Month: June 2021

The ‘Oner’ (83 mile 24 hour Ultra) was cancelled, unfortunately it was planned one day before the first relaxation due to Covid.

Never mind, Kim (my running buddy) and I ran the Cafe One Short 50 mile Ultra, a challenge set by local Cafe owners Sam and Josie at Sandsfoot Castle. Weather was awful, had to put on hats, gloves and muffs!! But towards the end the sun came out and made it back in good humour. Then had a great welcome when we finished!

We also entered a marathon. Thought it would be ‘easy’, but four loops round a boating lake at Eton was anything but! We decided that Ultra training did not prepare you for a flat, boring, road marathon! We had had enough by the first loop, but carried on to the end, albeit, rather slower than our target pace.

A number of triathlons from sprint to Ironman booked for next year but my main concentration, until April, will be training for The Oner, a twenty-four hour eighty-three mile Ultra along the Dorset Coast line, including over three thousand metres elevation. I will be setting of at twelve noon on Saturday April 10th from Studland and hope to be at Charmouth before twelve noon on Sunday 11th April.

1st November

Entered the Dorset Hillfort Ultra, a round trip of thirty-five miles. Looked interesting, and after all I had already completed a fifty mile Ultra in June. Conditions weren’t great, overcast and trying to rain. Shame as it spoilt all the fabulous views we should have had.

I was expecting mud and have invested in a pair of Vivobarefoot trail shoes for soft ground plus a pair of waterproof socks. They were brilliant, especially in the ankle deep mud in places, could have easily lost a shoe it was so deep and unavoidable.

Started off well, ran with a couple of guys for a mile or so until they went ahead but caught them up after a particularly muddy path. Bounded down a hill or two, overtook a number of runners in the muddy bits, but less than half way, my legs (or was it my head?) didn’t want to know. By now EVERYONE was passing, and I was obviously not on form as they all asked, “You OK?” as they sprinted past.

I nearly skipped home as we passed the path down to Friar Wadden, only two miles from home! But was determined to finish.

Looked forward to every hill as it meant I would walk, then I started walking on the flat as well. Had to resort to ‘tabbing’. Talked myself into running to a distant tree or the gate at the end of the field. So I made it, poor husband hadn’t been able to track me and was at the finish really early and I eventually arrived well over an hour later than my predicted slowest time!

In the meantime cycling friend Kim Ellis had also signed up for The Oner, and Helen Adams became our coach, having completed it a couple of years ago.

So Kim and I had a few longish runs and Helen was in charge of interval work. No way would I have the discipline to do the intervals on my own.