The Ox 50 – from White Star Running

Posted on May 9, 2017 by neildawsonrunner

So, I’m sitting here reflecting on another weekend in Dorset. Or is it Wiltshire. I’m not sure anymore. OK, so a weekend on the Dorset/Wiltshire border.

This was my third 50 miler and the last big race before I tackle the South Downs Way 100. I wanted a confidence boost. I wanted this to convince me that the 100 miles is going to be OK. I wanted to get to the end of 50 miles and still feel OK, knowing that I could keep putting one foot in front of the other for a while (probably around 16 hours).

So, the Ox weekend happens on the Rushmore Estate (as does the Larmer weekend from White Star Running). It’s beautiful. It takes about 10 minutes to drive from the entrance of the estate to the race HQ. That’s how big the estate is. Seeing the lambs jumping and playing around first thing on Saturday morning fills me with joy.

The race is 8 laps, resulting in a total distance is 50 miles (ish). This means 8 visits to my own aid station, which is good prep for the 100. The course has everything. Amazing trees, varying terrain, long slow up hill sections, lovely long shallow descents and steep up hill climbs and difficult, technical downs.

Even with 8 laps it doesn’t get boring. OK, well laps 7 and 8 may have become a little tedious, but at least we knew what was ahead of us.

This is what the course looks like. Oh yes, and there’s a lot of wild garlic.

The goal was 12 hours. Take it steady and go at the planned pace for the 100. The course was slightly less hilly than expected, so we came in under that, but were still running all of the flat and down hill sections right to the end.

So, mission accomplished. Confidence boosted and every step powered by plants. Now, to stay injury free until the start of June.

There was something that really struck me about this weekend. Probably more than any other weekend away with lyrca people in the middle of nowhere.

This weekend had such a diversity of people. There were people of all shapes, sizes and ages, plus a lot of fancy dressers. I loved seeing the canicross participants, who gave me the chance to chat with their dogs and took my mind off the goal for a while. Everyone said ‘well done’ to their fellow runners. That’s all it takes to pick you up again.

We hear a lot about participation. About getting people off the sofa. parkrun registered its highest number of participants ever last weekend. Our running club is going from strength to strength with race entries growing. We have just had the London and Brighton marathons with more people seem to be thinking ‘I can do that’. The increase in mental health awareness and the positive effect of running and being outside on mental health is great to see. I think that we all get a release when we disappear for a weekend in the countryside. Nothing else seems to matter. It’s just you and the hills. No mortgage, no credit card bills, no job worries. This is one of the reasons why we do it. We enter a different world.

But I still hear and see a fear of trail running though. There really is nothing to fear and you don’t have to do daft distances.

Weekends like the Ox races are perfect if you want to get involved in trail running. If you don’t fancy the 50 miles or 12 hour races on Saturday, you can do the Dark Ox (10k on Saturday night in the dark, the Light Ox (10k on Sunday morning) or the Ox Half on Sunday morning.

These races are much more relaxed than road races. There is no time pressure, as no-one will ask you how quickly you finished. Every trail course is so incredibly different, times really do vary much more from course to course.

Where else do you get a Race Director who dresses up as a Mexican wrestler for the race brief and then gives you a high five as you leave race HQ on the first lap? And where else has an aid station with a man in a kilt, a badger sporran and a sombrero serving booze?

Trail races give you the best aid stations. Cake, sweets, biscuits, savoury, booze and love.

These smaller off road events offer a certain type of intimacy that road races can’t offer. You really feel like a club away from home. You see many familiar faces, many of whom have just spent the night camping on top of a hill in the cold in a howling gale. If that doesn’t bring people together then nothing will.

I’m not a huge talker on races. I really do like to keep myself to myself. It’s my space. Me, my head and my skinny legs. However, at White Star Running events (and many of the lower key trail events) I am finding myself chatting more and more. 11 hours on your feet is a long while after all.

That’s it really. if you haven’t already done it, give trail running a go. It really is fun and you don’t have to look at cars, houses and roads. Instead, you get trees and birdsong.

A huge thank you to Andy and the whole WSR team. I can’t think of anything that I would have changed (apart from making the pub a little closer to our B&B and blaming you for that would have been a little harsh). The marshals were amazing. It is impossible not to tell the world about the Lovestation. The vegan cake was the best. The cider and the vodka we had on the last lap was so nice. Thank you to our fellow runners for the smiles, the encouragement and the company.

Take care and please be good to animals.

Much love to you all and see you at the Cider Frolic.

Some of the photos are courtesy of Rob Hannam and Elzbieta Rembelska. They are brilliant. We can’t thank you enough for taking these.

South Downs Way 50

Posted on April 13, 2017 by neildawsonrunner

If we were to have a bucket list of races, the South Downs Way 50 would be on it. It’s on our own turf, it’s a Centurion event and the original ultra runners in our club put this race on the map.

The build up has been a lot of back to back runs of around 2 hours and a sequence of marathons on consecutive weekends. I have to say that both Nick and I were in a pretty good place (apart from the odd wobble).

The race takes you from the Hill Barn Rec in Worthing to join the South Downs Way around Chanctonbury Ring and then over to Eastbourne along the SDW, with a little tour in Eastbourne to find the finish.

There are many hills between the start and the finish. 5700 feet of climb to be precise.

Race day came round and the sun came out to play. Not as strong as for the Brighton Marathon on the following day, but strong enough to cause problems (I’m burnt on the back of my legs, but luckily nowhere else).

The first section of the race up to Chanctonbury takes in Cissbury Ring with 2 long climbs and a lovely long downhill section. I started eating right from the off. Nuts, dried fruit, Nakd bars and Tailwind. I walked the big climbs and made the most of gravity when it was on our side. I am finding it a little disappointing that the steep, rutted chalk path up to Cissbury Ring has been repaired and made much easier to climb.

After Chanctonbury, it is almost all downhill to the first aid station at Botolph’s after 11.2 miles. As with all Centurion aid stations, they are full laden with everything that you could wish for and this year they included Tailwind as well.

After Botolph’s comes Truleigh Hill. It’s horrid. There’s no other way to describe it. It’s steep and pretty long and then when you get to what you think is the top, it climbs less sharply for about another mile.

After the Youth Hostel at the top of Truleigh Hill, there is a quick descent into the valley before the climb back up to Devil’s Dyke, where there were a lot of supporters.

I love Devil’s Dyke. It’s where I first took my folks out when they visited me after my move to Brighton. Being from the flat lands of Lincolnshire, it felt so novel to have these hills on the doorstep, and the thrill of being next to the South Downs has never worn off.

My Mum has just got her first smart phone (I’m not sure she knows how to use it), so I’m making the most of being able to send her pictures. I indulged myself in this selfie and sent it off to her.

After Devil’s Dyke, there is a lovely descent into Saddlescombe Farm for aid station #2 at 16.6 miles.

Jon Lavis was out on course taking amazing photographs as usual and managed to catch me trying to get a peanut butter wrap down me. This thing stuck to the inside of my mouth for the next 10 minutes. Peanut butter with jam next time. Rookie error.

So, from Saddlescombe Farm, you climb Newtimber Hill, descend into Pyecombe and then climb through the golf course towards the Jack and Jill windmills, where there were lots of amazing supporters.

I was now on home turf. You can see the big yew tree in our front garden from the section between the windmills and Ditchling Beacon. I know this section to the end very well. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

It was around this point that I started to notice the heat more. It was early afternoon, so no surprise really.

There are a few ups and downs between the windmills (namely Ditchling Deacon, which is the highest point on the SDW) and the right turn at Black Cap.

Then it’s downhill all the way……………………to the next climb. And that next climb is a killer. It’s not long, but it’s very steep through the woods before the 3rd aid station at Housedean Farm at 26.6 miles.

This is just over half way through and the heat was starting to hurt. I had planned to have my finishing time start with a ’10’ and I got to half way in exactly 5 hours. I had time in hand and I was going to need it. After the Housedean Farm aid station there is a long climb. It’s long walk. It’s hard not to get frustrated by it, but there’s no chance of running it and it’s all part of the process.

The next real landmark is the Yellow Brick Road. It’s neither yellow or brick, but it’s lovely. It’s a long downhill towards the next aid station at Southease at 33.9 miles.

At the end of the Yellow Brick Road there is a very steep downhill (not good for achy knees) and a horrible dusty track before the aid station.

Southease aid station is great. Well manned, lots of supporters. I even had Philippe apply new sun block for me.

This is the calm before the storm though. For me, this is the toughest part of the course. Recently friends have described this as the graveyard on the South Downs Way 100 and I can see why. For me, it’s not just the length and extent of the climb. It is long and steep in places. The issue is that it keeps going up to Firle Beacon and then, after you descend into Bo Peep you have to climb back out again. This section seems to go on for ages. I think it probably did though to be honest. Lots of walking.

As you can see from this photo taken by Jon, I wasn’t alone in walking out of Bo Peep.

This was a bit of a low point, and Jon managed to catch my mood perfectly.

From here until the end, I’m a lot happier. It is 11 miles. There are 2 huge hills and a tricky descent, but it is the home stretch.

The hills out of the aid stations are tough and the terrain presents you with trip hazards. The countryside is beautiful and for some reason, I even managed to run about 25% of the climb out of Jevington.

When you reach the top of the Jevington hill, you have to tackle the tricky descent into Eastbourne. It is around 2km down. After about a minute I could hear someone screaming in front of me. I saw a runner lying across the path. My initial thoughts were ‘oh god, I hope he’s not badly hurt.’ As I approached, I saw his feet were pointing in the same direction, which is a good sign. It was cramp. I lifted his leg, push his foot back, helped him to his feet and he was off. Phew.

The section along the streets in Eastbourne (about 2km) to the finish went by quickly. Turning the corner onto the track was amazing. There were lots of supporters. 300m to the finish and my medal was waiting for me, presented by the ultra running legend that is Mimi Anderson.

I popped inside quickly to put some more clothes on and to get a hot drink before coming out to wait for Nick.

And all of a sudden, there she was. I didn’t even have time to start my coffee. She’d been between 5 and 10 minutes behind me all the way. What an amazing performance. So so proud of her.

We got there and it was still light. Both under 11 hours. And those medals are almost big enough to eat your dinner off.

So, what happened to me? Well time-wise I did what I wanted to. I wanted it to start with a ’10’ and it did. 10 hours 43 minutes and 29 seconds to be precise. If I’m honest with myself, I wanted to be around 10 and a half hours, but there you go.

This shows big improvement on last year. I finished my first 50, the Endure 50, which was mainly flat in 10 hours 45 minutes. The Chiltern Wonderland 50, which has a similar amount of climb took me 11 hours 15 minutes, so the SDW50 was an improvement of over 30 minutes.

What did I learn?

I’m not good in the heat. Well, I knew that already, but this just proved it. I wasn’t alone. I did manage to keep most of me burn-free apart from the backs of my legs, where I didn’t think to slap the sun block.

I know now that I really have an issue with the climbs to Firle and Bo Peep. I have got to get over that. This is going to be one of the challenges for my crew and pacer on the SDW100. Get me out of Southease and over to Alfriston.

I got cramps in my calves. Not a big issue. A stretch every 10 minutes or so sorted it out, but this is the first time in ages that I’ve had cramps. I took the salt tabs as usual, along with electrolytes. Maybe it was the heat? Maybe it was a one off? At least I was able to resolve it with a simple calf stretch and when it went away it didn’t stop me from running.

I got stomach cramps. The only thing I did differently to usual was drinking fizzy coke. Maybe that was daft? No more fizzy coke. As I was struggling with eating and it was really hot, fizzy coke really did seem like a pleasant way to get energy in.

I’m going to need baby wipes for the 100. Sticky fingers between aid stations and crew points is really going to get on my nerves.

I also learnt that that wife of mine is a bloody legend (she was a non-runner 5 years ago). She’s getting better and better. She was only 7 minutes behind me at the end. Seeing her name above mine on the finish list would please quite a few people for sure and I’m coming round to that idea more and more. The thing is, I don’t care if she gets home before me on the SDW100. I just want to see her with that buckle.

Finally, there is a serious realisation that 100 miles is a long way. No shit Sherlock. Obviously it’s a long way. Tagging another 50 onto the back of this is really daunting. Both of us spoke about this on Sunday and doubts did surface over whether we’re capable of doing it. Now that a little time has passed, we have regained a bit of the positivity. The first 50 will be slower (by around 90 minutes). We will have crew with us with food and support. And finally, the only time pressure is 30 hours. That’s the only thing that matters.

There are lots of thank you’s. To James and the Centurion Team. Amazing. You set the standard that other have to try to match. The volunteers were incredible. Even at the early aid stations when lots of people arrived at the same time, you were quick, efficient and always lovely. Thank you so much.

To the supporters, you were great. So touched that so many were out on course, especially the Burgess Hill Runners who popped up all over the place.

To my fellow runners, thank you for your company. Well done to every one of you.

To Nick, thank you for being my training partner and the most important person in the world. If you ever beat me I’m never speaking to you again 🙂

To the South Downs Way, thank you for being there and being so beautiful.

The next time we will see the Centurion team is while crewing and pacing for Philippe at the TP100 in a few weeks. After that’s it’s the start line for the big one.

In the meantime, have fun and take care.

Neil.

please be kind to all animals #fuelledbyplants

(photos courtesy of Jon Lavis, Centurion Running and Stuart March)

Larmer Tree Weekend by White Star Running

Posted on March 15, 2017 by neildawsonrunner

The Larmer Tree weekend was one of those big adventures.

We rented a lovely Air B and B cottage in Shaftesbury, about 15 minutes from race HQ. We went over on Friday night after work and hit the pub to watch the Wales rugby game as soon as we arrived.

The last time Nick and I were here was for the End of the Road Festival about 8 years ago. It was a bit bizarre being here on very different business. We looked like this back then.

