Changing goals and reaping the reward.

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be part of the support crew for four friends who were doing the Oxfam trail walker in Hong Kong. I was initially supposed to be part of the team, but a knee injury in October put an end to that dream. I have no one to blame but myself for the injury. We returned from three weeks holiday at the end of September where I had managed to do some running, but not enough to prepare myself for 100kms. In my eagerness to get my endurance fitness up to speed, I threw myself into training like a 20-year-old elite athlete only to find my now 50-year-old body didn’t like it very much. To make matters worse I didn’t listen to my body and when I got a sharp pain in my knee 10kms into a 20km run, I decided to run it out instead of stopping. These were rookie errors, which someone with my middle-aged maturity and running experience should not have made. When I got home from the run, my knee swelled up like a watermelon and walking became an issue. An MRI showed a tear in my cartilage and some bruising behind the patella.

I was devastated, and annoyed at myself. After a hamstring injury earlier in the year I was starting to feel like my running days were over. Was I kidding myself to think I could defy the odds and keep running until I was 70? I was a bit of an emotional mess and let myself wallow in self-pity for a week before I pulled myself together and acknowledged that I was being pathetic. This is where my gratitude journal came into it’s own. I started using it daily and it didn’t take long for me to stop feeling sorry for myself and take stock of how much I had in my life. Even if I could never run again, I was healthy, fit and had plenty of other options in terms of exercise that I could do. This change in perspective allowed me to be more positive and I decided I wouldn’t give up what I loved doing without a fight. My mind was willing now I just had to get my body to the party! I knew that competing in the 100kms would be almost impossible, but I decided to consult with my physio just to make sure he didn’t have a miracle cure that would get me to the start line. You can imagine his amused reaction!

The Oxfam Trailwalker is a team event. You start as a group of four and the idea is to help each through the gruelling 100km course. You have to register at each of the ten checkpoints as a team and cross the finish line together. It is a mentally tough and physically demanding course with 4 serious peaks to climb.

Seeing as I wasn’t able to participate in the run, the next best option for me was to be part of the support crew. This involves being at certain points along the trail to provide essential food, hydration and positive vibes for the duration of the race. Logistically it is difficult as most of the checkpoints are deep in the Country parks where car access is limited. My trail running buddy, Alex, was also supposed to be part of the running team but had to pull out due to a hip injury. She was keen to be support crew with me and then we were lucky enough to have two experienced race organisers step in and volunteer to help us as well.

From 6.45am Friday until 6.30am Saturday morning we drove, walked, bused and taxied to each CP along the course to meet our team. We got to cheer along the other runners and marvel at the winning teams who raced past us while barely breaking a sweat. Our runner’s were amazing. They all struggled at different points, but never looked liked giving up. They used towropes and gentle pushes from behind to encourage each other to keep going. They stayed together for 100kms and crossed the finish line 23 hours after they started, tired but victorious.

Being part of the support crew was surprisingly rewarding for me. To be honest I thought I would be too busy feeling jealous I wasn’t running to be able to enjoy it. In fact the opposite was true. I loved being there and soaking up the atmosphere of the race. Each checkpoint was like a little party in the middle of the bush. We got to chat with other supporters, hear their athlete’s stories and most importantly be an invaluable bright spot for our team to aim for every 10kms or so. Even being attacked by a vicious monkey at one checkpoint didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the job.

I joined our team on the trail at the 78km mark. By this point they were all exhausted and were mainly hiking. I made it my mission to make those last 22kms as light hearted as possible. When they crossed the finish line I felt like a proud mother whose child had just got an award at school, I had tears in my eyes. (although I’m putting that down to lack of sleep!!)

What I took away from this experience was that even though goals may change it is possible to pick yourself up and move on in a different direction. I felt fulfilled, appreciated and a valuable member of the team, which is just how I would have felt if I had run the Trailwalker. It also gave me a great appreciation of just how hard the support crew works and what an essential part of the event they are.

Now its time to focus on a slow return to running and to set some new goals for 2018. My foam roller is going to become my new best friend.