Anglezarke Amble - 24 miles of hills, mud, bogs and more bogs....and more hills....boggy ones!

Thank goodness the weather held up for us!  A week of full on rain meant that we knew what we'd be facing, and we weren't wrong!  Luckily, we woke on Saturday morning to a general greyness, but we'd been promised a dry day (with a hint of sunshine) and about 7-8 degrees....perfect running weather.  Sunday was forecast wall to wall rain, so we were glad the event was on this day instead!

So, being a local event, we didn't have such an early get-up and only a 15 minutes drive to the start.  The Anglezarke Amble is run by West Lancs LDWA and many of our friends from the group staff the checkpoints along the way.  It's 24 miles of hill (up to Rivington Pike, over Winter Hill, up Darwen Tower and over Great Hill) and incredibly boggy wet ground.  We did the Amble last year, but we walked it.  It was Rich's first ever walk of that distance and I remember it being a bit of a slog.  It took us 8 hrs 4 mins to walk it, and although we knew we had a lot of slogging up boggy hills, we hoped to take a couple of hours off that running.  It's so hilly it's hard to make huge gains in time by running.  I was also pretty depleted from the cleanse, and a nice dose of the 'runs' wasn't helping much either!


Me and Rich at the start

We arrived to a filled car park and filled hall with walkers and runners taking advantage of the tea and toast - we'd already had our porridge.  I managed 4 more trips to the toilet before we set off at 8am...not good!  We gathered outside with a mixture of 24 mile and 16 mile runners and walkers, and managed to bump into Tim, who I'd only previously communicated with via this blog and Facebook.  Our only aim was to get in front of the walkers at the start because the slog up to Rivington Pike has a series of stiles that bottle-neck everyone and we knew we'd get stuck behind for a long time. 

If you read my blog regularly, you'll know that it takes my body about 4 miles to warm up, so running straight up hill at the very start is not a great prospect. But we managed it - we ran up the car park and trail with the rest of the runners and assured ourselves a place at the stile unhindered.  The mist was very low making visibility poor, which was a good thing because I didn't want to see how far away I was from the Pike!  I wasn't feeling great - my fuel tanks felt very low and my tummy was threatening to do its worst...


Walkers and runners registering at the start


We slogged our way up the steps to the Pike and turned for a nice skiddy run down before joining the stony track again.  Rich was feeling quite good and was trying to pull me along - but he knows I'm rubbish the first 4 miles!  This was followed by a boggy uphill stint along the single-track road up to the first checkpoint at Winter Hill.  The mast lights were all we could see in front of us, it was impossible in the mist to make out any shapes!  Luckily a lot of runners were in fluorescent tops, which was very helpful!  We'd been passed by a number of runners on the way up (sorry - I can't run up those hills so early into a run!) but we soon passed them again on the way down.  It's quite a long technical downhill, so Rich and I got a good buzz leaping from rock to grass to mud to bog as we hurtled our way down.  Great fun!

Really boggy crossing of fields and streams then (soaked feet from this point on) and we soon got to Checkpoint 2 where the 16 milers peeled off from the 24 milers.  We remembered this part from last year and we knew the bogs would be worse this year.  We both ended up knee deep in various parts of the bog, but it all adds to the fun!  We kept passing and being passed by a group of men and we had some good banter with them throughout. 

Checkpoint 3 was by a reservoir, but as usual we barely stopped.  Rich just picked up a drink of orange squash and a biscuit.  I was struggling to eat and spent the first 4 hours nibbling my way slowly through some ginger biscuits I'd brought with me.  We then started the long long long slog up towards Darwen Tower along Witton Weavers Way.  You can't see Darwen Tower (although the weather had cleared alot and there was a glimmer of warming sunshine from time to time) at the start of the slog and you just seem to go up endlessly without any kind of reward in a nice downhill.  I'd managed to rub a hole in my sock and my trainer was beginning to work its way through my skin layers, but luckily I was blissfully unaware until Rich pointed it out!

