A Good Plodder On-er

One of my strengths is getting lost. I tend to focus on the fact that I have never been permanently lost so getting found is also something I must be equally good at.

My most spectacular getting lost event was in Japan. I had gone with my karate club for a week of training but being obsessive/dedicated me I went for a run before training on the first morning.

Maybe I have too much faith in my navigational abilities because despite previous evidence I had no qualms about running off in a country I did not know, where I did not speak the language (apart from a few terms centred on kicking and punching), my phone did not work, I took no money and no-one knew where I was going.

None of this deterred me at all. It was just going to be a little 10k, what could go wrong. Armed with one small bottle of water out I set in the Okinawan summer to do my little run. Five hours later I staggered back to the hotel, my face was white where the sweat had evaporated off leaving a salty coating to my face, I was knackered and dehydrated and oh so thankful to see my hotel. I don’t know at what point I realised I was lost but my running soon turned to walking. I tried asking people but all we managed were smiles and bows. People seemed very eager to help but I could not explain where I was trying to get to and even if I could I wouldn’t have understood the directions (I struggle with directions enough in English). Finally I came across a car sales forecourt. I’m not great with cars but they looked fancy and shiny and I thought maybe someone could print me a map. The people were again trying very hard to help when an American lady came in, she was able to translate. I got my map and finally worked out the way back.

Not all getting lost is bad. My children dread my “shortcuts” but I get to explore a lot more and discover things I never would have. When alone running, especially in a country where you speak the language, have a working phone adequate fluids and some cash then not a lot can go wrong. I love the routine of running the same routes again and again but being lost feels like a special sort of freedom. I like being totally alone and being lost gives me that feeling. Getting lost can be a form of escaping when I am totally overwhelmed and I am very grateful to my ever patient husband who has phoned me countless times and persuaded me to put my phone location on and let him pick me up on days when I am not out exploring but running away.

Getting lost while doing races is not recommended and I am a pro at getting in the bonus miles and extra value for money in races. Even a race I have done several times I can go spectacularly wrong on. My first 100k I had already done several bonus miles when I realised I had run the wrong side of a 6ft (maybe not 6ft but at the end of 100k it certainly looked 6ft) fence. I could not contemplate running back and around so attempted to climb over it. This did not go well but fortunately another runner came along and helped me down so I could finish the race. Even when I have had the course on my phone I have managed to go off track, find my way back only to realise that I was running on the right route but backwards for over a mile.

I have often wondered why I go wrong so often. There are many reasons. Firstly I get lost in my own little world in my brain. I forget to pay attention or I do pay attention but it’s to the wrong thing like the leaves on the trees or my fantastic plans in my head and go sailing past the brightest signs. ADHD has attention deficit in the name. I do not recognise routes. I often remember spots along a route but I struggle to describe even a route I know well. I have slowly discovered that other people seem to have this super power and after races hear people do this as if it was easy. People ask me about where I went wrong but I have no idea. I wouldn’t have gone wrong if I knew that. I had a moment of realisation on a recent race when I was admiring a very pretty cow when I saw that there were no other runners around (luckily at a point there were other runners). I retraced my steps and saw the sign that I had not missed but ignored. I remembered seeing it just a couple minutes before but then seen this pretty cow and ignored the sign distracted by this bovine beauty.

Tips for the neurodivergent ultra runner on navigational success. Firstly assume you will get lost. The ADHD will not want to prepare and the autistic will go overboard on preparations and us AuDHD may do any combination of over or under preparing but charged phone, water (ideally electrolytes), cash and an ability to accept you are lost are probably the absolute minimum. I also try to remember battery pack and lead, waterproof and warm layer in the night or cooler times of year. If you can, on races use their GPX files and actually put them on your watch if you have a fancy running watch. Actually do it though. Don’t just mean to get around it to it, remember how to get it up on your phone at the start of a race. Make sure the settings are on loud. Then actually pay attention to it. It’s little screams are there to help you (yes I know the squirrel was more interesting than your watch’s pleas to turn left). If you don’t mind running in a group this really helps. I really prefer to run alone but have run along with people on really confusing bits (you can always dump them afterwards). Admit when you are lost. Stop. Look at your phone/a map. Ask a local. Use google maps if you have signal. Lastly enjoy it, see the funny side, find places you never would have otherwise (I accidentally found Trump tower in New York recently while lost running).

I am lucky enough to have people in my life that have allowed me the freedom to get lost but the safety of being there when I need rescuing . It’s a fine line because I don’t want to be a problem, I don’t want to be watched or monitored but on occasion a gentle voice guiding me home without shaming is invaluable.

My Path into Ultra Running