I am getting just a little bored with applying for jobs so thought I would break the monotony by catching up on some blogage.
The Robin Hood Marathon was to be the first marathon since my injury in the summer. I had completed the JWUltra only two weeks before so was fairly confident I could do the distance but was really not sure about the pace. For various reasons I had only really completed two or three decent length long slow runs since the summer and was feeling that I was just a little underprepared.
John was also running the full marathon, his second, so I had two targets. Firstly and most importantly to beat John! Secondly to try and get under four hours again. Four hours is important for me since that gives me a good for age but I have only beaten that target once before at Manchester pre injury.
We drove up the day before and stayed at the cheap and cheerful hotel just off the M1 and Brian Clough Way (yes really). Breakfast started at 7am so we were there as they started serving and shovelled down a good cooked breakfast before driving to the start. Despite me missing turnings and generally not going the right way we got to car park A in good time and queued for the portaloos (of which there were loads!).
We met up with a bunch of other club people most of whom were doing the half with Alex. We pottered over to the start and got ready. My strategy, such as it was, was to keep an eye on the 4 hour pacer and try to stay with them until the last couple of miles then try to pull ahead a bit. As it happened once we got to the pens I couldn’t see any pacers, mainly because I’m short and this is a definite disadvantage in a crowd!
Once we got going it was crowded for the first few miles and I found myself skipping around people trying to find a bit of space to call my own. I have my watch on beep for mile so was glancing to see the minute miles, each time thinking eek a bit fast but it seemed ok so I kept going.
At around half way I found myself with the 3.45 pacer! Not quite what I planned but the funniest thing happened, as I started trotting along behind the pacer he turned around to talk to the group and said “we ran together last year.” What he didn’t say was we were going for 4.15 last year!
The BBC weather had promised cloud and cool, however the sun came out and it started getting hotter and hotter! By about 18 miles people were really starting to feel the effect of the heat and despite the best effort and support from the pacer people started to drop off the pace. It was about this point when I worked out I really did need a pee! And I really was not going to manage another 8 miles without one! Around the next corner was a portaloo and seeing someone come out of it I could be sure it was empty so in I dashed for the fastest pee known to woman!
Unfortunately however speedy I had been the pacer was out of sight by this point and I knew I had a lot of work left to do! I got started and before long was back into my rhythm. There were more and more walkers and some were looking a bit ropey, fortunately there was a cyclist who was keeping an eye on people and reporting to the marshals.
My least favourite part of the course is the section around the boating lake it’s flat and DULL, DULL, DULL. But at least today it meant I could see the pacer just off in the distance, trouble was I didn’t seem to be getting any closer to him. But it did at least distract me from the next couple of kilometres and I managed to keep the pace going and started my countdown, only two parkruns to go only a parkrun to go, only half a parkrun etc……..
The last mile or so you pass the finish but on the other side of the river and it was around here that I finally caught up with the 3.45 pacer who by this point only had one other runner with him. We ran together for a little while before I decided to push on for the last half mile or so. The finish seemed long and it took for ever to cross the line.
I grabbed my goody bag and made the young person actually put the medal around my neck! Next water then more water then something else to drink! I sat for a while and then went over to collect my bag. Alex and Ercole were sensibly sat by the tent in the shade and spotted me before I spotted them! I fetched my bag and Alex offered to get me a coffee bliss.
Ercole then confused me by showing me the picture of me crossing the finishing line! How did that happen? Somehow I had managed to miss the six club members cheering as I got to the finish and Nicky had put the photo on Facebook already!
At the end of Manchester Marathon John had ended up in the first aid tent having had a bit of a funny turn at the baggage tent! My instructions this time had been – when you cross the finish line keep moving AND don’t end up in first aid! Alex, Ercole and I waited and waited and waited and having had another coffee Alex decided to go and have a look for John.
Not much longer later he came back with John who had only had a very small funny turn. No first aid necessary but a sit down when instructed by one of the marshals did the trick. So everyone was back and mostly happy with the results. My 3.45 pacer will be at VLM and I’m hoping to spend time with him there!
JW Ultra
The JW Ultra was my first long event since the stress fracture in the summer and almost exactly three months since the SDW100. After resting for the first couple of weeks I had quite an active recovery and worked hard at maintaining my fitness through a combination of static bicycling and deep water running with Aquaphysio. Once my six works were up I began to slowly increase both my distance and pace with the hope that I would be fit enough for 30 miles of canal side running.
The first couple of events I took part in were local parkruns and the results were ok, not too far off my times from before the injury and the speed work didn’t seem to have any negative effects. I had also booked a session with James @Kinetic Revolution to try and get to the bottom of the cause of my stress fracture. The results seemed to show that I am over loading my left foot by not fully unloading through my left heel. Since then I have been making a real effort to get that left heel fully down and slowly it is getting slightly more natural.
A slight complication with the event was that we had a wedding the previous day which would mean that the usual sleep over at the Etap in Birmingham was out of the question. Instead we had a 4.45am alarm call before Ercole, Paul and I drove up to race headquarters to get the coach back to the start. Work stuff had been extremely tense and difficult in the previous couple of weeks so I was really looking forwards to spending a day by myself watching the ducks go by.
We arrived at the car park and collected our race numbers seeing a few familiar faces and getting generally organised. Strategy was start slowly and see how I felt after the first check point. Experience tells me that it takes about a third of an event to find my rhythm so it seemed a good place to start.
The start had changed a bit with a small out and back to bring the end a bit closer to the Sea Scout race HQ and it was nice to see the leaders heading out smartly. The portion through Stratford centre is lovely but has the challenge of tourists! Once this was safely negotiated and we were on the canal path I began to settle into my pace although I did have to keep reminding myself to put my left heel down (the right one seems much better behaved).
I love the aquaduct sections on the canal in the first section but for some reason hadn’t properly realised that there are two of them! The sea scouts were lovely although I’m never quite sure that they quite understand why we all do what we do! A short pit stop in a field was needed but this year I managed to find a hedge to tuck behind rather than giving one of the other runners an unpleasant surprise and before long I was at the first check point.
