Before I go into detail on the SVP100... you should be warned that I have decided to blog a bit more often! This decision was reached on the basis that (a) unless you write about a race then it never happened; (b) unbelievably some people have told me that they enjoy reading them; and (c) all of my mates do not have enough to take the piss out of me for - so here is more fodder for the cannons. 

 

With that in mind this blog is going to focus not just on the SVP100 but also my recovery from The Spine Challenger in January, some of the races in the build up to the SVP100 and inadvertently the arrival of our baby girl (Úna) and the balance of running and parenthood (it can be achieved). Settle in and get yourself a cup of tea…

 

For those that have read my blog on The Spine Challenger from earlier in the year – it is fair to say that I finished that race absolutely broken. It was a brute. It took me two weeks just to start walking properly again and then probably another two weeks to start running properly again. It was by far the hardest recovery from anything that I have ever experienced. After swearing that I would never do the race again I now look back on it fondly and when alone and enjoying some quiet time I hear voices whispering to me “The Spine, The Spine…”. However, that issue is probably for another day and best not discussed in front of the wife.

 

Given the arrival of our first child in June – I had decided (or agreed with Caoimhe) that I would limit the amount of races that I did in 2015. In truth I had come to this sensible conclusion on my own. In 2014 I had completed a total of 8 races in 12 months, all of marathon length or longer. The lack of recovery, combined with work (horrible 70+ hour weeks) and the pregnancy was taking a toll on my health and stress levels.

 

I should add here that the SVP100 was actually a replacement for the UTMB. After a few years of trying I finally got a place in the ballot for UTMB this year! Unbelievably bad timing! Alas with the baby on the way I decided that I just didn’t have the proper time, focus or desire to commit to it – looking back this was the right decision and there will be opportunities to do it again in the future…

 

With that in mind I signed up to the SVP100 in August (post arrival of the baby) and the Brighton Marathon (April) and Stour Valley Marathon (June). The aim was to use the races earlier in the year to build some strength, pace and conditioning ahead of the SVP100 in August. All of the races were also strategically located not too far from our new home in Essex, such that they could be traveled too and completed in one day (with me home in time to look after Caoimhe and / or the baby). Simples.

 

The Brighton Marathon was first. The aim for this was simple – run as fast as possible from start to finish and preferably under 3:30. My description of this race would be as follows:

 

• Perfect last sunny weekend away before the arrival of the baby.
• Flu in the week building up to the race (such that we only made the call to go at the last minute).
• Endless miles of tarmac that I have no desire to do for a while. As a test of pace it was interesting, but one of the most boring races I have done for a while and a reminder of why I enjoy trails and fell (and longer or shorter stuff).
• Finished in 3:31:48. Reasonably happy given the flu.

 

Next up was the Stour Valley Marathon in June. I am not going to go into full detail on this race – but what I will say is this – it is a fantastic race – arguably one of the best ones that I have done. Unlike Brighton it has left me with the agonising feeling of wanting to go back and race it every year.

 

Kevin (the Race Director) has created something truly special. The scenery is amazing, the trails very runnable and yet demanding (there are a few hills to contend with) and the support from the local community is the cherry on top. I haven’t signed up for next year yet, but this race will be high up on the list and it just depends on how logistics work with other things next year. If I do miss it then I will be gutted.

 

Once again in the run up to the Stour Valley Marathon I fell ill (there is a theme developing) – this time even worse than before Brighton. Having never had Tonsillitis before during my 32 odd years on this planet, I managed to get it on the Monday before the race. Thus a quick trip to the doctors and a rapid dose of antibiotics with the aim of making it to the start line fully fit. I did make it to the start line, but not anywhere near full strength. I bumbled around in 4:35:42 with one eye almost permanently on my phone (note: Caoimhe was 37 weeks pregnant at this point – much to the amusement of many of the spectators and the horror of the off duty paramedics at the finish).

 

Next up (and you’ll be pleased to know the final part of this blog) was the main event of the summer – the Stour Valley Path 100. A 100km race along the trails of the Essex-Suffolk border from Newmarket in Suffolk to Manningtree in Essex.

