Raidlight Arc of Attrition - Arc50

Arc50 route map

Attrition: 
"The process of reducing something's strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure". 

It was the Raidlight Arc of Attrition (AoA) winter ultra marathon which first drew my attention to MudCrew events. Their 100 mile race following the Cornish South West (SW) Coast Path during winter is infamous for its difficulty. For the past few years I have followed the race from afar watching the event unfold via the internet, admiring those who take on this extreme winter ultra marathon.

I discovered in 2018 that MudCrew also host a series of summer races, The Roseland August Trail (RAT). It was then that I decided to attempt my first ultra marathon, the 32 mile Black RAT. Little did I know at the time that completion of this race meant I met the qualifying criteria for the AoA 50 mile race. I still wasn't ready for the challenge so once again I armchair spectated the 2019 event.

First ultra marathon completed! 

When registration opened for the 2020 event, I briefly considered it but being currently injured I let the race pass me by and it was soon full. One morning whilst procrastinating getting out of bed I was scrolling Facebook and saw on the MudCrew page that a space on the race had become available. I was over come with the fear of missing out and before I knew what I was doing I'd sent a message and said I'd take the place. I instantly felt sick with nerves and almost giddy from what I'd just done!

2019 was pretty much a non event as far as running was concerned. Diagnosed with a torn plantar fascia in August, my rehab with the physio began in September. I was honest from the get go and mentioned that it was my goal to be on the start line of the Arc50, something which he didn't consider impossible. Literally after my first physio appointment, he wanted me to start running but I was still in a fear bubble with my foot. It took a few treatments until I had the courage to try a run and eventually laced up to run the Eden Project parkrun whilst on holiday in Cornwall. I was in no more pain for running and my foot didn't drop off so all was well.

31st October was a date that had been marked in my diary for sometime, this was the AoA deferral deadline, the point of no return. After a chat with my physio and seeking a second opinion the consensus was give it a go. Training started in November giving me 3 months, we started with a monthly plan aiming to get my base mileage up.

Training was very fragmented as we experimented with how my foot reacted. It seemed that the old injury management ultra marathon favourite of breaking the long runs into two separate back to back runs was not going to work this time as running did provoke my symptoms and required a couple of days rest between runs. One breakthrough was the purchase of some new trail shoes as comfort had become an important factor. I had never been much of a fan of Hoka's however learning a little about footwear technology, I knew they were good for shifting load from the foot (albeit to elsewhere) so they had to be worth a try. They felt like an absolute dream on my feet and provided ample cushioning, the good news was that I was almost able to run pain free in them which is something I haven't experienced for many years now.

The months leading up to the Arc seemed to come and go, then before I knew it we were in January. I felt a bit like a student who'd left their revision until the night before the exam as I was trying to cram in some long runs. I managed to complete 10 miles with no ill affect. The following week I increased the distance by 2 km. More or less as soon as I went over the 10 mile marker I felt the familiar pain in my foot. With what limited time there was left, I knew 10 miles was the sweet spot and this was what I had to work with.

Unable to pour all of my focus into the training, I made sure I was well prepared when it came to the mandatory kit. Due to the time of year and how dangerous the coast path can be the kit list seemed rather daunting with items such as a survival bag being a requirement! The previous year the weather had thrown a curve ball right at the last minute with snow disrupting travel plans for those making their way to Cornwall with some spending the night in their cars on the A30. The weather for this years event was looking a lot kinder after a wet, yet mild winter.

Mandatory kit flat lay

With the tables turned, Paul was not running and would be crewing for me over the weekend. We travelled down to Cornwall on the Friday and arrived at the Mount Pleasant Eco Park for evening registration. The organisation was spot on (as to come expected with MudCrew events). First up was kit check, we'd been asked to bring all of our mandatory kit to registration to be checked. We were given a cardboard tray with a photo inlay with images of the items they wanted to check. Once kit check had been passed, I was handed a token which I exchanged for my race number. I stopped for a quick pre-race photo on the Arc50 back drop before we headed to the hotel to organise the crew bag for the morning.

Kit check passed and registered 

We met up with friends Mark and his crew Dan from home. Mark had visited in the summer and had found a local pub which offered a couple of vegan options on their menu. We had a lovely meal and discussed our plans for the following day. Mark and I decided that we would start off the race running together and see how it went. Neither of us were trained but we both had the same attitude that we were there and we may as well have a crack at it and see how for we could go. In the past, this lack of physical preparedness would have unsettled me, however on this occasion I felt at ease and under no pressure.

It was an early alarm call Saturday morning so we could get to the Eco Park for just after 5am to collect our trackers. This was the first time I'd be in a tracked race which was nice as it meant my Mum and Sister could watch my progress from home (although apparently this didn't stop my Mum worrying as she had no idea that I had access to an S.O.S. button had it been needed!). The Eco Park had a real vibe about it and I knew I really wanted to be back there later that evening sat around the fire, cider in hand and with a medal hung around my neck! The safety brief was surprisingly reassuring, pretty much keep the sea on your left, follow the acorn SW Coast Path way markers and beware of the abandoned tin mines! After the safety brief we were loaded onto coaches to make the journey to the start line in Porthcurno, at the Minack Theatre.

The coaches did not take us all the way to the Minack Theatre as the roads were too narrow so we were instead dropped off at the beach car park approximately half a mile away. The leg stretch was welcome after sitting in the warm coach and helped to wake me up, although the steep climb was a reminder of what the rest of the day held in store for us! Even though I was far from ready for this race, I could not pass up the opportunity to take to the stage of the Minack Theatre for the start of the race. As we arrived, the darkness began to lift as the sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean. This had to be one of the most stunning starts to rival any race out there! I decided to decline the offer of a free coffee (for fear of what it may do to my stomach) and instead played toilet relay until we were eventually called down to the stage area.

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean

Gathered at the start
(Photo credit: No Limits Photography)

Music had been playing over the PA system to build the mood and there was a real buzz of excitement in the air as we were getting ever closer to the start of the race. A cloaked dummer took to the stage and got the crowds adrenaline pumping. After a brief word from the Race Director Ferg, we were played out to Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir", bright blue flares lined the steps up and out of the Minack Theatre, at the top of the steps I glanced back for one last look through the blue haze at the stunning beauty of the Minack Theatre!

(Photo credit: No Limits Photography)

It was fairly slow going at the start, there were a fair few steps to get up coming out of the Minack. Once we reached the carpark we began to jog although this was short lived, there were 139 runners all trying to progress in single file along the path, having to stop and wait each time we reached a kissing gate or a boulder. In hindsight, I can probably say now that we had positioned ourselves too near the back of the pack.

We agreed not to meet Paul and Dan at the first crew point in Porthgwara as it was only a mile into the race and we couldn't imagine needing anything this early on. As the pack began to spread out, we got the opportunity to run a little more and settled into a comfortable pace. The moments we came to a stop due to a bottle neck on the course gave me the opportunity to look around and fully appreciate the beauty of the landscape around us. We had been so incredibly lucky with the weather, it was a stark contrast to the wet and grey day previously. In addition the weather was unseasonably mild which far from what I had expected in the run up to the race.

We were running a very tight schedule fully aware that we had to reach the first official checkpoint in St Ives by 5pm. The plan was try and move through the first half of the race relatively quickly banking time where we could with the view to slowing down and taking it easier during the night. We agreed that this would mean no stopping to take photos along the route and when we did meet our crew, we had to enforce a F1 style pit stop. Our first scheduled crew meeting point was at Lands End, 5 miles in. It had taken us 1:05hrs to cover those first 5 miles which wasn't too bad considering. I was still carrying enough provisions and only need my water bottles topping up. There was a temptation to stop and get my picture taken by the famous Lands End sign, however when I looked there was someone having their picture taken by the official Lands End photographer and they were not going to stop and wait for a passer by to jump in and have a quick photo (even if I was on a tight schedule). It was the day after we had left the European Union and the person having their picture taken had chosen the letters on the sign to spell "Independence Day" which not only was insulting but confirmed my decision to waste no more time waiting for my photo opportunity. I told Paul to let Mark know that I'd run on and he could catch me up.