Shortly after the checkpoint I started to drift a little and a one of the Bournville guys caught up with me and I decided it would be a good idea to tuck in behind him and let him set the pace. His pace was ideal just a bit faster than I had been going but nothing to uncomfortable and we trotted along very nicely. At one point we passed a slightly confused looking girl who was sure we were lost! Not impossible I know! But I have done this section twice before and was pretty sure we were ok and Bournville guy had done it every year so assured her we were on the right path but she wasn’t convinced!
Check point two and Bournville guy dropped back to collect a drink and some snacks, I was feeling ok still so grabbed some food and kept going. I had decided to carry my Ultimate Direction SJ vest although apart from the usual first aid kit and stuff I only had a couple of gels and both soft bottles (love them although Sharon thinks they feel like fake boobs!) one with water and one with Nuun strawberry lemonade and this served me well.
It was only once I got to a few miles after check point two that I had a proper look at the times. Although I nearly always run with a Garmin I don’t actually check it until I get back and download everything to the laptop. I was really surprised to see that I ahead of where I thought I would be and on for a course PB. So this meant a quick assessment of how far left and what pace would get me there! I had three targets at the outset, firstly finish (uninjured), secondly beat or equal last years’ time and a stretch target of less than 5 hours.
This was just the just the push I needed to keep the pace up and getting the extra few hundred meters in at the start was great since not long after crossing the Worchester (??) Birmingham canal I could see Sharon, Rowan and the finish line. Sub 5 hours and very happy to see the finish!
Next stop Robin Hood Marathon! I may have felt very foolish with the deep water running suit but it does seem to have done the trick.
The Southdowns’ Way 100 (or the race that very nearly wasn’t)
The weekend before the SDW was beautiful and I had arranged to meet Ruth from club for a Sunday morning long run. I was trying out a couple of things pre-race and didn’t think too much about my shoes since they were already sorted (a big mistake!). I have been using one of the Ultimate Direction backpacks for about a year and was really happy with it, but on the Pony Express I found that the lower edge of the bottle was rubbing on one of my ribs. On a 30 miles run it was annoying but no worse and I had previously experimented with the Salomon soft bottles but the size was just a bit off. I was very pleased to see that UD had released soft bottles designed to fit the pack so had ordered two just in time for this last long run. The other thing I was testing was to be my secret weapon to keep the sleep monsters at bay! Dark chocolate covered coffee beans, yum.
Ruth and I started off on one of her favourite routes that took us out over Banstead Downs and beyond, beautiful scenery and mainly off road. After a couple of miles my shoes began to feel a bit uncomfortable, now these are shoes I have had for about six months and worn quite a bit over the winter. However for various reasons I had bought them slightly smaller than usual, I find I need to get Brook’s shoes bigger than any of my other running shoes but hadn’t. This new style has a thick elastic band built into the shoes and this runs up and over the forefoot. The warm day was making my feet swell and bit and the left one was getting more and more uncomfortable. I stopped and adjusted the laces as much as I could but the band meant it didn’t make much difference.
At this point I should really have bailed but we were at the furthest point and just heading back to the start so I ignored it and we carried on. The bottles were great; the chocolate was good although a bit melted by the end! But my foot was sore! Back home I expected a blister or bruise but nothing to be seen so rested and hoped. Next morning I went out for my short run and it hurt! Not lots but enough for a 5k jog to be really worrying!
This week was the week of the Tour of Epsom and this entails five races over five days at slightly different venues, slightly different formats and distances. I had already said that I would not be doing all five but had planned on the Tuesday and Thursday since they were club training nights anyway. Monday I decided to bin them all and just rest! Anyone who knows me will know how hard that is for me! So that’s what I did I rested! And apart from one session on the exercise bike (YAWN!) and my usual walking around at work I did nothing. Except call Sarah at Applied Physiotherapy and beg her to fit me into her busy schedule.
Thankfully it didn’t get any worse and Sarah was able to see my on the Thursday evening, there was a lot of tightness around the forefoot but on top and the plantar fascia too. Some deep and rather uncomfortable massage helped to loosen it off and I decided only at this point that I was going to be able to start the race. I had been really close at several points to emailing James at Centurion and telling him that I would not be running and so had done very little to prepare! So Thursday evening suddenly became very busy, I needed to travel down after work on Friday which meant booking a train ticket and packing a bag I could take to work with everything I needed in it for the weekend!
Friday evening the train was busy and very hot on the way down to Winchester which I later found resulted in most of my chocolate coffee beans melding into one gooey mess. But eventually I arrived at the pub explained no I really didn’t need breakfast but did need to know how to get out of the building at 4.30AM! As I unpacked my instant porridge, flapjacks and assorted other food I spotted the sign that said residents are asked not to consume food in the bedrooms and decided I would be ignoring it!
I know there are various arguments about carb loading and each to their own, but I think it’s helpful for really long events for me so ordered baked potato, beans, cheese, a pint of Otter Ale and then cheesecake and ice cream. I can’t say I enjoyed it all but I ate and drank all of it. At this point I also spotted another entrant at the bar (Cat) and we ate together. I had arranged to walk to one of the other hotels and share a cab in the morning with Elaine however Cat was driving up and offered a lift which was great as it meant an extra 30 mins in bed! The plan had been for an early night, but the weather stopped that.
The weather had been predicted as mixed for the Saturday with some sun, some showers but mainly cloudy, what it hadn’t said was thunder and lightning for much of the night but that’s what we got. I settled to watch BBC 4 and some ancient Old Grey Whistle Test reruns (showing my age there!) and eventually fell asleep with FOUR alarms set to wake me at 4 AM and was very grateful to have decided not to camp overnight at the start.
Cat and I managed to creep out of the building without setting off any alarms and navigated our way to the start. Time to get my bag checked and collect my number before bumping into a few old friends and faffing about with my bags for a while. I had decided since this was my second time not to have any crew or pacers and so it was really important to get the halfway drop bag right. I know lots of people prefer not to change their shoes or socks part way through but I find fresh shoes and socks really important. The mandatory kit list was pretty comprehensive and so I had a head torch in my back pack but my preferred Lenser H7 is quite heavy so I had decided to put this and my wind-proof layer into the half way bag and carry instead the much lighter Pezel just in case I needed it earlier than expected.
