Tag Archives: trail

Northants Ultra 2012

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After really enjoying the Compton 20 at the beginning of April I’d inevitably (for me) started contemplating a trail ultra marathon. The contrastingly miserable Milton Keynes marathon, for which it rained most of the time, turned contemplation into serious investigation – I needed an antidote. A look on the Runners World calender unearthed something called the Northants Ultra 35 – Shires and Spires which was not too far from home and promised rolling countryside so I entered.

I promised myself that I would not start if the weather looked at all nasty or if I didn’t feel up to it or if I was even vaguely injured come the day. The MK Marathon would have to do as my longest run – after all I’d had a fair amount of walking practice during it. I ran walked a hilly trail 22 miler leaving myself just a 2 week taper during which I fussed about what kit I’d need and watched the weather get gradually hotter. I concentrated on serious carbo-loading and pre-hydration the 2 days before and was actually weighing 2kg over average by the night before.

The start was bustling with music and early sunshine. I picked up my number and my map book, ate and drunk some more, and used the loo round the side of the stately Lamport Hall whose grounds we were in. We were asked to gather at the start for a briefing then 8:30 am and we were off – no rushing about just a gentle jog along the front of the hall and out onto the road.

The result of my inquiry regarding whether any vegan food would be available at checkpoints – fruit for instance – hadn’t been very reassuring so I was prepared to fuel myself on energy gels and sweeties with a couple of other items in case I could face any more sweet and sticky. To this end I’d discovered late that I could carry 4 extra gels by wedging them behind the already jammed full pouches on my bottle belt. They say never try anything new on the day and sure enough a few hundred metres down the road I had to stop and recover 2 I’d dropped, I held them in my hand along with the other 2 which were also trying to jump ship. In my other hand was the waterproofed map book with it’s red line on extracts from the OS map which I couldn’t make any sense of while on the move. I don’t like running with stuff in my hands so this wasn’t a good start, particularly as it was already warm enough for my hands to be getting slippery with sweat.

Within a mile we were descending a long hill which we knew we’d be climbing back up in 34 miles – it was a great start though and a bit of chatting and jogging and not as much walking as I’d promised myself and we were at the first checkpoint at Cottesbrooke, about 4 miles in. I ate my second gel and dumped the map, I had my Garmin to navigate by with backup map and compass so this seemed dead weight. With only 600ml of water capacity on a hot day I made sure to drink all my water before each checkpoint then drink at least 500ml as well as refilling the bottles.

A couple of minutes and I was off again, a chap with local knowledge had already confirmed an imminent long climb after which most of the run would be undulating, Tracklogs reckoned about 750m total climb for the 35 mile course. Despite running what felt very slowly my Garmin suggested I’d gone off too fast so I made a point of taking it extra easy and walking most of the hill then jogging along the ridge listening to my iPod while taking in some fine views and generally enjoying the sun which was to reach 27 degrees C later in the day. Checkpoint 2 at Naseby, almost 9 miles in, arrived soon enough and I refilled my water and set off alone munching a Nak’d bar which didn’t go down very well in the heat.

The field had spread out somewhat by now and for a while there were no other runners in sight. After a couple of miles we were off the road and back on the paths again, I found a runner at a field edge trying to work out which way to go so we ran together for a while. Soon after I made the mistake of following him along a short path across a cropped field as my Garmin route didn’t look very obvious. We ended up wandering through a tall meadow to regain the Garmin route where I reassuringly saw some runners up ahead in the distance to confirm – it had only cost a few minutes so not a problem. We met another confused runner on the outskirts of West Haddon who had run before and seemed to think we should go through the village rather than round, she joined us on the correct route.

Soon enough we were at the Silsworth Riding School control at 16 miles. I refilled my water and drunk lots while eating a few crisps and wasting valuable time trying to get my Zero hydration tablets out of my bag. I felt fine and my pace was still ok but I could tell I was getting a bit muddled and clumsy and the endurance part of the day was really going to start!

