No. I am not walking away from endurance sports. At all. In fact, quite the opposite. I am thinking very, very, seriously of hanging up my climbing shoes, rope, harness and a small part of my identity to chase this dream with the full vigour it requires.

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Climbing has been a huge part of my life. Not in terms of time, but rather in what it gave me. It was the first sport that I truly participated in after being diagnosed with AxSpa, and is responsible for the mental, and physical, strength I now possess. It has always been there for me, and has allowed me to meet the most amazing people, see the most amazing places, and to find myself. To truly know my own limits and what I want from sport, exercise and everything in between.

Unfortunately, I have also picked up a few injuries through climbing, and it has become harder and harder to chase down the goals I once had. As a result it is not quite as fun as it used to be. Part of this is because of said injuries, part of this is because my main climbing partner that kept me psyched no longer lives in London, and part of this is just the natural course of things. I do not have the time to required to give climbing a proper go. The idea of a 5 hour time commitment to commute to the gym, train, commute back, shower and eat is time I do not have the luxury of having.

The other reason is quite simple: Goals change, people change, and my outlook has changed. I love running. I love endurance sport, and I am not bad at it (I don’t think). To be balancing the two lifestyles has been a mission over the last year with studying law, and once again I have reached a crossroad where a decision needs to be made. Will I ever be happy knowing I didn’t give Ultra running, and potentially Ironman, my best effort? Probably not.

So, this is essentially a statement of intention to give this the best shot I can give it. To make the sacrifices that need to be made. To commit to the early mornings, the late nights, the physio sessions, the ups, the downs, the inevitable injuries, and to keep trudging forwards relentlessly in the pursuit of progress.

So, see you out there.