Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Fiona Horsfield | Montane Winter Spine Race
170 Plays7 days ago
This week on the podcast, Fiona Horsfield takes us inside the Montane Winter Spine Race, Britain’s Most Brutal endurance event along the Pennine Way.
We talk about:
🥣 Eating when you don’t want to
😴 Sleeping when you can
🎒 Getting kit decisions right
🧠 Staying mentally steady when fatigue hits
If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to move for days through winter conditions, this episode is an honest look at the physical and psychological reality of ultra-endurance racing.
“You can’t think about 268 miles. You just focus on the next section.”
Listen now 🎧
#UKRunChat
Photo Credit: @clorroe_cam
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Fiona Horsfield
00:00:01
UKRunChat
Welcome to the UK Run Chat Podcast. I'm Michelle and today I'm joined by Fiona Horsfield. Now Fiona is fresh from finishing second at the Montaigne Winter Spine Race, which for those of you who have have yet had your eyes closed for the last month, is a non-stop 268 mile race along the iconic Pennine Way.
00:00:22
UKRunChat
It's widely regarded as Britain's most brutal endurance race. I'll be interested to get Fiona's take on
Balancing Running with Family and Career
00:00:29
UKRunChat
that. Now, Fiona is, she's a highly accomplished ultra runner.
00:00:33
UKRunChat
She's won she won the Northern Traverse in 2025. She's previously won the MRT Spine Challenger North. And, but she she hasn't been running that long from what I understand in terms of distance running.
00:00:48
UKRunChat
But she also brings a really unique perspective to extreme endurance because alongside her running, she works as a GP. She's a mountain rescue team volunteer. And she's previously worked on the spine race as a global expedition of medic as well.
00:01:01
UKRunChat
So looking forward to hearing and all about that. and Thank you, Fiona, so much for coming onto the podcast today.
00:01:07
Fiona Horsfield
Thanks for having me on
00:01:07
UKRunChat
and I'm hoping you can give us a bit of a broader introduction to yourself, if that's okay, for people who don't know you yet. How would you describe yourself beyond this amazing race result?
00:01:19
Fiona Horsfield
on. Yeah, good question. I mean, I think i'm first and foremost, running is the fun, is my hobby, I would say. And it just yeah fits in and around whatever else is going on. I have two children, a mum of two, an eight-year-old and a ten-year-old, so both in primary and I work as a part-time GP in Fife in Scotland and yeah as you said I sort of volunteer with the local mountain rescue team as well so that just kind of fits in and around everything else but yeah the running is is it's a hobby that's it's a hobby that's taken up more and more time but it is it is primarily just that, yeah it's a hobby.
00:02:00
UKRunChat
I guess that happens when you start to do the really long endurance races. Like how how do you fit it all in practically with all your like work and mum life must be really busy. And then alongside that volunteering, where does the training kind of fit in for that for a long race like the spines?
00:02:17
Fiona Horsfield
So it has been building up. So the last few years, I've definitely, um my training has become more um structured. and And so Meryl Cooper has been been coaching me through that. um And it is a juggle. It is just trying to fit it all in. And and it's just trying to make make it work without taking you know too much time away from you know from family life or or things like that. But it's doable. and But I definitely have to I have to prioritize it to make it fit and I have to miss things as well, unfortunately, to to make some of these and longer runs fit in. and But a lot of the stuff I'll do first thing in the morning, ah find that it's not necessarily crazy early, but just often I find if I get up and do some form of exercise first thing, that is when it happens. And I think if I leave it to the evening, it just goes by the wayside. Too many other things crop up. and I would probably try and do, um because I work time, Part time, sorry, i would maybe try and do a long run when the kids are at school one day of the week.
00:03:19
Fiona Horsfield
um Otherwise, I would just try and fit it in sort of the weekends, just of depending on what else is going on. But as it is, it's a squeeze. Yeah.
00:03:26
UKRunChat
um I'm sure. yeah but well how How did you first get into like the extreme endurance running then? Was it kind of a slow burn or did
Fiona's Journey into Endurance Running
00:03:35
UKRunChat
it was it suddenly just happened?
00:03:35
Fiona Horsfield
yeah Yeah, I think it was a slow burner. I think, um I mean, I've always run. and So running has been my kind of go to just for fitness. And I've never been what I would call competitive. although I think I'm competitive in nature, but I've never i didn't really do school sports or, you know, in any any sort of competitive way. and And but as a family, we were always very outdoorsy. So we did lots of hiking and camping and canoeing, you just lots and lots of skiing things outdoors. And I think that's probably what drives what I do is that I just love being outdoors and just just having a bit of fun and having a bit of an adventure. And I think that's kind of my running fits that. So I can try and, you know, any long runs I do, i kind of do them in interesting places or even just in the hills near where I live. but I get a day out or I get a kind of even a few hours of a bit of a mini adventure for me, which is brilliant, you know, and you can fit it in and around whatever's going on.
00:04:29
Fiona Horsfield
So I think the distance has just crept up and it's been probably more about me just looking for the next adventure or looking for the next thing for me to, well, why don't I try that? Why don't I see if that, you know, is that something I like? You know, usually it's something that's going to scare me. and And then I just go with it.
00:04:49
UKRunChat
Yeah, but but that' that's an interesting attitude, actually, something that scares you because a lot of us are very fearful of like, like the spine to me just seems like, wow, that's, that's huge.
00:04:49
Fiona Horsfield
And it,
00:04:59
UKRunChat
So had you'd obviously done kind of things like that before, but had you done anything of that distance before?
00:05:05
Fiona Horsfield
No, not at all. And I was genuinely terrified going into it. I had done... so of the distances had crept up and... um I think the long, so I did the spine challenger north, I competed in the MRT race two two or three summers ago, i think. um and And I was terrified going into that, you know, I thought, i cant how do I even, how do you even do that distance? That's 160 miles. and i am But I did it and I loved it and I did really well in it. um
00:05:37
Fiona Horsfield
And I was really surprised. So then i kind of, from there, I was like, okay, well, I've done that distance. What's the next thing I can do? And So then I entered the Northern Traverse.
00:05:48
Fiona Horsfield
And again, my training, I think, probably it reflected my fear factor. So I think the more scared I am, um the more I realise I actually have to put, really have to put the work in to make sure that I don't fall apart. and So that, yeah, and and that was a great race for me as well.
00:06:07
Fiona Horsfield
And then I was like, well, I have to do the spotting. That is clearly the next big one in British calendar I need to to get on that start list. And also, i think the year and before I raced it, there was only nine female finishers. And I thought, I need to be involved in this. So, and yeah, I was lucky enough to get a place for the 2026 race. And, yeah, I mean, fear fear drove my training, I think.
00:06:36
UKRunChat
So why why the winter spine race then?
00:06:40
Fiona Horsfield
um I think because I'd done the the Challenge of North in summer and and it just it just felt like I needed to do I needed to see you again like their their strapline isn't it the yeah UK's most brutal race I needed to see what was what was so brutal about it and was it stuff that I could take on and how did I how would I manage those challenges and that was quite exciting for me
00:07:05
UKRunChat
Yeah. so So when did you make the decision? When did you hear that you were you were in the spine?
