Author Archives: colinhruns

When I started my first post about my 2021 experience I intended it to be single post detailing the various errors I had made. This all seemed a bit negative so it kind of expanded into a more narrative tale about my race. I was intending Part Three to continue until the end and myContinue reading “So what went wrong? – Part Four (the last bit)?”

So I left checkpoint three in a positive frame of mind. The sun was shining, the next part of the route was fairly undemanding and very pretty, what could go wrong? Well, quite a lot actually. Firstly I had a bit of a panic when I left the checkpoint and couldn’t get my GPS toContinue reading “So what went wrong – Part Three?”

“Spine Runner Heading North!” was the shout from the marshal as I left Checkpoint Two. It was answered with cheers and shouts of encouragement from the other volunteers and competitors and gave me a tingle down my spine (where else – this is the Spine Race after all). Partly this was because cheers and encouragingContinue reading “So what went wrong – Part Two?”

People have been really nice about the fact I failed. I’ve been told I shouldn’t see it as a failure, that I did really well and, yes, 220 miles was a pretty impressive effort but in the results list for the Summer Spine Race 2021 I am a DNF – so from that perspective IContinue reading “So what went wrong – Part One (Apparently)?”

So I’m writing this blog whilst still not exactly recovered from my 2021 attempt at the Spine Race. I still have blisters, my left foot is swollen with cellulitis and most worryingly there is a huge pile of fetid running kit in my lounge which looks like it might evolve into a fairly belligerent lifeContinue reading “My journey to Kirk Yetholm starts here…”