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Overview & Previous Challenges
To even consider running across America, it was
important to realise that I had to set myself some
challenges in order to prepare both physically and
mentally.
Below is a list of challenges I have achieved in order
to prepare for the Run Across America:
Challenge 1
As a 17 years old while studying sports therapy at City College Norwich, I decided to test myself a running experience from London to Norwich over a 3 day period. This was the beginning of the challenge’s in order to prepare myself for America.
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The run from London was a painful experience, but with the help I received from my sports
masseur (Phil Sayers) who made the stress on my legs ‘ease’,
and I managed to hobble home in front of 50 or so
supporters outside the City hall in Norwich.
Challenge 2
Six months later still only 18 year old, but studying sports science at City College Norwich, I decided I would up the bar further with a longer run this time from Scotland to Norwich over an 8˝ day period. This was going to be my second big run in a space of a year and I believed I would run down from Scotland with ease (400 miles), but I was wrong.
The pain I received from this run was something I had never been through before and being so young and naive I almost quit on the road. I had a support team that provided just that 'support' through a challenge I was about to abandon. My team (Jimmy Archer & Mark Field) got me through the bad times with Jimmy encouraging me saying ‘I was not a quitter’ and 'today is a bad day but tomorrow will be good' and Mark providing the sports massages with also keeping me company by running with me and keeping my mind active.
With my great support team added with the help of local marathon runner Neil Featherby who gave me some sound advice, they got me through a couple of rough days and, after 8˝ days of running 400 miles back into Norwich, I arrived to a crowd of 100 people outside Norwich City Football Club before the local derby game between Norwich & Ipswich.
During the half time interval I was brought onto the pitch in front of 20,000 people to receive a round of applause from not just the home crowd but also the away fans. That one moment made the whole 8˝ days of pain worthwhile.
Challenge 3
This was going to be my toughest challenge to date, but I achieved a great feat of human endurance and perseverance running 100 miles over the toughest terrain in Britain, over the Pennine’s.
By the end of the first 26 miles there were competitors who had already called it a day, and at the half way mark the race was down to 20 competitors of the 30 entered. As darkness began to fall, so did the competitors and another 8 runners did not see it through to breakfast time, but with the help of some new friends Pete and Steve I struggled on.
The three musketeers as we were calling ourselves battled on. We got to Checkpoint 5 and 6, and realising the enormity of the challenge still ahead Steve decided on taking the option on accepting defeat, however not without trying his hardest to get up and complete the course. Pete and I struggled on abandoning the blisters I had received over the night period caused by the pounding of the multi-terrain course.
By the end only 8 finishers completed the course and it was noticeable by the struggle I had finishing the last few miles. Pete and I walked over the finish line together and I owe respect to Pete and Steve whom helped me through times of great pain and at times I could have walked away from the whole experience.
This was my first non stop ultra endurance race and I must admit it was very tough, but anyone who knows me would have realised that there was only one outcome and that was to complete the toughest endurance footrace in Britain.
Challenge 4
This is now my last challenge before beginning my run across America, and to be honest completing 200 miles non stop is just pure madness.
I actually had 6 blisters on my feet at only the 25 mile mark, as the 12 elite athletes were running across fields for 35 miles, which was muddy and very wet. I went through 4 pairs of trainers and socks before getting to the 65 mile mark.
I was going to retire at this point because I couldn't put any pressure on my heels and running/walking on my toes was getting painful and with only two weeks before leaving for America, it was very tempting to stop.
I talked myself into the night session with fellow ultra runners Gaz and Dawn pairing up as my new running partners, and we continued to 80 miles, where Dawn suddenly suffered bad knee problems, so she decided to call it a night.
Gaz and I then went through the night to the 100 mile mark, at which point I decided to call it a day instead of causing damage to the tendons around my ankles, which was caused from keeping on my toes.
I felt gutted as I know I could have continued with Gaz to london, but I would have been in more pain, and once starting the last hundred I would have had to go to the finish as that's my way.
I thought I would never quit something like this as I am a very stubborn person, but with the run in America only two weeks away I know I made the right decision.
Jackson Williams |
