#running ultrarunning runner trailrunning 2Xu inov8 garmin bovington whitestarrunning runners marathon ultramarathon training

[alliebruns-blog]

To Live A Life Less Ordinary.....

So here’s something a little bit different. This week there was discussion in the Bad Boy Running group on Facebook about adventures. My pal Lorna posed the following question “On a scale of 1 to 10 how much do the adventure podcasts such as Sean Conway, Anna Mcnuff etc make you feel inadequate?! 10 for me! If you had no responsibilities and could just up and leave for an epic adventure what would you do?” Much discussion ensued over this - head over to the Facebook post to take a look, but something about it really got to me. 

That post.....

For some time now, there has been something not right about how I am living. I haven’t been running as much as I would like - down to a little bit of my mojo being sapped by the Thames Path, the arrival of Pickle the very nervous but totally wonderful rescue dog, and my crippling anxiety about the thing that enables me to run. My job. 

As some of you know I have worked for many years in the music industry, marketing bands and making you buy music you don’t want. Living the glamorous life that you all read about. Parties and festivals and famous people. I am partially responsible for Ed Sheeran. But please don’t hate me (I love him, he’s great). I am so lucky. Or so I was constantly told. 

When we were young - in the years PR (Pre Running)

Two years ago I decided that I didn’t want to do it anymore. Or I thought I didn’t. I was fucked, to be frank. Tired out, abused, taken for granted, under paid, miserable, on the receiving end of some pretty #metoo behaviour.  So I went and started my own business as a freelance marketing consultant. To the music industry. And it’s gone well. I had good clients and the money was coming in. I was making a profit. I was doing things on my terms most of the time and I had time for the running adventures and the money to pay for them. Then I lost my biggest client. My bread and butter. And I haven't been able to replace them as yet. And I don't think I want to. And I have had a lot of time to think and worry. When Lorna posed this question in the group, it came at a time when I had agreed to take part in a reccee of a race across Namibia and then one across Panama in November/December of this year. A reccee that was not only going to cost me about five thousand pounds, but was also going to put me out of work action for 3 weeks. It was OK though - I had my big client and I had money coming in. And then I lost them. What the fuck am I supposed to do now? 

That’s there to be run......the Namib desert

So is that - The Panamanian jungle 

I read through people arguments on Lorna’s post, looking for some answers. Should I cancel the trip? How was I going to afford it? Was I being spectacularly stupid? How was I going to get a client when I had 3 weeks of ‘holiday’? There were a lot of people saying if it wasn't for job/kids/partner etc they would do something epic. Some people even said they wished they could go back in time and get these things done before they had “settled”. I have never settled. I did for a while (the married years pre running) but I never really settled. 

People like to tell you how to live or how you ought to live, especially on the internet. Good education, stable career, pension, husband, wife, children, save, mortgage, sensible, safety, plan. Saving it all up for a rainy day. But what if every day is a rainy day? What if it’s raining from day one and it only stops occasionally to allow a glimpse of sunlight into the otherwise black room of your brain? What if everything that you have been told you want is wrong? What if the things YOU thought you wanted are wrong? What if the thing you love starts to destroy you? Was that part of the plan?

Losing my biggest client was not part of the plan. The plan was long term. I want to make a living from my running. Something that is NOT the done thing. I am told by people that I am inspiring and clever and engaging and funny. I do not necessarily believe this, but the proof is in the pudding and I do know people that have gone out and done their first 10k, marathon, ultra because I have talked them into it - whether that is inspiring or whether I am a good sales person, I don’t know but there it is. I have done some pretty great adventure runs and I love to talk about them, I love to see people finish their first marathon or ultra and I love to be able to help with advice that I believe is contrary to most of the stuff you get from magazines or online. The CEO of The National Running Show recently referred to me as the first of the “Rock and Roll runners” - a description I totally love. Running is my passion. It has changed my life. Even if I don't get out and do it every day like the shiny people on instagram, I am always thinking about it. What sort of races I could do, where I could go and how I can help other people make their races and race companies great. How to makes things accessible and brilliant. how to make people glorious. 

Before I lost my client, I was branching out and doing all the extra curricular I could around running - going out to Mongolia with Rat Race - the ultimate adventure, becoming their only female ambassador, doing the various bits of press etc. Running all the White Star Races, bringing the White Star community into the Bad Boy Running community to make it the most glorious and dangerous group of all time. Working with the National Running Show to secure a partnership with Bad Boy Running, becoming and ambassador for them and being lucky enough to be asked to speak at their event. I was running races most weekend - winning some of them - and triumphing in all my A game races for the year which I am very proud of (SDW100 sub 24 hour, winner  and now course record holder of the TP184 and winning the Ox Epic 2018). Everything I wanted to do with regards to running this year I have achieved, and that to me is amazing. So why have I managed to achieve these things but NOT managed to secure another music client? Maybe it’s because I don't actually want to. Music and me, I think we are finally done. The long drawn out process of splitting up and getting back together is over. 

From when I did a win. 

I woke up in the middle of the night last night, petrified and afraid. I cannot afford Namibia and Panama. I can’t afford the flights or the time off. I have very little money coming in and no savings. I have no 9-5 bread and butter money. I am fucked. So, so fucked. I am going to have to cancel it. And then I thought of Lorna’s post again. I thought about the people that I admire and look up to - the Sean Conway’s and the Anna McNuff’s. I thought about Mongolia and how much that experience can NEVER be taken away from me. I think about my own mantras - see the world through your eyes not your phone. Relentless forward progress. You have more in you. I think about being old and the regrets I may have. I can’t go - I have a dog and I need to make money. I need to be sensible and grown up. I am going to have to email Jim and cancel it. I am going to have to do what society tells me I should do. 

I think about when I am most happy. I think about the Crafty Fox marathon at the weekend and how much I am looking forward to seeing the White Star lot and how much I am looking forward to running. I think about how kind Jim and Rat Race have been to me. I think about how happy I am when I give a talk to a bunch of people that think they could never run a marathon or a 10k or an ultra and how, when some of them email me months later to tell me they have done it, I feel like doing a little cry. I think about my breakdown. I think about the death of my dear friend Scott. I think about my future. I can’t see further than tomorrow. I call my sister, my most wonderful sister, and talk to her. And I make a decision. Based entirely on gut. Based on my sister being spectacularly supportive and kind and talking to me from her heart.

Fuck it. Fuck it all. I know what I want to do. I want to inspire people, I want to live a positive life, and give back the joy running has given me to people. I want to make people believe in themselves. I want to show people they are capable of so much more than they think. I want to write a book. I want to run all over the world. I want to be an extraordinary, ordinary person. And I want to be happy doing it. I don't want to be rich, or famous or the best or the fastest. I want to be the kindest and the most honest and the most accessable. I need money to live, but there has to be a better way. I don't have children. I have Pickle the dog, but she will be well looked after. I have nothing left to lose, and even the tiny bits I do have to lose mean nothing. I want to live a life less ordinary. 

So I am going. I am going to run 300km across the Namib Desert to the Skeleton coast. Then I am going to run 200km across Panama from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast. I will be poor. I will have to move out of London. I want to move out of London, so this is not a problem. I will have to work hard to secure talks and part time work. I will have to scale back my whole life. But I will do it. And I will do it fucking well. 

Normal service will be resumed next week after the inaugural Crafty Fox marathon. Now go and sign up for something extraordinary. 

[alliebruns-blog]

Bovington Marathon 2017: Tanks for the memories

I don't particularly like training for mega ultras alone, so I tend to enter a million races thoughout the year and use them as training runs - Bovington was no exception. I fucking LOVE White Star Running, the race organisers. They just get it right every single time. Brilliant races in rural locations with amazing support teams and atmosphere plus they are really affordable and the medals are ridiculous. I’ve run a lot of White Star Events and this was my sixth this year - meaning I finally got my WSR Black belt. I missed out on Bovington last year, so was super excited about it, even more excited as it was one of my fellow Do-Badders first marathon, and I was hell bent on getting her round in one piece. 

It was a beautiful day for it too. Temperatures of around 2-5 degrees and a clear sky - perfect running conditions, as long as you were wearing the right kit. I opted for a base compression layer of 2XU tights and long sleeve top, a nike dry fit hoodie and of course my BBR vest. As the race was around a functioning army training ground, where they basically drive tanks for fun, there was only one footwear option for me and that was my Inov8 mudclaws - I’d worn them for the Snowdon Trail Marathon earlier in the year, and the grip meant I could run through peat bogs like a fell pony, with no risk of slipping. There was also water involved - a lot of it - 5 “river” crossings on the out and back. The water was never deeper than mid calf, but the crossing were at the start and finish so I decided to trial my Sealskinz waterproof mid socks over the top of Hilly twin skins - best ultra socks ever. SO SOFT. Sealskins mids are NOT waterproof if you’re running through 5 rivers. I can imagine they cope well with puddles, but this was something else. 

The race started at 8.30, with race director Andy Palmer going us the briefing standing on top of a tank. As you do. I added some special decorations to it.

We had a pretty strong squad from BBR running this one, Pete, Si, David and Susi .(far right of this pic) As I said, it was Susi’s first marathon - what a marathon to choose. 

I had decided before the race that I wanted to run with Susi for as long as possible. I knew that she was nervous, and this race isn’t one to be attempted without training and a massive sense of humour. As with all WSR events, it’s a marathon-ish. Which basically means it is probably nearer the 28 mile mark than the 26.2 mile mark. More miles for your money, right? In the end, I think it was a bit over 27 miles but I wouldn’t know because my fucking Garmin battery decided to die at 21. My phone died at mile 4 which is what I don't have loads of en route photos. It helps to switch the power ON when you’re charging it.  I’m such a professional. 

The route takes you through the army training ground at Bovington, which is quite frankly awesome. It’s hilly trail, very, very wet, very, very muddy and littered with old Tanks to climb on (told you I was a pro). It’s also stunningly beautiful. Just don't pick anything up off the floor or go off piste to have a piste - there are unexploded shells and all sorts of surprises in those woods, which made the whole thing way more interesting. 

The first 10 miles were brilliant and Susi was running strong. Even though I am happiest at ultra pace, I find it very hard to run very slow, and running slow we were. But this was a personal exercise for me in patience and being supportive. The amount of times I have started with someone and then got bored and run off.....that was NOT going to happen today. I didn't care how long it took, I wanted Susi to finish in one piece, happy and with amazing memories. I also wanted her to sign up for another event, and a bad experience would have thwarted that. Lastly, I am training for Mongolia, so time on my feet is important. I think a lot of people thing training is about distance, but as far as I am concerned its about spending time on your feet. If you can run/walk a decent slog for 7 hours, you can get ultra ready. I also had Portsmouth Coastal  Skipathon Marathon the next day, and so didn't want to do anything that would scupper that. Well I did, because Portsmouth is terrible, but that’s for another blog.

After the first 10 miles and 5 rivers, things started to slow down and it got VERY muddy, We were running through the areas the Tanks drive and in some places it was mid calf deep mud. An attempt at aggressive cornering through what I thought was a puddle, ended up with me being almost knee deep in mud and stuck. Classic AB move. And there were hills. Lots of hills. Some steep, some bastard long slow sandy ones. But hills are for eating and walking, and when you snack as much as I do, they’re quite welcome. 

The scenery was beautiful - heath land littered with old tanks in the bushes, huge trees and muddy trails. I felt extremely lucky to be allowed to run across land that is owned by the MOD - it’s a place that the public just cannot access and that is awesome. The Lovestation (that’s the WSR aid station) was stocked brilliantly and as always the volunteers were there for a kiss and a hug and to give us a gin/vodka/mulled cider - all very welcome on the way back. Plus, at my request they had gherkins. Gherkins are the food of ultra running kings. By the amount left on the way back, I was obviously the only person that thought that. THANKS ANDY! (Don't chop them up so small next time) 

Professional Athletes 

Note mud up to knees post running through a puddle that wasn't a puddle. 

Mile 18-27 was hard. I felt really good, and the temptation to trot off and smash out the last few miles was REALLY strong. But no, I wasn’t doing this one for me, I wanted to support Susi. There was a lot more walking going on at this point, so I suggested a run for 5 mins, walk for one rule - that plan was quickly fucked by the hills. So I just tried to apply a little pressure every now and again to get Susi trotting along at a slow pace without her punching me in the face. She was glorious. She didn’t whinge or whine or complain, and I know I can be pretty fucking annoying when I am barking at people to run. 

The last few miles crept by slowly and we trotted in in 6.35 - a very long time for anyone to be on their feet in those conditions. Susi had done it, her first marathon - she had technically done her first Ultra TBF. She got her PB and I had got my personal worst for marathon time. #nailedit

This race was all sorts of awesome - I completely loved every single second of it. Everything from the organisation to the support from all the marshals and volunteers, the environment, that tanks, all of it was amazing. The route was well marked and marshalled, the Lovestation was brilliantly festive and the atmosphere was just the best. The medal’s not too bad either. 

If there is only one race you do next year, make it a White Star Running race. I can’t WAIT for Larmer in Mrach. And Susi - this ones for you - congratulations!