“Running distances is like living a year of your life all at once� I suppose when you note it all down like so, it may sound a little bit like adulthood is total rubbish and its all very much work and no play. Well, at times it certainly can feel like that, but I'm here for more than that and being a responsible(ish) adult allows me to test the boundaries, to go to the places I want. To seek and find experiences that fulfil the adventure that I look for, beyond the day-to-day living. Trail Running has offered and, on many occasions, delivered experiences that are stacked with fun, laughter and some incredibly valuable tools that I use in my own way throughout my life. It allows head -space and time to put things into perspective. Freedom of such, similar to the kind that takes you back to when you had so few responsibilities, but it also allows me time to help make those all essential grownup adulty decisions. It's time away with friends, a time to chew the cud, a time to nurture thoughts and my never-ending imagination. It provokes and inspires ideas and, at times, fills me with a sense of belief that I can do just about anything that I put my heart and mind to. I read somewhere once that running distances is like living a year of your life all at once. There's something within that little saying that certainly resonates with me.
During races, I have experienced many emotions over the course of, say, 30 hours. Some vast highs followed by some mega lows. Self-doubt, insecurity but also the incredible feeling of being unstoppable. You feel emotion. Trail Running and pushing those limits accentuates many emotions and, dare I say it, makes me feel quite alive. From the glorious pages of Facebook, and the picture-perfect images on Instagram we're continuously exposed to the positive and endearing quotes that, if they catch you at the right time, may have you stop and think for a moment or two. One of these little quotes that seems to appear from time to time is 'you can do anything, but you can't do everything'. I’ve thought about this one for more than a moment and will choose to ignore its sentiment and keep pushing, keep trying and keep believing. I suppose we're all trying. Trying to be responsible and all that being 'a responsible adult' entails. Although adulthood can be very confusing and equally terrifying from time to time, it is also an excellent and incredibly fortunate place to be. Trail running may not make the reality of responsibility disappear, but it indeed equips me with the tools to take it all on and the confidence to try absolutely anything and everything.