Tales from the Trails – Edition 3.

8th January 20239th January 2023
by ClaudiS

Tales from the Trails – Edition 3.

“I grew up spending about 3 months a year in the Eastern Pyrenees. My family moved away in 2016, but now we are back, 7 years later and it is delightfully unchanged! There is a lot of joy in exploring an old familiar place through the eyes of a ‘new’ hobby or new person to the area.

During 2 weeks of remote working, I ran all around the house, exploring the incredible (and totally unrunnable) trails on offer.

I am a complete wuss on my own in the mountains, facings fears of

Stray dogs
Wild boar or
Hunters hunting said wild boar.

This led to a few turnarounds and bailing on some more ambitious solo plans. However in the end, although I met many dogs, most of them just wanted to say hi and a head stroke! One even decided to accompany for a 3km stretch of downhill road…

With James turning up, I was incredibly excited to show him these mountains and this region that hold such a large place in my heart. Adventures with your other half are always a fun balancing act…

‘Stop running so fast and look at the views!’

Fuelled by baguettes of jambon et fromage, we got to take in the rugged coastline of the Languedoc-Roussillon as well as the steep and never ending climbs up some bigger mountains.

Check out these routes on their Strava

TO SPAIN AND BACK

MONTFERRER

After 3 weeks in the south, bags are packed, next stop the Alps. We leave full of anticipation and plans for future Pyreneean adventures: definitely some bikes needed (road? Gravel? Both?), ropes for some fun scrambling, and friends, we’ll definitely need to bring some friends out here with us!”

~ Alex with James, December 2022 / January 2023, Eastern Pyrenees. Give them a follow, both are always adventuring – climbing, touring, running, cycling and skiing.

Follow Alex
Follow James

ADVENTURE

What if… A return to racing and a deep…

27th June 202227th June 2022
by ClaudiS

What if… A return to racing and a deep dive into being patient with yourself and life.

~ Words on life by Claudi.

NOW (2022) AND THEN (2019).

Two Maverick Race Peaks Ultra races. Two wins. Two course records.

The only thing that is actually the same: I’m still wearing those sunnies, still smashing my way through all food groups and I wanted a beer at the finish 😅

The Long Read – (author’s note: it touches on grief)

2019: THE CLIMB.

71km / 2500m. A lot hillier, remote and technical. A training run on tired legs. Just back from the mountains and back to back racing. Gearing up for UMTB® TDS (145km / 9100m around Mont Blanc, Alps) in a few weeks.

Life:
Well… as always going hard and fast, on top of the back and forth to Germany; with bad and worse news (three years on the bounce, a long depleting lead up). Trying to take it all in my stride and keep some normality. I already knew that I was preparing for something much tougher and bigger. I tried to retain some naivety around it, it’s just so unimaginable. You don’t really want to go there. Imagine not just the life without, but the moment you live through their last breath. Nothing will prepare you for it, that much I can tell you now. I DNF’ed (did not finish) TDS. My body sent me signals loud and clear (not injured thankfully). My whole being was elsewhere but not in it. I rushed home. We had some more time to spend together. It all feels very hazy, now looking back. I was tired. Exhausted by life.

Thoughts on running long distances (then)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz7fki2Hn7G/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

The finish line (then).
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz3lC68n-Ns/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y==

2020 – 2022: THE PAUSE.

Worlds colliding.

The end. The shock. The grief. Straight into the pandemic. The earth underneath me breaking away. That free fall felt endless. Best was not to try hold on to something but to let it all unfold. Fighting it versus accepting it – it truly was the hardest to do. It took me a while to understand this and then to actually practise and do it (or do nothing for a matter of fact). You’re floating in a space of deep uncertainty and questioning, it knocks your confidence for six. Running long distances gave me glimpse of it: the surprise challenges, the feelings attached to it, the powerlessness to go on, standing in your own way, finding a way around it and so on. Yet it wasn’t enough to prepare me for it, let alone see me through.

I eventually landed somewhere rock bottom. Hey. But on my feet. Papa always said; you have the talents and the right work-attitude. Do something with it. Make them work together. So I started to put one foot in front of the other (you know it!). Moving forwards, keeping our run community going virtually, then back IRL offline, outside, together. Holding space. Getting so much back in return. After all, WE ARE DAYBREAK is all about life… with some running alongside. Rooted and brought to life by the people in it.

The world and races opened up (briefly then some more). I wasn’t ready. I let go of years of continuous strings of GFAs, BQs, all the points (now stones) and my ITRA score. I promised myself to only race on curiosity and with the aim to have fun (for most of it). Not on anger, worry, sadness, grief or trying to fill a void. There is of course curiosity linked to those emotions, but it’s coming in too hot and from an angle that can overshadow the good work that can be done. I also refrained from burying (distracting) myself in work and commitments. I learned to say no better in that time, yet gone beyond a few thresholds here and there, of course. Taming some of that work-hard ethos is hard sometimes 😬 Pulling back. Letting go.

