LONG-TERM BURNERS
Midweek and weekend miniadventures are great for a quick fix and allow a degree of spontaneity, but sometimes you want to go a bit more epic. When you feel that irresistible itch to tackle something worthy of mention in the history books, try a long-term burner.
There are challenges that might take as long as a couple of weeks to complete, but could still fit into a holiday. And then there are more ambitious challenges that can take a lifetime to achieve. The individual components may be achievable in a weekend, or less, but the sum of those parts gives us the focus of an enormous long-term goal.
An excellent source of a long-term burner is the art of peak bagging. Many people aim to bag a list of peaks over the course of a year, or a lifetime. Or there’s Steve Birkinshaw, who, in 2014, broke Joss Naylor’s 27-year record for the fastest completion of the Lake District’s 214 Wainwrights, finishing in six days and 13 hours (Naylor’s time was seven days, one hour and 25 minutes).
There are also more theoretical challenges. For instance, over the past few years, come January 1, I’ve set about racing to space. Not literally of course, but figuratively, by trying as quickly as possible to accumulate 100km of vertical gain through the course of my running – the equivalent height of the Kármán Line, which marks the edge of outer space. Aiming a little lower, you could try to run 8,848m, matching the height of Everest. Or you could think flatter and try for 24,900 miles, equal to running round the equator, plotting your progress on a map as you go.
Whether it’s a race to space or a historical trail run, following in the footsteps of our forebears, a longterm burner can keep you motivated for many years to come.