Race Reports

This race is billed as a challenging self-navigated off road run from London to Brighton, facts which I am not sure I really understood when I entered. The more people I spoke to, the more horror stories I heard about checkpoints being abandoned and bags just left at the end, and the more concerned I became.

The fact that the map book only arrived 3 weeks before the race was not terribly helpful either, especially since I had begun to recce the course as per previous years and there had been significant changes.  In fact I was more worried about getting lost than running the distance.  

However, I did manage to run the course south of the M25 in bits and pieces prior to race day, which calmed my nerves somewhat. 

Race day was a 6am start in Blackheath with registration in a TA hanger full of fit looking people and the discussions of previous races began.  It is pretty difficult not to doubt yourself when surrounded by multistage desert racers and people using the race as training for the 400 mile Arctic Yukon race, but too late to back out now.. 

I have to say the run was scenic, even through London.  The course ran through Lewisham, Bromley and to the west of Biggin Hill, crossing the M25 just north of Limpsfield Chart, then east of Edenbridge and East Grinstead.  The run then goes via Wych Cross to Horsted Keynes and then through Chailey Common heading south to cross the Downs at Black Cap, then through Falmer to Brighton.

The 5 checkpoints were well stocked with water, bananas and in the latter stages cakes, biscuits and also cold roast salted potatoes dipped in tomato sauce which have to be one of the most delicious things known to mankind when running this distance.  

I managed to go off course 3 times (once was in Ashurstwood which is a part of the course I had run in training) but nothing too terminal, adding 1 or 2 km at the most and was never running alone.  The people were friendly and happy to chat as we ran which was encouraging and also useful as many of them had a great deal of ultradistance running experience.  I did meet 2 other people who were also doing their first ultra and both finished just ahead of me.  I was pretty amazed at the number of experienced runners who were happy not to look at their maps and just follow inexperienced people like me, especially when I was joined by Rob and Jamie, acting as tour guides for the latter stages of the run. 

Overall, the run went pretty much as expected for me.  I was comfortable until about 35 miles and then began to tighten up as we climbed from Weir Wood reservoir and it was then that Rob and Jamie's support was invaluable.  Rob ran with me for about 15 miles from mile 31 and Jamie joined us in Horsted Keynes at about mile 40 and ran to the finish.  

I enjoyed the day, despite the pain.  Interestingly I learnt that it is possible to run through pain and out the other side to a stage where running is actually more comfortable than walking (although up hills are still very difficult after 50 miles with weak legs).  I was pleasantly surprised that, even when we were within a mile or so of our house, I was not tempted to crawl into bed with a cup of tea! 

The low point was leaving checkpoint 5 knowing that I had the walk up Black Cap ahead, but thehigh pointwas reaching the top with Jamie and seeing not only the sea, but also Steve and Kay, which was a real boost.  I knew then I could get to the finish and promptly ran past 3 other runners, one of whom tagged onto Jamie and I and then finished with me.  He was a French guy called Sebastian and a mutual thumbs up was our signal to each other of a job well done. 

As I look back I am not sure I would do it again, although as my legs recover I could change my mind..  

All I know is that I could not have done this without all the encouragement from everyone I know.  It is fantastic to belong to a club where people don't tell you that you're mad when you suggest something like this.  Claire Cresswell deserves special mention for getting me to start running on the Downs and Rob for training and company on the day. 

I will be forever grateful to my amazing husband Jamie for putting up with my training and for his help on the day.  Not only did he run about 20 miles with me, he kept my spirits up and force fed me jelly snakes on a regular basis to keep me going.  He always knows just what I need and that is just one of the reasons I love him. 

Statistics

• 3 runs a week in training
• Longest run 35 miles
• Time to finish 12.24 (cut off 13 hours). 
• Not sure how far I actually ran (Garmin packed up after 65km)
• Number entered 290+, 196 started and 88 finished

I finished 58th (7^th female)

Emma Goodhead

 

'Vincit Qui Patitur'

This ever popular hilly road race had 1,319 finishers. The impressive African winner, Yared Hogos, finished in 1:06:53 (a couple of minutes outside the course record).

This ever popular hilly road race had 1,319 finishers. The impressive African winner, Yared Hogos, finished in 1:06:53 (a couple of minutes outside the course record). 

A decent showing of 10 MSTC members produced some good performances and PB's in near perfect conditions. 

