Race Reports

The Balcombe Bull Run, a 7km cross-country run, is being held at 10.30am on Sunday 23rd March.  The event is being organised by Balcombe School PTA and Mid Sussex Triathlon Club.  It goes over the fields, paths, lanes and tracks of Balcombe Estate.  It is a fully marshalled event and refreshments are available in the school hall.
 
Here is a map of the course http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6141126
 
For application form and instructions for runners Click Here, and a flyer.  Adults are £8, juniors/U16 £5 (all runners must be over 12 on 31/8/14).  Race numbers should be collected on the day from registration in the school hall.  There is a maximum field of 150 runners, so apply early to avoid disappointment.
 
If you would like to help marshal on the day (between 9.30am and 11.30am) please get in touch with Mat Record at mcrecord@hotmail.com or 07811 325.  You'll get to wear a lovely flourescent jacket!
 
Mat Record
Race Director

On behalf of my wife and I, the time has come (allowing for mental and physical healing)  to provide an update on the NDW 100 (or what turned out to be NDW103).  

I assert that this is quite problematic as those looking in can't understand it and those looking out can't explain it.  For that I reason I feel the best way to provide insight into the event is through an explanation of the psychology behind Ultradistance running with the added benefit of providing an indication of your propensity to partake in the sport.  

If you answer yes in more than:

•   50% of the questions then it is considered a positive response
• >70% and you should seek counselling or drop me a line about what races the MidSussex UltraDistance & Cake Appreciation Society (AKA MUCAS) will be partaking in over the next 12 months.
• > 90% then consider yourself an honorary member of the club and come to our next "meeting"!

1. When you see 100 miles to go on a motorway, do you think that would be a good run but could you do it in 24hrs?
2. Would you consider the additional 3 miles in the NDW100 as bonus miles?             
3. When people mention cake, do you have a Pavlovian response?
4. Do you have an unhealthy obsession with socks?
5. Do you think Chris Froome looks healthy?
6. Do people give you a wide birth when you explain what you did on the weekend?
7. Are you a little embarrassed by what you got up to on the weekend?
8. Does everything on your body hurt?
9. Do you believe your body will self-heal anything?
10. Do you carry a head torch when you go out at night (even to the pub)?
11. Do you think it would be better to run and meet your family on a day out rather than drive?
12. Do you own more shoes than your significant other - or at least compete on the number of trainers you have?
13. When you go for a run, do you see things that you should not see?
14. Do you take more medication than an 80 year old stroke sufferer?
15. Do you know your physiotherapist by their first name?
16. Do you go to a masseur for a massage?
17. Do you respect athletes that no one else has heard of?
18. Do you carry toilet paper when you leave the house?
19. Does is disturb you to relieve yourself outdoors?
20. Are Portaloos posh?
21. Do you feel people who think about barefoot running, forefoot running, pronation and supination are interesting people?
22. Have you purchased a pair of  barefoot running shoes and live with the injuries to show for it?
23. Do you know what a salt tablet looks like?
24. Do you consider Unltradistance running as a sport?
25. Do you consider Football as a sport? (yes = no, no = yes)
26. Have you considered removing your toenails to stop them falling off?
27. Is there any part of your feet that has not had a blister?
28. Do you know where the Vaseline is in your house?
29. Do you know what calf cards are?
30. Do you own but not use calf cards?
31. Do you think walking up hills is cheating?  (yes = no, no = yes)
32. Do you think walking down hills is cheating?  (yes = no, no = yes)
33. Do you think walking is cheating?  (yes = no, no = yes)
34. Can you eat a Big Mac Meal Deal with onion rings, mozzarella dippers and a shake and still go for a run?
35. Can you sleep?
36. Can you not sleep?
37. Do you know how to read a map?
38. Do you know how to carry a map without letting go - regardless of logic?
39. Do you feel you can judge where you are on the planet by your awareness of the earths magnetic fields?
40. Can you see through time or do you have other "special" powers?
41. Do you think alcohol is a performance enhancing?
42. Is Born To Run a book by Michael Morpurgo?  (yes = no, no = yes)
43. Do you recognise or use any of the following acronyms?  UTMB, MDS, C2C, A2A, NDW, SDW, TTP.
44. Have you ever had an energy gel that tasted good?
45. Is Icecream racing food?
46. Have you ever done a race where there were 2 or less people to greet you at the finish?
47. Do you feel lucky or unlucky that you live in a country where distance are measured in miles not kilometers?
48. Do you have a nick name that would be out of place in polite society?
49. Do you consider anything over 5 hours duration as a race?  (yes = no, no = yes)
50. If someone offered you a place in a Marathon the day before would you think 

