Epic

Much like yesterday, it has been a day of vile weather, a strong and very cold wind bringing regular flurries of sleet or rain, occasionally hail or snow. It's not quite cold enough for proper snow, although the wind chill belies that fact. Unlike yesterday, I did find the will to escape for a short walk. Perhaps it's still the after-effects of the lurgy, but I've been feeling ridiculously soft these last few days.

That might also have something do with following an extraordinary event that's been taking place this week in the North of England. It's highly unlikely you'll have heard anything about it, which is a shame because the competitors in this race are exemplifying the power of the human spirit in ways that defy the imagination.

I walked the Pennine Way back in September of 1977 with some friends from university. It took us about two and half weeks. We had a few wet days and I remember them being thoroughly miserable. There was an astonishing sense of achievement when we walked off the Cheviots into Kirk Yetholm at the end. As I write of late Thursday evening, a number of people are currently racing this same route down the spine of the country. Going for a walk today brought home the severity of the conditions they've had to endure. The current leader, Pavel Paloncy from the Czech Republic, is being held up in Byrness before heading out on the last leg over the Cheviots, the tops of which are covered in several feet of snow. If it wasn't for the race organisers calling a temporary halt because of the genuinely dangerous conditions, he would be out there now. It's likely he would want to still be racing despite the freezing cold and sleep deprivation. I've experienced that crazy momentum that drives you on to finish line, no matter what obstacles are put in your way. I remember well that the big problem with stopping is the difficulty of starting again. The longer the wait, the more the body becomes seized up with fatigue.

If I was born thirty years later I'm sure I would be out there myself right now. There was a time when I had to take on the biggest challenges going, which back in my day were not quite of this same order. I was limited to punishing myself over mere 100 mile mountain races, and twenty-four races. This race, along the entire length of the Pennine Way, self-supported, is 268 miles in length - over hill and dale, mostly in darkness, on muddy tracks, and now covered in many inches of slush and snow. But for tonight's layup, despite the savage weather conditions, the leader would have finished in less than four days, just snatching the odd few hours of sleep. I think it's only possible to fully appreciate the magnitude of that if you've done some ultra-distance mountain running yourself. It's mind-blowing.

I still don't understand why I feel such a yearning to be out there myself, suffering along with these athletes. I guess I still have a memory of how the body becomes awash with delicious hormones, driving you on, and on, and on. It's the experience of exhaustion overlaid with euphoria. It's an incredible natural cocktail of drugs and I used to be addicted. Perhaps you always remain an addict. It may be just as well my body can no longer do what my mind would love to put it through!
 
Behind Pavel who is currently held up in Byrness (at 245 miles), are two runners in joint second, being held at Bellingham (232 miles). There is Simon Gfeller from Switzerland and Tom Hollins (blipped here) from my own town of Ilkley. Rather bizarrely, I bumped into Tom on the moor before I knew who he was. It was only later that I discovered he was a world class athlete. An unassuming and quite lovely guy. 

You can follow the race live here, and just google 'Spine Race' to find all sorts of information and videos. This one here on Facebook will give you some idea. I'm in awe. These guys are my sporting heroes.