Somewhere or another in Northamptonshire

I left with a small group, soon it was just 2 of us, then just me after my companion went shopping for water in one of the villages having failed to meet-up with his support team. Onwards, enjoying the music, walking the hills and occasionally the not hills, the halfway point came and went then the 20 miles. By checkpoint 4, Althorp, at 23 miles I was increasingly feeling the heat and was getting slower but not severely so. The time limit for the event was 9 hours and I held out some hope for an 8 hour finish but knew better than to force the pace just as I was about to go into that unknown territory after 26.2 miles.

The pace really started dropping after the 26th mile, the Garmin download suggests I was averaging only 16 minute miles now. I still felt good though which rather surprised me and it was reassuring seeing others with apparently more experience walking just as much and seeming happy and confident. I was eating my way through my supply of gels and sweets while continuing to drink, once getting a bonus fill-up from someone’s support vehicle.

I got slightly lost a couple of times, one pleasant diversion where I led a couple of chaps through what I think were the private grounds of yet another stately home, a less pleasant detour on a golf course where the Garmin wanted me to go straight through a hedge and only the appearance of other runners who headed straight for a partly hidden stile just 20 metres away made the route clear. Sometimes a map is better than a Garmin. (I’m not sure I’m getting events in the right order now – you know how it is.)

Yet another hill up to the 5th checkpoint at Teeton – which had become ‘tea-time’ in my now comfortably cooked brain – lots more water including half a bottle over my head then I continued upwards leaving behind the small party on the green including a cheerful young lady whose feet seemed to be held together with sticking plasters.

8 hours wasn’t going to happen now but I was going to finish in plenty of time so just plodded on run-walking and not thinking about that huge hill right near the end. I gradually caught up with a couple of ladies who were walking while I jogged. They left me behind quick enough when I slowed to walk a hill. Similarly I seemed to be running more often than a couple of cheerful chaps who still left me behind as I slowed to walk. I chatted with them briefly and commented that it was my walking speed I needed to work on if I wanted to gain time.

We gently climbed some cycleway for a bit which offered a welcome bit of shade then rejoined the outward route for that last hill. I walked up happily, now alone, then jogged a little along the road into Lamport crossing carefully when I remembered it was in fact the A508. I walked to the gate we had been told we would finish through (‘NOT the one you start out of as that will be locked’). A couple of hundred metres before the finish, before it came into sight, I ran without restraint for the first time in a good few miles and crossed the line to be awarded a medal to go with my technical shirt. Sitting in the shade drinking yet more more water I looked back on the day and chatted to a chap who it turned out came from Wheatley just 4 miles the other side of Shotover from me – we’d been training for this event over much the same trails.

Results show 8 hour 13 minutes – 119th of 132 finishers (138 starters). I thoroughly enjoyed the event and will have to restrain myself from entering any more this year, I could easily get sucked into this ultra thing and spend all my weekends getting slower and knackereder which would be just a bit too much like audax. Very tired with extremely wobbly legs the following day so was glad to have booked it off work. The only actual injury I seem to have gained is a blister on my right foot which is annoying and uncomfortable to walk on but all in all I think I got away with it lightly!

Compton Challenge 20 2012

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I’d been looking forward to my 3rd run at the Compton Challenge 20 mile trail race for a while and was pleased that the weather forecast had gradually improved over the previous week going from ‘freezing cold, wet and windy’ to ‘mild and might not rain till the afternoon’. Arriving in plenty of time I collected and attached my race number, had a banana and a pee, then hung around in the start field chatting with the collected runners. Spotting another chap in a Vegan Runners vest I went and introduced myself to Rob who was entered in the 40 mile event and was planning a run walk strategy for an 8 hour finish. I was hoping for 3 hours 30 mins which would be a PB, if I walked the hills and ran the rest this should be achievable if I paced myself right.

A few minutes to go and the organiser, Dick Kearn, appeared to tell us that we’d be running twice round the field at the start instead of the usual once, this was good as last time I ran I’d clocked the course as 19.9 miles and did want to be sure I was doing the full  distance. He wanted everyone back for 7pm so he could get down the pub. 9am and we were off!

I trotted round the field with Rob then we were down to a walk as we entered the bottleneck through the coppice. Soon enough out onto the road then through a gate, down a path, over a field, through a gate, up the road, up a narrow path, through some trees – you get the idea. I walked one hill on the first section but still kept a good average pace, soon enough we were descending to Hampstead Norreys where I ate a gel and grabbed a cup of water at the checkpoint.

