One year ago I was in hospital and was honestly starting to believe that I would never race again. I can't describe how much it means to me to be able to line up again and have zero doubts on whether my heart would play up again. I've been fortunate enough to have so much support over the years and I'm finally in a position where, with some time and focused training, I will finally be able to perform to the best of my abilities. My plan was simple. Start fast, get some breathing room, then settle into my desired power zones for the rest of the race. What I didn't expect was an 8 hour battle, pushing well above my desired levels (both perceived and based on recent lactate testing) before finally consolidating 2nd place in the last two hours. Add to that the consistent rain, cold temperatures and constantly evolving trail conditions, and you get the idea that it was a brutal race from start to finish. I was hurting from the 4 hour mark. My legs were flat and a s