Overcoming a Running Disaster to Achieve Success
An extraordinary trail running experience in the Red Centre
I failed miserably. I was exhausted, my feet were blistered and toenails bruised.
I’d just made the halfway cut-off, if I wanted to continue I had 2 minutes to get back out there. Tears welled at the thought of running another 13k, I’d struggled enough already. If I continued on I’d be so much slower and hate every moment.
‘Can I get a lift to the finish line?’ I asked one of the Run Larapinta volunteers. I was disappointed, but the moment I made the decision I was relieved it was over and determined to come back.
The Larapinta Trail is an extended walking track in the Northern Territory of Australia. Its total length covers 223 kilometres (139 miles) from east to west, with the eastern end at Alice Springs and the western end at Mount Sonder, one of the territory’s highest mountains. It follows the West MacDonnell Ranges, sometimes along the ridge line, other times on the plain below, in the West MacDonnell National Park. — Larapinta Trail, wikipedia
The Larapinta Trail had been on my bucket list for almost two decades. A friend spent a summer as a tour guide on the trail. She raved about how beautiful it was, how hard the hike was, she was in love with the Red…
