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I was standing at about 1,300m, blinking up through the mist and drizzle at the small rocky outcrop that I know marks the top of the steep climb from the end of CMD Arête to Ben Nevis's summit plateau. All I wanted to do was put my head down and get the ascent done. But I couldn't. Behind me were my two clients. It was at this moment that a thought dawned on me: is this - working as a Mountain Leader - why my mental strength for big endurance events is so much stronger than I had previously realised?
On the 11th May I ran a Tranter's Round. It wasn't fast and it wasn't pretty, but I did it. The day began well, setting off from Glen Nevis Youth Hostel at 3am with a strange silvery glow in the sky which I later realised was the northern lights. I was on the summit of Ben Nevis in two hours, quickly along CMD Arête as the sun rose, and even the big descent and re-ascent onto Aonach Mor passed much more pleasantly than I was expecting. I'd only ever done Spinks Ridge in ascent, and descending it to get onto the Grey Corries is definitely a no-trip-zone. Once down, I was glad to be on less exposed terrain but it was here that the wind began to take its toll. It was a steady 30-35mph wind that didn't seem to be on my back until I reached the climb onto the final Munro of Mullach nan Coirean. Other than the wind, traversing the Grey Corries felt alright. My body was responding to what I asked it to do, I was eating and drinking well and I seemed to be making reasonable progress. And then it all started to go a bit pear-shaped.
The Grey Corries were done. Next was the big descent into Glen Nevis and out the other side onto the Mamores. The initial run down off Stob Ban was lovely. Then it turns into heathery, tussocky, boggy pathless terrain, getting hotter and hotter as I got lower and lower. Reaching the Abhainn Rath was absolute bliss, cooling my feet, drenching my cap and replenishing my water. The long slog up to Sgurr Eilde Mor was the complete opposite. Why was it taking so long? Why won't my legs move any faster? Why do I feel so tired already!? It was probably something to do with the heat, the wind, and the 11 hours I'd spent guiding on the Ring of Steall just four days previously. That was NOT part of the training plan, but my partner Caspar had come down with food poisoning so I'd offered to cover his day of work. I knew it would affect my Tranter attempt but I wasn't expecting this. Ticking off the two outliers of Sgurr Eilde Mor and Binnein Beag was seriously tough. A message to Caspar. A few tears. And then eight Munros along the main ridge. Standing on Binnein Mor, Mullach nan Coirean looked so far away. But there was only one way to go now. There was absolutely no way I was going to quit. Jasmin Paris' recent words about the Barkley Marathons echoed in my mind: "Then I'd have to come back and do it all again." The only way was forwards, focusing on each little section at a time. The next bealach. The next summit. On and on. The descents were fine, but on the ascents my body just wasn't responding. My heart rate was so low compared to how hard I felt I was working. I was exhausted.
