And so it is, that on a bright, late September day, I find myself lining up with 92 other intrepid souls in the beautiful Cotswold town of Chipping Campden. Destination Bath...

 

I didn't really have any intention of running a 100 miles in my first year of Ultra running. Indeed, when I entered, I had only completed one, albeit a tough 40 miler in the Brecon Beacons. I like a challenge though, and a summer of good training and some hilly off-road marathons had boosted my confidence in my running ability. So I entered at the end of August. I had already entered the MCN Black Mountains Ultra in mid-sept, two weeks before the CW, I had to get that race right, as the first one hadn't gone to plan and I had nearly dropped at 24 miles due to sickness.

 

MCN did go right. I now felt I had earned my place on the start line of a 100 mile race!

 

I arrive at race headquarters feeling calm and relaxed. I have nothing to lose by starting this race, I'll learn loads along the way and I have no expectations. I don't feel under too much pressure. Nerves kick in a bit as we leave the hall, but I tell myself, I can do this. Photo call and hugs, time to get going!

 

 

We leave Chipping Campden at 12 noon at a nice steady pace. I am running with my friend Martin and we chat merrily as the first few miles pass. I had decided I wanted to get to the first cut-off at 27 miles by 5.30pm, we are making time nicely and pass through the beautiful villages of Broadway, Stanway and Winchcombe. The running is easy and meeting my crew Annabelle, for some food and encouragement makes for a very pleasant afternoon. I am almost forgetting that I have a huge task ahead of me and I'm just enjoying the moment.

 

Soon after we leave Winchcombe, the trail climbs upwards on what is probably the first serious hill, upto the neolithic site of Belas Knap. It is at this point that Martin starts to suffer with the heat and the pace and tells me to go on. I pass my good luck blessing to him and storm off up the hill. This is a path I know well and I still feel good. Running with various people, I am soon on top of Cleeve Hill, with fantastic views across Cheltenham to the Welsh Borders.

 

After the golf club, I am on new ground, the running is interesting, as is the route finding in places, and I am glad I'm running this in daylight. Before I know it, I arrive at the Aggs Hill CP, 5.32pm on the clock, pretty much bang on time! The marshals have my drop bag ready before I even pull up, how's that for service! Annabelle is waiting for me here, and fills me in on how my friends Brian and Stu are doing. Sort my bag ready for the night, eat some food, and I'm off. I don't enjoy the next section to Seven Springs as much, it's unknown ground to me and I want to get beyond Seven Springs and onto the section I know very well from the Cotswold Relay earlier in the year.

 

At Seven Springs, a quick pit-stop sees Sharon catch me up and we would then go on to run the whole of the night section together, and what a blast we would have!

 

Night descends as we reach the top of Leckhampton Common, then we are into the woods and total darkness apart from the odd glimpse of the moon and our torchlights. Next checkpoint is at Birdlip, a nice cup of tea and we are off again. Here is possibly where I make a bit of a mistake. I'm still running in a vest top, I don't feel cold and we are moving well. Running along through the woods, we are sheltered, but when we arrive at Cranham and move out onto the golf course, I start to feel a little cold. We were now at about 45 miles, the Painswick CP is at 47.5 and it's indoors. I would put on some extra layers when we get there, I tell myself. As we run through Painswick, we drop into a frost pocket and the temperature plummets. I am now muddling my sentences and know I need sugar and warmth. Luckily, both arrive at the only indoor CP on the route.

 

Annabelle was due to go home so my overnight crew, Neil, is waiting at Painswick with Annabelle. I feel a bit wobbly and faint as I enter the hall, my only moment of doubt in the whole race. It's short lived as Annabelle and Neil swing into action, tea, complan, glucose and a strict instruction to put some more clothes on! 30 minutes later and Sharon and myself leave feeling much better and head off towards Stroud.

 

We work well together to navigate through the woods, we haven't stopped talking since Seven Springs and I now have a surprise in store, just before Haresfield Beacon. Look into the barn window and meet a Chucky doll, waving down to all the runners in the night. Gives you that extra bit of motivation to get up the hill after, I can tell you!!

