Running Crazy

I liked this run last year because it was a good run and they had some great homemade cakes at the end, so I was keen to try this again.

The race information arrived a couple of weeks before the event and I noted with despair that I had again entered the 50k and not the 42k but there was no going back now (well there was I don’t really do that).

After a long hot summer the weather had just broken and the journey their took us through torrential downpours and flooded roads.  It was raining during registration and until just before the start of the race so I kept my coat on.

Within the first 2 miles I had to stop to tie up both my shoe laces and then to take my running jacket off because it was too hot.  Immediately after removing my jacket it started to rain but it’s only with great reluctance that I put on/take off my jacket and fortunately the rain only lasted a few minutes and after that is was dry, sometimes hot for the remainder of  the run.  The 50k route takes a wide loop out before returning to join the marathon trail at Old Sarum, an iron age hill fort.  I can’t remember a lot about the remainder of the route but it’s mixed terrain, sometimes fairly big climbs up the hills and pretty enjoyable.

At the end I was very disappointed because there were no homemade cakes this year.

I ran the Ridgeway challenge in 2011 and really enjoyed it, so finding a gap in my schedule I thought I’d run it again.

The Ridgeway is an ancient path running from near Tring to Avebury over a distance of 87 miles.   The challenge covers a distance of 85 miles and just turns off at the end into Avebury, the nearest settlement to the end.  The route is well marked and virtually traffic free.  The organisation of the run by the Trail Running Association is relaxed and informal and the run attracts over 100 entrants each year.

For this run I was incredibly disorganised.  I arrived at registration just 15 minutes before the start of the run in the middle of a torrential rain storm, I walked to the start in the wrong shoes and had to run back and change and in the first section I couldn’t find my inhaler and wheezed my way around before discovering it just where it was supposed to be.  I didn’t consider myself to be in peak form.

When the start came the rain had stopped and the sun came out.  The majority of the pack set out at an easy pace gradually spreading out as we moved further from the start.   Apart from another short shower the weather was quite pleasant as we headed to the first checkpoint.  At this checkpoint I started to sort myself out, found my inhaler and set off again.

Now the running settled into a steady rhythm and I found myself with other runners maintaining a similar pace.  Chatting helped to pass the time and as we reached the 2nd checkpoint thunder and lightning started, but fortunately no significant rain.  As we closed in on the checkpoint there was an enormous boom from a lightning strike fairly nearby that really gave me a shock and I though of this as a real end of the world run.

This next section passed quite quickly as we headed more-or-less straight on with a main road to traverse.  Up a steep hill and into checkpoint 3.  After this checkpoint the track carried on for a while before turning to hills again with a final big climb towards checkpoint 4.

From this point on things started to go seriously wrong for me.  Heading out from checkpoint 4 with some varied terrain of woodland trails, hills and ploughed fields I crossed a road and missed the Ridgeway sign.  A short trot across the golf course and some map checking revealed the error of my ways and I doubled back to find the rather obvious route.  This only cost a small amount of time and I was still looking good to reach checkpoint 5 at Goring in less than 8 hours.  Unfortunately there was a nagging tightness in my left hamstring which increase during an easy and long downhill section toward the River Thames.  Eventually I stopped and tried to stretch out the hamstring but each time I tried to run again it was painful after just a few paces.

I started to walk in the hope that my hamstring would loosen up and this gave me time to consider my options.  In just 3 weeks time I was going to attempt to run the Thames Path so I didn’t want to get a serious injury and gradually I came to the decision that I would drop out when I reached Goring.  It was extremely frustrating to see other runners catch up with me and run on, it was nice of everyone to ask how I was but my mood deteriorated.  By the time I reached Goring it was again raining heavily which matched my black mood completely.

This was my first DNF in any race and was a difficult decision to make but I did get a comfortable nights sleep in my own bed.

The Ultra Trail South West (UTSW) is a 100 mile with almost 4 miles of ascent and is billed as the toughest footrace in the UK.  Well there are quite a few runs that claim to be the toughest and I don’t know if this is true but this race qualifies for 4 points towards the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc which is the maximum points for any single race so it’s certainly up there.

This is the first time that the UTSW has run and the the concept is that it will be run on a different section of the South West Coastal Path every year.  A good idea really as I like variety and the South West Coastal Path contains some beautiful scenery.