This section has a lot of stony track and never-ending roads.  It then moves onto the more exposed fells, complete with the aforementioned bogs and a crisp cross-wind.  Luckily the sun decided to show its face and warm us up a little.  We marched up and trotted down the undulations, but you never really feel like you're getting there.  Eventually Darwen Tower came into view and I managed to stuff a pack of crisps down my neck as we checked in at Checkpoint 4.


Finally.....Darwen Tower and a reasonable track too!

 Having slogged up for what seemed like hours, it would be nice to have the reward of a lovely long downhill, but you never really seem to be going down.  In fact there are still a lot of 'ups' on this stretch, until eventually you get a short section of track where you can let your legs fly down to the road and Checkpoint 5 at Slipper Lowe car park.  This is a well-stocked checkpoint and the place where the 16 milers re-join our route, but we didn't stop to chat.  It was nice to have the 16 milers back in the mix because we always seemed to be passing people.

However, the worst was yet to come.  The final hurdle now was Great Hill, and the rain clouds seemed to be moving towards it at an alarming rate.  The problem with Great Hill is that there is nothing 'great' about it.  It is high, has 3 false summits as you approach n the direction we were coming from, and is the boggiest piece of ground in the area.  If anything was a slog, this was it.  We literally trudged our way up one small squishy step at a time, feet in and out of bogs, slipping backwards.... the lot.  It's horrid.

Eventually it was over and we reached the tops and got a fantastic run down all the way to the final Checkpoint 6 at White Coppice.  It's a great downhill because it's a mixture of tracks, rocks, bogs and grassland and it's so steep you just have to keep your legs turning. I fell over, but the ground was so soft there was no damage - for a change! My legs were feeling fantastic, and for the first time in the run I was starting to feel a bit better, rather than worrying that my stomach contents were going to appear at anytime.  Typically, when I start feeling warmed up and ready to crack on a bit, Rich is starting to fatigue.  His calves were cramping on and off and his ankle was beginning to protest at all the rocks and cambers.  I'm usually at my best from about 12 miles in!

The finish is about 5km from White Coppice, but it feels longer.  I'm not sure if it's because its flat, or because we know the area so well, but it feels like you're never getting any nearer!  You run along road, woodland, river and past the two reservoirs, but all you really want to do now is get home.  The weather held off and we never got the rain that was threatening us on Great Hill.  We made our final run across the field, across the road and back into the Hall - our time was 6 hrs 14 mins.  Not bad considering how boggy it was this year and having to slow towards the end for Rich's calves. 


Lovely... and the mud goes right up to our knees!

 Unfortunately we had no time to hang around because we were due at Rich's work Xmas do (yes - in February) over in Leeds.  So we got ourselves home, bathed, dressed and ready to go.  Our feet were filthy, and my knees were too from falling over!  However, the only thing we wanted to do was sleep.  Luckily we managed to last till 11pm before hitting the hotel room!


Yep - this is what we slog our guts out for.... and it's worth every minute!



Cleanse results....

Apologies for not blogging, but I've not had a lot to say!  I have been cleansing (see last blog if you have no idea what I'm talking about) which means that exercise has been out the window.....which has been great for my niggly ankle - it's had extra time to recover!

Cleanse was a HUGE success.  I didn't feel hungry, slept fantastically and had lots of energy (not to run - but to get through the day!).  I lost 13lbs in 11 days, which is pretty much all the Xmas weight gone.  So today I've been back onto food - just fruit and veg to start with - and everything tastes really delicious and strongly flavoured.

Tomorrow it's the Anglezarke Amble run by West Lancs LDWA.  It's a local one for us, so not too early a start.  We need to leave the house at 7am, so I'll be up about half five to get porridge down me, food packed, kit sorted etc.  I'll take my camera again!  It's a 24 miler and quite hilly.  We walked it last year in 8hrs 6 mins (it was Rich's first ever walk of a distance like this) so we're looking forward to running it this year.

I know I am fairly depleted from the cleanse, so I'll take it steady as ever.  My legs don't feel the strongest and it's pretty hilly, so we'll pace up and trot down.  The rain has been horrendous, and I remember a lot of bog-trotting last year, so this year will be a quagmire.  Weather is set for lots more rain overnight followed by a bright 7ish degree dry day tomorrow....perfect running weather!

After the run we have to rush back because we've got to get over to Leeds for Rich's work 'do'.  My main panic is that I won't be able to wear my recovery tights because I'm wearing a dress! 

Anyway, I will report back on Sunday about the run and I'll include some photos too!

Cleansing....

I haven't lost my Christmas weight, and my fantastically healthy habits in the last six months of last year have gone to pot..... so I'm embarking on the Master Cleanse (Google it).  Once I've completed the 10 day cleanse, I'll be a lot lighter and will get back to my healthy diet.  This ten day break will give me chance to get out of the bad habits and get back on track.

I started on Monday and am now nearing the end of day 2.  I'm not hungry as the cleanse fluid keeps your blood sugars and mineral levels up.  My mind is trying to make me think of bad foods, but I've warded that off.  I've committed to this for 10 days and I am determined to complete it.  By the end I'll I've a much improved digestion, cleaner body and a few less pounds to lug around the fells!

Once the cleanse is over I'll revert to a vegan diet (I've been 100% veggie - no meat or fish - since I was 12 years old, and toyed with veganism for health reasons on and off for years) and this time try to remain strict on the dairy.  I try to avoid all milk products (milk, cheese, butter, chocolate, cream etc) and minimise the eggs (ie I won't eat eggs, but I may eat something that has eggs in it.... like a flapjack).  I've done it with varying degrees of success in the past, but I know I feel SO much better without the dairy... it actually makes me feel quite ill!  I've read 'The China Study' so I know what I should avoid and why... it's just not always so easy in practice!

So..... that's the plan - back to cooking everything from scratch and avoiding all dairy products.  I've stocked up from the Vegan Store (mainly for portable foods I can take on runs) and pre-ordered my groceries from Tesco for after the cleanse.  If I fall off the Vegan Wagon, I won't beat myself up, because at the end of the day, I'll still be minimising my intake of animal proteins!  Scott Jurek is one of the top ultra-runners of all time and he has been Vegan for years.  If you Google 'Vegan Athletes' you'll be surprised at home many there are - and most say they reverted to veganism to increase their endurance!

Anyway, enough food talk.....I'm supposed to be doing the Rombald Stride this weekend, but I'll see what my energy levels are on the day.... it's not the end of the world if I miss it, and my ankles could probably do with a break too!

That's Lyth 23.5 miler...... Powered by doughnuts.....

Early start - yuck!  Up at 5am, in the car on the road at 6.30am.  Both of us was waiting for the other to say "Shall we stay in bed instead?" but as neither of us did, we set off in the direction of Kendal.  Ball of my right foot still sore, blisters ok, muscles fine.



The reward that makes it all worth while!



Got to Kendal and the parking was horrendous.  Luckily we found some on-road parking without restrictions, and not too far from the Scout Hut.  The weather was about 0-1 degrees, so frosty, but nice...not too sunny.  We made our way to the hut for a biscuit, register and pick up our tally card.  The event today was organised by LDWA Westmorland and North Lancs, and is their regular January Event.  It gets pretty full, and today was  no exception with about 300 starters.

ONE.... yes you read it right.... ONE female toilet meant a HUGE queue and we got to the start of the run approximately 30 seconds before we set off.  We started out into the town of Kendal and immediately were running along the side of the river.  Flashbacks to the Grand Union Canal of last weekend crashed into my brain bringing on feelings of fear and nausea, but luckily we were soon onto the High Street and away from the offending waters. 


Rich on Whitbarrow Scar - Kendal down below us..... way down below us....


We climbed up quickly using a mixture of side streets and steep steps, and made our way up onto Hellsfell..... scarily named, but pretty tame.  It was a steady up, and after last weekend, I was happy for anything other than flat.  We kept climbing all the way up to Whitbarrow Scar where we posed for photos by the HUGE cairn.  It was a tad chilly up there, but some fab views that you can't see because I couldn't be bothered to keep getting the camera out.... sorry.....  The ground was very hard from the frost and littered with rocks.  Pretty heavy on the legs, and we would pay that price later.



