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self-care

How do we keep going when we can’t see the top?

March 20, 2020

Posted in Inspiration, UK Outdoors

How do we keep going when we can’t see the top of the mountain? I wish I had the answer.…

Read More about How do we keep going when we can’t see the top?

Partners

I've consciously stepped away from ultra running i

I've consciously stepped away from ultra running in 2026. The only exception is @lakeland_trails Ultra in July who always put on fun events, and they're a @mindomountains partner too!

My 'A goal' is a PB at Chester Marathon in October and hitting PBs on everything else from 5km to half marathon in the process. This is probably the first year that my goals are actually complimentary, where I'm not asking my coach if I can race 110km in the mountains two weeks before a road marathon PB 🙈

After the 446 Challenge I'm loving going back to my roots, without all the pressure and noise of the ultra world, and helping others to push their own bar instead.

Excited to see what's possible!

#ultrarunning #trailrunning #lakedistrict #inov8 #voomnutrition

Langdale Xmas Pudding 10km - 4th 🚀 My final race o

Langdale Xmas Pudding 10km - 4th 🚀 My final race of the year.

Missed a PB by a few seconds in 36:43. Not the fastest course with a muddy start/finish and I was surprised to be moving up through a field of quick runners. I knew I had to get a move on and break ahead if I wanted a PB. Despite a sprint finish, consistency is key so thought I'd finish 4th, like most of my races this year 😂

It's tempting to try and hit 3,000 running miles for the year. But everyone is comparing themselves to others upstream. The numbers on Strava don't matter unless you enjoy where you're going, and the younger faster Alex was also very underweight and miserable.

2026 is the year for speed, shorter and faster. And I can't wait to see what's possible.

Thanks for the support @inov_8 @ellisbrigham @voomnutrition @lakelandroads 🙏🏻

#langdale #lakelandtrails #10km

Kendal has so many good trails and footpaths headi

Kendal has so many good trails and footpaths heading out into the countryside. The hardest part is often choosing one...

The Lancaster Canal @towpath_trail needs our support to persuade local decision makers to enable improvement works from Kendal to Stainton, so it's accessible for more people to enjoy for their physical and mental health.

Please share, like and comment to help us show that the Kendal community is behind this. Thank you 🙏🏻

#Kendal #WhatsOnKendal #CampaignForChange

Excited to be speaking at Fort William @mountainfe

Excited to be speaking at Fort William @mountainfestival 2026!

Fort William is literally the adventure capital of the UK and the oldest mountain festival, so I'm chuffed to be speaking about human-powered adventures with @reizkultur and @ktclimbandmountaineering. Hopefully they let me speak first 😂

I'll be talking about the 446 Challenge, 3 Peaks Run and my various other daft adventures. Come and join us some for winter inspiration on Friday the 13th February (it can only go well). Tickets now available via the link in my bio.

#theOG #fortwilliam #fortwilliammountainfestival

We plan for challenges and races, but don't always

We plan for challenges and races, but don't always plan for afterwards...

Today is 6 months since starting the 446 Challenge in Dartmoor on the 16th May. Admittedly I haven't spoken much about it since, but mostly I haven't really wanted to. The post-challenge blues are real! It brings mixed emotions when you've spent so long invested in one thing and the world quickly moves on.

But I got carried away looking at the (3,000+) photos from the challenge, lots of which haven't been shared. So the 6-month anniversary felt like a good time to celebrate and share a few behind the scenes moments and favourite memories, in no particular order...

📸 Photos @aviewfrommycamera_ @jo.davenport.camera @ianwoodphotography and more @ultra.im.possible for a future post!

#446challenge #throwback #ultrarunning #trailrunning #ultraendurance #hillbagging #lakedistrict #helvellyn #inov8 #ellisbrigham #mindovermountains #roadcycling

It's time to close my 446 Challenge fundraising pa

It's time to close my 446 Challenge fundraising page at a grand total of £38,055.87 @mindomountains (incl. GiftAid)

Naturally I'm gutted to miss my £100k target but I've always set the bar high, otherwise we'll never know what's possible. You can't just do a hard challenge and hope for the best nowadays (unless you're viral on TikTok)

But as @jakecoatesart said to me @prideofbritain in 2017:
"It's not how much you raise: it's the difference you make"

The money raised could fund at least 370 people to attend Mind Over Mountains walks and retreats in the mountains, alongside our professional coaches and counsellors, to find respite from mental health challenges that might take months on a waiting list to get help. Tragically, some of those people might otherwise make a permanent decision for a temporary problem: suicide is now the biggest killer of people under 35 in the UK.

The generosity of so many people along the way meant the world to me. Looking at all the companies below who sponsored a peak and the 384 people who donated on @justgiving is emotional. You know who you are.

The challenge might be over but THANK YOU all for making this adventure worthwhile 🙏🏻

#overandout #446challenge #mindovermountains #throwback #mentalhealth #mentalhealthcharity #ultrarunning #ukchallenges #grateful #nuttalls #hillbagging #ultraendurance #charitychallenges #charityfundraising

Contact

Alex would love to hear from you and inspire your team.

Please get in touch and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.

Alex’s Charity

Mind Over Mountains is a charity restoring mental health naturally through therapeutic outdoor experiences.

Read more and join us at:
www.mindovermountains.org.uk

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