I had to stretch between London and home. I had to learn so many new skills fast. We all had to step up. Trying to fill my father’s shoes. Life went on at full throttle, even if it was nothing like the life as we knew it. You all have lived through the pandemic, too. And have your own version of it. I took strength in many things. I kept learning, turning page after page. I wrote. I kept my heart open, even when it was still shattered in so many pieces. I’ve reached out to old and looked for some new mentors. Mind, heart, soul, business. Found inspiration in my friends discovering their depth and strength on their respective running journeys far and wide. Gold dust. I spent a lot of time outside. I loved the miles and I also loved rest days. Going slowly. Steady. Never too fast. Sat down when I wanted to. Contemplated a lot. Of course I cried some: it’s really near impossible to cry, breathe and run at the same time. Mind. A lot of time I spent alone in solitude and sorrow. Kept my independence. I had to figure this out in my own head. And I needed to learn to appreciate time in a different way.

I stayed present. Connected back to myself. To my core values. I did open up and had many conversations. I didn’t seek professional help (I was close enough though). Instead explored the options with those close to me. After all everyone is proficient in life, right?! And everyone could potentially have different insights to share. I’ve listened. I’ve leaned. They stood and held. Every rock has a rock in their life ❤️ No one wants to be a burden. Include family dynamics into the mix, all of us grieving differently on different timelines. I got to know myself, my family and my support network on such a deep and different level.

Thoughts on optimism and support during tough times (the pandemic edit)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-W0fbSn_id/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Since TDS (34 months ago) I covered close to 10.000km on foot 😅 Most of it set to private or only written down on paper. I didn’t want to be seen, liked or commented on. Shout out to my followers: you all keep a positive and encouraging tone over the years; I know this is rare and I’m grateful we meet exactly there 🙏 I didn’t want to curate or share. Let alone explain, to provide the necessary context. Digitally placed and consumed means we’re taking away many essential nuances of communication. Everyone is fast to make assumptions based on their own experience… I also ran a good chunk without even recording anything. They say ‘miles make you’ – I say: make sure you truly move yourself with them. Nothing else really matters.

So those miles had to go somewhere eventually.

2022: THE RETURN.

54k / 1400m. Peaks Ultra take two, on a new course. So much more runnable. Yikes. I had to change my fuel strategy. Cheese wasn’t cutting it (IMAGINE). There weren’t enough (slow) climbs to do the hike up and eat. Still processing it all of course. We signed up less than a week before. A moment of courage… or insanity, that’s your call 😂 Training was far from specific. I knew the strength and miles were there. I can head out and play – and discover. Going in with no expectations whatsoever. Of course you don’t just turn up to ultras aimlessly. I’ve gone between ‘you probably DNF that one or you actually might win it’. I think that spectrum of extremes genuinely keeps me humble. Definitely dream big (without being too cocky), still also be ok with knowing when to say no and walk away with that decision. I can be ok and happy with either. ‘Failure builds success.’ And success is also only just another stepping stone.

The finish (now).
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfPH04Fte2L/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I wasn’t thinking too much about the race, didn’t rehearse stuff (forgotten all basically). Learned anew how to pack my mandatory kit. Remembered it’s a lot to carry 😅
Found calm and confidence in these during my time out there running:

Really it’s just one foot in front of the other. Nothing has changed.
Stay present, take everything in your stride. Bring the curiosity and vulnerability.
Pace it somewhat sensibly (by all means, I don’t even know myself what that means anymore. Where’s my ‘race effort’ at?! No clue. Chatting to other runners en course is a good start, non?!)
Eat. You’re good at that. Keep pushing the calories.
Run the race in-front of you. Run your own race. Always. If you get overtaken (by another woman), that’s still just the race in-front of you.
Keep it simple. Stop the faff. Move through the aid stations swiftly. (Nothing has changed).
Have some fun.
What if…
Soak it all up. Wow. The cheers, smiles, encouragement at aid stations and marshal points (‘You’re first lady!’ 😳😭), hugs and high fives, jokes. The shared miles. The solitude. Being happy being in your own head. I admit, I’m so happy I came back to this.
The kicking and punching of your body to urge you to stop (20k in). The fire and passion in your heart to go on. Until that gets you into more trouble (25k in). The mind towering above all. The trick is to make all three sing in unison. Eventually they did (35k in). It’s the best feeling when you stop self-sabotaging and start excelling. Those feels may not be reflected in pace. Knowing you’ve experienced the shift, is what’s integral.
Follow your mantras: I’ve written on my arm: The next 5 minutes (‘Excellence is the next five minutes or nothing at all.’ ~ Tom Peters). And on my hand: KDS ❤️
If you want to do well, get into the front row. Then hold on. For dear life. (Nothing has changed here either).
During the toughest miles I found this in my heart: what weighs you down, makes you stronger. What makes you fly, makes you faster. It’s a win win, really. (Stunned by my own thoughts sometimes ha).
Grit & grace. Make sure you celebrate when you come home. (And let those emotions roll freely 😬)

That’s it.

