Written by Richard Lendon - http://richrunnings.blogspot.fr/

I was briefly in the company of another runner, who I now know to be Splatcher from the FRA forum. If you are reading this Splatcher, you look nothing like your profile picture!

Never having climbed Skiddaw before, I had heard that it was a long, steady drudge; and so it proved. I simply put my head down and maintained a really good pace all the way up. I dibbed at the summit of Skiddaw, Peak 10 of 10, my one new peak of the day, in 13:42 and quickly picked up the descent to the SE carpark.

Skiddaw summit (honest)

1. This is a tough race. A very tough race. Out of the150 who started, 67 finished in under 24 hours, 6 over 24 hours, 31 retired, and nearly 50 competitors switched to the short course. A week on, and my knees and ankles still feel a little battered.
2. If the Spine is Britain’s most brutal race, then this has to be Britain’s most brutal single day event.
3. Superbly organised. The pre-race information was spot on. Everything seemed to run really well. The CPs were well stocked and manned by the friendliest people. Top marks. 
4. This is absolutely my kind of race. Hilly, ever changing terrain, tremendous views and scenery, and a big, big challenge. Love it. 
5. I am very tempted by the Brecon Beacons 10 Peaks! 
6. This race definitely warrants a recce. Having done many of the Peaks as well as parts of the route such as the corridor route, enabled me to navigate quickly. I also knew what was coming up! 
7. I seem to have discovered the secret to mental strength in ‘long’ races. Not sure how or what’s the secret but in my last 2 events, I have found that once I am into a race, I have a absolute unerring confidence that I will finish, even when the going gets physically tough. I am moving checkpoint to checkpoint and not allowing myself to consider the actual finish. More importantly, I think, is that I am trying to live in the moment. If I make a mistake, well, I can’t undo it, and the future is yet to come. I will probably go through some bad stages but there’s no point worrying about that until I’m there. Whatever, it seems to be working for me. 

Written by Michelle Bowen - http://www.runbowenrun.com/

I have decided to write this blog tonight whilst the feet are still warm, the quads are still tight and the shoulders are heavy.

Since my debut ultra-marathon in August last year I have squeezed in a few races, I have loved everyone and yet there was something special with the Clif Bar 10 Peaks. I think it was a combination of the close community of volunteers and marshals and this race being one that truly tested the heart and mind as well as fitness and physical capability.

I made a few mistakes in my last race – Race to the Stones, whilst still happy to finish 6^th lady, I found it hard going from the 30 mile mark as a result of poor preparation. I was determined to get back on track with the preparation for this race, namely my race nutrition. I recalled the Berghaus Trail Team presentation by TORQ specialist Ben, 3 units of TORQ product per hour (energy drink, gel and/or bar) and whilst your mental and physical ability will get you to reach the end, not enough can be said for adequate fuelling of your body for such endurance events.

#Team J=Ollie my support crew

Me and my support crew, #Team J-Ollie, made our way to YHA Danywenallt in the Brecon Beacons to set up camp on the Friday night as it was a 5am start. We met some crazy guys from Nottingham, namely ‘Whack’ the ex-para who was great fun and the camaraderie I love about the ultra-running community was there from the onset. Most of us were bedded down quite early in expectation of the gruelling course ahead.

Race prep with the ultra-box

It was a 4am rise for most, in the dark you could hear and feel the anticipation as everyone finished their race prep, had breakfast, dressed and talked through their thoughts on what lay ahead. It was already warm at this point, a far cry from the Brecon’s Ultra I did in December.

The long course set off at 5am and had 2 mandatory peaks to hit before we began the 10 peak countdown… does that technically mean it was the Brecon Beacons 12 Peaks? To the first dibber it was a nice long steady climb enough to warm the legs up and to spread the field out a little, another 1.5km on from here I made my usual navigation error, not paying attention and following the head torch of the guy in front we picked up the return leg for about another 1km or so before realising. A quick off route detour, we came down a steep descent to pick up again on the right track, unfortunately losing a little ground. I figure it would not be the same if I didn’t nav wrong at some point.

I hit the climb up to Twyn Mwyalchod hard to try and pull back some places and then onto checkpoint one, which was a really long intense descent down to the road. This was the first point I saw #Team J-Ollie patiently waiting for me to arrive, all too excited I failed to notice the bridge and ran straight through the stream!

It was about another 10km to Checkpoint 2 and hard work as there was a lot of unmarked track over moorland. There were 2 dibber points along the way, Fan Fawr (734m) and Fan Lila (632m). Due to the kind weather of late, the ground was quite firm and I only manage to lose my trainer once.

Again another descent followed into the carpark for Checkpoint 2, I was feeling a few hotspots on the feet already at this point so went for a sock change before they developed.

Checkpoint 2 to 3 was relatively flat along a marked track, good to get the legs going again and to make up some ground. At this point there were 3 of us that were chopping and changing positions, I got the feeling that my ability to get past them on the climb was a waste of time when it came to the descending and they both just coasted past. We all hit Checkpoint 3 around the same time, quickly taking what I needed from my drop bag, I set off with the others to continue the cat and mouse game. After a few more climbs I called back “No doubt I’ll see you half way down”…

It was now a long way to hit the next 2 peaks, Fan Brycheiniog (802m) and Bannau Sir Gaer (749m). A head for heights was required at this point as we ran along the ridgeway, the view was spectacular and just below you could see Llyn y Fan Fawr.

On a dreaded descent

The route to Checkpoint 4 was similar to 2 to 3 there were rolling hills through marked and unmarked moorland. I was eager to get to the checkpoint as I had been out of fluid for about 30 minutes now, it was really warm and I was sweating a lot. At the checkpoint, I took on 200ml of rehydration salts and refilled my Camelpak with TORQ energy. It was a good job too as the next climb was so severe, I think was by far the hardest. Fan Gyhirych (725m) climbed almost vertical from the road, it was relentless and in my mind I was counting 20 steps upright followed by 20 steps forward pushing off my thighs. Just when you thought you were nearly there it became obvious this was going on for a bit longer as it increased from 600m to 725m. I remember at one point I was literally on hands and knees pulling on the grass to pull myself up, I had to take a few minutes breather before pushing on to the top.

Still with the same running buddies, we had worked well together on the climbs and descents but unfortunately one dropped off on this climb.

