LEJoG 2017 - Filling in the blanks

Once upon a time, when I was a teenager, I learned how to use a map and compass. I was intending to do a Duke of Edinburgh bronze award and went on a course to learn how to navigate. I have no idea why it never went any further than that and I never ended up using those navigation skills in anger. I didn't end up going on expedition and I didn't get a Duke of Edinburgh award.

That was 30ish years ago (ow. that sounds like a long time!). And with various races across unmarked trails or off my comfort zone with three various barriers to navigation I've tended to stick to races or routes that are marked in some way; either by race organisation or it's a National Trail and had those lovely acorn signs all the way along.

Now I have a Very Long Way(TM) to run later this year, on a route of my own design that is not marked in any way. I don't want to get lost. I don't want to waste time and energy on taking wrong turns or missing right turns. I need to be able to navigate and not fall apart if my technology fails. Errors add up and I've only got 6 weeks to get the job done!

So I'm off to Cumbria to take a basic navigation course; map, compass and the landmarks of the countryside. I'm hoping to learn a bit also on rough navigation without map and compass, just general geographical direction. Let's see how I do!

Sod patience, I want to race!

Everyone else is having fun except me!

That's how it feels anyway.  So, I've signed up for a couple of races and got plans for a few more.  The first is a rolling trail half marathon in just under two weeks.  So what if the longest run I've done in 5 1/2 months is 8 miles!?  I really really miss being in a race.

I've also signed up for my most hated race distance; a marathon.  In October, which is ages away and it's on the run up to a 3 day ultra (if I'm allowed have the Friday off work - it's only 84 miles over 3 days, which averages less distance per day than I did on the Thames Path last October).  And a couple of others; another rolling trail half marathon more locally, and a 10 mile trail run and a half marathon in the Lake District in September.

I'll probably come last in the Hitchin Hard Half, but I don't care; I want to race!