Trails and tribulations... and the odd triumph!

Well, I believe that on marathon weary legs, after a disastrous Guernsey Marathon, I emphatically announced  that I was not doing any more long stuff until the new year and that my aim for the autumn season was to get back to enjoying my running by hitting the trails and reconnecting with what running should be about: moving freely through the great outdoors. I can happily announce that I have succeeded in these goals. I have thoroughly enjoyed the past few months which have been packed with some pleasing bonus performances over the 10k distance but have mostly been crammed with lots of fun, muddy and beautiful trail runs around the Devonshire countryside.

The off-road season got under way in September with the fun and fast Jurassic Coast 10k, where I was amazed to set a new female course record: was not expecting that at all! Then in October came one of the best running days out of the year with 24 Exmouth Harriers all hiring a mini-bus and heading to Somerset and Dorset for the Parrett Trail relays. This event covers a distance of 52 miles from Steart on the North Somerset coast, to Winyards Gap, in deepest Dorset - not too far from my old home in Sherborne, with the distance split into 6 legs of varied terrains and distances.

Team spirit really was the order of the day with the Harriers fielding 4 teams of 6 runners, each taking on one leg of the relay. Legs varied from 5.8m (the shortest) to 9.1 miles (the longest). Legs 1-4 were all totally flat, 5 had one major hill on it but the remainder was flat, and 6 was predominantly hill - so you can probably guess which one I ended up on?!

But given the choice, I would happily opt for leg 6 again. Yes, it was hilly, but it was so varied, with river-side tracks, boggy fields, rutted and ploughed fields, church yards, railway lines, waist-high grass, streams and country lanes to traverse. No chance of getting bored! Also, the entire route is self-navigated and there are only very few marshalls here and there for safety at the major A-road crossings, so you have to keep alert as it's easy to venture off the path, as many runners do every year! I completed my 8.9 mile hilly leg in a time of 1h11; fastest female on that leg but our women's team finished in 3rd place overall. Our men's team did retain their trophy though, so the mood on the minibus on the way home (for those that were still awake - it was a long day!) was upbeat!

Nearing the end of my 8.9m Parrett Trail relay leg, leg 6

As endings go to a race, this one is particularly sneaky as the hill keeps getting steeper the further up it you go!

I'd just been told by a spectator here that the finish (and the pub!) was just around the corner!

Next on the agenda, at the start of November, was the Templer 10. I did this race back in 2010 when I'd only been running for a couple of months and I really enjoyed it. I remember being utterly thrilled to place 4th then as they had prizes for the top 5 in this race. I was eager to see how much I had improved over the past couple of years and how much faster I could go this year... Well, that didn't quite happen as cue the most torrential wet summer and autumn in my living memory and the ground was totally saturated and the fields were swampy, boggy and churned to pieces.

The route for this race - which is in fact 9.7 miles, but that doesn't lead to punchy alliteration for the title - is 3 miles of roads, 4 miles of fields and a couple of miles of gravel paths around Stover country park. The road and paths sections were ok, but the fields were a quagmire and, in road shoes, I was slipping and sliding all over the place and just couldn't get traction to push the pace. My pace dropped by over a minute a mile in this section and this meant the difference between me beating my time from 2 years ago and not. In the end, I missed it by 15 seconds, but I can take comfort from that fact that if I'd had the ideal conditions of 2010, I would definitely have been faster. Bloody British weather! I did, however, improve my place from 4th to 1st, so I couldn't ask for any more than that.

The interesting thing is that I finished exactly 1 second behind a guy called Rupert Kempley from Dartmouth AC. Following his navy and amber strip around much of the course was giving me the most curious and vehement pangs of déjà vu: I had been in this position before. After this race I got my "scrap book" out (oy! no sniggering there. I have never sought to hide the fact that I am an outrageous running geek - I have my own blog for starters, so I was bound to keep a scrapbook!). Looking back over previous race results I found that this was the third occasion that I had crossed the line exactly 1 second behind this navy and yellow vested individual! He also features in a fair few of my race photos! At this week's Cockington Caper race, we actually acknowledged and introduced ourselves for the first time and it turns out that he had also become increasingly aware of my presence chasing him down at the finish of races. "It's like having a flaming stalker! I swear, I turn around on a daily basis now, half expecting to see you there, snapping at my heels!" Apparently his club mates now delight in informing him of my presence at races: "She's here, your nemesis"!! Anyway, we had a good laugh about it and apparently Rupert even reads my blog, so Rupert, I believe I promised that I'd give you a mention. You also feature in quite a few of my photos, as you are always just right there in front! But, at least it means we are both consistent and not getting any slower!

About to finish 1 second behind Rupert Kempley of Dartmouth AC at the Templer 10 race... and not for the first time!