All too soon it was time for the briefing and before I was really ready the siren went and we were off. The plan had been to start steady and keep going as long as possible in the darkness walking as little as possible (except up hills). Generally this works well for me however the overnight rain had left some parts of the route extremely muddy and slippery and times dropped as I trudged through these sections. For me nearly all races happen in three sections, in the first I am getting going and finding my rhythm. The second third is where you enjoy the passing, being in your own thoughts and the last third is usually where I start getting a bit fed up!
The first two checkpoints of the SDW100 are the hardest in some ways as they are quite a long way apart however one they are done you are almost 25% of the way through (I like to do the maths in my head on the way round, usually things like only three parkruns to the next checkpoint). I was getting a bit uncomfortable and after leaving the checkpoint had to dive into the bushes (not for the last time) this section is busy and I found myself passing and being passed by a few people in groups. One young bloke I passed at this point said, have just been warming up before now? He made me laugh but was probably about right! This is where women have the advantage of being more efficient fat burners, he looked like he was struggling but I felt fine.
With all the faffing about I had still managed to forget to back any rehydration stuff so was really pleased to see GU rehydration tablets along with gels at the checkpoints and it was hot enough to need to top up regularly. I had remembered my S-caps and was taking them regularly, I am a very “salty sweater” and use my hands to judge how much salt I need. If my rings don’t move easily I need more, if they do I’m ok, it’s easy and I find quite effective.
The checkpoints had a variety of food which was good and everyone was helpful and checked we were all ok, I bumped into various people at these points and most seemed to be going on well. At some point it started to rain, which was good really since I was getting hot and the rain was warm rather than cold. The downside however was that the next field I went through had a shortish but very wet crop and by the time I was through the field my shoes and feet where soaked through. Around this point I fell in step with one of the other runners (Gordon) and we kept each other going.
Randomly at this point running across a field a voice coming the other way suddenly said hello Annette. Looking up I found Yin Hi walking along the path to support people! A lovely boost! At this point checkpoints started to merge together a bit and I was really looking forwards to getting to Washington and getting something to eat and more importantly getting my shoes off to see how my feet where looking! At this point Gordon who was running SDW100 for the first time expressed how good it would be to run with someone who’d done it before and could remember the route! A year’s a long time! And although I remember bits they weren’t always in the right order, so we’d turn a corner and I’d say oh yes I think it’s just around the corner now. Often I had the wrong corner in my head, but it made him chuckle! Not so much later on, but it did mean that we didn’t get lost.
Eventually we made it to Washington and it was then that I did wish I had a crew! It was like being in a formula one pit. There were people have their shoes and socks changed for them whilst someone else fetched and carried food and drink. Meanwhile I found my bags and got my socks and shoes off as fast as I could. I prefer to let them dry out whilst I then eat and stuff. They didn’t look too bad a blister in the usual place but otherwise muddy and wrinkly. I gave them a quick wash in the hand basins (promise I washed them afterwards!) and dried them off before finding food and coffee! I had taken some small pots of Ambrosia custard and chocolate sauce so I wolfed them down first before having some crisps and bolognaise sauce.
Next sort out feet, I had taken some pre-cut strips of KT Tape so quickly popped the blister, put a bit of chafing gel on top before slapping the KT Tape on top. The left foot was amazingly pretty good but a little sore on the ball of my foot so I slapped a bit of KT Tape over the whole ball of foot. Gave it all a good rub and then very very carefully put on my clean socks without disturbing it and put on my clean shoes. After some deliberation (too long, too slow) I put on a clean long sleeved top, packed a slightly thicker one but left behind the windproof layer, the wind was barely there and I still had the waterproof if it got windy later on.
Mid faff Gordon came over to let me know that he was going to start and make some calls on the way, I said I’d maybe see him later. It started to seem that the longer I took the slower I got and it was frustrating to see people come in and go out again whilst I was still messing with feet, shoes and bag but eventually I set off again. The next bit it hilly (well it’s all hilly but this was specially hilly) so I walked as briskly as I could and got underway again.
The next couple of checkpoints merged although my favourite one was around this point being at 66.6 miles! Spicy Butternut Squash soup with a spoonful of rice and Lemon Polenta cake! Yumm! Gordon was just leaving as I arrived and we said a quick hello, aid stations after this started to resemble some sort of disaster area with tired and dishevelled people sat in chairs mentally preparing to continue or pull! I didn’t linger but passed a group of Brownies on a night walk and continued on to the next check point. I wasn’t using my Garmin as it would not last long enough to be much use but did have it as a watch instead so was trying to keep an eye on the time.
I had three separate targets for times, firstly get round without getting pulled, after half way the cut offs get tighter. Secondly beat last years’ time of 26:18 and thirdly make it in 25:00 hours as a stretch target. Also on my mind was that we were going out for father’s day lunch with my parents, sister, my son and husband and although no one was expecting me to be sparkling company I did need to get home, showered and into London by 2.00pm and eat lunch without dribbling or falling asleep in it!
Before too long I caught up with Gordon and we continued up hill and down dale, the second half I am slightly more familiar with having run it once and walked another time and that helped with the route finding in the dark. We didn’t have much trouble with the cows although Gordon did nearly fall over one that was very inconsiderately lying right across the path. All went well until Southease, I was busy saying it’s just around the corner being really confident that I knew where this one was, we had been joined by Stefan and everyone was keen to get into this checkpoint. But it was no were to be seen I was sure we were on the right path but there seemed to be a marque for someone else where ours should have been. It was eventually probably less than half a mile before we found it but it seemed to be ages.
I grabbed more sweet coffee (yuk) and flapjack (yum) and shovelled it down but Gordon’s stomach decided it had enough and he promptly threw up! We spent a few minutes longer there and Gordon managed a few sips of water before we set off again, up another hill of course!
The moon was full and it never seemed particularly dark which really helped us to keep up the pace, anything even moderately flat or down hill we ran and anything uphill we walked. This really was the pattern for the rest of the 98 miles. We passed a few people and apart from when we stopped at aid stations no one passed us. Afterwards I always think I could have spent less time at the stations but it’s so hard not to have a hot drink and use a proper toilet! I had been back in the bushes a few times but wasn’t having too much trouble.
Jevington is the last aid station and there were homemade Welsh cakes there! I ate two and had more coffee before we tackled the last and one of the worst hills, the start was a scramble over roots and for the first time I started to feel really weary and Gordon coaxed and coached me onwards to the top. At the trig point was a lonely soul whose only role was to head us down the hill and off the main SDW path into Eastbourne. It’s not far from here (relatively speaking) but feels just so far, and it was up to me to try and remember just how far from each turn to the next. The last section feels like it goes on for ever and having checked the time Gordon urged me on as we could possibly be sub 25 hours.
I managed a slightly faster pace but the end seemed to be moving away so after a few minutes I told him to go on and I would follow. Gordon managed to push on and I could see him on the track before long. This was a bit of a spur and I speeded up again, a bit too late and not quite enough I crossed the line a few seconds into the 25th hour of the race. Across the finish line and it was t-shirt, buckle and a hug from Gordon. Lots of familiar faces at the finish, Helen Smith was showered and changed, Cat had missed the cut off at Washington so was there and Gail had passed us at Alfriston (whilst I was in the loo!) and had made it in about five minutes earlier on.
Feet fine (then), no falls (last year two resulting in a black eye and chipped rib) and didn’t get lost! All good, shower and skins on then John arrived and we headed back for lunch. I managed not to fall asleep in my lunch and enjoyed the glass of Champagne that it came with.
Next day, everything hurt! Particularly my back (chafing from backpack and bra) and quads (all those hills) were very sore. My left foot although fine during the run, was red then very swollen that evening and next day and it’s only now a week later that it looks normal size. It’s still sore in the same way as before the run so I have continued to rest this week and binned today’s 10k. Plan to rest for the next few days and hope to be able to run the Near as Damn it on Thursday. It’s a local race and a series of three, there are club points at stake and last year I won a bottle of wine after the three as an age prize so it’s got to be done.
Already planning on doing it again next year! But one 100 a year is enough, there are a few still in the Grand Slam Challenge but it takes too much out of me and I enjoy other races which I would miss out on spending so long recovering.
Brighton Half Marathon
Not sure why but I seem to have had a bit of a mental block with half marathons. I don’t seem to run that many of them and the ones I do are either off road (Badger) or stupidly hilly (Hastings) and consequently my Half Marathon PB is almost five years old! Or was I should say!
So following Lalli’s instructions I thought I’d better write about it!
Lalli and I often train together as we belong to the same club however we have taken a fairly different approach to training over the last few months and it does seem to be suiting us both. I read “the Art of Running Faster” last year and a lot of it really resonated with me. About the same time I started struggling to get home from work in time to get to club to train.
So I made a decision I needed to change when I run and how I train. So much against my instinct and assisted by a very noisy central heating system I have started getting up earlier and fitting in a quality 5km run before work. Yep that’s right BEFORE! So I am up early round the block which starts with a decent pull and then great downhill and then flat back to the house. Breakfast, shower and on the train before my legs really know what’s happened.
The result of this is if I can get home in time for club that’s great if I can’t well that’s OK too. But these aren’t junk miles I work at them and when I get my Garmin talking to the computer again I will be able to follow a programme.
This has been my habit for a while now and combined with moving to a more mid foot landing I am really starting to notice a difference. This was upset a bit by a bit too fast a transition to a lower shoe resulting in some calf issues. Once I worked this out I went back to older shoes and soon sorted it out with a massage and some calf guards.
Brighton has the potential for a PB but the recent weather hasn’t really been all that and the winds had washed half the beach onto the promenade. It’s pretty flat but I don’t really like flat I like the break of pace that you get with hills and sometimes lose concentration and so pace if it’s too flat. I am also not all that good with crowds and Brighton is a big race with lots of people lots of whom are first time racers.
But come the day the conditions were perfect, it was dry, calm and sunny and I even had my sunglasses with me! The breeze was Westerly and the course is out and back in either direction and we set off up the hill toward Roedean with the breeze behind us. The turn came and we headed back down what little hill there was to pass the start and head out towards Hove.
It felt good, I felt light on my feet and eventually the crowds thinned and I began to find some room. Around 8 miles I started to mentally drift a little found my pace dropping and my form going a bit wonky! I gave myself a bit of a talking to, and made sure that I was picking up my feet and not adopting the marathon shuffle.
We turned the corner and suddenly we were only a parkrun from the end. Sad to see the damage caused by the recent bad weather, some of the beach huts had been thrown over the wall and others were looking very skew-whiff!
Having found my rhythm and nicely out of the wind I started to overtake a few people who were struggling a bit and before long the finish was in sight and so to was a PB!
Next is Manchester Marathon, fingers crossed, but this morning saw me trotting round the block as usual.
The Pilgrims with XNRG
Pilgrims again!
The Pilgrims seems to be one of those races that just keeps on giving, last year mud and the year before snow! But not being someone who likes to give in this year I came back to try again and the extra was water, so much water and not where it was meant to be.
Day one and the weather was surprisingly good, given the week we’d had I was expecting rain so to start in sunshine was fantastic. We all checked in and picked up our numbers and instructions then dropped our bags ready to be transported to the school. As always there were a number of familiar faces and I spent way too much time talking to people rather than getting ready this meant there was a last minute dash to decide how many layers to wear and suddenly it was time for briefing.
Unsurprisingly and not for the first time the beginning of the run was detoured because of waterlogging on the golf course. We set off across the field and great my feet were wet! That pretty much set the tone for the day, wet feet and ankles and knees!
Despite having run the route three times previously I (and about 20 other people) managed to take a bit of a detour off the path. It wasn’t far but it’s always annoying to have to retrace your footsteps and once you knew what had gone wrong it was all really obvious! A very busy tree had fallen across the path which made it look as if the path turned. We met some of the walkers on this little detour and they had done exactly the same thing and wandered up and down the path a couple of times trying to work out where they had gone wrong.
Back on the path I passed Paul from club who was completing his first ultra and had done very well in managing not to get detoured with the rest of us! Before long we were crossing the Wey at Guildford and there is a bit of a water meadow usually at this point only this year it was more water than meadow and it started ankle deep which wasn’t too bad. Unfortunately there is a stream that runs across which is normally really obvious! Not so much today with the other water however I did find it as I was suddenly knee deep in really cold water!
The route continued and the views at St Martha’s Mount were lovely, we trotted over Newlands Corner (much better without snow!) and finally found ourselves at the top of Denbies. I met another club mate there and we learnt that rather than being disqualified if we crossed the road we would have to cross it since the subway was completely submerged! Unflappable as always the contingency plans we put into place and we took a different route up Box Hill since the Mole had broken its banks and the usual bridge was not accessible. This route was straightforward but incredibly steep and the delightful Dan was half way up catching us at our worst!
Before long I was at the school and tucking into coffee and cake, and For Goodness Shakes and more coffee! Changed and showered—hot water, BLISS but a door on the ladies changing room would be good. This is one problem with using a boys’ school for sleeping, but once I was clean I went to visit my favourite sports physio who is great at sorting out sore tired legs!
Bag sorted, kit up to dry, sleeping bag laid out ready and everything was sorted ready for DINNER! I can’t say how important a good hot meal is too get you ready for the next day. I confess that at this point I skipped off to the pub for a measure of anti-oxidants and more food. Small problem getting back into the school saw me climbing over the gates to get back into the school and get to bed, luckily a couple of guys were leaving at the same time so they gave me a boost over! Felt odd at my age climbing over a fence. But I made it back before lights out!
Day 2 began with me trying to stuff everything back into my new but slightly too small bag! Then breakfast and the usual rule – eat until you feel sick and then eat a bit more! As usual I had dry shoes for day 2 and the water on day 1 had messed with my feet so I spent some time draining blisters and putting on a compeed.
The route was pretty straightforward and the tough bit is the start! Once I got to the top of Denbies I felt that the worst was over, the Mole was back where it should be and the really hilly bits were done. I power walked and eat as much as I could on the way up there and grabbed some flapjack before heading off again.
The Mole might have been back in the right place but the Wey wasn’t! again contingency plans came into their own and we were detoured into town and over an alternative bridge before following back along the other bank. All went well for the first part but suddenly we turned the corner and were suddenly almost knee deep in very cold river water. We had another 10 miles to go and our feet stayed wet for the rest of the day and I was going to pay for this for the whole of the next week.
At the next checkpoint I met up with the delightful Bob and warned him about the river bank at Guildford and sure enough I found out later plan 3 was then put into place and yet another diversion put in. Having started out slowly I found that I was starting to catch up with folk and managed to keep up my steady pace.
Then the final hill and a final puddle or two and we were back at the start! Thankfully only 30 mins slower than day and one and a course PB over the two days, daylight and a very happy me!
More coffee, more cake and more for goodness shakes before I committed a terrible sin and accidently ripped off my compeed and most of the blister underneath.
It has taken me a week to clean my shoes, my socks were the most disgustingly dirty I have ever seen and it was four days before I could get a decent pair of shoes on my swollen horrid feet. But what fun and how much did I enjoy myself! Can’t wait for the next event!
The Druids powered by Flapjack
This was going to be my fourth Druids Challenge and I was looking forwards to a weekend in the countryside with friends old and new. Earlier in the week the weather had looked good but by Friday it looked like we were set for rain! I learnt a few tricks over the years and the first one was to get on the Croydon Tring train at Croydon! Although I don’t seem to know enough about the local traffic to get there with enough time to get a coffee before the train! Instead I was legging it down the platform carrying a bag as big as me with a few minutes to spare before the train left!
It’s odd how this usually happens I sit on the train thinking no one else is going the same way until Tring when this collection of anxious looking people with huge bags get off and start looking around nervously. We made our way to the car park and praise be the coffee shop was open and I grabbed one as we waited the few minutes for Rich and Bob to arrive in the mini buses. It was a good chance to make introductions and start to settle our nerves.
We made our way up to the farm and collected our numbers, I love that the numbers now have our names on them it means my rubbish memory is not so obvious. We all then spent ages pootling around with our packs and layers and deciding what to wear and what to carry ……. I was trying out a new backpack so filled my water bottles and checked my map and headtorch and suddenly it was time for the briefing.
We gathered around and for the most listened to the instructions, “action on …” and we were soon at the top of the hill and gathered around the beacon waiting for the countdown. Then suddenly we were off and the day began. The plan was to start steady and stay steady! Take it easy uphill and make the most of the down hills. Soon we started to spread out but not as much as usual for me and as we reached check point one I was really happy to still be able to see lots of people around me.
As always the checkpoints are really well staffed and really well stocked, I grabbed some food and a drink before heading out again, and that was the pattern for the rest of the day. I was keen to keep the pace up for as long as possible to try and not spend to long running in the dark. I like running in the dark with my new headtorch (Lenser H7) but it is always slower as I always worry about falling.
Much to my surprise I found myself at the final checkpoint being greeted by Bob and Rich and it was still DAYLIGHT! Such a boost I headed off again and kept going, making sure as the light levels fell I picked my feet up and looked out for roots amongst the fallen leaves. We passed the filming for Brad Pitt and suddenly I was on the road to the school which would be our bed for the night.
Muddy shoes off and a cup of coffee in my hand and I was feeling good, next found my bag and booked a massage! I swear the physio knows my legs as well as his own by now! I was in much faster than I expected and managed to get a hot shower. Gradually more and more people arrived some looking very muddy having taken a tumble and a couple of twisted ankles! Next FOOD! Such an important part of the support is having good tasty food and there was a change to sit and chat comparing days and previous races!
Lots of conversations took place about where we’d last met or run and comparing notes on our day. Then suddenly the tiredness hit and people started to find their spaces and get ready for bed. Ten o’clock and lights out and the hall was surprisingly quiet considering how many of us there were but it seemed no time before the walkers started to get themselves ready for their day. A combination of massage, sleeping in skins and sleeping well meant that my legs were feeling pretty good. Breakfast was tasty and shoes were gathered. Mine were still very wet but I had brought a second pair to wear on the middle day so my feet felt ready for the day.
Day two is my least favourite day, not because it’s the hardest but because I don’t like the stretch along the river into Goring and Streetly. It’s dull, flat and often boggy but before that you have some lovely trail and tracks which I was looking forwards to. Following our race briefing and a hello to the new runners we were off again. The weather was due to be kinder with only a few hours of rain forecast midday but it was dull and rather grey all around. A short stretch on the road and then we were back on the Ridgeway.