Whitbarrow Scar Memorial Cairn

 We ran down then into a village where we stopped at the Hall for the first checkpoint.  OMG the best CP ever.  Neither of us was particularly hungry, but the CP was very well stocked.  Malt loaf, crisps, sandwiches and..... DOUGHNUTS!  Assorted flavours.... the possibilities were endless.  I dived straight in and hit the jackpot with a custard delight, whilst Rich lucked out with an apple one.  We grabbed the food and ran off down the road, eating as we went.  We garbled 'Morning' to the runners we were passing, spitting out bits of sugar and dough as we went.  Learning to eat on the run is a REAL bonus. 

We then ran through a mixture of road and woodlands which were fairly nondescript until we went hurtling (there wasn't a choice) down a really steep slope in the woods.  The rocks were pretty slippy, and this wasn't helped by the frozen ground.  I managed to 'knee' a stone wall in my attempt to get over a stile, which Rich found hilarious, and I notched up yet another bruise to add to the collection.

CP2 was in another Village Hall, and this time we were disappointed to find not a doughnut in sight.   I was gutted.  Rich, on the other hand, was in luck yet again.  As there are a large number of walkers on these LDWA events, the catering is sometimes more appropriate to walkers than runners.  An example of this is the hotdog in a bun with onions and tom sauce.  Not running food, obviously.  Rich thought different.... he polished off two hotdogs in buns (yes, complete with onions and tom sauce) as well as a mince pie and 4 Jaffa Cakes....... then ran back out.  Now, I know he is blessed with an iron constitution, but really?  Two hotdogs?  I've seen him eat 3/4 of a Pork Pie (the big ones) at a checkpoint before, but I was concerned that we would be seeing these hot dogs again at some point.....


Powered by Doughnuts....

 So, uphill for quite a while now, but only 4 miles to the next checkpoint.  We went wrong in our navigation at one point and had to cut across a bramble-strewn bank which left us with various cuts and scrapes on our legs, but we didn't have to retrace our steps... that was the important thing!!  We nearly went wrong again just minutes later and decided that we needed to pay more attention.  Rich had been MTBing the day before and was starting to feel the uphills in his quads, and my ankles were beginning to fill, mainly from the concussion of last weekend being compounded by the hard ground today.  However, we were feeling good and having fun.

CP3 was in a garage, and joy or joys, the assorted doughnuts were on offer again.  Rich went for jam this time and I stuck with the custard variety.  I cannot describe how heavenly these doughnuts were.  We set off through the garden and up up up towards Scout Scar.  We only had about 5.5 miles left and we were feeling pretty good still - concussive injuries (mainly on balls of feet) from the hard ground, but that's it.

A bit a 'fingers-crossed' navigation got us up onto Scout Scar and the subsequent downhills were fun, but painful due to the stones sticking up all over.  These were potential ankle-breakers, but we managed to take it steady and get down safely to the road.  There then ensued about 2 miles of downhill all the way into Kendal.  Although its great on your tiredness/fitness, these long downhills can be heavy on your legs, particularly as we were suffering concussion.  However, we ran all the way into the Scout Hut and felt really strong and able to go round again (although we didn't).

Personally, I'm pleased that my muscles held up so well throughout.  Everything felt fine.  Blisters gave me no trouble at all, and apart from the right ankle being pounded down constantly, I felt good.  Energy levels also good.... probably due to doughnut-power.  I drove us home, walked the dogs and got into the bath for a long soak.  Then into the recovery tights.  I have a feeling that my right ankle will fill up overnight, but all should be ok otherwise.

So - to sum up - a good day.  Great company, great laughs, ok navigation, below average route.... too much road and generally non-descript, perfect running weather, fab checkpoint food.

You can see the 'Scar' in the landscape... we're smiling, but it's not fun to run on!!