Two weeks later and it was time for the Drogo 10. Starting and finishing at Castle Drogo, this is a truly stunning trail race in a spectacular setting, but it's brutally tough. There are 3 killer climbs over the 10 miles and other undulations in between, bringing the overall feet of climb to 1500ft: half the height of Mount Snowdon. The race starts with an insanely steep and technical descent down into the Teign Valley. I found that I would work hard on the climbs, digging in, breathing hard, arms pumping, and gain a few meters on the male runners around me, only for them to put the foot to the floor and overtake me again on the descents and regain the distance and more besides within seconds. It seemed so unfair that I was doing all the hard work and they were essentially just making better use of gravity and gaining the advantage! Downhill running, at speed, on uneven surfaces is definitely something I need to work on.

I knew that the talented Tavistock AC runner, Jo Meek, was on the start line for this one and so I never expected to win, but I was pleased to get within less than 2 minutes of her over the 10 miles as last year she had a 4 minute advantage over me at the Haytor Heller race over just 6 miles, so I must be improving. I was very happy to take 2nd spot to her and even happier for my Harries team mate, Hannah Bown, to get third and for us and Hannah's sister, Emma, to claim the top female team prize. Victories are always great, but nothing puts you quite on the same high as a victory shared with team members. Also, I managed to beat that Kempley fellow (!!) by 30 seconds - the first time I have finished in front of him and not chased him in to the line!

We were very lucky with the weather for the Drogo: a perfectly cold, crisp, sunny autumnal day; ideal for trail racing! 

About 500m from the finish, having just climbed the gruelling 'Hunter's Path Hill' at the Drogo 10

The last trail race of the season was the 7.25 mile Cockington Caper. Although almost 3 miles shorter than the Drogo, the overall distance climbed is in fact more: 1600ft in total. This race is pretty relentless. With the Drogo, there are 3 main climbs but the bits in between are fairly flat. At Cockington you are either going up a hill or coming down the other side of it; there's only one short section between miles 5 and 6 along the river bank that is flat(ish). 

I did this race last year as my first comeback race after being off sick for a couple of months (won't go into details again, but basically landed myself in hospital with a severe kidney infection after running the Snowdonia Marathon on antibiotics for a water infection... not my finest call). After I was discharged I was off work and at home recuperating for 2 weeks but it took a good month for me to finally feel 'right' again. So, going into Cockington, I knew I had lost fitness, so I was shocked to find myself leading the race from the outset, particularly so as it was a quality field with Wendy Urban and Lucy Commander on the start line. I lead until mile 7 when, with only a quarter of a mile to go, Wendy Urban passed me on the last climb as I was struggling with my lack of fitness and sports asthma, and she went on to take the win with me coming 2nd just 4 seconds behind her. So this year, I had some unfinished business with the course!

I felt fitter than ever this time around and so I felt confident that I could not only win it but hopefully knock a few minutes off my time from last year. Two things put pay to this: 1: the organisers modified the route at the start to add in yet another colossal hill, 2: I went off course and ended up in the thick shrubbery in some woods and lost valuable time (I estimate about a minute). That'll teach me not to blindly follow the guy in front, assuming he knows where he's going! We knew we'd gone wrong when the path suddenly came to an abrupt end and we were in the middle of a dense thicket of brambles. This guy started to shout for help and I started 'f-ing' and blinding, thinking that I was about to concede my first place whilst faffing around in the forest. Fortunately the Torbay runner who was about 100m behind me appeared above us at the top of the ravine which indicated to us where the path was. Instead of back-tracking I decided to just plough on up and make my own path through the brambles. Once I crested the top of the hill I put the hammer down, knowing I had only about a mile left to go. I had easily been on course to break my 2011 time but, as with the Templer 10, circumstances had seemingly conspired to prevent this from happening. In the end I finished 12 seconds slower than last year, but I did manage to net the top female spot... and I also managed to beat that Kempley again! (Are you still reading this, Rupert, or have I put you off?!!) ;-)

It's a fun race and thoughtfully organised in 3 large loops that have you running back and forth through the start / finish area, so that spectators get to cheer you on at multiple opportunities. You also get to choose your own prizes from a table of running accessories, so I bagged myself a nice new pair of running sunnies for my hols!

Coming through the race HQ area at the end of the first short loop

Passing through race HQ again after loop 2, about 3 miles into the race

And approaching the finish of the Cockington Caper: 7.25m / 1600ft. 59m13s

First Devon vest!

Yesterday I earned my first Devon county vest after placing in the top 8 Devon finishers (4th, to be exact) at the Devon County Cross-Country championships, held in Exeter.

It was a day of many 'firsts': my first time doing XC since secondary school, where I only made a grand total of 3 performances (one each year for years 7, 8 and 9); first time wearing spikes; first time competing against such a competitive field and, the final first, Exmouth Harriers ladies were the first female team, claiming team gold! Can I hear a 'whoop' please?!!

The course, which took place on the Exhibition Playing Fields, next to Exeter athletics arena, was a nasty one! Not one bit of it was flat. It basically weaved its way like a snake from the bottom of the field, up hill to the very top, back down to the bottom again, and back up to the top. 4 big loops forming a circuit which had to be completed twice, with lots of twists and turns and plenty of mud, totalling 5k in distance. Too short! I hate 5ks on the tarmac as they just represent 18-19 glorious minutes of asthmatic wheezing, but on the mud they are even worse as to keep up the same pace requires about 15-20% more effort. In short: they hurt!

On the start line with my fellow Harriers teamies, like a hunting pack!

I managed to get myself to the front on the start line of my race, which was shared with the under 17 men, senior ladies and masters ladies. The gun went and I was shocked by how furious the pace was from the start. The under-17 lads all shot off the front, but so did loads of women, and within the space of 5 meters I found myself in about 50th and going backwards! They were all fighting to get to the front for the first tight turn about 100m from the start. I was in the middle of the pack but managed to find a good line to it but I was scared stiff about getting someone's spikes in my leg as we all became congested in the bottle-neck. Fortunately I didn't and after this the course dragged uphill for 400m and so the field started to spread out.

In the chaos of the start, I had lost track of all my competition, but now as we started to string out I started to pick people off. Firstly I overhauled a couple of Exeter University runners,then my team mate, Hannah, who had sensibly started fast and got herself to the front for the first turn, and then my track training partner, Lucy, from South West Road Runners (now my 2nd claim club). I did get past Lucy but never managed to put any real distance between us. At this point, my team mate and super-star vet athlete, Cathy, came up onto my shoulder and then passed me and I dug in to stay in contact with her for most of the race. So the battle turned out to be a bit close to home with my team mate, Cathy, and my training partner and friend, Lucy, as my nearest competition!

Starting the second of 2 long loops, trying to hang on to Cathy and an Exeter Harriers athlete, with Lucy just behind hanging onto me.

Before the race I foolishly hadn't had time to walk / study the course and I didn't really understand the course map, which looked more like an algebraic equation than a running route (complete 2 x ABCD, then BC, F. Err... E = MC2?) ! But my Dad, bless him (uttered between gritted teeth!), believed he had it sussed and talked me through it, saying when you come down the hill for the last time there is an added loop through the woods before heading to the finish. Wrong. I came down the hill for the last time and suddenly, without gravity's assistance, I completely hit the wall. This was the most dramatic 'hitting of a wall' I have ever had in a short race. I just had nothing left in the lungs. Thinking I had another loop of the woods to complete, I backed off the pace, at which point Lucy surged past me. It was then that I realised she was kicking for the finish and I was in fact on the home straight: there was no extra loop. I then managed to dig deep and find something extra (as you always can when a finish line is wafted under your nose!) but Lucy had got the gap and Cathy in front had kicked too and I left it too late to react to them. I did manage to  hold off the runner behind me who was finishing fast though and I finished 8th lady overall, out of the Cornish and the Devon runners, and 3rd senior Devon female, earning myself a bronze medal for my 18:58 minute's worth of sheer, tortuous pain!

Definitely not my best angle! Nearing the end: knackered, at the upper end of my limits!

The final surge for the finish line: hallelujah!

The icing on the cake was that both Cathy, myself and Hannah all earned ourselves the gold medal in the women's team competition and we each got 1 of the 8 available places for selection to run for Devon at the South-West inter-county XC championships at Bicton in January and at the national inter-counties championships, alongside all the country's top elite athletes, at Birmingham in March. Unfortunately I will on holiday for the January match: typical, first Devon vest and I ain't in the country to wear it! But I will definitely be taking up my team place with pride in Birmingham. Unfortunately the Birmingham race is the day before the Grizzly, so that one might have to be shelved for another year. The crazy part of me, the part that believes I am invincible, says I could do both the XC on the Saturday and the Grizzly on the Sunday, but the more rational me says that that is likely to break me totally and jeopardise my chances in London a few weeks later, so I fear the Grizzly might be a no go for 2013.

So, have I managed to replace the horror memories of school cross-country with nice, shiny new positive memories? Yes and no! It still hurts like hell and, whilst running it, there wasn't a single moment of it that I could say I actually enjoyed, but the feeling of satisfaction and achievement you get afterwards definitely makes up for the pain. In trail races, and in many local road races, the gaps between your rivals can reach epic distances (I once won a marathon with a 28 minute cushion between myself and 2nd place), but in XC, you don't get that. The competition is tight, you can see your rivals the whole way round as the course is so open (no bends to hide behind!), and you have to fight fight fight for every second and every place. Cathy finished 2 places ahead of me, yet the time gap between us was just 4 seconds: you don't often get that in local road or trail races. Yes it hurts, yes its unpleasant, yes it's a total asthma attack from start to finish, but at least the pain is short lived. Only 18m58s worth on this occasion! Hopefully less next time!

The Exmouth Harriers female team: Devon County XC champions 2012!

It was my first attempt at true, competitive cross-country, so I didn't know what to expect and it was a steep learning curve! What I learned from this outing is that I need to go out harder from the gun next time so that I don;t end up so far down the field before the first technical section and so I don't spend the first mile having to pick people off again by going wide on the turns. I also learned that I need to really study the course better next time and not rely on my Dad to give me the relevant information and advice! Hopefully I won't be caught out next time!

So, I guess that now I have earned myself this 'ere vest I am going to have to embrace more of this pain and do it justice in Birmingham! Roll on 2013!