3 Forts Challenge Marathon

I've not been blogging anything like I have done in the past. No time. Not really ever. However I thought it was high time I fed back on the race I completed today as it was a special one. Marathon #50. A belated BD pressie to myself.

A good Saturday evening carb load and a reasonable sleep followed by a decent brekkie and I was en-route to Worthing in the cold but clear sunshine. On arrival I was surprised to see the largest field I've seen on the 4 3FMs that I have done. I had to park miles away. This lateness and a queue to pick up my number meant that a fleeting conversation with David Thompson at the start was all I could muster before the klaxon. The start is always a great leveller, with its narrow 734ft climb up to Cissbury Ring. The last 2 years I have lamented this climb, having run the Bewl Marathon the previous day. This year, I enjoyed the run up it.

No sooner that I had crested then a welcome hello from Jen who I had met at the Tanners 30 earlier this year. She was looking on form with her 'A' race of the NDW50 coming up in 2 weeks. We ran together on and off for the first 8 miles or so, mainly punctuated by a long chat with Steve Barnes who I didn't know who was running. Always good to catch up with Knockholt's self-styled hellraiser himself and glad to hear his training is on good form.

Between us lay the formidable 720ft climb of Devil's Dyke, from sea-level tidal River Adur. Upon crossing I recalled the 50 mile point that I retired from the SDW100 in the summer needing to go to A&E after smashing up my face and arm 15 miles back in a fall. Today, buoyed by caffeinated gel and sunbeams, I realised I had run the first 8/9 miles faster than my lack of training would carry me. I dropped down a gear and ground out the undulating climb punctuated by steep descents up to Devil's Dyke switchback, mainly now with Steve. A recurring 'shoe malfunction' set in. Something where the insole of the Invov8 popped out and up my Achilles, driving its foamy wedge into said tendon. Race admin required on the first of 4 separate occasions.

Back down to the Adur was a welcome high 5 with John Kipps, on marathon 98. Congrats to come buddy! I then entered a 5 mile grind fuelled with dehydration, thousands of horrible flies (particularly near the ever expanding pig fields above Botolphs) and a headwind. I struck up conversation with a couple of chaps but neither they, nor I, appeared to be in the mood. Calling upon the Dark Arts of race focus, a period of walking was soon far behind as I began the ascent of 792ft Chanctonbury. The top revealed a checkpoint, where copious juices were quaffed, cake washed down and from this 21 mile point, the chance to run with my awesome running buddy Helen Smith. We exchanged plenty of banter, except when she went into insane downhill mode and it took nearly a mile to catch up with her. We got a real good clip on which oddly, except for miles 2-7 was my fasted of the race. I love this last 6 miles or so....perhaps as much as any marathon I've run. After Chanctonbury, a 2 mile descent, a 500ft ascent and then some flats, all at good pace, followed by another ascent of Cissbury with a welcome last checkpoint at her base.......a swift climb and then Helly and I went for the brakes off brain off 2 mile 700ft+ descent, overtaking at least 20 people in the process. Utterly awesome! The time was not amazing. 4hrs26 for the 27.5 mile 3800ft course. However faster than my 4.32 last year (although that was the second of my B2B marathons) and bearing in mind on no training, I've got to be pretty pleased with that. Still don't know how I did 3.43 on this track?!

This is the first time I've had stiff quads for ages. Normally I don't get them. However I am looking for a sponsor for sun tan lotion. I had factor 50 waterproof on today. Burnt to a crisp! Anyone recommend a factor 100?!!

Marahton #50 DONE!

Race Report Essex Walker Purleigh Marathon

Sometimes when you get up you know that you are just turning up to make the numbers. There is no fire in your belly. Today was one of those days. I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy myself as I did, but you know when you KNOW, if you know what I mean?

So after a few pleasantries with a couple of folk that I vaguely knew I bumped into fellow Twitterer Vinny Purdy on marathon#97 looking fresh and focused. The field overall was small, 200 and this included those that went off early. Potentially there were about 80 at race briefing, many familiar faces and good to get into conversation with runners who know the area. My folks moved about 25 miles away from here and I haven't really run the landscape apart from Mersea Island and NE Essex. We set off at 10 with the sun already beaming down. There were about 15 of us in a group at the front for the first few miles and after a couple of wrong turns (LDWA early map reading issues) we settled into a good clip of about 10 guys and a girl. Running down to the River Crouch was lovely. I forgot that I wasn't really in the mood for this earlier......after a roast dinner on Saturday lunch, I didn't eat in the evening, breakfast was cereal and there was NO CIDER CARB LOADING!!