Strategy pretty much the same, start steady, keep steady walk strongly on the way out of Goring and keep the pace up. As the day before I found myself managing to keep up with the rest of the runners and we made our way steadily from checkpoint to checkpoint. I found myself acting as an unofficial pacer for one of the other runners who was trotting along steadily behind me. Oddly I found this really helpful as we got to Goring as I felt I couldn’t let him down by not running something which is an easily run section (despite the fact that I always end up walking this bit as I hate it so!). But running meant it was over much more quickly than usual and before long we had covered the long hill after Goring and back on the Ridgeway proper.
Suddenly we were under the motorway and heading for the finish, I was running amongst others again and knowing the route was so helpful to pace the remaining few miles which are deceptive. You can see the finish a long way away and I was able to warn Stu and Ashley that we were not stopping at the car park we could see but at the one we couldn’t see! Not what they wanted to hear! But finally we were there and under five hours! A good hour off my time last year and my shadow followed a couple of minutes later. We shook hands and were lucky enough to be able to get straight onto the next mini bus down to the sports centre.
At the sports centre we used the side entrance and dropped our muddy shoes off in the squash court before grabbing a hot drink and something to eat. It was only really at this point that I realised I had managed to pass a few of my start and was in surprisingly early for me! I found my bag, grabbed a sleeping spot and booked my massage. The showers were hot and very welcome, skins and floppies on I headed into town for a very large coffee! And more food.
Dinner was hot and tasty and we moved to the squash court (without the shoes) and we listened to Joey’s adventures in the Sahara! I am still not tempted! She was followed by Rory Coleman who reminded us that how unusually fit and amazing we all are for doing what we do. And we do it for fun! He shared some tips on training and I certainly came away motivated to do more specific stuff to get where I want to go.
Next was a chance to chat with some old and new chums! I seemed to gain a couple of extra sons over the weekend and I trotted round the hall before heading off to my bed. The surprise news of the evening was that as a result of my times that day and the day before I was booked to go out on the elite start! How terrifying! Day three is a tricky start because we have to be bussed up to the start. This means that it is really difficult for Neil if people start to try and change slots, Neil had made it clear that the only way to change times is to find someone to swop with! I didn’t fancy my chances trying to get someone to take my place (even though it meant an extra hour in bed!).
I decided that I would be fine by myself as I know the route fairly well and am happy to trot along by myself at the back of the pack all day. Stu and Ashley were in the same start and decided to keep my company and there were a couple of us stick together on and off at the back of the field. But the sun was shining and all seemed well! The miles seemed to tick over and we reached the first check point then the second and my strategy seemed to continue to hold up.
The chalk was slippy at points and just before one section a passing dog walker stopped to warn me that the next section was particularly bad, as I turned to thank him I fell! Fortunately a good soft patch of mud and the ever helpful dog walker gave me a helping hand up again! Apart from being muddy all was good and being slightly more careful I headed off again.
Before too long I was at the last check point and starting to feel a bit weary! Praise be they had the most amazing flapjack and eating one whilst carrying another piece I walked for a short while to prepare myself for the drag up to Barbary Castle. This is another part of the route that I really don’t like, again you can see it for a long way but it never seems to get any easier. Stu, Ashley and I continued to pass and re-pass each other and finally we got to Barbary. Unfortunately they had forgotten that this was not the finish!
Instead we had three more hilly miles down and up before the finish line was actually in sight and with Ashley hard on my heels I headed for the finish line for a day PB and route PB by almost THREE hours overall.
Inside I grabbed more coffee and found my bag to start organising for my lift home! As I chatted to people and generally kept my other half waiting Neil began the prize giving. Nathan had one overall and Charlie was the first lady and they went up for their prizes. When we got to the over fifties Rory was first male and I was very happy to not only be first lady fifty but also to be faster than the first lady forty! A new trophy and thanks to XNRG and HiTech it will be a new pair of shoes too! Of course I need more shoes!
What an amazing weekend! I enjoyed myself so much, the views, the friends and the challenge! I can’t wait until the next one the Pilgrims in February is not far away really!
JW Ultra
The JW Ultra is a 30 (ish), flat (ish) canal side run from the Greenway in Stratford upon Avon to Bournville station. I say ish as it’s hard to measure accurately when it’s trail and up and over locks and each of the locks is a little higher than the other.
So it’s sort of quite a bit tougher than you might think and in some ways the canal side bit can get just a little repetitive! But there are boats and ducks and cyclists and pedestrians and ….. well you get the picture there’s quite a lot to look at along the way. Some of the views are really amazing such as the way the canal goes over the road like one huge great tin bath!
The other odd view for one poor runner was my behind! Thirty miles is a long way with nowhere to stop, mile fifteen or so I “paused” in what I thought was a quiet spot only to be caught out! All I could do was call out an apology and ask him politely to look away! Since I was in no position (Ha Ha!) to stop what I was doing! Fortunately no when else appeared in the next couple of minutes and I was on my way again.
Much of the run was in the middle of nowhere and so there was fairly limited support however there was the odd supporter and Fetchie that popped up from time to time and this helped to pass the time. The Sea Cadets were as always wonderfully organised and checked us in and out very seriously and efficiently.
Having made a slowish start I was happy to keep going and managed in the last few miles to overtake a few people and even make a bit of a sprint finish, leading me crossing the line breathless and wheezing! There at the end was my chum’s delightful son Ethan who was leaving for university the next day. I got a big hug and a great gift (bum bag and trolley token) including of course some Cadbury chocolate (that didn’t last long!).
The finish line was a short walk from the Sea Cadets and homemade cake and hot drinks coming from down south 90p for coffee and TWO slices of cake was just what I needed to get me home again.
A lovely day, lovely weather fantastically organised and I’ll be back again next year hoping to get just a little nearer to five hours.
Ridgeway 85 Challenge
Last August was my first Ridgeway Challenge and I was hoping to be able to keep up the pace a bit better this time around. The start was at the top of Ivanhoe Beacon and a good ten minutes walk from the registration area. I had settled for the early (10am) start again this year as this meant I had an extra two hours to get to the end! This seemed important as last year Elaine and I squeaked in only 25 minutes before the cut off and this year I was running alone so not sure how I’d manage through the night.
