LDWA Hundred - 25 and 26/06/2013

Hard-earned completion certificate!

The LDWA Hundred, or the Camel-Teign Ivor's Dream 100 to give it the full name, was my target event for the first half of 2013. Although I've been taking it very seriously (after all if your first hundred miler doesn't warrant a thoughtful approach what would), I'd not been able to get an consistency into long runs for several months - life just keeps getting in the way. So the prep for this was infrequent 18-25 mile long runs, a single 50k (the Marlborough Downs Challenge) and a lot of dog walking. I felt pretty fit, in fact I'd done pleasingly well on a fitness test three weeks before the event, but I was very aware I was lacking in terms of hours on my feet.

The route was on the face of it very simple, a broadly west to east traverse from Wadebridge in Cornwall to Teignmouth in Devon, crossing from the north Cornish coast to the south Devon coast in the process. The route had diversions from the straight line to take in Bodmin Moor and Kit Hill, and also took a roundabout route into Teignmouth to finish, avoiding Newton Abbot.

As a result of my poor prep, I planned to cut my cloth to suit and to start very conservatively. The first 11 miles were all on the Camel Trail out of Wadebridge and were terribly runnable, so much so that I was scared I'd go way too fast and crash and burn later. I didn't really know the next 20 miles but I did know the terrain on Bodmin Moor. This would bring us to North Hill via Bolventor (home of the Jamaica Inn), where a further moorland section would drop us down into Pensilva.

I'd reccied from there to Dartmeet on the far side of Dartmoor at Easter on the basis that Pensilva would be the point it got dark if things were going not-so-well, and by Dartmeet it would be light.

So, on to the event itself. We arrived in Wadebridge about an hour before my start time (I decided to go for 11:30 rather the 09:30 because I would end up waiting at CP2 for it to open even at a steady walk off the earlier start). I registered and dropped my breakfast bag off with a few goodies to cheer me up when I got to Tavistock.

We wandered over from the Town Hall to the start in Jubilee field next to the river at about 11:00 and while most of the 70 or so walkers and runners on this start stood around I took the weight off and lay on the grass for a while in the sun. Then it was starting time and after a couple of brief speeches and instructions we were away. The predicted cavalry charge got underway straight from the off, but I stuck to the plan and walked (albeit at about 13 minute pace) to start with.

I chatted with Wendy who’d done a 100mile track walking race recently and was telling me about it. She and her other LDWA friend Tara, also around and about, had finished 5th together, the first competitors walking with a “normal gait” apparently – although they can both crack on a bit without having to “do the waddle”. We moved along past pretty salt marshes and long abandoned railway halts to Dunmere. Here there was a drop bucket for the number (presumably to save the organisers recording 500 numbers all at once). There was cake here, and I took a tiny piece of lemon cake.

The next stage had been rerouted and followed the Camel Trail almost to Blisland, with a manned self clip where we turned off the old railway. I walked with Andrew who’d done quite a few hundreds before and chatted through my tactics, which he seemed to think were reasonable (or maybe he was being polite and not telling me that 4mph on day 2 might be a bit optimistic?) Anyway Blisland soon came and we all took a ten minute break for some refreshments. I filled my bottle and used the loo, took a jam sarnie (left the crusts) and some melon and we were soon on the way again.

The next section went down a steep single track and crossed some interestingly rough scrub land.

Tara leads the experienced LDWA fast walkers towards St Breward

I jogged on ahead of the experienced LDWAers group (Wendy, Tara, Fabrice and Andrew) and promptly overshot the next turn, missing the gate which was supposed to be marked with a waymarker but wasn’t. The guys shouted me (loud enough in the end) and I jogged back from my 300 yard detour and caught them up as we came into the pretty village of St Breward and passed the first pub on the route (gosh that was tough). I was feeling ok and was ahead of the schedule a little here. We were soon climbing up towards the barn at Candra which was checkpoint 3, the last civilisation before Bodmin Moor.

Wendy striding ahead across the west edge of Bodmin Moor

CP3 at Candra (mile 17)

The checkpoint looked like a plague of ravenous creatures had been through – I had a shattered sausage roll and some water and refilled my bottle, and we were away again, still mostly walking but doing a fair clip. I’d agreed with Zoe that I’d text her from Candra if i wanted to change the plan to meet at CP6 and I did this now, as I was sliding around in my new socks a bit and could feel some hotspots developing on my feet. Not good 17 miles into a 100 mile event.

Anyway we continued across the moor to reach the south ridge of Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall. Following the ridge up we were passing more and more of the 09:30 starters now. I reached the top a moment or two ahead of Fabrice who I’d been chatting to on the way up about the UTMB races, and walked the thirty yards from the manned checkpoint up to the summit tor (somehow I couldn’t come this close to the top and not go all the way).

Catching 09:30 starters on the south ridge of Brown Willy

Tara limbing towards the summit of Brown Willy

Tara and Fabrice at the top of Brown Willy

Coming off the top there was a short technical descent heading east, and I ran this and then run/walked on my own the remaining two miles or so to CP4 at Bolventor, crossing under the A30.


Running down to Bolventor - mile 22

This was the first CP with hot food, and I enjoyed a (too) small bowl of penne carbonara and a plate of apple pie and custard. Then I was away again, down the road then up the hill to a plantation before we turned south towards North Hill. I did much of this cross country leg with a fellow Shropshire entrant, Paul from Ludlow. He’d done the Houseman 100 two years ago in our home county, and was moving very well – we both mostly walked a stage which was a mixture of forest track, open moorland and finally lanes. Just before the North Hill Checkpoint, Fabrice, Tara and Wendy caught us up.

Zoe was waiting at CP5 with the socks as promised, so I went fairly quickly through the checkpoint and then to the car, where I changed my socks (but didn’t inspect or dress my feet). This was probably the biggest mistake I made on the whole event, one I’d regret in the second part of the night, and for the whole of the following day! There was a lovely steady climb from the village up onto the moor, where we picked up a former mineral railway. We skipped along the old granite sleepers which were ideally spaced for the ladies, but perhaps a little too close together for Fabrice and me. It didn’t seem to take long before we started the descent to Pensilva with the shadows now notably lengthening. Coming off the hill we could see Callington (CP7) and Kit Hill away in the distance.

