Allendale Challenge 2024: signed up!

After re-reading my post about goals for 2024, I decided to pull my finger out and sign up for the Allendale Challenge.

While I have some slight trepidation about it — my last time saw me lose 4 toenails and a significant area of skin off both heels, as well as get sunburn and a crocked knee — I feel more confident that I'll get through it unscathed since taking the decision to use my new trail running shoes. They might not be rugged, but wearing something as comfortable as a pair of Brooks should be a world away from the Salomon hiking shoes that I wore last time. Before I even started it, I knew they gave me grief and was patched up with Compeed to stave off the inevitable blisters. Alas, by the halfway point, I'd already worn through both the plasters and my heels' skin. Hopefully that won't be necessary this time... but I'll still take some. And the chapstick thing for between my toes.

Also, if I find myself heading that way again, I'm just gonna quit this time. It really wasn't worth the loss of toenails. And doing the last 8 miles with no skin on my heels as the boots rubbed with every step was just madness. So yeah, hopefully I'm older and wiser now.

But I'm still focused on beating my dad's time of 10 hours and 8 minutes, of course, even if it's now 26 instead of 25 miles. 😉

Oh, and I've said nothing of the physical, fitness challenge. I'm 100% confident on that front, just as I was in 2010. Whether I can do the distance isn't in doubt. I'm not running it, of course, but will aim to be walking moderately quickly. But yeah, confident about the endurance side. All I need is a bit of Lucozade and some Thornton's fudge to keep me going — worked last time! 😋



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