10/05/2026
The Lap 2026
75km lap of lake Windermere
Completed in 13 hours ✅🏃♂️💪
Proper preparation and all that….no.
For the last 3 months my longest run was 6km, so not ideal. Over worked, over weight and undertrained coming into this.
Firstly if you haven’t done anything like this before, I don’t recommend this approach.
So why do it?
It’s hard enough with training, I wonder what it would be like with no training even harder, I love a challenge. Crazy how the mind works!
This was a really good test of mindset and proves that quite often it is all in the mind. I have gained strong mental resilience from some other running events and also epic bike-packing trips where you are really tested.
I needed this strength during the Lap.
“It’s just going for a run” no pressure, no rush take in all the surroundings, beautiful views, how hard can it be?
This was all very well until around 30km in, I could see the Kirkstone Pass Inn calling and negative thoughts started entering my mind, questioning motives.
This is the lack of training and the body saying hang on what’s going on here. From experience these thoughts don’t last forever and soon pass, it’s knowing this and taking stock and riding the storm to get you through. Sure enough the mindset won and I finished the route in 13 hours and in the top 3rd of runners.
The day after and my body is having the last laugh and basically telling me next time you need to prepare these type of challenges, as I’m sofa bound for the day.