The first race of the weekend was the Larmer 10 miles. The aim was to do a back to back weekend, so that I had tired legs on Sunday for the main event, the marathon.

The alarm was set for 6.30 for an 8.30 race start. As always, registration is easy and the coffee wonderful. The weather was misty, which restricted the views sadly, but at least we couldn’t see the tops of the hills that we had to climb.

Andy (Race Director and Mr. White Star Running) gave his usual race brief, you know, ‘don’t die, run a bit, it’s muddy’.

So, we were off, along the road off into the paths, mud and woodland that would be our hosts for the next couple of days.

The first hill is at 6km. It’s a beauty.

The big hill was followed by a bit of undulation, a bit of flat and a lot of downhill for over 2 miles.

And then it was the next challenge. A steep hill, followed by a circuit of a lovely valley.

And then it’s flat or downhill all the way home (apart from the climb back to the start)

And that’s it. 10 miles seems to fly by when you’ve been doing a lot of longer races recently. It was very pleasant as well.

I was meant to be taking it steady, but really loved it and did it a little quicker than expected. There you go. 1 hour 44 minutes of pure joy.

So it was back to race HQ, where they were serving really lovely food and selling the ever popular WSR merch. The food was free by the way.

While some of the team were getting a massage we had a stroll around the grounds, remembering where the stages were for the End of the Road Festival. We bumped into several of these these little beauties, the symbol of the race weekend.

After that, the world was our lobster. Home, a quick shower and then a walk around historic Shaftesbury (including Hovis Hill – here is the link to the original advert – Hovis Ad) before heading to the pub for some beer, some food and then home to bed for an early night.

Marathon start time was 8.30am as well. We already had our numbers. We had packed the night before, so all we had to do was to load the cars and get ourselves done to race HQ for 8am to get ready.

The marathon is soooooooooooooooo lovely. Hilly, mud, slippy, slidey, but above all lovely. Some of it takes in part of the 10 mile course from the previous day.

I changed my usual race plan. I really held back to start with. I’m not totally well at the moment and I wanted to check out the pacing for the South Downs Way 50, which is coming up in 4 weeks.

The best way to describe the course is in pictures. I can’t find the words to say how utterly fantastic it was. The views at the top of the hills were stunning. Well worth walking up. The hills were tough. They were long and muddy. Energy sapping and difficult to get any traction on at times.

And this is how up and down it is.

Deciding to take the first half of the race easy meant that I managed to spend a lot of time with Nick (and Karen), which never really happens during races. It was brilliant. I do spend time during races wondering how she’s getting on and it was great to be able to see it at first hand.

So, I got to half way in 2 hours 44 mins. I did the second half in 2 hours 34 minutes, giving a finishing time of 5 hours 18 minutes. The second half of the course was also more difficult than the first half. This is exactly what I needed to achieve. There was definitely something left in the tank and the terrain on the SDW50 will not be a tough as this, although the amount of climbing is the same.

This weekend is a perfect introduction to trail running. Tough but not too tough. 10 mile, half marathon, 20 mile and marathon options available. Lovely people, great marshals, lots of fancy dress, incredible location, route impeccably marked (it is impossible to get lost) and the medals are beautiful for those of you who collect pretty bits of metal.

A huge thank you to Andy and the White Star Team. We will see you again for the Ox. Thank you to Rob for the fantastic photos as always. Thank you to the lovely runners. I’m not a big talker during races, but I really loved the chats. I especially enjoyed the chat with the Vegan Runner who caught me up while I was saving a worm from being crushed on the trail. ‘Without worms and bees, we are nothing’ were the words of wisdom that I brought home with me from Wiltshire.

Next up is the South Downs Way 50. Have fun.

#fuelledbyplants

Steyning Stinger Marathon 2017

Posted on March 8, 2017 by neildawsonrunner

So, the Steyning Stinger Marathon is the 2nd of 3 consecutive marathon weekends for me. I’ve been here before, back in 2014 and know the course really well, as it shares sections with many other events.

Knowing the course is one thing, dealing with the weather and the under foot conditions is another.

It had been raining a lot over the past week or so and the always boggy Stinger course didn’t disappoint. It rained for a lot of the race. It was torrential at the start and apart from a couple of short breaks, it rain throughout the day. This was coupled with a serious wind that was coming from the south west. The organisers said that conditions were worse than they had seen for the event in the 50+ years it has been taking place.

During the first section on top of the South Downs, we were leaning to the left side to stop ourselves from being blown over and then a turn took us straight into the teeth of a biting gale at around 10k. It was almost not worth trying to run, as walking was almost as quick.

I’m not sure how many distinct climbs the Stinger claims to have, but there are definitely 5 long ones, including the huge climb to Chanctonbury Ring, which does go on forever.

This race seemed to be either head wind, up hill or incredibly slippery under foot at all times and often all 3 at the same time. There really was no respite at all.

I really felt tired at the start. The legs were seriously heavy after the race last week. I have been sleeping badly all week and my head seems to be buzzing a lot. This, coupled with the rubbish weather at the start, didn’t make me totally happy. This is all part of the process though. All part of the mental toughening.

This is the first real climb. I have got the FFS face on here. It was chucking it down and that hill does go on forever.

The miles actually flew by and things went pretty well. At half way I was on target to beat my time from 2014, but the second half of the race had some really boggy and slippery sections, especially the totally demoralising circuit round Steep Down – 7km of pure hard work. Don’t forget the tricky downhill sections either, especially the ones towards the end. Very steep and very slippery. At half way I changed my target to 5 hours 15 minutes and kept going really well to get home in 5 hours 7 minutes.

I love the photos at the end of the marathons. Whether it’s your first or your 101st, it’s still an emotional experience. Marathons are never to be underestimated, whether they’re flat, city events or hilly, muddy treks through the countryside. This feeling is just amazing. Crossing the finish line really is the business.

This event really is brilliant. The marshals are amazing. They stand is some of the most remote spots on the SDW in rubbish conditions and do a great job. The course is fantastic. You get some of the best views in the area and it is one of the most testing marathons around. Not only do you have to contend with the hills, but the mud and the weather.

Nice medal too. Oh, and you get free professional photos as part of this event.

It is a testament to the quality of this event that we now have this as one of our club championship races and runners of all abilities turn out in large numbers (it’s got nothing to do with the free breakfast. Honest).

And so it’s onto the Larmer Tree races over in Wiltshire. 10 miles on Saturday and a marathon on Sunday. More hills and more mud.

Have fun, Neil

#fuelledbyplants

Heartbreaker Marathon 2017 – The New Forest

Posted on March 1, 2017 by neildawsonrunner

The alarm is set for 5am on a Sunday morning, which can mean only one thing. To be fair, no alarms are needed really. Our 2 new cats were prowling around from 4am, so I was lying there waiting for 5 o’clock to come around.

Here they are by the way. Batman and Banksy. Daft names (we inherited the names), but brilliant cats. They couldn’t be more different from the 2 old girls that we shared the last 16 years with.

Everything was packed the night before and clothes laid out to wear for the journey, so it was beans on toast, a couple of cups of tea, a quick chat with Nick, before setting off on the 2 hour drive to the New Forest and the Heartbreaker Marathon.

I love days like this. I love the time on my own. Setting off before the sun comes up on my own little adventure.

As you enter the New Forest you cross a cattle grid. That noise gets my heart going. It always means that I’m heading to somewhere I’m going to like, somewhere remote, somewhere with trees and animals.

It’s a 15 minute drive in the New Forest to Fordingbridge, the home of the Sandy Balls Holiday Village. The name suggests that you should be greeted by Kenneth Williams or Sid James, but it has to be said that the organisation was definitely not a carry on (sorry, I will have a word with my ‘joke’ writer). Marshals are everywhere, parking ample, registration quick, site shop well stocked and toilet blocks meaning that there are no queues.

The start is an understated affair and is about a 5 minute walk from the middle of the holiday village. There was a sudden sound from a hooter and we were off.

The first 3km of the race of very up and down around the perimeter of the holiday village before you exit via the main entrance onto the main road through the National Park. This goes on for 2km and there is a pavement and a verge to run on. Not at all dangerous.

After the first 5km you head off the road and it’s trail then for the next 35km. The first view of the course out in the National Park itself is brilliant.

2.8km gets you to the water station and this is where the 3 out and back loops start. They are undulating, but all on very easy trails. It is the Fritham-Frogham cycle track. Most of it is open, although there are certain sections that head through the wooded areas.

The half marathon started an hour later than the marathon, so there were soon a lot of runners out there. I didn’t mind the first 2 laps as we saw lots of other runners and I like the encouragement that we give each other. However, the last lap was tough and I did start to find it a little dull. There were just the slower marathon runners left out there. The wind got up, it started to rain and it got tough. A lot of the course is open to the elements and the head wind was straight into your face.

I had set out to complete the race in somewhere between 4 hour 35 minutes and 4 hours 45. I wanted to do this with even 10km splits and I wasn’t far out:

1st 10k – 1 hour 6 minutes
2nd 10k – 1 hour 3 minutes
3rd 10k – 1 hour 2 minutes
4th 10k – 1 hour 8 minutes (this is where it got tough and the conditions changed)

I finished in 4 hours 39 minutes with a very quick last kilometre. All in all, a pretty successful day on a demanding course (although not as demanding as the Steyning Stinger and the WSR Larmer marathons that are heading my way very quickly).

Check out the new Suunto watch, by the way. Very nice.

The organisation of the event was excellent, the marshals lovely and attentive. The aid stations were limited with just water and ‘energy drink’, which I think was probably Tailwind. I think that there were some sweets as well.

The course is good and challenging although potentially a little dull towards the end.

This race would be an excellent introduction to trail half and full marathons for a newcomer. Would I do it again – probably not. There are a lot of new races that I want to do. Both of these points are irrelevant as I heard that the event is probably not going to be held again, which is a really pity.

Nice medal too.

On a side note, it’s around 3 months until the SDW100 and the preparations continue.

I read an article/interview recently with Robbie Britton, and I found the whole thing pretty fascinating. This is one passage of real interest.

Some of these guys have been doing it (running Ultras) for 10 years and they’re just hammering their head against a wall for 10 years. You have these crazy conversations:

“What’s your nutrition plan like?” – “Oh, I don’t worry, I just go and smash it.”

“How do you pace?” – “I don’t, I just got out and run as hard as I can for as long as I can.”

“How is that working out?” – “Oh, I’m still running the same times as I was 10 years ago. But I’m experienced…”

No, you’re not experienced You’re a fucking moron who’s been doing the same thing for 10 years.

It reminds me of the interview with Shane Warne, where he said that Monty Panesar hasn’t play 33 test matches, he’s played the same one 33 times.

So, I’m trying to make sure that I iron out as many potential mistakes as possible for the 50 and 100 mile races this year. I’m listening to my mentors and working things out for myself and I think I’m getting there. Here are a few of the things I think I’m getting right or at least improving.

Pack everything the night before

If you are getting up when it’s still dark, make sure that you have packed everything the night before, so that you can pick up your bag and leave. Also, have the clothes that you are going to wear for the journey laid out ready. Make sure that you have the correct clothing with you, so that you can make the appropriate choice of clothing when you arrive at the event. A list of items to take is useful.

Pack your hydration vest sensibly and eat well.

I have learned that having as much as possible as accessible as possible is really important. My food is now going into smaller bags that fit into the front pockets of my S Lab vest. I had a bag of dried fruit and Nakd bites for each hour. The spare empty flexible bottles of Tailwind go into the back on the pack to be filled up when necessary.

Have a plan and stick to it

There’s no point of thinking that you feel great after 25% of the race and you accelerating away at 7 miles. You will crash and burn and the last quarter of the race will be tough. Assess the conditions and the course, set yourself a sensible range of goals for the day according to your training, ultimate goal and upcoming races. I have a good range of goals for the SDW100 and there is a plan in place.

Choose the correct races

I entered the Heartbreaker Marathon before Christmas. However, the possibility of doing the Multistory Car Park marathon came up on the same day. I love spending time with the Sussex Trail Event team and the runners who are at all of their events, but I came to the conclusion that 71 times up and down a car park was not sensible. It didn’t tie in with the ‘A’ race and it could easily have pushed my unhappy back a little too far.

Don’t be afraid to amend your training plan

I put a lot of miles in in January and my body didn’t thank me for it. I had a plan through until the end of May and I have decided to throttle the overall mileage back. In order to finish the SDW100, I have to make it to the start line in one piece.

Also, missing a short period of your training will not hurt you. Continuing to train with an injury may well do so.

So, it’s on to the Steyning Stinger next week for a lot of walking up hills.

Take care, Neil

#fuelledbyplants

Country to Capital 2017

Posted on January 15, 2017 by neildawsonrunner

2017 is the year of the South Downs Way 100 for Nick and I. The plans started in January and the taper begins at the end of May. So we have 5 months of hard work, dedicated to back to back runs, races and core work.

Following the lethargy of the Christmas period, Nick’s injury problems and flu and my tweaked back, it was good to get the plan underway on January 2nd.

Neither of us were really prepared for Country to Capital, especially Nick, who was still suffering from the left over effects of the flu and hacking cough, but when the alarm went off at 4.45 on Saturday morning, it was definitely real.

It was dark outside, the frost was hard and it was eerie being out at that time in the morning when everyone else was still in bed.

The four of us took a taxi to the start in Wendover. Given the state of Southern Rail, we really couldn’t rely on them getting us there on time.

The HQ for the race is in the Shoulder of Mutton pub opposite the railway station in Wendover. It was perfect. We were there early, so got a table and chairs to sit down for an hour to get ready. They were selling tea and coffee and hot food. Most importantly, the pub was really warm. It soon filled up, especially when the crammed train arrived with the last of the runners to register. The last runners were very quick to register and we were off pretty much on time. Registration was quick, smooth and pretty impressive, given the time constraints after the arrival of the train.

