 |
| Dirty Rory's Message |
Lyrics:- 'Watch it bring you to your knees' - Rose, Slash & McKagan
Song Choice:- From the 'Appetite to Destruction' album it highlights my thoughts today on the ever increasing number of incredibly difficult Ultra-marathons not only taking place today but all year round it now seems.
The ultimate in difficulty is probably 'The Spine' some 268 miles on the Pennines in full arctic conditions. Having been up there in a complete white-out, it's not for the feint-hearted or for some of the folk I've seen in the starting list some of whom, are regular DNFers at other far lesser events.
Is it a running race? Is it heck. It's a survival race where arctic weather training and experience is needed as there's a real threat to life on this one, I believe. Those DNFers put the race organisers safety procedures under pressure and a fatality will occur before more stringent safety measures are implicated, I believe.
The Internet, especially YouTube has only heightened folks 'Appetite for Destruction' and I see it every year at the MdS with people knowingly going with chronic medical conditions taking part , some are going again this year!
For the record, MdS was my 159th Marathon and I was uber-fit that first time. Entry qualifications of £4k and an ECG is a ticking timebomb and will hopefully be redressed with some entry qualifications events, just like the UTMB does.
Until then it's 'Folks with eyes a lot bigger than their bellies time' and don't give me that 'It's better to have tried and failed etc.' because it's not.
'Starter completer' is much better and if you don't know how to train, come and learn how to do it properly and enjoy your leisure time. You might find out you don't kill yourself or anyone else along the way too.
It doesn't have to be a jungle out there.
Rory Coleman - 980 Marathons - 241 Ultras - 13 Marathon des Sables
9 Guinness World Records - 8,410 Days' Alcohol Free.
My Book 'A Rebel and a Runner' is out now - Get your's here
Location: Cardiff, Wales
No comments:
Post a Comment