My return to running

It’s been 22 days since the Thames Path 100.

I’m still incredibly proud of what I achieved in that race, and find myself taking my hard-earned buckle off the shelf every now and again, just to have a look. It’s a reminder that it wasn’t a dream…that it really was me who set myself a seemingly impossible goal back on 30^th June 2013, and just over 10 months later, absolutely achieved everything I’d hoped for and more.

However, I haven’t really done any training since crossing that finish line, and it’s been surprisingly hard to find the motivation to get back on track. I know that my body needed time to recover from the effort of that distance, but to be honest, considering how I felt physically, I could have returned to running regularly after about 10 days, which would have given me enough time to prepare for my next race, the Kent Roadrunner marathon, which is on 31^st May…now just 4 days away!

However, despite feeling guilty every day about not training, I’ve only run 13 miles in the last three weeks and been on one 19 mile bike ride. I’ve been eating everything in sight and generally not looking after myself at all. It really is too easy for me to relax into being incredibly lazy and gluttonous and I can see how my weight crept up to 200lbs (that’s over 14 stone) back in the day, which on my 5’5’’ frame really wasn’t healthy! 

However, I am determined not to let myself be that person again - I have worked too hard and come too far to let myself falter now. 

There were a lot of races being run this last weekend, including Hardmoors 160 and the Grand Union Canal Race, both of which saw friends of mine toeing the start line. 

I avidly followed them throughout the weekend, and was able (remotely) to share the heartache of gut-wrenching DNFs, the jubilation of awesome finishes, and the general enjoyment that comes from the camaraderie of runners (and crew and marshals) taking part in such epic adventures. It reminded me just what I’m missing out on by sitting on the sofa every evening, watching TV and stuffing myself full of crisps and chocolate. It was, without a doubt, an inspiring weekend and last night, I realised that enough is enough.

I’ve decided that I am going to run TP100 again in 2015 and I’m going to enter the ballot (drawn in early November) for a place in the GUCR – a race that I’ve always considered to be far beyond my abilities, and to be honest, still do, but I strongly believe it’s important to push my limits and find out what I’m really capable of. Also I’m currently at 50 marathons but by this time next year I hope to be celebrating number 75. I have to have big goals. GUCR is one of the biggest there is.

If I am going to really give both races (and all the others in between) my best shot and the necessary commitment, I can’t afford to lose anymore fitness than I have already let slip through my fingers, and more importantly, I can’t afford any more damage to my mental strength and motivation levels…I swear the sofa just saps them out of me! 

I feel stiff and achy, and not in a good way from too my exercise, and I’m not sleeping well. As I said, I feel constantly guilty, am struggling more than usual with the stress of work, and I’m just not feeling good about myself.

So, today is a new day and my training for my next challenge will start now. Aside from my long term goal of the big races next year, I have the Stour Valley 100km in 12 weeks’ time – it’s a distance I haven’t run before, and much more hilly than the TP100 course! 

This weekend's marathon is inevitably going to be hard work with my recent lack of running, but I will complete it, wearing my TP100 finisher T-shirt with pride, and just take the pain that the 26.2 miles dishes out, as the kick I need to get back to what I do best!

Maybe I've found my distance. An amazing 100 miler.

Right people...set yourself up with a drink, some cake and get comfortable...it was a long run so it's a long read. To be honest I will be amazed if anyone gets to the end!

Centurion Running's Thames Path 100 was an incredible experience. I still can't believe that it's been, it's gone and that I've done it, and that it really was a near-perfect race for me. Here, I want to try and make some sense of how I managed it and what lessons I can learn for the next one...

Getting my head in the right place
I've only DNF'ed one race before, the Braintree Boggle marathon back in February 2013 and although I told myself at the time it was due to knee pain, I know that really it was a lack of mental strength. I haven't forgiven myself for that DNF, and knew that if I didn't complete the TP100 for any reason other than debilitating illness or injury I would find it very hard to cope with the decision. For the last couple of weeks, I've kept that DNF at the front of my mind, to make sure I remembered just how much I didn't want to deal with that again! I also made sure I told everyone about the race...having to tell them I hadn't completed would have been horrendous...and raising money for Centrepoint was another excellent motivator. So many people had given such generous sponsorship, I knew that I really had to get the job done. If those things weren't enough to get me through the night, I had also scheduled the Thames Path 100 to be my 50th marathon... I was determined it was going to be special and I was definitely going to finish it!

However, since the beginning of the year my training has been a bit erratic, and my mileage has been much lower than every 100 miler training plan I'd read, suggested. I've been averaging just over 45 miles a week, but some weeks have been much lower (a week we went on holiday I managed 5 miles!) and some have been higher, like the week of the Pilgrim's Challenge back in February when I ran over 70 miles. With work and home life, I just hadn't been able to do any more though, and I was confident that I'd done as much as I possibly could. I'd tried to make the most of the miles I'd done, and had made sure to practise various pacing and nutrition/hydration strategies so I was pretty such I knew what I was doing, at least up to 50 miles. It's something I had said a number of times - I definitely knew I could get to 50 without a problem, and if I could get to 50, I could drag myself to 70, and if I could get that far into the race then I knew I could make myself finish!

Everyone also kept saying how incredibly hard it would be - I was expecting dire pain, hardship, throwing up, being disoriented, and freezing cold.... I felt I was prepared for the inevitable trauma of my first 100!

Kit
Centurion Running are very hot, thankfully, on making sure the runners are all safe, and so have a comprehensive list of compulsory kit that needs to be carried by all runners at all times. My rucksack wasn't big enough for all the gear, and I didn't have half of it to start with, so I had a bit of a shopping spree in the few weeks before the race.  I bought various stuff and ended up with a new Salomon S-Lab for my backpack, a new waterproof jacket (with the sealed seams it had to have) a map I meticulously marked up with checkpoints, compass, whistle on the pack, new thermal hat & gloves, new Petzl head and Fenix hand torch, a second hand Suunto watch....I was stupid and didn't really test out anything properly before the race, but I was lucky and it generally all worked out well.

I prepared drop bags then night before the race, for both aid stations where we were allowed them, at 51 miles and 71 miles. I had decided very early on in my planning for the 100 that I wanted to do the race without extra crew or a pacer, and so it was important that I took the opportunity for extra "stuff" to be available out on the course. In both I had food to refill the stock in my backbag (flapjack, peanuts, babybels and gels) red bull for the caffeine, extra clothes, and in my 71 bag, I had a tin of Deep Freeze spray and torch batteries.

Race day
I'm sat here typing away and I'm still not sure how to write about this. I feel so incredibly emotional  about the race, my eyes keep filling up which is bizarre. But I'm going to tap away at the keyboard and see what comes out....

Francis and I had stayed in Richmond the night before so I was able to get up at a decent time and get ready easily enough before we headed to the start, although for some reason I had real trouble taping my feet. It's something I do before most races, but maybe it was the nerves - I just couldn't put on the plasters properly. I had the blister that I got from the Good Friday marathon 3 weeks ago that was (and still is) a complete nightmare, and my dodgy no-nail toes, but in the end I just gave up with the taping and had to make do with what I'd managed. Other than that though, everything was ok. The weather was gorgeous and it looked like we'd have perfect conditions for running. Very pleased to have remembered the sun cream too- I lathered on Riemann P20 to try and avoid burning.

When we got to Richmond Town Hall, registration and kit check was all very easy, and I collected my number without having to queue - it was all seamless and stress free :) I saw some friendly faces as we milled around outside waiting for the start and chatted - it all felt very relaxed which definitely helped. After the briefing, and a bit more milling about, we were off!

I'm middle left...waving!

Running 100 miles

I shared the first 15 or 20 miles with a lovely guy called Gary (in the photo) and the time went very quickly. However, I was conscious that we were going faster than I wanted to, and because we were chatting I wasn't focussed enough on eating and drinking as often as I'd planned. What works for me with hydration and nutrition is little and often and unfortunately I must have gone over an hour before I had anything to drink. After a while, Gary and Fiona (who had also started running with us) stopped for an ice-cream. That definitely wasn't in my plan so I pushed on, and soon settled into a better rhythm. I made myself walk the first 0.1mile of every second mile, timing it on my watch, alternating eating a bite of something or drinking a sip of electrolyte drink during each walking break. Before too long, this transitioned to walking the first 0.1m of every mile. Occasionally I'd extend the walk if I felt I needed it (whenever I started to get twinges in my back for instance), and made sure that I was walking upright and at a good pace.

I consciously ran slowly and whenever I felt I was putting in too much effort I would try and slow myself down. A few times I was just really enjoying it, and let myself run freely for a mile or so, but generally I tried to be very aware of how I was feeling and any potential impact on my later miles.

If there's one thing that I was amazed at, it was my dedication to keeping going with my run/walk strategy - I was generally very focused and determined to be sensible and to remain comfortable with my running, but it was very important to keep the walking breaks too!

Maybe about 40 miles? Not sure

Francis popped up a few times around the course with his camera - it was lovely to see him - but once I was into my rhythm of running and walking didn't want to deviate too much so didn't spend lots of time with him. That doesn't detract from how much I appreciated him being there...even if he didn't think to bring any sweets or snacks with him! :P

By the time I got to the half-way stage, I was absolutely buzzing. I couldn't believe the time I'd already made, and how good I still felt. The weather had been perfect, I was running well, the taper niggles had all disappeared and I was feeling more confident than ever - I was now pretty certain that I could make it in under 24 hours. I was also absolutely astonished at how well the course was marked - I'd been expecting to have to navigate a bit, but always being confident of where to go which made such a difference. Admittedly there were a few times when I had to call out to runners in front of me when I realised they were going the wrong way, to get them back on track, but it did seem nigh on impossible to get lost.

About 50 miles

When I arrived at the 51 mile checkpoint, I was surprised to see my friend Sue, who was sorting out food for people. I was offered pasta but declined, got changed into a warm top, had a red bull and some painkillers and refilled the food stocks in my backpack. I saw Andrew, another friend who was running but considering dropping, and I tried to convince him to keep it going. I hope I wasn't too annoying for him. I remember being really cheery about the night section...telling him it would be an adventure! I imagine that was not the type of support he really needed at that stage but I really was in my own little world and I'm sorry if I didn't help as much as I could have done. There were lots of people sat down at the aid station, but I wanted to spend as little time as possible stationery, so I grabbed some snack food, downed some coke as I had done at all of the aid stations, refilled my bottles, and pressed on after hugs from Sue and Karen, ready to have a go at the infamous night section...when the lights go out.

Just a note about all of the aid stations - every single one was manned by cheerful volunteers, who all seemed really interested in being there, and who wanted to help. It was absolutely lovely to be looked after by them all and although I really didn't take enough advantage of it, the variety of food that was available was awesome! I can't really explain how much I appreciate the volunteers' dedication to the cause, and their willingness to be up all night to help us runners achieve our dreams.

Back to the race....Soon enough it really did get dark, so had my head and hand torch out. I'd been worried about finding my way at night but with the reflective tape that was hung up everywhere, it glinted in the torch light and was generally easy to follow, and luckily for us the mud was minimal and except for a few slippery sections - generally the trail was in good condition throughout so it was easy enough to find decent footing and run.

The night is quite mixed up in my mind. I ran a few sections with other people, or at least close to them, and they were enjoyable. From Reading, where we ran past the beer festival, there were a few guys I was chatting on and off with for a few miles and that was really nice, especially when Gary and I started running together. An experienced ultra runner, he was really confident, and running strongly, and it gave me a great boost to be with him. There was a section that we ran through woods, with some up and down hills - this was probably my favourite night section. Something different and fun! :D At some point I remember seeing another friend, Matt, at one of the aid-stations, with the medics trying to warm him up after he'd got really cold on the trail. Always worrying to see but he assured me he was ok, and I headed off again.

I had another drop bag waiting for me at 71 miles. I had my red bull and sprayed my legs with the Deep Freeze (which as soon as I got outside into the cold night air realised was idiotic!) but for some reason I didn't replenish my food stocks other than picking up some gels. I realised I hadn't been eating much of what I was carrying but had been eating a bit at the aid stations, which were now more frequent than they'd been at the start, so thought it would be fine although in hindsight that was daft too. I really needed to be eating every 2 miles as I'd practised in all my training! Again, I also declined the offer of hot food. Here, I saw Tony, who had made the decision to drop after tearing the skin off the top of a blister. He really did look devastated and I felt awful for him...and again, I really hope I wasn't annoyingly cheerful :(

