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!

Phoenix Fridays - Retro Friday, marathon, 26.05.2023

Today was four days after the Saxon 100 miler, and I was not sure at all I would be able to do a marathon. But it was a fabulous day, I felt suprisingly OK, and I enjoyed it very much!

After a small mishap with leaving my debit card in my running leggings at home, not in the running leggings I was wearing, I managed to get on a bus and on to Waterloo. Met Sarah in the front carriage, and choo-chooed away to Walton-on-Thames.

The weather was exceptional! Beautiful sunshine, yet not too hot. Blue skies, blue water, blue bridge....green grass, green trees....yellow flowers, white flowers, purple flowers....everything looked so perfect.

Sarah and I discussed: variations on how you can't teach an old dog (or other things) new tricks or trogs / how would you know if it was or if it wasn't? / accidents with gardening equipment / the joy of pretzels / feet / how much we love jackets.

Wildlife: lots of dogs, swans (in the wrong place), cygnets, ducks, and heard Dimitri (at gone noon), and terradacytls (probably).

We finished in 4:28:41. And today was my 100th Phoenix Event, so I earned my black graphite wings - thank you Rik and Team Phoneix for 100 fantastic experiences, for being a place I come to to feel happy, and for all of the friends I have met here! And also for an excellent event today. 

Well done all, and for all milestones achieved today! Good to catch up in the pub for chip chats ("gamon, egg and chips") afterwards and celebrate Sean's 150th marathon.

Saxon 100 Miler with SVN, 20.05.2023

First of all, what a fabulous event! 

I have never run at Book Farm (in Reculver, Kent) before, and it turns out to be the most wonderful place! I completely loved it there. 

On Friday, I got the train down to village of Minster and walked to the Premier Inn there, passing three pubs on the way. What a place! Met up with Sarah, Jon and Katie for tea. Afterwards, I faffed a bit with my kit. I was feeling very underprepared to run 100 miles, truth be told. Not for any particular reason; just that I felt that my head hadn't really caught up with where we were, in terms of it being the next day. Anyway, I figured, just show up, try your best and have fun along the way.

The route was 8.7 miles long, so to do 100 miles, you had to do 11 loops, plus a half a loop. The route was made up of: hill mile, slug bridge, straight part, windy dog leg, Yumbelievable station, Christmas tree bridge, fairy wood, vermin control zone, beautifully clean farm road, the stony/windy/very bad bit, Riv, undulating bit, Yumbelievable station, straight bit, slug bridge, hill mile, and SVN barn. 

Sarah and I ran the first 3 laps (marathon) far too quickly, then had a panic that that might not have been top strategy for getting round 100 miles, so we settled down a bit after that, and got into a good rhythm and routine for our laps, with the walking parts and running parts. 

The weather was amazing! Apart from the wind! 

The route was very dry underfoot, which was really lucky. It was very very dusty, and I thought I'd got a good tan, until I had a shower and it all washed off (apart from a small triangle of sunburn on my right leg, which must have been where there was a gap in the dust).

Turns out that Sarah was also feeling not prepared for the run either, so we spent the whole time in denial about what we were doing, that we weren't actually there, and where we were was actually in a parallel universe, and we would wake up in the morning, and all would be a dream. Which of course is completely understandable chat towards the latter parts of a 100 miles, and would all be fine and normal, aside from the fact that we started off along this train of thought from about mile 3. Anyway, turns out it might actually be a good ultra mind technique, as we both got round feeling fine about it in our heads, and not worrying about things. 

Other chat topics included the obligatory work-bashing lap, UTS Repairs, Parma violets, and witches. 

Wildlife: 2 bats, baby dinosaurs (probably they were birds, but who can be sure?), a few squashed slugs, street lights that looked like seagulls, crows. 

The sunset and sunrise were beautiful, and I enjoyed the night section too - it really wasn't too cold at all with a few layers on, and it was a lovely night (no moon), starting out very clear so we turned off our torches and could see so many stars. And some distant fireworks! It clouded over a bit later on, but I love how completely different everything looks in the dark. Trees especially seem to take on new shapes and characters. Plus, we couldn't see how really flippin' long "stony/windy/very bad bit" path was in the dark, which made it slightly more bearable (very slightly, and even slightly more after a lot of swearing and shouting at it each time we got buffeted by the wind or kicked a rock). 

There was such a nice crowd of runners out, and I loved how sociable it was and how many people we got to catch up with and spend miles with on the way round.

The aid stations were amazing! Ultras are strategic picnics, with some running thrown in. Top highlight = pink wafer biscuits at Jelly Baby Junction, and gooey flapjack at SVN Barn.

Sarah and I finished in 22:28. A really top notch event - thank you so much Rachel and Tills and Team SVN, and the Yumbelievable Team too. And thanks Jon for the lifts! Well done to all! 

Phoenix Fridays, Wine Time Friday Marathon (05.05.2023) & Saturn Running, King Charles III Coronation Run, 50km (08.05.23)

Phoenix Fridays, Wine Time Friday Marathon, 05.05.2023

Up at 5.30, but I always like getting up early for a) holidays, and b) running. 

Caught the 243 bus to Waterloo, which went on a long, and actually quite interesting, diversion around St Pauls/ Farringdon. There were lots of photographers already gathering ahead of the Coronation tomorrow, it was all quite exciting. Caught the train, and met Sarah in the front carriage, for our Friday chat-athon to commence. A nice 2.5 mile walk to the start for a warm up (for chatting) and at about 08.30 we set off from the Wier, for 8 laps of the Blue Bridge Route.