We hit another smaller peak, Fan Nedd (663m) before coming onto the roman road, which although was incredibly difficult and painful to run on at this stage it was a relief to get on some flat ground for a while. Another smaller peak to hit Fan Frynych (629m) before we descended down a tricky path to checkpoint 5, the Storey Arms. At this point my quads we shot, the balls of my feet were on fire. A slightly longer but much needed pit stop allowed 2 other runners to come up behind us unfortunately for me it was lady number 3 and she was looking fresh.

We set off in opposite directions, lady number 3 and her pacer set off according to route and took the longer but slightly less intense climb up to the infamous Pen-Y-Fan, we under the recommendation of a marshal took the more intense but shorter Beacons Way. With not enough power left in the legs, the heat and sore feet, this proved to be the wrong decision and they made it to the top before us. Dibber points 8, 9 and 10 were close together and rolling ascents into descent, from Pen-Y-Fan to Cribyn to Fan-Y-Big being our last checkpoint.

The journey back was long, the descents had taken their toll and whilst I still felt strong on level ground any slight decline was hurting now. Me and my new running buddy (Jonathon) kept a good pace to track the long 6km to the finish, keen to get in before the sun went down, the final descent to the road I never thought would end but miraculously the pain subsides temporarily as you’re overcome with adrenaline at the thought of completion.

Jonathon… 10 Peaks running buddy

As always my support crew were there when I needed them, I definitely feel like I got back on top with the preparation. I said before I ran I would run hard but not race, it’s very difficult to keep the competitive spirit at bay. Every time I complete one of these amazing endurance events it highlights my weaknesses but weaknesses that can be worked on and improved, more importantly it highlights my strengths. This one tested the legs and lungs, without doubt it was physically tough but with a strong mind and passion for what I do I proved to be unbreakable one more time.

I lay in my tent that night – after a very cold shower and copious amounts of hot sweet tea, listening to the runners coming back at midnight, 1am, 2am, 3am, 4am and my hat is off to you, the Brecon Beacons at night is not a place I would like to be. Around 5am, I heard there was still one guy out, I wonder if his navigation skills are as bad as mine or whether he simply came to exhaustion. The Brecons are an amazing place; there is a reason the SAS our elite force uses this as their training ground and I sure as hell found out why!

Brecon Beacon 10 (12) Peaks there is only one thing left to say “Good god it was a toughie!”

Amazing view from the car as we left

…Next year? Not sure yet?

Written by Jason Schlarb - http://www.jasonschlarb.com/

UTMB and My Summer

What a wild ride.  Not just UTMB, but my crazy season of traveling for three months in a Campervan with my family through the Alps, has been an epic adventure.

Touring the Alps with my family was a wonderful experience full of alpine beauty, European culture and all sorts of fun and diverse experiences together.   Training in the Alps has been a real dream come true, but I knew this new training playground would result in my body teetering between a tired out body or a body fit to run like a European mountain elite.

I knew I would leave the Alps with wonderful memories, but I desperately wanted, and in a way, really needed a great race at UTMB.  Spending the summer in the Alps with the focus of preparing for UTMB and then having a bad result would be mentally crushing for me, especially after a lackluster spring of racing.

Lead-Up

There is a lot of speculation on why American men can’t seem to perform at UTMB, so I’m going to give a bit more detail on the lead up to my race to shed light on my experiences before and druing the race.

After monumental performances at Speedgoat 50k and then at Run Rabbit Run 100 mile last summer, I had a long fall and winter where I dealt with injury early on and then inconsistent training that lacked long term scope and structure.

I showed up to Trans Gran Canaria 125k with less than optimal fitness, but never even made it to 50k due to a lingering cold.  By May I had managed a fairly decent base of training but I wasn’t ready to really perform which resulted in an “OK” 13th at Trans Vulcania.  Arriving in the Alps in June I wasn’t ready for the insane climbing of the Mount Blanc 80k and had a demoralizing beat down that inlcuded laying down in the trail and lots of walking.  Not long after June, my body adjusted to Euro running and I linked together 6 weeks of great training that included 3 training races followed by a good taper for UTMB.  In July I did back to back 50Ks in Annecy France and St Piere Switzerland and a Vertical Kilometer in Val Thorens France at the beginning of August.   I ran a lifetime best week of 132 miles and 31,000 feet of climbing.  I was running big Euro mountains, but just as importantly, I was taking easy flat recovery days along with an easier week every third week, something some American runners aren’t doing.  Recovery and moderation in training is something Julien Chorier and I talked about and both agree is greatly lacking in our sport.  The Killian approach of massive climbs and long days everyday, week after week all season, destroys way too many American runners.

UTMB

The line up of runners on the start line was overwhelming and I frankly had adjusted my initial goal of top 5 to top 10 about a week before.  All the while, a little voice inside of my head whispered and still continues to whisper, that there is both potential and ability within my reach to put me well into the top 5 at UTMB caliber races.  I need to work on believing that voice.

Standing on the start line with emotional and dramatic music blaring I wasn’t nervous, I was more relieved and genuinely excited to loop Mt Blanc.  With my attentions being focused on this day for so long, I was unusually ready to start the race.

The race stormed through crowds of cheering spectators that line the course for over a mile before jumping on a bike path with a gradual downhill slope.  I wasn’t too worried about running 6 to 6:30 miles for the first 5 miles, I was comfortable and it was fun.  Just before the race started it began to heavily rain and didn’t stop for nearly 4 hours, but I was comfortable and warm enough in my Smartwool shorts, t-shirt and arm sleeves.  Once the first climb hit, things became more “normal” for a mountain 100 mile.  I relaxed and got to work.  Over the next few hours I ran with a number of people to include Hal Kroener, Andrew Tuckey and Mike Wardian.  Eventually I caught up to Mike Foote, a Spanish North Face runner and Timothy Olson.  I was usually running with a mix of team North Face until the last climb and flat section before Courmayeur where I had a bad stretch and ran alone.  I didn’t have any particular problem with my body, just a general physical and mental weariness that isn’t unusual in such a long race.  I often don’t sleep well before races and this week leading up to the race was particularly rough, which might have contributed to this rough patch.
Catching up to a runner who was having headlamp issues on the steep descent helped me snap out of my funk and I went from 12th to 11th place.  The runner shadowed me all the way into Courmayeur where I received a wonderful rejuvenation of spirit seeing my wife Maggie.  As was the case at all the aid stations, I was in and out in no more than a few minutes, loading up on Vitargo and encouragement.  Positive energy continued to grow as I passed the Spanish North Face runner who was sitting on the side of the road talking on his cell phone and suddenly I was in the top 10.   Nico Mermoud gave me a report as I began the steep climb our of Courmayeur that there were two guys just ahead.  I passed Sondre and the other runner before making it to the top of the climb.  At the top of the climb is one of the longest flatter stretches besides the start and I was excited to move fast.  Not long into the flat section I passed my good friend Mike Foote where he told me he was nursing a sore knee and I moved into 7th place.

Rejuvenating

Making my way to Col Ferret, I was discouraged by the volume of people I could see making a white snake of headlamps meandering up the valley behind me.  I did my best to believe the snake was further away than it looked but I still hid my light in fear of giving it motivation to chase.  As the horizon brightened near Col Ferret I had my favorite moments of mountain splendor in the race.  Giant peaks and grand ridge lines painted a silhouette that was nothing less than breathtaking.
The descent into Switzerland was the most frustrating terrain of the race with horribly slick mud.  I had to run off the side of the trail to stand any chance of not falling down.  In drier conditions this long descent would have been blazing fast, instead I’m confident it took an extra 45 minutes.   At the aid station an unusually excited Bryon Powell reported that there were two guys just ahead not 3 minutes, one of which was Anton.  With my spirits charged, I pressed on.  Passing Anton, I asked how he was doing and he reported that he had only had two gels since Courmayeur many hours before and his stomach was a wreck.  I offered him some of my Vitargo and he refused saying he needed a bag of chips.  I passed the other runner and with Luis dropping I gained the position of 4th place.

On the way to Champex Lac, I got to a point where running and power hiking was painful.  Comfortable running was over.  It was time to gut it out and endure.  At the next few aid stations I was encouraged by Joe Grant that 3rd place looked awful and that I could catch him, but the 30-45 minute gap was outside of my mental motivation capacity at that point.

Crossing into France moving continued to be painful and slow, but I would have short stretches of comfortable faster running that usually occurred for a few miles after seeing Maggie.  The race also took a turn towards worrying about Gediminas, the Lithuanian Inov8 runner, catching me.  Gediminas ran somewhere between 3-5 minutes behind me for several painful hours, until he made a push or maybe I slowed on the last climb to La Fleger.  At one point Gediminas was maybe 90 seconds behind me.  I was so tired of trying to run away from Gediminas I finally cracked mentally and was ready for him to pass me.  While ridiculous, I started to resent the people cheering me on as I despised the fact that they would be telling Gediminas that I was only a minute ahead and that he could surely catch me.  At La Flegere with 10k to go I regained my spirits and for the first time ever in a race I popped my emergency “go juice” called “Feine”, essentially powered caffeine that I put in my water.  I ran down the long last descent which was fairly technical and steep like a wild animal.  I was yelling, grunting and just going nuts blazing down to the finish.  I ended up putting 10 minutes on Gediminas during my primal voyage to the finish line.

 The Last Climb

Pandemonium broke loose as I began to high five people lining the streets and  cheering me on.  I broke out my American Flag from Iraq and emotions swelled.  Felix ran out to meet me and then Maggie.  We finished together as a family and together said a prayer thanking God for blessing me with a wonderful day, race and capstone to my summer season.  21:39 was my finishing time for the 105 mile and 31,000 feet of climbing course.

Equipment

My equipment and nutrition couldn’t have worked better.  While I must thank all my sponsors for their support, I am going to list what I used in my race because it really works and works well.

I wore Altra Paradigms for shoes, my absolute favorite shoe… 9oz, max cushion, zero drop, foot shaped toe box, cut out traction: AWESOME.   Smartwool PhD Run Top, Shorts, Ultra Light Mini Socks and Arm Sleeves for clothing.  I use Flora products to keep me and my family strong and healthy with a range of products from 7 Sources Oil, to Grape Seed Extract to Flora Pro-Essence to Flora Medicinal Teas.  I wore Julbo Trail Sunglasses and a visor when it was sunny.

I took around 150 calories an hour of Vitargo in my water and had ZERO stomach issues or bonks.  I used an Ultimate Direction Scott Jurek running vest.  I wore a Petzel NAO for my headlamp and a Garmin 910xt watch(it lasted the whole 21 hours!). I used an Elevation Tat to keep track of where I was on the course.

A Moment I will Never Forget

Next Up….

Grand Raid Africa Diagonal des Fous 100 Mile!  

Written by Mimi Anderson - http://marvellousmimi.com/

Stupidest quote “I can’t believe there are so many hills in this race”

10 days post Double Grand Union Canal Race my legs feel good but won’t be ready to run for another few days.  The events of the Bank Holiday weekend haven’t really sunk in it all seems a bit of a dream, but what an amazing dream it was!

The Grand Union Canal Race (or GUCR as its affectionately known as) is the brain child of Dick Kearn, a marvellous man full of character and a real passion for running.  The race itself starts at Gas Street in Birmingham where it follows the Grand Union Canal all the way to Little Venice in London, 145 miles in total.  The race is so popular that entries are done on a ballot basis and competitors come from all over the world to take part.  Runners can be supported by their own crew, or unsupported where Dick and his team look after them.  There is a time limit of 45 hours to complete the race and no stopping for more than 40 minutes is allowed otherwise the competitor is deemed to have left the race.

This race holds a very special place in my heart.  I first took part in 2004 as a qualifier for Badwater Ultra Marathon and finished in a time of 39 hours 39 minutes which I was delighted with as my target had been to try and finish in under 40 hours (I had only been running ultras since 2001).  My second run in 2010 was completely different, I returned with the aim of breaking the female course record, this I did by over 3 hours finishing in a time of 28 hrs 12 minutes (Debbie Martin Consani has since broken my record) I had achieved my goal and was absolutely delighted with my result.

With both races I loved the atmosphere of the race, the comradery of my fellow runners, the great support from all the support crew along the route and of course the distance so I knew that at some stage I would be back!

Why the double?  Firstly it had never been done before and someone had to be the first and secondly I have always enjoyed pushing myself just that little bit further and doing things that perhaps other people wouldn’t consider.  It was also very important that Dick knew of my plans as I felt it would have been very disrespectful to have gone ahead without his blessing.

As I lived in Kent and James Adams who was to be doing it with me lived in London it seemed logical to run from London to Birmingham and then run back with the race.  Training went well apart from a few minor hiccups and the planning and crew were in place, now it was time to put one foot in front of the other and see what I could do.

My crew consisted of Becky Healey, Paul George and of wonderful husband HWMBO they all know me well and from my point of view I know that once I start I wouldn’t have to think about anything apart from the running which makes a huge difference.

We met up with James and Gemma at Little Venice just before 9am on Thursday 23rd May together with one of my coaching clients Tom, Kathie & her son. After a visit to the loo a few hugs James & I were sent on our way at 9 a.m. with a simple “off you go”

I must admit I was a tad nervous but excited at the same time, I love this sort of challenge it makes me feel alive! The first meeting point for the crew was 12 miles away at Hambrough Tavern, we got there on time, quick water refill then off to the next meeting point 10 miles further along.  I remember commenting to James that I would have to try and remember everything for my blog, I can never understand how some people seem to remember every minute detail of their races whereas I struggle to remember one CP to the next!

The weather was due to rain from about midday and continue raining until the early hours of Saturday morning, not very pleasant but our skin is waterproof!  We had a few showers before the 40 mile point but nothing to write home about.

James was struggling with pain in his groin which meant he kept stopping to stretch it out, you can imagine after only 22 miles he was feeling very disappointed and frustrated but kept going.

With a few miles to go before the 40.7 mile meeting point at Berkhamsted Bridge James told me he was going to stop. His groin was causing a lot of pain and because of that his head just wasn’t in the right place; to do this distance you have to have your mental head on. We walked the last mile chatting. It was very sad to say goodbye but he had made the right decision.

Having left James I had to make up over 30 minutes so picked up the pace feeling strong and positive, this is when I tend to be at my best, running alone, I get into a good space and stay there.  I was meeting my crew 9 miles down the canal at Ivinghoe Bridge, the time seemed to fly by I was in my element.  Thankfully as it wasn’t a particularly nice day there weren’t lots of fishing poles to be jumped over and sometimes I would race a canal boat! (thankfully fairly easy as they go very slowly!) I reached my crew in good time, now I only had about 25 minutes to make up.

The next meeting point was at Tesco at Leighton Buzzard where I would have a lovely coffee, this kept me moving forward as I didn’t feel I had had my quota for the day!  Arriving at LB however I couldn’t see the crew anywhere, I ran passed the canal entrance to Tesco and thought perhaps I was in the wrong place so decided to ring them just to make sure – I had arrived earlier than they had anticipated and they were sitting in the car!  I was given some food and decided to drink my coffee as I walked so not to waste time.  I was now 18 minutes behind schedule.

I had now covered 54.5 miles and was really enjoying myself.  The next 10 mile section to Peartree Bridge at 64.6 miles was good.  It was tempting on a few occasions to pop onto one of the canal boats and join the owners for a little sundowner, but with my running hat on I resisted the temptation and continued on my way!

By the time I arrived at Peartree Bridge I was 1 minute ahead of my 34 hour Schedule, oh yes, result I was now back on track.  FoxyDavy Baley and Veritie Yates joined me for the next 8 miles, which was wonderful, we chatted about their running, although I think they did more talking than me as believe it or not I don’t tend to want to talk very much when running – why do you think HWMBO doesn’t mind me running, peace and quiet!!

During the night my crew took it in turns to run sections with me, this was more from a safety point of view to make sure I didn’t fall into the canal and drown.  It was extremely cold during the hours of darkness so long running tights, long sleeved top and jacket were essential, plus gloves because if me hands start getting cold it affects the rest of me.

At about the 100 mile point my bladder began to play up.  This has happened before on other long events.  It feels exactly like cystitis (although apparently its not) which makes running very uncomfortable because the bladder is always feeling full when in fact it’s empty, so unfortunately there was lots of stopping to try and have a pee and alleviate the pressure.

Luckily for me I was able to keep up a fairly good pace during the night which kept me ahead of my 34 hour schedule so by the time I arrived at Birdingbury Bridge at mile 109.1 miles I was just under 3 hours ahead. I stayed for a minute here before continuing towards Birmingham.

When I reached the Fosse Road I was in for a real treat.  Paul had been running with me on the promise that we would have breakfast waiting for us; it felt good to sit down, eat a delicious bacon butty and a coffee, the best breakfast in the world and set me up for the remainder of the day!

Now it was light I ran on my own again which I was happy with, it gave the crew time to try and catch up on some sleep, especially as they were running with me on the return leg.  My bladder was getting worse and extremely uncomfortable so I made the decision to powerwalk the last 22ish miles from Hatton Locks Top to give my bladder time to rest and hopefully recover for the return journey.  Although I’m not very fast at walking I can keep up a fairly good pace; this wasn’t what I wanted to do as my legs were still feeling strong and I was more than capable of running but I had to look at the bigger picture of what I was trying to achieve.

At one point on Friday afternoon we had the most horrendous weather, a really strong headwind and hailstones blasting at our faces, OUCH!  I met up with the crew at Knowle Locks where I had to get into the car to defrost I was so cold.  Becky gave me my waterproof trousers, another jacket and waterproof gloves and we set off for the final 13 miles of the first half.
I was now on the final stretch and could get excited that I would do the first half in a good time and it would be faster than my original target.

My crew did a fantastic job of keeping everyone informed as to when I would be arriving at Gas Street and with only a few miles to go Becky told me that there were people waiting for me to arrive – I didn’t believe her, why would people come out to see me finish my run from London, I thought she was joking but as we got closer Paul Ali appeared and walked with us towards the finish, it was just marvellous.

Up and over the bridge I went, so close now.  Paul ran off to take photos as I came in and as I got closer more familiar faces cheering me on, under the little bridge to the finish and yet more people,  some I had never met before, it was extremely emotional and I don’t think anyone there had any idea how wonderful it was for me to have their support at that moment, thank you.

My run from London was completed in a time of 31 hours 50 minutes.  To put it into perspective the course record I broke in 2010 was 31 hours 25 minutes!

Thank you to Paul for my PINK lucozade & diet coke!

After a hot bath, massage and something to eat I slept like a baby until 4.50 a.m., nothing would have woken me up!

Now for the return leg back to London!

My goodness I slept well, waking up feeling refreshed and marvellous!  HWMBO on the other had was feeling slightly groggy and although it was definitely his turn to make coffee (it is after all “All about me”!!) I made him coffee – something wrong there, but better to keep him happy so he doesn’t get cross with me later!  My legs didn’t hurt, no blisters and I could walk normally, things were looking up for the return leg.  HWMBO was complaining of a sore knee and achilles, being the good wife that I am I ignored him!

My kit had been sorted the night before so all I had to do was get dressed, eat my porridge and enjoy my coffee before heading down to Gas Street for the start of the GUCR proper.  Myself and my crew walked round to the start, it was lovely to see all the other runners and their crews milling around getting last minute bits sorted, runners looking apprehensive about what lay ahead of them but everyone was in good spirits and looking forward to getting going.

My aim for the Race was to finish in 36 hours, I wanted to do well and also enjoy “the moment”

The runners made their way to the canal where Dick gave a short speech and suddenly we were off.  I had placed myself at the back of the runners as I certainly didn’t want to get caught up at the front with the guys who go off fast and was slightly concerned that although everything felt good when I began to run I might come to a grinding halt, so you can imagine my delight when I broke into a jog and I still appeared to be going forward, marvellous!

I was meeting my crew 10.7 miles down the canal at Catherine de Barnes, I was running comfortably and enjoying being around other people, I did walk up the ramps (rude not to!) and spent a bit of time running with Paul Ali which was lovely.  My bladder was still feeling a bit dodgy but much better than yesterday so I ignored it as much as I could.  The time seemed to fly by as I arrived at the first meeting point to see lots of familiar faces including Allan, Stouty, Pat Robbins and a lovely man with a dog who embarrassingly I can’t remember his name, very rude.

Becky treated me to some cranberry juice as it’s very good for the bladder, so at each CP I was to be given a cup of it, something I looked forward to as the day heated up. I made sure my number had been written down as I didn’t want to be missed!  I literally spent a minute here, replacing my water, ate something then off I went to the next meeting point 8 miles on.

I was in heaven, the weather was a complete contrast to the previous two days, beautiful sunshine and running what more could anyone possibly want.   Before I knew it I had arrived at Turner’s Green Bridge.  Another bit of a sandwich was thrust into my hands, drink replaced and off I went again for another 6 mile run – this running lark is great!

Tim always made me stop at each meeting point for a photo!  I was about 30 minutes behind my 36 hour schedule, but myself and the crew all seemed to be quite relaxed about this (although they did have words later!)  It was at some point along this part of the Canal (I think) that I bumped into Drew Sheffield and Claire Shelley, more chatting and hugging and of course most importantly I had to find out who was at the front of the race and was delighted to hear that James Elson was in 2nd place and Di was leading the ladies, this put a huge smile on my face as I continued on my journey.

Onwards and upwards to Hatton lock.  I got a huge cheer from various crews as I ran past the cafe, how jealous was I that they were eating bacon butties and drinking coffee. I passed one runner who was treating himself to breakfast, I enjoyed the smell as I ran passed.

Photograph by Ian Pusey

I was now 169 miles into my double.  As this was the 2nd major CP of the race I made sure they had taken my number down, quick good luck from Pat Robbins which was lovely and off I went to meet my crew a few miles on.

I was still running and legs were feeling good, my bladder was getting better but now I had the added discomfort of my food going straight through me which rather put me off eating, but quite rightly the crew said I had to eat to keep my strength up; I got to know the bushes fairly well on the way down to London and could give runners fantastic advice on which leaves are best to use! (I know, TMI)

At about the 30 mile point I came across Ellen Cottom who was walking so I walked with her as she seemed to be going through a bit of a bad patch.  Ellen had completed her first 100 miler on the Thames Path 100 earlier in the year in awful conditions but seemed to be lacking in her own ability which was a real shame as shes a determined lady.  I’m not sure whether our chat was of any help but if was lovely to catch up and I moved on towards Cuttle Bridge at mile 34.6 where not only did I meet up with my crew but Ellen’s crew as well, it was turning into quite a party!

Mile 179.

The great thing about being called Marina (that is my proper name) and running along a canal is that I’m constantly seeing my name on signposts – was definitely feeling the love.

As you can tell from my ramblings everything is a bit of a blur, not because I was tired, but I simply can’t remember what happened in huge detail between one meeting point and the next, so I apologise if I forget to mention anyone I talked to, I put it down to old age!

I ran through Birdingbury Bridge CP3 of the Race and continued on towards Flecknow Road at mile 41.4 (186 miles) still visiting the bushes on a regular basis, the imodium I had taken didn’t appear to be working, not very happy.

My crew were having a good time!

I was managing to keep up my fluids and although it didn’t stay in my system for long I was eating enough to keep my energy levels up. I even remembered to get some tissues from Ellen’s crew, something I forgot to ask for every time I met up with my crew so had been using leaves, eco friendly and all that!

It was between Flecknow road and Buckby Top Lock that I met up with Dudley, we kept on passing one another and smiling as you do! Just after mile 45 we headed off the canal and up the steps to go over Braunston Tunnel.  It was very enjoyable talking to someone, but unfortunately I had to make a quick dash behind a hedge leaving Dudley to carry on.  This was a hilly section so I was more than happy to walk. I met up with Dudley again at I think Whilton Marina where he had bought himself an ice-cream (lucky man).

Arriving at Buckby Top Lock I had to walk across the Lock to get to my crew, not easy when your legs aren’t used to lifting up that high  – they were just testing my agility!

Photograph by Ian Pusey

I was very spoiled here as Lisa Hewitt from Ellen’s crew gave me some ice to put in my cranberry juice, perfect and less than 100 miles to go! Next stop was Heart of England CP4 of the race and mile 53 (198 miles), I was really close to the 200 mile point then only 90 to go – woohoo!

The crew treated me to a delicious rice pudding, oh yummy, but its goes down easily and does the job.

Apparently according to my crew I kept on telling runners that if they needed anything not to worry my crew would help them! I like to keep them busy!!

It was about drinks time on the canal, a wonderful sight as I passed various barges with the tables all laid up with crystal glasses, the best china and vast quantities of wine, oh it looked so relaxing, but do you know I would much prefer to be running on such a lovely Saturday evening.

Remarkably I was still feeling OK, although behind my left knee felt very uncomfortable and quite badly bruised which was getting worse plus my left shine was red and also felt bruised (I think the swelling I had on the top of my foot the night before had travelled up my leg), everything seemed to feel OK when I ran.  It was a huge relief to meet my crew at the North End of Blisworth Tunnel, I stayed here for about 3 minutes having some food and a quick coffee.  There was another runner who was having problems with his abductor (I think), I did suggest that he get Becky to tape it up but he seemed quite happy looking after himself.