I arrived in Tring in good time and a bit like last year it started to rain shortly after I collected my number. We all huddled under the trees and tried to organise our drop bags, I had a change of clothes, socks and shoes that was going to be taken to Goring about 40 miles along the track. It’s hard to make decisions about what to wear or carry when you know that you are stuck with that decision for the next 40 miles. The forecast had been for showers on and off throughout the day so eventually I went for a thin but long sleeved top, shorts a waterproof and buff (my JW Ultra one!).
It was also the first time I had worn my new Ultimate Direction back pack and I was a bit anxious about it if would be comfy, I tried not to put too much in it but did pack my spare head torch just in case. We wandered up to the start knowing that five minutes later we would be making our way back down the path five minutes later after the Race Director blew his whistle!
The chalk was damp and everso slightly slippery and so I started slowly and took my time down the hills and across the road onto the main pathway. Having started quite near the back I was careful to follow the signs and it was at this point things got just a little weird! The ridgeway is marked pretty well with finger posts and it’s key to check each time which way they are pointing. At about a mile the path splits in three and I noticed that the lead runners had all taken the middle path whereas I thought the finger post was pointing to the right more!
The runners were just too far ahead for me to be able to call them and it seemed a bit extreme to get out my whistle! So I took the path I thought was right and carried on, just round the corner was another sign I looked to see if I could see the others but they were out of sight so I kept going and expected the others to catch up with me soon. About a mile further on Bob caught up with me and we chatted for a mile or so and caught up with three others who told us we were now at the front!
Much to our surprise that was it for the next couple of checkpoints with Bob in first then me in a while after him, by check point three there was still no sign of the others and Bob had slowed a little and I was suddenly first! Surprisingly this didn’t last too long and suddenly the lead man from the 12.00 start and eventual winner flew past me looking like it was just a jog in the park. After this we settled in to a pattern of checkpoint, quick snack and check in before checking out again!
The checkpoints were all really lovely, huddled under shelter trying to keep dry and some volunteers would be there in shifts for hours! The rain came and went and apart from once wasn’t particularly heavy, by checkpoint four the weather had cheered up and after a climb up a longish hill I was greeted by an audience who took my order for a hot drink and rushed over to make sure I had enough to eat.
Eventually after rather a rather dull and flat section along the Thames and across three fields we were in Goring and there was hot foot, hot drinks and dry clothes and shoes! Baked Potatoes, baked beans and cheese followed by rice pudding and coffee, coffee and more coffee! Shoes off, feet inspected and someone from another crew was kind enough to help me put a plaster on my foot! Although I took the big job of draining the blister and sorting out the causes of the blister! The worst injury at this point was the chafing on my back but the St John’s people kindly sorted that out for me.
As soon as I had sorted out my drop bag I set out with a handful of food, my super amazing headtorch and started out. From Goring the trail heads up and joins the ridge proper the first few miles are a bit of a slog but the rain had stopped and the chalk was trying out really quickly. The miles began to slip by and darkness fell, it seems like it would be lonely in the dark but it never really is. The check points are not too far away and there is a string of headlights ahead of you and behind you at all times.
Last year I seemed to walk most of this second stage but this year I managed to keep up a better walk run strategy and before too long I was at my favourite check point complete with massive bonfire! Each checkpoint was a similar story, in grab a coffee and something to eat then carry on.
I had told John that I would call him from the last check point and let him know what time I would be at the end. Only problem was that it was 5am at Barbary Castle! I decided to carry on without calling him and started the final 5 miles. It doesn’t really sound very far does it? But it’s quite a pull up to the last section of the ridgeway and the path becomes deeply rutted and quite difficult to run.
Eventually I reached the final descent and after a short hill I reached the village hall and finish line! It was 7.08 giving me a final time of 21.08 compared to last year’s 25.25. I sorted out my feet changed into dry clothes then decided it was time to call John only NO signal! More coffee and some food I checked my phone and miracles I had a signal and sent off a quick text.
I found my XNRG fleece and found a bench and a blanket from the St John’s then snuggled up and slept until John arrived. Fortunately he’d woken early and checked the website for where I was and realised he’d better leave then!
One small blister, one very chaffed back and a very sore upper foot where I’d accidentally taped my foot too tightly and it bruised as a result. Parkrun today and all seems good!
Great run and I’ll definitely do it again next year but this time it’ll have to be the 12 midday start.
SDW100
It’s always hard to know where to begin with a race report and the obvious answer should always be — at the beginning, only this time in the weeks leading up to the event I wasn’t sure I would make it to the beginning. The problem started at the Cotswold Challenge when I wore an overly old pair of trail shoes on a very hill and quite tough course and then a pair of high heels for work the next week. The result was two very sore feet with metatarsal pain and a distinct lack of training as a result. I binned my shoes (much loved and all too well worn) and bought some new one, started experimenting with various supports for my poor boney feet and trying to find out what was wrong to put it right again. After much reading the main thing seemed to be a combination of worn out shoes and aging feet with a loss of fat and ligaments that are way too slack. I also hit YouTube and looked out instructions on physio tape to support my metatarsals. Prague Marathon offered me the chance to experiment with the tape and see how it helped. The result was my worst marathon in years time wise however my feet felt fine so I suppose that was the only positive thing to come out of the race, apart from quite a good t-shirt. After a couple of shortish races and a couple of slightly longer (12 miles) training runs it seemed like I was good enough to get to the start if nothing else. The next problem was a 6am start in Winchester and a distinct lack of holiday opportunities for leave from work. The result was a very full bag taken to work and then a Friday night train down to Winchester for an overnight stay and a 4am early call for a 4.45 cab to the start line. The route was pretty straight forwards really the Southdown’s Way all the way to Eastbourne just less than 100 miles away! At the start there were a few familiar faces and a chance to exchange some rather nervous hellos! We collected our numbers and a compulsory kit check to make sure we had a map, water containers and a head torch. I had been one of the last to sign up so was number 248 and spent an anxious few minutes getting my drop bag ready and checking that I had sufficient snacks and layers to keep me going. The major drop point was at Washington a mere 54 miles into the course and I was expecting to get there early evening and so had a long sleeved top and change of shoes and socks packed into a small bag. The race started promptly at 6am with a lap of the field before we all headed off towards the first checkpoint. I knew that the first couple of check points would be the hardest as they had the longest sections with