 

Neil meets us at the canal, a bit of coke, some cake and a hug and we are off again. Now we come across our first lost soul, a French guy who seems to have no idea which direction he's supposed to be going in and was heading back north! Then the guys from Hawkesbury who had missed the path across the field. This makes us feel great, we are nailing the navigation and that's half the battle!

 

Coaley Peak CP, 58 miles, Neil informs us that the two leading ladies had left only 20 mins previous after getting lost. No... time to put the competitive side of my brain to bed...for now! He also tells me that Martin has dropped out at the Aggs Hill CP. What a shame.

 

Down though the woods, steep descent and the knees are just starting to feel a little sore, then it's a steep climb back up over the strange Cam Long Down. It feels fab up here, I'm loving the night, the moon is huge and I can see all the stars in the universe. Down into Dursley now, Sharon comments on how many kebab shops there are. I explain that Dursley is a rather strange little town where lots of things happen. We make haste to the Old Spot Inn, now well beyond last orders, but Neil is waiting there with more coke and a banana!! The next hill is hard, up onto Stinchcombe Golf Course and the long way round. The group infront of us have followed the wrong path, a bridleway that goes far right and off down the hill, they are all in the corner now and I am happy that I reccied this a couple of weeks previous and know to follow the marker posts through the long grass. They realize their mistake, then realize the next one when they try to move through knee deep wet grass!

 

I thought I would find this section rather tedious, but it turns out to be one of the best moments of the night, the moon is low now and glowing orange and I really enjoy the flat running for a change!

 

Then it's down into North Nibley, past the fridge of water, but it's been taken in for the night! At North Nibley, I'm pleased to see Mark and Rich who will be taking over crewing duties for the day. Neil is still with them and they now have chocolate biscuits!! Day breaks at Tyndale Monument, the fields below the escarpment are filled with mist and I stop for a few moments to appreciate the beauty. It's easy running down into Wotton under Edge, we pass the Tesco Express, my only reminder of work on the whole route! 72 miles in, we stop at the CP in the church yard, a cuppa and we are off again. I am on home ground now, no need of the map. I am finding the hills easy and when I get to the top, I look round and I can't see Sharon. She had already told me I was moving faster than her so had to leave her at dawn. I feel guilty, but I know at this stage in a race, I can't afford to wait. Sharon has way more experience than me, and she's with other people now.

 

Being on home ground helps, I know where I can run, when to walk, how far it is to Horton and so now, running on my own, I have to keep myself company. My watch becomes a bit of an obsession. I need to get to Horton by 10.30 at the very latest. As I run onto the road at Kilcott, I become aware for the first time that my feet feel very sore. There is a nasty stony track out of the Kilcott Valley, this is never to be enjoyed but I am determined to run it. My crew meet me at Hawkesbury Pond, a quick word and I'm off down the Yellow Brick Road, singing songs from the Wizard of Oz as I go. I look at my watch, I was 9min/mileing at nearly 80 miles into a race!! The lure of the Hogweed manned CP at Horton must be spurring me on!

 

I know they will have a spread of food and cake that would equal the Great British Bake Off, but unfortunately, I don't see any of it! I sit down and all I want is watermelon. Lots of my club friends are here, but I can't recall exactly who. I feel a bit overwhelmed by how busy it is. I feel tired and a bit dazed for the first time in the race, I can only really concentrate on my crew, and I'm happy to see Neil is still with Mark and Rich. I have reached the CP before 10am, now I want to get to Didmarton and the cut-off before noon. 7 miles, it's going to be a big ask. My feet are now very sore, someone wants to get them sorted, someone else said leave them as they are, don't touch. I don't want to risk disturbing anything, so I leave them be and move down the road slowly. I feel guilty for not thanking Neil as he is heading off home now, and for not talking to all my friends but the mind is tired now and not thinking straight. I am now on the trails I train on weekly, I'm half an hour's walk from my home, a hot bath and a bed, and as I run down to the church at Old Sodbury, I hit a mental low, tears flow and I cross the road by the Dog Inn in a bit of a state. It doesn't last long thankfully, and soon I'm approaching Dodington Park. Up and across, then onto a dangerous road crossing. Past Tormarton church and I'm talking to myself, my blistered feet are on fire, one has burst, wish the other one would hurry up!