The race is chip timed and you have to attach the chip to your wrist and touch the electronic timing pad at each check point to register yourself.

I really should have paid more attention to the race instructions. We signed up for it on the recommendation of Philippe, as a great way to properly kick off the training for 2017. What I didn’t realise was that the route is not marked at all and it is totally self navigated. The race organisers supplied everyone with a map booklet, but with my new found middle aged short-sightedness, it was useless, as I had no chance reading it. There was a lovely Irish chap in the pub who had done the race before and was a similar pace to me, so I decided to keep him in sight through the trickiest sections to navigate.

So, at about 9.40, we were off. Hats, gloves and long bottoms were in order, given the freezing conditions.

This is the profile for the first 56k of the race. It looks a bit hilly, but there is nothing to be worried about and as soon as you hit the tow path, it is totally flat right to the finish.

The first half of the race is lovely. You go through fields, country lanes and bridal ways. Initially it was all frozen, which made is so easier to run on. We were advised to start a little more quickly than usual, as there are queues at the 6 or 7 gates and stiles, but we didn’t and lost probably 15 minutes waiting our turn.

After the lovely countryside, you get the tow path for almost all of the second half of the race. I don’t know why, but I had some kind of romantic idea of what the tow path would be like. I was thinking lovely house boats, nice views of the countryside and maybe some wildlife. What we got was mainly skanky house boats, industrial estates, blocks of flats, more empty cans of lager and bottles of vodka than you can imagine and rubbish in the water. This added to the fact that this section was dull. As flat as a pancake and slippery in quite a lot of places.

The nicest views that we had were when we first joined the tow path.

We were really pleased to see the sign saying 13.5 miles to Paddington (where the finish is), which meant that we were leaving the Grand Union canal towards central London.

So, a half marathon later, with the sun almost gone, I got home in 8 hours 16 minutes.

I’m really surprised by that. I was expecting it to be a lot nearer to 9 hours, but if I hadn’t been held up at the gate/stiles at the start and if I hadn’t taken a detour, my finishing time may have started with a 7.

The learning curve continues and I keep getting things better. The packing of my back pack was much better. I had a small dry bag of spare clothes and another of food. I had smaller bags of food that fitted into the front pockets of my vest, rather than having to reach into the back pockets to get food. I also had the salt tablets and zero tabs in a more accessible place. Anything to make life easier.

Now, the weather forecast was for sunshine and low temperatures and a little back wind. What we actually got was cloud, then drizzle, then rain, then snow. When it started to rain, I stopped to put the correct clothing on and then repacked properly afterwards.

The tailwind certainly worked. I had a whole sachet in small Salomon flasks and sipped at them periodically.

There is certainly a question over footwear for this race. There is an argument for both trail and road shoes. I ran in road shoes and was slipping and sliding through certain sections. I benefited at the end with the extra cushioning.

So, the race itself. I’ve got mixed emotions. I’m glad I did it and would recommend doing it as part of a training programme. I wouldn’t do it again though. I now know that I don’t like self navigation events. I thought that the aid stations were basic, but maybe I’m spoiled by the offerings at the Centurion, STE and White Star events. It would be really nice to have hot drinks at a couple of the aid stations at this time of the year as well. The veggie sausages at one of the aid stations were a really good touch. There was no shelter at the aid stations and nowhere to sit. In an ultra it is good to be able to sit down to change clothes and tend to any foot issues. The only option was wet walls or a very soggy floor. The other thing I don’t understand is being told at the penultimate aid station that there was 13 miles to go. Evidently that was not the case as we had passed the 13.5 miles to Paddington sign some time back. It was a lot closer to 10 miles. If you’re working to a goal time or just knackered, this could really hit your morale. The volunteers were all fantastic, smiley (in some horrid weather) and helpful. We can never say thank you enough to these people who make these events happen.

Finally, you get a lovely long sleeved non-technical t-shirt and a really nice medal.

Thank you, Go Beyond. 2017 had got off to a really good start.

Take care and have fun,

Neil.

#fuelledbyplants

Bovington Marathon 2016

Posted on December 12, 2016 by neildawsonrunner

So, it was time for the Bovington Marathon. The last of the White Star Running events for this year, the inaugural event at this location and my second marathon in 2 weeks.

During the week leading up to the race, Andy (Race Director) was posting the usual videos of the venue and the course. On this occasion we were treated to the warnings of the water obstacles as well as a glimpse of the wonderful countryside.

Somehow, WSR managed to get permission to use the Ministry of Defence tank training site in Dorset, home county for most of their races.

Our weekend started with a parkrun (an attempt to get Nick to her 50th parkrun around her 50th birthday), followed by a 2 and a half hour drive over to Dorset and the Premier Inn in Poole.

By 5.30, the 7 Burgess Hill Runners who were running the half and the full marathon the following day had started their alternative Christmas Party, as this race fell on the same weekend as the real party back home. Probably not the best prep in the world, especially as we were still in the pub at 10.30.

So, 6 hours sleep later, it was time to get up. It was still dark outside and my body was asking why I’d had 6 pints of local ale the night before.

Time for a bit of make up and we were off on the 30 minute drive to the start.

It was really foggy outside, which meant that it was really cold, adding to our reluctance to summon the energy and the will to leave the warmth of the car.

We had no idea what to expect from the course as it was the inaugural event, although mud, hills, tank tracks and shin high water obstacles were inevitable and it certainly didn’t disappoint on any of those fronts.

It was possibly the most complicated course layout I have ever seen, but the hills didn’t offer huge amounts to fear (don’t think that makes it easy – mud makes up for hills).

At 9am, we’re off, but not before the race brief and safety announcements. This is the first and last race brief where I will hear them say ‘if you see anything that looks like a grenade, don’t pick it up as it probably is a grenade’. Followed by ‘have fun – don’t die’.

The first couple of miles are pretty flat and then you come across the first water hazard.

There were 2 options. Queue and go round the edge or straight through the middle. No prizes for guessing which one I took. Splish splosh.

It is then pretty much uphill until the 10k mark.

I really wasn’t expecting it to be this lovely. The forest was amazing and the fog was perfect for taking lovely pictures. I was just lost in my own little world of loveliness.

Once the hill is finished, you hit the tank tracks and the open spaces with the tanks roam in their natural environment. This is tough. It’s muddy with close, gentle undulations.

The terrain is also very varied with open sections of muddy trail, stony, sandy pathways and heath land.

Of course, there is also the odd tank shattered around here and there. This is a MOD training site after all.

So this is me at the end. Being the tree hugger than I am, I was very pleased to see the ‘Make Cakes Not War’ sign. This being WSR, the medal is huge and very impressive.

I think that this was probably the best trail marathon that I have run this year, maybe ever. Not a negative split, but not far off. The last 3km were in the top 10 quickest km’s of the whole race, which means that I got the pacing right and there was still something left at the end. I finished in 4 hours 47 minutes.

