The long drive to Innsbruck acts as a sort of conveyor belt of castles, churches, saints and cyclists emerging then dissipating into thick mist.

‘I was once told that you had to be able to write even when everything was all right, and I wonder if that takes practice as well. I only write when the weather, my body or my mind is dark. I want to write well while thinking well..’

Despite the echoes of many a P.E. teacher telling me to take off that bracelet or asking why I hadn’t covered my freshly pierced ears with plasters, almost every woman and many of the men I’ve run with would never think to remove their jewellery before lacing up and jogging out the door.

3 Days
Preston through to Kendal
98 Kilometres
139,000 Steps

‘If a person hasn’t ever experienced true despair, she grows old never knowing how to evaluate where she is in life; never understanding what joy really is. I’m grateful for it’