Back to the future!!!!!

As you can see, in 2012 I ran the North Downs Way 50 miler,
You might wonder how I managed that, but see, I do have a friend who is a scientist and owns a DeLorean (although tests have revealed a top speed of only 85 mph which is not quite the required 88)

Joking aside, this was one of the toughest challeneges I have faced, but I am delighted to have done it. I wanted to see before the 100 next year how I would fare on a point to point as opposed to laps (I have done too many laps lately) I took my trusty sherpa Mr H, and we set of at 3.45am to go somewhere in Surrey.

We arrived about 5.15 and I duly registered and signed the form. I sort of listened to the briefing and took from it that I was following the NDW. With no deviations WHATSOEVER. Cool. I check my back pocket. Henry is there.

Saw Ogee and Matt and Mel and Dave and before I knew it we were off. It was light but only just so it all felt a bit surreal. But also very crowded for the first few miles because it was 50 and 100 milers all together. I just sort of switched off really and followed people.

I intended a 25/5 so after 25 I stopped to walk and it felt like everybody else went by me! Probably not though. Anyway the first few hours were pretty uneventful, I was aware of it being very humid so I tried to drink lots...I was carrying a rucksack so had plenty of water with me. I also had some haribo sweets with me for emergencies :-)

Past cp1 at 6.6 miles, feeling good, got to cp2 at 13.1 miles......didn't even notice going that far, had a gel and some coke and set off again feeling fine. I think here is where you start going up into the woods (I might be wrong I am well known for my goldfish memory) but a number of people told me about the steps at Box Hill.

I can confirm that they are there and at first it reminded me of the ones at Beachy Head. After a while though you can get bored of them and after the 14th millionth set of steps I was a bit peeved and my quads and back were killing me! At one point I took this picture

now you are thinking, wow!!! how pretty is that. I was thinking. Oh fuck, it's uphill again :D There was lots like this, it was you are right very pretty. But very hard work. At the next cp3 I had another short stop (and ran the last couple of miles to it with a girl called Emma who was lovely and incidentally won the 100 mile female race) for more coke really, I love coke when I'm running.

Then I think it was about 10 miles to the next stop (32m) which was fine as Mr H caught up with me a few times en route but then couldnt find where to park at the checkpoint so I didn't see hime there. Didn't matter I was well looked after there and ate some real food!! I have discovered that a small ham and cheese wrap is soooooooo much nicer than a gel :). Advised that it is 10 miles to next cp. That was actually a bit of a lie it was more like 12.

This section was hard. I have now run 22 miles further than any of my training runs since Kent 50. It is very hilly and due I suppose to tiredness I am starting to doubt my navigation. Everytime I see a signpost for the NDW I follow it, and then 100 yards later imagine that I have it wrong and have to go back to check.....not really what you want to be doing. About 8 miles along I realise I havent seen any red and white tape for a while (even though I am following the NDW markers) and ring Mr H almost in tears. He reassures me and says he is at the next cp but will start walking back towards me.

Eventually I see some tape and convince myself that I am on the right track. Unfortunately this track takes me into a field with loads of cows in it. Another call to Mr H who has to talk me through it. I know I'm pathetic but they are bigger than me and I am not fooled by the cow eyes :-/ anyway after what seemed about 40 years (and another cow filled field where I actually had to crawl under some flipping holly bush so I didnt have to walk in front of one of them) I finally get to Mr H. He tells me it is only about 400m to the checkpoint and its pretty flat.

He's lucky he's not divorced now. It was actually about half a mile and all up. " oh" he said "it was much easier coming the other way" of course it pissing was, it was DOWNHILL!

Anyway, luckily he was aware I was tired and had no sense of humour left at this point so he just agreed with everything I said.

This was the last aid station then, and here it was lovely to see Cas and Smithy who were volunteering, even if Smithy was his usual caustic self :D I knew from here it was almost exactly 7 miles home.

These were probably the worst ones though. Nothing as hilly as the box hill bit but loads of field track that I just found it harder and harder to run on. I knew I had blisters on the bottom of one foot and running was more comfortable than walking but everytime I tried to run I would turn my ankle. I was dreaming of tarmac and getting more and more pissed off with myself for not being able to run more.

Seeing 100 milers coming back the other way inspired me though. They were going to repeat everything they had just done in reverse and I really do take my hat off to them. Counted Dave, Ogee and Matt through (didn't realise Ogee would end up ill, heres wishing him a speedy recovery and no lasting ill effects) and Emma the girl from earlier.

And then all of a sudden the field I am in tips me out onto a road. Bliss! It is then only 500m or so to Knockholt Pound and the finish. A volunteer puts a medal round my neck and shakes my hand. I probably said thanks or something and promptly laid down :) Henry climbed out of my back pocket and made me take a photo of him with his medal.

Anyway, a top race with fab organisation. A definite step on the way to my hundred.