I forgot to change the batteries in my torch as I'd planned at the aid station but luckily I was carrying two head torches with me, so it didn't matter. I know myself so well, I had half expected to do something like that. Soon after I left the checkpoint, I realised I was getting a bit colder and pulled on my thermal hat :)

Soon after I caught up with someone else, and we definitely pulled each other along for a bit. But generally, I was on my own and I was doing ok. It was like my body had just accepted that this weekend, all it had to do was run. That was the plan so I'd better just get on with it. Although I was eating less than I probably should have done, I didn't feel nauseous or unwell, I was relatively warm, my head was still together, I wasn't hallucinating (which people had warned me about!), the painkillers must have been working, and I was generally pleased with how it was all going.

I was also passing lots of people, which is also a great confidence booster. According to the live timings, at mile 22, I was in 174th position. At mile 51, I was 121st. At mile 67 I was in 83rd position, and by mile 85, I was in 54th position.

Unfortunately though, by mile 85 I was a bit more confused - my watch battery had died miles earlier and I had been relying on just a sense of how I was feeling to determine when I should walk and run. Each mile had started to feel much, much longer than it should have done, and I was worried that I had somehow missed the aid station. I'd been running through identical fields with long wet grass, my feet were soaking, and I was beginning to feel like it was some type of mental torture - the body was still holding together but I was starting to get very, very fed up with flat fields! The mist didn't help either as you couldn't really see very much and I was desperate for a change in the landscape.

Anyway, come mile 85, the sun had started to come up, and the aid station was there. My first question when I was through the door was "where are we" as I couldn't believe I was at 85 but it turns out I was and all was ok. Rachel was at the aid-station (the second time I'd seen her on the course) and turned out I really needed to see a familiar face. She was very cheery, we had a quick chat, and I realised how well I was still going and having come into the aid station feeling pretty down, I left feeling much better. I realised I could get a sub 23hr if I kept pushing, and as I looked at the clock I knew in my mind that I was going to make it happen.

Again, I didn't stop for long and was soon back on the road. I caught up to Ellen and Lisa which in my mind was just ridiculous - I'd been expecting Ellen to be finished long before me but now realise she'd been taking it easy with GUCR coming up! I was feeling good so after a quick hello, and getting a boost from seeing them both, I kept on running. The last 15 miles were without a doubt the hardest though...no surprise there...and I couldn't believe how long it seemed to take. I was determined never to sit down (Traviss' words of wisdom ringing in my ears) but there were a couple of gates that I briefly hung myself over for a momentary rest ;) I kept it going though, really pushing myself because I wanted to get that sub 23. I got to Abingdon aid station and to be honest I was a bit fed up with the whole thing. However, I was still moving ok, still running and walking, and kept it going. The next aid station seemed like a marathon away but I eventually got there, and was told I was 4th lady. Couldn't believe it!! I was really pleased with the placing and amazed at how well it must be going if that's how I was doing.

I soon started to get absolutely bored to the back teeth of trees, fields and water. Just the colours seemed to burn on my retina and I started yearning for buildings and a town. It was bizarre, as the countryside you cover during the TP100 is stunning, and I love that type of scenery, but it had just been too much for too long and I remember thinking that if I never saw a tree again it would be too soon ;)

Eventually though, unbelievably, I got towards the end of the race. If a passer by said something encouraging, I'd ask them how far it was to the finish....it definitely helped me to get some idea of where I was, but I was annoyed that my watch had died so long ago. Unexpectedly without it, my run was harder mentally.

The next person I asked about the finish, pointed through a fence, and told me I could see it. That was an incredible feeling. I got a little closer and saw the blue inflatable finish gantry and people milling around. I felt myself welling up...I couldn't believe it was nearly done. I was sure I'd done enough to get the sub 23 but I just needed to push through this last little bit because if I didn't get it by 30 seconds I'd never forgive myself. I remember thinking that no-one would be there at the end for me, as I was so much earlier than Franc and my mum would have expected, but at least I was definitely going to do it. So, I swallowed down the tears, and steeled myself to run through the finish shoot...and I did, into the very welcome arms of Nici Griffin...the wonder woman of Centurion Running...and Karen who was timekeeping. I'm so glad they were both there but it was absolutely unreal. Karen kept saying I was 4th lady, you're 4th lady!!! I couldn't believe it either, it just seemed so unlikely! I finished in 22hrs 20 mins and was 52nd overall. I had to ask Karen a couple of times because that was so much faster than I'd ever imagined I would finish! Maybe my watch dying wasn't such a bad thing ;)

There was a picture taken of me with my "one day" buckle, by the amazing photographer who had been appearing all around the course making me feel like I was doing a really good job every time I saw him. I can't imagine how awful I'll look in that photo but I'm still looking forward to seeing it along with the other official photos.