The Mineral Tramway

Descending to Pensilva - Kit Hill and Callington visible above the plantation

At Pensilva I was again fairly quickly in and out of the checkpoint (37 miles,), and then met Zoe by the car outside. It was 9pm, so I changed into my overnight clothes (t-shirt and shorts off and thermal and thicker tights on – there was already a nip in the air, I was probably walking a little more than I expected and the last thing I wanted was to be cold overnight). Fabrice, Tara, Wendy, Andrew and Paul must all have been away from here before me, and I didn’t see them again (except Fabrice, briefly, at Callington) during the event. I did the next leg on my own, passing a few more 09:30 starters, and running quite a few sections. After a couple of miles I was using my headtorch to check the directions (although I’d been here before on the reccie and did recognise quite a lot of it), and by the end of the trails two miles outside Callington it was on to walk / jog with.

I spent a few minutes in the Callington checkpoint and then went out to the car for a brief chat with Zoe. She made me a nice mug of sweet tea and walked with me up the road for the first three quarters of a mile of the next leg while I drank the tea. Saying farewell for the night I set off along a back lane that would take me up to the start of the Kit Hill climb. Somewhere along here I met Ian Walker who I’d see later on several times. We had a nice chat on the way up Kit Hill, but I felt most comfortable running the descent down a big old inclined plane so left him behind for a while. A section of rough enclosed path led onto a lane which would take me down to the checkpoint at Luckett. I’d been recording a few voice memo diary entries for my friends’ podcast “The Long Run” and did one as I got onto the road. There was a full moon, still red and low in the sky to the south, but enough to light the road sections so I could put my headtorch in my pocket and run without.

At CP8 I stopped for a 15 minute break (I guess) and took some food – mostly savouries and a cup of sweet tea on board. I later found out this was where I’d passed my friend Phil Clarke. He’d been having a rough time with his stomach and stopped here for an hour and a quarter, but he got up and got going again to finish his 6th hundred, this one in 37 hours or so. Leaving on my own again I had a peaceful walk/jog along the ridge on the Cornish side of the Tamar, with an amazing view across the valley which was filling with cotton wool mist to the opposite ridge, clothed in conifers and back lit by the moon. That ridge was in Devon, and soon I’d be at the Horsebridge where we’d cross. Almost halfway!

I did another voice recording on the way down to the bridge and then paused to take a very blurry picture of the sign before crossing into Devon. In the right county now!

I was abruptly woken from my nightdream (kind of like a daydream but after dark) by shouts from behind as I’d managed to skip on a section of the instructions and miss a turn. A big thank you to the folks I’d just passed there. There was a steep climb up from the river through some metal kissing gates: the air was full of wild garlic and I was feeling pretty at one with the world. The next section dropped down a road to enter the forestry land around several former mines. I’d accidently drunk water from a polluted stream here on the reccie but didn’t make the same mistake twice. You only need to see a sign with the word “arsenic” on it once I suppose.

At the end of the long climb through the woods I passed another couple of lads who seemed to be going quite well. We came out onto the road and after a mile crossed the B road. I was back on unknown ground now as I’d deliberately not reccied the run in to Tavistock – it was mostly road and disused railway. I was starting to really feel the soreness in my feet now, and I struggled to keep going at a steady walk over what seemed like a very long drag to the Tavistock checkpoint. I could hear the guys behind me and knew I was slowing down and starting to struggle a bit. Still, the lights of Tavistock and two interesting old viaducts helped me along and through it and I eventually dropped down into the grounds of Kelly College and the checkpoint (55 miles, 15:36 elapsed time).

Coming into big checkpoints after the longer stages (especially when you’ve been solo) is a strange experience: I often find it difficult to “come round” and start interacting with folks again, especially as all the helpers are usually so hyped up and keen to help, to gee you up and help you keep going. Anyway we were led through the whole process, collecting our “breakfast bags” (although I arrived jsut after 3 am), then moving into a changing room where there were bowls and hot water and soap to wash tired (and in many cases, wounded) feet. I got my feet out of my shoes and socks and sure enough there were 50p sized blisters on the balls of both feet. Not a great discovery with 44 miles still to go, but I kind of knew they were there anyway.

I cleaned and tried to drain the blisters. Hint here, a safety pin is not adequate for bursting blisters - much better something that can make a small cut. Next time I'll take a scalpel. I got the one on my right foot sorted and Compeeded up properly, but on my left foot I couldn't really drain it properly and made do, which was a bit of a mistake. I did enjoy a great bottle of chocolate milk from the breakfast bag while doing this though - that was certainly not a mistake. By this time Ian W had arrived and demonstrated the correct technique on his huge blisters using a tiny pair of nail scissors. As he cut into one blister a huge fountain of "juice" erupted from his foot. Not good.

Anyway I moved on, with clean socks, to the refectory where a very nice lady tried hard to persuade me to eat a full cooked breakfast. I wasn't feeling too great and only managed a couple of sausages and a couple of tinned plum tomatoes, washed down with the obligatory sweet tea. I spoke briefly to a guy who was doing the event with his girlfriend. He looked totally out of it, and she was even worse, returning as I left from an extended stay in the smallest room. Doing my best to put the negative thoughts away I handed my breakfast bag back (it would now be taken to the finish) and set off for Princetown.

It was still dark but the dawn chorus was underway as I marched the long mile towards Tavistock then up the steep sleepy suburban road to the golf course. Here the light was starting to come, and as I made my way towards Sampford Spiney a group of walkers caught up with me. We leapfrogged for a while and I was amused that a couple were repeatedly getting 50 yards ahead and then going the wrong way so I could catch up. I did tell them I'd reccied the section (it was a bit confusing in places) but they just kept on making the route up as they saw fit. 100 miles may not be so far (thanks for that b****cks, Karl Meltzer) but it's far enough you don't want to make it 110!

