Centaur 100 Miles, with Phoenix Running, in 23:42:12, on 17.06.2023

This weekend just gone was the Phoenix Festival of Running, at the Denbies Wine Estate. Plenty of events going on over the 30 hours, starting at 08:00 on Saturday morning...half marathon, marathon, 50 miles and 100 miles, and P12 and P24 (running a mile on the hour, each hour).

I have done this event three times now and I really, really enjoy it, always. Mostly because of the atmosphere, which is brilliant. Each lap is 1 mile long, and on each lap you go past the aid station, which is in a small field, where people pitch tents and set up their own aid stops, so you go through this on each lap. The atmosphere is great, like a music festival, but for running. This year felt particularly special - so many people were helping each other out, and supporting each other to achieve things. It was really wonderful to be part of it all. 

The other reason I like this event, is because it is at Denbies, which is one of my favourite places. A big hilly vineyard next to Box Hill, and at this time of year it is full of a thousand different shades of green, and it is beautiful! 

Route report: following leaving Festival Field (see above), the route goes along Princess Alley (historical name), along stony section (OUCH!), up Green Carpet Hill (soft), through halloumi grass (squeaky!) down Shady Slope (nice), Wendy Slope (quiet this time, as there were no trains running, and actually not that Wendy, as there was no wind), Ticker Tape Corner (tight left!), up Grapevine (dance!), back along Princess Alley towards Grinch Tree (looking a bit thin on top), and back into festival field and past our pod tent (guarded by George, and new solar powered lights).

Weather report: The weather made it an interesting weekend to be running! Saturday was hot and humid, and as the hours went by it just kept feeling hotter and hotter. It was a two ice lollies day, for sure! It didn't get much cooler when it got dark really. But the night was spectacular - hours and hours of sheet lightening illuminating the silhouettes of trees and Box Hill, followed by thunder, and then pouring rain. Running in a waterproof in the heat was like being a boil in the bag fish (well, how I imagine that would feel). Speaking of the sky being entertaining, the day time sky was pretty awesome too - with a fly past from some helicopters from the Trooping of the Colour, including Chinooks! 

Wildlife report: Elephant vines. Gorilla (it may have been a black bag wrapped around a vine at the top of Green Carpet Hill for the first 50 miles, but from night time it started to look like a gorilla, and by mile 90, it 100% was a gorilla). Lots of crows. An ant infestation occurred overnight in the tent, which necessitated a tent deep clean (there is nothing baby wipes can't fix), which is exactly what you want to do at midnight on a 100 miler.

Chat report: as it had been three weeks since Sarah and I last ran together, there was a lot to catch up on, so it was lucky we had 100 miles to get through it all. Naked men on walks, angry men in shorts (and shirts), parties, Scotland, etc etc...... Also had lots of chats with lots of other people on the laps as well, which was fabulous. 

Health report: Things ticked along quite nicely, other than we both had fits of sneezing and hiccups and headaches, but nothing that lasted too long. I got a case of full body heat rash - a seriously fetching look. 

Nutrition report: Nailed our aid tent supplies this time, with cheese scones, cold pizza, potatoes, grapes, strawberries and raspberries, ginger and mints. And you can take your coco-frappa-latta-skinni-caramel-lattes and what not.....a strong instant coffee with two sugars in the early hours was by far the best and most effective coffee in existence (thank you marshals!). And despite being in a vineyard, no wine was consumed. What angels we are. 

It was a splendid weekend, and thank you to Rik and Team Phoenix on the aid station for all your work and looking after everyone so well. Matt and Timing Monkey for keeping track of everyone. And the paramedics, who were great. Huge well done to everyone there - everyone did absolutely brilliantly - be proud! 

We finished in 23:42:12, and that was my 16th 100 miler. I love my buckle (I have a gold, silver and now bronze version of this one)!

Saturn Running - Vamos Run - Marathon - 03.06.2023

Today's run was with Saturn Running at Runnymead, and the medal was Rafa Nadal, as it was Priya's 100th Marathon, and Nadal is her favourite tennis player! Congratulations on 100, Priya! I love the medal, and the mini Nadal pin is super cute!

The weather was fabulous; warm and sunny. The river (Big Riv) was looking shiny and spectacular in the sun, the trees were a thousand different shades of green, and the sky was bright blue. It was wonderful to be immersed in the bright colours, and feel the warm air wafting over my skin.

Having been abandoned by my partner in crime Sarah (away) and also by Andrew (who did his own run),  I missed them both! There was a nice crowd of people out though, and it was such a friendly event, and felt a happy and relaxed atmosphere, so I enjoyed the 6 laps of 4 and a bit miles each. I also got chatting to a runner, Steve, who wasn't doing the  event, but was out on a training run, and we discovered that we had both been at the White Horse 100 a couple of years ago!

My favourite thing on the Saturn aid station is watermelon. Being such a fan, it occurred to me that I actually don't know very much about it. I thought this would be a good activity, to spend a lap recalling all the facts I knew about the fine fruit. I made it to the ice cream kiosk (100 metres or so from the start of the lap) and had exhausted all my watermelon knowledge by this point, which were limited to: 1) it is a type of melon, 2) it is 91% water.

Following further research, I have added to my list of known facts of watermelons that:

1) there are approx. 1000 varieties!

2) botanically, it is a "pepo" - a large berry, with a thick rind and a fleshy centre

3) watermelon seeds have been found dating back to 3500 BC, but they originally weren't sweet tasting, but bitter, and the flesh was yellow/white

4) they were originally cultivated for their high water content, so as to store water during dry seasons

5) other than water, so being good for hydration, it doesn't contain a great deal else nutirnet wise. Eating 100g would give you 30 kcal (which would fuel you for approx, 1/3 of a mile) and the only other thing in any kind of useful amount, is a bit of vitamin C. I also find it refreshing and tasty, so is useful on long runs, when struggling with nausea.

Other nutritional side notes from the day:

1) I have started putting a sprig of fresh mint in my water bottles, which also helps with nausea I get during /after long runs

2) I tried a fancy beetroot juice smoothie drink the afternoon before, forgot about it, and had a massive panic that I was gravely ill when my wee was bright red in the morning. Having remembered the beetroot, I calmed down, and looked it up. The medical term is beeturia, and it is caused by the betacyanins pigments, and the phenomenon occurs in 10-14% of people. 

I did a marathon, in 3:55:57. Thank you, Saturn Running, for a fabulous day! And well done to all!