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