Starting again is never easy!  Well when I say starting again, I don't mean from scratch but it does mentally and to start with physically feel like that.  Since my attempt at the Hardmoors 160 I have been a little of it and wondering if that's it, the journey is over.  I still get the buzz and excitement from these challenges so I hope not.  I have signed up for something ridiculous again, and yet again I feel completely in awe of anyone who's completed one of these races.  My new 'A' race is Cockbain Events 'The Viking Way'.  Now this run starts at the Humber Bridge in Hull and follows the Viking Way which concludes in Oakham, Leicester.  Coincidentally this is where a good friend of mine has just bought a hotel, which makes for a great party at the end ha ha!

Whats happening at the moment then?  Well next week I have put myself right back in it at the deep end.  I am running the Hardmoors 60 which goes from Guisborough down the coast to Filey.  This will be a big challenge since I haven't been hammering my training and last year I came up short in the event. The good thing is I'm confident I have this race in me, so this year I'm having it.  This is basically the start of me cranking up the miles for the big one in January.

What training have |I been doing?  So far over the summer I have been continuing with my gym work with Jake at 'Old School Strength and Conditioning' and have been doing training runs with Sarah my girlfriend as we are running York Marathon together in October.  This has been great, helping her work towards her goal of first marathon.  This is a massive undertaking for her having two young children to look after and a high pressured job to do full time, and me to deal with lol! We have managed to keep upping the mileage and she is doing great I'm incredible proud of her.  Although I don't think I'm a great running partner for by the way I get told off for one thing or another each time we do a long run ha ha!  I'm just glad to be there and hopefully helping not hindering.  I have complete faith in her mental strength to get through the marathon, it may not be pretty at times but she'll be there at the end!



So what's my message, what am I learning?  That new goals and challenges may require a break or a rest or some time away, this doesn't mean you've given up it just means your going to come back stronger, keener, and more ready!

The Viking Way for me is a ridiculously hard, almost an impossible challenge, but that's what makes it all the more appealing to have a go at.  Why just keep entering events or distances that we know we can do, that's not what I'm about and I don't want my daughter to ever think I wasn't prepared to fail to achieve something great!