A British man has ran the width of Ireland in just one day, seemingly becoming the first to ever do so.
Liverpudlian Rob Pope started cross-country running during his school days, but never expected to complete the gruelling feat of running across an entire country.
The 44-year-old ran 135 miles in less than a day, completing the mammoth task in a whopping 23 hours and 38 minutes.
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Rob, who works as a vet, had only ever managed 75 miles a day and decided he wanted to challenge himself further, either running up to 100 miles or completing a 24-hour run.
Speaking of his ordeal, Rob said: "I became overwhelmed with crushing nausea only 13 miles and two hours in. That persisted for the next three hours but even after that, it was always close so I couldn't eat or drink the way I needed to fuel properly.
"I also developed sciatica after about 30 miles in my left leg and if it wasn't for some ibuprofen, we might have been off the road to Dublin a lot earlier.
"I must admit, I didn't plan heavy. I looked at the route and got some proper sports nutrition sorted, but prep was minimal. It was meant to be a challenge, but also a voyage of discovery and I didn't want to plan everything to the nth degree. Where's the fun in that?
"I started at the historic Spanish Arch in Galway, at the end of a road called The Long Walk and finished at the iconic Samuel Beckett Bridge, which resembles a harp, one of Ireland's national symbols and where the River Liffey meets the Irish Sea.
"I genuinely felt I had less than a 50% chance of making it and was very ready to embrace what some people might see as a 'failure'. However, it would have been anything but.
"My friends and family weren't so surprised when I took this challenge on, I think people are getting a bit used to me doing big runs, so it ranges from my friends taking the mick to the exclamations of surprise from people new to the scene.
"The overall feeling has been one of support and love and that really means a lot.
He added: "A lot of people wanted to know how I felt while doing it, my feet really hurt, wow, my feet REALLY hurt! I also listened to the entire U2 discography from start to finish."
Rob has some advice anyone starting running or looking to take on a similar challenge.
"If you are taking up running, and feel you don't enjoy it or aren't any good at it, persevere!
"Try and get through four weeks of running, and walking there's no shame in that, three times a week and before you know it, you'll be into it! A month to form a habit, your body doesn't like change, but it is very good at changing.
"As long as your pain levels are below a 3/10 and aren't getting worse, push on. As long as you don't increase your workload by more than 10% a week, it'll usually cope.
"Run the distance YOU want to run. Don't feel compelled to do ultras or marathons - if you just like 5ks, that's cool. There's no such thing as long or short runners - just runners".
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