I did suffer from number 2 toilet problems again. 3rd race in a row. Not too bad, but still enough to want to sort it out. These 3 races have been the first 3 that I have used Tailwind on, but maybe it had something to do with the spicy bean burger and the gallon of ale I had on Saturday night.

Again I fuelled on Nakd bars, mixed dried fruit and Torq jels (jels added on this race), as well as Tailwind. Oh, and the vegan cake at 2 of the aid stations. Mmmmmmmmmm.

From the comments on social media, it appears that everyone had a great day. A few people got lost (as did I), but it doesn’t matter. You don’t win awards like this without doing something right and WSR do pretty much everything right. Trail marathons are about seeing the countryside, pushing yourself, meeting people and having fun. Bovington delivered on all fronts.

So that’s the end of my running year, apart from a couple of parkruns and a few steps closer to my 100 t-shirt.

This year has seen another big step forward. I completed my first two 50 mile races, including my first Centurion race. There were another 7 marathons, including back to back marathons at Bad Cow. Sussex Trail Events and White Star Running have formed the back bone of these events, mainly because they’re the daddies and they make me happy.

A huge amount of thanks go to everyone who has made 2016 so brilliant. All of the coaches and fellow club mates who have advised, encouraged and pushed me along the way. To Philippe for being just awesome and being the best company throughout many of the races this year. To Jon Lavis (at Sussex Trail Events races) and Rob Hannam (at the White Star Events) for taking such great photos and helping to build a memory bank, as well as helping to make a much more interesting blog. And to Nick for being herself in all her amazingness and inspiring me to go quicker so that she doesn’t beat me. The 2 photos below are my favorites of the 100’s taken from this year.

Next year sees the first challenge early on in January with Country to Capital, then the SDW50, Ox50 and SDW100, with several marathons scattered around in between.

Still hoping my knees don’t give up soon.

Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year and please be kind to animals.

Neil.

#fuelledbyplants

Mouth 2 Mouth Marathon 2016

Posted on December 4, 2016 by neildawsonrunner

It’s December, it’s a bright frosty Saturday morning and it’s time for the Mouth to Mouth Marathon.

This is the last Sussex Trail Events race of the year, the inaugural Mouth to Mouth race and the 4^th and final in the river marathon series for 2016.

The concept and the route are pretty simple. 6 flat kilomemtres up the river Adur from Shoreham by Sea, a 7.5km climb up to the top of the South Downs, a 4km descent back down, a 2.5km climb back up, 5.5km of undulations on the South Downs Way, a 3.5km descent to join the river Adur, then all the way to Littlehampton Marina following the river via Arundel on the flat.

The start time is 9am, so we arrived at 8.15, giving us plenty of time to check in, which is a quick, easy and well organised as with all Sussex Trail Events races and get the final preparations over with before heading outside for the customary informal and amusing race brief.

The race starts on the west side of the river before you cross the wooden bridge after ¾ of a mile and head north along the Downslink path before crossing back over Botolph’s Bridge, through Botolph’s village, where the climb up onto the South Downs begins. For anyone who has run the Downslink Ultra, I can assure you that the uneven paving slabs are easier after 2 minutes than after 38 miles.

The start of the climb marks the start of my first long walk and is the location for the first well laden aid station. I love this part of the Downs. The first section goes through a tree lined path and at this time of the year, the path is covered with leaves.

The climb continues past the pig farm to the top of the Downs. I obviously have mixed feelings about seeing the pigs. I love seeing them playing and messing around in the mud. Knowing their fate makes it a sadder place to be. I guess that if we’re going to insist on killing them, they do have a good time in the open while they’re alive and at least they’re not in a factory farm.

The views as we head over to Chantonbury Ring are beautiful and the sun kept shining. Chanctonbury Ring marks the top of the first long climb, giving us the chance to make up some time on the way down to Washington.

At 16.5km you pass through Washington village, get a top up from the 2nd aid station and then head up on the long climb back to the top of the South Downs Way. Oh yeah, and there were 2 donkeys. Donkeys are brilliant. Just look at them. Aaahhhhhh donkeys.

It is a long old walk (or run if you’re not human).

For anyone who has done the Steyning Stinger, this is one of the lovely climbs on that event too.

The climb and the walk are well worth it to get back onto the SDW and the lovely isolation that awaits.

Apart from the odd runner and a few walkers, the only other person I saw was the remarkable Jon Lavis, who yet again was out of the course, providing us with some outstanding photos. Thanks again.

At 25k you get another aid station and a long descent to meet the Arun River, which is our guide back to Littlehampton.

As the legs started to feel the strain a little (I think I probably enjoyed the downhill section a little too much), the temperature dropped, the clouds rolled in and the wind increased. As the river meandered towards the coast, the wind became more and more of an annoyance and things weren’t quite so pleasant.

At around 34.5km Arundel Castle came into view and about 10 minutes later, you could see it in all its glory.

After a quick road section through Arundel you join back on the river bank for the 7km to the finish line in Littlehampton Marina.

After the ups and downs earlier in the race, you’d expect the flat last section to be easy. Never underestimate a flat rutted river bank.

And there you are, that is the Mouth to Mouth Marathon. And this is me with my medal. It’s a cracker as well.

I had no idea what to aim for with this race. In reality, it is part of the build up to the Country to Capital in January. As the race developed, I decided upon a target of 5 hours to keep me on task. Given that I crossed the line in 4.59.26, that wasn’t a bad estimate. It is 27/5 miles by the way, not actual marathon distance.

My race went very well. I paced it well apart from being slightly too quick around the 17-18 mile downhill section. I fuelled on Tailwind (2 sachets) and a bag of mini Nakd bites with raisins and sultanas, as well as the sweet and savoury offerings at the aid stations (mainly bananas and tortilla chips).

There is still a lot of work to do, but with experience comes more knowledge. That knowledge now includes knowing how tough some of the hills will be between miles 45 and 50 on the South Downs Way 100.

On days like yesterday, I am reminded of one of the reasons why we run. There has been some pretty rubbish news out there recently and I have been feeling the walls closing in at times. The freedom of running and spending time with the trail running crowd is a fantastic way to release the pressure valve and remember how good it is to be alive, fit and healthy.

So, my verdict on the race. The Sussex Trail Events team get the big things right. By this I mean safety, having a nice route, making a challenging course, marking the course well, providing the right food at aid stations. But it’s also the little things. Knowing your name when you’ve done a few of their events, giving you a big smile when they see you, making you feel at ease and welcome before the race starts and having cups at the end with a little message on them.

While chatting to a lady on the way to Chantonbury, Andrew and I were asked why they don’t really advertise these races. The answer was there’s no need, they always fill up anyway and I think that says it all.

Thank you Jay, Chris, Danny and all of the volunteers. If the other runners had half as much fun as I did, they’ll be back for more of the river marathon series next year.

For me it’s on to the Bovington Marathon next Sunday and that’s it for 2016.

Take care and stay healthy, Neil.

Beachy Head Marathon 2016

Posted on October 31, 2016 by neildawsonrunner

‘Fresh’ from a weekend of crewing and pacing for Philippe on the Autumn 100, we thought that it was time to knuckle down, get back to some hard work in preparation for next year with just the Bovington Marathon left in December.

I checked my emails last week and found the final race instructions for the Beachy Head Marathon. Having avoided running it for several years through fear of putting unnecessary pressure on my knees, I had actually entered it back in February, but had forgotten about it.

My first experience of the Beachy Head Marathon was a rainy day 7 years ago. We went biking in our lovely camper van. We saw people running up towards the 7 Sisters and I remember commenting that it was totally mental to be doing that and in such rubbish weather. At that stage we were still living in Brighton, hadn’t met up with the folk at Burgess Hill Runners and trail running was a totally alien concept.

Sadly, this weekend is remembered for the day that our camper van turned from this.

into this.

So, 7 years later and 23 marathons later, the alarm went off at 5.30am and we set off for the Beachy Head Marathon and to be perfectly honest, it doesn’t seem quite as mental any more.

The Beachy Head Marathon is famed for how tough it is. If you look at the profile of the race, it’s hardly surprising.

I was actually surprised by how runnable and fair most of it is. Yes, there are very long uphill sections, but when you are of my level, you walk up them. You accept that and move on. The issue comes when you can’t run the downhills because they are too steep. For the most part, this is not the case with Beachy. In fact, I was surprised with how much was actually runnable, either slightly uphill or pleasantly downhill.

The first km is VERY uphill. We had spent about 20 minutes queuing for the limited toilets and started at the back of the field. I think that this cost me around 5 minutes (not that it matters greatly), as it was so crowded on the way up the steep incline and the flatter sections that followed.

The next 4km undulate until you reach the highest point on the course, over 120m above where you started. This is followed by nearly 1.5km of easy downhill. The profile maps are very misleading on the Beachy Head marathon. This section really looks too steep to run, but is certainly isn’t. You’ve got to be careful though. You run through leaves on the floor, there are loose stones everywhere and tree roots that claimed a good few victims. This is the case on many sections of the race.

The next 2 climbs/walks and 2 runs that ensue are lovely. The views would have been amazing, if it wasn’t for the weather. While perfect for running, it was pretty rubbish for sightseeing.

The views looked like this,

rather than this (a photo I prepared earlier).

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Lovely view of the SDW100 near Jevington

15km you arrive in Alfriston, a small village which typifies this part of Sussex. It is a great place to spectate and the supporters offer a nice boost.

After Alfriston there is a 3.5km climb before a very nice 7km descent into Litlington, giving a great chance to make up some time lost on the ascent.

It is after Litlington where the smaller, killer hills kick in.

This includes a section through Friston Forest. I spent a lot of time biking in Friston Forest and Cuckmere Haven when I first moved to Brighton and this is one of the reasons I fell in love with the Sussex countryside. It is always a pleasure to go back and run there, even though it involves 2 sets of stairs and because it includes one of the best views of Cuckmere Haven.

As you drop down into Cuckmere Haven, the 7 Sisters and the other related hills come into sight. I was about to become one of the those nutters I’d seen 7 years earlier, but by now, the weather had cleared and we got the views that allowed the area to show itself off in all it’s beauty.

I was still capable of running some of the uphill sections at this stage, which gave me the confidence to attack the Sisters. I was overtaking people regularly. I was even told by one of the 100 Marathon Club runners that I looked ‘as fresh as a daisy’. Not sure about that, but I’ll take it.

This is 4km of clamber/crawl/walk uphill and run down when the severity of the descent allows it.

After Birling Gap, there is a lot of slight undulation until you get to the huge hill that is gifted to you by the trail gods at 38km. That’s a 1 mile walk until you reach the top and start the descent into the finish.

I had picked Oli Jones up on the Sisters, so had the pleasure of his company for the last 90 minutes or so. He was one of the many people who choose this as their first ever marathon.

And that was it, after a slow walk down the hill we’d gone up just after 9am, the Beachy Head marathon was done and dusted.

5 hours 13 minutes. Pretty pleased with that. I had 5.15 to 5.30 in my head. I felt strong most of the way. This was more about learning for next year.

For the first time I used Tailwind. I used it diluted in a little water, so highly concentrated, as per my cheese eating ultra mentor on the A100. That seems to work. No funny stomach and easy to get down. I also ate little Nakd bites. They are so small you don’t even have to chew them.

So, thoughts on the race. I can’t think of a better, more fulfilling challenge than tackling the 7 Sisters at 19 miles of a marathon. The pure joy of knowing you’ve beaten it is fantastic. The countryside is amazing and the organisation top notch. Number collection and bag drop were very easy. I didn’t have a great experience with toilet queues. The volunteers were brilliant.

This is probably a very personal view point, but I found the course really crowded, even after several miles. This is certainly the busiest trail event I have ever done. I’m not used to that. I prefer the smaller numbers of the Sussex Trail Event, White Star and Centurion races. With these larger races, there’s also less chance of me winning my game of race number bingo, as I need 35 or 39 for a run of 4 consecutive numbers.

I was disappointed by the aid stations. Several of them only offered chocolate, biscuits and cold drinks. I don’t think that there was anything salty/savory and the only vegan offering was banana. Maybe this was in the race instructions, but it’s a good job that I carried enough food with me. For one of the more expensive events in the area, I thought that this could be improved upon.

On a similar theme, even though I’m not someone who is massive on what the medal looks like, it definitely appears that the medal has been downgraded since Nick did this race in 2014.

In short, this is an icon of an event and any trail marathon runner needs to add this to their diary at least once.

Well done to the organisers and the volunteers. What a fantastic day out.

Have fun, Neil

#fuelledbyplants

Chiltern Wonderland 50 – Centurion Running

Posted on September 20, 2016 by neildawsonrunner

Centurion Running events have taken on iconic status in the Dawson household over the past few years. Firstly, because the ultra pioneers in our club (Jan, Paul, Darren and Philippe to name just a few) had all completed a Centurion event and secondly, the South Downs Way 50 and 100 are run over the national trail that we love so much.

Nick has volunteered at the SDW 50 and 100 and we have supported, taken photos and crewed on the both events.

So, everything pointed towards doing the SDW50 and 100 in 2017. However, the Chiltern Wonderland 50 popped up beforehand, with the chance of completing the inaugural event through some wonderful countryside.

Training had gone well. A few marathons, including a back to back weekend and the stomach has been quiet for some time now. In the run up to the race I wasn’t my usual ‘excited like a kid in a sweet shop’ self, which meant that I was sleeping better and eating well, which was all very positive. The weather in the lead up to the race was incredible. In the space of 3 days, we had gone from 35 degrees baking heat to flooding after torrential downpours. Race day was perfect, much cooler, cloudy and only a little drizzle.

We stayed in Reading overnight at a Premier Inn to leave a 20 minute drive to the start. Compulsory kit check, number collection and bag drop were quick. We had time for a few last minute kit adjustments before the race brief and the short walk to the start.

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My plan was to get to the half way check point (25.8 miles) in 5 hours and then do the second half in around 6 hours with 11 hours being the ultimate goal. It’s pretty difficult to know exactly what to plan given that you don’t know the course and it was the inaugural event.

So, off we go. The first 6km are mostly along the Thames and relatively flat. The aim at this stage is to go as slow as I can. It’s definitely a marathon (well nearly 2), not a sprint.

There are a few things that I am trying to put right with my game plan and one of them came up pretty early. It was cool at the start, so I set off with a base layer on. 5 miles in, I was boiling. I was faced with a decision. Stop and take it off and lose 3 minutes or so, or wait until the first check point at 10 miles and get increasingly hot, sweat lots more and potentially cause issues later in the race. It’s not rocket science, but previously I would have waited until the aid station. These issues may seem minor, but getting over the hurdle of fixing a problem and forgetting about losing a bit of time is really important when you’re going to be on your feet for 11 hours + (or up to 30 hours on a 100 miler). Similar issue to Nick refusing to stop to remove a stone from her shoe on the recent Lunar-tic marathon. I did stop and remove the base layer.

The first hill comes at 6km. It is about 700m long and is around 12%. A little warm up for what lies ahead. The bumps in the road continue, as does the beautiful countryside, including the lovely Crowsley Park and Pissen Wood.

I developed a problem early on in the race. Much too early. At around 10 miles I started to get cramps in my right calf. I seldom cramp and I certainly don’t get cramps this early. With 40 miles to go there were 2 really important things to do. Firstly, don’t panic and let it worry me or get me down. Secondly, deal with it and try to make it go away. I stopped every 5 minutes or so to stretch it out and I kept up the intake of water, salt tablets and electrolytes. This lasted for about 90 minutes, but it slowly eased.

The calf cramps were replaced with ‘washing machine stomach’. It’s the only way to describe it. Gurgling belly and increasingly worrying wind. I was running and chatting with a young lady at the time. I apologised to begin with, but then gave up on that, offering a blanket apology for my arse noises.

I knew that there were some serious hills in the middle of the race. There were 5 really testing sections, 4 leading up to the aid station at half way and 1 afterwards. Below are the profile maps. There are 2, as I used 2 watches.

The first one is 2km long and the gradient between 5% and 15% through Warburg Nature Reserve. The second one goes through Stonor Park for 2km with a total climb of more than 100m. The third one is shorter at about 500m, but the gradient gets up to 25% at times to Cobstone Mill (location for filming for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1967). The fourth one goes through Twigside Bottom and leads up to the aid station and is another 2km with gradients up around 14% towards the end. The final hill of the 5 was another 100m climb.

The aid station at Ibstone was very welcome for 2 reasons. First of all, it was just over half way. The countdown had begun. Secondly, the second half of the course was easier than the first half (easier not easy).

I reached the half way aid station at 5 hours 17 minutes. That was 17 minutes slower than hoped, but good going, given the hills.

I ate well in the aid station, filled up with water and electrolyte tabs again and headed off uphill, through another wooded section before I had to quickly disappear into the woods and evacuate my ‘washing machine’ stomach. I have never had this issue before. Violent diarrhoea in the middle of nowhere is not funny. But there we go, another thing successfully dealt with. Onwards and upwards.

The second half of the race was easier, but certainly not easy. There were several sections where up hills lead steeply into wooded areas, which became increasingly tough as the legs got more tired and the light began to fail.

Concentration levels had to increase as the conditions became more difficult. There were sections with serious camber, steep down hills and one area that passed through a badger set with large and slightly hidden holes. Towards the end, we ran through woods in the dark. The head torch helped, but it is still tough to concentrate on the way ahead, flint on the floor, ruts/tree roots in the path and moveable objects like dead branches and brambles.

There were a lot more gradual down hills in the second half of the race. They were very welcome as the body began to tire. Slowly but surely, the miles were ticked off and we arrived back in Goring, where we had started. With about half a mile to go, there were several groups of people cheering us on and the finish line was in sight.

I finished in 11 hours 15 minutes, so the second half was quicker than planned. I was 15 minutes outside the A target time. I don’t really care though. This was a fantastic learning curve and a wonderful experience.

So, apart from being an experience in itself, the CW50 is part of the learning process, which will hopefully culminate in the SDW100 next year. So, what did I learn?

Unexpected things can go wrong. Early cramps and dodgy runny poo have never happened before, but I dealt with them and got on with it. When you’re out for 11 to 30 hours, a lot can go wrong, but there is a lot of time for it to get better as well. Don’t panic and deal with it logically.

I love jam sandwiches. Well, I love jam sandwiches in the second half of a 50 mile race. I will probably not touch them again until the next race, but it’s good to know. Food is still an issue. I was still eating well even at the last aid station. However, who knows what’s going to happen from 50 to 100 miles. Maybe jam (and peanut butter?) sandwiches are the way forward.

I certainly can pace properly. I keep getting it right, which is the huge improvement that I have made this year. I was pretty close to the target times for both halves of the race and I started off slowly.

Organising your kit makes things so much easier. We bought some small waterproof bags. I carried 2 with me on the race. One kept my spare kit dry (jacket, change of top and spare socks) and the other had my medical supplies and food in. I also had another which didn’t go with me on the race. That had all health and sanitary products in that I didn’t need during the race. This is a simple small win, but knowing where everything is means that you are more relaxed and you don’t forget anything important.

Centurion stage fantastic races. There is a different feel to other trail races I have done recently, although having just done a relay carrying a squeaky rubber chicken, that’s not a surprise. They are very professional and nothing is left to chance. You can’t when people are out on course for so long. The marking out on the course was perfect. I got lost once and only lost about 5 minutes (don’t pay more attention to your mobile phone than the arrow signs). If anyone is looking for a tough 50 mile trail event next year, you will not be disappointed if you have a go at this.

Finally, it has become even more evident that 100 miles is a very long way and we have a lot of work to do to get to the level required to complete that distance. In the 24 hours after the race, both Nick and I expressed doubts about our ability to complete the SDW100. I am sure that we are not alone in going through this immediately after a tough day on the trails. However, that has now passed and the 9 month plan is now being written, races being booked and goals being set.

I would like to thank James and the Centurion Team for all of their hard work. Everything was perfect. My first Centurion event lived up to everything that I had hoped it would be. Can’t wait for next year. Special thanks to the young man at the final aid station for giving us all extra power with his sign.

Next is the Bovington Marathon with White Star Running in December (unless I can find another in the meantime).

Have fun, Neil.

#fuelledbyplants

I run. Quite a lot. It makes me happy.

Author Archives: neildawsonrunner

The Ox 50 – from White Star Running

South Downs Way 50

Larmer Tree Weekend by White Star Running

Steyning Stinger Marathon 2017

Heartbreaker Marathon 2017 – The New Forest

Country to Capital 2017

Bovington Marathon 2016

Mouth 2 Mouth Marathon 2016

Beachy Head Marathon 2016

Chiltern Wonderland 50 – Centurion Running