I had often lain awake at night wondering what on Earth had happened to the earth extracted from the Channel Tunnel. Initially I suspected that an enormous hole must have been dug nearby in order to accommodate the excess soil before realising that this would not work as the hole would simply fill with seawater at next high tide. In the absence of an easily accessible source of information to consult I had to check on the internet and was interested to find that the chalk marl scooped from under the sea had been used to create Samphire Hoe Country Park at the foot of the famous White Cliffs. 'Wouldn't it be fantastic' I then thought 'if some sort of six hour endurance running event was held there'. Imagine my unbridled delight when I noticed this little gem was open for entries!
The course was in the shape of an elongated J starting at the tip of the curly end and turning at the top. The first half mile or so was an undulating drop down to the flat sea wall which constituted the remainder of the out-and-back lap measuring 3.45 miles. The plan was straightforward; simply keep going for the full six hours then see how far I had travelled. I wanted to run without music again in order to have to confront any difficult moments encountered without recourse to external assistance, relying only on myself to get through them, and in the back of my mind was the Ranscombe Challenge a couple of months earlier in which I surprised myself by unexpectedly finishing after completing marathon distance without even checking whether I agreed or not.
Initially I had decided to follow a rigid 'run for 4 minutes 30 seconds, walk for 30 seconds' policy with the aim of reaching the latter stages with some degree of freshness in my legs. It immediately became clear that the course was slightly less flat than I was expecting and so I altered the strategy to apply only to the flat section on which the majority of the day's running would take place. A further adaptation became necessary when I realised that the out portion of the flat section benefited from a good deal of wind assistance whereas the return, into the wind, was far more demanding. The strategy soon became 'run the downhills, take it easy uphill, keep running when the wind is at my back, walk when I feel like it into the wind. But never walk for more than 30 seconds at a time. Until I get tired then re-assess'. Not a snappy name for a strategy but it worked for me.
The weather altered throughout the day from drizzle, to cloudy, then sunny, rain and finally patchy sun but with the strong breeze remaining fairly constant. I followed my strategy, the walks gradually becoming more extended, and there were the aches and discomforts which are entirely normal at these distances but no dramas. As usual in events of this format it was great to have the opportunity to see so many friends from 'the circuit' so frequently throughout, the support and encouragement, as ever, was excellent. Having completed the eighth lap, and so recorded a marathon for 100 Club purposes, I was pleased that there was no hint of wanting to stop and I headed straight back out to go for the 50k distance. I calculated that I did not have enough time to get back prior to the 5:45 cut-off for commencing the final lap and so relaxed. Three friends, however, encouraged me to have a go and against my better judgement and with the wind at my back I tried to step up the pace but it was always a losing battle and I didn't have the necessary energy to draw upon.
I find it slightly puzzling that given a completely flat course and a bit of luck I can grind out a marathon in about 4 hours with even or slightly negative splits feeling relatively strong until the end. Throw a few hills into the equation, however, and no matter how easy I take things I cannot maintain consistency. I am aware that this, at least partly, has to be mental, but there must also be a physical conditioning element which I have tried to address by running quite a few hilly marathons but there seems to be no improvement. Keep grinding away I suppose...
I have sung the praises of Traviss and Rachel's events previously; relaxed, fun, inclusive and with bling and goodie bag I have heard described as 'to die for'. Personally I wouldn't go quite that far but I would definitely risk a smack to the head in order to get hold of one. The medal is a chunky, purpose-made thing of beauty, redolent of the finest Dwarvish metalwork in Middle-earth. To cap an excellent day, Mandy recorded her longest ever run of 17.25 miles which is a fantastic achievement.
24th September 2014 The Tolkien Run 31.05 miles 5:49:00 #47
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Sunday, 21 September 2014
In Vino Veritas
The Bacchus Marathon takes place at Denbies Wine Estate near Dorking, it features wine at all of the frequent aid stations and is followed by a hog roast. As a teetotal vegan this seemed a perfect match! The course is a 13.1 mile loop over the hilly terrain around the vineyards and the emphasis is on fun rather than racing. A half-marathon commences an hour after the full marathon and entrants to the shorter event outnumber marathoners by a factor of 10:1, many of them in fancy dress. Lingering at the aid stations is the order of the day for most runners and a party atmosphere develops throughout. There are a few serious runners blazing round at the front of the pack, a few more like myself, not so speedy but there mainly for the running and then the majority there to enjoy the wine with a pleasant jog around Surrey hills thrown in.
