Around this time last year, I forlornly stood outside my house at 5am waiting for a pre-booked taxi that never arrived to take me to Huddersfield station and on to London for the Torq trail team selection day.
I felt a massive opportunity to change my life and running as the clock ticked by and I knew there was no way to get there in time, I’d arranged to meet two fellow runners I’d regularly spoken to on Twitter over the months before and was looking forward to a day out and who knows, maybe the selectors would see enough in my background and potential to pick me for the team.
As it transpires, missing the final selection day had a double kick in the nuts (for me anyway) when the 2013 team was announced and it included both Tim and Chris who I’d arranged to meet!
So a year on, I’ve worked my arse off to improve as a runner and I love the sport more than ever.
Not just the running and racing but learning, writing and reviewing and practicing to squeeze more out of myself and I figured if I had enough to make the selection day last year, I was damn sure going to try again for the Berghaus Trail Team this time around and I got the email the other day saying I’d been invited!
There will be no sob story this time, I’m heading to The Lakes for the whole weekend and look forward immensely to catching the Dragons Back film and the chance to meet the last winner Steve Birkinshaw, an incredible athlete and navigator to hear what he’s got to say.
It’s also great to see some vaguely familiar names in Gary Morrison and David Beech who my wife has had the pleasure of supporting while she marshalled The Spine Race the last couple of years.
There’s going to be some tough competition for a place on the team this year for sure but I relish the chance to even be there and I know I can bring a lot to the team if I make it but as a minimum, I relish the chance just to learn something from the weekend being around such a varied selection of runners.
Can’t wait.