An Gearanach. The first out and back. From there it's an easy descent to Steall Falls. A quick message to Caspar for a lift and it would all be over. Not. A. Chance. I tagged the summit, turned around and headed for Stob Coire a' Chairn. The turnaround at Sgurr a' Mhaim was an even easier one. The descent from there to Lower Falls is horrendous. So bad that running over two more Munros was much more appealing. As I reached Stob Ban the sun was setting. I had been hoping to be done and finished before it was dark so still being on the ridge with one more Munro to go was pretty disappointing. However, the light was incredible and I couldn't help but pause on the summit to take it all in. The golden clouds. The alpenglow on all the mountains I'd just been over. If I'd been faster I wouldn't have had this moment. Finally, finally, I was on Mullach nan Coirean. I touched the summit cairn as darkness fell, dug out my head torch and began the long descent and run along the track back to the Youth Hostel where Caspar and Ru were patiently awaiting my arrival. So where does guiding come into all of this? Chatting to my coach Jon (E3Coach) afterwards he pointed out that it must have taken an incredible amount of mental strength to keep going when I was so tired so early on. Yes, there are times when I go out running and training when I don't really want to, or when the weather's bad, so that will have helped, but I feel like there's more. I've never considered myself to be particularly mentally resilient so where has this come from? Thinking back, this wasn't an isolated occasion either. When I did an Ironman the swim went so well that I got excited and set off too fast on the bike. By the time I got to the run I felt empty, but quitting never crossed my mind. When I did my first ultra the last 15km were painful. My feet hurt, my ankle hurt, I was hot and tired, but again, quitting never crossed my mind. I work as a Mountain Leader in the Scottish Highlands. I love my job, but as with any job, there are times when it is tough. When the weather's awful, when I'm tired, when I'm moving at a pace that isn't my natural pace, or when I'm at the point in my menstrual cycle where the last thing I want to do is spend the day talking to people I don't know. It's hard. But I can't just magic tired clients to the summit, or to the bottom, or turn the rain off, or turn my hormones off. I have to find a way to get through it. Perhaps it's all of these experiences over my nine years of guiding that have helped my mental game to such an extent that if I can keep moving forward then I will keep moving forward. We're all stronger than we think we are. I wouldn't have realised my mental strength if it wasn't for doing a Tranter's Round. You need to push yourself to find out where your limits are. Challenge yourself. Do hard things. Things that are hard for you. You don't have to go and do a Tranter's Round. Hard for you might be a 5K or cycling 100km or deadlifting 50kg, or it might be a Tranter's Round. It doesn't matter what it is. But go and try. Have I found my mental and physical limits? I don't know. And I won't know until I try something harder...
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 Strength training is a vital part of any running programme, but it's something that runners often neglect. Runners like to run. Many would rather not lose valuable running days to gym sessions. However, the benefits of strength training are numerous:
I would absolutely recommend heading to the gym for your strength session and learning how to lift heavy weights. However, if, for whatever reason, you don't have access to a gym, there is still plenty you can do with bodyweight exercises. If you're brand new to strength training or have had a prolonged break then you should start with bodyweight exercises anyway, and then very slowly start adding weight. Below are some of my favourite bodyweight exercises for building leg strength for runners. If any are brand new to you, start with just a quarter or half movement and gradually progress to the full thing. SquatHow? Start with your feet a little over hip width apart and with your toes pointing slightly outwards. Engage your core, keep your feet flat on the floor and your back flat, slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Drive back up through your feet to your starting position. Throughout the movement focus on keeping your knees tracking over your toes. Why? The squat is a great compound exercise that targets all the big muscle groups in the lower body, and has lots of variations and options for progression. Main muscle groups worked by squats:
Reverse LungeHow? Start with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands on your hips. Engage your core and keep looking forwards while you take a big step back. With your front foot flat and on the toes of your back foot, lower down until both knees are at about 90 degrees. Your back knee should be just off the floor. Push through your front leg to come back to your starting position. Throughout the movement focus on keeping your front knee tracking over your toes, rather than letting it collapse inwards. Why? Reverse lunges place less pressure on the knees than forward lunges, and it's easier to control the movement. They're a good place to start for beginners before progressing on to forward lunges. Main muscle groups worked by reverse lunges:
Sumo SquatHow? Start with your feet set wide apart and with your toes pointing out at about 45 degrees. Keeping your weight on your heels, push your bum back and squat down until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Drive back up through your feet to your starting position. Why? The wide stance of the sumo squat works your glutes and hamstrings more than the regular squat. They also target your hip adductors more which help with knee stabilisation. Main muscle groups worked by sumo squats:
Side LungeHow? Start with your feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed straight forward. Step out wide to the side with one of your legs. Drop your hips down and back while keeping the other leg straight, keeping the soles of both feet on the ground and toes pointed straight forward. Make sure the knee of your bent leg is tracking over your foot through the whole motion. Push through the heel of your bent leg to return to the standing start position. Why? Often overlooked, side lunges are a great way of including some movement in a different plane, improving mobility, balance and strength. They increase strength in the hip abductors which play a vital role in stabilising the knee. Main muscle groups worked by side lunges:
Single Leg DeadliftHow? Stand on one foot and with a soft bend in that knee. Keep your other leg straight and your back flat as you slowly hinge forward at the hip until your torso is almost parallel to the floor. Your range of motion may be limited by hamstring flexibility so go as far as is comfortable. Engage you glutes to reverse the movement and return to the starting position. Keep your arms straight and perpendicular to the floor throughout the movement. Why? Running can cause quad dominance and exercises like single leg dead lifts, which target the posterior chain, help to address muscle imbalances. All single leg exercises help with balance and strength in the feet and ankles. Main muscle groups worked by single leg dead lifts:
Wall SitHow? Position yourself with your back flat against a wall as if you were sat in a chair with your hips and knees at 90 degrees. Now hold that position. Why? This one is a real quad burner, and helps to build isometric strength and endurance in the quads, glutes and calves. Main muscle groups worked by the wall sit:
Calf RaiseHow? Stand with your feet hip width apart and with soft knees. Slowly raise up onto your toes and pause for a moment at the highest point. Slowly lower back down to the floor. If this is easy try doing one leg at a time and place a hand on a wall to help with balance. Why? Calves work incredibly hard when running, and yet they are often missed by other big compound strength exercises. Ensure they get a workout too with this dedicated calf exercise. Main muscle groups worked by calf raises:
Single Leg BalanceHow?
It's as simple as standing on one leg. Put your arms out for balance if you need to or place your hands on your hips. If this is easy try doing it with your eyes shut or on an unstable surface. Or both! Why? When you're running you're always on one foot, and for trail runners particularly where the surface is always changing, it's important to strengthen all the small muscles in the ankles and feet. Main muscle groups worked by the single leg balance:
 The kit list for the Winter Spine Race is extensive. There's no getting away from that. And understandably so. This year runners on the full length Spine Race endured heavy snow fall, rain, 70 mph winds, sunshine, temperatures plummeting to -8C, and windchill factors as low as -20C. It takes a lot of very good kit to be able to look after yourself in such a range of weather conditions. On the 13th January 2024 I ran the the Sprint. This is the baby of the Spine races (a 74km long baby!) but it still has the same kit requirements as all the other longer winter races. Before being allowed to toe the start line everyone must pass a thorough kit check, with roughly one in five people having to empty their packs completely to go through every single item. I was one of the lucky ones who emptied their rucksack, so knowing that everything passed, I though it would be useful to share what I carried. If anyone is thinking of signing up to one of the Spine races, this is what got me through the winter Sprint in pretty nice conditions. I'm lucky that both my partner and I work in the outdoors so already had a lot of the required kit, but you could easily spend a lot of money on stuff that may not get much use afterwards. Borrow from friends, rent from companies, and check Vinted or Facebook groups for second hand kit. You definitely don't need to go and buy loads of new equipment.
MapsHarvey Pennine Way South. OS maps are great and have more detail but the Harvey maps fold away smaller and are waterproof so there's no need for a map case. CompassVictorinox Classic SD. Your knife has to have a 3cm blade, and this one measures in at about 3.2cm. It also has the scissors that are required in your first aid kit. GPS DeviceGarmin Oregon 600. This has to be a dedicated handheld GPS device, so having mapping on your watch or phone isn't enough. The Oregon 600 is an old model but still does everything it needed to for the race - show the map, the route and my location - and I'd far rather borrow kit than buy new unnecessarily.
HeadtorchPetzl Aktik Core. Plus another one as a backup. And another spare battery. I didn't end up needing the spare headtorch or battery but I wouldn't go without them. There is so much darkness on the winter races that the last thing you want is a flat headtorch battery. Waterproof Jacket & TrousersMontane Phase Lite Jacket. Heavier duty than most lightweight running waterproofs but still fairly light, and perfect for the Sprint. Montane Minimus Nano Pull-Over Pants. These were questioned by the race director, probably because you can almost see through them! But they have a hydrostatic head of 15,000mm and fully taped seams so are technically a pass. I only took these because the weather forecast was so good and I did not see myself needing them. Had the forecast been worse I would definitely have taken something more durable and less see-through!