I was slightly distracted at the start due to a friend arriving with seconds to spare and as a consequence forgot to start my watch, I realised this whilst chatting to another friend who mentioned that she was having trouble getting hers to pick up the satellite signal so missed recording the first half mile or so, but this wasn't a problem as I wasn't going for any particular time. My legs didn't feel great from the start and the uphills really seemed to be taking toll immediately so I decided to walk any hills which felt like they needed walking. Strength seemed to wax and wane without reason; a straightforward flat piece of trail would seem like it was sapping energy from my legs at an alarming rate and ten minutes later I would be happily trotting up a hill without thinking about it.
During the second circuit there was a small drama with a frantic bull loose on the trail and various marshals with land rovers trying to block its access to the runners, I later saw it charging about in a field and was very glad I didn't have to cope with it running towards me at any point! The aid stations were becoming increasingly busy as I caught more of the half-marathoners but this didn't impede me in grabbing water and heading on through. By mile 20 I was really feeling fatigued and was getting the 'ears full of water' feeling which I've experienced a few times previously; everything becomes muffled and a bit distant and tends to occur in conjunction with energy levels getting very low. From that point to the finish was a real grind but nothing out of the ordinary. The final aid station was a bit strange given my slightly spaced-out condition; there were about 25 people stood in a circle, holding lyric sheets and singing along to Mr Blue Sky by ELO. At least I think that really happened!
The last mile is a lovely gentle slope and so you can switch off and let gravity do its stuff, it's always nice to be overtaking people at the end of a race even if most of them had probably been drinking wine all day! I finished a couple of minutes after Mandy completed the half, had I known she was so close I might have put in an effort to catch her which probably wouldn't have been sensible as I felt tired enough having taken it relatively easily. In any case it was nice to recover from our efforts together without having to wait for the other to finish.
On reflection I think I was getting some hints from my body during this run. I've been stepping up training intensity over the previous few weeks; 13 miles at 5am on Tuesdays, track intervals on Wednesdays, a marathon most weekends and averaging over 50 miles per week, which is the toughest sustained training I've ever survived without injury, all with a target of some decent efforts in my upcoming road marathons. I think this was the point at which my body started to tell me to rest and I intend to listen, a couple of weeks with more days off are planned. I'll see whether the approach has worked in October!
14th September 2014 Bacchus Marathon 4:44:54 #46
I was slightly distracted at the start due to a friend arriving with seconds to spare and as a consequence forgot to start my watch, I realised this whilst chatting to another friend who mentioned that she was having trouble getting hers to pick up the satellite signal so missed recording the first half mile or so, but this wasn't a problem as I wasn't going for any particular time. My legs didn't feel great from the start and the uphills really seemed to be taking toll immediately so I decided to walk any hills which felt like they needed walking. Strength seemed to wax and wane without reason; a straightforward flat piece of trail would seem like it was sapping energy from my legs at an alarming rate and ten minutes later I would be happily trotting up a hill without thinking about it.
During the second circuit there was a small drama with a frantic bull loose on the trail and various marshals with land rovers trying to block its access to the runners, I later saw it charging about in a field and was very glad I didn't have to cope with it running towards me at any point! The aid stations were becoming increasingly busy as I caught more of the half-marathoners but this didn't impede me in grabbing water and heading on through. By mile 20 I was really feeling fatigued and was getting the 'ears full of water' feeling which I've experienced a few times previously; everything becomes muffled and a bit distant and tends to occur in conjunction with energy levels getting very low. From that point to the finish was a real grind but nothing out of the ordinary. The final aid station was a bit strange given my slightly spaced-out condition; there were about 25 people stood in a circle, holding lyric sheets and singing along to Mr Blue Sky by ELO. At least I think that really happened!
The last mile is a lovely gentle slope and so you can switch off and let gravity do its stuff, it's always nice to be overtaking people at the end of a race even if most of them had probably been drinking wine all day! I finished a couple of minutes after Mandy completed the half, had I known she was so close I might have put in an effort to catch her which probably wouldn't have been sensible as I felt tired enough having taken it relatively easily. In any case it was nice to recover from our efforts together without having to wait for the other to finish.
