna get up this hill and get home. And that's what gave me the strength for this.
Speaker 1:
Just for this last kilomile up this hill, I needed all the strength I could get and I got up the hill, turned left, then turned right, slightly inclined up the driveway and into the courtyard. And I remember raising my arms as I was coming into the driveway because I'd hit the 28 miles. In fact I hit the whole 62 for the both two days and that and it's very rare you get a car come up the driveway. It's only the people who live there, just a couple of houses and that. And this car was literally following me up there and I was literally running across and stopped it and just raised my arms and as I went across and she was probably thinking what is he doing? You know what is he? He's just been for a run, but little did she know how far I've been and what I'd achieve.
Speaker 1:
And then I literally just collapsed on the back garden there and I'd done it and I didn't want to think I was so tired. I was tired, I was elated and it was just one of those wonderful most you know it was something. You know it was the toughest thing I'd ever done. Little did I know that the actual race itself, which you know I was going to do the following year I didn't know that time but I was going to do it the following year and I'll tell you more about it in the next episode I was going to be in tougher. I mean, this was a route that I could do, a flat route, but the actual, the real course, the elevation, is something else. So you know I was lucky in that respect, but certainly doing it over two days was tough and I don't know how I even got out the door on the second day. That's how tough it was. But yet again, it was all down to mine.
Speaker 1:
So I'd done the training and, like a lot of my races and what I say to beginners, never think about the full 26 miles, 30 miles, whatever you just you take it step by step, you split it down into bite-side chunks and this is what I did and this is what got me through it. And you know I got my. You know I sent off the my details and I got my virtual medal and it was just as good as doing the real thing. In fact, it's tougher in some ways because you're on your own. You need the self discipline to get out there and do it yourself. There's no supporters. There's, you know, no big, you know crowds of people. You know like you're all in this together and in the camaraderie of other runners who are helping you. You're literally on your own and the only support I got I say the only support, but it was the great support was from my Facebook group and it was great to have their support and that really did help. Maybe if I had them, I wouldn't have been as motivated as such because, as much as I wanna do it for me and for my nan, it was obviously I did want to fill for my peers that I'd achieved something and, yeah, it was a fantastic feeling and that led me onto my next virtual event.
Speaker 1:
I mean, there weren't many of these, but the next one was Dublin Marathon. If you listened to my previous podcast, you know Dublin Marathon is my favorite marathon. I even prefer it to London and it was the first marathon I did overseas a few years ago, which I did with the Facebook group, and I did my second fastest ever time there of three hours 32 minutes. And this was a virtual one. And the thing I liked about the virtual Dublin Marathon was they you could download this app. So, like the virtual race is done, you plan your own route.
Speaker 1:
Obviously, this time it was only 26 miles. I say only 26 miles. Obviously it's still a long distance, as I'm getting a bit of blasé now because I've done an ultramarathon. But 26 miles, you know, is still a really tough distance and I couldn't get blasé just because I'd done the ultramarathon early on in the year. I still had to concentrate and take it seriously, but I could plan my own route, and the route I'd planned was, in fact, I moved into a new house at this point with a new landlord and he lived just literally yards away from Jubilee River and it's this lovely river that runs, basically it goes. It goes sort of from Slough into Windsor to Main Head, and I literally chose that. I mean I'd run along this route before and I walked along before, so I knew it quite well. It's a lovely route. Not many people I mean there are only sort of people you'd get. So obviously when you go into Windsor. I was gonna run through Windsor, I literally gonna do a massive loop, so I'll plot it all out now.
Speaker 1:
And he gave me a lovely cheery send off on that, which I was like please, I don't need all this attention, I just wanted to get out there and do my run on my own. I mean, in case I didn't make, in case I failed, but I'd had my hydration pack on again and that, so I had plenty of drinks for me, gels for me. I was really prepared. It was a lovely day and I set off quite early again because I wanted to get it done before too many people were out and about. And, yeah, the Dublin marathon had this lovely app that you could download and you could hear this commentary, so, like when you've done so many miles, it was like you're actually on the Dublin route, so it'll say all your pass and such and such to recite your passing here, your passing there. And because I'd obviously run it several times before, I knew all these tourist sites and it's great, you have this lovely commentary. So you didn't quite get the crowd excitement, but it felt that you were actually running the race and it was a lovely incentive and a great bit of technology. Even when you finished it said well done, congratulations, you finished. So you knew that you'd actually done it the right distance, you'd finished.
