Running with terminal cancer

What a week I had racing in Albania. Beforehand, I was concerned about what the place might be like, only knowing snippets about how the country was at the turn of the century. But I came away humbled by the beauty and the people.

The fantastic race was organised by Global Limits, who only organise a handful of select races off the beaten track, taking ultra runners to places they would probably otherwise never get the chance to visit.

It gave me a real insight into just how the Albanians live, both past and present, as we raced past castles and monasteries in some cases thousands of years old.

The views were amazing, crossing long, narrow arch bridges built by the Romans, and huge concrete war bunkers built by the communists in the 1970s, then over mountain ranges that had me retching from near exhaustion in the 33C heat.

Passing lonely mountain shepherds and staying one night in a remote village in locals’ houses – eating what they eat, probably all grown by themselves – gave me a real sense of how hard and basic their lives are.

They let us total strangers share what they had – and for little reward. It made me think about how little most of us share in our lives.

And as every race does, it made me think how I can be a better person, learning from what I have experienced. Perhaps you too could share more of your life with others?

As for my next ultra marathon – Cambodia in two months – I can’t wait.

Until next week,

I passed lonely mountain shepherds, monasteries, castles and communist war bunkers