Anyway we passed through Sampford Spiney (a beautiful hamlet) and dropped down a steep lane to cross the road and start the ascent of Dartmoor.

Cox Tor and Staple Tors from the climb to Ingra Tor

This wouldn't be too bad ordinarily, but at daybreak after 17 hours on the go, 64 miles into the event, I was finding it tough. Gradually the other guys around me pulled away and I found myself on my own, doing another Long Run podcast recording, climbing up to Ingra Tor. Not even this brief bit of fell-like terrain could help me and I was grinding desperately slowly upwards. Once I'd finished the audio diary, I got hold of Zoe and asked her to make her way back towards me along the railway path from Princetown. Now I had a mile on the lower section of railway and a short grassy climb to get to her. I jogged a little but mostly staggered along until I reached the upper section of the railway. After only a couple of hundred yards I met Zoe with about a mile and a quarter to go to the checkpoint.

I was really struggling but tried not to let it show too much, as Zoe's steady walk easily outpaced my pathetic attempt at keeping up with a jog / shuffle. Anyway we chatted a little and I found out the cottage was nice and she'd managed a few hours of sleep overnight so that was good. Eventually we passed the fire station and walked into Princetown to the CP at the school. I went in the CP and agreed to meet Zoe at the car 50 yds down the road when I came out.

Inside I came the closest to jacking it in. I pretty much had a complete physical breakdown as I had my tally clipped and sat down (more like fell into) the nearest chair.Various of the team manning the checkpoint fussed around me for a few minutes, asking whether I wanted food or tea or whatever, but I felt I couldn’t take anything. In fact I didn’t really feel much at all, I was just totally done in.

After a few minutes I gathered myself enough to hobble out to the car, and flopped into the passenger seat. Zoe made me sweet tea and I dozed on and off for maybe twenty minutes enjoying the heater. I managed to eat a little fruit and drink a can of Red Bull and Zoe made me patch up my feet again, adding more Compeeds to cover widening hotspots on the balls of my feet. Eventually I got out of the car and started to make my way down the road with Zoe. We got out onto the track towards Hexworthy and I asked Zoe to come as far as the self clip while I finished the tea.

I was starting to feel a little better as I clipped my tally, left Zoe and set off across the moor, catching up Ian (last seen at Tavistock). We kept each other company more or less to Hexworthy and having someone to chat to really helped pass the time. Initially the path went across the moor, then dropped down to cross the River Swincombe.

Crossing the River Swincombe at mile 70. The guy in red is Ian W.

We climbed across another short section of moor before dropping down to a killer Devon stile and onto the road at Hexworthy. There were several other walkers around us as we dragged up the hill to Huccaby Farm Barn (CP11 at the 72 mile mark). I was pretty slow on this leg and I’d spend a very long time at Princetown, so the split time / pace was truly awful for what should have been a fairly easy, mostly downhill five mile leg. I was also still in pretty poor spirits and not really able to eat anything, so I pushed on almost straight away to Dartmeet where I was meeting Zoe again.

Dartmeet’s a beautiful spot, and even in my state it was nice to sit in the morning sun and rest for a few minutes. I was very tired though and still feeling too sorry for myself, and as I rested many other walkers came by. I had a little cry with the frustration at how slow things had got and how crap I felt, but then I started thinking more positively. It was a lovely day, and instead of thinking I still had nearly 30 miles to go I tried to think about enjoying the walk over to Ashburton. I ate a couple of cereal bars which helped, sorted my feet out for what proved to be a final time (I didn’t really want to know after that) and eventually set off with yet another mug of sweet tea, up the big hill and off towards Ashburton.

To my great good fortune I had a chatty spell on the climb and started nattering on to a chap who turned out to be the guy I’d seen at Tavi with his girlfriend. Emma had struggled gamely on to Princetown, but had stopped there, unable to eat and really suffering. Dave had been on the point of canning it too, but the two of them had decided he should go on and finish. Now he was feeling pretty guilty about leaving Emma. Anyway we found we had a common interest in fell running, and started to chat about the various races and events we’d been to. I felt a bit sorry for Zoe who’d dragged all the way to the top of the hill, left out of the conversation and carrying my tea mug. She turned back for the car to go over to the next checkpoint at Ashburton as Dave and I got into our stride with the gallows humour. Here we were, two runners on a great runnable path, totally incapable of running! We plodded on, occasionally stopping to check the nav or look at the view, otherwise just plodding, spinning yarns about the fells and taking the mick about how disastrously broken we each were.

Lookng back to Sharp Tor - mile 75

Eventually we dropped down off the moor to the River Dart, a little north of New Bridge. We came out at a car park with two of the LDWA old hands just behind us. All of a sudden there was normality, families going for picnics by the river, cars, traffic. We must have been overcome by it all and spurred into action. We saw a lady with a pram ahead of us and knew we had the speed and power to overtake her. We could have been going as fast as maybe 16 minute mile pace! We screamed past the pram and then 100 yards later hit the river. We weren’t where we were supposed to be. We walked round in circles for a bit. I’m sure I saw the lady with the pram looking at us. I’m not really sure what she made of us. Anyway eventually we consulted the route instructions and got it back together. We managed to find the path we should have been on and came out at the bridge just behind the old lags.

We then had a nav wobble through the country park without realising it, as we came out in the right place, again meeting up with our shadow pair, and joining forces up to the self clip near Knowles Cross. A cruel climb up a lane eventually led to a nice descent down right into the heart of Ashburton and CP12 at 81 miles in the Methodist Church Hall.



Dave, me and the two LDWA-ists coming into Ashburton
pic: Steve Clark / LDWA

Dave and I had a good eat here, but I caught Zoe on the hop a little as she’d been back to our cottage to sort out her kit so she could walk the last few miles in with us, and I hadn’t text her early enough to let her know we were arriving. For once I was ahead of schedule, even if it was a very revised one. After a good rest and some food, I met Zoe outside while Dave paid a visit to the conveniences. On we went, this time walking as a four for the first few miles with the same pair of guys we’d been keeping pace with since Dartmeet. The route followed a pleasant path above the River Ashburn for a while and then climbed fairly steeply up to Owlacombe Cross on Ashburton Down. This was a rough and stony path but somehow the company and the food were working, I’d managed to find a way to ignore my complaining feet, and we went at a good speed up the hill. Down from the cross towards Sigford we followed a very pretty Devon Lane before turning to follow Langworthy Brook across fields full of buttercups to Goodstone Woods. This was a much better spell for me and I even had energy to take a photo while Dave took a nature break just before the woods.

LDWA old hands about to enter the woods of doom near Sigford. We couldn't keep up, even
when Dave wasn't on a nature break (you owe me several sheets of loo roll mate).

It was a different story once we were in the trees - a very tough and slow mile and a quarter with lots of slippery roots, mud, and stream crossings took us first down the main valley and then up a side valley to emerge at Coombe Farm. Foolishly we were thinking that must be the worst over for the leg, but we were soon grumbling again as the route continued to climb up yet another stony track to the summit of Ramshorn Down. I hadn’t copped this as a significant hill from my look-throughs on the map and route description, and Ramshorn is not by any means high, but it was a real effort. At least there was a reward though as we caught our breath at the top. I looked up and saw first the deep blue sea itself, then a town lying in a valley at the edge of it which I slowly realised was Teignmouth. WE COULD SEE THE FINISH! We just stood and looked for a minute or two, both quite overwhelmed by it I think. It looked downhill. Not too far now (probably 14 miles by our route, but it looked much closer in a straight line). We were going to make it. It was four o’clock on the second day (although I had no idea of this at the time – I’d dumped the Garmin and stopped looking at the clock on my phone long since). We had the rest of the day and all night if we needed it, WE WOULD FINISH!

This put a bit of a spring in our step (mentally at least) and we were soon down the long descent into Liverton – the descents were starting to hurt now, particularly in my quads. I checked with Dave and his were totalled too. Every so often one of us would feel it and go a bit sideways and the other one would start to take the p***.

The checkpoint at Liverton was amazing. It was in someone’s garden, in a marquee. There was amazing stilton and broccoli soup. And mini cheddars. Lots of mini cheddars. I ate a lot. We sat around chatting. I drank tea, Dave drank full strength coke. Life was good. Then we realised we had to start again: Zoe would be waiting for us at Chudleigh Knighton. But for that 20 minutes of heaven, Teignbridge and District Scouts we salute you!

The next leg was barely more than a 5k. It was also pretty much flat – a few fields, a track through a wood and past an industrial estate, and then the bog. Actually in the daytime it wasn’t too bad, we stayed on the marked route and were soon walking into Chudleigh K. In the night apparently it was altogether different and many finishers would relate how they’d only made it thanks to “Swampy” – one of the “Irregulars” (a rogue group of the LDWA if you can grasp that concept) who’d spent the night mostly alone in his bog, making sure that the occasional stragglers didn’t succumb to the mire by guiding them in to the checkpoint.
Zoe was waiting for us (she’d been waiting since we left Liverton I think) but we went inside and ate anyway. Prodigious amounts of pizza topping on toast in my case. Pints of coke for Dave.

Then we were off, in almost a gaggle. We crossed the River Teign (the last of the major river crossings) and then the A38. Ian had reappeared and we came across him plodding along assisted by his friend. Ian was wearing a pair of crocs. He was totally b****red but there was no way he was stopping! We climbed through fields up to a cottage at Gappah which Zoe and I had driven past on the Friday afternoon, doing our car reccie of the final sections. There was a long section of road above Chudleigh next to Ugbrooke Park (all we could see was the typical high forbidding estate wall), before a fast but quad mashing descent on more road down to pass the lakes and landscaped gardens of Ugbrooke House. Then we were climbing again, up towards Ideford, crossing under the A380. We were a mere six miles from the finish now, and very close to the last wayside checkpoint.

And here began a horrible sting in the tail. I’d been flagging up the hill, Zoe was chatting with a couple of other walkers and I’d been dragging along behind. Now we started along a lane to the checkpoint. It was surfaced in sharp angular stones about 2 inches in diameter. My feet were destroyed. I tried to pick a line through the stones, walking on the flatter bits and the odd bit of hard mud rather than risk flaying my feet. But it wasn’t working. The path steepened downhill and I just had to plough on and grin and bear it. Eventually we reached a cross tracks at a bridge and the checkpoint was 50 yards off to the left. We nearly missed it but fortunately Dave and a few other guys we’d been walking with had found it.

I sat down for a moment or two, but I didn’t want to stop. Now I just wanted to get the job done. Dave agreed and off we went, together with another guy (Paul Keech I think), a lady who looked out on her feet (Sue Tarr) and Zoe. After a hundred yards of relative smoothness the path went uphill, and was even worse, if that were possible, than the section before the checkpoint. I dropped in with Sue and tried to find a decent line. After 500m we were out onto a road, but still climbing. Our little group stretched and flexed but stayed broadly together, Dave and Paul out front, Zoe bridging the gap and Sue and I at the back. Having Sue to “look after” was at least taking my mind off how bad I felt. Soon we were off the road again and still climbing, this time on a retted washed out track with sections of intact old tarmac. I picked my way uphill on an endless climb. The gradient eased and we passed into woodland. The map said it was 500m to the top, but it felt like for ever. Eventually we came out onto the golf course and passed the trig point at 247m. It would be downhill (almost) all the way now.