On to living a new day in this life… (hobbling about on sore legs is still moving forwards, right?! 😆)

Take good care of that life of yours. Sincerely, Claudi x

*Race pictures by Maverick Race (then and now) Jake Baggaley / myself and the family.

WE ARE TRAIL

Concrete x Jungle

24th August 20207th September 2020
by ClaudiS

CONCRETE x JUNGLE

How lockdown helped me to discover the hidden green spaces in London and ignited my love for trail running.

by May Edmondson

On 23rd March 2020 – the ‘one outdoor activity per day’ rule was introduced as part of the UK-wide lockdown in the fight against coronavirus. You were permitted to run or walk within the local area, alone or only with members of your own household – spending your one ‘token’ of exercise per day meant we had to make every run count. Trudging the tarmac worked for a while, but after a few days of pounding the same few pavements I became restless for something more adventurous – yet the public transport ban made the North Downs Way just a tad too far to be accessible, let alone the idea of beginning to tick a few peaks off the Bob Graham round, so I instead turned all my attention to searching for the best trails on my doorstep. Here is a roundup of my 5 favourite trails in London and the lessons I have learned in the process as I took my first few tentative steps in the world of trail-running.

1. Parkland Walk

Situated on the old railway line between Alexandra Palace and Highgate woods (Parkland Walk North – 750m) and Highgate Woods and Finsbury Park (Parkland Walk South – 3km), this 5km total stretch of protected green-space provides a very different kind of rush-hour commute. Look out for the bat sanctuary in the old Holmsdale road tunnels, the scary Spriggan sculpture which is said to have inspired Stephen King’s horror novel, ‘Crouch End’ and the old platforms which used to belong to a station of the same name.

Difficulty level: 1/5 – a great beginner trail
Optional add-ons: Combine with the New River Path, extending to Hackney and Islington in the South or as far as Hertfordshire in the North
Lessons learned: Avoid between 9-10am (dog-walkers’ rush hour)
Find out more about the Parkland Walk here

2. Beverley Brook Trail

Did you know that just beyond the bars and boating houses of Putney riverside there is a gentle stream stretching 10 km south of the Thames? Nope, neither did I until Lockdown! This picturesque trail takes you from New Malden, through Wimbledon common, across Richmond Park and Barnes Common, closely hugging the Beverley Brook, all the way to meet the Thames. The trail is mostly within green spaces, with a few crossings in between (including level crossings at Barnes, which is an added bonus if you are a train geek like me!) and is mostly flat, making it suitable for beginners. The route is way-marked with a red circle with a deer inside, which are mostly easy enough to follow and is particularly beautiful now the autumn leaves are beginning to shed. Since the trail encompasses so many green spaces, there is plenty of room for optional extra exploration, such as the Tamsin trail in Richmond park or the Thames path itself, where the brook empties out into the river at Putney.

Difficulty level: 2/5 – easy trails, mostly flat, some turnings difficult to spot when overgrown
Optional add-ons: The Tamsin Trail in Richmond Park, the Thames Path at Putney
Lessons learned: Take a moment to stop and enjoy the views – my favourite reading tree was found here.
Find out more about the Beverly Brook Trail here

3. Capital Ring

Ever spotted signposts with those little green circles with the big ben symbol in the middle? If you have, chances are the mega 75 mile (120km) Capital Ring orbital route passes through your local area. The route is divided into 15 sections, meaning it is possible to complete 1 or 2 sections in a day (although there is a popular ultrarunning challenge which involves completing the entire loop in one go!). Since it is owned by TFL, the route is well-maintained and sign-posted, meaning it’s hard to get lost. My favourite sections of the Capital Ring are section 12 (Highgate to Stoke Newington), which features the beautiful Abney Park Cemetery, and section 4 (Crystal Palace to Streatham). You can even download a certificate once you have completed all 15 sections (and it looks pretty on your Strava Heatmap!)

