New Year, same me

Happy New Year!

Running Wormstones Fell Race on New Year's Eve seemed an appropriate way to end 2025.

It starts with a mad dash on the tarmac to reach the first bottle neck where you jostle for a good position at the stile. There's a steep drop down a grass bank before a short uphill scramble into the woods. For the next 2 miles, it's pretty much uphill all the way. 

I'd not been able to train properly for this one and felt incredibly unfit for the first half of the race. The constant climb, cold air stinging your lungs, ground that was frozen solid in places, soft and energy sapping in others. Much like the start to my year, it was tough.

At a certain point, I thinks it's not long after the flag stones, the course relents. You level off for a while before two miles of downhill. It's an absolute joy. Brain off, brakes off. Bombing down the hill like a child. Nearly losing a shoe in the boggy bits. Almost falling. Recovering. Actually falling. Recovering. Feeling like you're flying down the hills. Loved it.

Another big selling point for most fell races is the pub at the end. We all crammed into the Beehive where curry and rice (or chips) was provided. A post race pint of Guinness with a couple of the lads from my running club went down a treat before the journey home.

After that, it was New Year's Eve festivities with my Daughter, my Partner and family. Great way to spend the day and bring another challenging year to a close.

I hope 2026 brings you health and happiness. I hope it brings you the strength to deal with all life's long and seemingly unrelenting climbs. I hope it brings you the presence of mind to savour the moments when you're light on your feet, flying through life's fells without effort.