It was such a beautiful sunny day! Everywhere seems so lush and green, and the blossom and bluebells were out. Lots of friends out too, and it was a fun and social run, with lots of catch ups and laughs on the way round, plus two weekends of chat to catch up on. 

After the worrying absence of Dimitri at the 10 in 10, it was a relief to hear his cock-a-doodle-do-ing (at around noon, he still doesn't do mornings). 

From Dimitri, our discussions turned to swans, and where they would be spending the coronation day. Probably Windsor. They were flapping around, and some were in the swan spa, no doubt getting ready for the big day. By about lap 6, we had opened the discussion up to "Birds and the Coronation", and where other birds might go. Seagulls; probably would not be interested, and would use the long weekend an excuse to visit the seaside and a spot of ice cream thieving. Pigeons; might try their luck at getting a good view at Traflagar Square (the avoidance of Harris hawks and other pigeon deterrents permitting). Ducks; maybe duck into a pub along the Thames and watch it there. Geese; sink a few pints, make a lot of noise, and fight with the dogs on the towpath, like usual. 

A fabulous Friday. Thank you Team Phoenix! 

I love the medal!

 

From the finish, we walked back to the station....and thank you Nick, for our McFlurry coupon!

When I got off the train at Waterloo, I thought I would go check out how prepararions for the coronation were going/ how the pigeons were getting on. There were no pigeons in sight, but Trafalger Square and the Mall were already packed with people. I admire their stamina. I'm totally happy to stay up and run through all the night, but sitting in a camp chair in central London reserving a spot by the front of the barriers, I'm not sure about. What happens when you need a wee? Or snacks? I think the pigeons thought this too, and have headed to the seaside with the seaguls.

Saturn Running, King Charles III Coronation Run, 50km, 08.05.23

Today's run was at Egham. The run was to celebrate the coronation, and was a mass start, with about 250 people taking part, and it was a great atmosphere.

The forecast was very bad, but it barely rained at all, for which I will take full credit for, as I took full wet weather gear and a complete change of clothes.

Sarah and I completed a 50 km (7 and a bit x 4.4 mile laps) chat-athon, and just like Friday, it was nice and sociable, and really good fun. Great to share some miles with Craig (aka Little Lovelock) and Sean, and Brian too. 

I love this route, and it was such a treat to be out running on a Monday instead of being at work.

Thank you Team Saturn, and especially to superstar Nathan for keeping our cups topped up with lemon squash, and for the "pink sludge cocktail" at the end! 

The medal is super-duper cute! 

Thank you Sarah for two more run-adventures! And for my mini (aka "day-to-day wear") crown! 

Milton Keynes Marathon, 01.01.2023, 03:51:27

Today didn't go exactly as I hoped, but you don't always get what you want, hey!

But it was still a great day. The course has changed this year, to a two lap course. It's very pretty, all along the cycle paths and greenways around Milton Keynes. The blossom was out, and so are the bluebells, and the green of spring is springing out all around. The only part I didn't like is the new finish, which is uphill, and quite the little sod at the end of a marathon, to be honest.

It wasn't all that hot, but still hotter than I've felt running this year (apart from Seville!) so that was nice, although I wilted a bit in the sunnier moments.

I made a number of rookie errors, which I'm disappointed in myself for not doing better with, but maybe some things are just sent as a lesson to learn from, and remind us of things. So, lessons I was reminded of:

1. Running quite a bit faster than the overall pace you are aiming for, in the first few miles, is a very bad idea (really, this is the first thing that anyone tells you when training for your first marathon, seems I forgot 😆)

2. Don't forget a water bottle (especially if it's hot, and you KNOW that a cup of water every few miles will not be enough)

3. Don't forget migraine tablets (especially if it's hot, you haven't drunk enough, and both those are likely to trigger one)

4. Don't panic and get upset and frustrated when things go wrong. Channel challenging emotions in a positive way!

And thus ends today's "what not to do in a marathon" lesson 😆 

I loved the atmosphere and there was some great support on the way round. I also loved the "motivational" signs on the way round, and the lady marshal at mile 24.5 who was holloring "THINK OF THE FINISHING BEER!!!" at us! And I got to meet Moo Farah and Moosain Bolt at the start. Excellent also to see so many friends there, and to have a catch up and a cuppa with Alan afterwards.

So on reflection, it was quite tough run, but that's how it goes. Ride the waves, and the swell will spit you out on a beach eventually. Preferable a tropical one, with cocktails and sunloungers. I mean, one that's good for running training, a refillable water bottle, and my fully stocked kit bag (I am meant to be learning from my lessons, after all. I suppose). 

Thank you

This is to say a massive thank you for all of your sponsorship and support for my 10 Ultramarathons in 10 Days Challenge!

We have raised over £1200 so far, for the wonderful Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. This is way, way, way beyond what I ever imagined, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support and generosity!

It was a great challenge, and I am so happy to have completed it. Your support and encouragement really helped, so thank you for that too.

I've been feeling quite flat and low since it's finished. I guess whilst you are doing something, you are 100% focused on it and are in "the zone", and then it abruptly ends, and that's that. I think I also felt that I was doing something (to raise money, remember Hannah), and now it's done, I am a bit lost sometimes with where to go with my thoughts. 

But the peaks and troughs are just life, I know, and we must just ride on the waves! 

So, as is usual for me, my hurdles have been mainly mental, and physically I've felt fine really since finishing, which I am very grateful for! I think I was quite close to injuring the back of my left knee, but this may have been self-inflicted by being over enthusiastic with my massage gun. It seems pretty much OK now though. Phew! 

My fundraising page will stay open until the end of the month (a week on Sunday).

Thank you again, you wonderful people! 💙💚💛🧡❤💜💖