Difficulty level: 2/5 – mostly flat trails with some hillier sections
Optional add-ons: Richmond Park after section 6, or the South East London Green Chain Walk after section 3. Alternatively, follow the Lea Valley Walk north from Springfield Park, instead of south towards Hackney Wick as part of section 13.
Lessons learned: The same trails look completely different depending on the season, which is all the more motivation to come back!
Find all GPX files of the Capital Ring here

4. London Loop

The big brother of the Capital Ring, this second orbital route is larger (at 150 miles, 242km) and surrounds the outskirts of London, encompassing some of the most beautiful green spaces and historical sites of interest in the capital. Divided into 24 slightly longer sections, you could easily complete a section in a couple of hours, or spend a whole day on the trails. My favourite section so far is the stretch between Elstree and Cockfosters, which took me through the stunning ancient Scratchwood in Barnet and Monken Hadley Common in Hadley Wood. Be prepared for some slightly more technical trails and hidden wayfinder symbols – I have been caught out a couple of times after climbing over the wrong stile, traversing a farmer’s field in the middle of nowhere when the heavens have opened and I have had to abort mission. However, the rain, the cowpat mishaps and the getting lost are all part of the trail running adventure!

Difficulty level: 3/5 – Some more technical trails and wayfinders not always easy to spot.
Optional add ons: The Pymmes Brook Trail at Monken Hadley Common, which travels through Arnos Grove and Southgate, before finally merging with the River Lea Navigation at Tottenham
Lessons learned: Plan for things not to go to plan. You never know when you will get caught out on a run. Even the most seasoned trail runners get lost sometimes, or become injured off the beaten track. In the event that you do need the emergency services, giving your current location as ‘a big green field off the M25’ isn’t particularly helpful, so I cannot stress enough the importance of downloading the ‘what3words’ app, which has divided the world into 3m x 3m squares, all given a unique 3 word address, to help the emergency services find you faster when you dial 999.
Find all GPX files of the London Loop here

5. Dollis Valley Greenwalk

If you want fields, hills, cows, dipping your toes in a stream, jumping over stiles, wading through long grass, this trail has it all. The Dollis Brook (a tributary of the River Brent), stretches 10 miles from Moat Mount Open space in the north all the way down through Totteridge and Woodside park towards Finchley and Hampstead Heath. It is virtually untouched by civilisation in sections, and you have to pinch yourself to remember you are in London. Sights include Barnet Gate Woods, Totteridge Fields Nature Reserve, and the towering Dollis Brook viaduct near Mill Hill. Because of its location in the North London greenbelt, there are dozens of smaller trails spanning off from the brook, including local Totteridge Village Heritage walks and the newly landscaped Folly Brook trail, meaning you could easily continue your exploration on the trails for an entire day, all within easy reach of the high streets of Whetstone and Mill Hill (and 2km from my house!). The well-trodden paths can become boggy after it has rained, so trail shoes are recommended, but the route is well demarcated and not too steep, making it suitable for beginners and veteran trail-runners alike.

Difficulty level: 2.5/5 – Some more technical and slippery trails, particularly in Winter
Optional add-ons: Folly Brook Trail (at Woodside park), London Loop (at Moat Mount), Capital Ring (at Falloden way) Brent River Path (at Henley’s corner), Mutton Brook (also at Henley’s corner), Totteridge Village Heritage Walks (at various points along the Dollis ascending to Totteridge Common).
Lessons learned: I have absolutely fallen in love with trail running! There is always something new to discover, even on your doorstep.
Find more info on the Dollis Valley Greenwalk here

May is a ball of energy and has been running with us for some time now. She’s only taken her first steps off-road at the beginning of the year and has carried that initial spark all the way to this. When she’s not running she’s a healthcare assistant (HCA) at Great Ormond Street Hospital working for the wonderful NHS here in London.
Follow her on Instagram and Strava.

Join our community. No matter where you start – new to running or trail running, looking for likeminded people to run with or ask questions. Or are you a mountain goat legend and long distance runner?
We’re looking forward to meeting you!

WE ARE ONLINE

Finding motivation

23rd March 20203rd January 2021
by ClaudiS

Finding motivation when the going gets tough

Words by Fiona.

Motivation is a funny thing. It seems to come and go like the wind and I tend to find I’m motivated at really useless times (think 11pm at night I’m dreaming of that long run or stuck at my desk I’m fantasising about a core workout I want to nail).

Home working can be tough and being constricted by external limitations can really cause motivation to run away scared. Here are some tips of how to stay motivated when times get tough:

1 Plan

Sit down at the start of week and make a plan of when you’re going to workout and what you are hoping to do. Planning in advance helps you prioritise the time and forces you to think through when things won’t work (planning a 3 hour long run the same day as you’re due to be working a long day – probably unrealistic).

As well as simply planning I really recommend you write it down – this makes it more likely to happen. Personally I use a journal and go old-school but you could do this online or on a calendar app if that works better for you.

2 Be Accountable

Community is so useful in helping us get through the hard sessions. I also have found my running transformed since being coached by someone as this has enabled me be accountable for the sessions I’m going to attempt and how they did or didn’t go.

Text a friend and ask if they fancy doing a session with you remotely this week – you could both commit to doing an interval session on Tuesday say or to doing the Tempo Thursday set. Check in with that person afterwards, share what you found hard and what you’re proud of for yourself for.

Accountability is such a powerful tool in helping get a session in when motivation is waning.

3 Find Positive Inspiration

Inspiration is everywhere around us from those we find positive influences on social media (note positive influences: if they’re not uplifting – unfollow!) to stories you can read from heroes of the running community (now is a great time to read that book you’ve always wanted to) through to documentaries and short films and of course from those around us. I particularly find the people in my everyday life really inspire me: the colleague who did her first 5km run in the park yesterday, my parents getting out for a daily walk, my We Are Daybreak friends committing to their workouts and finding strength and resilience.

Channel that positivity and let it fuel your workout.

4 If you’re struggling

Sometimes life can be quite overwhelming. At times when I’ve been really struggling I’ve committed to the simple tool of completing three things a day. Just three things. When I’ve been in a really tough place that might be as simple as shower, eat one proper meal and get outside once today. When I’m doing well it might be bigger things: laundry, a running session, pay that nagging bill. Write it down. Celebrate each thing you complete but remember if things are tough that you can do small things. Sticking to just three helps keep it manageable and gives you create a positive outlook to approaching tasks throughout the rest of the week.

5 Set goals

My recent coaching qualifications focused on the importance of goal setting but not perhaps in the way that social media has led us to believe. Firstly don’t worry about medals or even times. And while it’s great to have something big to aim for (I’ve been working towards a race in August for over a year now), it is also really important that we set bitesized smaller goals and review our progress. So try setting a fitness based goal of where you would like to be in 8 weeks time and then benchmark your current ability. That could be improving your balance by 20% (try standing on one leg with your eyes shut and time yourself). Or how about improving your core strength through completing regular strength training (try holding a plank for as long as you can).

Goals don’t need to be about races or medals and smaller fitness goals will have long term impacts on your running that you will reap for years to come.

6 The ‘zero to hero’ fallacy

With so many opportunities to take part in exercise at the minute don’t overcommit and try and do everything. What does your current average week of exercising look like? We would always encourage that you don’t step up by more than 20% in a week so that might mean if you regularly take part in 5 running sessions a week adding in an additional yoga class. Start slowly and remember that the phrase ‘zero to hero’ is a lie. Zero to “Ouch what is that sharp pain?!” more like. There is power in rest days. Since I’ve introduced two rest days a week, I’ve got 15 minutes faster at the marathon. Fifteen minutes. Just by resting! Get stronger, stay fit and sane yet move mindfully and allow your body time to recover.

Finally: remember the power of the simple things. Eat mindfully, get some time outdoors, reduce your screen time, exercise, call your friends and family, don’t overdo the caffeine.

Follow Fiona

WE ARE ONLINE

Join our sessions

19th March 20203rd January 2021
by ClaudiS

WE ARE ONLINE
– how to access session content and community support, helping you to get through various lockdowns and local restrictions during the pandemic:

Head over to our FACEBOOK Community group

Tap into what our team has been up to on INSTAGRAM and our STORIES, where we share snippets and community content too. Why not join our STRAVA group so share workouts, see leaderboards, join our segment challenges? You can also access video content, technique sessions and strength & conditioning workouts via our YOUTUBE channel. We’ll be adding more week by week, sometimes day by day!

Are you ready? Let’s go!

WE ARE ONLINE

16th March 20203rd January 2021
by ClaudiS

WE ARE ONLINE

In light of the recent pandemic COVID19 / CoronaVirus –

Until further notice we are pausing our weekly sessions and special events, effectively from March 16th 2020.

The Government has today issued updated guidance for clubs, businesses and individuals to:

avoid any unnecessary and non-essential social contact or gatherings – big or small, the size doesn’t matter.
avoid all unnecessary travel, with work from home recommended wherever possible.
London is further along the pandemic curve, and should expect further preventative steps in the near future to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the virus.
For more information or if you have concerns, please go to: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Therefore, it is our collective responsibility to our community and fellow Londoners (and beyond) to take these critical steps, however much it saddens us to do so!

However, we are still allowed outside as individuals! 🍃 We have started working on an online programme ‘WE ARE ONLINE‘ for you last week and will help you to keep active and get outside. We aim to keep you all connected, and we will continue to support each other as we always do, even if that is solely online for the time being.

We further encourage you to follow the latest Government advice, which includes exercising individually to avoid non-essential social contact and be prepared for the advice to evolve, particularly in London.

We understand this is not going to be easy but we are a strong and dynamic community, so let’s keep our channels open. Share your sessions, share your learnings, share your questions, also share your challenges. Speak up if you struggle – we are as much about your emotional and mental wellbeing as we are about your physical conditioning.

