Rolling along the Weald

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places” – Ernest Hemingway

The High Weald as those who follow this blog may know was a race I found exceptionally challenging last year on the basis that it was for me, relatively flat. So when my former coach and race RD Stuart Mills offered me a free place on the Weald challenge I thought about it for a while before taking up the place. I also convinced Duncan to join me on this one.

It’s been a while since I blogged, and even longer since I raced – the last race being the Arc where my completion to my mind is best described as pyrrhic given what unfolded both during and post race. So to fill in on the intervening period; I have lugged a sore knee for a while, not running afterwards for almost a month. I restarted running and the pain was manageable but other issues seemed to crop as a result. I finally went to see the physio and had an ultrasound on the offending knee, I admit this scared me slightly to know the true state of my knees!  However, my knee is apparently in exceptional condition, so all of those S&C sessions actually do pay off I guess. What wasn’t great – although it is healing – was the fact that I have a Bakers cyst. This is apparently caused if not by osteoarthritis (which I am clear of) by twisting trauma, of which there was much in the latter stages of the Arc.

There’s a problem with ultra runners that we have this tendency to think it is either brave or noble to carry on regardless. I have learned after the past few months of injury, frustration and loss of condition – breaking below 8 min miles is painful and infrequent – that it is neither brave nor noble. My head said out at St. Ives but my heart said in, I should have listened to my head. I have spent a great deal of the past few months making peace with my decision, fully aware that it has probably done a number on all of my aspirations for the rest of my race season. Sometimes, you pay the piper. I also don’t wear my grit with any particular pride, gnawing the back of your hand and scoffing codeine in the hope that it will distract you from the problem pain (the former) or numb it (the latter) might be tough as old boots, but it is not smart! I’ll listen to my head in future; I’ve missed a lot of time on the trails, and races are a means not an end for me.

So it was on the 28th May we lined up on the start line of the Weald challenge. This was the first time since Langdale 2012 that we have run together, this is partly because we tend to run at different paces and partly because I like to run on my own during races, it’s a solo effort for me! However, running with Duncan was supposed to reign in my worst instincts – going off like a loon, and not injuring myself as it’s Cortina in a couple of weeks time. It actually did these things fairly well, although being in the crowds on narrow trails early on was somewhat maddening and for some reason really knocks my breathing out of sync.

The race went along the lines of how races usually go for me – feel nervous and fluttery in the first 6 miles, get on top of that and then after about 15 miles feel dreadful for the next 5-6 before actually finding my feet and feeling full of beans. This being Duncan’s second race over the marathon mark he did not share my 22 mile surge! It was an extremely hot day and I hadn’t had the best week to prepare beforehand – I was herping all week walking around 8 miles a day for the previous 5 days – so it was mentally quite rough for me as I was so tired and heat doesn’t sit well with me.

The Weald is a mix of trails and country lanes with lots of wheat fields to run through, woodlands and open heath where the temperature soared! It took us 6hrs 45min, which was slower than I had hoped but given the heat, my lack of training and the massive blisters which Duncan got it wasn’t too bad. We never really flagged in pace though – even picking up in the last few miles – and we managed to avoid any injuries which was the main aim. And of course, we added two lovely new mugs to our collection from last year! I survived the flat, although it hurt like hell in the places that never seem to get much action on the rolling coastal hills.

Next up; Cortina, I might not have made a great fist of mileage so far this year – I am only on 565miles, but what I have lacked in distance I have tried to make up for in hills, just shy of 100,000ft so far! Whatever happens I can’t wait to be in the Dolomites!!!!!