Cotswold Way Century – “Long, run report” 26th-27th Sept 2015 – Nick Sale
When I first joined CRC, about 10 years ago, we used to enter a team in something called the Cotswold Relay. 10 legs of approx. 10 miles each, Chipping Camden to Bath. The last time we went I recall about 40 teams. Apparently they now get about 90! I hadn’t been really inspired by the Cotswolds, just from my leg back then, though really enjoyed the road trip with other crc’ers. Anyway this time I’d get to see it all, though half in the dark, and I was really surprised by how scenic it was. The route follows quite a high ridge on the west side of the Cotswold Hills giving lots of great views west, across to Wales. We went north to south, finishing in Bath.
From back then I remember it was very easy to get lost. Ideally you were supposed to reccy your leg but few did as it isn’t all that close to home. I think most people got lost at some point. Since then some serious money and or effort has been invested improving the permanent signage pretty much for the whole trail. It is now pretty faultless, as long as you are on the right route! The route is well established trails and is really scenic, through lovely villages, with about 15 significant, but not mega huge, hills, evenly spaced. This race provided about 10 checkpoints (CP’s) and gave us a maximum of 30 hours, Sat midday until Sun 6pm to complete the distance.
CP’s were really well stocked, in fact quite a childrens party of food and drink. Really helpful volunteers took your bottles or bladders and filled them for you, so as to minimise lost time. Grub included nuts, crisps, jam sandwiches, cheese, flapjack, pork pie, water melon etc . Hot soup and hot veg chilli were also available at a couple of night CP’s to warm our coccles.
This run was less hilly than my lakes 100 last summer, but I would need to be 8 hours faster to hit the cut off. Whilst some talked about time goals, I had just thought I wanted to finish, to enjoy the experience and get some UTMB qualifying points. I only knew 1 other runner well, at the start, Lee Harwood from Yeovil. On shorter runs we are closely matched, like 10k-50k, however he’s taken to these longer runs much better than me. He was 2nd on the Ham-Lyme 100k this year in a very swift 12 hours.
I left my car in Bath Saturday morning, and the race organisers bussed us what seemed quite a long way up the motorway, to the start in Chipping Camden. It’s always good on these pre-race buses as people are excited and nervous and recognising each other. Its good to chat and eavesdrop, as folk recount experiences of stupid long runs (longer than 100 miles) in often exotic, far away, places. It seems to be quite a way of life for some. I have a goal of the UTMB race in the Alps, and some had done it this year, just a month or so earlier. One Japanese guy had flown from Japan to London, just for this weekends race, train to Bath, race bus to the start, ran it, then was heading home again. Glad to say he finished the run, after all that.
So I knew Lee at the start. We had a good chat about race plans. He told me his and I, adrenalin flowing, thought… that sounds good! He did really well last year and was keen to go for sub 24 hours. On flat courses that is doable – says I, never having done it,.. but with 12,000 feet of ascent and self navigation, albeit well signed, it is a tough goal. Lee’s plan involved run : walking, from the start, 25 mins : 5 mins, for as long as poss, reducing the 25 as the race progressed and the body demanded! This is a good way to keep up a good average pace for a long time.
I again kept the “tuck box” light and mostly relied on CP’s for food, but did carry about 1.5 litres of water, to start each leg. The weather was hot and you always want enough. I added 2 high 5 tablets each time. I also took advantage of all 3 drop bag opportunities, with lights, spare batteries, thermals, gloves, hat for night and little top up food packages of favourites, like rice pud and fruit jelly pots.
My main worry about this race, in the last week, had been my big left toe (BLT). A very minor cycle accident, the week before, had left it bruised, inflexible and a bit sore :0( Anyway, it was getting better each day and I rested it until race day. Lee & I did the first 13 mile leg in about 2 hours, however towards the end of it I was feeling the BLT on the uneven paths and decided to slow down and bid farewell, and best of luck, to Lee.
Soon after I found myself running with a young, Roumanian lady, called Alex. It is rare to see anyone in results for ultra’s below the age of 30. Most are 40+ . Possibly a mid life crisis thing? But she was 24 and had already notched up a collection of finishes, in ultra’s, and obstacle racing, but not yet a 100 miler. It is a real blessing to have good company, through the night particularly. She was a good talker which past the time brilliantly. Whilst everyone teams up, especially at night, sometimes you need to stop at different times, to deal with blisters or calls of nature etc, or just to gather yourself before heading off again for another leg, or sometimes you want to go faster or slower and at a busy half way point I decided to keep moving, to avoid getting cold, leading me then into a lonely phase, spending a good few hours running on my own.
The weather was beautiful, for the whole weekend. Even at night, it was clear skies and we enjoyed the so called “super moon” lighting the way.
On the Sunday I ran with different, but very friendly and interesting folk, including a 56yr old lady, who represented GB, winning gold, at some world event, in 24 hour, “who can run the furthest” championships, 10 years earlier. She’d fallen flat on her face, kicking a root, right in front of me, on a golf course. I gave her pills, as I’m a good scout, and walk-ran with her for a few hours until she found a new spring in her step and said she and her friend were off and nice chatting, and they were off into the distance, finishing an hour ahead of me! She told me later that she was really bouncing towards the end. I’d like a bit of that. More a state of mind me thinks. Note to self!
By Sunday afternoon my feet felt, all over burning. Only a couple of small blisters to treat, but it was more a kind of all over trench foot. I think this was down to bad choice of trainers with minimal cushion and my use of thread bare socks, instead of splashing out a tenner on some new ones. One for the Christmas list. There was a lot of long, wet, dewy, grass, in the morning. With 15 miles to go I knew that I had time to walk it in. It felt like a lazy decision. Although it would take longer the feet hurt less walking. So I walked.
I tried my i-pod for distraction, but got cross with it after a few minutes. Probably best I was on my own at that stage.
I didn’t doubt that I would finish, but this was my last run. That was it – no more. The point of it had been completely lost to me. The only reassurance was that I have been there before and knew that after 24 hours, a good sleep, a proper meal and some kind words from family and friends, I ‘d be full of it again – and so it was. In the last few miles I caught, and found some solace in, another guy, in the same mental place as me. We even managed a little trot up to the Abbey and the FINISH :0)
I look back on it now as a great experience, with lovely people, in really great countryside. And for some reason I am pretty sure that I will do another. They do excite me and are full of adventure!
In the end, in a sun drenched, glorious Bath, I finished 32nd of 57 finishers, from 91 starters in 28 hours 18 mins. It was won in 21:29 by Daniel Hendriksen. Lee did amazing finishing 14th, in 24:49. He’ll break the 24hr milestone soon. Not sure if I will – but would be nice :0)
Thanks for reading. Must start taking my camera again, to brighten up the reports.
Happy running.
Nick
[CRC – self-appointed Head of dramatisation. ]