I had a nice chat with Rachel, Lucy, Emma, Mike and Helen before the race. However, I did not manage to meet up with Steve, James, Hazel and Martin at all. Helen was the only one I managed to spot coming over the finish line with a stunning sub-2 hour run that was 10 mins better than her previous best. 

Residual fitness from ironman training earlier this season allowed me to take 4 mins off my 2011 Barns Green effort to get a very pleasing PB. Funny how months of training/racing at HR 140bpm allows one to get PB's racing at HR 170+bpm. Thought I'd managed my first ever podium finish for this 3rd in age-group result, only to find this race only gives awards for 1st and 2nd in age-group! 

Gun times (no chip time available at time of writing)

• Jim 1:22:36
• Mike 1:28:16
• James 1:29:28
• Steve 1:32:32
• Martin 1:37:25
• Lucy 1:44:10
• Rachel 1:46:38
• Hazel 1:51:51
• Helen 1:57:06
• Emma....................chip failure.....finished in a good time apparently

By Jim Graham

Club Records: /about-mstc/club-records.aspx

Results: http://www.sportsystems.co.uk/ss/results/Barns%20Green%20Half%20Marathon/851

Jeans Report

What a fantastic time I had, could not have enjoyed it anymore. Having all those familiar and friendly faces on the start line definitely made it more of a social fun run.

13 miles seem to fly past, maybe it was the continual talking! dancing at the water stops or just the wine!! whatever it was I was disappointed when we got to the finish.

Mile 2   First taste of white wine, Trevor's eyes lit up at all the Power Gels and started to fill his pockets.

Mile 6   Brought a queue for the toilets and welcome sponges, supplied by an old gentleman having the time of his life, sponging down all the ladies!!

Mile 10  Brought extra wine tasting - a water fight with me and Kay - Two courgettes! carried by Trevor and Jules (have you cooked them yet?) and a lovely picture of Claire skipping off into the distance.

Mile 13  MSTC competitiveness kicked in and there was a dash for the finish or it just could have been the tea, coffee, cake, fruit, Bar b q and more wine supplied at the end, so we greedily put back all the calories we had lost.

Bring it on again next year:)

Trev's Report
I'd just like to mention the pumpkins ... I was first competitor over the line carrying a pumpkin!

I also managed to eat more crisps , pretzels and jelly babies than anyone! And despite a valiant attempt from Jim I won the competition to earn the entry fee back by collecting as many gels as possible , even managing to store some inside Roses sports bra !

Also the MSTC medics at mile 12 ... Steve pumping that poor woman full of gels until she vomited!

And it was Roses first half marathon!

 

JulesReport
The "courgettes" are actually the size of small pumpkins rather than the sort you find in Sainsbury's!

Definitely the most fun I have ever, and I'm sure will ever, have on a half marathon. I echo Jean's sentiments when I actually got quite sad At mile 9 when I realised there were only 3 miles left!

I think the quantity of wine increased each stop due to realising that there were fewer and fewer people following us :-D

Clairs Report
Sunny 'Skippy' Sunday
I went to bed on Saturday night and slept soundly. On Sunday it was a perfect day, I left with my printed out map of the bike route to get to Denbies and met Jean on route.

Cycling to an event has to be the way to go, no problems with nerves. The route was great and Jean and I enjoyed the bike ride so much, it was more of a concern that my map reading skills - while cycling - would get us there (which they did). It was a beautiful scenic route and didn't feel like the 30 miles at all. We got to see the Olympic rings on the heights of Box Hill as we made our final road towards the Vinyard.

On arrival at Denbies, which was so lush-green and beautiful we were surrounded by runners dressed up to the nines! I liked the runners dressed up as vineyard grapes - by the time the run was done their balloons as had deflated with the heat of the sun pounding down on them and every so often a few would bang as the balloons burst with all the friction created.

It was Such a relief to be back in the swing of things, again. It really didnt feel like 13 miles. I was pretty certain that post injury that I would run 4 and walk the rest. I ran and skipped a very decent 12 plus miles. Meeting up with Fiona, Jo, Sharon, Graeme, Steve, Kay, Jim, Helen, Juls and of course Trevor and Rose was superb.