 

I will add here that Úna Cecily Conway-Jones was born at 14.17 on 15 July 2015 – precisely 17 days overdue. Am not going into detail on this – but she and life ever since have been brilliant. Our lives have definitely changed, but only for the better.

 

Lots of people have asked me if I have reduced or given up running since her arrival and the simple answer to this is "No". Sure, it was difficult in the first couple of weeks getting out (not least as I didn’t want to leave mother and baby alone), but the reality is that I enjoy running and it helps keep me stable and in a “happy space”. I am much better equipped to deal with the things that life throws at me because of running and Caoimhe will testify to the fact that I am (generally) nicer to be around after a good run.

 

With all of that in mind I completed more miles in the run up to the SVP100 than any other race and felt the fittest I have ever been going into a race. Looking back at this post race I attribute this to the following:

 

• Ironically more sleep – paternity leave actually gave me more time to sleep, rest and relax than work.
• Strength and conditioning work in the gym (I know that it shows).
• Some double runs or cycling on easy days – but only when time and body allowed without overdoing it.
• Running easy days at a much slower pace than usual (close to SVP100 race pace) and harder days at higher intensity.
• Losing c. 5kg in weight in the months leading up to the race (mainly through stress I suspect).
• Specificity. I did not get a chance to recce any of the route (apart from covering some of it as part of the Stour Valley Marathon), but the trails around where I live in Essex are remarkably similar to the terrain on the Stour Valley Path. This made the race mentally and physically so much easier.
• Finally – given my recent spate of illnesses during the taper period I spent the week before the race digesting what was probably an unhealthy amount of Vitamin C and walking around with a permanent bottle of antibacterial hand wash. People on the tube / train who coughed and / or sneezed were met with a withering look of disdain and work colleagues with colds were ordered home…

 

So onto the SVP100…

 

My objectives for this race again were simple:

 

• Plan A – finish in under 11:30 – stretch target achievable only if everything went 100%.
• Plan B – finish in under 12:30 – based on pacing in training this was tough but achievable. This also got me to the finish in time for the 7.30pm feed…
• Plan C – finish in under 13:30.  

 

The race started at Newmarket – the home of British Horseracing – at 7am. There is a later start at 9am as well for those people that felt they could complete in under 13.5 hours, but in view of wanting to be complete in time for the 7.30pm feed I elected to start at the earlier time of 7am.

 

The build up to the race had been about as perfect a build up as I have ever had to a race. New baby – sleeping through the night. Work – not busy (off on paternity leave for a month). Relaxed and fit and well. Therefore I was due something to go wrong – the taxi I booked for 5.15am didn’t turn up.

 

Some of the other local runners travelling from in and around Chelmsford had gathered at mine at the ungodly hour of 5.15am to get a taxi to Newmarket (c. 1 hour away).  The taxi didn’t turn up. Phone calls were made, lies were listened too, more calls were made, threats of retaliation were made – the taxi just didn’t turn up. Eventually at 5.45am we managed to flag a random taxi driver down on the road and after some pleading (and exchange of money) he agreed to take us to Newmarket. We got there at 6.40am – registered, dropped off bags (and other stuff) and made our way quickly to the start line. Not the start to the day we had planned, but not the end of the world.  

 

The race started promptly at 7am. My plan for the early part of the race was to keep a slow and steady pace for the first 3 hours and try and not blow up / dehydrate in the muggy conditions.

 

The first few km’s of the race are straight up a road alongside the race course and I quickly settled into a nice steady pace, letting other people run off at a fair old clip ahead of me.

 

After c. 2.5kms you take a left onto Devil’s Dyke and it feels like the race is properly beginning. Conditions were slippery underfoot from the rain over the previous few days which made the going a little tougher than it should have been – but it was still a pleasant morning to be out for a run! For these first few km’s it is difficult to overtake people so I just settled in and took it nice and easy…

 

Much of the Stour Valley Path is trail, grass, rutted fields, hills and some road / bridleway and so it was for the first part – passing through Stetchworth and some other smaller villages, Checkpoint 1 (Great Thurlow) came after about 19kms and was completed in c. 2:07 – fractionally slower than the pace I had planned, but I felt in great shape and had eaten and drank as planned.

 

After quickly refilling my bottles / bladder and grabbing some snacks I was on my way and making up some places – overtaking some people as I passed through the checkpoint.

 

Checkpoint 1 to Checkpoint 2 (Clare Castle) was more of the same – trail, road, grass, hills and after c. 37kms I arrived in c. 4:14 – again slightly behind plan (c. 10 mins). Between these checkpoints I had met with a runner from Belfast (Paul from memory) and we ran together for a bit and even did some posing for the photographer out on the course (see photo below)! Whilst I felt in great shape, the tweak in my left hamstring as a result of this jump was a gentle reminder to take the race a little more seriously and focus! The humidity from the morning was beginning to drop at this stage and the sun was just beginning to warm up – at this point I was glad that I had purposefully started slow, but felt great.

 

 

 

My plan at the start had been to get to Checkpoint 3 (Long Melford – 53kms) and feel in great shape (or as great as I could be after 53kms). I got a little lost on this section (which added about 15 mins – not great, but not the end of the world) and I arrived in 6:05 – about 20 mins slower than planned. On the way into Long Melford I had teamed up with Michelle at about 46kms who I was set to run the rest of the race with. Michelle had finished as first placed lady in 2014 and when I met up with her she was lost, maybe a little cross (having been running around in circles for 15 mins trying to find the path) and third placed lady…

 

 

 

When Michelle found out that I had the route plugged into my Suunto Ambit – she seemed keen to stick with me and it’s always nice to have some company in the latter stages of these types of race where it inevitably always gets tougher.

 

What I hadn’t planned for was the slight quickening of pace. Whilst she denied it at the time, it seemed Michelle was on a “slight” mission to regain some lost time and thus the last few kms into Long Melford were some of the quickest of the race for me. The pace felt good and comfortable, but I was also conscious that the afternoon was heating up and we were only halfway.

 

As well as being “halfway”, Long Melford also had other attractions for me. Caoimhe, Úna and my mum were planning on meeting me there. Having support on these longer races is always great and even though Úna was a little warm in the afternoon sunshine (and crying) and clearly put off by the smell of her dad (crying), it was still great to have them all there. The checkpoint was superbly positioned next to Long Melford cricket club (where a game was in progress) and stacked with food, coke and other goodies. After some refreshments and topping up of snacks we were off…

 

 

 

Feeling in good shape but with the afternoon warming up nicely, we decided a sensible strategy would be to settle in to a comfortable pace (“dawdle”) until Nayland (c. 80kms) and then use whatever was left in the tank from there.

 

From experience I have found that the dangers in these types of race are that you run too hard when you are feeling good. You have to make a conscious effort to hold yourself back and it makes the low points (that will inevitably come) that little bit easier to deal with.

 

Checkpoint 4 (Lamarsh – c. 68kms) came after c. 7:50 hours of running / dawdling – about 25 mins down on plan. The checkpoint was right next to The Lamarsh Lion Inn and the support from the locals was fantastic. Remarkably the legs still felt in reasonably good shape and we were even running up hills still at this stage. The problem at this stage was that I was finding it increasingly difficult to consume food. I was switching to some gels that I had stashed away for the end of the race, but these were also not sitting quite right in the stomach.

 

After getting a little lost (amazing considering I had the route right on my wrist), we arrived in Checkpoint 5 (Nayland – c. 81kms) in c. 9:32 hours (c. 30 mins down on plan) and the day was beginning to take its toll (so much for the strong finish). My legs still felt great but the hills were becoming increasingly difficult (and seemingly bigger – I swear Essex is meant to be as flat as a pancake). The great thing was that Caoimhe, Úna and my mum were here again to cheer me on and it gave me a chance to grab some gels / tailwind to see me to the finish (no real food from here on in). Again the checkpoint was strategically positioned near a pub just to try and lure you in… “Come in, have a cold beer – you’ve done 50 odd miles – that’s enough for one day…”.

 

Checkpoint 5 to Checkpoint 6 (Stratford St Mary – c. 94kms) was my lowest section of the race. I was hot and tired and despite knowing the route from the Stour Valley Marathon earlier in the year – we got a little lost (again) coming out of Nayland (probably only 5 mins but still a little annoying at that stage). From memory there were a few big hills in this section and conversation between Michelle and I dropped to a minimum. After what seemed like forever we arrived in Stratford St Mary after c. 11:34 hours (now over an hour behind my original plan – looking back on it this is the section where I lost the most time).

 

After a slightly extended rest at the checkpoint to recover – we left with c. 50 mins to make the 7.30pm feed… it was going to be close! Luckily we were both feeling (slightly) invigorated and the running from here on in was flat – with the route running parallel to the River Stour to Brantham Leisure Centre in Manningtree. We used intervals to get us to the end – running half a mile and then walking for a couple of mins – psychologically it helped to break it down into 8 intervals to the end rather than just a 5 mile slog.

 

Finished in 12:34 with the final section slightly faster than planned, legs in good shape and most importantly just in time for the evening bottle feed! With the diversions taken I am claiming that I hit Plan B (sub 12:30). Looking back on the race it is amazing the minor things that added up over 100km (or actually close to 104km including my diversions) which meant that I didn’t achieve Plan A:

 

• c. 20 mins probably added from getting lost;
• c. 20 mins added from spending extra time in checkpoints (too many cakes and goodies to choose from); and
• c. 30 mins added in the stretch from Nayland to Stratford St Mary where I fell apart a bit (not enough to eat or drink from 50-70km - as well as probably slightly too fast a pace).

 

Don’t get me wrong though – I am still pleased with the result (new 100km PB) – however always keen to improve…

 

 

 

 

Things that went well during the race:

 

• Pacing – started slow and took on food / water early in the day.
• Nutrition – rice cakes / sweet potato brownies worked well in training and great on the day. Also generally just great snacks to have around the house…  
• Tailwind – have been using this in training and it works for me. Like Hokas, it seems to ignite some discussion in the Ultrarunning Community Facebook Forum for some unknown reason – but it seemed to work for me (particularly in the latter stages of the race when I was struggling to consume food / gels). Please note that I have no affiliation to Tailwind (before someone on the forum castigates me for promoting it).

 

So in summary – SVP100 is a fantastic race:

 

• The route is easily navigable and well marked (despite me being stupid and getting slightly lost on a couple of occasions).
• The course is relatively fast for trail and flat (albeit a few big hills and a giant Maize field to contend with towards the end).
• Checkpoints and volunteers were awesome. Whilst the checkpoints are positioned slightly further apart at the start of the race (c. 12 miles max) that is easily manageable if you are sensible.
• Scenery is simply stunning (particularly going through Flatford Mill and Dedham Vale).
• For me this is a must do race on the annual calendar.  

 

Some possible “development points” for the race:

 

• Would prefer to just have the one start (either 7am or 9am) – think it would just be nice if everyone all ran together...
• Cut offs for the 9am start are probably tighter than they need to be e.g. (1:55 for Checkpoint 1 and 4:05 for Checkpoint 2). I went through both of these checkpoints later than the cut offs and still finished well under 13.5 hours. I feel these cut offs do encourage people to run faster than they should at the start, but can understand there may also be some logistical considerations for the race organiser.
• Possibility of a drop bag at halfway. Let’s call this a “nice to have” – just means people don’t need to carry as many snacks from the start – that being said the checkpoints are absolutely stacked with food which is great. Again – appreciate the logistics mean this might not be feasible.

 

Was surprised how good my legs felt at the end of the race. I was tired and a little stiff the next day, but otherwise in good shape. In fact the Saturday after the race I went out and ran a parkrun PB (note: with the benefit of hindsight this was a stupid idea and my legs are now punishing me for this decision through a rather painful niggle in my left hip)… Lesson kids – don’t run a 100km race one weekend and a quick parkrun the next weekend… ouchy.

 

Next up is the Mourne Skyrace in October. My final race of the year (apart from the annual Mourne Turkey Trot fell race on Boxing Day each year). The Mourne Skyrace crushed me last year – by far my worst run of the year (mainly as there is so little running involved), but also weirdly the best race I did in 2014… am looking forward to it already…