00:07:09
Fiona Horsfield
So the entries opened pretty much a year in advance. So I had volunteered. I'd volunteered, yeah. So i was working as a medic at the 2025 winter spine race. And then, and I suppose partly that was, I kind of wanted to, I just wanted to see what was it was like on the other side and meet some of the runners and watch them and see what, you know, what was their experience like? And and did I want to do it? I wasn't sure at that point if I wanted to do it. And then the entries, I think, opened a week or two later. So I thought, yeah, I think that that looked miserable. I think I need to have a shot.
00:07:47
UKRunChat
So that whole experience didn't dissuade you then?
00:07:50
Fiona Horsfield
No, I didn't. Yeah.
00:07:51
UKRunChat
What sorts of things were you dealing with the previous year as ah as a medic? What sort of complaints were you thinking of?
00:07:57
Fiona Horsfield
They were, they so where I was was posted was quite early, ah relatively early on in the race. And it was, to be honest, a lot of it was just cold and tired at that point. um Feet, people were were getting, um yeah, sore lower legs. there was a lot of snow. So there was quite a few pew people dropping out with sore knees, sore ankles, and shin splints, this kind of thing. um But, like i you know, at that stage in the race, it was just,
00:08:26
Fiona Horsfield
strap people up or you know help them if they were going to continue or or unfortunately quite a few people were dropping out at that point. So it's just facilitating that. But really, but i mean, to be fair, most of what did was probably make people cups of tea and coffee rather than anything medical.
00:08:42
UKRunChat
But that's a very important job, though, as well, isn't it?
00:08:42
Fiona Horsfield
hatch Absolutely. Yeah.
00:08:47
UKRunChat
um So you were talking about training then and being like kind of training via via fear, although it's because you've entered this huge, this huge
Training and Preparation for the Winter Spine Race
00:08:57
UKRunChat
race. what What does training look like kind of practically in terms of you know hours per week and
00:09:03
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, that's a good question. um I actually don't know. I don't know total numbers. and It definitely ramped up. So probably from about October, although I would do stuff all all year, I didn't really ever stop. and But it definitely built up from probably about the October last year with the race being this January. And um and I would run probably four or five days a week usually. And then certainly in the sort of the later part of the year was probably up to six days.
00:09:33
Fiona Horsfield
um and i would do one or two sort of longer runs during the week and then again the the time time on feet sort of just um picked up towards the end of the year usually two back-to-back longer runs and they could be i mean anything sort five to eight ten hours something like that um when i was out um and with the pack as well in the kind of the later months as well just carrying the um the weight on my shoulders, because that's quite a big part of part of it. You ended up carrying a bag, which could have been about six or seven kilograms at the maximum. I'm not sure. I never did actually weigh it when it was fully packed, but it was maybe somewhere between about five and seven for most of the part, I think.
00:10:19
Fiona Horsfield
um and And then, yeah, I would do some hill repeats during the week um and some um just nicer kind of recovery runs. I did strength training. and So I tried to do two sessions a week. Sometimes it was three. And that would be a combination of going to a gym where I would be lifting things I never thought possible or doing a kind of strength, um mobility and conditioning class um online, which I really enjoy. So a bit of a mixture of things.
00:10:50
Fiona Horsfield
um just to try and keep everything together and not falling apart in the long distance.
00:10:54
UKRunChat
yeah oh it's it's important isn't it especially yeah you've mentioned the strength training there now i know you've got meryl's your coach we had meryl cooper on um a couple of episodes ago and very talented ultra runner as well um do you have um somebody who coaches you at at the gym as well do you have a pt to help with that or is that something you're comfortable doing yourself
00:11:01
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah.
00:11:05
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah. Yeah.
00:11:11
Fiona Horsfield
yeah No, I have no idea what to do myself. So I had been going to Emma Armstrong in Kelty, but she's unfortunately just, her gym has just moved. So unfortunately, i don't think I'll be able to continue with her, but she's been amazing. And she's just, and yeah, so she she would, yeah, she just kind of kept me on the right track and got me doing things that I sort of would look at her doing and think, well, there's no way I can, my body doesn't do that. But shoot yeah, it was good. It was really, really good. And I I use Jill Steven Ascent Fitness. She does my this an online strength and conditioning class, which is brilliant. And she's a very accomplished hill runner. So she knows what she's talking about as well.
00:11:55
UKRunChat
Yeah, no, it helps to have a team of experts behind you, really, doesn't it?
00:11:58
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah.
00:11:59
UKRunChat
A bit of knowledge, really.
00:12:01
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, absolutely.
00:12:02
UKRunChat
Yeah. I mean, you mentioned the heavy pack there.
Key Skills and Gear for Success
00:12:05
UKRunChat
and What sorts of things are you carrying? I mean, you're obviously very also very comfortable being safe in the mountains with with your volunteering role and you're a mountain leader as well, aren't you?
00:12:15
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, yeah. So I think that definitely feeds into it And I, you know, I think, um I mean, I think perhaps that's one of the reasons I did actually do quite well this year was because i am quite comfortable in, in the sort of, I am comfortable weather. I'm not, it doesn't scare me. i have a healthy fear from it, but it doesn't, you know, I know, you know, to a point how to look after myself. I'm not,
00:12:40
Fiona Horsfield
you know i would probably err on the side of carrying slightly too much kit um rather than than too little and and i know that some runners unfortunately did have to retire due to hypothermia during this year's race so it was something that was happening it was you know some really horrendous conditions um but but i do feel comfortable in that that wasn't something i was i was worried about um And I quite looking forward to it it was you know just being out in that and just kind of testing myself in in all conditions. and But yeah, in my pack, so you have a basic kit list that they that you have to carry and there's 30 or so items on it. So you have to have things like a a really good sleeping bag, a bivy bag, and ah ah like ah and a thermo rest or an inflatable mat so that you could, if needed to, you could bivy out. and Although I never touched any of that stuff. um And then jackets, gloves, hats, buff, all these kind of things. um
00:13:41
Fiona Horsfield
And yeah, I just made sure I had plenty gloves and and torches, chargers. And actually it did, it just racked up. And enough food as well. um Just, yeah, the the the weight, even though I tried to get the lightest weight stuff, the weight did just, it did rack up.
00:13:58
UKRunChat
Yeah, and I'm sure. and But I guess training with that does help as well, doesn't it?
00:14:02
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, definitely.
00:14:02
UKRunChat
Just getting you used to it.
00:14:03
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, yeah.
00:14:04
UKRunChat
Yeah. So, I mean, practically on when it's its coldest out there on top of the moors, like what are you wearing? How many layers are you in?
00:14:13
Fiona Horsfield
um So I think the stretch over Crossfell was probably the coldest. And I think it was sort of, I think they said it was like minus 10 wind chill. And and it was full on blizzards. I mean, you see some people have posted videos and things of it.
00:14:26
Fiona Horsfield
and I tried to get a photo actually at one point. i tried to do a selfie, but I just actually couldn't bring myself to take my glove off and I couldn't do it.
00:14:32
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:14:33
Fiona Horsfield
So, um, so I don't have that photo evidence, but I probably had on, I had thick winter tights. So kind of fleecy and running tights and then waterproofs over the top, which I think I kept on for most of it.