I felt a bit low after leaving the crew heading up the road back towards the canal going over Blisworth Tunnel.  Having sat down for 3 minutes my legs had stiffened up and were hurting and at one point I thought there was no way I could run again, but its amazing what the body is capable of after it has warmed up – also, why was I beating myself up I was walking up a hill for goodness sakes! (yes a hill)

Eventually I was back on the canal heading towards Navigation Bridge CP 5 of the Race and a real milestone, I feel that I can perhaps finish the race if I get to here.  Just before the Bridge I come across Lindley who is looking very uncomfortable and walking.  He was obviously in a lot of pain and said that his hip was causing him problems.  After a bit of a chat I wished him good luck and ran towards the Bridge feeling elated to have arrived and still be in one piece.

Running a race like the GUCR is a really tough challenge but is made all the better when you arrive at the main CP’s to be greeted not only by your marvellous crew, if you are lucky to have one, but also by the race crew who will give you a real boost which at 70.5 miles or 215.5 miles in my case is much needed.  It was marvellous to see Allan and James and to know that I would now have my crew running with me during the hours of darkness.

Very important to catch up with who was leading the race and was told that James Elson was in the lead – oh yes, go James go;  I was delighted.  The girls seemed to be running fairly close to one another so no one seemed to know who was first.  I needed to get a shuffle on as I was 1 hour 28 minutes behind my schedule which wasn’t good (slappy hand moment)

Becky and Paul took it in turns to do the night shift with me while Tim drove, this is hard work for them, looking after me, running and trying to catch up with sleep, but they were all brilliant and never complained.

Dudley who had stopped to have a quick 20 minute snooze caught up with me while I was running with Becky, we met the crew at the Black Horse pub where a wedding was going on, luckily for the guests we stayed outside and drank our coffee.

I was doing a mixture of running and power walking, but more running than walking.  Had to laugh as I thought I was running at a fairly good pace to discover that Paul was fast walking beside me, oops! By the time I arrived at Grand Junction Arms mile 99.8 (244.8 miles) I was only 1 hour 8 minutes behind schedule, things were looking up.

I had tried to stay off the pain killers; there is a rule with my crew that they are in charge of any form of drugs, that way it can be monitored.  At this point of the race I’d had two ibuprofen (between the two journeys) but needed another as my left shine and behind the knee were very sore and when I ran I felt as though my body was jarring.  However, I was very happy and still in a good place so always got to look at the positives!

It was definitely a Sunday morning as the runners were out in force, goodness that made me feel like an old slug as I trudged along.  Becky who is brilliant at massage treated my legs to a gentle rub down at Bridge 165 (West Watford) and while that was happening I enjoyed a coffee, luxury.

I was still able to run, albeit slowly but it meant that I was able to get closer to my time of 36 hours.  As I was running towards Springwell Bridge there were a group of children being given canoe lessons, one appeared to get stuck on the bank, you have no idea how tempting it was to give him a helping hand!

How glorious it was to reach here! mile 120.3 (265.3 miles) now I was on the home stretch with only 22 miles to go, this was a fantastic feeling.

I had a bit of a deja vu moment as we ran past Cowley Lock, this is where Gemma had met James and I on the way up, the end was in sight.

Arriving at Hambrough Tavern was a sight to behold, the swans were out in force so I decided not to go through them, not that they would have paid any attention to me they were far more interested in food, but they can be extremely vicious if you upset them.  Lots of familiar faces which gave me a real boost and now I felt that perhaps I might make it to the finish line.  I never let myself get excited about finishing an event until I can almost see the finish line, I don’t give up or feel negative and always keep a picture of the finish in my mind, but I sometimes think that if I let myself get excited and emotional everything will fall to pieces and my physical and mental strength will fail me.

As Paul and I set off on the last 12 mile section of the race I was finding running more and more painful, although I could still run my whole body jarred as I began to go into a run and I felt that I could go faster if I power walked, better to keep a constant pace rather than stop start, so that’s what I did.  Paul stayed with me for 6 miles when Becky took over for the final sprint to the finish line. (Sprint hahaha!!)

I’m not quite sure what happened on the last 3 miles; I didn’t feel particularly tired and wasn’t falling asleep but my body seemed to have shut itself down in order to preserve any energy I did have left to keep my legs moving.  Poor Becky was very worried about me and thought I wouldn’t make it so made sure I ate some food every so often.  If she asked me a question I would smile – or so I thought in fact my facial expression didn’t change at all, it was as though the lights had gone out and no-one was at home.

I knew we were getting closer, but I couldn’t see the finish line, each bend in the canal I would strain to see if I could see the finish.  We saw Ian Pusey who said it wasn’t far, now I could allow myself to get excited and believe that I was going to complete my epic journey.

Photograph by Ian Pusey

When I let my emotions go I tend to cry, I know pathetic but everything I have held onto while running just pours out!  This was no different. Finally there it was, the finishing banner now I could run and cross the line that I had left at 9am on Thursday morning and only in my dreams had allowed myself  to believe that I would see it again 290 miles later; but here it was; my feet seemed to fly, I could see Paul and Tim; Dick was standing just behind the banner holding my medal.

I finally crossed the finish line in 36 hours 49 minutes coming 5th lady and 23rd over all (88 starters).  Poor Dick got the biggest hug from me and I remember saying “that was hard”! not sure which one of us was more emotional.

As soon as I had finished any energy I did have left my body left, everything felt like jelly; my job was done, my body had performed above and beyond the call of duty and was now telling me it was time to stop!

Without doubt I have three great crew, Becky Healey, Paul George and Tim Anderson, they did an outstanding job of supporting me in every way and for that I thank them from the bottom of my heart.  They do their job so well it enables me to do my part for the team and run.  We are a fantastic team and I always feel that crew should get a medal for the work they do.  Crossing the finish line to become the first person to complete the Double GUCR was achieved because of the hard work of my crew.

I would also like to thank Dick Kearn the Race Director for giving me a place on the race;  you have no idea how marvellous it was to see you at the end!

Congratulations to everyone who completed the race I hope you will be smiling for weeks to come. For those of you who for one reason or another were unable to complete your journey the fact that you stood on the start line is testimony to your guts and determination and I have no doubts you will achieve your goals, never give up. Dudley, it was marvellous to meet you and thanks for your company.

A very special congratulations goes to James Elson who won the race in 29 hours 10 minutes, Way to go James, well deserved and it couldn’t have gone to a better person.

Here’s to the greatest crew in the world!