The narrow footpath shortly after meant another walk, the chap in front of me tried to run it but gave up as I was catching him up just walking and still had enough breath to tell him so. Some gentler climbing through a pleasant wood then we were up on an old airfield, mostly we stayed high till joining a lane for a steepish descent and some round the houses to the ten mile checkpoint were I refuelled on sweeties and squash knowing the main climb was not far ahead. My run could easily of ended around mile 11 as I tripped over something while daydreaming and found myself flailing about trying, successfully, not to fall flat on my face. A later chat with a Bearbrook Jogger who was not far behind and was careful not to trip on whatever had caused my comedy dance revealed it was just a clump of grass but she did commend me on my recovery.

Not for the first time Rob caught me up, he was taking his planned regular walk breaks but ran faster than me so evened out to a similar pace. We walked together up the steep path before the woods above Streatley, I took off running as things levelled off in the woods. I slowed to pick up a dropped route sheet – the organisers really don’t like litter – and handed it to a marshall at the road crossing commenting that it was the first bit of rubbish I’d seen. Soon we were running high above the Thames near Goring then descending a steep grassy hill where Rob flew past me and several others in a sort of coordinated free-fall that led me to ask if he did fell running when I caught him during his next walk.

Aware of a long, steady climb up to the 15 mile checkpoint I had deceived myself that I might not need to walk it. I soon realised my error and, having walked 2 steeper stretches, this turned out to be my slowest mile. I was well on target though and in good spirits knowing that it was more downhill than up after the checkpoint. I refuelled on gel and squash, refilling my bottle with squash while I was at it, then on my way for the last 4.5 miles. Rob caught me just as I was leaving, also in good spirits.

Much of the last stage was along the Ridgeway and similarly surfaced old tracks. My feet were getting a bit of a pounding as the recent dry weather meant even the grassy bits were rock hard, I wasn’t complaining though as the last thing I wanted to run on was wet chalk. Taking a last walk up a steep bit bit of a slope around mile 18 Rob caught up again and I wished him well for his second half. I descended onwards to where the 2 routes split and made very sure I followed the sign for the 20 mile route, I managed a wave at the photographer about here so must have been feeling alright.

Following the arrows through some of Compton, round a playing field, up an alley then there was the finish in sight and me with enough energy left to actually overtake someone before the funnel. A 10 minute PB at 3:25:18, 69th of 126th runners, and not one bad moment – I do like trail races!

Frieth Hilly 2011

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Setting out for the Chiltern village of Frieth a bit before 8am I was wondering whether I was overdressed for the ride what with winter boots, waterproof, leggings, gloves and hat. Soon enough I was glad of them though as I left Oxford and found myself surrounded by cold fog. I stopped and turned my rear flasher on. Winching the fixie up Watlington Hill was hard work and maybe not the best preparation for a hilly 10k run but at least it warmed me up. Red Kites were just about everywhere.

I met up with fellow VC&ACs Mary and Ade at the start, Simon turned up later but we caught up with him at the finish. By 9:30 the sun had broken through and it was turning into a fine autumn morning, warm enough for shorts and vest and perfect for a run in the woods. The vicar said his bit then we all gathered on the road for the start. Dead on 10am we were off!

A flattish start along the road then soon we were on a path through woods then a field with great views of rolling mist in the valleys far below (in fact a lot of this turned out to be smoke from a bonfire but it looks much nicer when you think it’s mist). Then down a twisting path through more woods and continuing down over fields, the sort of descent it’s best just to let go and pray for the best on. I passed a few on that downhill but seeing Ade, who had passed me earlier, way ahead down at the bottom suggested he’d gained many places. We joined the road and got a chance to settle into a steady pace for a bit through the villages of Fingest and Skirmett where the landlord of The Frog offers support in the form of a free pint ‘2nd time round’ (this is a single lap course).

At the end of Skirmett we turn left and start climbing, then soon right onto a track where we continue climbing. My earlier 8 minute miling is reduced to 10 at best and this continues for a good while as we gain height through the woods. A few are walking and passing isn’t always easy. I try and push harder as I hope to get under 53:40 which would be a course best but my breakfast is threatening a reappearance so not too hard.