        a) What a great day out?
        b) What a circus?
        c) All of the above or
        c) As "c" is statistically the correct answer and you can't be bothered reading the other options
        d) None of the above
Answer; "c" = yes

Jamie & Emma Goodhead

It was the 12th of January, snowing and I was sitting in bed with a cold.  What better thing to do than pack your gear, head to Wendover and run to London along with 300 other eccentrics including your wife.  45 miles of cross country bliss and a day without children, could it get any better?  Actually yes, what other race starts with bacon rolls and a cup of tea?  I'm not sure I can remember being in a pub, teeming with such energy at 7:30 in the morning but then again if the night had been that good I wouldn't have remembered!

These days one can't take these things too seriously, so starting at the very back of the field we ambled down Wendover high street to the first style - now it takes some time for 300 people to cross a style who all arrive at the same time.  No worries, time to stretch, have a chat and ponder how the water will get out of your water proof shoes when they fill up from the top!

It's always nice to spend time with your wife, enjoying the countryside and the company of strangers with interesting stories about how they don't have heating and are using this as preparation for their run from Birmingham.  Things didn't change much for the next 25 miles, run a bit, wade through some mud, have a chat, look at a map, wait at a stile and repeat.  The weather did improve and at checkpoint 1 I discovered the best cake ever made which included some magical ingredients that I'm sure were designed to uplift one's spirits - the world took on a 60's glow!

Now there is nothing quite like a light Siberian breeze hitting you in the face for a day which contributed to the downside of the race when I failed to motivate Mrs G to go any further than the Marathon distance, which left me to go it alone.  A stubborn one that Em but the look of grey disgust and inability to pose for the photographer meant we had failed on our mission of quality time together so I may as well punish myself a little!  75grams of carbs and 500ml of fluid per hour and the knowledge that if I get through the 30 mile point I had enough jelly snakes to get me home, not forgetting the joy of more cake at the next stop was plenty of motivation.

A Canal can be quite boring but not the Grand Union Canal, that has a few house boats, the occasional BMXer, water, footpath, disposed toilet, dead fish, misleading sign or two, tree, derelict property  and at least 2 Sainsburys - now that beats seeing nothing swimming for the same amount of time any day!  And then came the finish, at just over 8 hrs I crossed the line and went to the pub - beats a round of golf but not quite as good as an Ironman so I'd give the experience 6/10 but 10/10 for value - Race T shirt, medal, mysterious cake, gels, and 8 hrs of entertainment all for the bargain price of £40 odd quid - now that is a deal and better than anything I got in the post Christmas sales and it gave me an excuse to miss the Swimming Club's T30!

Jamie & Emma Goodhead

After last year's sub zero temperatures - it was going to be interesting to see what difference milder conditions with recent torrential rain would make. Well - it was wet!! It was also windy. 

As usual the pre-race banter centred around the excuses. Loz and myself pleaded lack of training for distance, Jamie had done loads of distance but all at a slow pace. Martin Sanwell was doing his first marathon so did not really know what to expect. Jules had her usual approach, so virtually no training, and Jim Graham was taking it easy pacing his wife Helen round as his heel injury was still recovering after his amazing 3h 02m a couple of months ago. 

Jamie set off at a good pace straight from the start, but found his lack of pace training was causing pain in his overstretched hamstrings, so after 8 miles he backed off, allowing myself and Loz to move in front. Jamie is doing a 45 mile ultra marathon in a few weeks and it was not worth risking any damage at this point. 

As we approached the halfway turn (it is an out and back course) Loz was beginning to breathe quite heavily which turned out to be caused by tummy problems. Luckily there were 'facilities' at the turn point, but this was just the start of a torrid time for Loz with several stops in the second half. 

