Atessa interviews Chris Robson:
I’m 34, I live with my partner Claire and our dog Jasper who’s a lurcher. All three of us like running and being outdoors.
We’re new to the area having met each other in Milton Keynes where I spent 11 years for education and work. Before that home was Whitley Bay, just north of Newcastle. Growing up I spent a lot of time either in or near the sea, I definitely miss it.
Yes! Ever since moving down there I’ve been trying to move back up! Claire was offered a job here and I was like “Absolutely yes! Let’s go!”.
I picked up running in Milton Keynes as well. There was a guy I met at work, Dave, one of those persuasive types you can’t say no to. We’d not long since completed a charity 5k and were running together when he suggested a couple of us sign up for an ultra. Perhaps naively, I trusted him. He’d done one before. I thought – if he can do it….
Yes! Couch to 80, haha! To be honest that’d be a complete lie, I’ve definitely relied on base fitness carried across from other sports. So yes, Dave got me into it. He bought me a training book (perhaps out of guilt) ‘Running your first ultra’ by Krissy Moehl and we all followed the same 25 week training plan. That was about 6 years ago. That book has broken me nearly every year since.
Last year. We started off renting in Belper and we travelled every Tuesday to run with Sole Mates knowing that Darley Dale was where we were looking to settle. I met Andy there and he told me about MAC.
It depends when you ask the question! If you ask during when at 30-40k mark you think “god I’m not even half way!”… But the overall feeling of completing a journey like that on foot is brilliant.
For a race event, I like the ultra. For a normal weekend run I like a half marathon. Both for the same reason – a way to explore a new area I haven’t been to before and the emphasis (for me) is on just getting there in one piece rather than winning it.
Yes, playing to existing strengths. MAC has helped me work towards balancing that out.
It doesn’t take me long to pick a favourite, the Faroe Islands ultra which is part of the Atjan Wild Islands festival. The landscape… incredible, I was on a high all day from just looking at it.
I did massively mess up my nutrition after foolishly thinking the quality of the checkpoint food would stay consistent. 1st checkpoint – Potatoes cooked by a Michelin star restaurant, 2nd – great effort from the local scouts …. 4th – handful of peanuts, 5th – the dregs of a bag of ready salted. I’d eaten the last of my own supplies some time before the 4th checkpoint and I credit my finish to a sandwich that I found discarded on route. I remember it well, a white bread triangle ham and cheese. I was absolutely done in and it did the job.
Others are Lakes in a Day, The Limestone Way, Race to the Tower (Cotswolds), The Wall (Hadrian’s Wall).
I studied an Engineering degree and now work as a Design Engineer on electrical control systems.
I like to give everything a go! Before running I was big on mountain biking and climbing. Since moving to the peaks I’ve picked up caving and been amazed at what there is to see underground.
I really like paragliding and would like to combine it with mountain running in 2024 in a ‘hike and fly’ race called X-Eryri in Snowdonia. All the peaks have a certain amount of points on them. You have two days to bag as many as you can – a bit like the OMM which is a two day mountain marathon, but you can fly as well… I’ve been looking at it for ages, and it’s what I am building up to.
None of this is me! Haha!
I would also like to get in touch with some people at MAC to do the Paddy Buckely Round in North Wales (one of the Big Three hill rounds). I think a few MACs have already done the Bob Graham Round in the Lake District.
Not these actually haha! I hate these! (Chris laughs and points at his Asics), these are awful I hate them! Just trying to wear them out! I’ve had Asics since starting running as a road shoe but the ones I’m trying at the moment are too cushioned.
For off road I like Inov8. I started wearing their Terra Ultras about 5 years ago. I find them really stable and safe – I can feel where I am putting my feet. Recent versions are quite well rounded and feel ok on the inevitable on-road sections too – the older ones felt like running on planks of wood.
I don’t know! That’s the best bit – I really don’t know.
It’s a bit of a love-hate thing with the MAC 10k time trial. I am actually really trying in that, I felt properly sick reaching the top of that hill at the Arc! I did it in 41 minutes. I was happy with that, it’s not going to get much quicker…
The Trigger Race, Marsden to Edale, 13th of January.
These are the hard questions! I should have googled this one! I really don’t know. I’m not into famous people. Claire often asks me about actors etc. and I don’t really know actors or celebrities.
Atessa I’m still struggling with this one. I like watching YouTube videos for sport and trip inspiration, I’d invite Rob Johnson who’s a running and mountaineering film maker from North Wales. I’d invite Greg Hammerton, a paragliding film maker responsible for getting me interested in the hike and fly races.
I think I’d like to spend more time in the Alps. I’d like to find some time to just relax there, no time pressure, just hiking, running, or paragliding.
Yes! You can get ones now the size of a 20l running backpack, so you run up a hill with that on your back and then just jump off and fly back down!
I like the simplicity of being able to turn up on a hill with everything you need in a rucksack – it’s as basic as it gets. The feeling of flying and the places it can take you is amazing.
‘Running your first ultra’ by Krissy Moehl!
I don’t have one. I don’t watch much at all.
Yes, definitely.
Stressful interviews?! Standup comedy makes me laugh but don’t ask me who – we would be entering the “famous people” territory again! This is where you get weak answers from me – popular culture and things like that. I’m doing a pub quiz next week and it’s the second thing, apart from this interview, I am most worried about!
Oh! That’s easy. Being outside with people I like.
Tea. Ideally in a teapot. If I go out I’ll have amber ale.
Say no to a run.
Retire tomorrow.
Are you asking for a friend? Haha!
“…I might be! If you have a niggle, will you try and run it off first?”
Of course. Cause you never know! Sometimes you don’t know until you’re 20k in. And then after 20k… you really know!
“Thank you Chris 😊 you’re off the hook.”
Never again!