Eventually, after a zigzag through the woods that stumped any sense of direction I might have retained, the course flattens out and that feeling of being on top reappears. We join a bit of road, this is Parmoor I think, there is a sign warning drivers that the Marlow Half will use these roads in a couple of weeks, a reminder to those of us entered that we will be climbing back up here first weekend of November.

A track round big fields with views and I’m still in with a chance of a course best so try and keep the pace up. Then we turn left onto road and it’s not far to go but still a last hill to climb – Frieth is probably the highest point of the race and that last 0.2 of a mile is where we regain the remaining height.

The photographer missed me this year (2011) but here I am in 2009 being beaten up the last hill by a gorrilla.

Then we turn back into the school and the announcer encourages us each by name. I cross the line in 53:29 142/286 so get my course best and just scrape into the first half of the field. The Frieth Hilly is a great race in lovely countryside and always well organised and fun.

Back on the bike with my tired legs the climb back up to Christmas Common goes on for ever, I keep pedaling though I suspect it would be quicker to walk it. The stretch from Watlington back to Oxford seems to take ages but I actually get home just a bit after 1pm and despite 42 miles round trip on the fixie and 10 hilly kilometres run I’m already looking forward to Marlow.

Ridgeway Run 2011

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I hadn’t originally planned on doing the Ridgeway Run this year despite really enjoying the 2010 edition. I already meant to attend Abingdon parkrun on Saturday 8th Oct for another PB attempt and had an easy 8 mile trail run down on the training plan for the Sunday. As it happened my parkrun was my 2nd slowest yet at 24:12, though I placed 11/43 so maybe we were all at bit slow what with wet grass and a strong breeze. I was pleased with my reasonably consistent pace for a change though and would have been a few seconds faster if I hadn’t felt like throwing-up when I tried to wind it up for the last couple of hundred metres. Maybe I will try forgoing breakfast next time.

Rich Kennington, the race photographer, had also turned up for parkrun but nobly volunteered himself as tail-runner instead at the last minute, he did ask if I was running the Ridgeway Run and seemed to think he’d seen my name down for it. Of course I started thinking and 9:00am the next day I was at Tring Park Cricket Club handing over my on the line entry.

I met fellow Vegetarian Cycling and Athletics Club member Mary Davis and we ended up walking the 10 minutes to the start and running the first bit together. VCAC Simon Cope caught us after a mile or so having arrived late and and having to play catch up. I was feeling pretty good considering the efforts of the previous day and took off after him up the second hill. I passed the Bridgewater Monument sooner than expected but remembered from last year that there was a bit more climbing to do.

The temperature was just right and the terrain and scenery were great with trees all around and no tarmac in sight. I was bursting though so took up off a side path for a leak, soon to be joined by another desperate runner. Meanwhile Simon repassed me so I overtook again and soon after we turned south west and after a descent were running along a part sunken track, the Ridgeway itself I think, through grassy hilltop into a rather strong headwind.

A steep haul up the first of two lumps on Pitstone Hill reduced a few to walking but I was enjoying the benefits of a slow start and was overtaking more than I was overtaken. Then it was down the other side and almost immediately spend any remaining oomph up the second crest where Rich waited in the wind with his camera.

Next a good, long, ‘technical’, descent through the woods watching out for protruding roots and slippery, wet chalk bits. Walkers were sharing the path in both directions but most stepped aside good humouredly. We rejoined the outwards route along a track through a couple of farms then sadly back to civilisation for the last bit though I was ready for a bit of flat and even terrain.

About a mile from the finish one of the marshalls spotted my VCAC vest and gave me a shout saying she was in Vegan Runners. I chatted away a few hundred metres with a Bearbrook Jogger (I think she was anyway) who was interested in VCAC, she said she hoped for a 1:30 finish so I let her go.

Then we were efficiently marshalled across a road and back into the Cricket Club grounds where the finish was conveniently near our entrance. A commemorative technical T-shirt for all runners seemed a good deal for only £12 entry fee. 1:30:24 for me, 314/517, with Simon and Mary finishing a few minutes afterwards. About 3 minutes slower than last year but I was happy with that and was very pleased I’d decided to give it a go. The lesson seems to be that yes I can run a race the day after a fast parkrun effort so long as I don’t go trying for a PB.