The start of the race for 2012 was at Porthleven with the finish at Watergate Bay, near Newquay.  The start time was 7pm on Friday evening (22nd June) which I think was chosen to allow the competitors 40 hours to complete the course but still finish by mid-day on Sunday.  Most of the events which I participate in have a small number of competitors and an even smaller number of supporters but for this event a lot of families were present to support the start and a lot of people in the village watched with interest, photos were taken and a brief pep talk and the race was started.  As you might expect the runners had been preparing for months and were eager to get going so the initial pace was quick as we headed onto the coastal path towards Marazion near St Micheal’s Mount, for the first checkpoint.  On this section of the course we were fresh, it was still daylight and the route was mostly clearly marked and easy to find.  The ascent on this section was listed as 1749ft (533m) which didn’t prove too difficult for anyone.  On reaching the checkpoint at Marazion people still looked fresh and grabbed sweets and water before heading straight on to the next section.

Stage 2 was from Marazion to Lamorna and a large part of this was close to sea level, so the ascent for the section was just 604ft (184m) so pace continued to be quick but the pack started to spread out.  Running through Penzance on a Friday night didn’t attract as much attention as you might expect or maybe they just weren’t drunk enough for the normal jeering that you might get.  While waiting for the start at Porthleven the weather had seem blustery and cool so I had opted for a base layer as well as a running top but with wind dropped and the fast pace ensured that I was really a little warmer than I wanted to be.  After Mousehole we started to climb up again and the course started to undulate.  Darkness was closing in as I arrived at Lamorna having broken away from the small group that I’d been running with so a quick refuel and after putting my head torch on I was off.

Stage 3 from Lamorna to Lands End.  This was something of a shock as shortly after heading away form Lamorna I was confronted with large boulders in the way, had I missed a turning, that couldn’t have been right because there had been a cliff on my right since I left the checkpoint, so over I went and there was the path again.  Night had closed in completely now and writing this now the details become quite sketchy.  At some point I came to a village which was quite eery.  On my own, not really sure where I was late at night.  The footpath wandered through the town before seeming to head out onto the beach.  It was only on reaching the end of the beach that I realised I really needed to be on a footpath above the beach, there was only a small cliff so I reasoned that I could clamber up in less time than it would take to retrace my steps.  After checking the handholds on the cliff I realised that this wouldn’t end well so I headed back to find a path up, slipping and bending my thumbnail backwards in the process.  The swearing and minor pain sustained me back onto the coastal path and along.  The order becomes a little bit confused in my memory now but I reached the Minack Theatre and, I think, later came to a section of coastal path that was closed.  Drastic measure now so I had to check my map and I could see a route that would get me back onto the coastal path without doubling back at any point, it was down a good track to a farm so it looked OK.  All went well until the very final part where I would rejoin the coastal path, although I was still on a footpath it led me into a very boggy field and my feet became very we crossing this, and this would become important later.  Gradually closing in on Land’s End at one point I lost the path and started to worry that I was heading towards a big drop, the waves crashing below were becoming louder and sounded nearer.  Time to check my position.  Moving around carefully I found what seemed to be a path and then other the head torches of some other runners, what a relief.  Not long afterwards it was the Land’s End hotel and this time a short rest. With an ascent of 3071ft (936m)  and completely in the dark this was the first truly tough section.

Stage 4 from Land’s End to Pendeen Watch.  For me this was the end of the first night of running.  Leaving Land’s End the path was easy to find and reasonably easy running.  This is now well into the early hours of Saturday morning and I can’t really remember a lot about this part of the run.  As dawn came I could see lights on at a farm on one of the headlands and I hoped that this was the next checkpoint but no I had to carry on further.  As I finally approached Pendeen Watch I could see increasing signs of Cornish mining, it had been present throughout the run so far, and I eventually reached the checkpoint.  Time for a brief moment of respite and some porridge before heading out on the next section.

Stage 5 from  Pendeen Watch to Zennor Head.  Starting out pleasantly enough on a track this soon later turned to many sharp drops followed by steep climbs and the footing started to deteriorate with increasing numbers of rocks to catch your feet on.  It was also one of the shortest sections and it seemed like no time at all before I was climbing a steep hill to the checkpoint where I saw another fellow competitor just leaving, the first in many hours.

Stage 6 from Zennor Head to St Ives.  The condition of the trail had been steadily deteriorating for some time and on this section it was at its worst.  The path was generally quite clear but it included lots of rocks which meant you had to be careful not to trip but also these were causing quite a bit of discomfort for my feet.  At times it felt like the stones were digging directly into the soles of my feet and my trail shoes seemed to be of little benefit.  There was just one moment where I was unsure of the trail and that was when I came across boulders covering, what I assumed, was the path.  I clambered over the boulders but couldn’t see anything much like a path on the other side.  So I climbed back down to look for an alternate route but there was nothing to find.  Back over again and this time the not very obvious path looked a lot clearer to me so on I ran.  In terms of energy I was still feeling pretty good at this point but this wasn’t going to last much longer.  Coming into St Ives was a relief mainly because the rocks gradually vanished and a pavement opened out in front of me.  This was just over half way, at 53.4 miles but already I’d added on quite a distance and my GPS was suggesting closer to 60 miles.  I desperately wanted to change my socks but my crew didn’t have them with her.

