Every stride tells a story, and mine is woven through the historic trails of the Race to the Stones. Episode after episode, I've chronicled the grit and beauty of marathons, but none quite like this. As I tackled the undulating 100 kilometres of the Ridgeway path, I faced not only the physical demands of the terrain but the solitude of pandemic restrictions. From the strategic approach to fueling and pacing to the mental battles at each milestone, join me as I recount the trials of preparing solo, the unexpected challenges on the course, and the pure exhilaration of crossing that finish line beneath the starry night.
Under the skies of England's ancient landscape, I found myself in a dance of endurance with the Thames at my side and the echo of footsteps on hallowed ground. The camaraderie among runners, illuminated by headlamps and shared determination, became a beacon in the nocturnal adventure of ultra-running. Hear how the stillness of the night brought unexpected reflections, the tactical use of walking poles against the relentless hills, and the surge of joy when the silhouette of the stones signalled the end of an epic journey.
As the muscles cooled and the adrenaline faded, the process of recovery laid bare the raw essence of our endeavour. While immersing in cold baths and replenishing with a protein-packed feast, the stories shared among fellow runners revealed the indelible mark left by this race. This episode is not just a recollection of the miles covered; it's an exploration of the resilience within and the community that forms when ordinary people chase extraordinary distances. So, lace up your running shoes, and let's explore the essence of ultra marathoning together.
Thanks for listening. Keep on running.
Every stride tells a story, and mine is woven through the historic trails of the Race to the Stones. Episode after episode, I've chronicled the grit and beauty of marathons, but none quite like this. As I tackled the undulating 100 kilometres of the Ridgeway path, I faced not only the physical demands of the terrain but the solitude of pandemic restrictions. From the strategic approach to fueling and pacing to the mental battles at each milestone, join me as I recount the trials of preparing solo, the unexpected challenges on the course, and the pure exhilaration of crossing that finish line beneath the starry night.
Under the skies of England's ancient landscape, I found myself in a dance of endurance with the Thames at my side and the echo of footsteps on hallowed ground. The camaraderie among runners, illuminated by headlamps and shared determination, became a beacon in the nocturnal adventure of ultra-running. Hear how the stillness of the night brought unexpected reflections, the tactical use of walking poles against the relentless hills, and the surge of joy when the silhouette of the stones signalled the end of an epic journey.
As the muscles cooled and the adrenaline faded, the process of recovery laid bare the raw essence of our endeavour. While immersing in cold baths and replenishing with a protein-packed feast, the stories shared among fellow runners revealed the indelible mark left by this race. This episode is not just a recollection of the miles covered; it's an exploration of the resilience within and the community that forms when ordinary people chase extraordinary distances. So, lace up your running shoes, and let's explore the essence of ultra marathoning together.
Thanks for listening. Keep on running.
The race is on. The race is on, so let's get straight into this ninth episode of 30 years of running marathons. Now the year is 2021 and COVID is still playing havoc in our lives, but there is light at the end of the tunnel Social events there is a possibility they're going to start again, and this included running events, albeit with social distancing. So the race I had lined up was called race to the stones. Now, if you listen to my previous episode, you know that I did this virtually in 2020 because of covid, and that was me having to record my own distances, and I did it over two days. So it's literally a marathon one day and a marathon the next day, and even though it's tough, nothing would prepare me for the actual event itself, which was completely different. I mean Race to the Stones. It goes across Britain's oldest pathway, it's called the Ridgeway, and travellers have been using it across in southern England for thousands of years and it's a really hilly event. I mean it runs through the Chilterns in England and it's I mean the elevation. We're talking like 7,000 feet in total. So it's a complete contrast to when I did it virtually, which was just running distances around my home which were fairly flat. I was running along the canal, so nothing would prepare me for this. But this was going to be a completely unusual race, partly because they even though we're outdoors, they had introduced this social distancing. What made matters worse was after the previous year, where I'd run the virtual race to the stones. I'd also done virtual Dublin marathon. I was fine.
Speaker 1:At the beginning of January 2021, I'd resume my training and I was doing okay, but then, come the middle of January, um, I started to get injured. Um, my, my legs were going, so, my, my shins were playing up. In particular, I remember they were really, really painful and I literally couldn't do any more running, so I had to cease my running and this lasted for about six weeks. I mean, we're talking from, like the end of what was it? End of february? Um, and that that went, that went through to about, yeah, to the end of march I think it's beginning of feb to the end of March, um, and you know this, this wasn't good preparation because I was going to be doing another ultra marathon and this was well, the previous one was a proper ultra marathon, but this was the actual event I'd been dreaming of and my friends who were supposed to be running it with me. They had backed out so it just left me to go and do it on my own. I needed to get some really long runs in, so I did my first 20 mile run once I got back into training, on May 27th.
Speaker 1:Now the event, race to the Stones, was being held in July, but I needed to get quite a few good long runs in, because Race to the stones it's 100 kilometers, so you're talking approximately 62 miles. And, as I say, it's run along the ridgeway, britain's oldest pathway. Now the actual distance of this ridgeway is called is approximately 87 miles. Um, and you race from a place called look, not um oxfordshire to avabbury, down in Wiltshire, and you race to a place called the Averbury Stones. So it's very much like Stonehenge. A lot of you will know Stonehenge, stonehenge Stones. So it's similar in that respect. You've got these Averbury Stones and, as I say, it's approximately 100 kilometres, so 62 miles. Now you can do it over one day or two days. So, like I did the virtual races stones, you can run approximately, you know, 30 miles. I tend to work in mars, so 30 miles and then do 30. You know they provide a campsite for you and it's great, it's like glastonbury, you know, you have, um, there's a bar there, it's a very, but bear in mind, you still have to get up and run, you know, basically another marathon or just over another marathon a day.
Speaker 1:So, even though my previous training for marathons I'd run the odd 18, 20 mile race Well, sorry, not race, but actual distance to get me up to the marathon distance that I'd be running in the race here, I needed to stretch it even further. I need to get used to actually running the marathon distance in training, which was completely a new concept to me because, you know, as you know, most people think if you run a marathon, that's some achievement and it is. But I had to get that out of my mindset. I had to think, no, that's nothing. 26 miles, especially if I'm doing the whole 100K, which is a whole 60 miles, 62 miles in one day, which is what I'd planned for, stupidly enough, because I had this theory. You know, once I stop and go to bed that evening and you know I might have one or two drinks and be social with other runners and that, and then I've got to get up the next day and do it, and this is what I found so tough with the virtual race at Stone, it's the fact that when I got up the next day I really did suffer. I don't know how I managed to run the next day. So, even though it sounds, you know, quite very heroic to obviously run, you know, 60, 60 something miles in one day, to me that that seems easier option, and I don't always tend to take the easier option, but this is what I was going to do this time. Bear in mind I'd obviously done it over two days in my own little virtual uh race to the stones. So I need to get more, 20 miles in, more 26 miles miles in.
Speaker 1:So, once my training got into a good rhythm, nearly every other week I was doing at least a 20 mile. Some were 26, 25 miles, you know, a bit bordering on that marathon distance. And on 19th of June I actually ran my furthest and that was 37.3 miles and it was along my usual route, so along the canal, along the flat canal, um, it was towards denim lakes, towards the end of the lakes, back out. Um, this time I didn't get lost. If you listen to my previous episode, you know I did get lost once and that added a heck of a distance onto the schedule, and that was when I did the virtual race to the stones. I actually got lost in one day, so I did more miles for that particular day, but luckily it meant, you know, the next day I didn't have to do as much. So, yeah, 19th of June I reached my peak, and this was approximately three weeks before the actual race, because I had to give myself time to taper. And 37.3 miles, I mean, that was tough, I was really suffering.
Speaker 1:I had a backpack on me, a little trail pack, which I'd be taking with me to the event. It was a bladder full of water which I was carrying on the back of me and I had gels, and obviously I had to get used to, because when you're actually running the event, there was no way I was going to be able to run it straight through. Well, I had planned to run it straight through because if you listen to my previous episode, you know I never like to stop in a race, be it a marathon or anything. I just like to keep going. Um, and partly because I've had problems with my, with my knees before and I I just think you know, if I once stop, I find it very difficult to get my legs moving again, and also the whole mindset thing. Once I stop it takes me out the the zone of running. I mean, little did I know that when I got to this event it would completely blow out my plans out the water, because it was good. It was going to be completely different anyway. Back to the training.
Speaker 1:So, 19th of June, 37.3 miles, that was my longest. I found that tough enough, but that was three weeks before the 10th of July when this event was going to be on. And I found that tough enough, but that was three weeks before the 10th of July when this event was going to be on, and I was going to hire a car and what I had planned on, because they provided a shuttle coach for you. If you want to do this either way, you could. You know, obviously I needed to stay overnight. Now you could stay near the the finish line, which which is nice, because if you stay in a hotel near the finish line, then when you finish the race you haven't got far to go to your hotel. Or you could do it the other way. You could, um, stay near the start and then you haven't got to get up so early in the morning and but then when you finish you have to get on one of their shuttle coaches when you're probably in absolute agony and wait for the coach to fill up and that, and then take all the way back um to the start.
Speaker 1:So I chose the option. I was thinking right, okay, what I'll do is I'll book a hotel. I've got the hire car. It's going to take me an hour or so to get up from where I live up to the hotel parking hotel. It was not. It was a really nice hotel as well. It had, you know, the sauna, jacuzzi, all the health benefits, but of course these were all closed because of of covid um. But you know, the hotel was still good and it was literally, like, I think, like a 10 minute drive. The only downside to this was I literally had to, like, leave at at four o'clock I think it was before four o'clock. I had to get there for something like crazy like four to be in time to make sure I get one of the shuttle buses that would take me up to um the start line. So this is what I did on the day I I drove up, stayed in this nice hotel and then um, they provide parking.
Speaker 1:So in the early morning, night, I parked up, um, and then I just followed everybody, you know, to the, obviously one of the coaches that was taking up there, and we had to wear face masks because obviously, you know, covid was still around and everything had to be, you know, from a safety point of view. So I was wearing my mask and I sat in the seat there and that, and you know it was, it was getting daylight now I think by the time we left and I remember, when the coach, uh, turned out and round, I saw a glimpse of the dave ruby stones and they were magnificent, you know, it's just like stonehenge. I've never, I've never been to stonehenge, but really prehistoric, and I think to myself, well, I've seen them now because obviously I was hoping to finish this, this race, in in daylight, which you, you know, you'll soon discover, I didn't, and this might be the only glimpse I really get of the stones and I mean they were lovely, they were great, but I just, I just remember this, this, this coach trip, I mean it was like you know, we were being taken to the gallows. It was very silent on the coach, partly because we had to wear the face mask and if we want to eat something or drink something, we could take it off for a minute. But there was just this dead silence on the coach and it was like we were driven to the gallows and and it felt like that. And I just remember the elevation as well on this coach taking us to the start line, um, but not also that also the, the actual the time it took us to get there. It took us forever, it took us over and out to get there.
Speaker 1:And I'm looking at all the roads and everything. I'm thinking, and all the countryside, the elevation, it was really beautiful. But I'm thinking and, and you could see actually from from the road when we're in the coach, you could see the side of the road, you could see this beautiful ridgeway path and he's like we're going to be running along that and he's. You know I can laugh about it now, but it's literally like the coach driver saying, okay, if you want to see your car, you parked your car there. You've got to run back and collect it because I'm not bringing it back. And you know, coach driver must have thought we were mad because he's he's driving us there and he knows how long it takes to get there like over an hour, and we've got to run it back. And now I'm starting to doubt myself. I'm thinking, will I ever see the stones again? I mean, obviously seeing them was a great incentive to me now to obviously to come back and do it.
Speaker 1:And at the start there I was literally on my own because obviously I didn't have my friends there with me. Now and in this field, field and that's all it was was a field, and you know I was wearing my face mask and I even took photographs, you know selfies of me with my face mask on, because I just literally forgot I had it on and it wasn't particularly warm at that time of day and I think I I think my start time is about seven o'clock, but there's this really strange way even though we're out in the open, you still had to be social distancing. So there's a strange way of literally it was like a staggered start. So you would go through, go through like this, um, like queue up, and you know a lot, a lot of people were running, you know, as pairs, with friends and that, and they'd send you off at different times, so so it'd be like a minute or two between each runner, so they were spacing them out, basically, and I got to the little start bit there and it was like me billy no mates, because obviously my friends weren't with me now and he set me off and I remember just, you know, just this big, big field ahead of me and I think, like the first mile was slightly uphill and I was already, you know, breathing heavily and I had my trail pack on. I was thinking, wow, this is going to be a long day and basically it was all about.
Speaker 1:I mean, it was really well organized, because you know, a lot of people say ultra running is it's just, like you know, running between the pit stops, running between the food stops, because the pit stops are vital and they're like every every few miles, and I think I think the first one is I can't quite remember is after four miles, I think, I think it's something like that, but every every few miles anyway, you get a pit stop and they that direction, turning you into the pit stop, and you know they provide everything there. So you've got your sandwiches, crisps, a good one they provided was flat coke, because coke gives you the, the caffeine that the hit to get going, anything sugary, sugary sweets, bananas and, to be honest, even though I normally love my food, I didn't really feel like eating. But the first pit stop I drank, took something on immediately and I'd planned for these pit stops because I think there's, there's something, maybe like about 10 pit stops, maybe through the whole, um, through the whole race, I can't remember exactly, but you know if're stopping there and you're adding 10 minutes on, at least 10 minutes on, which you know, to each pit stop. You know the time soon adds up to your cumulative time and I was very wary of this. So on the first pit stop I thought I'd better drink something quickly and eat something, even though I didn't really want to, you know, store something in the bank. And then I was trying to get out of there fairly quickly and as I don't like stopping, because then I tend to seize up anyway, so I was out of there pretty quickly and I was just following the other runners. And, yeah, I mean it, it was a hilly course and you're literally just thinking about the next pit stop. I mean, after the first one I was still fine. It hadn't really sort of kicked in into me yet, um, but the route was very varied.
Speaker 1:So, um, one of the first parts of the route was you were coming through this place called field of dreams and it's literally like running through the cornfield and I've seen photographs of this and it's so iconic and I've got a lovely photograph of me leading a group of runners as we run up and down through this field of literally corn and it was just glistening in the rising sun and it was most beautiful I can almost say heavenly environment to be running in. So the places like this, where you're at in the middle of nowhere, in these beautiful fields, absolutely beautiful and in other parts of it you're literally running along the Thames, so you're running along the River Thames, so there's complete contrast in this route, but, as I say, you're literally just running from pit stop to pit stop and at second pit stop again I tried to stock up on that and I think the most how can I say deflating aspect is when you reach the halfway point you have to run through an archway to get your time, but then when you see the campsite, you see everybody, you know the runners who are there stopping and they've done it for the day and bear in mind, you know you run just over a marathon, and now they're all stopping there and you've got to continue. And now they're all stopping there and you've got to continue. It's quite, I mean, I mean obviously it's delayed gratification, because I knew, you know, I'm going to be so much happier and prouder of myself that I did it all in one day Rather than, you know, stay in this lovely campsite, have to get up the next day and run it again. Even, in some ways, I find that a lot harder. So for me, I'd just rather keep going and get all the pain and suffering out in one day.
Speaker 1:So all I did when I saw the campsite and that I tried to, you know, convince myself. You know I'm not the only one who's going to be doing it in a day. And so, literally, you know, I stocked up with food and, and, you know, drinks and, and I I tried not to get carried away because it's a bit of a buzz, you know, a bit of an excitement at this base camp, with all the runners now stopping there. Uh well, not all the runners, but a good proportion. I guess more people were probably doing it over the two days. And silly me, you know, I'd obviously I'd done it over two days before on my own, and I knew how tough it was. So, but was I really wise enough to do? Because this course was completely different? I mean the hills. We had hills, you know I'm talking about. Normally my races, I never stop. But and this is supposed to be, you know, some people are walking this event and that. Fair play to them.
Speaker 1:I find walking a lot harder, but I remember coming to one of the first hills and they've got signs saying you know, this is going to be a little steep. And it was ironic because it was more than a little steep. And I was running with a couple of runners who'd run it before, and we were going up this hill. And this hill it just went up and up and up. And you're trying to run it, you're trying to run it, you're trying to. No, I'm not going to stop, I'm going to keep running, because I never stop in races. But this hill is like, oh, it's almost vertical. I mean, the views are absolutely stunning. And you're looking at your watch and thinking, oh, time to go out the window now. You just don't really care anymore. You might as well be going by the hours rather than by how many hours you're going to be. And so you just, you just have to. You know you're not a walker, you're a runner, but you know everybody has to walk at some point. But this hill just went on and on and on and once you get to the top it was just relief.
Speaker 1:But I was absolutely knackered and the the pit stop. Well, it was still away from the top of this hill. I'm thinking why just can't they put this pit stop? Well, it was still away from the top of this hill. I'm thinking why just can't they put this pit stop a little bit nearer? Because this is just too much. The pit stop should be a lot nearer to this hill. I think it was still about a couple of miles off this big hill to go and it was crazy.
Speaker 1:But it's not also just the ascents. Some of the descents were. I mean, they were horrific. I mean I had trail shoes this time and the conditions weren't too soft underneath, but some of the descents were literally. I mean they were practically vertical vertical drops. I remember this one there was this run in front of me and he went down and he nearly crashed down this vertical drop in this wooded area and he was like I didn't sign up for this.
Speaker 1:And then, of course, I'm worried because I've had problems with my knees before. If you listen to my previous episodes, you know I've had a torn meniscus in my knee and you know this. This was, you know, and this is what I was worried about. I tore my niscus in my knee, I baked a cyst in my knee and and, yeah, I managed to keep on running. But I didn't need something like this to you know, if it was, if it was going to hurt his knee, it was going to hurt my knee. So I was very careful, trying to run down it, but I could really feel it in my knees and this wasn't good and I still had a long way to go and this was absolutely frightening.
Speaker 1:And then, out of nowhere, it started to rain and there's like crossing points on the ridgeway where friends and families with their cars can park up and that. And we were going across these crossing points and you don't get a lot of spectators like you do, you know, in the big city marathon races, and it's just friends and family, and of course I had no one, but I'm running across this, and then it started to rain. So then I had to stop because I had to get my little rain jacket out of the back of my trail pack and then it started to rain and then I'm thinking, how many miles have I got left? You know, they do have like mile markers, kilometre markers, and you know, my aim was, I was aiming for like 14 hours and I was hoping to get back. Remember, this is in, you know, it's more or less the peak of the summer, it's obviously the days are longer, but I'm hoping to get back before it gets dark. But you know, as time goes on, I'm hoping to get back before it gets dark, but you know, as time goes on, I'm thinking this isn't going to happen. And luckily I say luckily I did have my light, because you had to carry a light with you.
Speaker 1:I did have my chest light in the back of my backpack and people already started putting their lights on. So I'm thinking, right, I better put mine on, and because when it does get dark, it gets dark very quickly. So but this was quite an operation. I'd set the backpack off and I had to, you know, get it out and I had to make sure it was adjusted correctly and that and it had a light on the front and light on the back and some people, just they literally just wore, um lights, so just they just had it on top of their head and that's fine because they can see in front of them. But then, you know, your light, necessarily on the top of your head, isn't necessarily powerful enough to pick them up in front of you. So as I had a light on the back as well, a red light, people could see me. So obviously people can see, you know, when they're coming up behind me.
Speaker 1:And some of these paths were very narrow and you know, people did want to pass and I remember this, this one stretch it was very, very difficult to pass. And you know, this runner said you know I'm coming through, so I moved over. But but then you know you've got this, this, like you know I'm coming through, so I moved over. But but then you, you know you've got this, um, there's, like you know, these are not treated pathways and you've got this big ridge running through it and then there's like dips either side now. So I'm trying to keep my balance and move to one side, now let's move aside and then another one is coming through and I'm like if I'd known I would have stayed there and you're moving backwards and forwards and it was absolutely crazy, um, but you know there was some, really, you know, I think you know one.
Speaker 1:You know, one of the highlights, um, certainly during the day, was when we were up on the ridgeway and all you could hear I mean it sounds daft, but all you could hear was silence. You're so high up in the clouds and sky was clear and you couldn't hear anything and there's very few runners around with you and you just couldn't hear anything and it was just so peaceful and quiet. You didn't feel any stress whatsoever and I just felt so close to my late nan, because this is who I was running for. I mean, my nan was a big fan of my running and listen to my previous podcast. You know that I ever so do you know that? I did care for her for the last um few years. You know of her life and she was. She loved to see my running medals and you know this race was for her and I was always very close to her. So, being being up there in the clouds, I felt very close to her and I know she's helped me get through this and it felt very heavenly at the top of this, this ridgeway, and it's so peaceful and quiet and I loved it and that memory will stay with me forever, um, whereas you know other memories.
Speaker 1:Um, certainly, as it got dark, as I said, when it got dark and we were coming down, I mean, it did start to. Towards the end, it did start. You just started to go downhill slightly, but, as I say, you're on this, you know, untreated country path and even though I had a light on, it was very difficult to see as we got nearer, you could see lights in the distance. You think, well, that must be where we were going, um, but it seemed to last forever. I mean, you never seemed to get there and runners wanted to pass you and they couldn't pass you.
Speaker 1:Um, and I noticed and this is one thing I really think I should have taken with me there was a guy in front of me had these, you know, sticks, these like walking poles, and, to be honest, he was going faster than me and I was running or trying to run, um, but he had these sticks and these, these walking pole sticks, and that were really helping him, you know, cut across the terrain and avoid all the uh, the ditches and the and the holes and everything, and I was so worried about, you know, obviously tripping up and damaging my knee, making even worse, and he was dying, back and forth, back and forth, so I was literally trying to follow him and that's what you were doing. You're trying to follow the runs in front to see the best route to go, and it was getting quite, quite jam-packed as we were getting nearer to the finish line and we're all looking over the distance. We could, we should call, we could see the lights of the farm, where we're heading, where the finish line was, and and we were just, you know, we're listening out for the noise and that. But the funny thing is, though, as you come towards the finish, you actually go out on a loop and back. So to see the ava will be stones you don't actually finish at, the ava will be stones. Um, you have to cut back. But I'm glad you know some people complain. It's like oh, we've got to do this extra distance.
Speaker 1:I loved it and it got a bit lighter and you should do like a loop around the stones, and the stones were lit up. So, even though I was worried about whether I'd see them or not, I'm like well, I saw you early this morning, very clear here in the dark. They were lit up. So you went around them and some people were stopping and even trying to take a photograph, even in the dark, and I was just looking up at them in awe. Some people started to flag now and you came round the stones and turn the corner, turn left, and then you went up uphill a bit before you turn left and I had this new, you know, this new lease of energy within me because I was like, wow, how lucky we are to be doing this. We've almost done it, you know, and yet, and it runs around me with flagging and I was passing them, I was going come on, guys, cheer up, Look, we're there.
Speaker 1:And I think they were more worried about the slight hill that we had to get up and then turn left to get down to the finishing line. But I was sprinting up that hill, you know, despite all the aches and pains and my knees were killing me, my legs, you know. You know I'd survived. I hadn't tripped up as yet. Obviously I still had to get up the hill and down the other side I sprinted up this hill and that, and I was just cheering everybody else and I was saying come on, we got this.
Speaker 1:And then, as you turn up the top, you turn left and you can see the, the archway at the finish and you're literally running down towards the end and I just sprinted I always do when I'm around, I always think you should finish with a good sprint um, but this was no great gallery supporting you when you come in. I mean, I, I ran down this hill, you know, arms loft through underneath the arch, and then suddenly you think well, well, that's it, it's done. What do now? You know, I'd been moving nonstop, well, almost nonstop, obviously, stopping at the pit stops and that, but I'd been out all day and by now it's getting quite cold and I look at the time, it's like I'd been out for over 16 hours. I was hoping to do it in 14 hours. I did it in 16 hours, 20 minutes, and I was getting a bit cold.
Speaker 1:Now and you run through this archway and they give you a medal and you know there's not a mass of people. There's runners who have finished as a catering truck there, um, there's a a few people selling the uh, the merchandise for racer stones, um, but it's, it's not like finishing a big city marathon. It's, it's quite, quite subdued. Obviously, friends and family are there and and runners who are recovering and had a chair and I, uh, one of the chairs were free and I sat down on the chair and I said to take it all in because you, it's, it's strange, you, you've got this, this runner, high of. Wow, did I just do that? Did I just, you know, run 62 miles, 100k, and did I just do it all in one go?
Speaker 1:I think when I started this morning it was 7 o'clock and now it's what? So it's 7 o'clock, yeah, I mean, we've gone like past 11 o'clock now it's what near midnight coming up and yeah, it's just, yeah, it's gonna. It's gone 11 at night now and I'm absolutely had it and I don't know you, I didn't, I didn't know, I didn't know what to think. I was so proud of myself that I'd done it, but also I was on my own, so I had no one to share it with. Really, and it's quite a subdued atmosphere, I guess, because you've been out there for so long. People are recovering and you'd think I'd feel hungry, but I didn't feel hungry at all and some people were eating meals, and that because of the catering truck there and that.
Speaker 1:And then the lucky thing was, as I said, I didn't have to, you know, find one of the shuttle buses and queue and be cramped in a coach seat and that, um, I gave myself plenty of time to recover, though make sure I was fully hydrated. I felt well because, even though it's only a 10 minute, 10 minute drive to the, to the hotel, it was now pitch black and I hadn't driven it, and, you know, in the dark before. You know, I'd got sat nav on the car and everything, but I wanted to make sure I got back safely and it was just fine in the car because it was in the dark and you're walking out with the other runners trying to find your car, and I guess that was the hardest thing of all, but the, you know, I, I drove back fine, and when I got back to the hotel, you know the hotel was absolutely dead. I know there were other runners staying there, but I, I didn't see any of them and it it was absolutely dead, the hotel, and I think, I think I had to get the key to to get in, if I remember rightly. Anyway, I parked up and I walked in and now I was. You know, I had to walk up some stairs and my, my legs were absolutely killing. It was like, you know, when you get like restless leg syndrome, my legs were feeling horrible, um, they just, I just they just couldn't settle and I went back to my room and I just collapsed on the bed and then it's like you're still, you're still on this high and I think, but you know it's gone midnight, it's the early hours of the morning now and there'll still be people out there on the course because there are walkers who will be coming through later on in the day and they'll be going right through the night.
Speaker 1:And I was thinking of them and I was thinking, well, I'm glad I finished, because now I was, you know, I was feeling a little. You know, you get that when you, when you got the adrenaline flowing through you after such a fantastic event like this, when you've achieved something, you don't really notice the pain in the niggles. But then, as that starts to die off and it was starting to die off, and the first thing I thought I was thinking of recovery I was thinking, wow, you know I couldn't sleep. I should have gone to sleep. How can you sleep? You're on such high. In fact, I wanted to tell the whole world. You know, I wanted to post on my Facebook group, I wanted to tell everyone you know, my friends who couldn't be there that I'd done this. But at the same time, but tired but not sleepy, I couldn't sleep.
Speaker 1:So luckily, the hotel had a bath. So the ideal thing you should do is is have an, you know, an ice cold bath. I couldn't get any ice in there, but I could make it as cold as possible and even though, even though you don't feel like it, I'm used to having cold baths and there is this theory that you know it, aids recovery and I was thinking about, you know, later on than they. I was hoping to obviously use things like the jacuzzi in the steam room, but they were out of bounds because of covid. So you know the ice cold bath would have to do so. I made it as cold as possible. I think I made myself a cup of tea and I got in that bath and I say I'm used to these. You know the initial shock when you're getting these cold baths not nice, but once you're in there, you get used to it and I can spend 10, 50 minutes in there and that's why I did have a cup of tea and that um, and just reflect on the whole race reflected on all the different aspects of the race reflected out.
Speaker 1:But you know, because I'm such a competitive person, in some ways I was a bit disappointed the fact that you know I was so certain I could get under 14 hours. But bear in mind, this is no flat. 60 miles, no flat. Two marathons, this is completely different. I mean this is, you know the elevation, say, is like 7000 feet recorded. You know, I mean that is that is just crazy. And I certainly believe that I've never run up so many hills and I've never liked hills. You know I've, I've tried to do hill work and I try to do hill work now in my training but I find it tough. You know, some people naturally sounds dark but some people naturally like hills and are good up hills. Maybe if you're a taller person I don't know, I'm not the tallest of runners you know, if you're taller got the longest, maybe you find it easier. I always found it tough but some of the descents were just as bad. But you know, some of the runners I met on my journey were great.
Speaker 1:You know, you have this real camaraderie and you realise it's not all about the time and I think that's the difference between these ultra marathons and a marathon. A marathon, you maybe are more worried about time, you're a bit more competitive, but here there's much more camaraderie. No one really worries about the time and you tell, tell someone you run like 60 miles, 62 miles, 100k. Wow, are they going to ask you the time? Of course they're not. You know, I'd like to think that. You know that you think that I've done a good achievement by running this? Um, I'd like to think I have, but at the same time, yes, I would have liked to have done 14 hours.
Speaker 1:You think that I've done a good achievement by running this? I like to think I have. But at the same time, yes, I would have liked to have done 14 hours, but you know, 16 hours. And I tell my friends and colleagues they're like, wow, you're out there for that long. And I still look back at it now and think, wow, how did I do that? Because I say it was just the whole toughness of the course. But you know, you have so many memories from these, you know these real tough events. So, yeah, I just, you know, I was up for a lot longer than I need to be because there was no way I could get to sleep.
Speaker 1:I think I eventually got to sleep and then the next day I was well. I feel too bad the next day and in fact what made my day was I went down to breakfast. Breakfast was included in the hotel price and you know now I could see there were other runners. I hadn't seen him in the dead of night, but there were other runners who were in this particular hotel and I always remember the assistant. When I came into the restaurant he saw me walking in and I had these uh, uh, special, uh like, like flip-flop shoes and that, um, I think they're called ohos, something like that. Um, I've still still got them now, actually, and they're supposed to really cushion your, uh, your feet. So I was wearing these down to the restaurant. You know, I didn't care how I looked, I just wanted to ease the pain. I was walking down as I walked in there.
Speaker 1:As I say, this assistant, he could tell that you know I'd run the marathon. I think I was at the ultramarathon. I think it was because I was wearing my shirt. I wasn't wearing the medal, obviously, but I think I was wearing the, the shirt I got for the race. Anyway, he could just tell that I'd run the race to the stones. And he said to me he said you're walking well. He said you're walking better than most of them and that I took as a compliment. I'm thinking, okay, that's good. I might not it, but I'm walking better than most. You know, I'll take a point for that. Thank you very much. And I just literally stuffed my face.
Speaker 1:Now, I was hungry and I don't know, and we have cooked breakfasts, but I was just stocking up on everything Because you need a lot of protein to. You know all the muscle damage that. You know all the wear and tear your muscles have gone through, um, running that distance, not just the distance, but the actual uh, terrain as well, the, the energy you expend, not just because of distance, because of the elevation as well, say, the 7 000 feet. So I need to replenish it and I don't mind a cooked breakfast. But, as I say, you know when I'm training that it's not sort of I go to, but you know you can really eat this guilt-free. And I just stuffed myself. I just had so many eggs, baked beans, sausages, bacon and that and it was, it was beautiful, and I think I had the rest of the day in that hotel and I had a lunch and I think I watched the football in the evening, had burgers and it was just you know.
Speaker 1:And then drove home the next day and, yeah, it was. It was unexpected because I didn't expect it to be as tough as it was. As I said, it was completely different to when I I did it just around my my local home, but at the same time, it's great because, you know, I've seen places that I wouldn't have seen if I hadn't run this particular race and the beautiful you know English countryside, you know the hills and valleys and you know and just everything, all the pains and struggles and that just made it worthwhile, even the hills. So, yeah, I mean, this was, you know, even though COVID was still around. This was one highlight of the year and the fact that we managed to get this race done even though COVID was still around was a real achievement and, yeah, it was, it was great. So that that was my I say that was my biggest highlight of 2021.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then, two weeks afterwards, I let myself in for a race that I'd done before. If you listen to my other episodes, and this was a race called Endure 24 and this is literally, it's a 24-hour race where you can enter as one person or in teams and you do five mile loops. It's not normally held in in reading in ways in park um, but because of uh covid, they actually changed it to a different event. Now, the one in redden always had these big hills and that did like heartbreak hill and that, um, but they still managed to to find a race, albeit it was. It was along the river, it's fairly and they still had the hills. To be honest, I didn't find it as tough as Reading and a lot of people said it wasn't quite as iconic, but anyway, and it wasn't as big as the first of them.
Speaker 1:When I first did Intruder 24, a lot of my Facebook group had been there, so it was a big gang of us. Now I just had a few friends that I'd met from this Facebook group. I had a few friends I'd met from this Facebook group, so there was Siggy, john, malcolm and then Brian, who was a really, really good runner, and last time I managed to do four laps and, let's say, five mile loops. That's 20 miles, and I'd done it with a lovely group of ladies. Jokingly they said it was Jason's harem, but no, they were lovely and in fact I took a back seat and sophie was the captain of the team and I say I ran four laps. I think we each did four laps for a team of five.
Speaker 1:Anyway, this was slightly different. It was a different event. There was just there was just us going, we, us guys, we we didn't see anybody else there and it was literally just us and we, we pitched our tents up and you know much, much smaller affair, but we organized it between ourselves as a group of guys and we, uh, we did each lap and, yeah, it wasn't, wasn't a bad course, but I did find a lot easier than the, the reading course. And there was not one nice hill. I remember when you're at the top of the hill and you just look down and you could see across, you know all the tents and all the whole site and the river, and it was beautiful. And I remember meeting another lady from the Facebook In fact she should recognize me a young lady called Beth, just about to run past and she said oh, you're Jason from from the. Yeah, yes, I am, yeah, and it was lovely to see her.
Speaker 1:So I met a few few people on my travels around there and this particular time I actually managed to do uh, six laps and in fact I remember two, two of the laps I did two in one go, so 10 miles and that was done at two o'clock in the morning and it's always night nice when you're doing these races, and. But now, obviously, because I've done races stones, I was used to running at night, but it was lovely to run it at uh at night like that. So I did two, two laps, um at night like that, um, starting at two o'clock in the morning, um, so you're looking at probably about two to four o'clock in the morning and and that was great. So I did six in total and looking back now, I can't believe I did that because that's over a marathon and even though you have a few hours in between, as I say, that can be, that can be quite, can be even tougher because you can't get your head down for long and then you back up again. So I did 30 miles just over a marathon. So, looking at my records now, I'm really, really pleased with that and and we had a good time, we did really well and I really enjoyed the event again. That was a really another, you know, fun event and because it was only literally just two weeks after the Race of Stones the other guys hadn't done Race of Stones I was so surprised that I managed to do the six laps. I mean, looking back now I was like, wow, I managed to do six laps of that and I still can't believe how I did it. So, yeah, I'm really pleased with that um.
Speaker 1:And then after that, um, after the um, um, uh, july, uh, races. This was in July, so, uh, that was the end of July. And then we went into um August and there was the uh, uh, my usual races that were still going ahead, albeit with a few restrictions, um. So there was the Burnham beaches half marathon, uh, half Marathon. And this is, if you listen to, my previous episode. This is a marathon that I've done many times before. I did it when I was a youngster and it's a hilly two lapper course and I did that in a really good time. It was one hour 47 minutes. I think. I was on my own, there was a't anybody else, but that's a race that I always like to do. It's a local race to me and it's a race that I love doing, and they have the swimming pool in the grounds after which you can go for a swim, so it really helps loosen you up afterwards. So that went ahead, so I managed to get that done. Then some of the races later on in the year they wouldn't normally be held at this time of year. Then some of the races later on in the year they wouldn't normally be held at this time of year but because of COVID they hadn't gone ahead early on in the year and so they decided to try and fit them in later on in the year, which obviously for a lot of people, you know trying to fit these into their schedules. But you know I didn't have as many races planned as I had.
Speaker 1:As I said, the highlight was Race of the stones for me. So, um, the next race on the calendar, uh was I think it was, yes, it was um two weeks before the winter half marathon, which, if you listen to my previous podcast episode, you'll know that uh, the winter half marathon, raw winter half marathon. It's very special to me. Um, it was the last race my nan saw before she died, um, and she died the day after I'd finished that particular race. It's a very emotional race for me so I always like to do what I can. Very hilly course but very spectacular course, finishing in front of winter castle. So I love that race.
Speaker 1:But before this there was a race which save listen before it to call beat the boat, uh, where you're literally racing against the boat and that's in winter also, to start start off in eating, it's winter and yet again you're running towards the castle as you finish and you you say which boat you want to try and beat. So you have. I think they go from 40 minutes, 45, 50, 55 an hour and you know you expect your friends and spectators can get on the boat and watch you from the boat and literally you're running along the river and it's great because you've got these drink stations that not only serve water but beer and prosecco. So it's very much a fun race. You run around this field, you lose sight of the boat and then you come back in again. You see the boat and hear the announcer say right, if you want to beat your boat now such and such time, you've got to be inside the field and when I did it I think I did the first time a few years ago. I did it in in like 45 minutes. So I was confident I could beat the 50 minute boat and I probably didn't realize at all that the races had taken on me so far this year. So I put down for a 50 minute boat and I almost did it. It was, it was very close. I mean, I didn't drink any beer by mistake this time, so I did it in 51 minutes. But in the day, you know, you still get your medal, whether you you know beating your boats for your own accomplishment and only just outside it. But you know it's a lovely sunny day again the race. Hq is the local pub, so you go back to local pub, there you get a discount on your first beer and then sit on the beer garden. It's all runners together. It's a real fun race and I'm doing it again this year and I just, I just absolutely love it. It's just a, it's a real runner's racer, a race for runners.
Speaker 1:Then I went back to, uh, windsor. Windsor was only a couple of couple of weeks after this. So I go to Windsor and I'm running on my own this time. I'd run it with friends before, like Alistair, but this time I was on my own and, as I say, it was a very emotional race, for I always think Nan's very close to me when I'm running this and you know I. But I just love the finish.
Speaker 1:You running down towards the castle, I sprint across there, run across the line, kiss the ground, look to the heavens. Thank Nan for getting me through it and I think I did that in about one hour 53, so not my fastest, but it's a real, real tough course. I don't think it's normally about 145. I I do it in. But bear in mind you know the events I'd done earlier on in the year and the fact obviously I'd done this, beat the boat, the 10k race a couple of weeks before. You know I was, I was, I was quite happy with that.
Speaker 1:Uh, at the end of the day, you know, for me it's always about entering this particular race and getting it finished. You never know what's going to happen. It's quite a warm day. It's always very hilly I know the course by now, um, and I know nan's with me and there are some real big hills and especially at mile 11. So, yeah, I was quite happy with one hour 53 and then, finally, I had one more race for the end of the year, not my usual Dublin marathon, because I think that was all thrown out the window because of Covid, but Redden Half Marathon, which I've done before, and it's a lovely race because you're finishing Redden Football Stadium. So it's like you're, you know, racing in the Olympics because it's like you're finishing the Olympic Stadium and the Redden Stadium probably holds about about 20 000 people not that they're all going to be there, obviously full up when you're running it, literally friends and family, um, but it's.
Speaker 1:It's a lovely race because you start close to the stadium and then you run out. And you run out through the, the city center, past the university. You even come through where the shoppers are. So you get a, you know, a lot of crowd support. They call it a flat course, which it is, but there are. I remember when I first did it. There are some hilly bits, but generally it's a really, really good course. And I say you get loads of crowd support, quite a good few thousand runners. And I say the best bit is you're, I guess, the last mile or so.
Speaker 1:You're coming down the dual carriageway and it's quite laborious, quite boring, you really. You know, you just got to put your head down, but then you turn down and you come down, you turn left, you come into this just awesome stadium and, even though it's not got 20,000 people in, when you're running into it, the cacophony of sound, it's just like. It's just like nothing else. You feel, you literally do feel like you're running the olympics. You know you're coming in for your, your medal, um, and yeah, it's just. And you literally run around the corner of the track and you run through and it's yeah, you feel like you you're going to be on the podium with your medal. It was just, it's, it's, it's brilliant. You get a lovely goodie bag and, um, there's a nice little race village just outside the stadium. There, uh, you pick up your goodie bag and everything else and you've got all the refreshments there and it's, it's just a really good facilities. And the best thing is, well, if you're traveling in by train, they provide a coach to take you from the stadium to the uh, back to the train station, and when you, and when you, and when you begin as well, you get the coach from the train station to the stadium. So they really look after you, they really look after the runners.
Speaker 1:It was a very popular event and it's one also that I'll be running in a few weeks time, but it's going to be at its more normal time of the year and this time, april 14th, as I say, it's normally held at this time of the year. But I say, because of COVID, everything was, you know, completely, you know, put out of sync and we were just lucky to be able to run in these and, you know, I was grateful that, you know that I could run it and because I didn't have anything else, but, uh, because my training had been okay, I could do this and it was going to be my, my final race of the year. But you know what a race to finish I mean to finish in a stadium like that, and you know, I was still in, drew free at this point, you know, considering what I had done during the year the highlight obviously being the race to the stone, to the ultra marathon, then doing the endure race for around six laps, that's, 30 miles beat the boat, which was a 10K, and all these races, considering COVID had disrupted so much, it wasn't such a bad year after all. Um, I was looking, I was looking forward to 2022 because, you know, there was a hope that you know things would get back to normal. I mean, we we never foresee things would get back to normal. Start pandemic, but you know the fact that we were running these races now, even be it social distancing.
Speaker 1:Then you know, there was light at the end of the tunnel and 2022, I had another ultra marathon planned as part of this ultra marathon race series race to the tower, which was um running towards a place called broadway tower, which is quite a tourist attraction over here in the uk, and this was going to be another tough race. Not quite as far. Well, I say not quite as far, I mean it's not 100 k or or or 60 miles, I think it worked at about 53 miles, so I say only 53 miles. It was still going to be a tough race and and this, this I'd booked in for uh 2022 and it's run about the same time in july, around the same time. In fact, there are four races in the series. You've got Race of the Stones, race of the Tower, race of the King and there's one other. I can't think of the other one, but there's basically four in the series. You run three of them and you always used to be able to get this hoodie once you run, a special hoodie when you run three of them.
Speaker 1:So you know, I was thinking at the time. I was thinking, no, this is it, I'm not going to be running anymore. But once you recover, like after you run American, you're thinking maybe I'll do another one. And obviously you know they were running different locations and they were in the most beautiful countryside and I foresaw that this race Race of the Tower would be another epic race and maybe I was slightly taking it for granted because it wasn't quite as far, but little did I know how tough it was going to be and I'm soon going to find out. When I did race it and I raced it, all right, but let's put it this way, it turned out a lot more difficult, uh, than I could ever foresee. Um, but anyway, I'll tell you more about that in the next episode of 30 years of running marathons, the. Thank you.