Two chaps (the one in the orange compressions) and another chap started smashing it along a disused railway line and then along the coast path. Annoyingly, this was like the Mersea Island back 8 miles where the path is about 4 inches wide and calf deep in grass. I don't like running like a princess as I've got big bollocks and they need some room to manoeuvre. Anyway these knobs obviously had no balls as they shimmied away at silly pace.

I then ran a bit silly. Buoyed up with fresh conversation with some chaps who had done the SVP100 and the Saltmarsh 75 and had won or come in the top 3, I blasted away until 15 miles. We came in off the coast and I started having a paddy. Wrong shoes, out of water, not enough food.....no balls.

Cock!

And then 3rd place went to 4th and la la la la la la

10th

I don't even know where the 1000ft of climb came from as we ran in and out of rivulets and inlets for about 10 miles??!!

So I took some pics of petrified trees as I had no water and no food for this part of the race

So as I was told as I was being overtaken that these had been written about in the Doomsday book. Well I was beginning to think that I would. Piss poor consideration of my own hydration and feeding had led to me reaching the 21.6 mile CP4 having only downed a 500ml drink. Tosser. I felt a bit shit but was on autopilot and enjoying the last few miles.....I watched the top few guys go into the distance and settled into a bimble with 3 looks over my shoulder coming off the estuary seeing nobody behind for about a mile, I trotted home with a feeling that this wasn't a big race and it was just some training under the belt with many more runs to come.

Marathon #49 DONE.

Catching up

old versus new - greenwich. the empire and globalisation, a photo by ultraBobban on Flickr.

I haven't blogged for a while. I've been busy with work and fatherhood. It's all been a bit of a blur and the aside from a significant Parkrun 2 weeks ago, where I equaled my PB, although chatted to Cookie and Phil for the first 3.5k. Still, it is 45 seconds slower than my actual 5k PB which was way back in 2008. Having said that, I haven't been working on my speed for a while!

This morning I have a really good 15 miler with Eric. We haven't had a proper catch up since the birth of Audrey so it was nice to cut through the chill of the spring air with a blast down to Greenwich along the Waterlink Way and back via Nunhead, Peckham Rye Dulwich and Sydenham Woods and Crystal palace. Really good banter this morning which is something I have missed. I have to pick and choose my runs and this was definitely a good Sunday session. I've got potential plans for a quiet training marathon next week. I want it to be low key, so that I can tick off some miles. I can't now do the Liverpool-Leeds Canal 130 miler in the summer as Glenn and Sue are getting married on the same day. I've altered my running schedule to not have an 'A' race and to use this year to just keep on top of the running and to aim for a marathon or ultra every 6-8 weeks minimum.

Having said that, there are a few that I will do in the holidays so that the impact of racing on a weekend is reduced. I don't think its fair to disappear for the day on a weekend when I work a 60 hour week which impacts on the family enough as it is.

Plans will be close to my chest for the moment, but I shall be trying out a few new events to whet my appetite, whilst aiming to blast some favourites too.

Race report - Midnight Challenge

When the Race Director starts his spiel with "I'm not prepared to take my Land Rover down that track" and "The mud is calf deep" and also "There is significant flooding on the course" got the juices flowing from the start. I've been a bit under the weather lately and have not been running at my best. Phill on the other hand, has been running like a warrior. Blasting down the M2 into the Hinterland/Banjoland of the North Kent marshes filled me with dread. Upon arrival and a car park underwater and mud, just getting out of the car was a chore. We had to go through the boot as the water we parked in was so deep!

Race briefing was a sanguine affair. There were about 100 hardy souls and with forecast of high winds and heavy rain, the field resembled the start of the Yukon ultra. Phill and I hatched a plan. Travel light, spend little time at the CPs and motor on.

