The Mods and Rockers Marathon was one of the first marathons I booked when I started on this journey. This was before I realised how rubbish lapped marathons are. February was a difficult month to fill, so I was chuffed when I discovered the Saxons, Vikings and Norman’s runners. They’re a group of running nutters based in the Kent area who put on an event pretty much every weekend. I did their Festive Frolic before Christmas last year. It’s basically a bunch of ultra runners and marathon runners, many of them 100 marathon club members. Today proved to me that it’s all the usual suspects who enter the races, lots of the same faces. So it’s quite a tight knit and supportive group, which makes the events more enjoyable, because they all seem to be multi lap events. Which for me is the only downside as I can’t see the point in running around in circles just to complete a marathon. That being said, today I started to see the appeal.

Today’s event was somewhat hampered by a large storm called Dennis. I had been watching the status of the IOW ferries to see if my 4:30 sailing would be cancelled. It was and I started to get cosy at home figuring I’d just go out on Sunday and run my own marathon, but a quick last minute check showed that the 4:30 was on and everything after was cancelled. So my plans of sitting in and watching ET were scuppered.

After a rather rocky sailing I then had the joy of a 3 hour drive in the howling wing and rain, followed by a cosy night in the van. Trouble is, the electric hook up at the site wasn’t working so my cosy night became a chilly night.

On arrival the following morning at Betteshanger Country Park for the marathon, I found a handful of people sat in a small shed looking a bit miserable. More people turned up, but not many, I would say a maximum of 30 people did this. At race brief we were told that the normal 6 lap trail route had been changed  to a 13 lap tarmac route around the park… great!

For the first half of the marathon we were bombarded by everything storm Dennis could throw at us. My idea of wearing an Elvis quiff was clearly not going to work in these conditions, it was really a case of just getting my head down and ploughing on. By lap 7 the wind had subsided a bit, but the rain was pretty relentless. I was soaked through and very cold. This is where the laps actually started to work for me, mentally. The thought of only being 14 miles in was quite disappointing, but I could handle the idea of the 6 laps left. It was easier to accept. So I focused on the laps and ignored the miles and was able to keep going at an ok pace to try and keep warm. I couldn’t see anything anymore as the rain had covered my glasses, so there was nothing visually to enjoy anyway.

Lap 13 couldn’t come quick enough. I was tempted to lie at lap 12 and say that was my last lap, but I felt ok, and couldn’t really see the point in doing that.

One thing about the SVN runners, they sure know how to make a good medal. This one was brilliant. I’d selected the rocker medal as it had skulls and flames on it! But along with that you also get a goody bag full of chocolate, nothing healthy, no crappy leaflets, just chocolate. Shame I don’t eat chocolate!

I finished this one in my usual hypothermic state, sat in the back of the van shivering. But I didn’t have long before I was back on the road for the 3 hour drive back to Southampton in the rain.

Another one down. It’s still not getting any easier. Next week looks like it’ll give the Portland Coastal a run for its money as the hardest one so far. The Lenham Cross trail marathon, 27.5 miles and over 4000 ft of climbing.  Can’t wait!

If you’d be interested in running any of the Saxons, Vikings and Normans events, take a look at saxon-shore.com

As a knee jerk reaction to my hatred of lapped marathons I decided that I needed to find something that wouldn’t be boring, that wouldn’t be flat and that would test me. Not sure why, but that’s how it went down and that is why I found myself entered in the Portland Coastal marathon. A few months ago, when I entered, it seemed like a good idea, but getting closer it started to fill me full of dread.

To use a quote from the write up on this race, ‘we won’t sugar coat this, it’s not for the feint hearted!’ This phrase had been ringing in my ears ever since I read it. But it also mentioned that there were wallabies at some point in the race. I’m not sure, but I think it was the wallabies that clinched it for me.

Nevertheless, Saturday afternoon I was on another 4:30 car ferry and heading to Portland. My bed for the night was the trusty camper, in a very windswept field somewhere in Weymouth. The rain and wind all night didn’t fill me full of hope for the conditions on the Sunday, but it actually turned out to be an ok day, bit overcast and cold, but what do you expect? It’s February.