Lands End

As we were running out of the meeting point, we were passed by runners in the opposite direction who were participating in the Lands End parkrun. It was humbling to witness words of encouragement being passed both ways between the 5k and 50 mile runners. Coming out of Lands End the path was made up of large slabs of granite, the rainfall of the past few weeks was trickling along the path, I was so relieved it was not cold or icy as it would have turned the path into a downhill ice rink! The next access point where our crew could meet us was only half a mile away in Sennen, a good option had it been difficult to park at Lands End. We instead agreed our next meeting point at Cape Cornwall another 5.5 miles away.

(Photo Credit: No Limits Photography)

During this leg we ran where we could and walked when we had to. With the lack of terrain specific training there was little point in exhausting ourselves running the uphill and reserved our energy knowing that we'd need it for later in the day. I was beginning to feel the elevation in my legs from the climbing and was regretting not picking up my trekking poles. I noticed a slight niggle in my hamstring/glute. It wasn't just hills, there were steps and large rocks to clamber over which made the thighs burn. I managed to bash my knuckle on a rock removing a chunk of skin during a technical climb on a switch back, I jumped from a boulder and my heel landed on a pointy piece of rock on the trail and managed to penetrate through the thick, squidgy sole of my Hoka Speedgoats hitting me right on the tender spot of my heel reminding me I had to be mindful of my injury. I was having to constantly keep my eyes fixed on the trail picking out the clearest and smoothest path through to protect my foot. In general my foot was behaving itself which was a relief, however despite liberally smearing my toes with anti-chafe goo, I was aware of a blister forming on the end of one of my toes. It didn't take long for the magnitude of this run to become apparent, this was the real deal! Never before have I been in a race where every decision was so calculated. It made even the 32 mile RAT which I completed seem 'easy' by comparison.

We reached Cape Cornwall and met with Paul and Dan. I had spent the last 5 miles making a mental list of things I needed when I stopped. I was perhaps a little too focused as I reeled off the list leaving Paul a little overwhelmed (he later said I'd been "difficult", in my defence I was doing exactly what I'd want from a runner I was looking after). I think he thought it'd just be a case of shoving some food in my face and sending me on my way. I sat down on the grass, shoes and socks were off to reapply anti-chafe goo, calf guards on to try and help my screaming legs, plaster for my bleeding finger, (paracetamol I can't even remember what this was for), water bottles refilled, trekking poles in hand and a peanut butter and Marmite sandwich to munch on as we walked out of the check point. This was the longest stop we'd allowed ourselves, I knew sorting things out as they happened would be the key to managing my body and preventing these annoyances becoming show stoppers later on.

Cape Cornwall

I had been reluctant to take my trekking poles, they had been bought purposely for the race but I've read plenty of advice suggesting you need to train using them. Unfortunately I'd not had the opportunity to do this so I was going to have to learn on the fly. I started by using them only on hills and steps, carrying them in my hand whilst running. I soon however managed to find a rhythm and get the technique (don't get me wrong it was probably far from efficient). I wished I'd used them from the start of the race, they were really helping on the climbs and were useful when the step off of rocks was longer than my legs providing me with some stability. The only downside was they gave me golfers/tennis elbow like pain in both arms after a few hours but this perhaps distracted me from other pains.

Part of the coast path seemed to go through Levant Mine which didn't quite seem right but in the absence of any visible way marker we carried on following what appeared to be the paved path enjoying the brief respite from the rugged trail. The next crew access point was Pendeen Watch where there was the first of the safety cut-offs. We needed to reach here by absolutely no later than 1pm. As soon as I met Paul the first thing I asked was how long we had, a 35 minute buffer. We'd made it but perhaps with not quite enough time to be comfortable. This meant we had 4:35hrs to get to St Ives so there was no time for hanging around, it was do-able but the first half marathon took us 3:21hrs so we'd be cutting it fine. I don't think I had fully grasped that this was the last time I'd see Paul until St Ives and we were about to face a half marathon stretch unsupported on what was reportedly on of the most challenging sections of the course. I refilled my two water bottles and headed out eating a bag of Hula Hoops leaving Mark to catch me up.

Pendeen Watch

This part of the trail certainly lived up to its reputation. It was relentless climbing, rock scrambles and the parts which should have been runable were boggy with thick, sticky mud which had already been churned up by 200+ runners. We approached the muddy sections of the path with careful consideration picking our way through to ensure we avoided the deepest parts and keeping our feet as dry as possible, however this was at times impossible with mud fully submerging our foot up to our ankles. As soon as we thought we'd got through the mud, more would appear. The wet weather of the past couple of weeks had turned the path into a stream. I was grateful for my newly purchased gaiters from Gins Running Stitch as they were doing a great job at keeping the worst out of my shoes. One section of the path led us up some boulders which required full on climbing. I was making my way up and starting to question whether we were on the right path, I looked over my shoulder and could see other runners following me. I shouted back that I wasn't sure where this would bring us out but not to blame me, then I got a glimpse of the path so knew we were headed in the right direction. The kilometres seemed to be going exceptionally slowly at this stage and it felt like we'd never get out of the 30's.

Mark had said to me on a couple of occasions that I should go on ahead, however to this point we'd been pretty evenly matched for pace. Mark had a handheld GPS tracker with the check points programmed in, I asked how much further we had to go until St Ives, 9.8km. I looked down at my watch and realised we had just 1:20hrs to get to St Ives. It was time to get my head down and focus on getting us to the next check point by 5pm. There was a slightly technical rock section that required all my concentration to avoid any trips or slips, once I made it through I looked over my shoulder and there was no one behind me. I had to make a difficult decision, did I wait for Mark to catch up and lose precious seconds or minutes or continue on. I decided to continue although it made me uncomfortable that I'd not been able to say farewell and good luck to Mark.

(Photo credit: No Limits Photography)

At this point I was alone, just me against the mud and the ticking clock. It was still doable but I had to really run at every opportunity. I got passed by a couple who I'd seen at various points throughout the day and they were on a mission to beat the cut-off. I tried to keep up with them but they were too fast and soon became dots in the far distance. I was sipping what remained in my water bottles and was starting to feel thirsty, we were required to have the capacity to carry 1.5L of liquids and I regretted not filling my third soft flask at the last crew point. It was at this stage my IT band started troubling me, I'd had no knee pain all day and had RockTape on the right leg where I usually suffer but this time it was my left. My knee had almost completely seized up making every step agonising. It was just as painful to walk as it was run so I just kept putting one foot in front of the other as fast as my aching body would allow. At 38km I clocked at 16:59 minute kilometre, there were points where I felt like I was going backwards! I had more or less not looked at my watch much up until this point. I eventually hit marathon distance, it felt like it was never going to happen and shouted out "about fu*king time!" (yes I am aware that I started talking to myself).