On reflection I think I was getting some hints from my body during this run. I've been stepping up training intensity over the previous few weeks; 13 miles at 5am on Tuesdays, track intervals on Wednesdays, a marathon most weekends and averaging over 50 miles per week, which is the toughest sustained training I've ever survived without injury, all with a target of some decent efforts in my upcoming road marathons. I think this was the point at which my body started to tell me to rest and I intend to listen, a couple of weeks with more days off are planned. I'll see whether the approach has worked in October!
14th September 2014 Bacchus Marathon 4:44:54 #46
Monday, 8 September 2014
Deliverance
I noticed the Chiltern Marathon listed on the 100 Marathon Club website, further investigation revealed that it was a 30 minute drive from home and entry in advance cost a very reasonable £5, or about 10% of what some of the big city marathons charge. It was an opportunity I deemed too good to miss. On arriving at Lane End Village Hall to register I spotted Glyn and Paul, a couple of familiar faces from the marathon circuit, preparing to run their 198th and 250th marathons respectively. They had opted for a 9am start and so set off about 15 minutes ahead of me. LDWA (Long Distant Walkers Association - despite the name they do allow runners to take part) organise excellent 'no frills' events; you are issued with a route description, checkpoint card, details of checkpoint locations and off you go into the countryside, navigating on the run, hopefully reaching the checkpoints in the correct order, you get your card clipped and at some point return to the start and collect a certificate of completion.
I realise that these events are primarily aimed at walkers and am more than happy with the additional complications for runners, it just adds a bit of spice to the events in my opinion. To cover the ground at any decent pace requires one eye on the instructions, another eye on the trail to avoid trips and falls and a third eye on overhanging branches and waymarks. Personally I run out of eyes which can lead to difficulties. Today's count was one major navigational error and two minor cuts, one as a result of not looking where I was going and another due to my usual clumsiness. The walkers start earlier and I guess they must view the runners with amusement, so often I will overtake a group of walkers, exchange the standard pleasantries, and jog off down some woodland path only to realise five minutes later that I had missed 'second path up through woods' so doubleback, find the correct turn and have to overtake the same group once again. Occasionally they will then catch you again as you stand at a trail junction deliberating over the correct route.
Just before the 12 mile point I completely missed the simple instruction 'In 70m TL on FP' (in 70 metres turn left on footpath) and continued on a long diagonal descent through some dense woodland. My first inkling that I was in the wrong place came as I exited the wood and became aware of a number of ancient pieces of machinery partially covered with threadbare tarpaulin and no obvious path to follow. I checked the instructions and realised that I was a fair way from where I should have been. A quick scope of my surroundings revealed a series of ramshackle buildings and a veritable graveyard of decaying machinery laying abandoned, overrun with undergrowth. Somewhere nearby a pig squealed. A previously unnoticed ill-defined trail ran back between some of the run-down buildings in the direction I needed to travel, although the crudely painted sign reading 'Privat - no acess' was slightly concerning. I proceeded cautiously until I became aware of a petrol engined lawn-mower phutting lazily. On negotiating a corner I was confronted with a young man in filthy dungarees tending an incongruously immaculate lawn, he noticed my approach and cut the engine, squinting at me suspiciously. "Hi, is that Shambridge Wood?" I enquired, indicating the thickly wooded hillside rising steeply to my left. Silence. In a measured manner the lawn tender issued a stream of tobacco juice from the side of his mouth onto the manicured grass, "I'll go ask pa." he eventually replied. "No need." I said hurriedly checking the instruction sheet, "Do you know where 'Glade House' is?" He looked shocked, eyes swiveling wildly rightwards, "What do you know about the Pink House?" he demanded. Following his line of sight I spotted the 'Pink House' and set off towards it at some pace, shouting my thanks back over my shoulder. From within one of the many precarious tin sheds I heard the sound of a banjo player picking notes as I sped away.
I decided to slow down and ensure there were no more directional issues, eventually reaching the 16 mile checkpoint with no further problems. Here I caught up with Paul, Glyn and a couple of others and decided to stick with them, this effectively absolved me from further navigational decisions and the final ten miles was a pleasant jog through the Chiltern Hills chatting with friends in the late summer sun before being safely delivered back to the village hall from which we had departed six hours earlier. All very enjoyable.