Jim was pacing Helen round and Jules was running at her usual sensible steady pace, although the course made it difficult to keep the pace even. It is half cross country and half tarmac, with 2 sections each way on shingle beach. The cross country sections were very wet, muddy and slippery. If Loz wasn't having a bad time already the last thing he needed was to slip on a wet concrete sea defence wall then skid off the edge. Unfortunately there was a big drop to the beach below and he completed the race with a huge graze down his leg.

 The conditions took their toll of everyone - especially as the way back was predominantly into a headwind, and the pace slowed for all. 

Performance of the Day for me goes to Martin. 3h44m for a first marathon is exceptional, and there is clearly a lot more to come. I am sure he will break 3h30m soon. Helen's 4h13m was also exceptionally strong. 

Martin and Loz pushed themselves so hard that they each went beyond the 'empty' point. When they finished they were both so pale that they really looked ill. It took an emergency dash to the nearest MacDonald's to refill them with junk food before either looked remotely human again! 

Well done to those that completed it. 

Men Winner 2h50m40s 

• Steve Alden         3h19m50s    17.09%    10pts
• Loz Wintergold   3h32m59s    24.8           9
• Martin Sanwell    3h44m01s   31.26          8
• Jamie Goodhead  3h49m32s   34.49          7
• Jim Graham         4h13m12s   48.36          6

Women Winner 3h04m02s 

• Helen Graham                4h13m13s   37.58%     10pts
• Julienne Stuart-Colwill  5h46m56s   88.52          9 

Authors Steve Alden

The Abingdon Marathon was first held in 1982 and 2012 marks the race's 31st year since its inception. 

This is a flat, fast, scenic marathon with not too many runners. 

This race sells out within weeks. Mostly good standard club runners looking for a PB, because it's such a good race and usually ideal temperature in October. 

About 750 starters out of the 1,000 entrants. About 80 usually go sub-3 hours. 

Pre Race 

No idea how I would do on the day but weather seemed perfect. 10 degrees, light wind, cloudy. Some muddy puddles from recent rain. In 2011, I trained diligently for marathons and Abingdon 2011 yielded 11mins off PB for 3:11:03. Done several marathons since then and not gone faster. 2012 has been dominated by long distance triathlon and long distance duathlon with no specific stand-alone marathon preparation. Heartened by taking 3 mins off half-marathon PB just 3 weeks before Abingdon 2012. A bit in awe of Kevin James' 3:02 marathon finish a couple of weeks ago. 

My Race 

Figured I would go for sub-3 and see what happens. That meant a decent warm up for 10 mins before the start, so I could post sub-7min miles straight from the gun. Delighted to find I was doing 6:40-6:50 min miles with relative comfort for the first 6 miles but then got a nasty pain develop in heel at the Achilles Tendon insertion. At age 49, one does worry about Achilles Tendon rupture. Contemplated dropping out but decided to keep going as it did seem a genuine opportunity to fulfil the sub-3 dream.

Toughed it out and got to half way in 1:29:30. Completed mile-22 and was averaging around 6:45 per mile, which was comfortably inside target. Hit some kind of wall thereafter and the next miles were 7:00, 7:10, 7:29, despite really trying hard and almost passing out.

Always manage to rally for that last mile, which was around 7:05 on this occasion. Then the last half mile was at 6:30 pace as I sprinted screaming like a nutter to motivate myself. Yes, that's 26.45 miles in total rather than the 26.2 miles I had in mind. That extra quarter of a mile probably took a 100seconds or so.

Post Race

Great to see Anthony Bliss of Sussex Sports Photography. Posed for a few pictures. Delighted with 3:01:17. According to Garmin I had done 26.2 miles in sub-3 but unfortunately that doesn't count.

Great to give Kevin a bit of friendly competition and perhaps the nudge he needs to go sub-3 next time.

My heel feels wrecked and will need serious rest from running for a while. Massive limp day after the race. Thank goodness I have swimming and cycling to do instead for a while.

Race Report by Jim Graham

**After the Male club Marathon being held for over 6 years by Steve Alden it was taken by Kev James 2 weeks ago at the Chester marathon with a time of 03:02:50. Unfortunately for Kev he only got to hold the title for 2 weeks as Jim is now the proud owner of that title.

Club records here