The trails remain and we will run further and farther together when the situation improves. Watch this space. And wash your hands!

Much love and light from your DB Team x

ABC OF LIFE

ABC – Attitude

7th October 20193rd January 2021
by ClaudiS

Asking better questions for better results. Learning by doing. Empowering through journeys and experiences.

This week we’re taking a close look at ATTITUDE.

Read what our community has to share. If you want to be featured and get inspired head over to our brainstorm area:
DB / ABC of Life – topics you would like to see featured or contribute to.
DB / ABC of LIFE – A – your thoughts on ADVENTURE and ATTITUDE.

A… ATTITUDE

“Attitude (over ability) – the mindset you go in to a run or hike or challenge or day out with matters way more than how objectively good you are. The trail doesn’t care about your marathon PB. But it does care how you treat it, the way you step carefully, the way you stop and say hi to the wildlife or pause to pick juicy berries. And years from now, you won’t care about your marathon PB either, but you will care about the runs where you learned something new, where you laughed with your friends or where you found solace from that thing that you might not talk about but that weighs heavy. Not every day out will be fast or easy. But they can still be a good day.”
~ LEAH @poet_on_the_run

“Attitude… means commitment, a lifestyle truly. Be kind, to yourself, others and the World you run in everyday. A mindset. Not every run is great but I think you need to believe in yourself and in the power of going out there and get what you have worked for. Overwhelming days are half empty glasses, but a good run can turn that easily… especially when it’s done with a friendly group of running buddies.”
~ FRANCI @francincbeactive

“When I was a kid, I heard I was “a girl with an attitude” a lot. But that was not something good, most of the times. They were people telling me off for speaking up what I think, defying authorities and being, you know… “difficult”. It always made me mad. So, I love embracing this about myself and flipping it to something positive. I am sooo aware that I wouldn’t be what I am and achieve what I have achieved if I had stayed quiet, replacing my Attitude with another “A” world, acceptance. Attitude is what it takes for us to take charge of our own selves and (another A word) ACT. Attitude is the start of movement. It is personality, it is what makes us stay (another one!) Active. Attitude is what made me persist on long distance running despite a chronic condition and a dodgy ankle. If I hadn’t had the attitude, I would settle for everyone who said I should not do this. Guess what? Here I am, with my attitude, disagreeing again and refusing to settle.”
~ GABI @stripolias

“Attitude is… being fully immersed in the outdoors, forgetting about time, pace or distance records and focus on finding a better rhythm in life.
Attitude is… doing what’s right for you. Knowing when to back off. When to push on. Taking full responsibility for your choices and outcomes. There is no one else to blame and no one else to follow but yourself. Your life, your rules, your rewards. If things don’t go to plan, keep thinking, keep moving. Come up with an alternative solution. Failing is when you stop trying. When you are stuck: get unstuck. Change your thinking. Change your attitude. Change your perspective. Ask for help. Be kind. Everyone is fighting their own battles and reaching out will open more doors than you can ever imagine.
Attitude is… everything.
A flexible mindset will get you a long way. No matter the obstacles or detours, you’ll find a way if you trust yourself and trust the process. Dream with your feet moving. And sometimes just suck it up buttercup!”
~ CLAUDI @claudi8s

“There are many things in life we can’t change – whether the train turns up on time or if there’s a long queue when you’re in a rush – but we can change our attitude to situations we find ourselves in.
For me, the key is to try and adopt an attitude of gratitude. To remember to be grateful for things I take for granted, like my friends and what they teach me, the view from my window, the kindness of strangers, the unexpected smile in the coffee shop and the time others give up, freely, week after week to lead and inspire my running. These are just a few examples of things I’m grateful for today. Even looking at a piece or work, which didn’t work out the way I intended, and taking the learning from the failure, rather than beating myself up about it, is a shift in attitude. Like most things, it requires practice, but it’s worth it.”
~ CATHY @cathywood01

“My biggest slither of learning in recent years is that my attitude is not fixed. It moves around, a bit like the contents of a lava lamp. I am always questioning my attitude heading towards a race, and often trying to rewrite the script. I try and catch myself saying or thinking, I always do this or think that. Where does that attitude come from?”
~ DEREK @tsurumaki2

What are your thoughts on ATTITUDE? Share them here DB / ABC of LIFE – A

ABC OF LIFE

ABC – Adventure

7th October 20193rd January 2021
by ClaudiS

WE ARE DAYBREAK and the ABC of Life. This new series comes straight of our community, a co-created piece of 26 letters and many more thoughts on life, running and the outdoors. Big questions, big goals, big thinkers. Doing our ‘DB thing’ – asking better questions for better results. Learning by doing. Empowering through journeys and experiences.

This week we’re taking a close look at the letter A. So many great suggestions were pouring in and by popular vote we’ve focussed on Adventure and Attitude.

