My first trail event

I recently took part in my first official trail event and was pleased to see that even at more official events there was still cake at the end of the run! There were two events taking place on the day, a short run of 6.6km and a longer run of a whopping 16.8km that I think I would have struggled to walk, sounds a great, long distance! As it was my first event I registered for the shorter run to see how I got on and judging by the entries for the longer distance am glad I did as they looked like professional athletes that could go on to bike and swim after their event.

Everyone was emailed a required kit list in advance of the day and here's a photo of mine in an Inov8 'ultra race' pack...I don't think I'll ever be racing anywhere and certainly not in any 'ultra' mode! In my pack I had: windproof jacket, running cap, waterproof trousers, waterproof jacket, compass, spare change, tissues, protein bar, babybel, banana, water, my phone, a map of the route with emergency numbers and of course...my emergency stoma care change kit. I took out the waterproofs when I saw most people on the short course were not carrying any sort of pack and wondered if they thought I had either arrived at the start line for the wrong event or were impressed to see someone training with a weighted pack. I don't know what I thought was going to happen to me on a 6.6km run but I followed the kit list and like to be prepared! 

Any anxiety of getting lost in fields of sheep as I couldn't keep up with the rest of the pack left me when I was told that actually the short route just followed a track around the reservoir. A deep sigh of relief as I felt that even I couldn't get lost but then some slight disappoint that the route would be fairly tame and I would essentially be following a signposted walking route without the need to navigate any gates or stiles on a more scenic adventure. However, I was not prepared for how hilly the run would be and I got a pretty slow time as a result of this, using a dibber for the first time. 

I've read that stomas actually become less active when people exercise, especially when doing cardio and so far I have definitely experienced this. I had a fairly large meal the evening before this trail event which I did regret even at the time and thought about not being able to easily empty my bag on the run. However, I was pleased to see at the end that there hadn't been much activity. I think for me personally the reason for this is my whole body including my stoma must go into some sort of shock that I'm doing something of this high intensity and running for enjoyment rather than free food or public transport, there's probably some science in there somewhere too. 

I do still get hit by a wave of disappointment when people much older than me whizz past and I do feel like I'm constantly on 'low battery' mode for what someone my age should feel. Someone who looked in Joanna Lumley's age category and was a double for her along with her stunning figure, nipped in waist and blonde hair shot past me with effortless grace but it's important I focus on my own journey and not compare myself to others. After the event my mum was keen to point out on text that just over a year ago I had the operation and was in wheelchair temporarily when I was discharged. I find that from speaking to enthusiasts of the running community that a lot have been running for most of their life and can't really put an age on when they started, they almost have always run. Instead of looking at other techniques like those who walk for a bit and then run at a pretty fast pace I tried to focus on my own journey during this event and dig deep to get up the many hills. That's why trail running does appeal to me as it's all about the journey and appreciating your surroundings rather than the actual time you ran the course in. 

Running doesn't come naturally to me and there is still no real pace to my runs (I'm a jogger at best) but I enjoy it and am looking forward to my next event.