The race start was at the Portland and Weymouth sailing academy. Famous for being the sailing venue for the 2012 olympics. I turned up in good time to get registered and take in the atmosphere. There was a race briefing that did nothing to quell my nerves and the irony was that having entered this race as a reaction to lapped marathons, turns out this was a lapped marathon! Well to be precise, 2 laps. I could cope with that.

The race started inside a big warehouse and led out through the surrounding marina. Not too far in the distance you could see a very big hill. This was referred to in the briefing as ‘heart attack hill’. We were less than a mile in when we started to climb that. Everyone walked up this beast, even on fresh legs it would be tough to run up, and very slippery. Once at the top, it wasn’t long before we were running around what appeared to be an old prison. Then before long we were on the nastiest of coastal trails. The path was made up of jutting rocks, all rutted and craggy, ready to trip you up or break an ankle. When people moan about the cobbles on that tiny portion of the London marathon, I’m going to laugh in there faces and tell then they know nothing! This path was so rutted and lumpy bumpy that it would be possible to hurt yourself at every turn. The race has a mandatory kit list, with things like a first aid kit, whistle and foil blanket. I could see now why this may be required.

When ever you follow the coast and in particular, the Jurassic coast, you can expect lots of ups and downs, each as hard as the next and perfect for draining every ounce of energy. One of the hardest things to get used to was just how slippery the trail was. Even in trail shoes I was like Bambi on ice. I had a few falls along the way, one in particular gave me quite a few scrapes. But I kind of liked the fact that I would cross the finish line bleeding and battered!

One of the highlights of the run was running around Portland Bill. All around this area was amazingly slippery, it was a real struggle to stay upright. The path was very close to the cliff edge, so very exposed and windy. To the left was a drop into the sea, to the right was a barbed wire and electric fence, in the middle was a slippery boggy track that wants to kill you!

Beyond Portland Bill you get back onto tarmac as you head back into Weymouth, quite a relief after that coastal path. But it’s short lived as it’s not long before we hit a lethal downhill section that is so steep and slippery, more so after all the previous runners have chopped it up. Slowly does it.

The final stretch into Weymouth and the turning point back at the sailing centre, is a long stretch of stony beach that goes on forever. By the turn point I was really feeling it and wishing this challenge was just half marathons. Now I had to go back and do that entire course again but the other way around. So all of those steep descents now became climbs only this time a lot worse because the trail was even more messed up and my legs were shot. That final lap was just a case of hanging in there. There were some steep steps that were ok going down, but going up was a killer. By the time I got to the final descent down heart attack hill my pace was little more than walking pace, but I didn’t care. Crossing the line was a huge relief, 2,467ft climb and another marathon completed felt like quite an achievement. All in all a great race, but I wouldn’t want to do it again. Good value for money as each runner not only gets a medal, they also receive a t shirt and buff thing to keep your neck warm. The organisation was great, the marshals were brilliant. The course was a killer …. oh and there were wallaby’s, what’s not to like?

If you’d be interested in running the Portland Coastal Marathon in the future, take a look at Bustin Skin Events.

As I write this it’s the following weekend and I should be doing another marathon, but I couldn’t find anything and as luck would have it we’re being hit by the biggest storm in ages, storm Ciara. All ferries are cancelled, so I think I dodged a bullet.

Next weekend is the Mods and Rockers Marathon!

Another early start to take part in the Darkstar River Marathon, 6 o’clock boat out of Fishbourne, followed by a quick dash to race start in Shoreham! I looked into camping sites to stay overnight but couldn’t find any and the hotels were either booked up or too expensive, so early start it is. Should be fine though as it’s a 90 minute ish drive and the race doesn’t start until 9.

Turns out I could have got the 7 o’clock boat. Got there super quick and had loads of waiting around to do.

Today was one of those dates that I found hard to fill, so when I found the Darkstar, I saw the word marathon and just hit enter without really looking into it! If I’d have read a bit more I would have seen that it was a 28.2 mile distance, so 2 miles more than a regular marathon! The notes for the race also came with a warning that this wasn’t an ordinary marathon. It sure wasn’t.