Then it was over.

Again, I declined the bacon sandwich I was offered...stupid...had a sip or two of coke to drink and a protein shake, and then saw Franc, my mum and brother James arrive. I went to see them and had a bit of a chat, and saw Rod who had managed an absolutely storming race, and our friend Ben who had amazingly come along to cheer me through the finish, and then saw Ellen and Lisa finish which was fab! :) Unfortunately though, I soon started feeling very unwell. I ended up repeatedly fainting, with low blood pressure that wouldn't improve, and was carted away by the paramedics. In the ambulance, my pupils stopped responding to light, and my oxygen saturation levels started dropping to an apparently dangerous level - they gave my oxygen, put on the blue lights and sirens, and rushed me to hospital! Very dramatic but in hindsight I feel awful to have taken up NHS resources for something that I've essentially caused myself.

Thankfully the hospital sorted me out.  The doctor asked me about what I'd been eating and drinking over the last 24 hours - essentially I just didn't take on enough fuel. For someone who is very used to eating a lot of carbs, and who isn't remotely adapted to fat burning, I'd hardly eaten anything. I should definitely have had at least one proper meal while I was out on the trail, or at least some sandwiches, not just cocktail sausages, crisps and jelly babies at the aid stations, and I should definitely have eaten all of the food I was carrying - I had about 5000kcal with me including what I'd packed in the drop bags but I didn't even finish all of the gels I had with me...and I should have definitely had the bacon sandwich I was offered! I also realised that at one of the later aid stations I had forgotten to fill up my water, and so had been rationing myself for a few hours. I got very dehydrated - when the doctor tried to take my blood I was so bad the blood wouldn't flow into the syringe! I have suffered with hyponatremia in the past, and so they recommended that rather than relying on electrolyte tabs to add to my water I should take salt tabs too. I think if I'd actually eaten the salted peanuts that I was carrying, like I usually do, I would have been much better! Anyway, after various tests they sent me home with a clean bill of health.

Two days later and I'm well on my way to fully recovering. My legs and body all feel pretty good, I've been sleeping well and eating EVERYTHING available in the house. Tomorrow I'm due to go back to work. I'm astonished at how well my body has responded and how ok I feel :) I am, however, constantly very emotional about it all. The outpouring of support on twitter and facebook has been incredible - I can't believe how many messages of support I've had, and I've raised over £1,800 inc. gift aid for Centrepoint. People are impressed at what I've achieved and I'm really, really proud of myself as well, especially finishing in such a good time.

The 100 miler was much more achievable than I'd expected but it was still an incredibly hard mental challenge. However, a few people have said it, and think I agree - I feel that maybe I have found my distance. To have had such a good run at my first attempt at a race that was so much further than anything I've done before is astonishing. Now I need to prove it wasn't a fluke...

These days, I call myself a Centurion! ;)

What an absolutely incredible weekend I've had, tackling the Thames Path 100.

I am trying to get everything straight in my head, and will blog fully about the race soon - there's so much I want to tell you about - but as an overall headline, somehow I had a storming race and I loved it! The race organisation, the course marking, the volunteers, the countryside, the weather, being with friends and making some new ones...It just couldn't have been better!

Before the start

Don't get me wrong, from about 85 miles I thought the torture was never going to end, and I couldn't understand why every mile felt like three, and some of the blister pain I experienced was epic! However, for the majority of the race, I felt very comfortable in my running, and even being out over night was fine, and my various head and hand torches all worked really well.

I'd been aiming for a sub-24 but somehow managed to run down a finish time of 22 hours and 20 minutes which (not to blow my own trumpet) is a decent finish time, especially for my first go, and I couldn't be prouder of myself. When I realised a sub-23 hour finish was possible, I massively pushed on and really fought for it. I went from ranking 174th at the first main checkpoint, to finishing in 52nd position, as I moved up through the field, continuing to run strongly through the race, and was 4th Lady too!

