I love trail running. I am truly at my happiest exploring and having adventures off road. I love the sense of freedom it gives me, of how much of a warrior and adventurer I feel running off the beaten track.
But my journey into finding this happy place has been met with several barriers over the years that have somewhat stifled taking my adventures to the next level, to truly embrace the off-road warrior that I imagine and want to be. Some of these barriers are unconscious, automatic hyper-vigilance is a routine part of women’s reality. In order to “feel safe” it is deeply instilled in me that I need to avoid situations like running off the beaten track on my own. The reality is that, over the years, nothing untoward has ever happened to me but I’m sorry to say 40+ years of not putting myself in harm’s way has stopped me exploring as much as I would have liked to.
I’ve overcome this barrier to some extent by entering well organised off road races with running companies like Endurance Life and Maverick Races. I’ve travelled to several coastline races in Devon, Wales, Dorset, and Yorkshire; sometimes on my own, sometimes I’ve managed to persuade friends and/or my long-suffering husband to come with me. At first these events were quite lonely as I toed the start line, the field was heavily male dominated but even I was surprised by recent stats that women make up less than 20% of starters at longer endurance races.
Thankfully over the years I have noticed many more women on the start line alongside me, helped by the fact that running events companies are listening, taking notice, and adapting to ensure their races are more inclusive. There are now separate portaloos for males and females, men are discouraged from urinating quite so openly in bushes and Maverick Races now provide sanitary products in the portaloos and at aid stations. As I look back to when I first started entering trail running events, if I was on my period, I just wouldn’t go, I wouldn’t turn up to the event, it was far too stressful, so I opted out, and therefore of course, I missed out.
These barriers to entry are slowly being broken down. Last year I was really encouraged by the Boston Athletic Association joining the UTMB and London Marathon in recognising that women have different needs to men, and announcing that women will have the opportunity to defer their places for up to 2 years should they become pregnant.
Women are being seen as individuals with different needs, but who still want to run off roads, run up mountains and jump about on the trails. Personally, I want to race alongside men and women, I don’t want female only races, I’d just like some tiny adjustments to make this possible.
All of this has reminded me of one of my first off road races experiences back in 2010. I was training for London Marathon, and someone suggested that a 20 mile off road event in February, the Meon Valley Plod, would fit perfectly into my training plan. Eleven members from my then club were entering, including 3 other female runners, and so persuaded, I signed up. Looking back I cringe at my naivety and innocence as I soon discovered that road shoes were not the only type of running shoe available. Honestly, I didn’t know that there was such a thing as an off-road shoe! I mean why would I? You only know what you know, but many thanks again to the group from Portsmouth Joggers who kindly pointed out by shouting at (or rather, about) me “Oh my god, look she’s got road shoes on!” as I waded through mud and knee-deep puddles, slipping and sliding all over the place. Of course I know now I might as well have worn flip flops the use they were, but it was too late, and there was nothing I could do about it with just the 15 miles left to go.
I also didn’t know anything about how long off-road running takes compared to road running. I’d previously run Bramley 20, a road event a couple of weeks before in 3hrs 16 mins, but by this point on Meon Valley Plod I think I was still at mile 10 in off-road hell. I also knew nothing about fuelling for longer runs. Gels?? what were they? They were just for “real runners”, not someone like me.
Inevitably… I crashed and burned. I remember it being horrible, I remember wanting it to end so badly, it brought back all these horrible memories of having to walk as a pre-teen with the “Blind Ramblers” group that my parents belonged to. I hated having to do that and 9 times out of 10 I would feign sickness to stay on the coach for the afternoon instead. But I was now a fully grown adult who’d actually paid to do this and there was no way out, I had to carry on.
Despite all of this, I remember the kindness of my fellow club mate as she shared her gels and her life stories with me, she kept me going and we finished together. I think the only people left at the finish line were the St Johns Ambulance crew, everyone else had gone home. My finish time was 4hrs 52 mins, and trust me if you don’t already know, that’s a long time to be cold, wet, and hungry!
As the barriers for women in off-road begin and continue to break down, I’ve feel like I am finally able to allow myself to explore the idea that I too can realise what my ultimate running goals are, and that they might just involve some incredible off road adventures. The first step has been to register for the Snowdonia 25km UTMB race, there is a waiting list but that’s ok, it’s the first step, if not this year, then next. And I promise I’ll make sure I have all the right kit!