almost 26 miles before the second checkpoint. The plan was to start slow and try to keep up a slow steady pace. I was expecting to slow over night so needed to keep up the pace to give myself some hope for the overnight stages. Initially I had some stomach issues which was a bit annoying but slowly this settled and I got into a bit of a rhythm and the checkpoints started to get a bit closer. I made sure to take on some food and fluid at every check point, not too much and most stations had flat coke and various other bits savoury and sweet. The course was well marked with the waymarkers and various bits of tape and signs which made it really quite straightforward and I didn’t really have any problems until I caught one foot on a piece of flint and went flying landing on my left hand and the side of my head! You know when people talk about a sickening thud? Well that! However nothing broken and I brushed off the dust and dirt and kept going! The half way stop was at 54 miles and that’s where the bag drop was, I met up with my chum Elaine who had already eaten and was ready to leave again said a quick hello goodbye and started to get myself fed. Shoes off and I grabbed something to eat and a cup of coffee, the plan was to start putting on some layers for night time change my shoes and socks and get ready for the slog through the night. I have some very lovely and super cushioned Falke socks so I had spare of them to put on along with a fresh pair of shoes. I had planned to stop for a short a time as possible and it’s difficult to do these things as fast as you hope too sometimes and this was another one of those times, so I probably spent about half an hour at the check point rather than the twenty minutes I’d hoped. But eventually I managed to get myself back on the road and heading for the next checkpoint. The route continued to be hilly, well very hilly really and I trotted on fairly well until I managed to trip again this time on an old fence post that was sticking out of the ground an inch or so and landed heavily on my left hand side and ribs. I was really winded this time but managed to sit for a while to gather myself before carrying on into the next check point and spending a little time drinking soup and watching the bats flitting through the air. Time kept going and the miles tripped by until I met Alan at the Clayton Mills, he gave me a good talking too and made me put more layers on and eat and drink something. He was surprised to see me since I was about an hour ahead of plan at this point and promised to let Cat and Josh know that I might be early to meet them. The night time was odd as the paths were not always very clear, what’s obvious in the day time is so different in the night and I was lucky to see the arrows on the ground and the tape in the distance, tied to fences or gates. I had my super bright Lenser headlight and it did an amazing job of helping me pick out features and stay on course. The next checkout I met up with Elaine and a few others and we left together trudging up the hill on the other side of the main road. This is where it’s really useful to be able to walk well! Not like a stroll to the shops but a really purposeful stride using arms and marching up the hills. So this is what I did striding up the hills and trotting down them in the best way I could manage. Dawn was starting to rise as I met Cat and we trotted on together striding up the hills and jogging down the other side to the annoyance of some of the people we managed to pass this way! However we kept the pace up and chatted as we continued up and down stopping briefly at car parks to say hello to Josh and at checkpoints to top up on coffee and sugar! We had 17 miles to go and the time seemed to pass by quite quickly chatting until we reached the edge of Eastbourne and suddenly it all seemed a bit too much! Cat was really well organised and had all the instructions on how to get from the path to the finish and it all seemed quite straightforward. What the instructions omitted to say was just how far it was from the trig point to the athletics track but eventually we could see Josh and the track and the end was in sight! At which point we had to turn the other way and run a full lap of the track! And to my surprise I did run proper run the lap! There at the end was Mimi complete with pompoms hooping and hollering as we crossed the line and I picked up my tee-shirt and buckle. I had sort of expected to be far more emotional than I was at this stage. I had covered 100 miles and been awake since 4am the previous morning! The cut off was 30 hours and my plan was to make it in 29 hours 30 mins or thereabouts but my eventual time was 26 hours and 18 mins! Well within what I hoped for and the final tally was one blister, one black eye, one bruised rib and a selection of cuts and grazes. Was it worth it? Absolutely! The views were amazing, the company great and the support fantastic! Both from the crews and volunteers from Centurion and in particular from Cat for pacing me, Josh for lurking around various car parks and Alan for giving me a bit of a pep talk at Clayton Mills!
Cotswold Way
Well it’s a bit later than I’d hoped but I thought it was about time that I wrote about the Cotswold Challenge. I know memory can be selective (why else would I have two children!) but was really only about a year ago that my other half and I walked this section of the Cotswold Way over four days. I had remembered the terrible rain on one of the days last year but had somehow forgotten the hills! Having completed the two days I have no idea how I managed to forget the HILLS!
The upside was having climbed the hills the views were amazing, just so beautiful as were the iron age forts and various burial chambers that we passed along the way.
But going back to the start we all met in the lovely Cotswold village of Chipping Camden and following the collection of numbers and sharing hugs and hello’s with old friends set off to make some new ones!
As soon as we left the village we hit the hills and I was amazed to see the snow still nestling in the corners and lea’s of the dry stone walls. The paths were pretty well marked and the route weaved up and down through some of the prettiest parts of the county. We were greeted at each checkpoint by friendly faces and encouragement and really the only downside of day one was managing to miss the path in the last mile or so to the school and add a mile or two and about 20 minutes to my total for the day.
Fortunately my map reading skills (ok it was google maps!) helped me find the school although I came from the completely wrong direction! I cup of coffee, hot shower and massage soon left me feeling much better and I set up my cosy corner and sleeping bag. It was also a chance to talk to some of the other competitors and compare notes on how well we managed (or not the hills!).
I felt a little guilty about having arranged to meet friends for the evening but got over it enough to be whisked off for a pub supper (in one of the villages we had run through earlier on in the day) and a very lovely glass or two of local cider.
A good night’s sleep (minimal snorers and no phone/text messages over night) and we woke to another lovely dry day and got sorted out for day two. Day two started with a two miles trek back up to the top of the hill and allowed me to see exactly where I missed my turning the day before. It also meant I started the day by walking the first four miles or so.
The first two check points were tough being at 9 miles and almost 10 miles but did include pass the steep (almost vertical) hill that locals chase a rolling cheese down! I was saved by the lovely Bob who gave me a wonderful cup of tea!
The last few (well ten or so) miles I ran in with one of the other guys and we managed to keep each other going till the marvellous view of the flags and Pauline with the stopwatch and clipboard! The day was slower than I had hoped but the main thing was finishing. At the start of day one a ran for a long while with a newbie Ben and we chatted about this and that but I remember saying this isn’t about racing it’s about getting to the end and I DID!
annettelovestorun 