Guilty of avoiding training when the rain and wind is trying to batter down my front door, I have entered the famous Trigger race to keep focused on my running throughout the winter months.

The race is organised by Nicky Spinks, a legend in her own right. She holds the women’s records for each of the three major fell running challenges in the UK, the Bob Graham Round, the Ramsay Round and the Paddy Buckley Round. With a running career and reputation like hers, no run she organises is ever likely to be ‘easy’ and the Trigger certainly is not.The race will run for the fifth time on Sunday 10th January 2016. To complete the course I will have to navigate my way from Marsden over Black Hill, Bleaklow and Kinder to Edale visiting three trigs points on route. The route is about 23 miles long with 4500 feet climb. The race is all run for a good cause with all profits going to the Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team. In 2015, the organisers managed to raise over £3200 for the team.

My winter training has commenced in the form of hill reps on Eccles Pike. The session consists of around 10 to 12 repetitions of the hill with a short recovery during the jog down. This may sound tedious but it is amazing how quickly you get into a rhythm and with unique views generated by the constantly changing weather patterns, I rarely get bored.

I vividly remember one evening last year where I choose to go up Eccles Pike after work. Snow was still lying on the ground and the full moon was reflecting off it. Armed with my running crampons and head torch I headed out the door and up towards the summit. As I reached the summit, the reflected light got brighter and I was able to put my head torch away. The snow was compact and icy after children had joyfully sledged on it during the day so I knelt down and put my running crampons on. As I looked up before commencing my first rep, I saw the moon lighting up South Head and the Kinder plateau beyond. I mindfully stared at the spectacle in front of me, letting it cement a vision in my mind. To this day, it remains captured there and is often one I return to when struggling to sleep.

When not out training, Mike and I often tog up in our Craghoppers Reaction Thermic jackets and wonder up to Eccles Pike to stretch our legs and admire the 360 degree views. It truly is a magical spot where you can see views across the Kinder plateau, Combs Moss plateau, Manchester and Cracken Edge beyond.