00:14:45
Fiona Horsfield
I had, um, like ah thick socks. I had merino liners and thick waterproof socks on my feet and my feet were fine. Um, my top, I'd have a merino base layer,
00:14:58
Fiona Horsfield
ah the like a fleecy layer um and then I think I probably had at that point two sort Primaloft jackets one thinner one thicker and then a waterproof shell and then buff and gloves and goggles and the rest of it so yeah a few layers
00:15:12
UKRunChat
Wow.
00:15:17
UKRunChat
Yeah. Because I guess a lot of it, and I know a lot going to run it, but I guess a lot of it, you're just moving quickly, aren't you? You're not, you're not, like how much of it are you practically running?
00:15:26
Fiona Horsfield
yeah yeah
00:15:30
Fiona Horsfield
So I think in the first 12 hours, it does feel that you're actually running some sections of it. and It was pretty icy on a lot of the slabs. So there was a lot of, um yes, it was quite tricky to actually move quite quickly on the bits that should have been more runnable because there was a lot of just underfoot ice and and black ice and, you know, it would catch you.
00:15:50
Fiona Horsfield
But certainly it felt like some of the movement was more like running in the first 12 hours. And then after that, and I mean, it would just be comedy day to watch. You sort of feel like you're running, but actually all you're doing is shuffling, really, and or hiking.
00:16:03
Fiona Horsfield
So, and I did... probably work out that actually a lot of the time my kind of hiking or fast walking was probably as fast as a shuffle so it was just trying to move as move as best you can really um but but I did feel like so usually I felt just before I was really tired and needed a sleep that I would completely slow down and it was so noticeable and then I'd have a sleep and it could even just be a really short one and then all of a sudden I felt like my body could work again and it was incredible just what that reset would do and it did even it wasn't a proper run it you know it made me feel that my body was working again so I think I was able to run in in absolute inverted commas all the way up to the end just with kind of these little resets um although it definitely got slower
00:16:10
UKRunChat
Thank
00:16:50
UKRunChat
Yeah, that's amazing. how How do you train yourself about lack of sleep? Because it took you, it was 112 hours, wasn't it? Which is that about just under five?
00:16:56
Fiona Horsfield
yeah yeah yeah so I started Sunday morning and a finished Thursday night sort of
00:16:58
UKRunChat
Is that just under five?
00:17:02
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:17:02
Fiona Horsfield
after midnight at some point um I it was yeah I don't know how you train um for that I did I I'm not sure I definitely haven't solved the problem or or figured out what the best strategy is um I just kind of went with what felt that needed to do at the time and and it was you know I'd obviously listened to lots of podcasts and things and heard other people's um opinions of what they've done in races and things and just sort of read around as much as possible but
00:17:33
Fiona Horsfield
And you just have to go with how it feels and go with your own body. And people were doing all different things throughout the course. So um I don't think there's a right or a wrong. But it is ah it is a jigsaw, you know, putting all these things together and just trying to work out all the different pieces. There's so many things can go wrong, but so many things can go right. And it's just, I suppose, trying to stack things in your favour. And sleep is definitely one of those parts.
00:17:58
UKRunChat
Yeah, absolutely. as As is fueling, I guess.
00:18:01
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, yeah.
00:18:02
UKRunChat
Yeah, but we'll we'll come on to that later. i was I was wondering, would you be able to kind of talk us through your race? Would that be OK?
00:18:09
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:11
UKRunChat
So put yourself back on that start line in Edale.
00:18:14
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah.
00:18:15
UKRunChat
What's going through your
Race Strategy and Execution
00:18:17
UKRunChat
mind the morning?
00:18:17
Fiona Horsfield
And I was so scared. I was so scared, so excited at the same time. I mean, it had been such a long time coming. and I put so much effort into the planning stage. And I think um like I was really invested in it not you know just to do as well as I could and whatever that looked like I wasn't I had no designs to had no dreams of well maybe had a dream of po going on a podium but I had no idea that that was going to be possible so um but even just yeah getting there was a lot of hard work and just planning and you know kit and training and all the rest of it and my whole family came down so my husband and kids were there so it was a bit emotional as well my daughter is 10 and she was in floods of tears because I was going away for x amount of time and heading off into the darkness um so it was a bit yeah it was slightly stressful um and I did I had such a sort of an adrenaline surge I just remember the start was oh my goodness I feel like I could actually burst into tears I just needed to get going.
00:19:22
Fiona Horsfield
know, that's really unusual for me. I'm normally just quite excited. But yeah, but once I got going, it was fine. And I knew that that was the case. And I was like, it's just all I need to do now is I just need to get to the end. And it's just and that's where, you know, there's a you definitely relax a lot more once you get started.
00:19:37
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah,
00:19:38
UKRunChat
Yeah. So talk us through that first day then, because it's it's an instant climb out of E-Dale, isn't it, really?
00:19:42
Fiona Horsfield
yeahy yeah.
00:19:43
UKRunChat
the Straight into the climb.
00:19:45
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, it was quite, yeah, and it was really snowy. um So that first section, and it was windy as well. So you kind of came up that climb. um And you're, yeah, I mean, it gale force winds.
00:19:58
Fiona Horsfield
Well, yeah, i mean it's pretty windy. I got blown off my feet a couple of times um up at the top. And people were slipping and sliding. um But it was good fun. Like, I really enjoyed that bit. It was great to get going. And it was like, yes, there's weather and this is good. This is what the winter spines should be. and And then, so that first section to Hebden hebton Bridge, yeah, i I mean, I remember bits and pieces of it. I remember, um but does sort of blur into kind of one, lots of lots of ice, lots of falls. and And I know quite a few people had to drop out in that first section just because of falls, I think. um and sort of injuries that they've picked up.
00:20:43
Fiona Horsfield
um But um had we had to carry spikes for our shoes as well, which was really helpful just um to stop you slipping.
00:20:47
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:20:50
Fiona Horsfield
So that was that was a good piece of essential kit that you had to carry. um But it was quite a good section and and I think you move quite well in the first day just because you're fresh and and there's a bit of excitement and there's people around you as well and that was quite nice because you could get conversations going and there was a few of us who kind of ran around each other and that was really nice just keeping the kind of morale going.
00:21:14
Fiona Horsfield
um So yeah, so enjoyed that first section and then you got to Hebden Bridge and I think it must have been evening time at some point And that was the first checkpoint, which was so busy. um And yeah, that was quite tricky for me, actually, because I didn't really know how to.
00:21:34
Fiona Horsfield
yeah You had to sit upstairs, but you had to only get food downstairs. So all my kind of designs of how to manage my kit and all my kind of things efficiently went out the window um because you couldn't do two things at once, really. um So I think.
00:21:49
Fiona Horsfield
But it was fine. It was it was fine. It was just very busy. They had to manage a lot of people. And and then you're back out into the into the night for the the next long section after that.
00:22:01
Fiona Horsfield
um So Hebden Bridge was the first checkpoint. The next main checkpoint was Hawes. But that was it was that was a big section, like 60-odd miles. And they have a monitoring checkpoint halfway through, but you don't see your your drop bag at that one. so it was a huge, huge section um where you're carrying a lot of food for that. um And that was a really heavy pack.
