JULY 19, 2024
Why I got an Acid Running tattoo at 61
Sleep deprivation, hallucinations and an Acid tattoo...
61-year old Ultra runner Ben Cooley takes us through his mind-altering experiences on the infamous 2022 Spine Race.
"In 2015, a friend told me about a sadistic Ultra race, founded by Polar explorers to replicate the harsh arctic conditions.
The Montane Spine Race is 268 miles of the Pennine Way, run over 7 days in the
middle of winter.
The introduction of trackers allowed me to develop an obsession from afar, and in 2018, I took part in the aptly nicknamed "Fun Run” - the 108 Mile Challenger South, essentially the first two legs of the main event.
After a comfortable finish, I knew I would attempt the full race in 2019…
2019 - Did Not Finish
2020 - Did Not Finish
2021 - Cancelled (Covid)"
A
"By the time 2022 came around, I’d been training well in lockdown and thought I’d give it one last go.
Setting off in the bitter January cold, I was determined to finish whatever the circumstances, no matter how far back from the pack.
As the days progressed, some of the fastest athletes were pulling out from injury and from the savage conditions.
At the back of the race, I was battling every night to meet the cut off, which meant I was setting off immediately for the next leg with no sleep.
My only option was to try to take power naps on the side of the path for 15-20 minutes at a time before I woke up shivering.
By day 3 the sleep deprivation kicked in and I began to hallucinate."
A
"The descent into madness was fully realised by day 4 (or was it day 5?), when the visions became more vivid.
I started seeing 8 huge bears walking alongside myself and a fellow racer.
In Kielder Forest I saw Penguins.
Finally I began to see the skull of an animal which I couldn’t quite identify. I recall thinking it was a goat, then a sheep, then a rabbit and finally a hare.
These visions became my new normality, and so I ploughed on."
A
"Despite the sleep deprivation, freezing conditions and a torn achilles tendon, I finally finished the race with 12 hours to spare, elated.
I’d noticed triathletes and ultra runners with tattoos to mark their completions, and knew of fellow Spine Race finishers with the race logo on their legs, but at 61, I decided I was outside of the acceptable age range for a new tattoo.
Then Acid Running launched just a few months after the race. As soon as I saw the logo I saw the vision of the skull once more, the similarity almost shocking.
It’s hard to tell how much the Acid hare has affected the memory of my vision, but the sense of déjà vu was too meaningful to ignore."
A
"After buying some Acid garments the connection deepened, and one night over a drink I decided to have it tattooed.
I’m delighted with the result.
You’re never too old for the pursuit of suffering."
Memento Vivere