Other ClothesSpare socks have to be the same size and standard as your usual running socks. Not children's socks or something that's only 40 denier to try save weight. These are things people have tried! Spare top and bottom base layers should also be winter weight. Not super lightweight summer layers to save weight. Spare cold weather mid layer can be a fleece or synthetic/down jacket. Mine was synthetic. Don't take down, even though it's lighter and smaller. When down gets wet it's useless so there's no point having it. Even if your synthetic jacket is soggy it will still give you some warmth. There's a good chance of getting wet on a winter Spine race. And a summer one. Carry the extra weight. FootwearScarpa Spin Ultras. Obviously a very personal one but this is what I used. Comfy, good grip, no blisters. But no good if these don't fit you. Yaktrax Pro. The chance of needing anything more spikey than this on the Sprint was slim. But I also saw some full Spiners with these on and they went through some brutal conditions. Sleeping SystemRab Mythic 400. The sleeping bag is probably where most of the space and weight goes for a lot of people. I was very lucky that I could borrow this snazzy ultralight bag from my partner. Your sleeping bag must have a comfort limit of 0C and there are quite a few companies now (including Rab) that hire them out. Saves you buying something that you may not use again. Rab Bivvy Bag. Not actually sure which model it was as it was also borrowed from my partner. This item has to be a proper waterproof bivvy bag with taped seams. A plastic or foil bivvy bag will not pass. ThermaRest NeoAir UberLite. Your mat has to be at least 3/4 length, no holes or gaps in it and not be home made. Again, if you're not a camper a sleeping mat can be hired from various companies.
Food & DrinkYou have to carry 3000 calories and there are limits on what can be from powders for drinking, dehydrated food and ready to eat food. I took 400 calories of Tailwind and the rest ready to eat food. This was roughly added up at the kit check so make sure you take the time to work it out beforehand. You should also have the capacity to carry 2 litres of water. You don't have to have 2 litres of water, just the capacity to carry it. I had a 1 litre Platypus full of Tailwind. This was a bit of a risk given that sub zero temperatures would cause the tube to freeze and I wouldn't be able to drink. It was pretty warm for the Sprint so I got away with it. I also had a 600ml Katadyn soft flask with a filter, just in case I had to fill up from any questionable streams. Finally, I had another empty 500ml soft flask in my bag just to make it up to 2 litres.
PolesBlack Diamond Distance Carbon Z Trekking Poles. These aren't on the mandatory kit list but I wouldn't do a Spine race without them. There's so much slippery slidey boggy terrain and with the extra weight of your pack you will definitely appreciate poles. I didn't weigh my pack on race day but on my last training run all this kit came in at a smidge over 5kg with no food or water. With food and water added in it was probably about 7-7.5kg.
 When you're first starting out with trail running it can be confusing to know what you should carry with you. And I will start answering this question by saying, it depends. That may add even more confusion, but exactly what you carry depends on many factors such as where you're going, what the weather will be like, how long you plan to be out for etc. What you carry will change from run to run, so for instance, you would take a lot less on a low level 10 km loop compared to a run in the hills. What is listed below will give you a good idea of where to start, but I certainly don't carry all this on every trail run I do.