00:22:23
Fiona Horsfield
So that was that that was certainly that was tougher, I think, in terms of just the duration. and And so I remember somebody had said, and I can't remember who it was, but they they said that the race doesn't actually start until you get to Hawes.
00:22:37
Fiona Horsfield
So I had this in my mind. i was like, right I just need to get these miles behind me. And so and the first literally the first two days, I didn't I felt like I was just getting the miles behind me.
00:22:48
Fiona Horsfield
i was enjoying it. You know, lots of pieces, of but parts of it were really, really enjoyable. and and I ran with some really lovely people and which was really helpful as well just having conversations and you know it make it fun but it was it did feel like I just needed to get a lot of these miles under the belt um to then hadn't even thought about racing at that point it was just just need to get somewhere up this path and and and then them see where we're at um but there were some really really lovely parts of that you know up around Malintar and really beautiful and then that section after Malam Tarn is a really interesting section so you've got unfortunately we had to divert around Penny Ghent but went up Fountains Fell and I was with Sophie Grant for the whole section from Malam Tarn to Hawes which was great fun we just chat literally chatted the whole way and I think I know everything about her and she knows everything about me and but that was just such good company and just really
00:23:11
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:23:49
Fiona Horsfield
you know good to have that um and but yeah the weather was sort of coming and going a bit we had some really nice spells when it was actually really mild um and really uncharacteristically mild i think it even got up to sort of eight or nine degrees at one point um and then but then up around sort of pennegent and that up onto haws from there it was absolutely pouring with rain absolutely soaking um proper yeah just winter winter rain started in um and that was pretty much us into haws and that felt okay we've reached haws now i can have a little break um change clothes went for sleep and have some food and then then then back on and then see where we get to from there
00:24:23
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:24:38
UKRunChat
So was Horst the first time he slept then since starting?
00:24:41
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:24:41
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:24:43
Fiona Horsfield
So I had, think I set my alarm for probably about 45, 50 minutes. I don't know if I properly slept. I think that first sleep was just a bit just trying to get comfortable, really, or just trying to switch off.
00:25:00
Fiona Horsfield
But I definitely rested and I think that that definitely helped. I felt much better. I felt good coming out of Hawes, but I had been really struggling with feeling quite tired coming into Hawes.
00:25:12
Fiona Horsfield
And I think that must have been, I'm a bit off with time. i know it was dark. It was probably, don't know, late afternoon, maybe early. Yeah, probably late afternoon, I think, early evening.
00:25:22
UKRunChat
So this is on the Monday now.
00:25:22
Fiona Horsfield
late oh And that was the Monday night.
00:25:24
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:25:24
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah. So having gone through from Sunday morning, that was the first sleep. um but yeah probably about 45 minutes and then um and then i headed out um from there um and yeah that that was a quite a long section i great felt good coming out of haws um but you kind of get up to it's quite boggy up to tan hill um which was strange because i'd totally forgotten that tan hill was going to come up and um i could see these lights from a distance and i could see i thought i could make out
00:25:57
Fiona Horsfield
like figures in a window and I thought what on earth are people doing in the middle of the night in the middle of a bog and then I realized it was the pub and it was brilliant you could get soup hot soup and there was a fire on and so that was really lovely and I very much needed i kind of felt like I needed a kind of food to boost at that point as well and and then of stayed I don't know how long how maybe half an hour maybe not as long and straight out into the bogs again And that next section, oh my goodness, I just remember, you have no idea where you're going. It just felt that you're just going through, picking a a track, you know, through bogs. and
00:26:31
Fiona Horsfield
And yeah, that felt like that was quite ah ah quite a long section there. um but they but then you sort of get into fields and you sort of came across some farms and i mean there's the kindest people out the whole of those first few days we saw so many i think they call them trail trail angels and people who are just local and just love the spine race and they some people were out all night you know there was a farmer and his wife in the back of a trailer in a field with drinks and biscuits and things and they were literally there all night just to give whoever was coming past something to eat and drink. So, I mean, there was this, you know, these people popped up all over the place and it was, um yeah, just lovely, really, and really amazing support.
00:27:17
Fiona Horsfield
in the first couple of days. Yeah, you just, you were kind of completely on your own and then you would see this friendly face in a field just suddenly pop up.
00:27:25
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:27:25
Fiona Horsfield
up and But that was really good because that kind of gave you, just gave you lots of little boosts to kind of, to keep you going. um and And then where was after, Hawes to Langdon Beck. them Yeah, that was...
00:27:42
Fiona Horsfield
that horse felt quite that felt long um and i just remember there's this really lovely what should be amazingly runnable section into langdon beck which is your third checkpoint along a river you know completely flat having gone through all these loads of horrendous bogs where you're picking your feet and you just can't get any kind of pace or or um sort proper movement going and then you got this lovely runnable section and then i just felt like I couldn't move at all and my arms are going and my legs are just not keeping up at all um and I was like okay I need to have a sleep when I get lying to land in Beck um and they were brilliant there the volunteers were so lovely and again you just come in and I just thought right I need a complete reset um and yeah they just looked after you food and I ended up i actually having a quick shower there
00:28:33
Fiona Horsfield
and which I hadn't planned on doing, but I had a quick shower. And again, just just clean clothes and a sleep. Again, 45 minutes. And it just gave me a reset. And I just felt, you know, i left Langdon Beck.
00:28:46
Fiona Horsfield
I came in literally dragging my feet. And I came out and um and I just felt like a new person. And I was, you know, this was brilliant. It was late afternoon. And um I felt like I could move.
00:29:00
Fiona Horsfield
And it was a beautiful evening. There's this amazing section. You go around and Cauldron's Snout, I think it's called, and up, you know, you start going over boulders and then there's a really lovely scrambly section and then you go around High Neck.
00:29:17
Fiona Horsfield
And it was just, um it was beautiful. It was sort of early evening. Although I suppose actually it was probably only late afternoon, but it the light was, the sun was setting.
00:29:26
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:29:27
Fiona Horsfield
And then, and that was just really fun. and then you're into yeah um just a really i really enjoyed this section nice sort of running section down to dufton um and a long long downhill and i was just like i just feel great i'm actually moving i can run um and and then from there you're up to cross fell and remember one of the volunteers that saying to me at dufton he says you're actually one of the first people who've come through who actually looked like you're enjoying yourself.
00:29:55
Fiona Horsfield
And I was like, oh yeah, no, I am. This is great. I've just run down a hill. You know, this feels, I've not been doing that much running. This actually feels quite good.
00:30:02
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:30:04
Fiona Horsfield
um And then, so Crossfell was the next part. But again, I just thought this was great. You know, I was really enjoying this section and I, ah there's it you know, they said, they were warning you it was going to be cold and and snowy and it really was. It was like a proper microclimate. um And I think, you know, because we'd had snow and ice and it had been kind of cold and windy at parts, you sort of felt that you knew.
00:30:31
Fiona Horsfield
But this was on a different level. This was proper kind of Scottish winter, I would say. It was really, really, really cold, proper wind. And it was that that was fine.
00:30:41
Fiona Horsfield
i was warm enough. That was fine. The actually bit I found was really tricky was the navigation and because you're having you're essentially following a ah GPS and track and um there there was no real clear path on the ground.
00:30:46
UKRunChat
Right.
00:30:57
Fiona Horsfield
It was snow on bog, essentially, a lot of the time. So it was very hard to pick out any kind of, trail and there was no visibility I mean you could see like one or two feet in front of you um so you're following this kind of arbitrary line on your watch um which doesn't correlate with ah anything that you can see on the ground so it's just really slow it was it was very very slow um and I did have I had a handheld GPS which I was really grateful i had brought with me um because that's not
00:31:29
Fiona Horsfield
that wasn't essential kit for this year's race, but I used it and on Crossfell and ah it was just so helpful because I just wasn't relying on my watch.
00:31:38
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:31:38
Fiona Horsfield
um But that was but it was, it was good. It was much slower going over Crossfell than I'd thought it was going to be, but it was good. It was exciting and it was, it was cold and it was, yeah, and but it was fun.
00:31:51
Fiona Horsfield
And then we came over into Gregsa and they were honestly, yeah could see someone with their torches and and it was brilliant. met john bamber and the infamous noodles um and they were just great they just it was exactly what you needed um some noodles in the middle of the night um and then ye sorry so no where are you now that must be tuesday night um so monday afternoon monday night would it have been
00:32:09
UKRunChat
So what day is this now? Is this Wednesday night or Thursday night now?
00:32:23
Fiona Horsfield
month no Tuesday nights I think um and then yeah and then that's when i' really started to struggle with sleep deprivation after that I think
00:32:25
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:32:33
UKRunChat
Right. So you've had two lots of 45 minutes sleep.
00:32:37
Fiona Horsfield
yeah yeah and I do think coming up over Crossville probably took a lot more out of me than um you know just with keeping warm and moving and and just dealing with the wind it took a lot of lot more out of me and I think
00:32:38
UKRunChat
Right.
00:32:51
Fiona Horsfield
so then coming into the next morning I was so tired um and they have i don't know if you've heard of there's this lady called Annie and she has her house um in I think it's Garagall but she she she's she's just opens her house to people every year and it's a kind of an unofficial checkpoint and I wasn't going to go in because I thought oh this is just going to you know I just need to keep going. I need to get to Alston and I'll have a sleep at Alston, but it's still quite a good
Challenges and Resilience During the Race
00:33:21
Fiona Horsfield
way away. And she just sort of beckons you into her lovely warm house. And um she makes you a cup of tea and gives you soup. And then as she's got a fire and i thought, do know what I'm just going to lie down on her living room floor in front of the fire.
00:33:34
Fiona Horsfield
So I was like a dog. I just lay on the ground and had a sleep for about 20 minutes. And then was like, okay, right, I can i can i can leave now. and But I think it was about half four in the morning and I was so confused leaving her house. and I just thought if the GPS wasn't working properly for me and I couldn't find the bridge and and I got in a bit of a yeah, sort sleep deprived situation.
00:34:00
Fiona Horsfield
state anyway I found yeah it was fine it was it wasn't a big drama but it i did feel like I was walking around in circles um quite a bit um and then then got to Alston and then had another reset there again and ah just another brilliant team um and you're in a youth hostel there so you can have a bed and have a have a proper lie down and stuff so again made use of that and um But the 45 minutes weren't working so well at this point.
00:34:28
Fiona Horsfield
So I still did the 45 minutes, but it just, I really started getting into territory.
00:34:29
UKRunChat
No.
00:34:34
Fiona Horsfield
I really needed to probably have more. But I did my 45 minutes and then and then off I went again. And and then then this next section is from Alston to Bellingham.
00:34:46
Fiona Horsfield
So that's that's quite long. um In terms of the terrain, it's a lot of fields. And then you've got Hadrian's Wall. section in there as well um and ah yeah but but it was fine it it was fine the the morning was the the hardest bit and i do think that morning was probably um one of the hardest just because i was getting more and more sleep deprived and i think probably quite fuel deficient as well And certainly that was probably a hindsight thing. and um And I just was feeling, I think my mood was dipping quite a bit as well. And um and that was one of the Meryl had said to me as well. You know, if you start to feel your mood dipping, just make sure you eat. and So I did, eventually I was like, okay, and then I had, you know, two or three flapjacks. And it's incredible that the difference just between but having a bit more sugar and my mood would suddenly come up, you know, I'd phone my mum or whatever, and I would be, okay, back no, this is fine, or this is all good, we're back on track here, but just at that point, I think, when you're so, just, you just need the basics, yeah and you're not getting asleep, so think the fuel is that, that just becomes so much more important, and but I got to Hadrian's Wall, and actually, i really loved that section, that was a, I'd sort of had
00:36:06
Fiona Horsfield
Memories of of it being a real slog when I did it last time and I hadn't gone back to rec yet again because I was a bit fearful of the slog but I really enjoyed it I enjoyed the climbs and it again it was probably late afternoon when I got there and it just yeah that felt good I felt really good going over Hadrian's Wall.
00:36:24
Fiona Horsfield
um And these boosts, I think just, you know, they they they did really, really help. and And I don't think there were that many lows. Like there were lows, but I did feel that if I could fix them by eating or by sitting down for five minutes and just shutting my eyes, you know, they did, there was nothing major. um and it was all felt relatively within my control to to kind of come out of the slumps. um But yeah, i got to Bellingham. Oh my goodness. So that was overnight.
00:36:54
Fiona Horsfield
That was when things started to get a bit funky in terms of the sleep deprivation. and And I think I had probably what were hallucinations, but very, very kind of loose ones. I had a...
00:37:09
Fiona Horsfield
ah figure um so I had my head torch on and it was a kind of figure at the my right hand side and it was just a sort and I could kind of think of this is somebody it's like somebody with a dry robe on but they weren't scary but it was just strange this dry this dry robe clad person and I would turn around and just look and say okay no they're not there I know they're not there this is probably what they talk about these hallucinations but they were still there for a while and I was i was like I've got a friend Carol who goes wild swimming a lot and I'm just gonna call this is Carol and this is fine Carol is just just there that's fine we'll just we'll just go with this and it won't freak me out so I had this Carol just kind of trotting along next to me for a good way um and a lot of the lights go funky you could pick out just reflectors and
00:37:57
Fiona Horsfield
weird things and they started to kind of dance but again nothing scary and nothing I mean I've heard stories of people seeing all sorts but that was no
00:38:04
UKRunChat
Yeah, I've had all kinds. of Have you had hallucinations like that in in other races?
00:38:08
Fiona Horsfield
no I haven't so it was my first experience so so now and I've got quite an analytical mind as well so I was a bit like you know I don't I don't I know that's not there and I think this is a hallucination but I'm not convinced it is so I'll just but we'll just go with it
00:38:25
Fiona Horsfield
um and then got to Bellingham and that was the strangest experience actually because i knew I needed to be there but I couldn't remember why so i had this it was a sort of deja vu as well and I couldn't work out because I had done this in a race before was i drawing on a memory of when I did it last time but I just had this such clear i know I need to be here and my watch is telling me need to be here but can't remember why i need to be here and am I doing that thing where I have to join the places is that what I'm doing anyway it kind of passed I got into the checkpoint and again another reset eat sleep um and another 45 minutes and then I was out again and I do think at that point my reset was not nearly as effective but I was then on the home straight um so
00:39:19
UKRunChat
So how far away from the finish are you at that point then?
00:39:21
Fiona Horsfield
So you're 40-ish miles, I think. And and and the the next bit, though, was i was actually much rougher ground than I remembered. I didn't but go so go back and recce this, but there was there was yeah a lot of bog, very, very slow going again and before you get to this long forest track. and I had to have a sleep at the top of the forest track um I mean i literally found a tree and just sat on the but underneath it for like 10 minutes set my timer and my watch um because I just I it was still a long way I need to get to Burness and I was just getting yeah more and more tired but it was fine I just was moving so slowly I felt at that point um And then got to Burness where again, another lots of lovely of volunteers.
00:40:11
Fiona Horsfield
um I'd heard reports of people dropping out after that with really bad feet. So I was quite i cautious of my feet. So I had to sort of stop and sort them out at Burness. And my feet had swollen quite a bit by this point. So it I changed my shoes. i think it was at...
00:40:29
Fiona Horsfield
um
00:40:32
Fiona Horsfield
was it the third checkpoint? I think maybe Langdon Beck had changed my shoes or Haas, even before that, just half a size bigger. um But my feet were expanding and so much. i hadn't I couldn't wear liner socks anymore with my waterproof socks.
00:40:47
Fiona Horsfield
um And so I was really worried about my feet kind of blistering. But they were actually fine, but I did need to sort of stop and faff and and check them out. and And then I really probably could have done with a sleep before a head.
00:41:01
Fiona Horsfield
went on to the Cheviots, but it was actually glorious. The sun had come out and I was like, you know, i actually just need to, I just want to be up there. I just want to get this next section and I can have a snooze in the sun if I feel like it when I get up there. So I never did, but it was just really lovely. And I just, the boost from the sun was amazing. And actually just, you know, absolutely energised me. And I felt good going up into the Cheviots.
00:41:25
Fiona Horsfield
um Really enjoyed, you know, that felt like that that was a home straight. I've done that quite a few bit and few times in recce. I felt comfortable being there. I felt like I'm i'm heading home now. um I just need to just keep moving um and and I'd had reports of who was around me so I knew kind of what was happening and my husband just would phone me every now and again and like this is what's happened you know this is what's happened in the race because I was on my own and I was on my own for the majority of the race so you kind of forget that you're even racing you're just moving um and it just is sort
00:42:05
Fiona Horsfield
bizarre you know you're you're you're kind of you're racing almost virtually because you don't see anyone um but yeah that was yeah I mean it's a long section of the achievements but I do really love it you know I think it's a really it was good it
00:42:09
UKRunChat
yeah
Race Completion and Reflection
00:42:20
Fiona Horsfield
felt it felt good and I just needed to I just needed to get to the end at that point and try not fall apart so that was kind of my priority was just keep moving
00:42:28
UKRunChat
How was your body feeling at that point, apart from your feet, obviously? Was the rest of you okay?
00:42:31
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, so my feet yes so my feet were okay actually, but um yeah, mostly my my right and thigh was getting pretty uncomfortable, but it was a kind of, it's a funny one because I think you have a moving pain is what I thought, you know, so you focus on one thing and it'll be sore and then well you just focus on something else for a while and then you forget about that first pain.
00:42:32
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:42:53
Fiona Horsfield
and But that, my, my cords were feeling a bit uncomfortable. um But nothing to, nothing terrible. And I just really tried to ignore it as as much as possible. and But generally i felt pretty, I felt okay. There was nothing, there was really nothing major going wrong. So I thought I just need to hang on to that.
00:43:14
UKRunChat
So at what point did you realize you were kind of near the front?
00:43:18
Fiona Horsfield
So I think, so... I was probably in third position from Hawes, I think. and And so me and Sophie had been running together for quite a while. and So I think we were kind of, you know, third and fourth. And and then from Hawes, when we split up, um I think I was in third. Would that have been right?
00:43:39
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, third from there. and then, and so the first two women, Anna and Johanna, had been, think, running together or around each other certainly for the majority of the time and then when I was up on the TV s and then that's when Johanna had had um dropped out so of course I had my husband on the phone very excitedly um and yeah I mean it's but as I say it was so strange because you're you're so far apart you know you still I still had a fear factor that you know Sophie was gonna you know speed up and and catch me which she she could have done and But, you know, I've seen it so many times in these long distance races, you just don't know what's going happen.
00:43:49
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:44:23
Fiona Horsfield
and And, you know, even right up to the end, you know, people were dropping out. So you just, yeah, it kind of, it's not over till it's over, really.
00:44:30
UKRunChat
no so were you were your family watching from home or were they kind of following you up yeah
00:44:35
Fiona Horsfield
From home, yeah, yeah. And then, yeah, just stop watching, yeah.
00:44:40
UKRunChat
yeah like like the rest of us it's exciting isn't it yeah yeah so so you're in the chubiots then talk us through the the finish then
00:44:41
Fiona Horsfield
Like there is, yeah.
00:44:49
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah. Yeah. So, um, so you've got the two huts, which are again, they've kind of, they feel quite well spaced apart, um, but they were great as well. Um, just nice to have a wee kind of, um, reset there and, and, um, have something to eat and just chat with people. And then, um,
00:45:10
Fiona Horsfield
that that very last section actually from hut to over to the end um again it was pretty icy underfoot um and so they've got a lot of it is slabs along that way and so there's a lot of icy slabs and then um so that that made moving quite slow again and i was just really wary of just tripping and slipping and yeah coming out the race um but then then you're then you're down then you're downhill um all the way down to cart get him really um so nice long downhill and then a a long kind of road section um and at that point you know you you know you're you're so close it just feels so good um but that point my i mean i was so tired i just remember there was a few single track bits which should have like normally been no problem And I just, my balance was just all over the place.
00:45:59
Fiona Horsfield
Just, yeah, you're relying so heavily on your poles at that point. Just really, um yeah, feeling pretty wobbly. But yeah, you're so close there. It's just just a case of one foot and foot together.
00:46:09
UKRunChat
What have you got on your feet at that point? Have you got your spikes back on or what? you
00:46:13
Fiona Horsfield
um i'd Only on the hill.
00:46:13
UKRunChat
and
00:46:14
Fiona Horsfield
So I had it on where the icy slabs were, but had them off for the the last bit.
00:46:19
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:46:19
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah.
00:46:19
UKRunChat
And what what trail shoes do you normally wear?
00:46:21
Fiona Horsfield
So I had Innovate Trail Talon Max. And I used that all the way through. I just went up half a size. But they were great. Like I had no, no so you know, so like the really good grip in the mud, which is what you kind of needed. And and then, yeah, they were really comfy as well.
00:46:39
UKRunChat
Yeah. And half size up is that because you you because you mentioned the sock liner and your waterproof socks.
00:46:43
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, and just, there's a lot of sock.
00:46:44
UKRunChat
That's quite a lot of sock.
00:46:46
Fiona Horsfield
And then, so my shoe, so I started with a shoe that was bigger than I'd probably have. And then I went up half a size just because my feet were swelling. And to be honest, I probably could have gone up a whole size.
00:46:56
Fiona Horsfield
and But my feet are so big anyway, to start with, I couldn't bring myself to buy and even bigger pair of shoes. But
00:47:07
UKRunChat
So what state were your feet in at the finish then?
00:47:07
Fiona Horsfield
I couldn't use them.
00:47:10
UKRunChat
Were they, did they take a while to calm down?
00:47:11
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, they looked... Yeah, yeah. And a lot of it was because of the water, to be honest. They were they felt they were pretty wrinkled. They weren't terrible. They didn't have any blisters. and I have since lost one toenail, and there's definitely a few on the way out. and But they were actually in pretty good neck, I have to say. Yeah.
00:47:29
UKRunChat
So talk us through approaching that finish line then. What's what's going through your mind?
00:47:32
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah. Oh, it was so good. I just felt, yeah, it was such a big race to process. And I was just like, I just wanted to finish. And I was so just pleased just with the way it had gone.
00:47:41
UKRunChat
Thank you.
00:47:43
Fiona Horsfield
You know, there was no, nothing had gone wrong, really. And um I was just really, you know, it was just really, really delighted with the whole thing. And just, yeah, just really, in I did.
00:47:54
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, I just thought it was a really great adventure. And I think that's how I described it. It just was it was a really positive experience. and And my husband was there, so he had driven down.
00:48:05
Fiona Horsfield
um And Nicky Spinks was there as well, which was lovely. And just, it was just really, yeah, it was very, it was low key. and It was middle of the night, but it was, it was just, it was great.
00:48:16
Fiona Horsfield
It was good. Just felt so good to finish.
00:48:18
UKRunChat
yeah oh well Yeah, congratulations. Like what an amazing race.
00:48:20
Fiona Horsfield
Thank you.
00:48:22
UKRunChat
what How did it live up to your expectations of how it would go? Did you go in with a specific plan?
00:48:29
Fiona Horsfield
No, not at all. and I think my plan was um was really just to try and to just to move as well as I could. And I think just to try and um look after in myself as well as I could. um And just, I suppose a lot of it is problem solving on the move as well. And just thinking, you know, around things like sleep. And I've heard so many people have gone in with fixed plans and then they've not been able to... um stick with that for whatever reason so I didn't really have anything fixed but it was yeah I mean it was it was i think as I expected and better than I expected and and I got all the elements I wanted you know we got the horrendous weather um and you know you had some good weather and had some beautiful scenery and all the lovely play volunteers so it was everything that you know I felt it should have been
00:49:22
UKRunChat
yeah oh what would you say your favorite moment of the entire experience was
00:49:30
Fiona Horsfield
Oh, noodles on Crossfell, I think. I think that was that was so lovely. This is kind of, yeah, the bothy in the and you know in the middle of the snow. And just that was a really, yeah yeah, that was a really lovely memory, I think, from there.
00:49:44
Fiona Horsfield
Just what you needed.
00:49:44
UKRunChat
yeah yeah so how long did it take you to feel human again afterwards like you must have slept a lot
00:49:51
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, I did. and a week, maybe, I'd say. Maybe a week. So definitely the first couple of nights. um I mean, I just slept pretty much the first 24 hours, I think.
00:50:02
Fiona Horsfield
And then after that, I was sleeping at night, but also sleeping in the day. I needed naps. um And yeah, it was probably about five or six days until I felt like I didn't have this haze over
00:50:07
UKRunChat
Yeah. Yeah.
Recovery and Future Plans
00:50:14
Fiona Horsfield
me anymore.
00:50:14
Fiona Horsfield
Like it's a jet lag. or And then it was another week probably after that. You know, if you've had flu and you try to do something and you think you're fine, you try to do something and then you're just absolutely knackered.
00:50:25
Fiona Horsfield
That's how it felt probably for about another week. and and yeah And then kind of back to normal after that. Still eating. I mean, yeah, everything, but and feel normal.
00:50:37
UKRunChat
Yeah, you must have had a huge calorie deficit, however hard you tried to fuel yourself during that.
00:50:41
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah.
00:50:41
UKRunChat
It must be impossible to eat enough. What does your kind of feeling look like over a long event like that?
00:50:43
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah.
00:50:48
Fiona Horsfield
So I am, there's a real mixture of stuff. I think I feel okay, but probably could have fueled better. um I used gels I used a lot of gels in the sort of first 24 hours anyway um and that was good and then I just kept them I did have them in my bag all times and I did find them actually really helpful just when you just needed that extra kick and it wasn't you necessarily about my my um my rate my exertion was so high but it was just getting the sugar in when I needed it and And I used gels for the caffeine as well. So kind had them so and just spread out all the time. and And then others, so I had nuts, crisps, flapjacks, I think were the absolute winner. Just these bar lots of bars of kind of high calorie flapjack.
00:51:38
Fiona Horsfield
some like The first couple of days I had things that I'd made from home, like um some wraps or hot cross buns with jam. But as the days went on, they just go stale. So it was all pretty much just packaged stuff. And I would take a few freeze dried meals as well if there was going to be a checkpoint with hot water that I could take it away from.
00:52:00
Fiona Horsfield
i'm porridge in a bag worked really well um and some other freeze-dried meals which didn't work so well but you know you you learn and but I just i mean i and I scavenged I felt like I was just scavenging food the whole way around there were so many people handing out food and I just took it from every everybody so I just tried to eat as much as possible
00:52:21
UKRunChat
So do you eat to a kind of a timed plan or just do you tune into what your body needs?
00:52:28
Fiona Horsfield
I think I had a timer on my watch for every 30 minutes. and And that was really helpful, probably for the first 24 hours.
00:52:32
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:52:35
Fiona Horsfield
And then after that, I just started to ignore it. And I probably should have listened to it more. But it felt like every 30 minutes came out so quickly. And then, you know, it was really hard to kind of want to keep eating so often as well.
00:52:48
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:52:50
Fiona Horsfield
But you probably needed it. But it was just trying to kind of override that. the the the um the feeling that you didn't want to do and just do it anyway. um But yeah, mostly mostly to feel, I would say, in the later stages.
00:53:05
UKRunChat
Yeah. And how how does your body cope with eating kind of on the move like that over a prolonged period of time? Because I know, I mean, I've never done a race longer than 24 hours, but I know even in the latter half of that, I was struggling to eat. How do you train your body to keep taking on fuel like that?
00:53:24
Fiona Horsfield
I think... I think just by, i I don't know what the sort of the best answer is. I mean, I just, i I did okay. I didn't, my stomach didn't cause me any issues. and And I think just by training, by eating on the move.
00:53:37
Fiona Horsfield
So any long runs I would do, i would just try and eat any, actually any runs, certainly the last couple of months, anything I did outside, I would be eating whilst I went.
00:53:38
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:53:48
Fiona Horsfield
um And I think just training your gut that way. Yeah. and certainly ah because the exertion is so low I mean I'm quite happy to eat just as I'm as I'm moving and if I was running more i would just probably struggle a bit more and I'd probably relying more on gels or carb drinks oh which I used as well actually I had carb mix in my drinks um but yeah I didn't really moving at that pace was fine
00:54:15
UKRunChat
Yeah, okay. Which brand carb drink do you use? I know our listeners will want to know.
00:54:21
Fiona Horsfield
Oh yeah, um so I used Hailwind and Active Root and i I went between the two of them just to kind of keep the flavours fresh.
00:54:30
UKRunChat
Yeah, and that works well for you generally.
00:54:32
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, yeah
00:54:32
UKRunChat
Yeah. I like the idea that you said you use kind of gels for for a caffeine kick. I've not heard that before, but that's actually, yeah, it's a really simple, easy way of getting caffeine if you need it.
00:54:40
Fiona Horsfield
yeah. Yeah, I found it to be sort of probably the most um transportable way that I could think of and i like the Protein Rebel
00:54:47
UKRunChat
you.
00:54:50
Fiona Horsfield
caffeine ones because they're I find them just really tasty and they're not so strong as some of the other ones so um so I could take them you know relatively regularly without feeling sick or head achy or anything um so yeah and they they I could just take them all the time I think they worked fine I mean certainly towards the end the caffeine was losing its function you know i needed to sleep but I still kept them going anyway
00:55:18
UKRunChat
Yeah. So with, with your sleep strategy, cause you mentioned you were setting your timer for 45 minutes. Was that a kind of, what what was the thinking behind that 45 minutes?
00:55:22
Fiona Horsfield
yea
00:55:25
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:55:27
Fiona Horsfield
Based just on the first sleep I had was about 45 minutes and i felt i felt it was kind of um I felt relatively refreshed after that. And certainly the last couple long races I've done, it seemed to be 45 minutes, seemed to be...
00:55:42
Fiona Horsfield
kind of I would naturally wake up after that point and feel okay. And actually going into the race, in my head, I thought I would either do a 30 minute sleep or an hour and a half sleep. So I completely went off track.
00:55:53
UKRunChat
Okay.
00:55:54
Fiona Horsfield
and Yeah. And i yeah, I don't know. i do feel that perhaps if one of my sleeps maybe it was slightly longer, i could maybe have,
00:56:06
Fiona Horsfield
um I don't know, maybe maybe I could have gained a bit more time back just from just being kind of sleep deprived and maybe needing to have trail naps as much because I did have the odd one.
00:56:18
Fiona Horsfield
So, but it's hard to know, isn't it?
00:56:21
UKRunChat
Yeah, and hindsight's wonderful thing, isn't it?
00:56:22
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah.
00:56:23
UKRunChat
But yeah, you you never really know.
00:56:26
Fiona Horsfield
No, no.
00:56:26
UKRunChat
is Is there anything else that didn't especially go to plan that you would change if you could do it again?
00:56:33
Fiona Horsfield
um So I do, I think the sleep and the fueling, I think they're so fundamental. and I think they they would be the things I would probably, And I have actually got a place on next year's spine race. I i i did enter yesterday. So I have to think about this again. um But yeah, so sleep and fueling. And those are the two, I think, that make, you know, obviously your kit because people were dropping out because they were getting cold. But my kit felt, you know there was nothing in my kit that didn't work. I was really happy with that side of things. But yeah, the basic stuff, fueling and sleep, I think are absolutely where it's at.
00:57:12
Fiona Horsfield
from me um and I need to probably get a better game plan together um and then just all the other stuff as well the sort of strength and and training really um being the best state you can be.
00:57:25
UKRunChat
Yeah.
00:57:27
UKRunChat
Yeah. And you've set yourself a really high benchmark, haven't you? We'll you again next time.
00:57:35
Fiona Horsfield
Well, know, i know, but I think it's a time thing, I think, and because I had to think about, you know, did I want to do this? And actually, at at the time, um i and I remember saying at the end, well, I'm not going to do that again. So that's,
00:57:51
Fiona Horsfield
and then a week later, I just, there was just part of my brain just kind of went, oh but I think you could I think you could do it better and there's things that you've learned and i mean I might not be able to who knows but you know just i just think oh maybe if I did feel better or I worked out my sleep then maybe i could move better at other times and it's just um yeah anyway I find myself on the you know okay fingers on the buzzer yesterday when the um when the applications opened so I've got a place so I have a year
00:58:25
UKRunChat
Oh, that's exciting. I was going to ask what's next, but, you know.
00:58:31
Fiona Horsfield
that's far enough away I don't need to think about it just yet but yeah I've got um Lakeland 100 um which I'm quite excited about I think I've never run a proper 100 miler um I say a proper one
00:58:32
UKRunChat
Have we got anything else planned for this year?
00:58:46
Fiona Horsfield
I think I'm actually going to have to run this one. um so thats So that's a big challenge for me. you know i feel that I feel the fear factor doing something like that because that feels very outwith my comfort zone.
00:58:57
Fiona Horsfield
and So I'll look forward to that as well you know and different focus for training. and And then I've got some of the Scottish hill running ones I want to do because they're good fun, and just dotted around over the year.
00:59:12
Fiona Horsfield
But yeah, those are the that that's those are the big ones, definitely.
00:59:14
UKRunChat
Yeah. So how how often are you racing then?
00:59:19
Fiona Horsfield
um so i think so the last few years i've had one probably big race in the year um and then i try and just do local races um just when they fit in or i feel like doing it um yeah for fun yeah yeah yeah yeah they are they are um Yeah, my my kids are funny about it.
00:59:31
UKRunChat
Yeah, just for fun. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, no, that's great. Yeah. And I bet you get but your children are really proud of you and you your husband.
00:59:43
Fiona Horsfield
They just sort of roll their eyes a little bit. and But they do love it as well. And they love, you know, telling their teachers about what mum's doing. And yeah, i know they're very supportive.
00:59:55
UKRunChat
I know. It's lovely for them to see their mum out doing stuff like that. like that's That's amazing. You need good role models and, yeah, what a role model you are.
01:00:02
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
01:00:03
UKRunChat
It's fantastic.
01:00:04
Fiona Horsfield
thank you. You're
01:00:05
UKRunChat
Well, thank you so much, Fiona, for your time today. It's been fascinating here hearing all about the spine.
01:00:08
Fiona Horsfield
so welcome. hey
01:00:10
UKRunChat
I'm not sure you've completely tempted me to ever want to do it, but you're a different different class of athlete, certainly.
01:00:18
Fiona Horsfield
No, not at all. And I think, um yeah, it's just, it was it's a challenge. And I think I would so encourage people to do that because it is amazing what your body can do. And and I do think a lot of it is your your your head space and your mindset. You know, it's not about being the most accomplished athlete at all. I think it's just enjoying it and getting out there and and giving it a shot.
01:00:41
UKRunChat
Yeah, and it's clear that you absolutely love it and that's your kind of environment.
01:00:45
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah.
01:00:46
UKRunChat
So yeah, that helps lot, doesn't it?
01:00:46
Fiona Horsfield
Yeah. yeah
01:00:48
UKRunChat
Yeah. Oh, well, thank you so much.
01:00:49
Fiona Horsfield
Definitely.
01:00:51
UKRunChat
and We hope that everybody out there listening to the conversation today has really enjoyed that. and If you've enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to the podcast, leave us a review and share it with somebody else who loves endurance running.
01:01:04
UKRunChat
And thank you, as always, for listening. We'll see you next time on the UK Run Chat podcast.