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| The route |
Background
The South Downs Way 100 had long been on my list. Since I
started running ultras in 2012 and even before that I had a long-standing
fascination and affinity with the South Downs. Having lived in Eastbourne for 5
years and in Sussex all my life before that the Downs were never far away. They
became my playground and my training ground. They were my escape and my
solitude when I needed it. Many a long hour spent running, cycling and
exploring meant that I knew much of the route intimately. I had even ridden the
full length of the South Downs Way on a mountain bike a couple of years
previously so when I decided it was time to have a crack at my first 100 mile
race this was the obvious choice. Why? To conquer the Downs once and for all? Maybe.
To immerse myself in them and reminisce, visiting many a familiar place,
enjoying the scenery and the peace? Definitely!
Centurion Running organise the South Downs Way 100 as part
of their series of 50 and 100 mile races. It is held in June and the course
follows virtually the entire length of the South Downs Way, 100 miles from
Chilcomb Sports Ground near Winchester all the way to Eastbourne. With almost
4,000m of climb along the way it is never going to be easy but the prevailing
winds being from the west should help a little in theory.
Race prep
Having completed ten ultra-distance events over the last
couple of years, ranging from 35 to 75 miles this would be my eleventh and longest
ultra. I felt it was time to take on the ultimate distance which had been
intriguing me for a while. I always try to learn something from each ultra I run
so I felt prepared but also conscious that this was a full marathon longer than
any race I had done before so there was definitely an element of the unknown.
Over the last few months I have been asked time and time again ‘how do you
train for a 100 mile race?’ I’m not sure there is a correct answer to that
question. I think the longer the race you are training for the more of a mental
game it becomes so as long as you have plenty of hills and plenty of miles in
your legs it’s less about the physical preparation and more about convincing
yourself you are ready. I have done two ultras already this year (40 miles and
61 miles) so that provided good training to build on.
Support
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| My fabulous support crew |
I discovered that this race allowed support crews and pacers,
neither of which I had used before. Given the extra distance and the scale of
the challenge I decided that I would recruit both if possible. This turned out
to be a great decision. Earlier in the year I was chatting to my friend Spencer
during a Sunday club run and he offered to help. I knew that he was a very
experienced runner, having entered ultras himself and I also knew that he has a
‘no nonsense’ attitude which I felt would be really helpful in this situation.
You’re hired! Pacers were allowed from mile 54 onwards and there was one
obvious choice. Another ultra running friend Veritie was training for her first 100 mile race later in the
year and this could be beneficial for both of us if we buddied up. We decided
that the best place for Veritie to join would be at mile 65 so she could run
the last 35 miles with me.
Race weekend
It might sound obvious but 100 miles is a long way! In a
point to point race like this the start and finish are a very long way apart.
The logistics of who needed to be where and when involved me driving to the
finish in Eastbourne and then getting a train to Winchester where Spencer would
meet me on the Friday afternoon. Once we had met up we headed over to the start
to get the registration and kit check done. Then it was time to relax and get a
good meal inside me so we found a good country pub and chatted about race
strategy, process, nutrition, timing, my preference for dilution of
electrolytes, default offerings at each checkpoint and plenty of other things as they occurred to us.
Around 8pm we headed back to the start and I decided an
early night was in order. We had already put the tent up and to my
embarrassment I discovered that rather than two single air beds I had packed
one double! Spencer was concerned that I should save my energy for race day(!)
so he decided to leave me to it in the tent and sleep in the car. The heavens
opened for a couple of hours but there were none of the thunderstorms which had
been predicted.
Race Day
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| The start |
My alarm woke me at 4.30am and I soon made the effort to get up
and dressed. A bowl of muesli, cereal bar and a couple of bananas and I was
ready for the off. Around 350 of us were entered in the event and the start line
consisted of roughly equal numbers of people who were running their first
hundred and those who had done at least five! It was overcast and a little damp
from the overnight rain. 6am soon arrived and the klaxon signalled the start of
an epic journey. Infinite possibility is how this moment is described by Lizzie
Hawker in her book and I can relate to that. Anything can happen in a long
race. Night follows day, the sun will set and will rise again regardless of
what I do. Nevertheless, while running this sort of event I feel closer to
nature and somehow more in tune with the world around me in a way that everyday
life doesn’t provide.
