Run 76km for the Peak District Rescue Team

On the 27th and 28th of April, I’ll be attending the Peak Divide Classic, a 76km trail run across the stunning Peak District. To make this experience even more meaningful, I’ve decided to raise funds for a local organization, the Peak District Rescue Team. It’s an opportunity to give back to the people who help us enjoy this beautiful place safely and, in some cases, save lives. I witnessed one of their rescues in 2021, and I can’t imagine what would have happened without them.

FROM 4KM to 76KM in 6 months… More about the challenge

Four months ago, in October 2024, I couldn’t run 4km without experiencing severe pain in my knee. So why the hell am I taking on this challenge?

First, for the, hopefully, satisfying feeling of accomplishment. I experienced this in 2023 after completing the amazing 180km and 14,000m of ascent of the GR20, the famous thru-hike in Corsica. One year before, I had casually accepted an invitation from my friends to join them on a ‘hike.’ A few months later, I was dealing with a chronic injury that wouldn’t even allow me to walk to Sainsbury’s without pain. I spent countless hours at physiotherapy, stretching multiple times a day, working out at the gym, patiently walking on the treadmill while others were lifting hundreds of kilograms and running full speed. I invested a lot of time and energy (and money, geeking on the latest hiking gadgets), but I wasn’t even sure I would survive the first day.

Well, nine days later, I arrived in Conca, the only survivor of our group of three. That day, I felt something I can’t remember ever experiencing before. I couldn’t believe I had actually done it. It was a unique feeling, one I cherish and will do whatever I can to experience again.

Second, the place. The Peak District is, in many ways, a special place for me. While living in Manchester for four years, I spent a lot of time hiking, camping, cycling, foraging, and exploring the lovely towns of the Peaks. While some may find it less spectacular than the Lake District, Snowdonia, or the Scottish Highlands, it has a unique atmosphere that is both beautiful and dramatic.

Many times, I’ve encountered trail runners on my hikes, and I couldn’t help but envy the scenery they experienced in just a few hours and the special perspective they gained from running these trails. Of course, I couldn’t resist the temptation to try it myself. But it ended just a couple of kilometres later, as my old injury flared up again. Still, those few kilometres were enough to convince me that this was exactly what I wanted to do.

Funnily enough, that day I “ran” into the Edale Mountain Rescue Team, who were organizing a charity run — a 40km race following the beautiful 9 Edges Trail, which I hiked the previous summer.

Am I going to make it?

Going from 4 to 76 km is quite a stretch. To tell the truth, I’ve already postponed the race twice since 2024 because I wasn’t able to fix my knee. But this time around, things have worked out much better. Thanks to finding a good physiotherapist and learning from my mistakes, as of January 2024, I can run 30 km (3x10km) weekly with no signs of pain in my knee.

However, there’s still a long way to go. More specifically, I should be able to run 30 km+ (3x10 km at fundamental endurance, ~145 bpm, and 5:45 min/km) in preparation, and I need to do this twice in a row to simulate the race. This has to happen within 15 weeks.

So, I’ll ramp up my training while still avoiding injury. This means taking it slower, rather than being stopped by a new or old injury. I’ve been talking to trainers and marathoners, and I believe I have a plan. Prioritizing volume over intensity, again to prevent injuries, I will focus on increasing the length of one weekly run up to 30 km, while maintaining or slightly reducing the other two runs. That means a 10% increase every week, which aligns with doctors’ recommendations.

In parallel, I need to pay attention to nutrition and hydration. For such a long run, over 8 hours, I’ll need to manage these aspects, which are entirely new to me.

So, am I going to make it? Nothing is certain, but it has never looked better (or, it has been a lot worse). I have a plan and some time ahead. My worst enemy is injury, so that’s my #1 priority.

I’ll post regular updates on the gofundme. My Strava if you want to follow the progress.