Speaker 1:
And the funny thing was to say, for most of the time going along this river I didn't see anybody and in fact I think some of my friends were tracking me. I think Tracy was keeping an eye on me and I sort of kept them updated as I went along. And I remember I went through Windsor and obviously there's a few people through Wintortown Centre. But I came back down along the river the other side and say it was lovely because you didn't leave me anybody along the towpath and ironically it was only when I was a few yards from I mean, obviously, the commentary on the app said you know you're coming into the last mile. I was like, okay, I'm nearly there. And then you know, it literally counts you down by yards. And he said I'm a few hundred yards from there and I was coming in. And then this couple out of nowhere came on the towpath and I'm like you kidding me, I'm going to bump into them. And I've literally only got literally a few yards to go. If I can raise my arms and often say I've done it, like I just about managed to get around them. As soon as I swung around them the app said I see, you're coming across the line. Well done, congratulations. I raised my arms a lot and they must have thought I was mad. I was like why are you raising your arms? I'm just a little off. It's just you've just done a run. You know little. Did they know how far I run or what I was doing or what I had achieved? And then I just collapsed a few yards away from them on the ground. They probably wonder what was up, and it was only literally a few minutes after that.
Speaker 1:
I was still quite energized that I posted a video. So I did this live video which I don't normally do but I was so buzzing which I posted to my Facebook group. And you know I said you know I've done the Dublin marathon and that, but there were very much similarities to races stones, in the sense that I hadn't done extra distance but I hadn't quite planned it quite right, because I was literally one to two miles away from home. So my place that I live now was on the other side of the river and it's a bit further down. But obviously, you know, I'd allowed a bit extra because I wanted to make sure that I'd done the 26 miles. And I said to my friends that video. I said I've still got to walk home and in fact the walk home was the hardest bit.
Speaker 1:
And once I've done this video I was literally just in t-shirt and shorts and I started to feel a bit cold now and I had to walk home and I could feel my legs seizing up. What I wanted to do was get home and I mean, and it was near two miles by the time I got home Okay, it was a good warm down. I think it helped my certainly helped my legs. See, the next day they didn't seize up quite as much. I didn't get what they called like doms, which is delayed on muscle stiffness. It was not so much of that the next day and I think obviously that two mile walk helped me how I walked back.
Speaker 1:
And then I think I think my, my, my landlord was surprised how long it takes. You know, he was like are you okay? You've been out there all that time and I've done in four hours, 10 minutes, which I'd like to go under four hours before, as 10 minutes is like, you know, that's still a really good time, especially when you do on your own, like the races stones, when you do any event like this on your own, it's always a lot tougher, you know, because you you haven't got crowd support with you, so you're very, you're very much on your own and you've got to have a self discipline to keep going. The times are tough and that there's there's no one out there cheering you on. So I was really impressed with the time for us 10 minutes and that and yeah, I just, I just, I just wanted to get a drink when I got back and get some food and that my landlord was really helpful in that respect, you know, and he helped me cook something and, yeah, it was, it was. You know, I felt so good and then, okay, it will never be quite going to Dublin. I mean, you'd know it was just, there's nothing quite like going to Ireland and going to Dublin and the Irish people and the welcome they give you and the crowd supports and the, the other runners. But you know, put it to put it in contrast, you know, people were obviously, you know I'd met many customers who who had lost relatives and friends because of COVID and many of my colleagues had caught COVID and I'd lucky, you know, touch wood, I hadn't caught COVID and not only had not caught COVID, I was able to do these runs.
Speaker 1:
I was able to do these, these, these virtual events, and it was the next best thing. And okay, I mean after 2019, the previous year where I run all these races, and that it was a bit of a come down, but you know, I'd achieved my second fastest half marathon time at the beginning of the year, at Woken and one hour 36. I did them by first ultra marathon. So the two on the two days, you know, one running 34 miles, next day running 27 miles, virtual races of the stones and then the virtual Dublin marathon in four hours 10 minutes, which are just outside four hours. So I'd kept myself fit and healthy, I hadn't caught COVID and I'd run these events during the year. So, looking back, it wasn't a bad year after all.
Speaker 1:
And you know, at the time we didn't know, you know how long COVID was going to be around, for I mean, we thought it would never end, and obviously it has, but at the time it felt like it was never ending, you know, and races would come back again. I mean, you know, races were a small part of the bigger picture, as I say it was. It was quite irrelevant compared to what was going on in the world and people losing their lives and that, but at the same time it was something that that that, you know, gave me a bit of normality in this, in this crazy world, or what was going on with COVID. It was nice to be able to do these virtual running events and still feel part of the running community and still feel that you achieve in something.
Speaker 1:
And I didn't know at the time, but you know, the following year things would change and though there might be still some slight restriction on races. I was going to run Race of the Stones the following year and run the actual race and you tell me it was the toughest thing I've ever done, far tougher than the virtual one. I mean, the elevation was off the scale, it was just it. I mean it's the toughest thing I have ever done and I'll tell you more about that on the next episode of 30 years of Running Marathons. Thank you.