Unfortunately about an hour after I finished and had been awarded the all important "One Day" Centurion buckle, I ended up being carted off to hospital by ambulance! I kept fainting, the medical team in attendance at the race couldn't increase my low blood pressure, and then my oxygen saturation level started dropping to apparently dangerous levels. I'm home now and absolutely fine - I was sent away with a clean bill of health by the doctors, but with instructions to look after myself better when I race and make sure I eat enough proper food, take salt tablets instead of just electrolyte drinks, and rehydrate properly!

The final note to make on this mini-report is about the support I've had going into, during and after the 100. Twitter and Facebook have been absolutely awash with wonderful comments, and it seems lots of people were tracking me online during the race. I've been overwhelmed by the outpouring of positivity, and it reminds me what a very special community I'm lucky enough to be a part of! :D

Anyway...proper blog with more pictures to follow soon!

Easter Marathons - numbers 48 & 49

The last week has seen my highest mileage since I was taking part in the 10in10 last year and it was my final week of training before my taper for the TP100. To get the miles up, I entered a couple of marathons over the Easter weekend.

Good Friday saw me making the most of the day off work and driving up to Milton Keynes for an Enigma Marathon, which was a really special event as it was where my friend Heather (who's doing the 10in10 this year) was celebrating her 100th marathon and full entry into the 100 Marathon Club.

Before we started

Mid-race

My run itself was pretty unspectacular, but I ran without a watch, just on feel, so happy with my finish time of 4:19, although having worn new shoes with only 12 miles in them, I managed to be rewarded with a massive blister on the sole of my foot, which developed after about 3 miles. Not good!

There were lots of friends at the marathon though, and the celebrations in the pub for Heather after the run were great - a presentation of her 100 Club kit, the medal, a speech from Foxy, and enormous amounts of cake! Really nice to catch up with everyone, see what races people have coming up next, and share a pint or two ;)

Unfortunately though, I finished the day feeling that I was getting fed up with all the training...marathon after marathon had started to take it's toll and I was starting to see them as a bit of a chore.  I always struggle with the 7 laps of the Milton Keynes lake, but absolutely love the social, family feel of the event - still, I drove home thinking I could really do with that being my last race before the taper, and I wasn't looking forward to the next day when I was going back up the M1, this time to Northampton and the Easter Round the Reservoir race put on by Dave and Linda Major.

A DNS did cross my mind to be honest - I considered just running the distance locally around home, but the motivation to run the Thames Path as my 50th marathon was too great, and so I go up at stupid o'clock again on Saturday morning and pulled on my kit to get marathon #49 done.

As it turned out, this excellent event was exactly what I needed to restore my faith in marathons. Although another lap event, and very flat again, there was a mix of terrain, some really lovely views across the Brackmills Reservoir, and various other distractions in the form of barges and rowers on the River Nene, horses in the fields and a flock of sheep scattered across the route.  I definitely enjoyed the run, and ran without a watch again, so was very pleased to finish in 4:11, 8 minutes faster than the day before, and still felt really strong. Again I was able to share the day with friends which always makes it more enjoyable too! :)

On Sunday, I went out for another run, although much shorter, just getting in 8 miles, to take my week's total to 72.48 miles. My legs still felt normal and not tired at all - I'm very pleased with how much fitness has come on over the last couple of months, and it's a fantastic confidence boost for the big race, which is now in just two weeks.

Unfortunately though, although I was able to run over 50 miles on my blister, it is still very painful and is likely to take a while to properly heal up - on close inspection this morning, I've realised I have a blood blister underneath and in the middle of the main blister, which is definitely not what I needed so close to the hundred.  Fingers crossed that it gets better quickly and that the unbelievable amounts of chocolate I have eaten since wont impact my running too much ;)

Now for my taper....

Hill after hill after hill aka the Cotswold Way Challenge

A day off work. I'm sat on the sofa, just had a pizza, feet up, Midsomer Murders on TV...the ultimate laziness. But I'm calling it recovery ;) I spent the weekend at an XNRG event, running 58 miles (which turned into just over 60 miles) along the Cotswold Way national trail over the two days and am nursing the blisters to prove it.