Written by Richard Martin - http://theviewsfromtheback.blogspot.co.uk/

Dear Sponsors, friends, roman’s, countrymen (and women) and assorted hangers on.

Written by Mimi Anderson - http://marvellousmimi.com/

Now safely back home I can reflect on my last race of the year “Piece of String”

This was the inaugural Fun run known as the Piece of String dreamed up by James Adams who in turn persuaded James Elson of Centurion Running to host the race along side the Winter 100.  The idea is quite simple the runners have no idea how long they are going to be running for, it could be anything from a quick dash to weeks, the possibilities were endless.

To enter the POS we had to send an email stating why we wanted to run the event, together with the most miserable looking photo we could find of ourselves.  Apparently about 50 people applied for a place and 16 unlucky individuals were chosen.  When I saw the start list I began to feel slightly nervous, the list of achievements was outstanding, Decca Ironman, double crossing of the Channel, running across countries, good grief this was a strong field of individuals.

How do you prepare for a race when you don’t know how long it’s going to be? People were trying to second-guess the distance, lots thought it might be the entry fee but that would be far too simple for James Adams.  Mentally for me,  as long as the race wasn’t longer than 3,200 miles everything was OK.  The distance wasn’t the issue, however when it comes to racing I’m a fairly organised person and I did find the lack of being able to be organised quite difficult, but decided that the best option was to take oodles of kit to cover every eventuality and distance together with enough food to feed an army (we had been instructed in an email to bring food and enough for friends!!).  Thanks to X-Bionics I had awesome kit and on my feet I wore my usual combination of Toetoe Socks and Wigwam Socks, which works and my new Aspire pack.  We had been told to bring a couple of maps with us, these I had marked up with the START together with the W100 CPs, and this might make navigation slightly easier.  I also popped in a sleeping bag in case I needed to put my head down at any point during the race.  With the car loaded up I headed towards Streatley.

I met up with Sam Robson and Alex Flynn at about 6.30pm in Streatley where we went to the pub, had something to eat before heading back to the Hall where thankfully we bumped into the race organisers who were off to the pub for their supper, they gave us the keys which meant that Sam and I could unload our cars and get a bit of sleep.

Runners began to trickle in bringing with them huge plastic boxes of food and kit, perhaps I hadn’t bought enough! Some of the runners had already pulled out leaving 10 of us “idiots” to attempt this fun run.  I was the lucky one with 9 men to chase! About 20 minutes before we were due to set off we were given our race briefing which was short and sweet then Sam Robson was given the job of selecting one of the 5 envelopes which would be our “piece of string”

The weather over the past few days had been dreadful, flooding up and down the country, which meant that the various routes that had been planned for the Winter 100 runners and us had to be changed from a safety point of view, which was going to make our fun run even more interesting!

At 00.01 on 23rd (24th really) armed with the first set of instructions we were sent on our way, being told that at the CP we would be given our next instructions.  Thankfully the rain and gale force winds weren’t due until about 9am so although cold it wasn’t wet.  Our first section was up onto the Ridgeway heading towards Bury Down.  The front runners went off at a very fast pace, I was quite happy running at a good but comfortable pace.  I ran for the first section with Lee Chamberlain, great to catch up on his plans for next year, 4 of us went slightly wrong missing a turning, thankfully not very far so were soon back on track again.  Having run under the A34 we spotted the headlights of a car where Jennifer Bradley greeted us, checked we didn’t need anything before sending us back to Streatley for our next instructions.  The return journey Lee dropped back a bit, I shouted to him to see if he was OK which he replied he was so I was happy to continue with Chris and Mick.

I’m not one for spending time at CP’s but on this race everyone appeared to be far more relaxed which was marvellous.  The boys seemed far too relaxed, drinking cups of tea, chatting, eating; it took a bossy woman to get them going again!  We were given our next set of instructions, which would take us on a muddy, hill route round the Chiltern Way, which also included some rather creepy woods.  This section required navigation that you would have thought with three people reading maps would be easy! (Giggles to myself) The first section was pretty straight forward, however we ended up on a road that we shouldn’t have been on and after a lot of running up and down the roads to try and work out where we were (about 4am) we found ourselves back on track again.  I laughingly said to the boys that it would be very funny if James sent us back on this route when we get back to Streatley – it’s the sort of thing he would do and guess what, that’s exactly what happened!

The second loop was a little more interesting than the first as it was now getting lighter so we could enjoy the views as well as get even muddier and thought perhaps that we might be able to find the correct route this time – not a chance.  All three of us were looking for the sign but missed it again, can you bloody believe it, a bunch of useless runners we were!

Back at Streatley I changed my top but left my socks and trainers as they were, although my feet were wet, they felt good so no point in changing something that is working well.  More food, teas, chats and trying to persuade James that he could tap me on the shoulder any time to say finish (fell on deaf ears!) we headed out towards the Ridgeway on the other side of the Thames.  The route was diverted because of the flooding.  I was shocked at how much the river had risen and the mount of water in the fields, it reminded me of 2001 when I ran the Thames Meander, the Thames was so flooded then we had to run mainly on the roads.  Mud, mud, glorious mud, a hippo would have felt at home.  We wadded through one gate but decided against going through the next section, as we couldn’t work out how deep it was (a walker said the water had gone up over his wellies).  We rang James to see what he had to say.  Our main worry wasn’t about getting wet, but more concerned about the bad weather was due and so didn’t want to get stuck or put ourselves into a potentially dangerous situation, especially as the rain that was forecast had just begun.  We were told to return to base where we would be given our next set of instructions, but he would devise a route for us which would make up for the miles we missed – more than happy with that.

With new maps and instructions the three of us set off in the rain and cold towards Wallingford, which was a CP for the W100 runners.  To be quite honest I don’t really remember a lot of this section apart from the fact that it seemed to go on for a very long time.  We started on the Chiltern Way then I think meandered towards Woodcote, onto the Ridgeway (which was thankfully marked with tape) then onto Wallingford.  However, about 4/5 miles away we passed Wouter running towards us, which meant we would also be coming back this way.  Once onto the Ridgeway everything was going well, running comfortably, feeling good, but it seemed to be taking too long to get to Wallingford and we kept seeing W100 runners who we had seen not that long ago, something was wrong.  We asked the runners where the CP was and they said about 3 miles back there, a bit of a flat moment for me but there was nothing for it but to retrace our steps.  When we got to the place where we had gone wrong it was very obvious, instead of turning sharp right and going under a small road tunnel, we had continued along the Ridgeway back towards Streatley – plonkers!