This was a back-to-front marathon; the first half was much more difficult than the second. My legs were tight for the first few miles following some hard training in the week and the responsibility of staying on the correct route added an element of stress. In contrast, having people to run with made the final miles pass unnoticed and I finished feeling strong. The nature of LDWA events mean that you are forced to take your time more than in events arranged solely with runners in mind and coupled with the hilly terrain it meant that this was never going to be a quick marathon, but that wasn't the aim today, it was to enjoy the experience and to chalk-up another marathon on my way to 100 Marathon Club 'wannabe' status - only five more to go now!
7th September 2014 Chiltern Marathon 6:09:18 #45
I realise that these events are primarily aimed at walkers and am more than happy with the additional complications for runners, it just adds a bit of spice to the events in my opinion. To cover the ground at any decent pace requires one eye on the instructions, another eye on the trail to avoid trips and falls and a third eye on overhanging branches and waymarks. Personally I run out of eyes which can lead to difficulties. Today's count was one major navigational error and two minor cuts, one as a result of not looking where I was going and another due to my usual clumsiness. The walkers start earlier and I guess they must view the runners with amusement, so often I will overtake a group of walkers, exchange the standard pleasantries, and jog off down some woodland path only to realise five minutes later that I had missed 'second path up through woods' so doubleback, find the correct turn and have to overtake the same group once again. Occasionally they will then catch you again as you stand at a trail junction deliberating over the correct route.
Just before the 12 mile point I completely missed the simple instruction 'In 70m TL on FP' (in 70 metres turn left on footpath) and continued on a long diagonal descent through some dense woodland. My first inkling that I was in the wrong place came as I exited the wood and became aware of a number of ancient pieces of machinery partially covered with threadbare tarpaulin and no obvious path to follow. I checked the instructions and realised that I was a fair way from where I should have been. A quick scope of my surroundings revealed a series of ramshackle buildings and a veritable graveyard of decaying machinery laying abandoned, overrun with undergrowth. Somewhere nearby a pig squealed. A previously unnoticed ill-defined trail ran back between some of the run-down buildings in the direction I needed to travel, although the crudely painted sign reading 'Privat - no acess' was slightly concerning. I proceeded cautiously until I became aware of a petrol engined lawn-mower phutting lazily. On negotiating a corner I was confronted with a young man in filthy dungarees tending an incongruously immaculate lawn, he noticed my approach and cut the engine, squinting at me suspiciously. "Hi, is that Shambridge Wood?" I enquired, indicating the thickly wooded hillside rising steeply to my left. Silence. In a measured manner the lawn tender issued a stream of tobacco juice from the side of his mouth onto the manicured grass, "I'll go ask pa." he eventually replied. "No need." I said hurriedly checking the instruction sheet, "Do you know where 'Glade House' is?" He looked shocked, eyes swiveling wildly rightwards, "What do you know about the Pink House?" he demanded. Following his line of sight I spotted the 'Pink House' and set off towards it at some pace, shouting my thanks back over my shoulder. From within one of the many precarious tin sheds I heard the sound of a banjo player picking notes as I sped away.
I decided to slow down and ensure there were no more directional issues, eventually reaching the 16 mile checkpoint with no further problems. Here I caught up with Paul, Glyn and a couple of others and decided to stick with them, this effectively absolved me from further navigational decisions and the final ten miles was a pleasant jog through the Chiltern Hills chatting with friends in the late summer sun before being safely delivered back to the village hall from which we had departed six hours earlier. All very enjoyable.
This was a back-to-front marathon; the first half was much more difficult than the second. My legs were tight for the first few miles following some hard training in the week and the responsibility of staying on the correct route added an element of stress. In contrast, having people to run with made the final miles pass unnoticed and I finished feeling strong. The nature of LDWA events mean that you are forced to take your time more than in events arranged solely with runners in mind and coupled with the hilly terrain it meant that this was never going to be a quick marathon, but that wasn't the aim today, it was to enjoy the experience and to chalk-up another marathon on my way to 100 Marathon Club 'wannabe' status - only five more to go now!
7th September 2014 Chiltern Marathon 6:09:18 #45
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