#95 The Excalibur One, 27.01.19

Back to Essex today, for the Excalibur One run, with Phoenix Running - 6 hours to run 5km laps around the (muddy) River Stort.

Did I mention it was muddy? I did? Well, blow me down, I'll say it again, it was muddy. A mud-fest. A giant bog. A mud-bath. I knew we couldn't have got away with the mud-free Winter Tanners last weekend without some kind of payback. My new trainers are not looking so new anymore.

Started off OK for a couple of laps today, but it didn't last, and really found it hard going today, and I'm not sure why. I really hope it is just a temporary thing, as I have no idea how I will get to #100, do 10 in 10, or run 100 miles, if I feel this dismal after one run! 

Despite that, there were loads of fabulous people out today, both running and marshalling. It was lovely to see you all on the way round, and thank you for the chats and smiles and encouragement, it helped enormously, and despite feeling under par, I really enjoyed the day. 

Did 10 laps, so 32.8 miles, in 5:40, and just in case I forget how bad I felt, got a sword to remind me that even difficult runs can be conquered...

Thanks to all the marshals today who looked after us in the cold, and well done runners - great performances all around! 

#94 The Winter Tanners - 20.01.19

Something up with the weather today. Doesn't it remember that it is Winter Tanners day, which usually means rain, snow, wind, ice, and BOGS?? The only thing that was usual about it at all was that it was pretty freezing, but underneath three layers, I was actually HOT in the bright sunshine that lasted all day, without a moment's break, a whisp of wind, a splat of rain, or a tiny snowflake. Even the bogs had pretty much bogged off. I was on the lookout for the bog that I lost a shoe in last year, we had some unfinished business, but alas, it was nowhere to be seen! It was a most beautiful day.

And I feel very odd writing this. January bogs (I mean, blogs) are usually filled with misery about the weather, so this is an exciting change! 

The Winter Tanners is a 20/30 mile walk/run organised each year by the Surrey LDWA. This is the second time I've done the 30 mile run, and I read my blog from last year, where I said I remembered mostly four things about it: 1) the terrible weather, 2) the terrible mud, 3) a lovely route, and 4) fabulous people.

So 1 and 2 were very different this year. But 3 and 4 were the same! 

Each year the route is different, but from my experience, always brilliant, and this year it was indeed splendid, both in terms of fantastic scenery and varied running, and also in its writing. I remember from last year, genuinely enjoying just reading it, such was the delightful scattering of observations during the instructions, and this year was no different....

"Keep ahd on GSW, ignoring all LF and all turns, steadfastly for 10 furlongs"

"FL uphill to pass large metal gates and canine clamour"

"Continue ahead unerringly/ unwaveringly/ resolutely/ relentlessly"

"Cont ahd and eventually...."

And, perhaps my favourite:

"Up road, ignoring distractions" as we ran past....

It's brilliant, hey. These are genuinely thoughts that that I often think whilst running! And the scenery along the route was fabulous.

The route also went past a couple of sites of LDWA history, the Tanners Hatch YHA, site of the Epsom and Ewell LDWA who set up the Tanners Marathon, the first challenge event, back in 1960:

And also past a memorial to Alan Blatchford and Chris Steer, two founding members of the LDWA.

And so on to number 4, which is always true at these things. I ran with Andrew today, who is making a comeback from injury and did his longest run in almost 2 years, and wasn't even sick once - good job well done! Lots of other usual suspects there as well. Tara and Fabrice, Dave and Merrian, Kasia and Gemma - Kasia and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary today, as the Winter Tanners 2018 was where we first met, whilst ploughing through another bog, and am excited she will be doing her 100th marathon later this year too! Gemma was doing her 30th marathon, so a 30 for 30, fabulous! Great to catch up with Sarah, Jon and Gary at the finish, over a persual of potential future joint replacement parts in the board room of Matortho (what a great place to have the HQ of an ultra!). And loads of other familiar faces out too. I realised I hadn't done an LDWA event for a few months, and it was good to be back. Thank you Surrey LDWA for a fantastic event! 

East Hanningfield Trail Marathon, #93

First marathon of the new year! The East Hanningfield Trail Marathon up in Essex, organised by Top Day Events, and starting from a little village called (surprisingly) East Hanningfield, which is in close proximity the Runningwell, which sounded like a good omen.....

Nice to be back out in the countryside, it's been a quite a while since I did a self navigated marathon on the trails. This was quite apparent, as my navigation skills have really taken a dip, and I really struggled. You know when you read something, then look at where you are, and they absolutely don't seem like the same place? Pretty sure it was just me having an off day, as no one else seemed to have any troubles. Although my progress was impeded slightly by this, it was a lovely route through the countryside. And considering it is January, it was really quite warm and dry. I'd gone wearing all of my winter clothes, plus water-poof socks in anticipation of it being freezing and a mud-fest, and I ended up being too hot, and my shoes were barely touched by mud. Well, ok, maybe a bit. There was a bit, that I'd been warned of quite near the end, where I was sure the socks would come in handy. But no! The farmer who owned the biggest mud-fest of a farm, was stood out in his field and directed us around the least muddy way over it, and even how to get back on track after his kind diversion. It seemed that all the stars, apart from the navigating one, were aligned for a pleasant passage along the route description today. Plus, great crowd out, and good to see plenty of folks. A top day from Top Day!

Partly to have something else to focus on after #100, partly to put off going to work for as long as possible this morning, and also partly because I hadn't had drunk my coffee yet so wasn't 100% in control of what I was doing, at breakfast today I entered a 10 in 10 (marathons in days) in April. 10 marathons at once is a bit expensive, but I thought this was a good investment. Apparently the bank manager didn't share this view, as when I went to buy lunch, my card had been blocked due to a 'suspicious transaction' earlier in the day. Outrageous! I wouldn't mind really, but I'm pretty sure most of my transactions are either for entering runs, getting to runs, buying things to wear on runs, or things to eat on runs, so I'm not sure it's all that suspicious. Maybe it is a sign that I am spending too much on running? Can you do such a thing? I shan't even acknowledge these as valid questions, and will ignore them, and instead spend my energy on getting my card unblocked so I can enter more races. Hahahahaha! 

Happy New Year!

In a moment of end of the year self-indulgence, I looked at the medals/ mementos from 2018’s races,

It’s nice to look at them all together and think back over each run. Some felt like a breeze, other ones weren’t, for sure. Kind of like life though, I guess! 2018 was a bit up and down, but as the saying goes, you can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. Well, realistically, it’s unlikely I will ever master surfing, but in running terms, I suppose you can’t stop the hills, but you can learn to climb them, or something like that. Which I was reminded of as some medals caught my eye….

I did my slowest time for a 50 (Afoot in Two Dales), and then not long after I did my 50 mile PB (at The Leviathon)….

I’ve had a few races where I’ve felt astonishingly awful and ran my slowest non-navigated marathon (Groovy Baby), and then also managed my fastest marathon time in over 2 years (Thames Meander)…..

I set a personal record for getting my most lost on an LDWA run, running 29 miles instead of 26 (New Forest Marathon), and then did one where I didn’t get lost at all (Essex Walker Marathon)...

I’ve run races where there was so much bog that I lost a shoe (Winter Tanners), and then decided to get waterproof socks, so ran through the mud-fest of the Remembrance Day Marathon without so much as a wet foot….

Etc, etc …. which goes to show, even tough times don't last forever, and smoother times come along, and I suppose it makes you a little bit stronger each time.

Altogether I did 31 marathons and ultras this year, not a lot compared to many, but my most ever in a year for me. Plus lots of unofficial adventures that don't count towards the numbers, but are all a big part of the journey.

Plus, numbers are all very well, but the best thing about running is the people I’ve met along the way, and the fact that no matter how rubbish you might be feeling on a particular day, there's always someone around who will help you out and cheer you up. Even the tough runs, there has never been one single one where I haven't felt better in myself after it, compared to before....

...which was easily demonstrated by my last two runs of 2018 last weekend - the Frozen Phoenix 1 and 2, with Rik and Phoenix Running, at my favourite place down by the Thames. Saturday I was feeling rubbish, I’ve been fighting with migraines over the last few weeks and feeling low, I don’t know if they are related to each other or what, but they can both do one now. Ran with Craig on Saturday, so 8 laps up and down the Thames and lots of chats and laughs, and seeing lots of other familiar faces running up and down, meant I felt much better by the end of the marathon compared to the start. Plus was brilliant to see Ben run his 50^th marathon, and do a PB to boot, which is just incredible. Sunday I still didn't feel on form, but felt no more rubbish for running compared to standing still, so I kept going for the full 6 hours. I was being a bit reflective at the end of the year, and feeling fed up with feeling low, so was working through some stuff, but 11 laps (36.1 miles), made a good dent in it all. Plus, got to run a good few laps with Terry, a fellow Northerner, who also did an ultra, and helped me keep going past the marathon point. Loads of the regular faces out there this weekend - you all cheered me up massively, and I felt loads better by the end of the weekend, so thank you all 😊 

So, thank you all so much your support this year 💖 And, congratulations to all of my friends and family in all you've achieved in 2018 (running and otherwise), you are really incredible, and inspire me to reach my goals!

Wishing you a Happy New Year, may it be filled with your favourite things, and new adventures too.....