Mud, Sweat and Tears by Moire O’Sullivan
After a recommendation from a good friend I recently read the book ‘Mud, Sweat and Tears’ by Moire O’Sullivan.
Without giving too much of the plot away – this is the story of how Moire came to and ultimately fell in love with mountain running, leading her to make a solo attempt on the Wicklow Round. This is a gruelling endurance run spanning a hundred kilometres over twenty-six of Ireland’s remotest mountain peaks. After twenty-one and a half hours she collapsed, two summits from the end. Battered and bruised, yet undeterred, she returned a year later to become the first person ever to try again.
Without a doubt, my favourite bit of the book is early on in the story when Moire describes her first fell race and how she tried to dress accordingly for the event to look like she was a ‘regular’. This had me grinning as I totally did the same thing!
I have no hesitation in saying if you love fell running or have a passion for the outdoors this book is for you. I was really gripped by her story and finished the book in about a day! Something that really stood out for me is how humble and honest Moire is about her feelings and emotions, there are so many points in the book I felt myself relating to how she was feeling. Despite not being a training book or guide in any way or form I’ve certainly noticed some of her observations and pointers pop into my head when I’ve run since. Well worth a read!