Stage 7 from St Ives to Godrevy Point.  It was during this section of the run that other runners started to pass me.  Some of them were on the 60 mile race, which I don’t feel too bad about, but some were on the 100 mile run.  This was a pretty flat section of the run with a big part of it being through the sand dunes on the approach to Godrevy Point.  As I passed through Hayle this was also the first time that I’d seen any significant number of normal people.  While it was nice to be in the sand coming up to Godrevy Point it was also hard work and my pace was slowing noticeably.

Stage 8 from Godrevy Point to Porthtowan.  For the next 2 sections I can’t really remember much.  It’s not just the passage of time since I completed the run but also because I was now exhausted and I’d reached something of a crawl.  Sometimes I was running but increasingly I was walking now.  On arrival at Porthtowan I was feeling ill.  I sat down and quickly fell asleep with my head in my hands.  I’m not sure how long this lasted for before I got to my feet and started the next section.

Stage 9 from Porthtowand to Perranporth.   I really can’t remember much about this section now.  I recall that there was an initial hard climb but that it later became a mostly flat section along a high coastal path with opportunities to drop right down in order to climb up again.

Stage 10 from Perranporth to Fistral Beach.  Mostly during the day the weather had been quite pleasant, not too hot and not cold, but during this section that all changed.  Gradually it started to rain and the wind picked up.  For the next hour or so it just became more miserable, or maybe that was just me.  I got very wet and at times very cold.  Worse still I’d reached a crucial section at high tide and had to run an extra few miles around the coast to reach the final checkpoint at Fistral Beach.  As I got closer the daylight started to fade, the coastal path vanished and was replaced by markings placed on the road by Endurance life.  Unfortunately I didn’t realise that these were now the markings and had quite a few problems before I realised.  Later I would learn that one of the runners had so many problems at this stage that she gave up at the final checkpoint which was a great shame.  Even just short of the final checkpoint I couldn’t find any markings and didn’t know which way to go. Fortunately another runner came by and I stuck with him as my local guide.

Stage 11 from Fistral Beach to Watergate Bay.  The last section and just under 6 miles to go.  I stuck with my buddy who seemed to know his way.  It was only 6 miles but I was completely disorientated, which is pretty unusual for me.  The route was reasonably easy to find with 2 of us looking for it and it was the home stretch, but I was finding it very hard.  Not far from the end I let my buddy run on to the finish and I trailed behind.  In fact I’m surprised at how much of a gap there was between us considering there was probably only about 1 mile to go there was a gap of 8 minutes, and I’m not sure what I did in that time.

Reaching the end was great.  I was exhausted but would have carried on if I needed to (thankfully not).  I was disappointed in my overall time and position (25 out of 48 finishers) but not hugely disappointed.

The race was a serious challenge.  I’m not sure if it is the toughest in the UK but it is definitely up there.  The one big disappointment for me, and for other runners, was that there was no fruit to eat at the checkpoints.  There’s only so many energy gels you can eat and it’s surprising how refreshing a piece of fruit can be.  My crew, Lynn, bought some grapes and bananas for me too eat and I swear that the grapes were the best I’d ever eaten.

The 2nd day began with a run from the race HQ to Portland Bill for checkpoint 1 before continuing around the coast and back to race HQ for checkpoint 2.  None of this was particularly scenic but did manage to fit in a good few steep climbs.

During the race briefing they had warned about the risk of taking a dead end footpath to a juvenile detention centre and I proceeded to take this and added o. About 1.4 miles to the overall distance.  It was also a short while after this that I felt a twang on my right hamstring and was reduced to a hobble.  With some dynamic stretches I managed to get to a reasonable run without too much pain so I decided to push on for checkpoint 3.

The route now proceeded through Weymouth town centre and along the sea front.  This was all very flat but also very busy.  At the end of the sea front the coastal path headed back to the more familiar hilly coastal path.  This frat section was more rolling hills than anything more severe.  This continued until Smugglers Inn where checkpoint 3 was.  Throughout this section I’d passed large numbers of other competitors and although my hamstring still hurt I felt comfortable that I could complete the next section.

From Smugglers we headed straight up the next hill which went gradually upwards.  Then after a fairly flat section we hit the more serious hills.  These included steep uphill climbs followed by very steep downhills.  All hard on the quads.  Through Durdle Door before finally dropping down to Lulworth Cove and the finish.  At this point we also had the opportunity to view the next serious hill that waits for us tomorrow.

