Skip to content

Nic Errol

Home
About Me
Race Schedule
- Past Races and Results
Coaching
Contact

Month: February 2020

2020 – Burning the Boats

February 1, 2020

2020. Another decade is upon us and boy did 2019 seem to fly by. January 2019 I was made redundant from a job I really didn’t like, working for a boss and company which had a toxic culture and frankly was totally out of it’s depth. Fast forward to June 2019, I was out in … More 2020 – Burning the Boats

Leave a comment 2020 – Burning the Boats

Instagram

It’s been a minute. Back to the roads for a half tuneup on the road to Zion 100km in April. . Expecting similar conditions to last year based on the weather we’ve had of late🌪 . Still on the fence about running strategic or with some reckless abandon. Sunday we shall see @officialbighalf

28 years today. Something I rarely speak about, for many reasons but mainly because it was something I reconciled decades ago. My dad died of cancer when I was 6, several weeks into grade 1. Something that won’t ever leave me, an irrevocable change that has a lot to do with who I am today. And I’ll always have some form of chip on my shoulder, something to prove. . Death is inevitable (memento mori). Whilst I lost my dad far far to young & in the most horrific of circumstances. I gained a kind, intelligent & capable step-father, plus 2 wonderful step-sisters. I only ever recall my dear mother being strong, kind, generous, fair and a freaking force of nature (she could have gone pro as a golfer & is one of my most competitive humans I know). I had some incredible male role models in the Australian Defence Force & SAS (Rick, Chicko, Porky, Pav, Mort, Greg, Possum, Brad, Taf, Mick M, Terri & Ras among others). . I wouldn’t be where I am today with the people in my life had I not lost my dad, Tony. I wouldn’t have had the experiences I’ve had. Nor would I have been forced to examine how precious life is so early. . I have only the most wonderful of memories of my father. He was always first to offer help (much like my mother), with zero need of repayment. They met teaching swimming, & it was their swimming school I made the water my home. I think about him all the time. Running especially. When I don’t have the answers. I made peace with his death a very long time ago. It remains however, a permanent scar & at least 1 part of why my drive & intensity is the way it is. My father was a phenomenal man. . 📷 of my mum & dad on their wedding day ❤️

Back to the desert next month for a lil @aravaiparunning race called Crown King Scramble. First time racing in Arizona despite multiple trips out to crew/adventure. . This time last year was utterly magic in a rare snowy Sedona, running with Chris, Ida & Alicia. . I also had my first experience driving in a freaking snow storm (I grew up in Perth Australia ☀️🏄‍♂️ & didn’t see snow until my 20’s) to hang with the Canadians. Most stressful drive of my life (in a car not fit for driving in the snow 😳). . 📷 @aliciavargo

I’ve been thinking about my relationship within running lately. How it’s evolved from when I first started in 2014. I basically jumped in to ultras straight away. I never ran in H/S or college, & when I moved to London I needed a way to move on my own terms. So whilst working & studying full time, I ran a few times a week. After doing that for a bit, an epiphany came & I signed up for a half marathon. I preceded to get lost the next day & run the furthest I’d ever ran, basically a half marathon 🤣. Perpspective changed. In a 6 month period, I raced my first half marathon, BQed, & podiumed on my first ultra. . Whilst my times were ok for half/marathon distance, I always figured I would never be competitive so jumped right up to 100km + events. I raced some of the biggest races in Europe before getting a coach. . I ran my first 5km & 10km after my first 100 miler. Not traditional by any means. Slowly but surely I realised that I had untapped potential at shorter distances, as my coach developed me as a complete athlete. Sure, I’ve not once specially trained for any road event (either jump in short notice or use it for training or both), and my love is always the longer mountain distances. But the recognition that there is such variety out there and I don’t have to relegate myself to one type of distance or event is really liberating and thrilling. . @ashley_brasovan has got me thinking about sky running again, & I’ve been inspired to do things differently this year. Race more, & maybe skip a 100 miler. I even want to target a fast road half end of year, & actually spend the time to train specifically. I guess this is the circuitous way of saying running is often limiting, in how we relate to it. Our PRs, identify & mentality is all so often locked in when In fact running is freeing, expressive and all encompassing. Its never just one thing. And I’m truly excited to explore this evolution as I build up my calendar this year. I’m so young as a runner, & I love that I’ve distances from 1 mile to 200+ to test myself on. Across any surface and distance. #burntheboats 📷 @transvulcania 2018

Throwback to the obsession. . Rolling into Duncan Canyon (mile 24, 2017 race), bloody knee/arm (ate shit hard super early because 🤷), but stoked to be seeing my crew for the first time & just being in this one of a kind race. . @wser was the race that introduced me to the sport of ultra running & quite frankly changed my life. I was sharing the trails with some of the best runners in the world who’d helped me get into the sport, which was surreal, as I now call many of them my friends. I think about this race every single day, & I know where I’ll be every 4th weekend of June. . TBC but planning a new WS exp this year 👹👍

“Running isn’t a team sport” XC: “hold my beer” . I never got to race Cross country growing up (I swam & played field hockey, plus I never remembered track or XC being as big as it Is in other countries). I got into running competitively in my late 20s, & my love for the sport has grown. The Parliament Hill course where SEAA regionals were held today, is where I started running back in 2014. The hills are brutal, and you get small sections of flat before a relentless hill again. Being a mountain runner, the hills don’t bother me anymore. I love them. But I also remember it was this very hill which kicked my ass my first time running here. I vowed to never let it happen again & spent countless miles running up & down the biggest and nastiest hills in the area, until they gave me power. The foundations of my running began here, & it remains a favourite place to run. . It’s always great to watch runners red line around the course, & cheer for friends that covered in mud & gasping for air. All I’ll say is hills are the great equaliser.

Follow me on Twitter

Follow Me On Strava

Recent Posts

2020 – Burning the Boats
Marathoning & More
Fall Thoughts
Running and Life

Archives

February 2020
November 2019
October 2019
March 2019
November 2018
February 2018
December 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
March 2017
December 2016
August 2016
July 2016
May 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016

Search for:

Follow Nic Errol on WordPress.com

© Nic Errol 2016

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy