Aid Station
Aid Station
Ep 32 - Centurion Winter Downs 200 - The Last of Kev’s Treble
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This episode details the conclusion to Kev’s 3 x 200 mile races in a calendar year. The inaugural Winter Downs 200 by Centurion. Best listened to on the run!
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There it is. In the distance, I can see it. Next installation.
SPEAKER_06Hello and welcome to the thirty-second edition of AStation. It's Kev here as usual. Sorry I haven't been around for a while, not since August, and the King Alfred's way, but it takes a long time to get over a 200 mila. And uh I haven't been up to much to really put on a podcast that would be of any interest. So this episode is all about the inaugural Centurion Winter Downs 200, which I just completed last Saturday evening. It's now Tuesday the something of December, just before Christmas. And I've just completed the awful, awful, I hate it, unpack, wash, dry, put away of all the kit. And on a 200 miler, when you have three separate crew, you have quite a bit of extra stuff. But anyway, we'll get into all that as this goes on. Again, it's quite a long episode, and 200 miles is a long way to cover. So here are the cowbells of inspiration. We're eight days out and I'm running with Matt Harper, a club mate from Heart Roadrunners, who is doing the event as well. We haven't run that much together, believe it or not. Um this is only our second time out before this race, but uh thought we'd catch up on our different approaches, if there are any, to this race. Hi Matt, hi yep. So how how are you feeling about it at the moment? It's all gone well training wise.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think training has. It's uh stayed injury free, which I think was the main hope, and got I don't know, like 12 weeks of kind of consistent mileage in, which is nice.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, that's good. And uh so and no niggles or anything you're all set fair, sort of thing.
SPEAKER_04No, just into those like the taper niggles now, like where everything starts to twitch and you think everything, oh god, that's happened and this is going wrong. But I uh hopefully they're just taper things.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, that's good. Um with one of the big things with this race, because it's totally different to anything else when you go 200 is kit, isn't it? And uh so what if you we'll start with the footwear, seems to be the keen one and all the debates, but a lot of it about waterproof shoes and stuff. Yeah, what are you going with?
SPEAKER_04Uh I'm gonna go with the Cyclone, the Lasportiva Cyclone GTX, which seems to get recommended certainly by James Nelson, the race director, yeah, who I think used them on the spine. Um, but yeah, I've been really impressed with them, they're actually much more comfortable, they seem to keep the water out as long as you don't go over your ankles. Yeah, and yeah, they seem good.
SPEAKER_06Are you using them with a waterproof sock?
SPEAKER_04I'm trying out the waterproof sock for the first time today, which is probably a bit late, but everywhere seems to have been out of stock. But yeah, hey, I'm gonna give it a go. I'll take other socks if it's got something to change into if it doesn't work out.
SPEAKER_06And have you got other footwear as well? Are you gonna swap around?
SPEAKER_04I will probably try and keep in these, but I will put again put some spares in either the my wife's car when she meets me or in my uh drop bag for the the A stations.
SPEAKER_06And you're being fully supported, are you by your wife?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so she's gonna come out. Certainly the daytime sections. Hopefully, she can get back home and get some sleep so that we don't get to the end of it with both of us being completely sleep deprived.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, yeah, you've got to get home somehow. Yeah, you ought to be driving.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, three kids to look after when we get back. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06How's that gone with uh your training and the family commitment?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, they're always really supportive. I can't really ask for for much more there.
SPEAKER_06Oh that's great.
SPEAKER_04Um yeah, yeah, they're quite used to me heading out the door running, so yeah. Just come home and they ask how many K have you done? That's just normal, that's what they've been brought up with.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. So a bit of your background, which I know something of, is um you've done a couple of hundreds, haven't you?
SPEAKER_04Yes, I've done two of the centurion races, the Thames Path and the North Downs. Yeah, which I'm trying to think when they were, probably they were like North Downs was that first bit out of Covid. The August of 2020, I guess. Right. And yeah, they managed to get that race on. Yeah, I kept thinking they were gonna cancel it.
SPEAKER_06No, they were pretty good at keeping it going, weren't they, through COVID?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, really good. And then the same with Thames Path, because that was the the 2021 where we were back in lockdown. I thought, oh this is definitely gonna get canned. Yeah, which uh didn't do my training much good because I yeah, I eased off assuming it was gonna get cancelled and they they came through.
SPEAKER_06So how's double the distance going mentally?
SPEAKER_04That's the big unknown, isn't it? I don't I don't I don't know, for some reason I don't get phased by the distance right as much as I think some other people do. Just I guess I'm just gonna break it down into those, you know, the sections of you know well on a hundred I do it aid station to aid station, but because on this one there's only the three main aid stations, I'll probably break it down into crew points, yeah, and yeah, just go to the next one, yeah. Keep going.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, we've got basically well based on the continental model life bases, so there are three of those that you can actually sleep at, um even get a shower, I think, if you need to. So, yeah, it's a different type of race, um, and it's you can be fully crude all the way around. I think there are 31 crew points as well as the life bases, so yeah, plenty of opportunity if you're crude. If you're not crude, different story altogether. Um but you know, bravely people will be doing that. I think that is grew. Oh, is it split?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, 80% crude to 20% not.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, and then there'll be the people like me who are semi-crude, you know. I think I'm getting nine of the crude points on being met at something like that, which will I think will be plenty, but great.
SPEAKER_04I guess it's just knowing you've got enough water, isn't it, and food supplies from those nine crude points.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, that's the the important thing on this. I think probably the most important thing is fuel rather than water, uh, because it's a winter event. But as soon as your nutrition goes low, you are gonna be in trouble in terms of thermal retention and heat, so yeah, very important to keep on the food side and solid foods. Uh so what's yeah, I mean, we were just talking about packing. Are you have you started?
SPEAKER_04I've got a kind of a box in the uh in the front room where I keep chucking everything that needs to go in my like in my race vest, and then I need to start, I may start making a list yesterday of all the other stuff that needs to go in the crew car or go in the drop bags. Yeah. I need to do a food shop at some point, try and work out what I'm gonna fancy because you can't survive on gels and uh stuff like that. I don't think I think you need to have some.
SPEAKER_06What is your go-to sort of snack or food that you'd want, you know, when you're craving?
SPEAKER_04I don't know, I tend to crisps and jam sandwiches seem to do me quite well.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I'll go around Tesco's or something and see what inspiration it's.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Well, I'm going pizza uh slices um separated out for the crew points. And uh I did pot noodles before, but Lizzie Gatherers put me onto these super noodles or um I think it's itsu, is it, or something to make Japanese ones that they really look good, so I've bought a whole load of those.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I might put ones as well. Yeah, look like a good food option. And I don't know what's gonna be available at the checkpoint, it says they're gonna do you know a huge variety for all dietary requirements and all of that. Yeah, and I don't know, I don't know if that's gonna change depending on what time of day it is. You know, yeah, gonna give you curry for breakfast or whether they'll switch it out for some porridge or something.
SPEAKER_06No, they're pretty good with that sort of thing, and with James's experience on the spine, he'll know what people all need at certain points, so I'm sure it'll be the the food points will be really good. Yeah, it's just a case of cake, a case of keeping it topped up then and trying to get some warm options in.
SPEAKER_04I think yeah, so hot noodles and stuff like that will come in quite handy, won't they, for the heated uptions?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, well, yeah, you can. I mean Lizzie said she's just gonna take a flask of hot water and then tip it over them when I get there, you know. So you don't have to actually boil up the water.
SPEAKER_04No, that's it. We've got three thermos flasks lined up to be tea coffee and extras.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, on the kit side, um you know there's quite a thorough mandatory list as you would expect. Um, it's not as big as the spine, but it's still bigger than just about any other race that I've done, I think, including the dragon's back. Uh and you're all sorted with the kit, are you?
SPEAKER_04I am now, yeah. It's been a long process and I've spent way more money on it than I envisaged when I signed up.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um some of that stuff I needed to replace, you know. I dog had gone bitten through my waterproof, so I knew I needed a new waterproof, but they're all quite pricey items, right?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, they are, yeah.
SPEAKER_04It took me a while to work out which uh which pack to use because I've you know tried the Solomon 12, which I couldn't quite get everything in, and then I tried the the Montaine 20, which I found too big. Yeah, so I've settled on the Montaigne 12 Plus, I think it is, which seems to have a bit more storage than the Solomon one did. Oh okay, we'll see how it goes.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I'm going with a Gecko 20 uh just because I found that worked for me on the previous 200. Um it's just about the yeah, the 12's tight and the the amount of extra care, you know. I'm terrible with like my hands free, so I can't carry enough gloves and spare hats and all that stuff, so I'm just not gonna compromise and uh it's less about being weighed down pace wise for me, and more about survival.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, you kind of want to have what you need, don't you? And you're not like I can't quite get my head around people that are you know, kind of upset that you have to have a top that weighs a certain amount and yeah, you know, or they want the slightly lighter weight waterproofs, it's like yeah, I think I'd rather have stuff that's gonna stand up to the test.
SPEAKER_06Absolutely that. I mean there's people whinging because they got to compulsorily carry a 200 gram fleece type top, and if you ever weigh a top, just about all of them are you know 200 grams or so. So I you know I don't get it really that they're moaning about it, and they won't be moaning if they really need to damage so all seems to be pretty good then. Sorted. So you you were looking forward to it?
SPEAKER_04I think so, yeah, I am looking forward to it. It's it gets to that point now where you've kind of done the training, yeah. You you know, I'm worried a bit that I haven't done enough training or that when it comes to it I just won't have the legs to do it.
SPEAKER_08Right.
SPEAKER_04But you kind of you've done everything you can do at this point, yeah. So you just want it to kind of hurry up and arrive. So yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, my experience of them now is that I mean, I'd probably undertrained more than most that go into these things, mainly because of a age thing and not wanting to get injured. And I just found that you know, after 100 miles it just becomes mental, and you and you'll get through it anyway if you're mentally strong enough. It's less about the physical ability and more about the ability to suffer, really, unfortunately. But then that's the nature of the beast, isn't it? There's no point in doing it if everybody can do it. Yeah, well, best of luck, Matt. Great to get out with you again. Um we'll definitely catch up after and share our tales of glory. Hopefully, it won't be woe.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that'll be good, and hopefully see you, I guess, at the start line.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, yeah, at um Juniper, Wednesday, eight o'clock in the morning. I'm staying overnight actually beforehand on the Tuesday night. What time have you booked in to register?
SPEAKER_04I think I put six o'clock on the Tuesday evening, but I'm not sure they've they told us yet, I don't think so. No, they haven't.
SPEAKER_06And you're heading back home right here for a good night's sleep.
SPEAKER_04Come home for whatever sleep I can get and then get out early.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, good. Great. We'll see you on the start line, Matt.
SPEAKER_04See you there.
SPEAKER_06Cheers, thanks.
SPEAKER_10In terms of conditions, start with the big elephant in the room. Great overhead, not to great underfoot. Okay, so forecast, we've all been looking at it intensely, looking at the Facebook proof, that's certainly true. Um, generally, not too cold. Probably any rain forecast, but it's completely today some tomorrow, but drizzle more than anything extensive. Temperatures down overnight tonight, and again Thursday to Friday, two degrees, okay, which obviously isn't cold. Not too much wind, so it won't be too much added field like effect lower than that. When you're up on the southbound way, 120 miles in the middle of the night, and there's a 15 mile an hour wind that's two degrees, it's going to feel critically cold. The manager kit list is the bare minimum kit, right? That isn't what we suggest you carry. All the way through. You'll be kit leaving in the checkpoint. So make sure you are ready for that. Don't have a chip fit, someone says to you if I need to see these three items, please. Just be blind. Um stop in time. Three hours at checkpoint one, six at two, six at three, sixty minutes at checkpoint four. What happens if you drift over that is you'll be moved outside of the checkpoint, probably given a chair, left your own devices. That's incredibly hard. But much like the pacing thing and the cut off thing, unless we uphold the rules and do what we say, that six hours becomes six hours and ten minutes becomes six and a half becomes seven hours, and all of a sudden we're in a negotiation with you about how long you've been at this checkpoint and it's not fair. Mile 198, congratulations. Don't use the stepping stones, please, even if you can just see the tops. We don't want people falling in the river marble at mile 198. Go over the way the GPX takes you, the bridge just around the left-hand side, you go through the step stones by the park. Okay, there are 60 volunteers looking after you. Obviously, they are volunteer.
unknownGood luck, everybody. Have a great day.
SPEAKER_10Ninety seconds. One minute.
SPEAKER_06That went quick.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's right. Yeah, it's always been that thing in the future.
unknownRight, good luck.
SPEAKER_06Have a good one, Matt. Yeah, and joy. And we're off. Started the last of my three two hundreds. And we're just running away from Juni for Hall in Box Hill, and the first thing we do is climb Box Hill, which is gonna come to a walk in no time at all. Trudging along through horrible boggy mud. Uh, I am so far twenty-one miles in to the Winter Downs 200, and uh we're going along through this awful uh flooded, foggy, muddy path that's the North Downs way right next to the M25. Literally, like you could almost touch this barrier on the side of the road. Um so not the most joyous of uh scenic ultras I've done so far, and uh we're about to cross the motorway and hopefully get away from this. But this part of the route pretty much although it's quite pretty, it does um go through a lot of woodland and farmland, but it's really heavy clag, uh, which was to be expected. I mean, what else do you expect from an enter of 200 in December? That's what's gonna happen. Um, and uh so going along alright. Uh I'm nearly five hours in, four hours fifty two to be exact, um, and I'm due to meet Lizzie Gatherer at Lynchville Chart 22 miles in. We're just about to go over the motorway bridge now, so you should get a real fill for the joys. I'm actually crossing the bridge with Nick, who's just become an A station fan.
SPEAKER_05Promised myself a marmite sandwich when I got to the M25.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, what a way to celebrate the M25. So Nick and I have been having a bit of a chat. Uh this is your first of this distance.
SPEAKER_05Five to six years, I guess. First one is in the beacon 2018.
SPEAKER_06Excellent. So yeah, five years. Building up to this one. And you've recorded most of the route or all of it, haven't you?
SPEAKER_05Pretty much wrecked all of it, yeah.
SPEAKER_06How did you get about that?
SPEAKER_05All by train, um, which was great. Coming down from Chester, just picking out stations, picking out places to stay, so doing it more like a fast pack. Yeah. Um, so two two times two days and one times three days.
SPEAKER_06You're being partially crewed, aren't you?
SPEAKER_05That's right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Sorry, you're eating the sandwich in order to disturb you doing that. Yeah. So um, yeah, Nick's a bit like me, really. I didn't I didn't come into it to get crew. I was quite prepared to go on cruise, and then lots of lovely people come out of the woodwork, and the same with Nick. So he's got a few friends and a few runners. They're coming out at different points, you know, not all the way around, but here and there. And uh, where's your first one?
SPEAKER_05Right, right, just down here, about four miles, Himself.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, same as me. Good, looking forward to that. Cheers, Nick, have a good ride.
SPEAKER_02Oh it was amazing. I saw the northern lights and I used the dreadmill three times. Brilliant.
SPEAKER_06Lizzie's just got back from Norway and then now she's delightfully crewing me, so what a thing to do straight after that trip. It's not Norway weather here at the moment, it's raining. Uh I've been under Lizzie's wonderful dry robe, which I've never used one of those before. Excellent, looking recommend those. Uh had a some bits of pizza, coffee, and some wonderful paracetamol. And gonna get going again.
SPEAKER_02Uh now he's pointing the microphone at me. He's looking good actually. I wasn't ready for that. I'm standing here holding an umbrella over him. So he's he's looking he's looking good. Uh that's 22 miles done and dusted.
SPEAKER_06Five five hours twenty?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, way ahead of schedule. I it was twenty-five, he's about to leave and he's 25 minutes ahead of schedule from arriving. So actually, you're like an hour. Let's just call it an hour an hour.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, yeah, about an hour ahead.
SPEAKER_02And um next checkpoint is indoors, isn't it? Yeah, and the next time Kev sees me will be in the middle of the day. I'm not gonna get any sleep. I won't get any sleep tonight. Oh god, but I'll just think of you. Oh, that's lovely.
SPEAKER_06Okay, I better get going.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. See ya. Yeah, I'll see you at mile 68, I think it is. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_06We're only at 22.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. You're looking, some of the people that have come by, I must have been have not been looking in great shape yet.
SPEAKER_06Oh right.
SPEAKER_02One of them's on the polls already.
SPEAKER_06So yeah, there's a lot using their balls. Oh, really?
SPEAKER_02Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_06I was starting to think whether that was a rookie error by me not bring bringing them.
SPEAKER_02I can bring I can bring mine if you like to the next checkpoint. I'll pop them in the car and then you've got the opportunity. Okay, brilliant.
SPEAKER_06Cool.
SPEAKER_02All right, all right, then you take care. Enjoy. Cheers, Lizzie, I'm gonna get a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit.
SPEAKER_06miles I mentioned it in the King Alfred's way uh because we passed it during that event um and I thought then I can't wait to come back and I have and uh the weather's mild and uh I went straight through it and out the other side I decided that on my schedule I'd got three hours to stop there that I wasn't gonna take and so I've just gained myself three hours back on the schedule still behind it but I feel better about doing that because on Saturday Hannah's got to take me home so don't want any more delay there that's really necessary. Because she's got cross country on Sunday which you'll hear all about it's our club's cross country at Lord Wandsworth College Sunday. So there we are just waffling really passing the time um I've done my usual in this area I love this area in the King Alfred's way if you listen to the Aid Station podcast on that one I sneaked off and left four people sleeping in a van and finished ahead of them and now I've sneaked off through the sustainability centre and left a crowd in there I don't know how many are in there they'll probably all come and overtake me because they'll be nice and fresh now but uh yeah I you know it's ten past one on a Friday afternoon and may as well make hate while the sunshine although it's not out but it is quite mild um we're right on the top next stop Winchester old Winchester Hill um and it's calm so we couldn't have better conditions really uh it was wet first half of the race and now it's been dry so all good. What's up it's done what's up it's right holding I can see it's not a little bit um at oh what was it about half eight or something? And Angela was here as ever as she has been at the last two uh stops with her trusty van What what's the van Angela?
SPEAKER_03It's uh B dub T5 V dub camper van I've called it BB because it's uh BBZ is the registration.
SPEAKER_06Yeah BB is been excellent for me. Um I've been able to get my head down a couple of times um and obviously it's got everything in it. Uh Angela is actually chair uh person of Heart Road Runners our running club um and she along with Lizzie and Hannah have kindly volunteered to help and I can't thank them enough and especially Angela as she's been out the best part of two days. She's come out this evening met me in a pub car park um it did have its perks she did get in for a drink um so I'm gonna let Angela go now uh because it is now what time is it now Angela?
SPEAKER_03It's not too bad actually it's not too late.
SPEAKER_06I was I was envisaging we were going to be here a little bit later I mean it's 20 to ten now yeah it's 20 to ten on Friday evening um and I was supposed to be at half past five which and uh then get some sleep in Auton in the van but it's got way too late now. So I'm gonna let Angela get off. And thank you very much Angela no thank you it's been good fun.
SPEAKER_03Oh you do quite a bit of this don't you it's kind of a it's a little bit of an adventure from my perspective I quite enjoy because often Centurion in the past they've they have um made it difficult for crews to actually find the locations because obviously they're trying to prevent lots of crew from all building up in the various checkpoints and things so it's with the what three words you can you can go in and you can select the navigation for that or you can either drop it look at the map and drop a pin. So it's I quite enjoy all that aspect of the crewing that it's a little bit of an adventure trying to find where the checkpoints are. And this one has actually been quite challenging because uh Bishop Sutton is is a very tiny village you blink and you've missed it you're out of the village and you're out into the countryside again. So I've sort of been backwards and forwards a few times trying to find somewhere to stop.
SPEAKER_06Yeah oh well you found the best place in the pub and went in and supported the locals which I think a few have done you were saying that the landlord said which is all good.
SPEAKER_03So Centurion have bought them some business today as well okay thanks a lot Angela you're very welcome Kevin good luck with the rest of your endeavours I hope it's easier this next section with all the wealth I think I've broken the back of the hills anyway.
SPEAKER_06Good good except box hill at the end but I I'll be happy to see that whispering because I'm in Auckland town centre it's about quarter past three in the morning and I'm travelling so slowly that I thought I may as well go on here and pass the time away um the crossing over from uh where were we uh crossing over from Byton to um Rockley and then down to Foremarks was pretty horrible. Um Chawton Village is not Chauton what am I talking about? Rockley Village is an absolute maze and it's a lot of twists and turns to find your way out of there. And then don't mention the Rockley turnip field which the public footpath is supposed to go straight through there's these huge turnips really packed closely together which I went all the way round the outside and then back up the field because I couldn't find my way through it. And then the drop down from uh Formarks which is the highest village in Hampshire down to Chawton was also a horrendous route with deep um clay. It was actually a logging path that's been used for massive timber vehicles and it's really churned up but anyway I'm only here to have a whinge um but I was such in such a zombie state I was a uh falling asleep on my feet but I knew because I live in this area that Chawton had got a really nice bus shelter which is brick with a wooden bench and I thought I've got to stop this sleep deprivation and stop for 20 minutes there. Couldn't call it in to say to race control because I've got no signal but I couldn't get off again. So I decided to press on into Alton the 24 hour Londis wasn't open and I also developed quite a lot of fushy tubes which I seem to put up with when I'm on the rotted stuff but not on the tarmac weirdly enough so I stopped in yet another bus shelter one of the more utilitarian ones and took my waterproof socks off and the all the taping that I'd done is unmoved which uh shows how good these waterproof socks are at keeping the water out especially as they've been through the flooded river at Exton so I highly recommend those they were good advice from James um and I'm just checking now you have to turn off somewhere in Auton um and uh yeah while I was in the bus shelter I got approached by a bearded young man in a Santas hat um who asked me if I had a lighter and I said well I don't smoke in the middle of a race which I don't think he really understood and he said no no worries are you alright for tonight which I didn't take to mean that um he was selling me his body or anything I think what he meant was um I could end up failing a drugs test if I took him up on his offer so I politely declined but you know quite um an amusing thing to happen at three o'clock quarter past three or whatever it was in Orton anyway pressing on to Farnham now way way down on schedule been overtaken by about three people just between Chawton and Orton who were really spread out there's probably about an hour covering the three of them so that shows how much fing about I've been doing anyway enough waffle So finally I have reached Newlands Corner with only about twelve and a half miles to go been greeted yet again by Hannah tell me a bit about your day Hannah like when it started um well I said to Kevin in the middle of the night I messaged him and said he has to stop doing these races because it's exhausting being up all night tracking them.
SPEAKER_11It's very hard to sleep when you're uh quite engaged in the race but I know he's done the same for me so I guess we quit.
SPEAKER_06Yeah got up about 5 30 and got everything heated and packed and ready um my ten year old came with me so woke her up hello and then we've been uh poodling around uh keeping an eye on Kev here had a pretty nice day the dogs had a lot of walks we've had a pub lunch felt a bit a bit naughty really knowing that Kev's out there and we uh we had a nice two course lunch um but hey like absolute privilege being out uh giving Kev a bit of a hand um it's a it's a tough old race so there goes my target oh right you need to a lady has just overtaken us so Kev now needs to go oh dear sad as ever so I'll see you at the finish Hannah I'll see you at the finish yeah we're looking forward to that again good luck thank you I've arrived not at the finish but at the base of the 280 I think it is boxhill steps that I've got to go up and then down the other side to Juniper Hall and the finish of what has been an epic adventure of three and a half days of toil but I'm so looking forward to it when I get there we can do that was me crossing the finishing line and so delighted to get there and see Juniper Hall and Hannah Hall all at the finish. That was it the inaugural Winter Downs 200 completed I just have so many people to thank for helping me get this done and I'll start with James Elson for thinking that the South of England could do with a 200 miler and making it happen. His wonderful team of Nicky Griffin and the centurion crew for putting on such a well organised race another incredible performance from them and I think that also what needs to be appreciated is that although they've done loads of hundreds, 200s is a whole different kettle of fish uh especially for the crew and the volunteers so well done to all of you for putting up with us and for putting on such a good event. Of course I have to thank my fabulous crew of Angela Austin, Hannah Hall and Lizzie Gatherer and I'm looking forward to taking you all out in the new year to dinner. It's a big thank you and a catch up on everything that happened over the event because I'll have missed all the things that you were not getting up to. And I'd also like to thank all the lovely runners I met on the route this is one of the great things about Ultra Running you meet so many great people and get to chat with them along the way and find out a little about them and their lives and how their races are going. And especially I spent some time with Jacko Swart, Nick Brooks, Victoria Henderson and Darren Philbeam. Great to talk to you all. Also I must mention that in the middle of the South Downs it was lovely to meet the wonderful man that is Darren Evans who had come out to meet as many friends as he could on a training run. He gave me a massive hug and it gave me a big lift in spirit thanks for making the effort Darren in fact thanks for all your green and human efforts you're a great guy. Also very special mention to the lovely Sophie Bennett who not only ran her first 200 but finished second female in sixty nine hours and twenty two minutes. I am so proud of you Sophie you're brilliant and also I must mention my club mate Matt Harper who finished his first two hundred in seventy nine hours twenty minutes and you'll be hearing more from Matt in the next episode as we compare race notes and review the actual race. Finally in a very very special thanks to my lovely long suffering wife Jill who at this very moment is in Munich at the festive markets so as to avoid a hobbling whinging me and my stinking kit clear up. Jill has had to endure a long year of me preparing for these events and all that goes with them and I'm sure she is as glad as I am that they're over. But now they're completed and it's time for family, friends, festivities and recovery. I would like to thank all of you in the ultra running world who have followed my journey to my personal treble via the A stations. Hannah actually told me that she thought I must be the only person to have run three 200 mile races in the UK this year. I'm not sure if that's correct or what it says about me, but it does make me proud if it's true. So that's it. A very big wrap I'd like to wish you all a very very Merry Christmas and a big happy ultra running new year and until the next day station this is Kev saying bye for now to the next bloody hate station