The first lap of the field completed and it’s onto the South
Downs Way itself. Let’s do this!
Having never run this distance before I didn’t quite know
what pace to set off at so set myself a few scenarios and paces to aim for. A
few miles under my belt and the excitement of the pre-race and start wore off a
little. I hadn’t managed to go to the toilet before the race but now 8 miles in
I needed to go! Typical! Not far to the first checkpoint at 9.6 miles I thought. Much to
my disappointment there were no facilities there and knowing there was no way
I’d make it to the second checkpoint at 22 miles without a bowel movement I
picked a suitably quiet area of woodland off the trail and did the necessary.
Damp leaves were all I could find to clean myself up. Not the most pleasant
experience but I felt ten times better for it. You gotta do what you gotta do!
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| My pace ready reckoner |
Some ten miles later approaching the top of Butser Hill I
did a double take on a figure standing at the top. It’s not is it? It is! Another of my crazy friends Simon had driven down to surprise me and provide some moral support for
a little while. ‘You’ve driven a long way just to shout abuse at me’ I shouted
as I approached him. ‘Don't worry. It’s worth it!’ he replied.
Soon the checkpoint at Queen Elizabeth Country Park appeared
and Spencer was there waiting for me. ‘Wet wipes and a refill of electrolyte
please!’ I was through the 22 mile mark in less than 4 hours. Am I going too fast
with nearly 80 miles to go? Probably but I felt good and was running based on
feel. Who knows what will happen later? Go with the flow.
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| On my way |
Thirty miles… Forty miles... I ran with various people for a
while and chatted, then we drifted away at our own pace. This continued for
some time then I caught up with a guy I had met on a previous ultra - John, who I know has completed
a number of 100 mile runs in the past. He was struggling. No energy, legs heavy.
We chatted for a bit then I carried on. Important to run your own race and not
become tied up in someone else’s story! From memory this section from 30 to 50
miles seems to drag on. Long trails through wooded sections, endless fields and
little else of interest. As the day had
drawn on the sun made an appearance and it was hot, really hot and I asked
Spencer for iced water as I neared the next checkpoint. As I ran round the
corner in Amberley village there he was with a sports bottle full of iced water, the ice blagged from a
nearby pub. Amazing! I downed the whole bottle and took on board refills of
other items. My backpack was full of treats and Spencer kept loading me up with
Twix bars and Pepperamis. Usually my favourite on a long run, for some reason I
couldn’t face them! Soon after, John passed me at speed. ‘I’m sugared up’ he
said. ‘Feeling great. Can’t stop.’ With that he was gone and I later found out
that he finished four hours ahead of me. Amazing performance and shows quite how much I slowed down later!
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| Determination |
Finally, I got to the next major checkpoint at 54 miles, a village
hall in Washington. It was about 6pm and I stopped for ten minutes to sit down
and take on board a bowl of pasta. I’m just about on 24 hour pace but nutrition
is becoming a concern and it’s still warm. I still have a LONG way to go.
Another eleven miles to Devil’s Dyke and I knew Veritie would
be there waiting to join me for the remainder of the run. This spurred me on
and I set the 65 mile mark as my next mini goal to aim for. I got to Devil’s
Dyke around 9pm and it was great to stop and chat with my crew. I went for a
change of socks and noticed a huge blister on the side of my right big toe. Oh
well, I hadn’t even felt it so Spencer dried my feet, gave me a foot rub and
put a Compeed plaster on it. Heaven! Then we’re off again.
The next few miles seemed to pass quickly as I chatted to
Veritie, recounting my experiences of the day so far. The pace had definitely
slowed though and as night fell it dawned on me that there were still over
thirty miles to go and my energy levels are falling away with the setting sun.
Dig deep. I’m going to do this!
Time seemed to slow down and pass really slowly. I was low
on energy but struggling to take any calories on board. What is going on? This
isn’t like me. The uphill sections were a very slow walk and I could just about
break into a slow jog on the level. It had got cold and I shivered as we left
Clayton Windmills checkpoint. It took a long time to warm up and stop my teeth
chattering. Not far to Ditchling Beacon. Keep going. Keep going. We got there
around midnight and Spencer was there with a tasty Chicken Burger. Just what I
needed! Just need to keep going now. Any thoughts of a sub-24 hour finish were
out of the window and I knew that there was still a death march ahead as the
long night hours slowly drifted by. I was struggling and Veritie was trying hard to
keep me moving at a sensible pace. I stopped a few times on flimsy excuses. A tiny stone in my
shoe. I need another quick wee. This
broke up the relentless march and the miles slowly ticked by. I needed to get
to the relative comfort of the next checkpoint but I knew it was a long way off at mile 84 and it
seemed to take forever for the 12 miles to pass. Finally at 3.30am we reached
Southease and I told Spencer I needed a 15 minute micro-nap. I’ve never needed
one before despite plenty of experience running through the night but I was
certain it would help. Spencer needed some convincing. Worried that if
I sat down and closed my eyes that would be the start of the end, I persuaded
him that I knew what I was doing and got into the warmth of the car. He woke me
up after 15 minutes and we got ready to leave again. I had spent nearly an hour at
the checkpoint in all and the dim dawn was starting to break. I felt raring to go. That micro-nap had sorted me
out. I felt like I’d slept for hours and powered up the next climb – alive
again! Mile 65 to 84 had been horrendous. It had never entered my mind to quit
but I was glad to get through the night and make it to the sunrise. I know from
experience that the rising sun brings both a rise in spirits and energy levels.
I am going to make it!
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| My 10 mile split times - all going well until 70 miles! |
The last section is the stretch I knew best and we passed more
familiar trails and places I recognised as the dawn light slowly gave way to harsh daylight. It was cloudy but the clouds parted now and again and it was
starting to warm up. Must finish before it gets too hot I thought to myself. We
made it to the point at which the race route departs from the South Downs Way
proper and a helpful marshal who had spent the whole night in a small tent
pointing people in the right direction made sure we picked the correct path off
the Downs. It would be disastrous to go wrong at mile 98.
Two miles to go – a fairly technical
descent led us to a quiet residential street and it was then just a case of one
foot in front of the other on the roads and pavements of Eastbourne, heading for
the Sports Ground where the finish arch awaited. Spencer and Veritie had been
in contact and I had been assured I would get across the line in under 28 hours
if I got on with it. I was also told that my family were there waiting for me
at the finish line. Armed with these facts we upped the pace and pulled off a
couple of 10 minute miles (which is a damned sight harder than it sounds with
98 miles in your legs!). Rounding the corner and entering the Sports Ground was
an amazing feeling. I met my daughters and we ran the lap of the track together
hand-in-hand. I was feeling emotional as I crossed the line and couldn't believe I had really made it. The finish line which I visualised time and time again was right in front of me. 100 miles in 27
hours 58 minutes. What an experience! A bacon sandwich and a cup of tea were
almost as welcome as the finisher’s T shirt and buckle which I was given at the
finish.
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| Centurion 100 mile buckle |
Post-race reflection
Some time after the race I have had a chance to reflect on
what went well and what didn’t go so well. I went off too fast. This is as
clear as day now but at the time I didn’t know what too fast was on a 100 mile
race. Nutrition also went a little wrong for me this time and I will need to
work harder on finding a bigger variety of items that I can fall back on if I
can’t face my usual ultra food. The things that went well were the support I
received and I’m so grateful to Spencer, Veritie and all my other supporters. Spencer had posted udpates on Facebook as the race progressed and
the messages of support had come from far and wide. People were genuinely
interested in how I was doing and willing me on. To know this is real time was
a massive boost and I’m so humbled that people were watching my tracking blip on a little map and following my progress through the day and night.
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| The team! |
What’s next?
Three more ultras entered this year and then let’s just say I’ve got a few big ideas for next year! I won’t even bother saying ‘Never Again’ any more because I know deep down that it isn’t true! I’ll be back again I’m sure.
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| Enough said! |