Although my hamstring is still very sore I intend to push on tomorrow to complete the course, although I intend to join a slower group.

Througout the day the weather was warm but with a cooling sea breeze.  I think the weather was quite deceptive because quite a few people had gotten a little burnt. 

 Today was the first day of the Jurassic coast challenge.

The morning started with registration and kit check.  It was good to see the kit check was actually being carried out as it often doesn’t happen, but then again I’d have liked to skip a few items to lighten the load.  After that there was nearly a 2hour wait before the briefing and transport to the beginning, again I would have preferred to skip that too.

Starting from Charmouth we hit the first hill almost immediately and the hills carried on until we hit the Golden Cap where it was steeper.  Downhill through Seatown and then back to rolling steep hills along the coast.

The first checkpoint was before West Bay after which there was another steep hill before hitting a pleasant flat section for maybe 3/4 of a mile.  After a little longer it dropped down to run alongside the beginnings of Chesil Beach for a long flat section and checkpoint 2.

After checkpoint 2 we continued along a flat section of coast until Abbotsbury where we turned inland.  The course now turned to fairly gentle rolling hills and continued like this through checkpoint 3 at Langton Herring right until the end at Ferry Bridge.

The weather throughout the run was hot, especially so for March in England, which isn’t, in my opinion good for running long distances.  Unfortunately we can’t control the weather though.

For me the whole day was a hard slog and I only started to feel mor comfortable after 13 miles.  Unfortunately towards the end my right hamstring started to hurt, nothing too bad but a worrying annoyance.

Tomorrow should be flatter, but we shall see. 

Saturday was the Endurancelife Coastal Trail series South Devon ultra.  The race was from Beesands in South Devon.

As race days go this didn’t start with great promise.  A strong wind had been blowing since the previous night and it looked ready to rain.  The usual briefing was giveNdola the assembled 30-40 runners and the ultra began at 0815.    There was a short run along the road and then it was straight onto the coastal path and up the first of many hills.  The pack quickly spread out with a small group of about 4 runners leading the way and the remainder spread out behind.

For the first 2-3 miles the track was quit wide through fields but shortly after a small stretch of shingle it gradually changed to a narrow track with on either steep slopes or rocks.  It carried on in this way all the way to Salcombe where it changed to woodland.  Throughout this section of the run there were strong gusts of wind, but nothing sustained, and by the time we reached Salcombe it was sunny and quite warm so I stripped off the hat and gloves.  After the first checkpoint the run carried on through the woods before heading  onto a road.  The road was a surprise because it was largely flat for 3 miles or so and allowed me to maintain a good pace.

For the next 5-6 miles the run continued away from the coast, continuously hilly, but mixing short section of road with fields and muddy tracks.  Heading down onto the coast near Slapton Sands heading back towards Beesands.  This was another flat section but it was at this point that it started to rain, initially light rain but increasing although intermittently.

Passing through Beesands and the race HQ was tough, at the 28 mile point, before heading back onto the coast path and up the hill again to run the 10k course.  This was tough because the trail had been churned up by the other races and the rain and wind started to pick up.  As we moved further along the coast the wind picked up more and it became hard work pushing into the gale.  This section of the trail wasn’t that exciting really with another 2 miles of road.  It was a relief to come back into Beesands.

A good and tough run but slightly spoilt by the weather.  

Today I took part in Cirencester duathlon which was held in Charlton Park near Malmesbury.

The course consisted of a 2 mile run, 10 mile bike ride and another 2 mile run, all cross country.  This was my first duathlon so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect in terms of effort so I didn’t push too hard at the start.  I completed the first 2 miles in 15:43 which I didn’t consider particularly fast but I’d made good progress with many of the competitors setting off fast but slowing quite quickly.

My transition to the bike was clumsy, I couldn’t find my bike initially and then I had difficulty putting my helmet on, in fact I’m pretty sure my 16 year old bike helmet was on back to front.  The bike ride was difficult because of the snow, ice, mud and ruts.  I found this reasonably hard and the bike was difficult to control at times.  I came off the bike a couple of times but nothing serious.  Quite a lot of riders came past me during this stage.  I finished the bike in 46:28.  

The transition back to the run went pretty smoothly and although my quads had started to burn at the end of the bike section they had largely recovered about a third of a mile into the run.  I overtook quite a few other competitors during this final run, regaining some of the positions I’d lost during the bike. I finished this section in 16:41.

My overall time was 1:21:00, the remaining time included my transition.

I enjoyed this as an change from my normal training and I’d happily do another.  The venue was good but to be honest I wasn’t admiring the scenery on the way round.