I’m sitting in the ferry terminal in Liverpool, waiting to go home — and honestly, I’m gutted.
I didn’t make it. I was too heavy, hadn’t done enough training volume, and it finally caught up with me.
Every October, the Epic Adventures Atlantic Coast Challenge rolls around — three trail marathons in three days, covering some of the toughest, most breathtaking terrain along the Cornish coastline. Hills, stairs, rocks, gravel paths, tarmac — you name it, you’ll run it.
I took part in 2023 and, through plenty of pain and stubbornness, crossed the finish line all three days. But this year was different. On day two, just 4 kilometres from the end, I felt my ankle go. With the blisters and bruising already flaring up, I simply couldn’t walk the last stretch. I had to stop.
And that hurt more than the injury itself — because in all the events I’ve done, I’ve never failed to finish. Until now.
But here’s the thing: failure only sticks if you let it. I’m not going to.
So instead of sulking, I’m starting this blog — a place to document the journey as I sort my weight out, fix my mobility, and rebuild from the ground up.
Here’s what I’ve learned (and what I’m tackling next):
The issues:
- Mobility: My ankle mobility is poor. I can’t squat deeply without straining.
- Knee pain: I get knee aches during squats or cycling — likely linked to mobility and strength imbalances.
- Feet: Serious pain during long runs, especially past the half-marathon mark — probably down to excess weight and lack of training volume.
The plan:
- Start documenting everything.
Set up this blog properly.- Rebuild my training program to focus on strength and volume.
- Sort my diet and weight — no half measures this time.