Arriving at the Wallingford CP was the highlight of the race, we were greeted by Santa (Ryan Brown) and his little helper dressed as an Elf - Nicole Brown, both gave me a marvellous hug, which was much needed.  This was a bit of a low point for me, not because of the distance or even lack of knowing the distance, I was frustrated at getting lost and cold, no thoughts of giving up just a low point.  Nics and Ryan sorted me out, the boys tucked into food and hot drinks were the order of the day – a great festive CP thanks!

I was delighted to be told that our next section was heading back to Streatley but following the W100 marked route rather than the way we had come, this was such a boost we set off with a spring in our step, no navigation for a bit, marvellous.

Due to the lack of mileage on the Thames section, James had devised a 5 mile route for us to run, thankfully all along roads but was hilly.  It was lovely being able to run and all three of us enjoyed this section to be able to stretch our legs.  To keep us motivated we pretended it wasn’t raining but nice and sunny.  We did have a discussion about cold baths at one point; we had all tried them and had come to the conclusion that the weren’t for us, we were obviously hot people!

More hot drinks back at Streatley, a complete change of tops plus I added a few more layers, as I was bloody cold at this stage. Next section was to take us out towards Sonning, Reading.  Well what can I say about this section.  It was pissing with rain, the wind was picking up but we were very careful on the navigation side going through the woods.  Trying to find the correct bridle paths and footpaths in the dark was very difficult, plus to make it more unpleasant it was like wading through treacle in some parts, ok nearly all of it!  We got quite cold doing this section as running was difficult due to the amount of mud and navigation required, but all was going well, until for some reason we headed North instead of East and ended up after 8 miles of running in Woodcote.  The three of us stood under a lamp, cold, wet, pouring with rain trying to work out where we should be heading (its amazing how you can make the roads on a map fit where you are!!!).  Thankfully just up the road was a pub so we popped in there to sort ourselves out.  We took our wet gear off which festooned the pub radiators while we looked at the maps.  We finally rang James who told us to take a different route which should be the same distance as heading towards Sonning (thankfully I had my garmin on so was able to prove the distance we had done) We ran down to our favourite road Beech Lane and from there did the reverse route of the Chiltern way that we had already done twice.  It was very odd doing something the other way round, you think you are going to recognise the route but we had to concentrate or would have missed a turning, boy did it look different that way round.

Another deja Vu moment returning to Streatley, but it had a lovely warm homely feeling to it at this stage of the race.  Another change of clothes, popping waterproofs on radiators to try and dry them out (dry a waterproof out, hahaha!) more food and hot soup were consumed by the three of us before being sent out again towards the Ridgeway loop we done at the beginning.  By now it really was tipping it down – I know I’m banging on about the weather, which is very dull, but it was very wet!  I had a hat on with a Buff on top to keep my ears warm and the hood of my jacket up to try and keep as dry as possible.  My gloves were soaked through within seconds, but we kept going nice and steady.  All three of us were having problems with the sleep monster and Chris was having a bad time, but we ran as much as possible to keep warm staying focused on the car lights ahead.   The car turned out not to be a CP but crew telling us that our CP was about 2 miles away.

My body temperature wasn’t warming up; you know that feeling when your bones are cold? That’s how I felt, cold to the core, but there was no choice but to keep going.  Eventually the lights of the car appeared in the distance and like any CP at night it never seemed to get any closer!  Mick ran on slightly ahead to make sure the car heaters were on; we all piled into the ambulance, took off our wet clothes and tried to warm up with a tea or two.  I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t warm up even in the Ambulance, I was shivering so much I could hardly drink my tea (thankfully it had a top on so didn’t spill) and we were told that the next stop was at 4 miles away. Chris and Mick had decided to stop at this stage, which mentally was a tough call for me.  Before the call was made I needed to think in my head, be true to myself about how I really felt and if I stopped that was fine, but I had to be happy it was the right choice when I woke up in the morning.  I hate having to give up, but physically the cold had got to me and I genuinely didn’t feel that it was safe for me to continue the way I felt, pathetic maybe, but it was the decision I had made and the call was put in to James – it was about 2am on Sunday morning, a very low point for us all.

When we arrived at the home CP I sat in a chair not quite knowing what to do, I was so cold and shivering I bent over towards my lap to try and get warm.  Claire Shelley said she didn’t recognise me when I came in I look so awful, but Jo Kilkenny and Claire got my dry kit, took me into a small room and got me changed, they were simply marvellous.

That was it, my race over.  I hadn’t completed the POS, I had given it my best but obviously by best wasn’t good enough.  I would like to say a very special thank you to Chris and Mick who were amazing company and it was a real privilege to run with them.  James Adams thank you for thinking up such a wonderful idea and looking after us so well, your love for what you do is very infectious and you made each one of us feel special.

James Elson and James Adams put on two amazing events in terrible conditions but their first priority was always runners safety, this they did 100 per cent and help was always there when needed. To all the support crew, what can I say, a big hug and thank you to each and every one of you.  It was lovely seeing the RD’s from other events in the UK there to support the W100 runners and us, very much appreciated.

I got home yesterday, saw HWMBO and promptly burst into tears, the emotions of the weekend just came flooding out.  I know I made the right decision so can live with that, it was a tough race under very tough conditions, but one little bit of me is very disappointed, or perhaps I’m just feeling sorry for myself?

Would I do it again? YES no question, how would I change things? I don’t think I would change the way I prepared for the race, (although how do you train for this type of race!) My plan had always been to go at a steady pace as I wasn’t in a fit state to run fast, weather – you can’t change, but I was as prepared as I could be; my head space was good – so far as not knowing the distance was concerned; I didn’t like getting lost; navigation was a real issue, which  I wasn’t expecting to be quite so hard, that made me feel frustrated, but dealt with the frustrations and the bad moments (usually deal with my bad moments by feeling quite tearful, then its gone, done and dusted).  As for kit etc I had the best and enough – so more than happy.  The ONLY bit of kit I didn’t have and would have liked was waterproof gloves! I’m not used to spending so long at CP’s but this wasn’t a normal race or normal conditions and under the circumstances would do the same again.  If I’m having issues with myself I don’t talk but tend to be quiet until they are sorted in my head, then I’m fine.

There are always lessons to be learnt which will make me a stronger and better runner.

How long is a Piece of String?