I could see in the distance what I thought was St Ives so I knew I was getting close. I am not quite sure what happened but I tripped whist making my way through a stream/bog and landed with outstretched hands. Fortunately my landing was soft but my hands were now covered in mud up to my wrists and the grips on my poles were completely caked. Ordinarily I would have stopped and cleaned my hands in some water (there was plenty of it around) but time was now of the essence so I thought I'd just clean myself up when I got into St Ives. My original plan had been to get there with plenty of time to have some hot food and change my kit so I was going into the night section with some heavier layers and dry clothes. Instead I was now going through a triage list, I needed to get this IT band seen to, if someone could loosen it and tape it may be I'd have a chance of getting a little further. I'd also get the blister on my toe dressed to prevent it becoming any more painful. Then I'd consider kit, cleaning myself up and some hot food if the 20 minute stopping time allowed. As the weather had been so warm I wasn't quite so concerned for the night section as the forecast only predicted a temperature change of a degree or so and some showers. Coming down a grass hill I slipped and I was now sliding down on my backside, great more mud!

I could finally see some tarmac in the distance. A supporter out on the course gave me some words of encouragement and I asked him how much further I had to go, he reckoned about half a mile. I could still do this, I had 7 minutes left, just keep moving! An ever so slight uphill reminded me of how sore my knee had now become and I was shouting out loud as a way to try and push through (much to the bemused look of those just out for a Saturday afternoon stroll along the coast path) and also trying to give myself words of encouragement like "come on, you can do this". I popped out by the beach, I decided against running along the beach and remained on the tarmac path. It was a Saturday afternoon so there were lots of people out enjoying the fine weather, bars and restaurants of St Ives. Strangers were clapping and telling me well done. I appreciated their support although they did not know how close I was to my race ending.

We spent a day in St Ives in October whilst on holiday and visited the Guildhall so we knew where it was. What I'd not done is walked this route, I thought it would be obvious once I recognised landmarks. I continued in what I thought was the right direction desperately hoping to see something familiar or an Arc Angel to guide me into the check point, however nothing came. I seemed to come to the end of a street and didn't know where to go. Little did I know that I had missed a right turn which would have taken me in the direction of the Guildhall and probably to an Arc Angel to see me in. The only thing I could recognise was the acorn sign on a lamppost pointing in the direction of the coast path, if in doubt keep the sea on your left so off I headed. I seemed to be going away from civilisation and back onto the coast path and felt like I'd missed the Guildhall, I looked down at my watch, the time 5:01pm, it was over, all that hard work and focus of the last hour and a half for what?! Defeated I burst into tears, I reached into my pack to get my phone out to call Paul only it was in a waterproof pouch and it was so bloody fiddly I couldn't open it! Paul didn't answer straight away but called back to ask where I was. All I could tell him was I'd missed the cut off and I was lost. He asked me again where I was and I had no idea, I think I said in St Ives. He asked me to hang up, use Google maps to screen shot my location and send it to him and he'd come and find me. It felt like it took me 5 minutes to figure out how the hell to find maps on my phone and carry out this simple task. I was physically and mentally shattered. I sent him my location and tried to recall my steps whilst continuing to sob.

Covered in mud, sobbing, confused and aimlessly wandering, I was surprised how many people seemed to avoid crossing paths with me or even to ask if I was alright. I managed to collar a couple of dog walkers and asked them if I was anywhere near the Guildhall, they kindly offered to take me that way on their walk but I didn't want to put them out so asked to be pointed in the rough direction. Then Paul appeared offering a hug and reassurance and walked me back to the Guildhall. It was over, I had mixed emotions, disappointed to have given everything and come up short but relieved that it was over and the pain could stop. It felt like a walk of shame coming back into the check point having missed the cut-off, I was hanging my head trying to disguise how upset I was. The Arc Angels were amazing offering me somewhere to sit (they also didn't care about my muddy bottom spoiling the seat) and some hot food and a drink which was welcome. First I had to wash my hands and remove the ingrained mud.

St Ives food choices 

After a cup of coffee I accepted the offer of some food. The Arc Angel who had prepared the food was a vegetarian so vegan friendly options were plentiful. I opted for the chilli with rice and a sprinkling of vegan cheese. This had not been how I'd picture my stop at this check point, prior to the race I had estimated we'd get to St Ives for around 2pm with plenty of time to have some food, a kit change and an 'easy' 21 mile walk/jog to the finish, how naive I had been! Mark appeared about 20 minutes later, I was relieved to see him and glad he was smiling, I'd felt guilty for leaving him earlier. His words when he saw me "you're not meant to be here!", I apologised for not making it. After another coffee, Paul went off to fetch the car and collect me at the door as there was no way I was walking up the hill back to where the car was parked!

We headed back to the hotel and I called my Mum to let her know I was fine as I knew she'd been worried. She was pleased I was out of the race before it was dark, she had images of me being alone and lost in the dark! Once back at the hotel I undressed in the bath not wanting to take the piss by spreading mud all around our room. After a shower to wash off the mud and a bath to soothe the aching muscles it was still early enough to head to the hotel bar and restaurant for a burger and cider. As we walked across to the bar it was dark and was raining, for a moment I was happy to be where I was and not still out on the course. The hotel being about a 10 minute drive from the finish line was popular with other runners, recognisable to each other with our comfortable footwear and clothing and the distinctive post ultra hobble!

I never thought I'd actually complete the full 50 miles, however I was confident I'd make it beyond St Ives. The next cut-off was at 8pm a further 11 miles on, I thought this would be the cut-off which would have pushed me beyond my current capabilities. I have run various sections of the SW Coast Path during the RAT and know the path either side of Newquay fairly well, so thought I had an idea of what to expect from the terrain. Turns out this completely surpassed my perceived difficulty level. The Arc50 really lived up to its name and the experience left me well and truly humbled. Whilst the outcome wasn't what I had hoped for, I was confident that there was little else I could have done to better my chances of having made that cut-off. The only thing which we could have done differently was to not worry so much about getting our feet wet and run straight through the middle of the boggy paths. I left absolutely nothing out on the course and am content I'd given it my all. The whole experience has left me wanting more and I will be back for another shot without hesitation. As brutal as it was, it is an enchanting race and has only made me more curious as to what I could achieve with some training.

A special thank you goes to Paul for always believing in me even when I don't believe in myself and for his support on race day serving all of my requests (even if I was "difficult"). As an ultra runner he can relate to what I went through both physically and mentally and knew exactly what was needed and when. Also a big thank you to the MudCrew family for once again putting on a superb event of the highest standard and the amazing support for the Arc Angels who looked after us from start to finish (wherever that ended up being).

MudCrew: Red R.A.T. (20 miles) and injury update

I didn't need to give entry to the 2019 MudCrew RAT a second thought, the moment registration opened in January I reserved my space on the Black RAT (32 miles). It'd be fair to say that the event was the highlight of my running calendar last year. Unfortunately not a lot of running has happened for me this year. I picked up a couple of injuries at the beginning of the year and persistent heel pain has put a stop to any running. As a result I have registered a fair few DNS (Did Not Start) at races this year. Endure 24 was the only race I have actually completed and this was more out of not wanting to let team mates down than any readiness to run. I managed to squeeze out 4 laps (20 miles) for the team over the course of the weekend, it wasn't comfortable but I survived and most importantly my heel pain didn't worsen. With the RAT deferral deadline a month before the event I was faced with a difficult choice, do I defer my entry to 2020 or drop down to a shorter distance. I would be travelling anyway as Paul was running the Black RAT and we'd managed to rope in a few friends to join us. To run 32 miles with no training would be just silly so I decided instead to drop down in distance. The 11 mile White RAT was full so the Red 20 mile option was my only choice...

The weather forecast in the week leading up to the race was looking a bit spicy with several severe weather warnings being issued for Devon and Cornwall. Boardmasters music festival in Newquay was cancelled a few hours before it was due to open with concerns over safety in the high winds. In the days leading up to the race I became obsessed with checking the weather forecast, although it became evident it was changing on almost an hourly basis. Shortly after the Boardmasters announcement, MudCrew posted on their social media that the race would still be going ahead. The weather would certainly make the race more challenging than it already was but for me this added to the excitement.

With the weather very much on our minds, we managed to book a last minute camping pod which had become available. This came as a relief as the thought of camping was not appealing since last year our tent leaked in the heavy rain! I had planned to take the opportunity of being in Cornwall to squeeze in a surf on the Friday morning, however the impending storm made the conditions less than favourable and I am not a fan of windy surf conditions so decided leave the board at home and focus on the run instead, lets face it I could probably do with conserving every drop of energy I have. A decision had been made to delay the opening of the race village and campsite from 5pm to 7pm to avoid the worst of the wind and rain, I was grateful not to be pitching a tent in this weather and being able to climb into a proper bed with warmth and shelter. We were going to be in for a wild night.

The MudCrew RAT offers various distances of 64 miles (Plague), 32 miles (Black), 20 miles (Red), 11 miles (white) and new for this year Bring Out Your Dead (BOYD). The BOYD runners somewhat drew the short straw as their race started at 8pm and would be running for 24 hours. Being MudCrew this wasn't your conventional 24 hour race, it covered the final 5 miles of the course which are arguably the hardest with approximately 500 steps and 350m elevation, runners were only allowed to stop for a maximum of 20 minutes, if your tracker doesn't move for 20 minutes you're disqualified, absolutely no outside support is allowed and runners are only allowed access to what they put in their box at the 'sanctuary', a small cordoned off area at race HQ. There was me thinking that the Plague was bonkers. We watched the start of the BOYD before registering and having our mandatory kit checked.

The entertainment that evening came from elite runner Damian Hall. Damian came 5th at last years UTMB (Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc) and holds the fastest known time for covering the entire 630 mile South West Coast Path. We watched a couple of short films documenting these two races before a Q&A session. It was a lovely addition to the evening and it was inspirational listening to one of the top names in GB ultra running.

GB ultrarunner Damian Hall

Last year I heard the start of the Plague from inside my tent and it sounded rather dramatic so we made plans to go and watch the start of the race a midnight. The sound of beating drums, fire hoop dancing, flares and the howling winds added to the feeling of anticipation and excitement as the Plague runners gathered ready for their midnight start. I have massive respect for these guys who would be running out 32 miles to the turn around at St Antony's Head before coming back to Porthpean. Knowing how treacherous the terrain can be, I could only imagine how difficult it must be to head out in the dark in challenging weather conditions.

I retired to the camping pod hoping that I'd be tired enough to get some sleep, however turns out my brain had other ideas (not to mention 3/5 sharing the pod that snore). The alarm was set early as the guys running the Black RAT would be off a couple of hours ahead of the Red RAT runners. Much to my relief the weather was currently dry and just a little windy, a vast change to the forecast earlier in the week which suggested we'd have non stop rain all weekend. After seeing off Paul, Mark and Ian who were running the Black RAT, I had plenty of time for some kit faffing and a second breakfast.

L to R: Ian, Mark (aka Sparkles) and Paul

I would be running with a friend Damo. After waiting for what felt like a lifetime it was finally time for the Red RAT briefing before we were loaded onto the coaches and heading for the start in Portloe. The temperature in the coach provided the perfect snoozing conditions, warm and sheltered from the wind and without the sound of snoring, it was very tempting to catch 40 winks on the way but didn't really want to wake up feeling groggy before the race. I strategically got on one of the coaches that I knew was leaving first as to get ahead in the port-a-loo queue when we arrived. After some rather tight and winding roads (I wouldn't make the cut as a coach driver in Cornwall) we arrived at Portloe. Moments after we stepped off the coach the rain started! It was quite heavy and persistent for a good 20 minutes, it did however give my new OMM Kamleika rain jacket a test. It seems that rain rolls off the jacket pretty effectively as I discovered when I bent over to pull down my and shorts for a wee, the rain that had collected rolled straight off into my knickers and shorts - noted for future! We were told by Ferg the Race Director that we will hopefully be starting early once everyone had come back from the port-a-loo's. This was welcome news as the standing around was only adding to my anticipation and I was desperate to get going.

The start was at the bottom of a hill (of course it was!), as instructed, knowing I wanted to start off slowly I positioned myself down almost on the waters edge on the boat slip way at the back of the pack. Damo and I had agreed to start off running together with the understanding that if our paces differed we'd part our separate ways, for me my only objective was to get to the finish line, I was not at all interested in the time so long as it was under the cut off. Although rain and strong winds were foretasted throughout the day, the air temperature was warm so I decided to pack my jacket away before we started.

The start was pretty slow as once we joined the SW coast path the track narrowed. We were walking for at least the first kilometer whilst stepping aside for Plague and Black RAT runners to pass. This was no problem as it allowed my legs to get going and settle into things, they had after all not seen many hills let alone any running for several months. The coast path presents many dangers, sticky out rocks, tree roots and stumps, holes, low branches to name a few, add the weather to the mix we were going to need to have our wits about as as Damo soon discovered! Shortly after his brief introduction into trail running, we agreed it may be best for me to lead the way and point out potential hazards. After a short while we settled into a rhythm; walk the ups, run the downs and flats. The focus was always to get to the next check point.

After almost an hour and a half on our feet we reached the first checkpoint at Caerhays 4 miles in. Having lost his footing earlier on, I recommended that Damo made the most of the event medical support and to get his ankle looked at and strapped, there was still several hours between us and the finish. With my stomach telling me it was lunchtime, I made the most of the checkpoint food dining on some salted pretzels, crisps and watermelon washed down with some coke. It's funny that I never drink coke normally but during a long run it's just the thing you fancy! At this checkpoint I bumped into couple who were also Vegan Runners and assisted them with some label reading on crisp packets. In fairness to MudCrew they put on a decent selection of vegan friendly checkpoint foods. Sufficiently refuelled and refreshed we left the check point before we got too comfortable.

On a couple of exposed sections the winds were gusting quite strong, the forecast suggested over 50mph at times. I had to hold onto my hat at points and on one occasion I could feel the wind forcefully pushing me off course. I am grateful for the fact that the wind direction was onshore blowing us inland. For the more technical sections I kept my left arm out stretched incase I did get buffeted by the wind and knocked over! This stretch was probably my favourite part of the course with some stunning views and runnable sections. However, the steps also started to appear more frequently! The earlier showers had cleared and we were treated to sunny intervals and glimpses of blue sky.

Another 5 miles on and approximately 3 hours on the clock we reached the next checkpoint at Gorran Haven. Set in a village hall, I made the most of the facilities, needing a wee was a good sign as I was doing well to keep myself hydrated. The checkpoint was blaring out techno music to keep the energy levels high, I think I may have lingered a little too long having made numerous visits to the watermelon, coke and pretzels, taking a hint from one of the checkpoint staff we set off again knowing there was just one more checkpoint until the finish.

I had been keeping an eye on my watch and I could finally announce that we'd passed 10 miles and we'd now be counting down the miles to the finish. I was hoping psychologically this would be as much of a relief to Damo as it was to me. We soon arrived in fishing village of Mevagissy. Last year the harbour was overrun with holidaymakers making for lots of crowd weaving and dodging. I am guessing that the weather had put people off as it seemed a lot quieter for peak holiday season, although we still got the odd word of encouragement from passers by. The section through Mevagissy takes you away from the coast path temporarily onto tarmac, the benefit of which was you could take in some of the views without worrying about where you were placing your feet!

Now back on the coast path we were 15 miles in which meant we had just 5 more miles to go, although I knew what would be waiting for us during those final miles. We'd been on our feet now for almost 5 hours. My memory got a little sketchy at this point, I think I had blanked a lot of this last section from my memory from the year before! I just knew that when we get to the checkpoint at Pentewan there were ice poles and we were on the return leg! Once arriving in Pentewan it felt like the check point was much further away than I recalled which was annoying. Once there I went in hunt of the famous ice poles only to discover that they were not yet frozen and just cold liquid. For some reason drinking ghastly coloured, sugary water full of E numbers was far less appealing than being frozen so I declined. It didn't bother me too much as it wasn't a blazing hot day. At the check point I bumped into a few familiar faces and probably spent a little too much time standing around chatting and procrastinating.

Damo and I walked out the checkpoint prepared as we could be for the final stretch. On our walk out of the village we bumped into a lady walking her dog with the cat following behind - not something you see everyday! We rejoined the coast path and I made the same mistake as last year misjudging the location of the infamous steps, I was almost certain that the bastard steps we'd just climbed were 'the' steps, however there were a lot of steps in this final section of the race and it was easy to get confused.

The ladies at 'Cocktail Corner' were a welcome sight, I had drunk most of my water and was down to the dregs of Tailwind in the other bottle. Much of this section had been through tree covered path and with the temperatures deceptively warm I was a lot thirstier than expected. A cocktail of isotonic drink and fruit juice hit the spot. I jokingly asked if the cocktails were alcoholic only to be told that they were not, however if I wanted some alcohol she could open a bottle of prosecco from the boot of the car! As tempting as that was I declined as there would have been the temptation to linger and stay longer than planned. Revitalised and spirits lifted we headed out to take on the final section of the course knowing that a cold cider awaited us at the finish.

Eventually we reached those bastard steps, turns out they were twice a long as the ones I'd earlier mistaken them for! They felt like they went on forever, the steps down were of varying height, some required a sideways crab walk as they were too steep for short legs. On a plus side, I didn't seem to be suffering with knee pain and stiffness bought on by iliotibial band syndrome which I had so badly suffered with during the race last year. I had consciously made an effort to incorporate more glute strengthening work this year although I had been a bit lazy lately so I suspect it may have had something to do with the fact that I was running 20 miles and not 32. Relived to know that we had got the steps out the way we managed to jog a few sections knowing we must have been close now.

On a downhill through a field I annoyingly stepped in a hole in the grass and rolled my right ankle. I felt a burning sensation and the joint almost spring back then nothing, I must have got away with it which was a bit of luck! The finish to this years course had changed, I spotted Ferg who was stood at a gate with a marshal and we were diverted into a field heading towards the finish. I could hear the finish but with no visual it made it really difficult to know just how much further there was to go and I was too tired to do the maths looking at my watch. I had been keeping in touch with Paul to let him know our whereabouts so he could be at the finish line when we came in. I then finally spotted the shower blocks at the back of the campsite so knew we were a matter of meters now from the finish. We jogged it all the way in to the finish line and were greeting by Paul cheering us in.

I was relieved to have finished. Relieved that I managed to do it despite having not trained, relieved that my foot didn't feel any more painful than when I started and relieved that we didn't kill Damo! For his first coastal and trail run (not to mention the 1500m elevation) and to run the furthest he'd been before was nothing short of admirable. All of it was done with a smile (could have been a grimace of pain) and without a single complaint! We certainly has cause for celebration tonight. With our finishers medals given to us by the lovely Jane (Race Director) they proudly hung from our necks as we took to the photo backdrop for our moment of glory.

Last year I left the after party early as I was pretty beat from running 32 miles, this year I was hoping I'd feel fresher and be able to join in the celebrations for longer. Showered and refuelled on pizza we hit the bar for a pint of my favourite cider, Cornish Rattler. It was going down rather smoothly, luckily I only had enough cash on me to drink a sensible amount which was probably just as well. I shocked myself that I was still mobile enough to have a good dance! What I love about events like this is the shared experiences, we were catching up with people we'd met on the run and congratulating one another and speaking to complete strangers and sharing our tales of the day. I had hoped for an extended party, however come 11pm the music went off and the party was disbanded. Just as well probably as I knew the 300 mile journey home would not be fun with a hangover!


This event has certainly got my heart, I love everything about it! I would say that I will be back next year and part of me wants to say I will be running the Plague (100K) as some sort of injury comeback, however we'll see where I'm at in the New Year when entries open (I'm not running the Plague).

Injury update: 

Two days before I ran the RAT, I had an MRI scan on my heel pain which is the injury that has kept me out since I ran the marathon on New Years Day. The scan date had come through sooner than anticipated which was good but it was also annoying that I was getting a snap shot in time of my foot now, 2 days before putting it to its biggest test and to also still not know what was wrong with it as I wouldn't get the results for another 2 weeks. The good thing is, my foot felt no worse for what it had gone though in the race, I half expected that I wasn't going to be able to walk for a couple of days. People kept on asking me what I thought was wrong and if I'm honest I really didn't know, it had been treated for the symptoms it shared with several injuries such as plantar fasciitis, insertional achilles tendinopathy, heel pad entrapment and a trapped nerve none of which had any affect on the symptoms, it was still painful and I was still unable to run.

The scan results were not as I had hoped and did provide explanation for the constant pain. A tear of the plantar fascia with the message that surgery wasn't an option, nor was another cortisone injection and no more running. I was in shock as I came away with many unanswered questions. I was referred for physiotherapy with the suggestion that we try shockwave therapy and dry needling, exactly the treatment I'd already had earlier in the year to no effect, I have to admit I wasn't feeling particularly  optimistic and may have leaked a couple of tears on the drive home.

However, in these situations you can choose how you react, sure I was disappointed and wondering what life without running would look like but I still consider myself lucky that there's lots of things I enjoy and that I was just going to have to adapt and get on with things. Already, I have stopped all running, you're not going to catch me doing even 100m at CrossFit until I have been given the nod, I'm scaling any workouts that involve impact (skipping, box jumps, burpees etc) and have stopped yoga for the time being. I'm cycling where I can to get in some extra calorie burn and have bought an assault bike and some kettlebells for some home HIIT workouts. Physio starts in a week so I will hang on their every word and do as I'm told in the hope that I will be back running soon. For now involvement with them MudCrew Arc 50 in February is clouded with uncertainty but until I've spent some time rehabbing (now I know the injury) I am not ready to make that call. I still hope to be on that start line in February...

Challenge Running Flitch Way New Years Day Marathon

My main target for 2018 was to complete my first ultra marathon (MudCrew RAT) which I did in August and then followed up with my second in October (Stort 30). Having started my training early in the year with a spring half marathon, the sensible thing would have been to give myself a pat on the back and take the rest of the year off running. We all know that the sensible option is often the least appealing so instead I thought rather than waste the endurance I'd spent the year building up, I'd continue with my training and enter the Flitch Way New Years Day Marathon hosted by Challenge Running.

I took a week off after the Stort 30 and then began my 8 week training plan. I enjoyed the shorter runs in the first week, 5km felt like a real novelty after a heavy few months of training, however it was soon back to business with back to back long runs over the weekends. Half way through the plan I had a bit of a crisis of confidence and questioned whether I'd be better off doing the conventional one single longer run as I was unsure the back to backs were giving me the required resilience over the longer distances. I approached with some caution as I know from past experience that I have struggled with niggles on the longer stuff hence opting to spread the load over back to back runs instead. However with disciplined stretching, rolling and some targeted strengthening exercises I survived two 18 mile runs and one 20 miler in my build up to the marathon. Psychologically this was a real boost knowing I could get to 20 miles in one sitting, as it was during the Stort the wheels began falling off big time at 20 miles.

Fortunately we had a quiet night planned New Year's Eve. Earlier that day Paul had run the Flitch Way marathon and would be doing the double running New Year's Day too. It was a perfect excuse for cooking a big plate of comfort food to help fortify us for the following day. As the name of my blog suggests, it's not just about the running it's about the food too (the real reason I run)! We have recently moved towards a plant based diet, so I made a mountain of vegan macaroni cheese (yes this is a thing and it was EPIC!), garlic bread and some nutrient dense green veggies to accompany it. Suitably fuelled we sorted out our kit for the next morning and got to bed early knowing we'd probably be woken up at midnight by fireworks.

Macaroni 'cheese' - pre marathon fuel

Over the festive period I've been religiously taking my multi-vitamins and echinacea, fortunately I seem to have dodged all the colds and stomach bugs doing the rounds so I was pleased for it to finally be marathon day, I was feeling good (although not exactly confident) and ready to see what I could produce. Despite having done two 50k races over the summer, my last marathon was in 2015. In 2015 I ran 2 marathons (both along the Flitch Way), neither attempt was pretty! Both I had started training with the best intentions but with little experience I ended up injured and then had to abandon training and just hope I could complete it.

My marathon personal best is 4:48:26 set at my last attempt in 2015. I knew I was capable of beating my PB as I had been far more consistent in my training. However, much of my training had incorporated the strategy of running for 25 minutes and walking 5 minutes. I knew if I stuck to that strategy from the off a PB may be close or less likely. After chatting to a friend I took some advice to run to the first check point 6 miles in and then take a 5 minute walk break, that would at least see me an hour in before walking. From there I'd see how it goes. I always set myself a few realistic targets when running so my target would be to beat my PB with an expected time finish time of 4:40-45 (bronze target), with the further options of 4:40-4:30 (silver target), sub 4:30 (gold target).

Paul and I at the start

The New Years Day Marathon is always quieter than the New Years Eve race. However, I still saw lots of friendly and familiar faces including Karen who was attempting her first marathon. I had the pleasure of sharing a couple of training runs with Karen along the Flitch. Having done this marathon before, I accompanied Karen on a recce run only to get us lost at the tricky Dunmow Industrial Estate section before re-joining the Flitch! In fairness this mistake probably meant that neither of us were likely to forget the way on the day!

Karen and I ready and raring to go!

We gathered at the start for the race briefing and Lindley gave us the news that this years race would not be finishing at the top of the 'Hill of Doom'. I didn't mind to be fair, however I am sure this was a relief to some. At 10am the race started and we and headed over the bridge out of the Great Notley Country Park to pick up the Flitch Way. At Rayne Station cafe I gave a wave to my in-laws who were out to give my husband and I a cheer.

The conditions underfoot were pretty decent, we'd not had much rainfall for a couple of weeks so it had dried out quite nicely. I settled into a comfortable sub 6 min/km pace and found myself nestled in a group of 3 ladies. I got chatting to Maud (who I recognised from my volunteering at the Essex 100 in the summer) about ultra marathons and our running goals for 2019. I was maintaining running at a steady pace but then remembered Maud had won the 50 mile race at the Essex 100 and she was a far more capable runner than me! I backed off a little and let Maud go ahead as not to get carried along.

In just over an hour I'd made it to the first check point at Dunmow. I stopped long enough to grab a bag of salt and vinegar crisps and fill up my soft cup with some coke. Conscious not to waste time I soon left the check point and decided to use my 5 minute walk break to eat and drink before running again. One thing that had been good about practising walking in training was when I started running again I found no issues in settling into a steady pace again. In the past (before attempting the longer races) walking felt like failure and I knew once I gave into walking I'd struggle to find a rhythm again. The next check point would be the turn around at Takeley at 13 miles, I decided to see if I could make it without needing to resort to the 25/5.

A few kilometres out from the turn around the lead runners were starting to pass me on their return leg. It wasn't long before Paul appeared, we exchanged a very quick hello, a check on each other and high five. I could see Takeley Station appearing in the distance only to then remember that the turn around was about another kilometre on. I had taken a bit of a gamble and was wearing new socks that I'd not done a long run in yet in the hope they'd resolve blistering on the end of my toes which I've suffered with on a couple of long races. However, I was beginning to feel a hot spot forming on the ball of my foot. At check point 2 (turn around) I decided to briefly stop and address my hot spot as it's be another hour at least before I had the opportunity to stop again. Some Body Glide applied and another cup of coke grabbed I left the turn around and was on the home stretch.

I'd not eaten a lot at this point, I'd mostly been sipping on my bottle of Tailwind. So I took a walk break out of the check point to eat some Nakd nibbles. After 5 minutes I got back to running again with the view not to stop until I reached the next check point in approximately 6 miles. The Flitch was quite busy with lots of dog walkers, families and cyclists making the most of the weather on a fair New Year's Day. I'd not long passed Takeley station when I caught a figure in the corner of my eye. This figure was the other side of the path behind the bare trees and hedge line. My focus was on the path ahead but they started making some disturbing noises so I looked over only to see a hooded man with this pants around his ankles pleasuring himself!!! I immediately averted my gaze back to the path trying to make sense of what I had just witnessed. Perhaps it was just a mentally disturbed man who had chosen a really bad spot to have a trail wee? I passed two walkers heading in that direction and didn't warn them, I was still in a state of shock. In hindsight (which is always a wonderful thing) I should have stopped, given him some verbal before taking his picture and reporting it to the police. I feel dreadfully guilty that I didn't do anything, I just hope someone else had also seen and reported it.

I soon found myself all alone, no one behind me and no one in front. All of a sudden I felt very vulnerable after my unwanted encounter. I was wondering if this guy could run and may be lurking somewhere ready to jump out on me! Powered by adrenaline my pace suddenly picked up and I didn't feel the need to walk until I got to the next check point.

At check point 3 I'd caught Paul up who was having a rest and something to eat. A little surprised to see him I (he was seeking a 4 hour finish) I asked why he'd slowed down. His hamstring was sore from the marathon the day before and was therefore not pushing it and taking it easy. Paul told me not to wait for him and go ahead and get the time I wanted so I didn't think twice about implementing Top Gear rules and leaving him behind!

I again walked out the check point to eat some food and finish my cup of coke. I started running again after a short hill taking you back onto the Flitch. With 20 miles under my belt, I started trying to work out my finish time. The usual suspects (my knee and foot) were not really causing me any problems much to my relief, I decided that I may as well now run for as long as I could and walk the last bit if I had to. Maths is not my strong point and multi tasking running and counting certainly isn't! From what I could figure out a 4:30 finish would happen if I could minimise my walking, if I continued running I'd perhaps manage a 4:15-4:20 finish. This was massively exciting but I tried not to get carried away with myself.

Much of my training had been along the Flitch which could have been both an advantage and disadvantage. However, it worked in my favour in the late stages of the race. The Flitch given that it is an old railway line is pretty straight and can be a bit featureless. There are few landmarks but when I reached these I knew the approximate distance to the finish which made it a little easier to judge. I decided that I'd walk over the bypass bridge before coming into Rayne, my legs were beginning to feel lead like.

The possibility of seeing someone I knew at Rayne Station meant I continued running with purpose. I now knew I had just over a kilometre left and despite my legs screaming at me I had to continue putting one foot in front of the other as fast as I could. Looking at my watch I was wondering what time I could cross the line, I knew that I was minutes away from it being finished so started to increase my pace. Along the final road section before entering the park I spotted someone I knew, I had to put on a brave smile despite the fact I was blowing out my arse at this point. After crossing the last bit of uphill taking me back into the park, I cashed in on the downhill of the bridge in the hope I could let my legs unwind and propel me to then finish line. Squeezing every last drop out of the tank I made a sprint to the finish line (sorry for the audible grunts to those watching), I couldn't believe it - the clock read 4:21:48!!! What the actual fu*k?! All I could do was drop to my hands and knees to take a moment to process what had just happened whilst gasping for oxygen.

After I scraped myself up off the floor!

I collected myself and had a drink, still no sign of Paul. I caught up with a couple of friends who had come out to watch the finish. My words to Paul at the beginning of the race was not to wait for me to finish and to go and get changed and warm. So I did just that! Once indoors I got chatting to a friend who had also been running then thought I'd better go out and see if I could catch him finish. I missed him by a minute, Paul finished in 4:47:35. He'd felt the affect of running a marathon the day before and was nursing a tweaked hamstring. All 39 runners finished within 6 hour cut off. A massive thank you to Lindley and Maxine and all the volunteers for putting on another superbly organised race.

Despite living just over 2km from the finish line, we opted to bring the car so it was not long before I was home and soaking in a bath of magnesium flakes. In my pre vegan days my post race treat was usually a Papa John's veggie pizza. Having given up all dairy and eggs I opted for a lazy dinner (realising neither of us would be up to cooking) of vegan 'chicken' nuggets, oven chips and baked beans, washed down with champagne - classy! It was perfect.

Winner winner vegan chicken nugget dinner

Having had a few days to reflect on things, I am still over the moon with my time, I far surpassed what I thought I was capable of. It just goes to show that if you trust the plan you will be OK. Special thanks to Paul for helping me with yet another training plan. I feel in a good place to start thinking about what my goals will be for 2019. I am not that bothered about chasing times, I feel a lot of people put way too much pressure on finish times and ultimately feel disappointed when they fail to improve. Provided my recovery from the marathon is good I will probably start looking for progression from 50km.

Just in case I hadn't already mentioned it...

 

Stort 30

The Stort 30 is a race that has been on my bucket list ever since crewing for Paul back in 2013 at what was his first ultra. Organised by Challenge Running, it is a Trail Running Association Middle Distance Championship race which attracts runners of all abilities. The course is 15 miles out and back with no navigation needed along flat terrain making it an ideal beginner friendly ultra.

The Stort 30 had been pencilled into my 2018 running goals, however I was waiting to get the RAT out the way before committing myself to entering the race. Having accomplished a finish at the RAT (which arguably was more challenging and 2 miles further) I was confident that the Stort was within my capabilities so converted some volunteer points into a race entry.

I was hoping I could continue where my training for the RAT left off giving me a good shot at finishing the race comfortably. This was wishful thinking! I struggled with fatigue when I did get back to running (possibly latent muscle damage) where a 10k run may as well have been 100k, then I missed a couple of weekends of long back to back runs and added to that I had a cortisone injection in my foot to treat plantar fasciitis which forced me to rest for over a week. The final 2 weeks of my training program left me full of self doubt and wondering whether I was up to the task, my last long run was 15 miles, half the distance of the Stort and seemed to be really difficult for some reason. On a positive note I was still far more prepared than I have previously been when attempting long distance races and my plantar fasciitis had totally cleared up!

In a complete switch of roles, I was on the start line of an ultra whilst Paul would be my crew! The clocks going back afforded us an extra hour in bed which was welcome and avoided what could have felt like an early start. I have to admit I'd not slept well the night before, possibly due to an overactive brain but also due to a painful shoulder as a result of going wild in the garden with my new leaf blower (note to self, taking it easy before a race really means just that). The temperature on the morning had dropped to single figures, it had been a while since I last had to contend with the thought of being cold during a run. I decided to still brave shorts and wear a long sleeve layer with the option to remove layers if need be. One thing was for certain, my lucky mascot Maurice Mammut bought back with me from Chamonix would be accompanying me again for the race.

Maurice the ultra Mammut

We arrived at Bishops Stortford Running Club, the race HQ with plenty of time to kill. Being a local race we bumped into various friendly faces who we've met over the years of running. On my many trips to the toilet I marvelled at the fact there was either no or little queue for the ladies, a real rarity in life but perhaps one of the perks of being a female in the world of ultra marathons! On that note, the Stort had a pretty decent female representation, of the 188 runners starting, 67 of those were women.

Shortly before 9am, we gathered outside for the race briefing and it started raining. Fortunately it was short lived and stopped just in time for the start of the race. I placed myself close to the back of the 188 runners gathered on the start line. The race started in a field which we had to complete 2 laps of before picking up the short section of road to the river path. I was conscious not to go off too fast as tempting as it was, although I was conscious that I didn't want the be separated from the main pack until we were by the river.

All smiles at the start of the race! (Photo: Stuart March)

Once on the river path I could relax knowing that I just had to keep running alongside the water until I reached the turn around point at the Rye House, Hoddeson. I had planned to implement 25/5 (25 minutes of running followed by 5 minutes walking) from the start of the race. I'd got into a nice rhythm and the lady in front of me was setting a good 6 min/km pace which felt good. Wanting to instill some discipline early on in the race I tried to slow and walk after the first 25 minutes were done. The pack was still quite bunched so I pulled off to the side of the narrow path cut into the grass that we were following. The grass was long and wet from the rain and dewy temperatures, the first few runners that passed asked if I was OK, walking 25 minutes into a 30 mile race must have made me look pretty unprepared! It was too awkward and I realised that I wasn't going to be able to do 5 minutes walking without frequently stopping to allow runners to pass me so I decided to continue running until I reached the first check point just over 5 miles in which would be when I'd start my 25/5 plan.

The check point came just after 5 miles into the race in Sawbridgeworth and I was surprised at what a relief it was. I decided to stop and take the opportunity to grab some food and drink. The event is cup-less (kudos to Challenge Running, the world of trail and ultra running seem to be doing their bit to reduce the environmental impact of organising races) so I pulled out my soft cup and filled it with some coke. I took a couple of orange segments and a Freddo Frog and walked out the aid station to continue with my 5 minutes of walking as to not throw coke all over myself! Having practiced 25/5 in training getting back into a good rhythm when I started running again was no bother and it didn't take long to feel like the miles were passing with relative ease.

Captured with a Freddo Frog in hand! (Photo: Stuart March)

Driving me along to the next check point was knowing that's where Paul would be waiting to see me for the first time in the race. The next 5 miles seemed pleasant enough and my body felt generally good. The 25/5's were working well enabling me to preserve my energy and on the walk breaks take on some hydration and nutrition. Eating during runs is something I have found quite easy. Earlier in the summer I'd adopted the nickname 'trail piglet' for my wild berry trail foraging skills! Having crewed for Paul 4 times at the Stort 30 I had become familiar with the landmarks which helped give me an idea when I was getting close to a check point. Just when I expected I approached check point 2 in Harlow and there was Paul waving at me. Another brief stop, cup of coke and onward I went.

My motivation to get to check point 3 was knowing that was half way and at the turn around point. Psychologically it helped me thinking of each section individually and gave me a focus for getting to that next check point. Thinking about the race in its entirety would have mentally crushed me! With each step between mile 10-15 I noticed that my legs were beginning to fatigue a little. I had a moment of self doubt realising that in training, as to manage my training load and avoid injuries we'd focused on back to back long runs and the furthest I'd run in a single training run was 15 miles, albeit on already tired legs from a run the day before. I was becoming concerned that I'd make it to the turn around and the 15 mile stretch back would essentially be a death march.

I managed to navigate the weir (apparently the only potential banana skin in the navigation) and knew that the turn around would be soon. There were a few supporters out on the course so I knew I must be real close. Paul's smiley face came into view and I felt a sense of relief to have made it to half way in 2:45 hrs, slightly ahead of my predicted pace. I took a bit of time at this check point having a couple of cups of coke and half the peanut butter sandwich from the crew bag (Paul moaned that he carried the crew bag throughout the whole race and all I had from it was a peanut butter sandwich, now he understands how it feels to be crew)! It was nice to see fellow runner and friend Naomi who was waiting at the check point for the cut off before assuming the duties of tail runner and sweeper for the return leg. With some friendly words of encouragement, another Freddo Frog and a fig biscuit I was off and homeward bound.

Scenery distraction along the way

I began to notice a bit of a slow down in my pace on that return leg and realised that I soon needed to think about adjusting my strategy to a 20/10 to keep myself going for as long as I could. My legs were starting to feel a little fatigued and my knees had developed an ache, different to what I have had before. Even though the sun had come out, there was a biting wind which made it quite cold and I was feeling it in my exposed knees. I'd periodically stop to try and stretch and give them a bit of a rub but the relief was only temporary. I had taped my right knee as a precaution as this is the one I really suffered with during the RAT. However, it was a shock for both knees to have hurt so badly. I eventually reached the check point at 20 miles in. I munched on the other half of my peanut butter sandwich knowing I needed some filling calories as I was starting to feel hungry, took another cup of coke said I'd see Paul at the finish and rejoined the tow path. We estimated the final 10 miles would take me at least 2 hours so Paul had enough time to go home and collect my Mum and return to the finish to wait for me.

I walked for a little while to eat some more food although I think I may have eaten a bit too much in a short space of time as my appetite seemed to disappear only to not return. I really was feeling like I was at the business end of the race now. I was two thirds of the race down yet those final 10 miles seemed like a huge task. Along this stretch I ran briefly with a lovely lady called Nicola who was running her first ultra. It was really nice to have someone to talk to and share some of the run with. I explained that I was running 25/5's so would be shortly stopping to walk. Unfortunately I didn't get to catch up with Nicola again as that was more or less it for my running. My knees had become incredibly painful and my stints of running were becoming shorter. I guessed it may be tightness in my IT bands as the pain was only noticeable when running and eased during walking.

"1769 - the River Stort open to navigation, flowing into the Lea and onwards to the Thames, then out to sea and so to all ports of the World"

It was my mission to get to that last check point as soon as I could. I could just about comprehend having 5 miles left, especially if it was going to be spent mostly walking. I chose this time not to stop, I had plenty of food and water and didn't want to delay myself any longer than I had to. I was now really struggling to run, a little jog and then I'd have to slow to a walk again. I tried setting myself targets like run to the next tree or run as far as the bridge then walk to cross it just to keep pushing me forwards. Every time I found a bridge or a railing I'd stop to try and stretch out my quads which I believe to be part of the reason my knees were sore. However, with the lack of varying terrain e.g. it was pretty much flat for the entire 30 miles I found that when I was trying to stretch my quads, my hamstrings would go into cramp. Breaking the final stint into smaller chunks, my next milestone was making it to marathon distance which I covered in 5:02, slower than my best marathon time but not my slowest.

I was trying to work out how many kilometres were left to go but was too exhausted to figure it out. I knew that I had roughly 4 miles left to cover. The initial 5 miles and final 5 miles of the course had to have been the worst. The terrain was awkward and the scenery was just a bit dull (apart from the fluffy cows). I tried to listen to some music, I have a heavy metal playlist which I had hoped would distract me from the pain and power me through but it didn't help and I couldn't always hear when runners came up behind me so I gave up and put my headphones away. I put my sunglasses on as to avoid having to make eye contact with anyone and kept my gaze staring firmly at the floor. It's fair to say at this point I was really struggling and wanted it to all be over with, I reminded myself that it was my choice to be there and no one had made me enter the race so I just had to suck it up and get it done. I kept seeing trains whizz past the river and I know that the course runs close to the train station so I had hoped we'd not got far left to go. All running had pretty much stopped by this point and I just walked as fast as I could telling myself with each step I was a step closer to crossing the finish line. It was pretty frustrating as I felt I still have energy left in the tank but was just incapable of turning it into anything other than a fast walk.

Fluffy cow

I had finally reached the end of the tow path and popped out onto pavement in Bishops Stortford. It was one of the greatest feelings as I knew that I was now real close however, everything seems a lot further away than you remember in the late stages of a race. I looked at my watch and I had approximately 7 minutes to cover just over 1 km to get in under 6 hours. I'd not really set myself a time to aim for but had said I'd be around 6 hours to finish. I knew that 7 minutes to get back and do a final lap of the field was going to be a big ask. I tried to run again only not to make it very far so went back to walking with purpose. At this point I was passing runners who had finished and were walking back to their cars with medals around their necks. Everyone was so encouraging and supportive which helped push me along.

I'd made it back to the race HQ and at the gate back into the field I spotted Paul and my Mum. Wanting to make them proud (and also because everyone was cheering) I did my best to run, breaking to painfully step up the kerb into the field. I was given a temporary boost which enabled me to run as far as the corner of the field. Bugger, the field felt a lot bigger than it had done in the morning when I'd run 2 laps of it. Paul joined me jogging by my side willing me on but I had to tell him to stop and go to the finish to see me as I had to walk again. I was grateful for his encouragement but just wanted to get my head down and get it done. I had about one third of the field left when Paul came running back towards me telling me to run as there was a lady behind me who was catching. Apparently I was currently 3rd in my age category and that the lady behind me was 4th. Out of nowhere I was able to run again and for some reason running faster was not making my knees hurt (the joy of adrenaline)!

After one last effort and what felt like a sprint finish I crossed the finish line in 6:01 hrs and was greeted by Lindley the Race Director who placed a finishers medal around my neck. I didn't hang about before telling Lindley never again, I wasn't going to do another ultra, let alone do the Stort again. I think he mentioned something about St Peters Way (45 miles) and I possibly told him where to go! Then another volunteer came and handed me a bronze Trail Running Association Championship medal for placing 3rd in the V35 category. I could not believe it, surely there must have been a mistake! I was just happy to have finished but this was the icing on the cake and made those final miles of suffering seem worthwhile.

Double bling (Photo: Stuart March)

Back in the club house we caught up with the other runners and enjoyed a celebratory drink before heading home so I could have a soak in the bath and to consume my body weight in pizza!

The days that followed the Stort 30 I had quite mixed feelings. I was pleased to have finished my 2nd ultra marathon but a little disappointed with my own performance. It was never about going for a time but I was annoyed that I ended up having to walk as much at the end, I had hoped I would have been a lot more capable. I would estimate that the walking at the end cost me around an extra 30 minutes. I often pride myself on my ability to finish races strongly and having I struggled more than I anticipated, I felt like a bit of a fraud collecting an extra medal for my efforts. I did a lot of analysing on where I thought I could improve and I'm still unsure whether it was missing a chunk of runs from my plan or the lack of long distance and opting for shorter back to back runs that cost me.

Anyone looking to push beyond 26.2 miles, I would highly recommend the Stort 30 as a first ultra marathon. It's fantastically organised, check points are every 5 miles and are well stocked, flat and requires no navigation.

The most prized medal in my collection

As a soft tissue therapist and a graduate sports scientist, I know that I need to look at some sort of strengthening and mobility program to injury proof myself and try and delay the break down of my body. I seem pretty well equipped for distances of up to half marathon but going beyond still causes me issues. Training to get time on my feet is one thing, I however need to give myself the resilience that when fatigue sets in that my form doesn't go to total sh*t and lead to the issues I have suffered with my IT band and knees. I suspect it all starts with the glutes, a vital asset for runners (when they work)!

I realised that I had been training with little rest since the start of the year so thought it'd be wise to take the rest of the year off before targeting some races next year. Within a week, Paul had signed us up for the 2019 Stort 30 and I had entered the Flitch Way New Year's Day Marathon (Challenge Running). Never believe anything a runner says in the days following a race!