I was a little nervous going into this race. The previous weekend, I had a great run at the 16 laps Bells & Whistles Marathon in Dover - another non-stop effort which saw me running at sub 4hr pace - but that didn't give me any comfort. The Cotswold Way route is a totally different challenge - cross country, navigation (although that's minimal) and, the particular thing I was worried about, it's incredibly hilly. The route is 2,750m ascent over the total distance. To give some idea of scale Mount Snowdon is 1,085m high. However, as usual, I just decided not to think about it too much, and give it a go!

I packed my gear on the Friday night, and tested out my one piece of new kit I'd bought for the weekend, an inflatable mattress. The previous times I've done XNRG events, and slept in a school hall, the sleeping mat I took didn't offer me a great night's rest and I woke up absolutely shattered so decided this weekend would be more about comfort than roughing it ;) I should probably have bought some new shoes too, as I realised on the Saturday morning that my Salomons have three holes in them, all on the toe creases, one of which you might be able to see here in the photo, but by then it was obviously too late to worry!

Anyway, the mattress worked, and fitted in my rucksack, so I got myself packed up and ready for the early morning on Saturday - I needed to leave at 6:30am for the long drive to the start, which was in the little village of Chipping Campden.

I arrived on time, parked up my car for the night, and registered. After three changes of mind about which jacket, whether to wear the jacket or to carry it, I was eventually ready, and after a briefing from Neil, we set off. We were a small field, and almost inevitably, started running much more quickly than I'd planned as the elite guys and girls rushed off ahead, but soon the field spread out as the hills appeared and we started walking. That's pretty much how the rest of the day went...run a bit, get to a hill, walk up it, run a bit, get to the steep downhill, storm down that, run a bit, get to the next hill, walk up it and repeat....

The hills were, without a doubt, very tough going, especially for someone like me who doesn't really train on hills at all. But I knew what I'd signed up for so just had to dig in and get on with it. There were stunning views from those hilltops, but I wasn't really looking as much as I should have done. Just trying to get the job done. I kept repeating to myself how very glad I was that I hadn't signed up for a hilly 100 miler - the TP100 is going to be hard enough to finish as it is - I don't think I'd make it if there were hills!

One of the rare flat sections on day 1

I did spend more time enjoying the scenery on the second day, as the majority of the route was on muddy trails through woods, sometimes carpeted with spring flowers, which I think is probably my favourite type of running and despite the moaning and groaning about the hills whenever I had a brief period of running with someone, they didn't seem as bad on day 2, and I definitely enjoyed myself :)

On both days, there were stunning Cotswold stone villages, farms and fields full of animals, and signs of spring all around us to enjoy, with gamboling lambs, snow drops and daffodils. We even came across a farrow of Tamworth piglets running around in a field with some cows. It really was picture perfect and a brilliant route for an event. I can't wait to see some of the photos :)

I only managed to get lost once, and luckily realised pretty soon that the route I'd chosen wasn't right. I'd managed to go down a hill so found myself walking up yet another slope but thankfully I hadn't got all the way to the bottom. I nearly went very wrong a second time, but was running with someone else then, and they set me back on the right path.

Finished on day 2

I'm pleased with the end result too - although I was very slow for the distance (because of all the walking) the course was as challenging for everyone, and I'm pleased that even by the end of day 2 I was still feeling pretty strong and my aches today aren't too bad. At the end of day 1, I was 22nd out of 43 (6th lady), and after day 2, I finished 12th out of 37 (5th lady). Overall, that left me 14th out of the 33 of those of us who did both days, and 5th lady.

However, in spite of the running and the scenery, the enduring memory of these events is always the people that you meet.  Out on the trails, some groups run together the whole way, but generally (as an accident of my pacing) I don't tend to stay with the same people too long, either pulling ahead or falling behind. It means that I get to chat with different people on the way round which is great. Then, during the Saturday evening, you obviously get a chance to get to know people a bit more - both other runners, and the XNRG crew - it's a really nice, relaxed and friendly atmosphere. 

I had been really stressed about work last week, and today, although I'd had plans of firing up the laptop and getting on with a report that needs finishing, I've decided just to enjoy my lazy recovery day, and deal with work tomorrow. The stress has totally gone :D

Day 1: 

 Day 2: