It's been 6 weeks since I finished the challenge. The fact I've been wildly busy since I stepped off the plane coming home has given me little time to think about where I go from here. The big question for me is 'What now?'
I've been asked this question by a few people, and haven't really had much of an answer. It's been pretty hard when working towards something that takes up so much of your head space, spare time, energy and effort. Even more so when it's something so big.
The last few weeks have been really about resting a bit, recovering my energy levels, getting present with my every day life again (and the plethora of challenges and stresses that brings), and dealing with the nagging hip problem that flared up at the end of the summer and has dogged me before.
It's only really been the last couple of weeks, I've really felt the empty space of having no adventure to work towards. Nothing unsafe to tackle. Some might say the Post-Ultra-Blues, but this is more than that. It feels more profound.
What the 300km did for me was about unlocking more of the adventurer in my soul. Something shifted after I went through a torrid few days, and a bit of a crucible. It became about the journey into unknown territory rather than all about the challenge of just finishing it. I wanted to see new things. Experience taking myself across new landscapes, while also experience the endorphin rush of achieving something wildly difficult.
This means it's not simply about the next 50 or 100km challenge, but the experience of something remote and new to me, against which to stretch and test myself. That's where personal growth happens the most. It's to learn new lessons and solve new problems. It's to build memories that are remarkable to me, and to show my family that it's OK to venture into the unknown.
I also need something big and challenging to work towards. I can feel the negative impact not training has had on my stress and wellbeing in the month after the Hebrides challenge. I miss being outdoors, and I miss the wind and the rain that became my reality while I was out there. I'm just coming back into it. An easy 10Km trail run, with a few local road runs to hold on to some of what I'd built up (and what I'd lost after sitting on my ass for a month). They felt great. Hard enough, but not so much that I'm left monstered for days. I'll be writing more about how I aim to evolve my training, in the coming weeks. That being said, I think I've picked a couple of targets to go for:
A 100km Ultra in the Peak District, England next summer. Hilly and a beautiful part of England. Undecided whether I'll run for time, or simply cruise and video along the way. I guess that depends on how training goes.
and an adventure...
Next year I turn 50. As a result I wanted to go somewhere pretty cool. Not specifically to run myself into the ground, but a trek style adventure for a week or so in some place remarkable. I want to build more memories and so I think I've found the perfect place. I need to look into when is best to do this,
The Laugevegur Trail - Iceland
Having had a look at what is accessible right now and amidst a very busy summer next year, I am looking at a 6 day trek in Iceland through the Laugevegur trail. Rated as one of the Top 10 hikes on Earth, this looks breath-taking and challenging enough to get the juices flowing.
Pretty cool! I'll be taking my new drone for these challenges as well. One thing that stood out when doing the Hebrides was the extraordinary landscape that could only really be captured from the air. I've decided to treat myself to an early Xmas present and ordered a pretty good lightweight one that can be flown almost anywhere. It's pretty challenging to give the right perspective to friends and family when I get back from these types of challenges, so having some cool perspectives helps and keeps the memories alive. So that's my news. I'm still working through the Hebrides video which will take me a good while longer to do (hoping by Xmas), and will set out my thoughts around training over the coming posts, but until then... Thanks for reading.
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