We had an enormous amount of fun, we chatted, danced and stopped of course at every feed-drink station to make sure that we were hydrated, re grouped and then we all ran on again. I did quite a lot of skipping ... I found that too much sugar does make for a very skippidy hoppidy me - thank goodness I didnt have any wine !

This event was really well organised, lovely marshalls and a really good event to be part of - sometimes running for fun, chatting with friends and enjoying the scenic view has to be a founditory reason for all the training that is done in the year. They provided a great post BBQ, music and the atmosphere was fantastic. I would definitely do this again, be more organised and dress up and would cycle back next time too.

Jim's Report
A great day for a PW (personal worst finish time).
Brilliant fun race with fancy dressing, wine, sunshine, friends and great scenery.
Felt like it was the South of France running beside vinyards in blazing heat.
Had the rare privelage to run with (and chat to) the race leader (eventual winner) for a couple of miles. Jonathan Ratcliffe had lapped me and I had no trouble keeping up with him for a while seeing as his legs were 13 miles more tired than mine. Jonathan is a 2:45 marathoner and won this event in 3:11, which shows how tough the course was with hills and half-drunk half-marathoners to negotiate.
Not for the first time, my competitive wife sprinted past me on the finish and beat me by a couple of seconds.

Sharons Report

Best half marathon I have ever done & best of all I achieved a PW (Personal Worse) - also the first time I have ever finished a run feeling a little bit tipsy (lightweight - I obviously don't get out much).

I've just checked the pics on the website & it's the first time I'm smiling while running - he! He! The scenery was fantastic and it was great to just stroll up the hills exercising the jaws from all the chatting

Also needs to be said on the race report that Steve was "chicked" at the finish post by at least a second - lol xx
 

Steve's Report

What a great race and my kind of nutrition plan more wine than you can drink and more jelly babies than you can eat a great social run except for the last 5 meters when the girls got a bit competitive :) think this will have to be a club run for next year.

Place	Time	Name
48	01:56:44	Fiona Bussell
138	02:14:54	Joanna Rendall
193	02:23:38	Helen Graham
194	02:23:40	James Graham
242	02:30:06	Graeme Fitzjohn
509	03:19:08	Claire Cresswell
562	03:43:56	Sharon Chladek
563	03:43:57	Kay McMenamin
564	03:43:57	Jean Fish
565	03:43:57	Steve McMenamin
567	03:44:05	Rose Ryan
568	03:44:05	Trevor Moore
0	03:43	Jules - times missing

 

 

 

This was my first attempt at ultra running, and whilst a 24 hour running challenge was maybe a little over ambitious, I liked the set up of the challenge- it was a little over a 6.5 mile loop, which you completed as many times as possible.  As I had no idea how far I could actually run I thought this concept was a good idea, as I could stop whenever I needed (no pressure of going point to point) and also could pick up food/drink as I passed through the checkpoint each time. 

So I guess I best give you some background before I talk about the race itself.  I hadn't trained any longer than 26.2 miles, and had only done 2 marathons this year.  I was meant to do another 2 marathons in 2 days in early May but got an IT band injury in my hip whilst running the Brighton Marathon, so had hardly done any running since (mostly just biking).  I had also been asked by several friends and family members to get an ECG test to check my heart was ok and I wasn't in danger of dropping dead at any second, so I got one with my nurse.   The test results were not given to me until the Thursday, 2 days before my race, when the doctor (who had the worst bedside manner I've ever come across) rang me at work and told me that the results were inconclusive and she thought I had a 'Long QT'... when I asked what this was she told me to Google it (really!!) which nearly gave me a heart attack in itself when I looked... oh yeah, it's that condition that causes people to drop dead at any second...great (ironic really as you're not meant to shock people who have that condition!).  She would not give me any further details of my results (she had referred them to a cardiologist but results could take weeks) we finished the phone call with her saying 'I wouldn't run for 24 hours without some conclusive results' and then the final caring words of 'I don't see why people can't just do things in moderation'... Charming!  To cut a long story short I ended up getting an appointment the same night with a cardiologist at the Nuffield in Brighton (hello overdraft), a second ECG, and being told that I was ok to run... phew!!  My long QT is at the top end of the 'normal' range so all is good.  I must admit it was a massive wake up call in the few hours that I had to wait to go to the Nuffield that I realised how quickly everything could be taken away from you... I literally don't know what I would have done if I'd been told I couldn't do any of my crazy sporting antics anymore.  I hope I never take what I'm able to do forgranted again.