Ultra 90....or "Why I hate canals....."

So, I got to The Park Inn (without much help from Northampton's one way system) at about 7pm on the Friday night.  Helen was already there and it was strange finally meeting her.  We met on the Ultra 90 Forum when I posted for a roommate for the event, and we've Facebooked and emailed constantly since.... it's like we know each other, even though we've never met.  We dumped our stuff in the room (which was alright - tidy, comfy etc) and went down to register. 

There were quite a few of us there already and we were given our maps, goody bags (energy powders, 9 Bars etc), numbers (laminated AND with our names on... very nice) as well as our techie-t-shirts (nice - white and grey with 'Ultra 90' on the front) but only in small and large..... a bit naughty as the majority of ultra runners I would argue would probably want the medium!!).

Anyway - we got our stuff and perused the map at the bar with the assistance of a pint of cider (important pre-race nutrition) and a bowl of chips...... ok, I can't defend that one, except to say that there was nothing else for vegetarians except for curry.... and that's far too dodgy to have on a race weekend!  We met up with two other runners who came to sit with us - Graham who'd only run a marathon before and had run 30 miles in training, and Trinity who was pretty good - she was 3rd lady on the first day and is in training for the Marathon Des Sables (forever after in this post known as MDS).  We chatted tactics... ie keep running until the end, then retired to bed at a reasonable 9.30pm.

Myself and Helen faffed about getting our kit ready for the next day, then finally got to bed about 10, although I don't think either of us got any kind of decent sleep.  I was having very strange dreams about getting to the start late.  I'd looked at the maps and, knowing I was navigating mainly by bridge numbers, was concerned at the minuscule size of said numbers on the map...... and if we were navigating it in the dark, it was going to be fun!

Day 1 - Northampton to Tring

Breakfast was a couple of pieces of toast (they had no porridge) and a quick scramble to get bags to the foyer for transport to our destination, and packs onto our backs for the run.  We set off from the Hotel Foyer dead on 8am.  There were people from Sweden and Germany at the race, as well as a 70-odd year old runner and a 19 year old virgin (ultra virgin..... obviously..... and male).

We started downhill (YAY!) through the streets of Northampton, took over the one way system, and turned left to join the Grand Union Canal (GUC).  This was the most exciting part of the day.  From hereon in it was 45 miles of canal....... never ending canal......

I was feeling quite good mechanically - legs felt ok, feet fine and energy levels good.  Ran solid for the first 2 hours.  Caught up with a couple who I'd run with on and off at the Rotherham 50 miler back in October, and they overtook me, although I note they didn't start on the second day).  I also ran for a while with a male agency nurse who works 12 on, 12 off and uses these odd shifts to support his training, as well as the German lady who was running behind her hubby - who I think won it on the first day, breaking the course record by completing in 6hrs 27!  Nutter!

The Grand Union Canal.... my Nemesis.....

We only got a bit lost but soon found our way.  You'd think it'd be easy, but you have to keep crossing the canal, and if you miss one bridge you might not be able to cross back for a while, or worse, have to run back from whence you came in order to cross!  Graham caught up and demanded that I entertain the troops, but as I was not in the mood for singing or dancing, we resorted to telling jokes and looking for odd things in the canal.  My top three things to find in the canal on day one:

     1) Teddy Bear Leg (for sheer random-factor)
     2) Assorted dead animals - sheep, fox, badger, cat (sad, but interesting)
     3) Lacy thong - red (no comment)

I also met lady and her partner, and she was in training for the MDS.  She wasn't a runner in 2008 when she applied for MDS and got given a place for 2011, but she figured she best start learning to run.  Since then she's done a few ultras, but was using this as the test for getting going the next day.  It was nice running with them as they kept me well paced and took regular walk breaks.  Interestingly, her main aim is keeping hydrated as this will be a HUGE issue in the desert, and yet you need to train your body to be able to take on that amount of water.