A… ADVENTURE

“Adventure is being disconnected from the city, getting out there in the wild nature and explore its beauty. A Big adventure is waiting in a couple of months: out all day running in the nature with myself and I, exploring a new place. Adventure means adrenaline, positive vibes, rediscovering yourself and what you can find outside your comfort zone…”
~ FRANCI @francincbeactive

“Ha! The adventure of living abroad. I guess adventure can be letting go of the known and trying the unknown. A different commute. A different running route. A different breakfast or a different option in the menu. Even when life limits you, finding the new and fitting in some adventures where you see the opportunity. No money to travel? Gonna take the tube/train somewhere and go for a walk or run there. Not fit to run? Gonna say yes to that friend who invites me to go climbing.”
~ GABI @stripolias

“My favourite Disney films are Pocahontas and Moana. Both bad ass adventurers. Just think what life would be like if it was simply known routine and we were never pushing and testing our boundaries? Let’s hungrily seek adventure, thirsting for knowledge and driving on to see where that shoreline or river leads. Adventure is out there and it’s calling your name!”
~ FIONA @englishruns

“Once I took a glimpse beyond the edges of the valley, I discovered the world. Leaving the comfort of home and learning to create life from scratch.
Adventure is… running an entire race with tape covering my watch screen. Trusting the feel and pacing better.
Adventure is… taking the central line in rush hour.
Adventure is… taking a big group on a night trail run to Epping Forest and navigating us through the maze of trails to draw some Strava art.
Adventure is… to have a plan and ditch it on the run to follow your own compass.
Adventure is… Leaving my running watch at home. Storing memories not data.
Adventure is… Travelling to new countries and exploring on foot.
Adventure is… getting stuck and finding new ways. Physically and mentally.
Adventure is… climbing up a mountain, only discover there are many many more to explore.”
~ CLAUDI @claudi8s

What are your thoughts on ADVENTURE? Share them here DB / ABC of LIFE – A

GOALS

Spotlight – Fiona

10th September 20193rd January 2021
by ClaudiS

WORDS by Fiona.

I have no desire to win races. For many, times and medals and instagramable pictures and being competitive is a huge driver to participating in sport. But it just isn’t for me.

I was once told by an incredible ultramarathon runner I know, that if you don’t stand on the startline of a race not knowing if you can finish it or not, it isn’t a challenge. Not because you haven’t trained hard enough, or put in the work, or aren’t healthy but because exploring your own boundaries of possibility and limits is where we discover who we really are.

When I first took up running I remember finding the idea of running for a kilometre without stopping mind blowing. Now I feel confident running for about 8 hours without needing to walk. As I’ve tested my own boundaries and limits I’ve been consistently shocked by just how much further and faster and higher I can go. Months of training, hard work and a huge amount of dogged determination has seen me complete marathons, ultras, mountain races and even Ironman.

Along the way though I’ve realised that I have no desire to stick at one thing and ‘be the best’. My passion and enthusiasm is in my desire to pursue adventure. Relentlessly. With abandon. Passionately. Adventure is calling.

Don’t get me wrong: PBs are amazing. For me personally as a coach, there are two that are particularly joyous to watch: new runners shocked at achieving things they never thought possible and runners who’d counted themselves out for a long time and suddenly surprise themselves. As we all probably have, I’ve been through both of those. I’ve cried my eyes out at finish lines for achieving times that seemed ‘too fast’ for the runner I assumed I was. And yet, when I look back at my favourite memories in running: numbers don’t feature.

There is the moment in my Ironman where my husband, an hour up the race from me, crossed paths with me and we shared a kiss before heading off to finish our respective marathons. There was the time I paced my Mum, who’d promised me she’d never do any sport in her life, to complete her first 10k at the age of 70. There are the miles and miles I’ve spent traipsing up and down some remote mountain in Scotland with my Dad talking about anything and everything.

Fear of missing out and defining yourself by others achievements is a dangerous and unsatisfying pathway. There is a fantastic old tale of King Solomon, the richest man the world had ever seen who no matter how much wealth he had still felt unsatisfied. Will that medal or time or race really give you the fulfilment you are looking for? Or are you stuck on a relentless cycle of the next challenge, and time, and distance? When you achieve the time you’ve been putting so many hours in are you satisfied? Or do you then change the goalposts and look to shave off ever more minutes?

What if we all put aside the relentless marathon cycles and 5k PB hunts and just pursued adventure? Maybe we’d miss our time goals and what our peers might consider ‘good’ times but instead we might find something our hearts had been yearning for.

John Muir, one of the great advocates for the power of the outdoors in the late nineteenth century, famously said ‘The mountains are calling and I must go.’ I feel that call. Trapped in our city lives surrounded by constant noise and busyness and progress it’s easy to feel the overwhelming rise of fear and anxiety that grips so many of us. When I am in nature, I truly feel I am in a space where I remember what matters: not my job title, PBs, finishing position in some random half marathon but connection, love, passion, joy.