Race day- the race started at 1pm on the Saturday, and 34 of us set off.  The course was beautiful, a mixture of mainly farm tracks between fields (if you had hay fever or allergic to rapeseed you would have been screwed!) and a couple of roads.  Whilst some of the ground was uneven it was a very flat course so you could get into a nice rhythm.  My tactic was to keep a steady 11 min/mile pace, and walk through the checkpoint to eat and drink.  This went well and I had a couple of runners to speak to that were running the same pace.  I ran the first marathon in 4.58... way too fast Jade!  Although I had kept my pace I hadn't been walking for long enough through the check point.  I decided at this point that I should just keep running at this pace until I could run no more.  I should mention at this point that my hip started hurting at only 6 miles in, I was worried this was going to cause an issue but with some ibuprofen and the seemingly magical Cliff Shot Bloxs that I always use in races (no, unfortunately I'm not being sponsored by them!) the pain disappeared, and after the first marathon I had no aches and pains at all... this was not to last, I knew that, so I just enjoyed every moment of running and was in quiet wonderment and awe that my little legs kept going.  I think I got to around 40 miles when it got too dark and I had to run with my headtorch.  I'll be honest I'm a complete wimp in the dark, and was pretty scared about this prospect (it really was very dark in the countryside) but apart from the bullfrogs it was really peaceful and calming running in the dark. 

Every so often I could see a headtorch bobbing along in the distance, and I knew I wasn't alone.  I carried on running until 46 miles and then my legs starting to complain, as always my quads were starting to scream at me.  Dinner was served at HQ, so I ate some veggie soup, potatoes and pasta and set off again on a run/walk strategy to cover 53 miles.  All in all just under 12 hours, I was very pleased with myself.  The only problem was as soon as I stopped my legs seized up.  I knew I had to rest, so I somehow got myself in to the boot of my car (back seats already folded down) and slept fitfully (damn cramp) for about 3 hrs.  I woke up and was surprised that my legs felt a bit better, as I opened the car boot I was humbled to see one of the guys (who ended up being the winner) running past to start another loop.  I also felt massively guilty for sleeping and scorned myself for not just pushing through the night.  I had a quick breakfast and set off again with a crazy ironman shuffle going on, it was a pointless and energy zapping exercise, and realised walking was just as fast.  My knee started to become very painful with a shooting pain and cracking/clicks every time I put my foot down, I had to look at the bigger picture and the rest of the race season so I called it a day with just another 7 miles under my belt that morning.  Total distance covered- 60 miles.

Do I feel like I could go further in the future- most definitely.  But for a first attempt I am very pleased that I did my best.  I'm fully aware that had I just walked for 24 hrs then I would have covered a bigger distance, but that was not what my challenge was about, and I certainly wouldn't have felt happy doing that.   I wanted to run as far as I could, and running until you drop is more my motto.   I was more pleased with getting a double marathon under my belt than walking until the cows come home.  But I have learnt that I am clearly no good at pacing myself!  Would I do an ultra again, absolutely!  Phil Couch (I'm sure it was you Phil) told me a quote last year before my ironman from T.S. Elliot that says 'Only those who will risk going too far, can possibly find out how far one can go' and that has certainly stuck with me.

I shall stop my waffling now (gold stars to anyone who has made it this far, you're nearly at the end!) but I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for your brilliant support, encouragement and kind words before, during and after the race, and of course the donations to the BHF who I ran to raise money for.

 

Jade Overy

 

I am running in memory of my Grandad, Jock who died in June 2011 after suffering from heart conditions for several years.  He was very active and a keen runner, running many half marathons, and only stopped on doctors orders in his seventies due to his heart condition.  His favourite past time was walking his dogs around the local country parks.  I know he is very proud of all my achievements to date, and I wanted to dedicate this challenge to him.  This challenge would only have been made better if he was here to see me do it.

So the challenge itself... The event starts on the 19th May at 1pm and I will be running as many laps of a 6.55 mile loop as possible in 24 hours.  I am hoping to run at least a minimum of 50 miles, and hope to be capable of more on the day... but you have my promise that no matter what I will do my very best!  There will be an area at the race HQ where I can rest/eat as and when I feel necessary, but the rest of my time will be spent running.

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