Petite Feet Runaway

It's been a few years since I wrote any race reports so I thought I would combine them as one in advance of my Arctic Circle Trail report. Summer 2023 Trying to get more comfortable running marathon distance but struggling with old lady / postpartum mum injuries - hip bursitis and a strained hamstring. September 2023 - Pilgrim's Ultra 50-something km Holy Island to Craster. Beautiful, flat route. Hot day so we dropped like flies. I ended up getting lost on some sand dunes and then vomiting on a fancy golf course. Probably not what they usually pay their fees to clean up. My first ultra since having the children April 2024 - Two Bridges Ultra 40-something miles Longest run since having the children. About ten days previously I had felt an awful pain in my calf as I walked down the stairs in my house. My foot and leg ballooned but I was not sure what was wrong. So I started off the ultra in last place and took it slowly. I needed to stop frequently to loosen my shoe as I kept los...

Insanity is a relative term. Ultra runners often get called insane because people confuse it with dedication, hard work and sacrifice. Sometimes ideas are insane to us at one point in our lives and then become less insane later. Deciding to run the Great Glen Way twice was a bit like that; insane at first because there was nothing to prove I could do it. There was no special training, just excitement for an idea. In the lead up it became normal as it was just something I was going to be doing. I'll confess that after about 100 miles it started to feel a bit crazy again. It would be both the longest I had run for and the furthest I had run. I kept it pretty quiet; no point getting any congratulations until it was completed. The Great Glen Way has some stunning views so surely it would be a pleasure seeing them twice right?! Every wee adventure should be preceded by an event which tests your patience, mood and relationship. This is to build resilience and serve as a good story to t...