Perspective

It was the Montane Lakeland 100 last weekend. Stef and I ran together and managed to do 75 miles before retiring at Mardale Head around 25 hours after starting. There was a heavy thunderstorm as we approached the check-point at Mardale Head and a combination  of us both having bad feet,  paths turning rapidly into streams,  the weather not really clearing properly and the next leg starting with a big climb meant we didn’t feel happy heading out towards Kentmere. The race organisers had laid on a bus for retirees and fairly soon we were back at race HQ in Coniston

Yesterday I received a call from a former work colleague. The call was to confirm what we already suspected: that a mutual friend of ours is in the final days of his life after battling bravely against cancer.  This friend is a much respected person in our industry and will be sorely missed by customers, friends of whom he has a great many and his family

The 100 was my first ever DNF in an organised race and upset me quite badly but yesterday’s news put that into perspective. Stef and I had an amazing day in an area of the country we both love and a good man I’ve known for over thirty years is about to lose his life. Not finishing the race isn’t really that important now