For context, this is what I carried for a run over a couple of mountains in the Scottish Highlands in November. Pack Lets start with what everything is going in, because it's a pretty important piece of kit. The size of pack or running vest you choose will depend on what you're doing and how much kit you need to take, and over time you'll probably end up with two or three packs of different sizes. You want your pack to be just big enough to fit in everything that you need. If it's too big the contents will bounce around as you run and get very annoying. Fortunately running vests are made out of stretchy materials so you can squeeze a surprising amount of kit into a small bag. They also have a variety of pockets and pouches where you can store items that you want quick access too. There's a lot of choice out there so go and try some on, check that you can reach all the pockets without dislocating your shoulders and if possible, fill it with stuff and check that it doesn't bounce around on your body when you run. (To give you an idea of size, the pack in the photo is 12 litres and everything there went in with no issues.) Clothing This is another one that really does depend on where you're going, how long you're planning to be out, how fast you're planning to run and of course, what the weather forecast says. You should always have at least one warm layer so you have something to put on if you have to stop. The speed at which you cool down when you stop running is quite alarming so it is essential to have a warm layer to stick on, even if you're just stopping for five minutes to sort out a blister. It's worth adding that the warm layers I carry are almost always synthetic. Synthetic insulation isn't as warm as down for the same weight and it doesn't pack down as small, but if it gets wet it maintains it's insulating properties. Down, on the other hand, clumps together, loses it's loft and therefore also loses it's insulating properties. For a damp climate like we have in the UK, synthetic insulation is a clear winner. If there is any chance of rain then definitely pack your waterproofs, and if you're heading over any hills or mountains then gloves and a hat or buff are a must. Navigation Again, it depends on where you're going and how well you know the trails, but if you're heading into the hills then it's definitely worth having a map and compass. For the size and weight of them is there any reason not to stick them in your bag? As a back up you might also have a hand held GPS or mapping on your watch or phone. These are definitely back ups though and shouldn't be your only means of navigation. Batteries run out of juice unexpectedly, especially in the winter when it's cold, so you need to have something that doesn't rely on battery power. Poles Some people love them, some people hate them, so they are a very personal choice. However, over long distances or on steep or uneven terrain poles can be very beneficial. They put some of the work into your arms back and shoulders so your leg muscles can keep going for longer, and they can really help with balance, particularly on more technical sections or steep downhills. Your pack should have a way of attaching your poles so you can easily stash them away when you get to an easier section where you don't need them. Emergency Kit A little emergency kit bag is absolutely essential, and this should include a first aid kit, some kind of shelter and perhaps a head torch if you're going out for a longer run. In the winter your head torch may be an essential piece of kit given how short the days can be but you might also want to have one in your pack in the summer. Your first aid kit should contain things to fix common running injuries, which is mainly blisters. Zinc oxide tape, climbing tape and K tape all work really well, along with a tiny knife to cut the tape. I also carry a few small plasters and a small ambulance dressing for any trips that result in bigger wounds. For a shelter you can get a simple foil bivvy bag - basically a tinfoil sleeping bag. It doesn't sound like much and the the aim is to not use it, but if everything goes a bit pear shaped then you have something to get you out the wind and rain until help arrives. A mobile phone also forms a part of your emergency kit, but most people don't go anywhere without one so it's a bit of a given. There is one other emergency item that I carry, but it won't be essential for most trail runners, and that is a PLB (personal locator beacon). I only carry this because a lot of my running is solo and/or in places with no or poor phone signal. A PLB allows me to contact the emergency services via the satellites rather than the phone network. If you plan to head out into more remote areas then it might be worth investing in a PLB. Hydration This could be a bladder, soft flasks or just a little soft cup so you can easily grab water from streams. This one depends on how long you're going out for, the temperature and whether or not the water in any streams you pass is drinkable - if you're not sure then err on the side of caution and just carry enough water! What you take to drink is also worth considering. For shorter runs in cooler temperatures water will be just fine. However, in hot weather or if you're out for a long run then you need to replace salts lost through sweat so you might want to add an electrolyte mix. Nutrition I won't add any more here because sports nutrition is a huge topic and also incredibly personal. What works for one person won't work for the next. If your run is longer than 60-90 minutes then you should take some food. Exactly what you take is up to you, but I am a big advocate for taking real food. By that I mean a jam sandwich rather than a sports gel, but you see, it's already turned into a personal preference. In general you want carbohydrates that are easy to eat and easy to digest, so go and try some foods out on your next run and see what works for you. Something strange has happened.
I've become interested in football. Growing up I played football for the girls team at school, but I wasn't even slightly interested in watching it. Yet recently I fund myself desperately trying to catch the Lionesses as they stormed towards the World Cup Final. Live updates on my phone. On the radio in the car. Watching on my phone while sitting in a car park. Devastation when I realised that I would miss the final. So, what has happened? What's happened is that the Lionesses are like me. They're women. I can relate to them. So it's not that I'm not interested in football, I just don't get that excited about men's football. Growing up, that's all there was on the TV. Everything was about men's sport. I remember going to a training event with my athletics club and the four GB athletes that were there were men: the men's 4x400m relay team. It's all well and good seeing men achieve athletic greatness, but I can't put myself in their shoes. Other women can't put themselves in their shoes. So just imagine what it's like for young girls who are trying to figure out what it is that they are passionate about. Which runners do I now look up to and am inspired by? Courtney Dauwalter. Jasmin Paris. Faith Kipyegon. Claire Bannwarth. It doesn't take a genius to work out what they all have in common. Yes, the feats of Kilian Jornet, Damian Hall and Jack Kuenzle are inspiring, but as a woman its just not the same as say, seeing Jasmin Paris obliterate the winter Spine Race record while also expressing milk at checkpoints. We need people that we can relate to in order to be truly inspired. As Sabrina Pace-Humphreys said when the Black Trail Runners spoke at the Fort William Mountain Festival a couple of years ago: "You can't be what you can't see." I recently did something completely out of character and got into an argument on social media. It was over the poor representation of women in the official film for a local ultra. The vast majority of shots were of men, despite women making up a third of the field. The shots that were included were generally of women's backs or were tightly cropped, and the female winner wasn't even shown. I found the film sad and disappointing, and it certainly didn't make me want to sign up for the race. Calling out the company made me feel very uncomfortable (the people-pleaser in me not wanting to upset anyone), but I couldn't sit back and let it slide. There's a quote about not doing anything important if you're not p***ing someone off... The media company, run by two men, did not take my feedback well, and even claimed to have been inclusive after I had pointed out the lack of women in their film. Hopefully, after emotions have calmed, they see my point and make positive changes for their next film. I realise that this doesn't sound like much, but lots of baby steps lead to big changes. Running is good for you. It's good for men. It's good for women. And women are really good at running long distances. We want more women going running and taking part in events. But for that to happen, women need to see other women achieving the things that they aspire to. Media companies, TV channels and advertising companies need to give the same amount of time and space to women's sport as they do men's. Race organisers should give equal representation to women and men in their marketing material. If they don't and you spot it then call them out and point them to the guidelines laid out by organisations like SheRACES. The rise of the Lionesses has been monumental. Whether you're a football fan or not, it's impossible not to see what they have been doing for women's football and perhaps women's sport as a whole. Lets take a moment to appreciate how far women's football has come in this country. The FA banned women from playing football from 1921 to 1971 for fear of them being more popular than the men's game. The ban came a year after a women's game between Dick, Kerr Ladies and St Helens sold out Goodison Park, with a record 53,000 fans in attendance, and an estimated 10-15,000 turned away from the packed stadium. This attendance record would not be surpassed for another 92 years, when 70,584 people watched the GB women's team take on Brazil at Wembley during the 2012 Olympics. During the 50 year ban women were prevented from playing football on professional grounds or pitches belonging to clubs affiliated to the FA. Now, in just 52 years the England women's football team have gone from being banned to the World Cup Final. Of course, there is still a long way to go before we have equality in sport, but we are living in exciting times. The Lionesses are showing that women CAN and DO compete at the same level as men. But perhaps most importantly, they are an inspiring group of women who have set the stage for the future of women's sports and for the next generation of female athletes. Thank you, Lionesses. |
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June 2024
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