Centaur 100 Miles, with Phoenix Running, 19.06.2021

Well, that was a fun weekend! Phoenix Running had a big event on at Denbies Wine Estate - 24 hours to do a half marathon, marathon, the Minotaur 50 miles, Centaur 100 miles, or the P12 and P24 (where runners run a mile on the hour, every hour). It was also Sarah's 200th Marathon! 

I originally had entered the 50 miler, and thought I would go along and see how it went. In the end, it was going well, and I was running with Sarah (Princess Twin), so we carried on to see how far we could get, and ended up doing the Centaur 100 miles. I never ever thought that I would manage that, so am still in shock!

The course was just one mile long, around the triangle shaped field and the bottom part of Denbies estate. It was pretty flat and grassy underfoot, so nice to run on. Not even too muddy after all the rain of recent days! Lots of people were there, and with the loop being so little, it was fabulous to catch up with so many people over the day. Felt quite like a festival! Especially with all the tents pitched up at base camp!

I wasn't sure what it would be like to run so many laps of such a small lap. In the end, I really enjoyed it. It was great to be able to see everyone so much, and as the laps went on, we got into a rhythm of which bits we ran and which bits we "marched", and learnt the landmarks on the way round, such as Princess Avenue, Treacherous Puddle, Favourite Puddle, and Grinch Tree. Each lap went by very quickly! Plus, our little aid station (which was actually very big and had quite a party going on during the first day, with a few of us based there, and families dropping by throughout the day) was only ever a mile away.

(that's beer in the bottle, I think, not wee)

Special thanks to my friend Tara for coming by and supplying home made tea loaf (made with whiskey tea) with lemon icing, fresh cherries, support, laughs, and a few laps of company too. Tara had been doing her own 31 miler from Denbies on an LDWA route (one we did a lot during Covid-times), and had run her own personal PB on the course today, as she was worried we would need cake and supplies, so was rushing back to make sure we were OK - thanks Tara! And thanks for my unicorn cake decorations!

Some photos from the course....I do love Denbies!

Mmmm...vines (was very proud of us that we spent a whole weekend at a wine estate, and didn't consume even one drop of wine, although I think there was quite a bit of rum in Sarah's 200th delicious chocolate torts - felt a lot better after one of those!).

Box Hill!

The Grinch Tree

Minotaurs? Or concrete cows?

We were very lucky with the weather. Judging by the forecast, it looked like we were in for a complete and continuous drenching for a lot of the time, but although there was some rain at times, it wasn't too bad at all. Most of it was overnight, and because it was all sparkly in our headtorches, Sarah and me called it glitter instead, which made it seem better. 

Wildlife spottings, although a bit scarce, included a tiny field mouse, a bat, birds singing the dawn chorus (which was helpful in determining the time, as it was so cloudy that actual dawn didn't really look much different to night time), killer moths, and two slugs. A unicorn was also spotted (around about the time of the fancy dress mile). 

Luxury loos were aplenty, which is quite unusual on a 100. Especially exciting was that overnight, we got to use the spa loos at Denbies, so technically, we got to visit a spa during a 100!

Thank you Rik, all the marshals, and Timing Monkey for a brilliant event. I loved it very much and I want to do it again already! And absolutely huge congratulations to everyone who ran - you are all brilliant and did amazing - thank you for everyone's company and support on the way around! And thank you everyone who gave me lifts (Vix, Jon, Tara) at different points of the journey there/back!

And, of course, thank you Sarah! I always have so much fun when I run with you. Apart from sore feet, the only other parts of me that really hurt are my throat and my cheeks, from talking and laughing so much for 22 and a bit hours. Thank you for sharing your 200th with me, and for getting me through my wobble. One day, I hope I will be as cool, calm, glamourous and talented as you are at doing things like this...maybe by my 200th I might have managed to improve a little bit! Congratulions my Princess Twin!  

LDWA 100 mile virtual (SDW 100) - 29.05.2021

Normally, the end May Bank Holiday weekend is the annual LDWA 100 miler. Last year it was cancelled due to Covid and postponed to this year, but in in end it couldn't go ahead this year either with all the Covid uncertainties and restrictions. So they made it into a "virtual weekend" where you could do your own 100 miler instead, and submit your evidence to get it checked for your finishing certificate and badge. 

So, I ran one with my running buddy Alan, starting at Eastbourne train station and running along the South Downs Way to Winchester. Andrew brought the car, and drove around doing checkpoints and looking after us - thank you, Andrew!!

After what feels like the longest winter on record, the day before the run the temperature suddenly increased by about 15 degrees - I don't normally complain about the heat, but it was a bit of a shock!

After a small navigational mishap on leaving Eastbourne train station, we started off running well, and were aiming for finishing in 24 hours. 

Running the first part along the Severn Sisters in full Saturday lunch time sunshine was beautiful, and even more magic after months locked in a city! Miles of views all around! Freedom!!! 

Met Andrew after 9 miles or so, at the Severn Sisters Visitor Centre for the first checkpoint, then on along the trails past the Litlington White Horse to Alfriston.

Was struggling a bit in the heat, but proud I managed to deal with the beginnings of a migraine and stop it from ruining my run! About 26 miles Andrew met us for another checkpoint at Housedean Farm, and I was feeling better enough by then to have some food and Coke, and from then on, I solved the pain and nausea, and could eat and drink for the rest of the run, no problems.

At Ditchiling Beacon, we found an ice cream van! 

Other nutritional delights discovered on this run was cold water mixed with a tiny bit of coffee and sugar (AKA - beer water)...

Dusk was beginning to set in.

But luckily, we made it past Chanctonbury Ring just before dark (Chantonbury Ring has some of my favourite ghost stories, which always seem entertaining and quite fun, until you happen to find yourself in the very place in the dead of night, with no one else around). My favourite story is that if you run around the ring of trees in an anti-clockwise direction, 7 times, the Devil will appear and offer you soup/porridge/milk (I guess depending on what's available in the fridge in hell, where space is probably in demand, with it being so fiery and hot down there). If you accept, he will take your soul!! There was actually quite a lot of people around given the time of day and the location, someone sat by the trees, a cyclist, a walker, and us. No Devil though.

Alan was battling very bad gastro issues from the afternoon. He was a total trooper, literally putting up with basically everything going wrong and must have been feeling absolutely #*%! I think! But he just kept going and going, dealing with problem after problem and never even considering giving up. If it had been me, I don't think I could have stuck with it.

There was another race (actually, a couple!) going on over the weekend, and the  "Since 1664 Royal Marines Charity Yomp" was on (the same route, in the other direction). So it was fun running into others yomping through the darkness! At just over 50 miles we met Andrew for the night time checkpoint, and from here, Alan and I continued to Amberley.

And on through the night.

To Cocking to meet Andrew again at about 65 miles.  Alan was really ill by this point, so we had an extended checkpoint so he could recover a bit, and I even had my first power nap on a run, which felt very luxurious! From here, we adjusted our pace and mostly walked the rest of the route. Very lovely to see the dawn!

Then it turned quite misty!

Found a dalmation horse!

Just before the Queen Elizabeth Country Park, we got photo bombed.

The morning light in the forest in the park was stunning!

Then it was up Hillhampton Down (which isn't down, going this way).

 It was turning in to a beautiful morning!

We had to take selfies along the way for evidence, and almost got into an altercation with the owner of Coombe Cross House, who I think thought we were up to mischief taking photos of his country pile!

Then it was up over Old Winchester Hill, which is the most ridiculous name, as it is absolutely no where near Winchester whatsoever.

We met Andrew for a checkpoint at Exton, lovely and nice to sit in the shadows of a stone wall by the Church as the day was heating up again.

From here, we met Andrew one last time at Beauworth, before heading off on the final stretch to Winchester.

We stopped at Holden Farm to fill up our water bottles. The owner was in a barn by the tap, polishing a 1958 red tractor. He was the loveliest man, insisting that I pour out the old warm water from my bottle and filling it with cold water from the tap, as it was so hot. Top man!

From here, it was just a hop, skip and a jump (well, 10km) to the finish in Winchester! 

It was not the easiest 100! And I am in awe of Alan for sticking with it despite all the troubles! I really learnt a lot from him, about sticking with things when the going is tough! And thank you Andrew for all your support! We finished in 31:13, in time for Pizza Express tea in Winchester!