And my quads were shot. The road dropped 700 feet in a mile – there are fell races with less descent. Cruel, cruel, cruel. I dared not run. I’d fall forwards and hurt myself or my quads would seize altogether or cramp. I’d finish in an ambulance. So it was a painful but quick walk down to the outskirts of Teignmouth. The sun was setting and it was just starting to get dark. Somewhere here we passed the 100 mile mark, meaning there was a mile to go. Finally the gradient eased. Sue had gathered herself enough to check her watch. She’d started at 09:30 and was desperate to finish inside 36 hours. Would we do it? Probably...
We pushed on fast through the streets of Teignmouth. Paul had dropped a little behind on the way down from the golf course. Sue was still with us. We climbed a short hill and turned to see first Dave’s girlfriend Emma, and then the gates of the Community College with a marshall. Dave and I crossed the road and ran it in, following seemingly endless tape to pass through a cloakroom into a large, brightly lit hall. People were sitting eating. A round of applause started. Someone showed us a desk in the corner which was the finish. My tally was cut from my rucksack and I’d done.

Dave and I stood there. He hugged Emma. I hugged him.

Sue arrived and got her own very deserved round of applause, then Paul a few minutes later. Ian? Ian made it too, an hour later than us. Those last ten miles must have been epic for him.

I ate, chatted to Janet from our local Marches LDWA group, and staggered up the road to the car. Zoe hadn’t come into the hall – she doesn’t like crowds and didn’t want anyone to think she’d done the event. I said my thank yous to her later.

And I'll say my thank yous to all of the people who made it possible now, particularly to the Devon & Cornwall LDWA and the Teignbridge and District Scouts. Thank you all so much. I had the experience of my life.

Marlborough Downs Challenge - 12/05/2013

This was a nice 50k race from Marlborough in Wiltshire, mostly taking in the downs, as the name suggests.

I was looking for an event to justify a good long run and a shakedown ahead of the LDWA Camel-Teign Ivor's Dream 100 miler, and Zoe was pleased with her South Shropshire Circular run and wanted to do a first ultramarathon. Two weeks before my hundred, this seemed perfect, with similar gradient profile to the hundred and very little road.

We set off from Marlborough well enough and followed the White Horse Trail and a short section of the Wansdyke up from the town to the first checkpoint and then on through West Woods. The Wansdyke path leaves the Wansdyke itself here and diverts on a southern loop which we followed to Milk Hill. The Wansdyke is a series of early medieval defensive linear earthworks, consisting of a ditch and an embankment built from the ditch spoil, with the ditching facing north. It's very well preserved in this section and is the first of four major pieces of built heritage on the route.

After Milk Hill the path rejoined the Wansdyke itself for a couple of miles, with great views to the south over the Vale of Pewsey. Then we dropped off the Wansdyke path down a farm lane skirting Bourton and on to a swing bridge over the Kennet and Avon Canal. This links the Thames at Reading with the Avon at Bath and thus forms the southernmost cross-country link in Britains canal system.

I was starting to feel a bit rough at this point but couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong. We had a short wait for a boat to pass through the swing bridge before we set off on the 3 mile towpath section to Devizes. My stomach was badly "off" and I had to walk several times on this easy section: it was a bit annoying to be losing time despite a good steady start with 10:30 min/mile pace up to the canal.

By the next checkpoint in Devizes it was obvious that my problem was trapped wind, but without any meds there wasn't much I could do about it other than rubbing my stomach and trying to "free things up a bit". This started to work after a miloe or two of climbing and eventually I managed some jogging sections on the farm track leading up to Morgan's Hill.

The next section dropped down to Calstone Wellington and Ranscombe Bottom before climbing Cherhill Down. This is the site of the third historic monument on the route, the White Horse. It was very impressive up close, both in its size and in terms of how white it is.

Cherhill White Horse - Pic by MacFodder, Wikimedia Commons
We ran pretty much along the skyline right to left as far as the trees then
dropped off the back of Cherhill.

Round the back of the trees shown above we picked up the Wessex Ridgeway path. I was able to jog much of this but my stomach was still giving me grief. We dropped down to a marshalled crossing over the A4 and then a section which seemed quite long but wasn't skirting fields to reach the next checkpoint, just west of Avebury.

We didn't se much of the Avebury stone circle other than a pair of huge sarsen stones at the end of the western avenue. The village was very busy with cars and coaches, but there are some lovely houses. I was starting to get back into it now, although we were probably at the 40k mark - I'd lost 25k of the middle of the race just because I didn't have anything to settle my stomach with.

From the end of the road east of Avebury we had a 4km steady climb up to Clatford Down. We jogged and powerhiked this and with Zoe's encouragement we were overtaking people for the first time in miles... We turned for home at the top across an area of boulders which wouldn't have looked out of place in northern England or Cornwall. The home run really dragged down a long gravel lane where I was again reduced to a walk several times, but at the end of this the descent steepened onto some more runnable narrower paths. I'd seen a group catching us on the gravel drive but now we were away, pushing to get some space back between us and them.

The final 2km was a long traverse along the top of a field with a big dip in the middle. We took the first section fairly easy, nearly getting caught, then opened up on the 100' climb out of the dip and ran hard through to the finish - the first decent bit of running on my part for probably 25km. The time wasn't great at all (6:41 when I'd have been happier with sub 6hrs) but my suffering meant we went slowly enough that Zoe easily completed her first ultra, injury free and without really breaking a sweat other than in chivvying me along.

All in all I was happy that I'd ground out a finish despite feeling very uncomfortable for most of the day, and also managed to get a good dry run for the hundred and some miles in my legs.

Titterstone Clee Race - 09/02/2013

Talented bunch of athletes waiting to start, whereas I just want me bed.
Picture by Andrea Frost - thank you Andrea.

A day after my birthday (which I spent relaxing at a spa no less), one of my favourite races has come round again. I love the Clee race as it's at the heart of tradition. Until this year we've turned up, leant in a car window to register, then just run up a hill we can't see and down again (occasionally via the wrong valley).

This year we had a slightly more upmarket venue for registration in Cleeton St Mary village hall, which  seemed to work well.

After a nice warm-up with Andy D and Mark B, doing a mini reccie of Lloyd Taggert's new line (which is now a very clear trod running straight as a die for the summit), I jogged back to the start. A few late comers meant I was a little cold as we started but at least I'd got my legs moving enough to keep up with the pack on the stampede along the road.

As we cut across up towards the fell side, I followed the reccied line, ignoring a few I thought had started a bit quickly, but then managing to pass Paul B and others who'd perhaps started a little too enthusiastically. I eventually managed to tuck in behind Paul C and followed him up for the first part of the climb. There were a few short sections of hiking but mostly we ran. About 2/3rds of the way up Paul started to hike again and I managed to move past him and then pushed on for the top, arriving with a group of runners including Chris A and Eddie D just in front of me. I was really pleased with the climb.

Round the summit, two places behind Eddie and ahead of Paul. Whatever next?
Pic: Al Tye, Fell Running Pictures

Al wished me happy birthday as I rounded the cairn (it won't be a great pic, I think I had snot all over my face). On the way down I ran hard but fairly comfortably. Mud Claws would have been a slightly better choice of footwear really. Paul C came flying past me and then I managed to pass a runner. A further runner came past and I settled into trying to limit his and Paul's lead on me. I pushed on nicely to the finish and fairly comfortably held off the guy I'd passed on the descent.

My time was 23:37: I'd done 25:10 the last time I ran this in 2011. I'm therefore pleased with a PB by a minute and a half, and also a top 20 finish in a bigger field than two years ago.

Paul C, Andy D and I went for a warm down jog and as we started to descend, we came across Keith who told us we had a few runners missing. A runner came over the skyline and told us that two others were helping a third runner down who fallen and maybe knocked himself out when he hit his chin and chest, He was struggling to stand up and was clearly not too great. I ran down to the road and got a car organised to take him up to the village hall as Andy and Paul took over in assisting him off the hill. We called a paramedic when it became clear he was still a bit groggy and he was off to hospital last I heard. Best wishes to John Hart for a speedy recovery.

The way the guys (Steve Roode, James Whiffen and Tony Maycroft) who saw the incident reacted brings great credit on them - they instantly gave up their own races, stopped, got the injured guy dressed up in his windproof and then assessed his condition, helped him to a place of safety and sent for help. This really brings home the important message that we need to be prepared to switch from racing to helping each other to safety, and that we must have the necessary kit to keep warm if we can't run. The guys today were great and I'm intensely proud of both them and to be part of our fantastic sport.

Trig Points Race - 06/01/2013

Coming into Moors Gorse - pic Colin Williamson
Zoe isn't sure whether she's going to throw the gel
back up or wash it down.

The Cannock Chase Trigs race is a nice winter warmer, fairly flat and fast but generally on good trails. There's a significant element of nav, not so much in devising the optimal route on the map - that's an open secret - but in translating the mapped route into the correct turns and trails on the ground. Climbing and descending ability isn't much of a factor, it's more about being able to run at a decent clip for almost all of the 16 and a bit miles. Zoe has just started her training for the London Marathon, and didn't know the route at all. She's (currently) fairly similar paced to me on flatter traily stuff so we decided to run together. On the Saturday we had a quick go through and decided 2:30 would be a stretching but achievable target time. I ran 2:39:49 in 2011, the only other time I've done this event.

We started with an inefficient route choice over the hill by the start instead of round it (my fault, although I enjoyed a minute or two chatting to Paul Cadman before he got his proverbial in gear). Then Zoe's ankle (she'd buggered it in a fall on a road tempo run three days earlier) started to play up, so a couple of biref stops to sort that left us well down the field at the first checkpoint at Rifle Range.

We ran reasonably comforatably down to Moors Gorse, passing a couple of folk, and getting a gel down just before the railway and road crossing. This year Bob, the RO, has introduced SI timing and to ensure everyone's safety a 2 minute allowance was made each way so folk didn't have to race across the railway and busy road. We made the most of it, taking a minute to have a drink and sort kit before starting the climb towards Beaudesert. I had a very momentary nav stutter about two hundred yards before the road crossing.

On the way up from Beaudesert to Castle Ring the faster runners were flying down the hill towards us and it was nice to shout up friends and get encouragement as the passed. One of the nicest bits of longer races is points where the route doubles back and you can do this (I'm thinking of the Lawley and Earl's Hill on the Longmynd Hike too). We walked a bit of the climb to Castle Ring - I could have run but Zoe's ankle was really giving her pain on the steeper bits of ascent. Still this was a good leg and we were overtaking people, a few at a time.

We ran well back down to Beaudesert and on to Brereton Spurs, Zoe setting a cracking 8:00 pace on the road so much so that I was wondering how long it would be before she dropped me. Just as this somewhat unpleasant thought crept into my mind, the road kicked up and I was able to bring all the hill triaing to bear and catch up. We took the marked route down from the spurs and a Mow Cop couple passed us just as we merged - I reckon as a pair we'd have been quicker by the road in hindsight as Zoe wasn't that quick down this rough kilometre.

Back at Moors Gorse we took another drink and a quick passage over the road (thanks Tom) and railway (thanks Network Rail) meant we could rest for 30 seconds before dibbing to start the next (and toughest) leg. This takes runners up from Moors Gorse, past the Visitor Centre, down to the head of Sherbrook Valley and then up to the Glacial Boulder trig. The climb out of Moors Gorse isn't steep but it's tough after 11 or 12 miles of running. We ran the first half and hiked the second half, passing a few runners en route. Hitting the longest road section Zoe was quickly on the pace again, and as I was feeling quite good we took it in turns to lead and made a cracking pace for the next 2 km. I got the nav right on the drop into and climb out of Sherbrook Valley and we were at the boulder quite rapidly - this was our best leg, about 50th fastest of the 133 runners.

We were passing people fairly thick and fast by now, coming across a tired looking Andrew Brooke just after the control. I gave him some encouragement and we set off hard to the incline and down that. We were about 4 minutes from home with 5 to go before the target time of 2:30 when I made a horrible nav error at the bottom of the incline and instead of going straight on down the final section for some reason I thought the pool was on the wrong side and went right instead. This gave us an extra quarter mile and a steep 130' of climbing that no-one else had to do. We lost nearly four minutes and 15 places, finally finishing a bit deflated in 79th equal place, 2:32:17.

Never mind, lesson learned. We'd run fast enough for a 2:30 finish, so job done there, and we'd each only lost a couple of points in the Mercia champs (in a race which probably won't be a counter for me, and possibly not for Zoe).

Resolution: do the race again and aim for 2:25 or better. Reccie the start/finish properly, and also sort out the section through then campsite etc between the Rifle Range and The visitor centre car park where I only got the right line by following others. I've marked my race maps with the correct route since finishing because reading the map is easier if you know instantly which path you are intending to take!

Christmas and Training to 06/01/2013

A trial run of embedding pages from my Garmin Connect site to create a training diary quickly. If it doesn't work I'll go back to just covering events on here...

Week commencing 24/12/2012: I mostly concentrated on relaxing after Tour de Helvellyn and enjoying the Christmas holiday. We had a nice run on Boxing Day from Coln St Aldwyn to Bibury in the Costwolds, watched the charity duck race (our duck didn't win), dranked mulled wine and ran back. Then it was out on the Mynd on the Sunday for 8 miles (the easy 8) of the Longmynd Valleys race route. The headwind on the usually runnable Portway section was a bit unwelcoming but we had a great time. A mere 2 runs and 3:05 of training: 14 miles and 2,500' of climbing almost all on trail or fell.



Week commencing 31/12/2012: Another rather limp start to the week due to New Year's Eve and the aftermath, but I got in a good hill reps session on Wednesday 2nd and ran a hard road tempo run the following day (albeit a bit interrupted stopping first because Zoe tripped badly on a deep pothole, and then because I needed a pee). On the Saturday I did a fairly rapid whizz round one of the suggested routes on the Nesscliffe Permanent Orienteering Course. With the trig points race this gives me 4 runs lasting a total of 5:19, covering 31 miles and 4,000' of climbing. I'm looking forward to getting back to some decent climbing sessions as Tuesday night runs start again for me now.

Cardington Cracker - 02/12/2012

Crossing the summit of Caer Caradoc

I woke up feeling absolutely lousy on the morning of the Cracker, and it took some serious persuading from Zoe to get me out there. Zoe's friend Jo was staying and they'd decided to come and watch so in the end that was the deciding factor and I was running!

It was nice to meet everyone again and I was feeling a bit better by the start, but I was caught napping when Paul started the race and ended up a very long way back at the first gateway. I overtook a few people in the fields and up the first little bank on the way to Enchmarsh and eventually found myself descending towards the Lawley just behind Val, probably about the right position in the field but it had cost me some effort.

For some reason (maybe the virus I reckon I have had which had made me feel so bad when I got up), I just switched off on the Lawley climb and sat in my comfort zone over the top, on the descent (Em and Archie were at the bottom supporting - thanks guys) and also up the Caradoc. Don't get me wrong, I worked a bit but I wasn't anything like flat out. I did run the final section of the climb past Al, which at least got me a nice pic. I cruised the Caradoc descent too, crossing the stream 7 minutes or so slower than last year.

Race face on, working up to the summit of Caradoc

Descending past the gate at Three Fingers Rock

Zoe and Jo were at the gate as you start the long slog up Hazler Woods and this geed me up a bit. I ran all of it, although I think sometimes it's no quicker than walking. I spotted Pete Johnson up ahead and decided to try to close the gap on him. I worked a little harder on the way up to the Gaer Stone and enjoyed the fast run across the Bowdler Hills, working hard to run a lot of the short rises I had to walk last year. As I got to the Gaer Stone, the gap to Pete had come down quite a bit and I was able to pass him on the rough descent here. The path which Pete was using was very muddy and slippery so I ran on the bilberry to the side which was much easier.

The gates at the bottom were open this year which was good - no one likes vaulting / climbing / whaling over 4' high gates when they're tired. This marks the start of a 2 mile steeplechase in to the finish. I tried to run the entire field up to the Old Cardington Lane, and managed it! One runner passed me shortly after as we headed along the seemingly unending ridge which follows, but he'd been overtaking me on all the flat bits, I guess he just had more speed. Otherwise I was passing people.

Charlie was at the first of the stiles on the final run in, encouraging me to pick off the last two runners in front of me, but in the end I just didn't have the speed or energy, and ran in in 1:40 for 96th place.

It was pleasing that I'd managed a decent run given the givens, but I'd have liked to be five minutes faster than in 2011, rather than a minute slower. The conditions were more difficult this year. I beat quite a few folk that I didn't beat last year and finished in exactly the same position. I was also pleased to have been able to run the second half of the race much quicker than last year - I put this down to more and better training: I'm quicker on the flat than I was. I just need to get in touch with my inner climbing animal again - it seems to have gone missing since Callow and the CCC.

Tour de Helvellyn - 22/12/2012

Arriving at the Swart Beck checkpoint, pleased to see Stuart

I signed up for Tour de Helvellyn after I'd ducked out of the Long Mynd Hike, as I wanted to complete one more ultramarathon this year (total six I think - 2 at Pilgrim's Way, the Brecon 40, the WOW, the CCC and TdeH). I'd tried to do the race last year but a combination of a party the night before and atrocious road conditions on the drive from Shropshire to the Lakes put paid to an early start and meant that I was a long way behind the field for much of the day. I called it quits after about 20 miles and a big struggle over Sticks Pass in total whiteout conditions.

This year I learned from some of the mistakes and drove up the night before, staying on the floor in the event centre at Askham Village Hall.

I woke at six after a fairly fitful night's sleep and had a fairly leisurely preparation, chatting with Joe, Keith and Pauline, Nick Ham, Adrian Donnelly and Dale Colclough and his partner Den. The event format allows starts from seven until nine, but the first manned checkpoint, at Patterdale about 10 miles in, only opens at 9:30. I'd decided to start about quarter to eight so the checkpoint would be open and any rush of waiting runners would be gone before I got there.

Lovely relaxing cup of tea, thank you Pauline!

Having a natter before the start...

In the event Adrian started about ten minutes before me and Dale a couple of minutes after me, so I ran the first couple of miles up to Askham Common on my own. Here, Dale caught me up and we ran together comfortably over Moor Divock and down to Howtown where Dale showed me a handy short cut to the road which cuts a little distance and a bit of muddy trail off at the cost of 50' of extra climbing. We walked purposefully up to the church at Martindale where I was able to spot the dibber and kite easily having done the event before. (1:04 from start)

Onwards along the road into Boredale and I were nicely matched for pace and managed a good conversation until the top of the Hause where I let him run on as I felt I'd gone rather faster than I originally had intended. I dropped into the Patterdale checkpoint 50 minutes after leaving Martindale.

The next stage climbs up to Greenside and then on to the footbridge over the Swart Beck on the Sticks Pass path, where Stu from NAV4 was waiting with his camera and the dibber for CP3. I went quite well up here, passing Dale and Adrian before Dale repassed me near the checkpoint. (45 minutes from Patterdale, 2:40 total)

Passing the SportSunday camera lady at Greenside

Closely followed by Adrian and Dale

Nice impressionist view of other competitors approaching Swart Beck

The remaining section to Sticks Pass is more gently graded and was much easier than last year with only a few small patches of slushy snow. The route at the top was obvious (straight on across the main ridge path) and I continued on down through ankle deep freezing water which eventually turned my feet into solid unyielding lumps. I told myself they'd warm up when I was lower down and on drier ground. The rain was still falling fairly steadily but my newish less running more mountaineering style kit (Quecha thermal, Haglofs Stem II mid layer and bargain Berghaus Etive Gore-Tex Paclite Cag) was keeping me reasonably dry and even on the pass I wasn't desperately cold. Some gloves which fitted would have helped though, and I nearly put my fleece on.

The descent down to Stanah is marginally easier to the right and I followed a quicker runner who'd just passed me on the way down. I got to Stanah 43 minutes after leaving Swart Beck (3:23 total). At this point I'd decided to bail last year and hiked up the road to Swirls so I didn't know the rest of the route intimately.

From Stanah to Swirls the route uses the public right of way following the intake wall above the fields of Thirlspot. This is probably the most technical section of the route, mostly singletrack and with lots and lots of rocks embedded in the path. I took the opportunity to take on a bit of water and half a Go-Ahead bar, walking quite a bit of this section before dropping into Swirls car park to meet Den and a couple of other check point staff. 26 minutes from Stanah (3:49 total).

I dumped a sarnie which I guessed I wasn't going to eat with Den, took on a few bits of banana and set off on the forest road towards Dunmail. I was quickly passed by a couple of quicker guys and then made the first of two dodgy route decisions, choosing to go down the forest road and then climb up again to the end of the woods rather than use the permissive traversing path used by many of the other runners. I think this probably cost a minute or two - it gave Adrian the opportunity to catch and pass me just before the next checkpoint at Birkside Gill which I reached in 41 minutes from Swirls (4:30 total).

Immediately after the checkpoint there's a choice to either continue along the intake wall to Dunmail and then use the "gutter" path up to Grisedale Tarn, or to take a more direct line climbing up onto the brilliantly named Willie Wife Moor and contouring round into Raise Beck just below the col. I chose the latter option and it was very tough, on rough ground, and I was conscious I was moving quite slowly. Eventually I reached the beck, crossing it at the only point I could see which was safe (it was very full) and then using the path for the final couple of hundred yards up to the col. I made ehavy weather of the boggy section round the tarn and down towards Ruthwaite Lodge and finally realised something wasn't right with a lot of folk passing me. I was hungry so I ate - two more Go Aheads and a gel. This got me going again and by the flatter section of the valley I was running reasonably well again. After a minor road rage incident with (you guessed) a white van, I jogged into the Patterdale checkpoint 1:54 after leaving Birkside Gill, and 6:23 total time. The loop round Helvellyn took four and a half hours. This was easily my worst leg.

Just after leaving Patterdale to climb to Boredale Hause

Here I had a quick few words with Stu and Joe, grabbed some banana and some crisps and walked through to Side Farm deliberately keeping moving but using the flat section to eat and sort my kit out for the push back to Askham. I climbed up to Boredale with Marie Mitton who was going pretty well. We used the main path, which is longer, but more easily graded. At the top Marie met her friend Helen, and I pushed on, descending the path into Boredale quite efficiently. I slowed a bit after the road junction and Marie and Helen and myself leapfrogged each other to the next checkpoint at Martindale (1:11 from Patterdale, 7:34 total).

Marie and three others with her went the high route from Martindale so I decided to try to grab a bit of ground back by using Dale's lower route again. I popped out on the path well ahead of them so stopped at a bench, drank some water and ate two thirds of a KitKat then got going again, alternately walking and running the fairly interminable section along the top of the fields above Ullswater. Eventually this starts to climb quite steeply and I hit the climb just after being passed by one of the more elite runners. He came straight back to me on the climb so I asked if he was ok and foisted the rest of my KitKat off on him. It must have worked because he got going again and passed me up by the stone circle. I was glad there were a lot of runners about as it was getting dark now and together we were able to set the right course across Moor Divock and hit the track spot on for the run in to Askham. I did most of this in company of another runner, and stayed in touch enough to find the quick way in to the finish, where Keith and Martin Stone were waiting with the final dibber and a results print out.

Martin Stone and Keith Richards manning the finishing checkpoint with style!

I finished 67th of 128 finishers and 148 starters in 9:04:48 and was 25th MV40 of 50 MV40 finishers.

Overall I was pretty pleased with this, off very little distance work at all. My longest run since the CCC had been about 15 miles, and I've had no consistency with the long runs at all. It was a very enjoyable day out in the hills and a great learning experience as ever. Thanks to Joe and all his helpers at NAV4.

Joe, a top event organiser, and Joe's soup, the best!