Maverick Race (Trail) in Bath, September 2019

So this Autumn what if you put aside traditional goals and instead reconnected with why you run. What if we pursued being outdoors as passionately as some people pursue qualifying for big city marathons? Give yourself fully still: commit, be passionate, work hard, dig deep. But pursue something less black and white. Measure your achievements in emotions and how well you slept rather than times and medals. Run with perseverance wherever your legs will carry you. Just run. And be. And exist.

Adventure in out there and it is most definitely calling. Let’s go.

Follow Fiona

Fiona is working towards her CiRF (Coach in Running & Fitness) qualification with England Athletics and has lead some of our Tuesday DB / FIRST LIGHT sessions, helped guide our trail runs and is an integral part of our community. When she’s not busy running a theatre company in Islington full time, she’s most likely out in the fells hunting trig points #hillbragging with Graeme or her dad. You may see her as RD at Hampstead Heath Parkrun or swimming in the ponds training for her upcoming Ironman 70.3. 2020 is going to be a big year for Fiona, make sure you follow her inspiring journey!

INSPIRATION

Spotlight – Matt

8th April 20193rd January 2021
by ClaudiS

WORDS by Matt.

It might be a strange and rare conundrum to have to ever deal with. Fewer people have sailed around the world than summited Everest.

But the concept of how to follow an all consuming challenge which has driven your life – both daily and into the near distant future for so long- is not, akin to marathon blues squared, cubed, or more perhaps.

I circumnavigated the world by yacht over the course of 2015-16 as part of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, over 50,000 nautical miles, through 11 months away and circa 9 months at sea. Twelve matched yachts racing around the blue.

Taking in Brazil, Australia, Vietnam, China… the Southern Ocean, the North Pacific.

Waves bigger than multi-storey buildings. Hurricanes in places where they are so frequent it’s just ‘weather’. Engineering feats such as the Panama Canal, natural wonders such as Table Mountain, symbols like the Statue of Liberty all coming into, and out of, view as we plied our way around the world.

So it was I came to find myself looking for another relatively extreme – albeit land-based – human powered challenge.

A one time runner. Still perhaps in the mind. But a runner who hadn’t run in over a year of being cooped up in a space measuring no longer than 21 metres in length for extended periods of time. So not in body. Maybe it was the overwhelming desire to stretch y legs and when presented with the Goretex Transalpine Run 2017 by a fellow crew member from the yacht race.

Four countries, two runners, one week – one dream. So goes the tagline for the eastern Alpine crossing.

You had me at adventure.

One comprising over 275 kilometres and 16,000m vertical gain across spectacular mountainscapes, ski stations all but transformed into a lush green summer playground. Snowcapped peaks. Verdant valleys. Populated by spirited people all pulled together by one goal; to cross the Alps on foot in one of the best footraces on earth.

It’s human nature to be curious about the world. Find and push our limits. Asking questions of ourselves that build character, resilience and train us for life. Survival, perhaps, but nowadays so much more. To escape the modern world, its ever increasing pace, pervasive digital connectivity disconnecting humanity.

There is something in being stripped right back, the raw power of nature and human performance. Something about mountains and oceans that connects us through history, and draws us in. Places laced with danger that we seek not to tame but co-exist within, even just for a time, share in the raw power of a world that reminds us we are just a small element of something so much bigger.

Freedom that invigorates the soul.

Calculated risk for unparalleled reward. The reason why sailors have always gone to sea, why mountaineers looked at far off peaks and sought to conquer their summits – and why they always will.

This year’s Transalpine run tackles the western route: three countries and a few less kilometres clocking in on paper at 255km, but I’m warned it is more technical and no less a challenge.

I return to complete the set of east and west crossings, to add to a circumnavigation, which collectively have shaped me as a person.

Inevitably, the question that follows will be both obvious and simple. What next?

Follow Matt

Let us know what you think and want to see more of. We’re keen to bring good content and great experiences to life. Interested?

Tales from the Trails – Edition 3.

What if… A return to racing and a deep dive into being patient with yourself and life.

CONCRETE x JUNGLE

1. Parkland Walk

2. Beverley Brook Trail

3. Capital Ring

4. London Loop

5. Dollis Valley Greenwalk

Finding motivation when the going gets tough

WE ARE ONLINE – how to access session content and community support, helping you to get through various lockdowns and local restrictions during the pandemic:

WE ARE ONLINE

A… ATTITUDE

A… ADVENTURE

Follow Fiona

Follow Matt

WE ARE ONLINE
– how to access session content and community support, helping you to get through various lockdowns and local restrictions during the pandemic: