Nature has a way of making familiar surroundings suddenly seem different. When you're blind, that could be a big problem. Photo courtesy: Simon Wheatcroft

Editor’s note: This is the sixth installment in a series of guest blog posts by Simon Wheatcroft, who is training for a 100-mile ultramarathon in June, despite being legally blind for the past 11 years. For further timely updates on his progress, please follow Simon on Twitter or check out Adapting to Going Blind and Blind100.

Last autumn, I spent months memorizing a route that would allow me to train alone. I spent weeks working on each segment, memorizing the path camber with each and every bump, as well as one of the most significant markers: the grass and bushes that flanked a large portion of my route.

Running too far to my left, I’d feel grass under my feet, which would call for a slight move to the right to keep on track. Too far to the left and I would feel a small curb and some bushes gently brushing against my legs and body. These were always great identifiers along my route and enabled me to train with ease. More importantly, these identifiers were constant, guiding me on my way through each run.

That is, until the past few weeks. With spring arriving, everything is changing. The grass is becoming overgrown with weeds and the bushes now overlap so much they hit me in the face while I’m running on the opposite side of the path. This quickly started causing me a number of problems.

I began to adapt and learn the new sections, but it introduced a difficult choice: Do I run through the thistles or run down the center of the path (and risk running into people)? For my safety and that of complete strangers, I chose to run through the thistles, resulting in much leg rubbing and muffled grunts under my breath. I’ve also resorted to protecting my face throughout a number of sections, which was a harsh lesson to learn.

Running around one of the most dangerous sections of my route, I ran straight into a tree branch, which knocked me right onto the road. (Thankfully, it was such a harsh lesson, I only had to do it once.)

The identifiers and markers I used previously have evolved into something new, and I’ve adapted to the changes and continue to use the same route. When I began this journey toward the ULTRArace.100, I never anticipated how my route would evolve. Come this autumn, when this race is far behind me, I’m sure it will all change yet again.