“I’m done”. 

Tears which I’d kept at bay for the last five hours streamed down my face. After twenty-three hours and 112km of slippery, muddy, gnarly root infested trails with knee buckling steps I’d finally reached the high point of Maido.  Temperatures had plummeted to a frosty 7c then crept above 30c in the space of just a few hours. The stunning rugged volcanic scenery was either clocked in darkness or tantalisingly hidden beyond my frame of reference as my world had shrunk down to just the m...

“Home is where the heart is, but where is ‘home’?” 

This title of an article on the Psychology Today website by Frank McAndrew (2015) caught my attention as it’s a concept I’ve been recently pondering. The traditional interpretation of ‘home’ for many has been shattered in recent years with the advent of the global nomad and the increasing movement of people flitting around the world. For some professions, this transient lifestyle is a cultural norm; my former military career and current “marriag...

I was close; almost too close…

At every check point I was arriving just minutes before the official cut-off time. Weary volunteers were starting to dismantle tables, chairs and event signage as I hunted through the remains of discarded banana skins and empty water bottles for something to eat. Everything ached; from my cramped left toe all the way up to the arch of my back. Yet another bead of salty sweat snaked its way into my eye. My inner monologue piped up yet again, this time accompanied by...

Emerging from dense forest I turned a corner to finally catch sight of the iconic church tower which stands guard above the finish line in the centre of Cortina.  It’s just 1.6km away.  I knew it was exactly 1.6km because a few days earlier I’d painstakingly measured the distance during a recce of the last 6km of the route with Ben. 1.6km doesn’t sound like much, but with 118.4km and 5,800m+ of ascent already in the legs every single metre counts. 

Rewind seventeen hours to 23...

The founders of ULTRA-X Jamie Spark and Sam Howard are on a mission to shake up the multi-stage scene rotating events through exotic locations; whether winding through luscious Sri Lankan jungle, exploring the desert wilderness of Wadi Rum in southern Jordan or following in the footsteps of the Tarahumara Native Mexican tribe through the Copper Canyons of Mexico immortalised by Christopher McDougall in the running classic book “Born to Run”.  All these courses are designed to tempt you and pique...

It doesn’t make sense.

My head hurts from thinking about it.

I’ve logically analysed every potential solution; there is no solution!

These statements are usually accompanied by a puzzled look of confusion, doubt or outright despair. My clients have generally grappled with their predicament, challenge or opportunity; often for months, years and sometimes even decades. Sharp, intellectually astute and leaders within their field, our clients have usually scrutinised every possible angle…within their h...

At the end of August each year UTMB fever grips Chamonix Mont Blanc; my mountain escape for the last eighteen years. The race series holds a personal soft spot after I narrowly scrapped through every checkpoint of the CCC in 2008; I then returned nine years later to place 7th lady in the full UTMB.  Something I never dreamed possible. 

Every year as the mid-December entry point approaches, end of season races are crammed with ultra-runners on the hunt for UTMB points to ensure they can...

A warm Turkish welcome immediately engulfed me upon arrival at Kayseri airport. I was swept into an awaiting mini bus with a number of other runners as the call to prayer echoed across the city and lightening flashed across the dark sky. I breathed an extended sigh of relief. I’d finally made it and could leave the travel dramas of the past eighteen hours behind. The late-night puncture heading north on the M25 to Stansted Airport, the pre-dawn start and the super tight flight transfer navigatin...

Looking back over the seven-month period from September 2017 through to the spring of 2018, I’d crammed a catalogue of mammoth races back to back alongside work and life:

• Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc 

• Half Marathon des Sables Fureteventura 

• Trans Gran Canaria 

• Marathon des Sables 

These races were arguably four of the toughest mountain and multi-stage events on the International Ultra-Running calendar*.  By the end of April, I was physically, mentally and emotionally tired. My “...

“What are the two top tips you want to pass onto tomorrow’s leader from your experience?”

We’re sat cross legged on mats in a circle as dusk falls and the stars slowly appear across the night sky. Abby* pauses to reflect back over the day where our team has successfully kayaked down the Zrmanja River to the Krupa River junction in Croatia, established a wild camp on the river banks nestled between the sides of a steep canyon, collected water from a natural spring and grilled sausages over an open...