 

 

Tormarton CP, I've made it before noon! Carl offers me a bacon sarnie, which I decline in favour of a complan drink and some more melon. I am delighted to see Annabelle here with Mark and Rich. Neil has now gone home to bed after a long night. I make some jokes about the woods behind the carpark and get up to leave. 15 miles left to go and my knees are now shot too. As I pass through the woods, a strange man appears, I hope he's the only one I see or they will be getting a piece of my mind! As for runners, apart from an Irish guy who appears once in a while, I've been running on my own since Wotton, and I've kind of got used to it now. My mind is clear of any thought except the time and Joe Simpson re-telling his epic ‘Touching the Void’ escape with a broken leg in the Andes. I take in all that is around me, looking at the views and listening to the birds. A bee flies past my head, I'm sure I can smell the nectar it has gathered. All my senses are heightened. I thought I would get a song in my head but it never happens. There is only the immediate environment to think about, with the odd word from Joe in my head. I enjoy the solitude.

 

Cold Aston, not sure if I'm too hot or too cold, so I sit out of the sun and the marshal gives me a blanket. I don't stop long, one more stretch to go. A steep downhill on tarmac is hell for my knees, I'm glad to start the climb upto Lansdown. I still feel strong on the hills, many years of mountaineering with a heavy pack have conditioned me for climbing and knackered my knees! Mark and Rich meet me at the Monument. I know now that I can run until the steep stony path down into Bath. I run around the golf course, I can see other runners infront of me. I can see the 4th placed lady, she is going the wrong way! I feel guilty passing her, but at the same time relief that I can set her on the right course before she goes down a big hill in the wrong direction. I pass another runner, then another two, Prospect Stile is in sight, I cry when I get there. It's the first time you see Bath. I'm not a city person at all, but I have never been so happy to see one!

 

I run down the hill as far as I can before the knees say no. Down into Weston and the final CP. Rich is waiting to take me into the finish. Apparently, he's been limbering up ready to race, until Mark told him he won't be running anywhere!

 

This is the point in the race where my brain gives up. I can no longer block out the pain, there is a steep hill to climb but I will get to the finish even if I have to crawl. These last two miles are cruel. Running is off the agenda. That is until I have one more turn to the Abbey... Apparently, at this point, I took hold of a bollard and readied myself for a sprint finish!! Can't remember that bit!!... I do remember turning into the Abbey, I am running again and all my friends cheer me on. I have made it!

 

It's not over though until I touch that Abbey door.

 

 

I said beforehand that I wanted an icecream at the finish. I forgot. I do however get the best medal ever, lots of huge hugs and a chair. I even get a nice medic who takes my trainers off and declares that my feet aren't that bad!!

 

I don't want to leave until Sharon finishes. She had attempted this race twice before and not finished, today however she flies across the finish line to collect her medal. I am so pleased for her, she taught me a lot in the short time we ran together.

 

So, I had run 102 miles in 29 hours, felt pretty good the whole way apart from the pain. I'm good at blocking out pain, it felt good, honest!

 

 

Massive thanks to my crew, Annabelle, Neil, Mark and Rich, couldn't have done it without you. Thankyou to Kurt for organising such a fantastic race, all the marshals and medics, fellow runners, especially Sharon for the entertaining night running. Thankyou to Dawn and Ali for all those long training runs and the encouragement. Thanks also to my running club, the Hogweed Trotters, for all the training and support over the last 3 years and well done to Brian and Stu on your fantastic placings. And to Martin for the company over the first 18 miles, sorry you never made it to the end, you'll do it next year, I'm sure!

 

I will be back next year, I'll train for it too!