Helen caught me after about 3-4 hours ish (I think - it's hard to keep track) and her method of running 25 mins, walking for 5 mins seemed to be keeping her shifting along.  By mile 20, my motivation and mental strength was in my boots and I was hating every minute.  Legs etc felt great, but I just didn't want to do it... I was bored.... it was boring.... and I couldn't change my mindset.  I found pacing very hard, because I usually run hilly courses, so the terrain paces me.... walking up the hills (and eating at the same time), running down the hills and the flats.  When it is all flat, it's hard to know when to run and when to walk.  This is how I ended up slowing and getting increasingly demoralised.  The checkpoints were all about 9 miles apart, so it seemed an age in between, and they didn't even have cake... just 9 Bars and flapjacks... of which I fancied neither.  Luckily though, I was troughing through my own food like there was no tomorrow.

I was having minor tummy issues also, meaning pretty regular stops along the canal for the loo... Paula Radcliffe style.  Unfortunately, the GUC is quite busy.  Either you're in a built up area (houses and dog walkers) in a more remote area (fishermen and lived in barges) or being passed by runners!  I managed to find a Geocache (Google it) on one of my toilet stops, which would have been fantastic had I been looking for it.  The 'gift' was a pack of Snap cards, which would have helped while away the hours, but I thought it would be rude to steal as I had nothing to replace it with except a 9Bar!



Towpath was a mixture of tarmac, gravel, mud and sludge.... but it was all flat.....


I don't know which mile it was (to be honest, they all looked the same) but I began leap-frogging a pair of men runners, one of them being Mac, a Welsh prison officer currently working in Birmingham.  As I went to Uni in Wales, lived near B'ham and worked for the Police, we had much in common.  Eventually his friend ran on, and we agreed to keep together till the end (probably the last 4 hours or so).  I was glad of his company, particularly at the end where it got very dark, overgrown and narrow along the canal.

Mac's legs were tired but mind was willing, my legs were fine, but mind was lacking, so we supported each other well.  We had a good laugh together and he acted as a double-check on my map-reading towards the end when canals start merging and branching off.  We made it to the final bridge (Number 135 - etched on my brain forever) and got onto the road and ran the 500m to the Pendley Manor Hotel.  Our official time was 10hrs 53mins and we were joint 81st out of 102 finishers (there were 13 non-starters).  I was knackered.

Helen was already back, so I jumped into a hot bath and surveyed the damage to my feet.  Now, I don't get blisters, I NEVER get blisters, so I was furious to find that the constant flat pounding of my feet on the dull dull towpath had given me blisters!  I had them on both feet, and whole toes were surrounded with them causing the skin to slough off like a glove!  Yuck!  I enjoyed bursting them and cutting away the skin so I could leave them open to the air overnight.  I then walked (on my heels) to retrieve my trainers from the foyer whilst Helen ordered us an Indian Takeaway delivered to the car park.  We'd have eaten at the hotel, but it was a posh hotel with ridiculously expensive food for tiny portions... and we were starving!  Funnily enough, the German couple ate there, complained at the tiny portions, and were served seconds.  I think we'd be far too polite to do that in England, and therefore we are very stupid.... the Germans had the right idea!

Blurry, but you can see the whole of my little toe is one HUGE blister, and the painful one, is the blister at the base of my second toe... which went all down to the ball of my foot....

Whilst eating my curry and fiddling with my blisters, I decided that I wasn't running on Sunday, then I decided I would run to the first checkpoint on Sunday only, then decided I would see how I feel on Sunday.  We had a rubbish night's sleep again (kids were running up and down the corridors from a wedding in the main function room - or at least they were until I balled at them down the corridor in my best teacher voice). 

Day 2 - Tring to Northampton

Mac was only running yesterday, and I noticed that of the 90 milers who started yesterday, 30 pulled out on the morning of the second day.  I couldn't be one of them, but I did know I'd be slow, so I asked for an earlier start.

