In terms of injuries and races, 2025 was very definitely not a good year. A leg injury, which started in April, flared up badly in June, and messed up (my 3rd…) ‘400 miles in 6 days’ attempt. Race-wise, I just managed to walk-shuffle 100 miles slowly twice, at the Viadal 6-day and the LDWA Flower of Suffolk 100 (my 5th LDWA 100, one closer to my target of ten before I turn 60). I’m not feeling too miserable about the year, though. There were some fun ‘on foot’ mini-adventures, including an early morning dash up and down the Hahnenkamm while in Kitzbuhel for work, and a 2-day hiking sidetrip in Japan, which involved a night bus to Kamikochi, camping on a boulder field at 3000m, and getting the last local train out of Shinjuku on a Saturday night. I’ve also, somewhat unexpectedly, discovered a love of playing gongs and singing bowls.

Leg permitting in March 2026, I’m taking part in the Lapland Arctic Ultra 500k and fulfilling a long-term dream of doing a multiday Arctic race. I did the Rovaniemi 150 back in 2020. However, that was a single 40-hour push, without any camping out or snow melting. This will be a very different, and much bigger, adventure. Training has involved tyre pulling (to the bemusement of dog walkers), long walks, cycling, and bi-weekly weights sessions in the gym. The gym is not my happy place; I’d far rather be on my own, up a hill, talking to sheep. But I’m finding slowly getting stronger very satisfying (at an age where my body is otherwise declining rapidly…), and it seems to have helped various long-standing niggles. I’ve also done lots of gear shopping and got to grips with using a liquid fuel stove.

The only other event I’ve entered is the LDWA Hunneypot 100. Partly because I don’t have any annual leave left, and partly because I’m going to be sensible and focus on getting back to running comfortably before entering another multi-day race. (I’ve been very good and sat on my hands/credit card as entries for the 2027 Oslo-Bergen trail opened and filled.)

The period bit at the end

Having a coil fitted has vastly shortened this section of my blogs. I’m now getting 10 days of intermittent spotting and mild cramps every 3-6 weeks. The unpredictability is a bit frustrating. However, it’s vastly better than what I’d been experiencing for the last few years: heavy bleeding, bad cramps, and a period starting on day 2/3 of any multiday race, regardless of where in my cycle it was.