The start/race HQ, was a little scout hut in shoreham, on the mouth of the River Adur. I was quite early so there were very few runners, but it soon filled up and soon everyone was chatting and exchanging marathon stories. It was clear that a lot of these people were serious ultra marathon nuts, so I felt totally out of my league.

There was a quick race briefing before we were turfed out in to the cold to get started. My plan was to start slow and get slower!

As you would expect, the trail followed the river the entire route. After a bleak start, it brightened up a bit and I have to say it was quite a scenic route. I always enjoy the first half of the marathon and feel quite positive, but that soon starts to slide away and turns into despair. Multiple questions running through my mind, along the lines of, what the hell are you doing, just stop and find a pub. It’s hard not to stop when everything is telling you to give up.

The trail was pretty much all flat, but the ground was so boggy so it made for slow going and really sapped the legs of all energy. I’ve had a pain in my left ankle that won’t go away, and today i was really feeling it. Along the way, there were numerous gates and styles to negotiate, some of them really slippery to get over.

By about 12 miles we were on a cycle track which made it easier going, but it wasn’t long before the turn point and back towards the bog. By now I was done for, my pace had dropped considerably and I was just hanging in there. The wind was right into the face and we were very exposed. The cold was really starting to bite, even though I had several layers on. The last few miles were really hard and painful. It was a relief to see the mouth of the river in the distance. Bit more of a run/walk and I was back to race Hq. Massive curly medal hung around my neck, then it was off to the car to try to warm up. I’m quite accustomed to sitting there and shivering so much that my glasses fall off.

All in all though, it was a good event. Well organised. Very few marshals as the route was pretty fool proof. Couple of aid stations, stocked up with all sorts of goodies. There was rumour of free beer at the end, but I wasn’t up for that. Once I had warmed up a bit I was back on the road to see if I could catch an earlier ferry. I didn’t, but the time sat waiting was used to write up my race notes.

Next week is the Portland Coastal marathon, bit nervous about this as it sounds hard. Aren’t they all?

If you’d be interested in running the Darkstar River Marathon in the future, take a look at Sussex Trail Events.

This weekends stagger takes me all the way to Gloucester to take part in the Gloucester Marathon. When it comes to the marathons where I need to stay over the night before, I’m fairly non plussed about the prospect of leaving home, getting on a ferry for an hour, then driving to where I need to be. I tend to leave as late as possible on the Saturday, but during these winter months, driving in the dark is really no fun. I dare say this will get better as the longer warmer days draw in, but right now, sat on the ferry with the prospect of a 2.5 hour drive to stay at a campsite in Gloucester is really not filling me with joy. To top that, I’ve just read the race notes for this one and turns out it’s another one of those bloody lapped events, curses! I’m trying to avoid any more of these, perhaps I should have read more about it prior to entering. That being said, this was the only official marathon I could find, so I guess it will have to do. The joy meter for doing this challenge is at an all time low, I need to find a happy place soon as I’ve got an awful lot still to do!

On arrival at the camp site it was pitch black and a bit on the spooky side. Once set up I settled in for a cold night, convinced I’d booked in at Wolf Creek and that I would be murdered in my rock and roll bed!

I wasn’t. I survived the night, made a quick breakfast and got out of there pronto. The race start was 10 minutes away.

I know nothing of Gloucester, other than it’s near Wales. I really should do a bit of research before I turn up at these places. I’d heard it was quite pleasant scenery (it wasn’t).

On arrival at race HQ, I hung around in a sports hall until it was time to go to the start. The air was a heady aroma of ralgex and BO, lovely. But I was used to this by now. There was a lot of people doing this event, but there was also a half marathon and an ultra.

The race started at nine after a quick briefing that confirmed it was 3 miles to the loop, then 4 laps of 5.5 miles, then a last mile back to the finish. The first few miles were mainly around a housing estate and a business park, so it wasn’t the most inspirational course. Once on the lapped part, the business park continued until we broke out a bit into the surrounding country. The weather was perfect, bit cold, but a beautiful clear sunny day.

I was aware that a big chunk of the loop part seemed to be more up hill than the flat course that it was billed as. It was a steady incline that eventually evened out a bit as the course looped back around into the industrial estate and crossed a timing mat before you went round to do it again.

By the second lap the half marathoners were with us, all fresh legged and ready to go. Quite demoralising as they were passing. I started off probably too quick, keeping an 8:30 pace for the first half, but that soon dropped and by the last lap it was more like 9:30. The last mile back to the finish was no fun at all, but then it never is.

Relieved to finish. Not a bad marathon. Well organised, great marshalling, sign posting for mile markers. Aid stations for water and electrolytes every few miles. Then at finish you get a medal and t shirt. The price was a bit higher than most, but they said this was to do with road closures. The entire race was on road, so no need for trail shoes. I was amazed at how many people had these fancy new Nike running shoes that they’re trying to ban from elite runners. Apparently they cut your time by about 10 seconds per mile! Very expensive though and they look quite distinctive.

Next week is the Darkstar River Marathon! Perhaps I’ll actually look into this one a bit!

If you’d be interested in running the Gloucester Marathon in the future, take a look at gloucestermarathon.co.uk

To clarify, The South Wight Ballbreaker is not a real event. I just couldn’t find a marathon to run this weekend. Well, apart from another soul destroying lapped course, and I really don’t think I can stomach any more of those. One thing I’ve realised is, if you’re going to run as far as a marathon, you need to make sure the course is interesting. Going around in circles on a flat course may suit some people, but I’d rather punch myself in the face for a few hours than do that.

So, what do you do when you can’t find a marathon to run? You have a look at some maps and find your own marathon. And you rope a willing mate in to join you along the way for some moral support.

My friend Guy was resting up from his own running challenge of running every day over 2019, I knew he wouldn’t want to run so I suggested he could come along on a mountain bike as I was planning a cross country route. The Isle of Wight is full of running possibilities, interesting routes that are both challenging and beautiful, there’s way more scope than just the official Isle of Wight Marathon.

The route was fairly sketchy, starting at the White Mouse Inn in Chale and then running the coastal path to Freshwater Bay and up to the Tennyson monument. I’d figured this to be about 11 to 12 miles. From there I was either going to come back the way I came, or try a route across the downs to build in the extra miles, only problem with that is that I wasn’t sure of a route and it could potentially add more miles than needed. So I decided to just wing it and see what happened!

We set off from the White Mouse at about 9:45, crossing the Military Road and out along the coastal path. This path literally follows the cliff edge, at some points there’s not much path to run on, just the cliff edge. The wind was howling straight into us as we trekked along. I found it really hard going, but Guy was really struggling. Along with the wind, the path was really boggy so made for slow progress, especially on a bike. Apart from the strong wind, it was actually a lovely day, the sun was out and in the lulls between gusts of wind it was perfect.

The South Wight coast line is so beautiful, it’s a scene I could never tire of. It’s very rugged and in places the land is slipping away quite badly. There are also a few chines that needed some careful negotiating, especially with Guy’s bike. The first of these was Whale chine. It looked ok to cut through, but we would certainly get our feet wet. At the bottom there was a set of steps that have been washed away by a constant stream of water. It was tricky going and very slippery, but we did it and carried on.

Further on we had to pass through another chine at Grange Farm. This one wasn’t quite as tricky, but I managed to slip and went hurtling down the hill on my butt. From here I was covered in mud. There were other sections that were impassable, so we’d have to just go around, at some points going out along the military road. These extra diversions were adding extra distance, which I needed, so I didn’t mind.

By the time we got to Compton, Guy had to turn back, so I carried on along the coastal path into Freshwater. The hill leading up to Tennyson monument is a beast. I’ve run up it the other side, but never from Freshwater. Apart from being quite steep, it just keeps on going. You can see the monument in the distance, but it feels like you never get any closer! At one point a little black pug decided it liked the look of my leg and wrapped itself around it, it was quickly dragged away by it’s horrified owner, leaving me to continue. When I did make it to the top, the distance was pretty much spot on 13.1 miles, exactly half way, so it made sense to run back the way I came to get the full marathon.

Quick pit stop at the monument to take in the scenery, have a few pretzels and a glug of water, then it’s back down the big hill, avoiding all pugs and back along the coastal trail. My time was slow and by now my legs were feeling like lead. The last few miles of any marathon are always the tricky part and this one was no exception, I was struggling to keep running, all I wanted was to stop. These are familiar feelings now. They are not getting easier, if anything they’re harder. I don’t know if that’s down to not recovering properly from the last one, or just that I’m possibly a bit rubbish at running marathons?

So no official time or medal for this run, just the pleasure of having run such a nice course.

Next week I’m heading off to take part in the Gloucester Marathon.

It took me a while to figure out the relevance of the name Winter Enigma, other than the fact it’s run by a group called Enigma Running. Whilst driving towards Milton Keynes I realised how close the event was to Bletchley park and the penny dropped! It’s lucky they didn’t need to rely on me to break the Enigma code eh???

I’ve only ever been to Milton Keynes twice in my life before, and both times were to see foo fighters play at the bowl. This was always going to be a let down compared to those times.

I had booked myself into the cheapest hotel I could find, £29 for the night, thank you very much. It was ok, bit grubby and smelt of cigarettes but I don’t need anything fancy. I wouldn’t want to see the room illuminated by a black light though!!!

Woke up bleary eyed the following morning after getting no sleep (you get what you pay for) and started the familiar task of getting ready, kit on, porridge and banana eaten and out of the hotel by 8:15. Race start was at 9, but I was literally 5 minutes away. I’m getting pretty good at timing these things now.

The race HQ was at a place called the Caldecotte, an old windmill that is now a Premier inn, sat on the banks of the rather large Caldecotte lake. At registration there was a small group of runners awaiting the start. Quite a low key event, I think the maximum amount was 60 people. There does seem to be a definite type of person who enters these off season events. A lot of folks who are going for as many marathons as they can, a lot of ultra runners using it as a training run and a light salting of the dudes with their 100 marathon club vests. I had no idea how many 100 marathoners there were until I started this challenge. Before that I’d only ever seen the odd one at the bigger marathons that I’d done, they were like rare unicorns and I marvelled at their splendour as they ran past me adorned in the coverted vest. I too dreamt of one day wearing the sacred vest, but my meagre attempts brought me no closer to achieving the dream. That is until I started this 50/50 nonsense. Upon completion of this it makes it seem possible. But that is for another day, back to the task at hand.

The Winter Enigma is basically a looped course of 7.5 laps of the previously mention, very large, Caldecotte lake. The weather was fine, bit cold, but it is January. There was a small gazebo set up as aid station and checkpoint. The course was straightforward, just keep the lake on your right and keep running until you want to cry, then carry on! In case the route got confusing there were markings on the path made from flour!

I set off, still feeling a tad on the stiff side from the previous weeks Abominable Snowman. Luckily this was all flat, apart from the odd little undulation. With so few people running it didn’t take long to be on my own with only the ducks for company, oh and the constant nagging in my head to just stop and have a lie down! First few laps were ok, quite pleasant in fact. I kept a steady 9 minute mile and tried to keep in my mind what lap I was on. You’d think that at 49 being able to count to 7 would be a straightforward task, but apparently not. There’s something about running a marathon that turns your brain to shit and even the most basic of mental arithmetic is a challenge. Along the way I also try to work out my pacing so that I keep within the 9 minute mile. Embarrassing as it is I was never very good at times tables and the 9 times table was always a bit of a nemesis. I could do the 10 times table for as long as you like, but not so clever with the odd numbers. So as I’m running along I’m using the finger counting technique to see what I need to be at for the next mile. This was all fine up until labour 2.5 hrs and then all rational thought goes out of the window.

The last 3 laps were frankly horrible. I’d seen the same things over and over, it wasn’t scenic anymore, my legs were hurting, my back was hurting, heck everything hurt. I couldn’t count and all I wanted to do was stop. 2 laps left, sounds better, but still 8 miles. The slight undulations in the track were now mountains. I’d seen that bloody windmill so many times and I didn’t think it was pretty anymore. Last lap and I gave myself a good talking to, managed to pick it up a bit, I’d slipped right back to 10 minute mile stumble, but by this point I didn’t care, I just wanted to stop and the best way to do that was to go faster and finish the last few miles.

The finish couldn’t come fast enough. The site of the crappy gazebo as I turned the final corner was such a treat. I was handed a medal with a snowman on it and off I staggered back to the car to try and warm up a bit, oh and to have the customary vomit in a car park!

The real enigma was, what the hell am I doing? There was very little pleasure taken from doing this one. I vowed there and then to avoid lapped marathons at all cost. That being said, the winter months are hard to find marathons to do, but there are a few of these lapped things. They are soulless. Give me a good trail marathon any day. And to think, they were doing the same course the next day, only difference being that you ran it the other way round!!!

Next week I’m struggling to find anything in the marathon running calendar to fill the gap, so I may just have to make something up. Take a look.

If you’d be interested in running the Winter Enigma Marathon in the future, take a look at Enigma Running.

I had trouble finding a marathon to fill this weekends gap. Generally speaking, the winter months aren’t favoured for running marathons, plenty of shorter runs available, but marathons are thin on the ground. Most of January is currently empty, so I either use up buffer time that I’ve built in and not do any marathons, recover a bit, or I run solo without an organised event. Still not sure what to do. But back to this weekend’s trial.

As luck would have it, this weekend was the Abominable Snowman, organised by GP Sport. I’ve done this event a couple of times before and really enjoy it. It falls in that no mans land time period between Christmas and New Year, when you don’t know what day it is and you’re living on a diet of crisps and chocolate orange. So it comes as a nice break and a healthy respite.

Only problem is that it’s not a marathon, you choose to either run the 10 miler, or a 10km course. But I found that if I ran from my house to the event, that would be exactly 10 miles, so then I run the 10 mile course, followed by the 10km course (6.2 miles) and voila, I have myself a marathon, bit of a Frankenstein’s monster of a marathon, but a marathon just the same.

I contacted the organisers a few weeks before to ask if they’d allow me to do both and if I could start the 10 mile earlier to ensure I’m ready to start the 10 km with the rest of the field. I half expected a negative response, but instead they were very positive and happy to help in any way that they could, right down to delivering my race number so that I didn’t need to register on the day. I was pretty chuffed with this little plan when I came up with it, but then the reality of it started to sink in. The 2 times I’d done it before was only on the 10 km course and both times I’d found to be extremely challenging and was glad not to be doing the 10 miler. So this time, the thought of doing both, after running 10 miles there was rather daunting.

I set of at about 8:20 from home. The weather was fine, bit grey, but no rain and just a hint of a breeze, perfect. The route I’d worked out was all main road, quite undulating, but generally straightforward. I kept the pace steady to ensure I was as fresh as possible for the real challenge ahead. I’d agreed to get there at 10ish. The main race start for the 10 mile was at 11, so this would give me 2 hours to run the course before the 10km start at 12 noon.

By the time I got there people had already started to arrive and there was quite a mob hanging around at the registration area. I carried on running through until I saw the organiser. He gave me a very quick briefing on the route and then set me on my way. It was strange to be running completely on my own, but nice because the track wasn’t churned up yet.

Almost immediately the course headed up, and kept going up to the top of the downs! The view up top was stunning, the Isle of Wight really does offer some amazing landscape when you get out into the countryside. The course was different from the previous years. The beastie hill that would normally be at the end came in about 2 miles in. It really is a killer, you can’t run, you’re lucky if you can manage a slow walk, it’s generally a crawl, Beachy Head Marathon eat your heart out, this is a proper hill! With the severe up hills there are also the extreme downhill sections. Whilst running the 10 mile course these were ok as they hadn’t been made slippery by all the other runners yet, but come the 10 km lap, they would be evil.

At one point I lost the track, took a wrong turn and ended up of course. I had to check the map to make sure I was headed in the right direction. It wasn’t long before I eventually came across the course again. But then I found a couple setting up an aid station and signs that pointed one way for the 10 mile and another for the 10 km. by this point though I was not far from finishing 10 miles so I made the decision to head right for the 10km and finish direction as I didn’t want to add on extra distance at this point.

Another beast of a hill that requires digging deep to get up. But at the top of this I could see where I was and realised that because of the earlier mistake, I would fall slightly short. I needed to be at 20 miles when I started the last lap. I could see the finish in the distance and knew I had to make up about a mile. So I ran a couple of times around a field that included a big hill called ‘piggin hill’. This did the job. So then I continued to the finish, to start the 10km lap. I’d managed to time it perfectly to join the 10km mass just as it started. All these fresh faced, giggling and laughing poor sods who had no idea what was in store. I was suffering and my pace was very slow. They probably thought I was just really crap and unfit. My key aim was that no matter what, I didn’t want to come in last!

This time around the track was much more boggy and very slippery. At points people were sliding down hills on their bums. My legs were burning, so the up hill segments killed, but the downhill were probably worse. I saw where I’d made my mistake the first time around. Much easier when there are marshals to point the way.

The finish couldn’t come quick enough. By now I’d been running for over 5 hours and the cold was kicking in. A massive relief to see Caroline at the end. I was handed a bottle of the specially brewed ale, sat on a hay bale and I was done.

Another one down, next week takes me up to Milton Keynes for the Winter Enigma. Sadly this is another lapped route. But I guess it’ll be flat.

If you’d be interested in running the Abominable Snowman in the future, take a look at GP Sports.

Last week’s Festive Frolic had left me somewhat broken, so the thought of another marathon a week later, running on tired legs, didn’t fill me full of joy. On the upside, I only needed to go to Portsmouth. But I had to get a 6 am ferry.

The marathon start was at the Pyramids in Southsea, last time I was there was to see Adam Ant play. This morning was quite different. Full of people in running gear and the strong smell of deep heat, mixed with a faint smell of the toilets.

There was only two cubicles in the men’s loos, and the queue was massive. On first attempt I made it to the front of the queue only to find I couldn’t go, too much pressure. There was quite a bit of time before the race started so I went outside to see if I could find more loos where the pressure was less intense. I did find a public loo, but it was locked, so I headed back. The walk had loosened things up, so I figured I’d try again, but by now the queue was seriously long.

So, after a rather long wait and another less than successful attempt (much more pressure than the first time), it was about time to hand my bag in and venture out to where the race start was. Typically there was a whole row of portaloos that weren’t being used!

But enough about toilets, the race started at 8:30, the weather was nice, a proper crisp sunny winter day. Windy, but it was behind us to begin with at least. There was a good turnout for the run, I’d guess at 1000 runners. So it was fairly congested as we headed off along Southsea sea front, but it was a jolly atmosphere. The route was pretty flat and straightforward. A simple out and back route, to Hayling Island along coastal paths. Most of the route was fairly dry, but there was a good portion of waterlogged, boggy path, making it slippery under foot. I have developed a horrible pain in my left ankle that I can only describe as feeling broken, but not all the time. However if I tread awkwardly it sends a shooting pain right up my leg. I’m then left limping along until it eases a bit.

Once we turned around to return to the finish in Southsea, the full brunt of the wind became clear and became quite draining. At mile 24 we were treated to a section of the run, across a stretch of boggy beach, as if my legs needed more draining.

The last couple of miles were the usual hell, regardless of how flat the route was, I had nothing left. The head on wind didn’t help at all, but I dare say without that, my performance would be a bit lack lustre. I fear the days of the sub 4 hour marathon are well and truly behind me.

I was I’ll again shortly after finishing. The cold seems to really get me after I finish so I’m generally a shivering mess and do tend to be physically sick!

Nevertheless, another one is ticked off and now I need to enjoy Christmas and lick my wounds until next weeks self imposed torture. I’m genuinely worried about the next one. The Abominable Snowman, with my own twist!

If you’d be interested in running the Portsmouth Coastal Marathon in the future, take a look at Believe and Achieve.

This weekends marathon adventure took me down to Dover to Run in the shadow of the white cliffs.

I drove down to Dover on the Saturday afternoon, quite a drive. Couldn’t find a campsite to pitch up in so stayed at a Travelodge instead.

The following morning I had a short drive to a place called Samphire Hoe, a nature reserve on the Dover coast. Here I found a jolly band of runners called Saxons, vikings and Normans. They organise quite a few running events throughout the year and appear to have a loyal following. I was amazed at the amount of runners who had completed over 100 marathons, one guy was competing in his 1000th marathon! I find that hard to comprehend. So my little 50 marathon challenge wasn’t anything to brag about.

After race brief we set out across Samphire hoe to run 8 laps of a 3.28 mile loop. To begin with the weather was fine, cold, but ok, but after a couple of laps the wind started to increase, followed by an icy rain. There were parts of the route where the wind was behind and others where it was full on in the face, but it was freezing at all times. For a short route it had some interesting hills that got harder and harder.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I really don’t like lapped marathons. I find them much harder than a full loop or an out and back course. They’re mentally harder because you go past the finish line several times. Throughout the course of a marathon I always go through the mental torture of just wanting to stop, and it’s so tempting when you’re doing laps, especially in conditions like that.

My ankles are sore right from the start now so I need to keep my mind off of the discomfort. Also my water pack appears to be leaking so my back gets wet and very cold. By the end I was a shivering jibbering wreck just sat in my van under a blanket trying to get warm.

I thought the camaraderie shown by the other runners was brilliant, and the organisation was superb, there wasn’t really any marshals other than people clipping a ticket when you completed a lap, but everyone involved seemed very jolly. The aid station was stocked with all sorts of goodies, mainly chocolate. At the end you get a great medal and goody bag full of stuff to eat, none of it healthy.

I’ve booked in for another of their events next year called the mods and rockers marathon, so that will be something to look forward to.

If you’d be interested in running any of the Saxons, Vikings and Normans events, take a look at saxon-shore.com

The Salisbury Plain Marathon takes me to double figures!!! Believe me, that feels like a milestone in this challenge. I’m finding it a lot harder than I thought I would so am happy to take any nugget of positivity.

A 5am start for this one to avoid an overnight stay. On the 6am ferry out of East Cowes, then an hour drive to somewhere near Salisbury. The meeting point was in a place called Tidworth, but essentially it was in the middle of nowhere. That being said plenty of people were pulling into the car park and there was a nice pre race atmosphere. It was a fully booked up run so there were quite a lot of people, but there was also a half marathon distance so not sure how many people took part in the full marathon distance.

After a very brief briefing, the marathon runners were led to the start and set on there way in the dot of 9. From the moment I started running I was uncomfortable, my legs were aching, especially around the ankle areas. I did do a little recovery run earlier in the week so maybe that left me with a bit of tightness, but to be honest, I think the marathon a week regime is beginning to take its toll.

Nevertheless I plodded on across Salisbury plain. The weather was good, cold to start but it soon warmed up and the sun came out, plus there was only a slight breeze. It could have been different, wet and windy. That would have made it a totally different experience. I imagine on days when the weather is less than favourable, Salisbury plain is a bleak place to be.

Salisbury plain is used by the MOD for military training so there were caution signs everywhere and the constant sound of gunfire and tank cannons going off, which made for an unnerving atmosphere.

The terrain was mostly rough flint/chalk paths. These are always quite hard going under foot, leaving your feet a bit bruised and battered. There was plenty of muddy track and hills were a common feature. I’m beginning to realise I prefer the trail type of marathon to the road ones. It’s far more interesting running on varied terrain and surrounding countryside. It’s physically harder, but far more enjoyable.

The markings were few and far between, plus there were no mile markers, making it difficult to know where you were and at what distance. But in some ways this was nicer. I checked in on my Runkeeper app from time to time, but otherwise it was nice not knowing. Near the end I checked and had gone beyond the 26.2 miles, and was still running, so I think this was more like a 27 miler.

Coming into the finish is always a treat. You go so far just wanting it all to be done with and for the pain to stop, so when you finally do see the finish line it’s always a massive relief. I actually felt ok this time. Normally I feel quite nauseous and have been getting used to being sick, but this time was fine. I didn’t have any gels of sugary sweets so maybe this made the difference? I’ll try this method at next weeks run and see how it goes.

Next week is back to the Christmas theme with the SVN Festive Frolic.

If you’d be interested in running the Salisbury Plain Marathon in the future, take a look at Andover Trail Runners.