Top bombin’
Great run, Tunster!
Well done, T
So quick race report
Stayed at what felt like Fawlty Towers in Worthing. Rubbish nights sleep due to pre-race usual nerves, people smoking/vaping by the front door to the hotel and talking loudly until all hours. Awoken by seagulls at 5am. Don’t know how you folks by the sea put up with the noisy buggers.
Centurion put on their usual excellent race - fantastic support/aid stations and the scenery was just stunning
The first 10km is the climb out of Worthing up to the South Downs Way to Chactonbury Ring. Felt really good to the first aid station and felt that maybe if I could hold that pace I could be on for 10 hours or maybe just under
However it wasn’t long until the day started to get really warm, my lack of consistent training over the last 6 weeks plus two bouts of the lurgy began to take their toll.
A really long gap between aid stations between Saddlescombe Farm and Housedean Farm - 10 miles was really hard and ran out of liquids well before reaching the aid station.
Heading towards the end of the race it was good to be able to count down the aid stations left - a big climb after each one followed by long downhills. Only 4 miles between the last 2 aid stations so blasted through the last one without stopping and picked up quite a few places there.
From the trig point above Jevington it’s downhill all the way/flat. I knew that 11 hours would be tight but wanted it so pushed really hard the last 3 km (5:15m/km feels really hard after 77kms) and full on sprint round the track to get 10:59:15.
All things considered, a grand day out.
Learnings: drink more - despite smashing 2 bottles between each aid station I was still massively dehydrated- didn’t pee from 8am to 8pm. More carbs.
Speaking of which, celebrated in traditional fashion with a Dominoes delivery to the hotel in Brighton (who gave me a complimentary upgrade - very nice it was too
Fantastic effort mate, you should be very proud
I remember James advising on the webinar saying that a spare bottle might be needed for that long section.
On paper it doesn’t look that long but with hills and heat, distance is irrelevant because it’s such a long time I guess?
One of the reasons I booked PI at Littlehanpton was because if the parking and it would have been away from the coastal/ holiday mob.
You must have built some serious confidence for SDW100 there?
Cheers mate
Another bottle would be a good shout for the main event in June for sure
Nice to see the parts of the route in daylight which I usually hit in the dark on the SDW100
3 weeks to Thames Path 100 with @p00key - prepare for further dot watching
That descent from the last trig point ain’t easy running!
Great that mentally you were still strong at the end & your body responded! It does bode well for the upcoming 100s!
Excellent report, congratulations
Official results out
428 started
365 finished
I came 212th
I will take that - usual middle of the field
Very nice. Bloody hell that’s a lot folks that DNS. I think the entry list was 652!
Suspect that was only 450 signed up - the numbering was a bit funny
oh i see.
Maybe should go in the piranha thread
I never came across any during Western States although @p00key will be the expert at this time of year
I think you’re not supposed to put it on your arse.
@jeffb your going out for Canyons - nice , I have unfinished business - but yes do look out for it - I know a few people who succumbed to it last year.
Ta, I’m only doing the parkrun equivalent though
I think they’ve been trimming some foliage away and I’ll have my calf guards on for a bit of protection.
The 100k route looks a lot better but the really long version just seems to run round in circles to make up the distance.
I look forward to a very detailed report @jeffb
Pencilled in as a future option
Not next year as we are all doing Tenerife Blue Trail??
Thats not a bad idea about doing a shorter version . Was just bad luck for me getting ill the week before followed by a couple of bad months . Are you staying in Auburn ? not much there but some history about Western States ( when I went to register they had these hats insisting they were the endurance capital of the world - I think Chaminox is far superior tbh) and a gold mine museum ( not very big but they are proud of it)
I also have a matching mug