marathon

Paddy Buckley Round – Solo Record

Finally getting underway at 5am on Monday morning, the amount of nervous energy running through my neural pathways was ridiculous. The aim was 16hrs20. The overall speed record set by Kim Collison earlier in the year. Accompanied and supported. I was so excited to get going, after all the waiting. As a coach, I am often telling my athletes to slow down, and I get annoyed when they tell me they can’t. Of course you can, it’s your bloody body, control it!

But here I was, really struggling to slow down. I would consciously force myself to, then I would forget, the adrenaline would take over, and I would find myself ripping along the forest trails again.

fell running

Dragon’s Back Race 2021

Running through the scorching midday sun, not a cloud in the sky, nor a breath of wind, the temperature is pushing 30°C. I’ve been at this for seven hours, the air is thick and stifling. I’m alone and working hard, climbing to the summit of Diffwys. High in the Rhinogydd mountains, I don’t expect to find any water for at least another hour, but I come across a single, small, crystal clear pool. A smooth mirror amongst the rough and hostile rocks. I dip my cap into the water without breaking my stride, I place the cap back onto my head. The soaked material provides a short release from the unyielding heat, before drying up within minutes. But, somehow, due perhaps to the incline I’m climbing, or an imperceptible breeze, drips of water are consistently blowing off the rim of my cap and directly onto my face. I keep running, keep pumping my legs, but these little drips of coolness that fall and die on the furnace of my forehead, I feel them so keenly, and am so grateful to the entire universe for them, that I genuinely wonder if anything in the world has ever felt more precious and sweet.

fell running

Paddy Buckley Winter Round. Training Week 3 of 4.

It’s just another standard run. 8 miles on the treadmill. With 2 miles to go, I feel a belly ache coming on. Don’t know why. I should slow down, or stop, but I decide; fuck it. I don’t want to be stopped by a silly belly ache. So I keep going. I refuse to step off the treadmill until the number of miles says 8.0. Belly gets worse. And worse. But I persist. To the point where I can’t stand up straight. I stop looking in the mirror. It’s too embarrassing.

fell running

Paddy Buckley Winter Round. Training Week 2 of 4.

The further I go, the deeper into the woods I get. The trees are thicker and bigger and nearer, making it easier for the hordes of orcs to ambush me.

After 2 miles, I’m so relieved to finally get out of the woods, but this morning is like a relay race of problems. The trees were sheltering me from the heavy rain and wind, which is now smacking me straight in the face.