We had breakfast at 6.30 (nice - toast, egg, Danish Pastry), and I set off at 7.15 - 45 mins ahead of everyone else.  My legs felt fine and my blistered feet were 'ok' in my other set of trainers, but I knew they would be an issue later in the day.  I set off at a good pace and ran for at least an hour solid before my first walk break.  This was mainly due to the dark and scary canal I was running down, and the fact that I'd decided to wear my IPod to cheer myself along a bit. I was 100% aware at all times that I was simply running back the way I came yesterday, and found this infuriating!

I look tired, and suitably unimpressed.....

My focus for today was not looking for unusual items in the canal, but finding amusing or clever barge names. 

     Winner:        Moose Drool (so random)
     Runner-up:    Narrow Escape (clever)

However, this did not keep me occupied for long.  I was starting to be passed by the one-dayers, who all clapped and cheered me along in my 90 mile attempt, which helped lift me.  The lead male sprinted by (show-off) looking effortless, as my run was now descending into more of a hobble.... and later a shuffle.... as the HUGE blister on my right foot began to squelch under my foot.  As I slowed down I was getting more and more cold, and more and more miserable too.



Helen passing me on Day 2

 I made it to the first checkpoint, but already I was thinking only a checkpoint at a time.  I hoped to make it to CP3, but in the end that was not to be.  I continued to shuffle along, getting more and more cold, eating more, but drinking less.  Most of the runners had passed me and I was realising that, should I finish, I would be looking at arrival at The Park Hotel at around 10pm.  Not only did that mean 5ish hours in the dark on the canal, but also an arrival time back at home after the 3 hour drive of about 1am (and i had work in the morning). 

All this added up together, and at CP2 when the marshall told me she could transport me back to the Park if need be, the deal was done.  I stopped.  My first ever (and hopefully last ever) DNF.  I'd done 70 miles (which is my furthest to date) and I did my first ever 2-day run (45 day one, 25 day two), so I had nothing to be ashamed of, just lots to be proud of.  I'd managed 5hrs 33 mins running, to make a total over the 2 days of 16hrs 26 mins for nearly 70 miles.  Anna drove me to CP4 to collect my bag and then took me to The Park.  I jumped straight in the car and drove home. 

I got home and bathed, then started working on my feet.  Again, my legs felt amazing, it was the flat pounding that had done me in.  Before I entered, I KNEW I hated canals, but it really proved to me a) how MUCH I hate them, and b) just how 'mental' this sport is.  If I could have switched my brain off, my body could have completed... but it wasn't to be.  I am happy about completing the 100 in May as it is a continuous run; I found the overnight break harder than anything else!!


Blister on Monday - dried and drained.... nice!


RESULTS: http://www.ultrarace.co.uk/events/downloads/results/2011_ur45_results.xls

Report from the weekend.... tomorrow..... promise....

I know, I know, I'm a bad-blogger, but I am still tired from the weekend!  I've had a horrendous and busy week at work, and every night has been cutting and patching blisters, rubbing sore feet and sleeping!!

I'm pretty much recovered for Sunday's 23.5 miler (starting from Kendal), but you never really know till you start.  I'll do my 90-miler race report tomorrow when I am chilling out on the sofa.... that way I'll have time to upload the photos etc too!

Packed and ready to go.....

As it says in the title, I'm packed and ready to go.  Anything I've forgotten is just tough luck because there's no more room in my already HUGE bag!  Two sets of run kit, two pairs of trainers, blister kits, first aid kits, recovery kit and recovery tights, wash stuff, casual stuff.... to be honest, I take less when I go on holiday for a fortnight!

Everyone on the UltraRace forum are getting excited too... so that's fun.  I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone and having chats over breakfast and dinner... I doubt we'll have much breath for chats on the run!

Weather looking good - cool (about 4 degrees) but dry.  So, perfect really!  Ice would be a nightmare, especially with my track record of falls and the close proximity of the canal(!).  I've been eating up today and will do so tomorrow too.... I think this is the best bit about these runs... eating and no exercise.... shame you have to then pay for it with a 90 mile run..... hmm......

Good news of the day.... got the Tandem Results - we finished 37th team out of 79 starters - 8 teams didn't finish.  Chuffed to bits considering the awful conditions!!