Run Jericho 2011

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I’d spotted the inaugural Run Jericho 10k on the Fetch calender and being less than 4 miles from home I couldn’t resist entering. What with a PB attempt at the 10th Abingdon parkrun planned for the day before I had no illusions that I’d be doing more than pottering round enjoying what sounded like an interesting multiterrain course.

Saturday’s parkrun didn’t quite come off – in fact it turned out to be my slowest of the 4 I’ve run. At the time I thought I was running well and that my slower time was due to it being a bit windier than usual for both the ride out to Abingdon and for the run. Looking back though I remember having a discussion about the Vegetarian Cycling & Athletics Club with Carrie part of the way round and lets face it managing any sort of conversation during a 5k PB attempt suggests you’re really just not trying hard enough. I finished in 24:08, 25/59, compared to 23:37 at my 1st attempt; 23:48 for my second and 23:40 3rd run – I will try and work out the pattern behind these numbers so I can predict when a PB is due and when just to stay in bed and not bother.

So Sunday, after a very poor night’s sleep, I reluctantly dragged my already aching legs down to St Barnabas school in Jericho. I’d revised my 50 minute target to 55 as I really didn’t feel up to much of an effort. I got there just before the kids 1k started so hung about in the closed road outside the gate to cheer them off. There was a lot of noise and laughter as they were sent on their way, the faster ones looking determined then the little ones holding dad’s hand then lastly a lad was crawling with what looked like socks on his hands.

I went and collected my number and said hello to a couple of familiar faces, Paul the landlord from The Garden, the nearby veggie pub and Barry from Headington Road Runners. A good proportion of the field looked like parents and locals in it for the fun though there were also a fair smattering of fast looking club runners. The morning aches had worn off, or maybe the ibuprofen had cut in, and I was looking forward to getting going. We got ourselves into the appropriate time slots ready for the start and after a few minutes delay due to cows on the course we were off.

I took it easy as we ran along Juxton Street then a bit of Walton Street and down Walton Well Road to cross the bridge into Port Meadow. All familiar territory for me. A faster runner overtook to take his place up field and I passed a few of the over ambitious as we headed for the Thames and I was surprised that we avoided any bottlenecks as we crossed the 2 bridges to join the Thames Path on the other side. The ‘path’ along here is a mix of various single tracks through short cow cropped and patted grass across a not very level surface. Good fun but watch the footing.

We ran and enjoyed the sun, there were marshals to direct us slightly off the path so we didn’t have to deal with the gates (which did make me rather wonder just what the gates are for). The cows had apparently resisted attempts to disturb their morning and were lying either side of the path just inches from our track chewing away and not showing any signs of panic as we sped between them.

I couldn’t have looked at the route map very closely as instead of crossing the lock as I expected we carried on past the ruined Godstow Abbey then joined the road to cross the twin bridges by the Trout pub and return to Port Meadow by what used to be the Wolvercote Bridge swimming area complete with changing facilities back when such things were encouraged.  A much appreciated water station at the 5k point then onto the pavement to cross the railway bridge then right into Wolvercote Green where we unexpectedly took a narrow track through reed beds for a couple of minutes before joining the Oxford Canal towpath back into Oxford. All well marshalled so I doubt anyone got lost.

I’d thought the towpath would be a bit narrow to carry a race while the general public walk their dogs and the fish botherers fill the grassy bits with their supplies and torture equipment. We all seemed to mingle in together fine though and there was sufficient passing places to prevent any problems. I did seem to be overtaking a few at this stage as the hot and bothered and the less experienced came to the conclusion that maybe 10k is quite a long way and perhaps they shouldn’t have gone off so fast.

A couple of kilometres later, each kilometre brightly signed with the school kids efforts at markers and also clarified by slightly more legible numbers, we left the canal and returned to Port Meadow where we soon rejoined the outbound route and I made a bit of an attempt to speed up for the finish.

52:03 87/234 for what my GPS reckoned as 10.2k was good enough considering and the great route and fun atmosphere had totally turned round the unenthusiastic mood I’d started the day with. I’ll look out for this one next year when it’s timed to coincide with the Olympic torches coming to town!