50 miles in Milton Keynes

Yesterday, it was time for 50 mile run, organised by my friend Alan. I sort of  accidentally agreed to this, a bit like a reflex, without really thinking about if I was actually going to be able to do it or not. The last time I ran 50 miles was back in June, so my Fifty Fitness was in some doubt. But I wanted to do it, to spend the day running with friends, so there was only one thing for it.....I must try!

Waking up at 5:30 on a running day is so much better than an early morning on a work day. I had nightmare in the week, that I overslept until 10:00, so had to drive to the start, but ended up running instead, got lost, and fell in a bog. 

A lot of that is probably not even a nightmare, but what usually happens, but at least the oversleeping bit didn't come true. After breakfast number 1, and a cycle to Euston in the dark, Andrew and I caught the train up to Milton Keynes (including breakfast number 2), to meet Alan.

From there, we ran though the green parks of MK, past the Concrete Cows...

The Concrete Cows are a sculpture (of three cows and three calves) made in 1978 by Liz Leyh, an artist-in-residence in the early days of Milton Keynes. They are said to be the artist poking fun at the new city. I suppose, that the countryside had been enveloped in a city, and the only cows are made of concrete. They haven't had such an easy time of it. They've been painted pink, had PJ bottoms painted on them, a calf has been kidnapped, ears cut off, a badly behaved bull added, and then cow pats....

...from the Concrete Cows, Alan had planned a great route to the north of MK (thanks Alan!), around the countryside and villages. Feels like you are really far away from anywhere, despite being pretty close to the city.

There were plenty of ploughed fields, and bogs, so I made a bog montage...

And for a break from the bogs, we had our first checkpoint outside a luxury country mansion house...

....and soon after we were tempted by another checkpoint opportunity...

...but no! We must focus. Soon we ran over the River Great Ouse, which was indeed great, after all the recent rain...

Shortly before the half way point, there was an incident with a ferocious bramble, which firstly tripped up Alan in front, then I was next and it got entwined in my hair, so I was sort of hanging by by hair, which hurt really, but got more stuck the more I tried to untangle myself. Andrew came next, to the rescue, but he got stuck in the bramble too, and a few of the thorns got stuck in his hands. Eventually, looking a bit dishevelled (even more so than usual after 25 miles in the rain and mud) we were released from the bramble, and soon after made it to the half way checkpoint, a Luxury Checkpoint at a cafe in Olney, where we were able to recover with hot drinks and cake. 

Andrew headed home from here (congrats on his first marathon in a long time!!), and Alan and I carried on for the 50. The frequency of ploughed fields and serious bogs started to reduce, and the bogs became just minor bogs as the route started to follow more well made tracks. 

We were ahead of schedule, so were able to fit in a second luxury checkpoint in Salcey Forest Visitor Centre. Hot tea was a treat, as it was pretty rainy and cold by that point, and at 4pm, it was starting to get dark...

I love running in the dark! We almost made it through the forest before it got a bit dangerous running without light, and we both nearly went flying over fallen logs, and it was time for head torches. Running in the dark, and only being able to see a little bit all around in the circle of the head torch light always makes me feel quite safe and calm, like I just have to focus on my own little bit of world that I can see, and all the darkness all around doesn't matter, as I can't see it.

This of course only applies if I'm with someone else, and I'm distracted from feeling scared and am feeling safe, and not worrying about what actually is in the darkness all around. Especially when having a non-luxury checkpoint at about 45 miles next to a graveyard, for instance. Or when running through a field of cows, when suddenly just outside my little circle of light, a whole lot of glittering eyes start shining out of the darkness (the first time I met a cow when running through a field in the dark, I genuinely thought it was the devil, what with it's two luminous green eyes hovering about in the darkness, and there being hoofprints in the mud all around)..... 

Anyway, we made it back to MK without any more major bogs, ferocious brambles, or devilish cows, and completed 50 miles in 10.45. Thanks Alan and Andrew for a great run! Good to do a 50 again, my favourite distance. 

Such was the level of bog, that a bog decontamination zone had to be set up before going back into the house.....

...and just in case you're interested, this is what a banana looks like after 50 miles...