I'm sure it'll all be worth it in the end

In 2019, with my 40th seemingly just around the corner, I thought it was about time I started putting some plans in place to celebrate or in some way mark the occasion.

So I, along with Rosie, started drawing up a list of cool stuff to do in the year leading up to the big 4-0. Stuff that included a UK marathon, an overseas marathon, getting better at Italian (the language I had been learning badly for about a two years up to that point), a tough mudder or similar and an ultra-marathon.

Plans were put in place for so-called #Project40, ideas were written down, dates pencilled into the diary, friends cajoled into support. There was something in the diary for most months from June 2020 up to May 2021 and the big day itself.

Then coronavirus hit and everything that was pencilled in as confirmed was moved or worse, cancelled.

One of the events was the Serpent Trail ultra-marathon in the South Downs. The route looked challenging but not so challenging that it would be inappropriate for a first-timer such as myself. Unfortunately the re-arranged date was a date I had another event planned which hadn't yet been postponed. So I looked for another ultra, determined to at least tick this off my list!

The Isle of Wight ultra is, unlikely many runs, a circular route around the island which makes planning the pre- and post-event logistics much easier. It was due to take place at the beginning of September and it all seemed set to go ahead until another lockdown/tier system came in to place and that was the end of that.

Not to be discouraged I still entered the event when it was re-arranged for May this year, convinced that as it was so far away it must surely still go ahead. Unfortunately, there will be insufficient accommodation options the weekend of the event as the rules say only self-contained accommodation will be available by then. So it's been postponed again.

And as a result I've kind of lost my motivation. I think I knew I was starting the training quite far out from the event so it would have been a great effort to stay focussed and committed all the way to May but between the icy weather, high winds and another postponement it all just meant I lost interest.

So I'm sort of starting again. I'm re-designing my training plan so it all comes to ahead at the final event on the 10th of July which, by some perverse twist of fate, is exactly a year on from the original Serpent Trail weekend - my first choice for an ultra marathon. Fingers (and toes and everything else) crossed that's there's no further delays.