The course was mainly 1m above sea level and around some large drainage ditches so water, after the heaviest rainfall in Jan/Feb in 300 years was everywhere. I opted to go maximum lite with Xtalon 212s, lightweight clothing and just a handheld with a gel in the pocket. Potentially I was feeling the 5.5kg I had lost since Xmas....nearly a stone lighter.  We hit the front of the pack in the first mile. A couple of cowboys darted to the front and as soon as the mudslider section hit, they peeled off, mainly with a tail betwen the legs as Phill and I ploughed an early clip in the front 5/6 runners. The course was a 6.6 mile figure of 8. The only section that was not underwater was the 1.4 mile road section past a pub full of cheering ever unwaivering supporters.

I felt that if we ground out a 1 hour loop, we would probably top 10. How wrong I was! After the first lap, we were 3rd/4th which we maintained.  One part of the run was a road section past a pub.....plenty of support from boozed up locals! We blasted the first muddy lap in 57 mins, the second in 50 mins, the third we were stamping our authority on the podium but the wheels started to come off in the 4th lap. The mud was taking its toll. Sliding around struggling to get grip in spikes was an issue. We were almost at walking pace through the wet, deep clay. Lap 3 was a grinder for Phill, I would not give him the key to sit in the car.......so lap 4 was a real push. having said that, we had lapped at least 30 runners.

With the marathon finish plan concocted at the finale of lap 3, Phill showed some relief that we were not going the full monty with 5. I was happy as the 90 min drive back home would be at least an hour earlier. We had kentish Ale in the car and we were determined to have a bottle at the finish. 2.5 miles to go and with no headtorches on the horizon for the last 8 miles, i thought a cruise into a podium would be the order of the day. All of a sudden, a plethora of lights were on us. Lap 3 or 4? I did not know whether they were in our race or a lap behind? Would I stop to ask? Phill had stated that I should blast it to the finish.....cameo show....but I wanted us to run in together. I turned around. Phill's light was amongst the crowd. I pulled up the anchor, downed my juice and 7.30s through every puddle for the last 2.5 miles lapping even more runners. I hooned it past the pub and did not look back. No lights were even near as I came into the finish of the marathon in 3rd place. Phill came in about 15 mins later although I think the organisers have fucked up as they timed him 6 mins quicker than me??!!

Beer. Change of clothes. Car heaters on full. Job done. This is the first time I have run with Phill where he has been on the money for a run. Well done fella! Awesome, based on me having v little sleep with new little Audrey. She can play with my shiny new medal.

I'm expecting mud

glorious mud, a photo by ultraBobban on Flickr.

The email from ChallengHub about the 32.75mile run tomorrow states that there are "stretches of up to 400 yards where there is calf deep puddles and mud" and sections of the event that "resemble the Somme"

All of this is going to be in the dark and with driving rain and 50 mph winds.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS

Welcome training miles

After a few weeks of Daddy time and reduced sleep, far more things to do and generally being tired, it was no great surprise that getting up at 5.30 for the Lee Valley navigation run with Phil this morning was going to be a challenge.....and it was.

After NO TRAINS anywhere it was a run, bus run bus run to Tower Gateway to meet PB. We had a bimble through the City and down to the Limehouse Basin where we hit the Lee Channel about 40 mins after the sun came up. It was the sunniest day I can remember in the last 2 months or so and this made for a light mood with plenty of banter taking the piss out of Eric......With the sun on our backs we traced through post-industrial heartlands of East London out to the very flooded Walthamstow Marshes, Hackney Marshes, Tottenham and then out into Essex/Herts.

We decided that probably Cheshunt was a little less far than Ware but then opted to dip out as tiredness took over my shit body at Enfield.

With a wiat of 25 mins for a train, a rather convoluted search for a greasy spoon cafe so we could have a bacon butty and a cup of tea meant we had to leg it down Enfield High st with butties and drinks in hand. Upon arrival at Liverpool St, we ran across town to our respective termini and then trained and ran home. All in all the last few miles of the 24 was better than 14-19 where I was running like a slow twat. Phil did tell me it was time he went faster than me as it is always the other way around. He has been in training and is getting pretty sharp. Wait until he is a dad! Cheers buddy.