After doing something unpleasant to my right calf at the Ilkeston BDL, it was with more than the usual pre-race trepidation that I waited, along with Jo Potter and Ed Godber, for the starter’s horn.
Happiest running on days that fall between 7 and 10 degrees C, the expected temperatures reaching the early 20s was another factor playing heavily on my mind – so was carrying all the gels and 1.5l of fluids to see me through.
I’d decided that despite all my training runs averaging around 8:30 per mile, over distances up to 22.2 miles, I’d be fine if I could just stick to 9 minute miles to compensate for the calf and heat, and still come in under my dream 4 hour goal.
The first three miles were simply lovely, running with Jo, in plenty of shaded bits and passing small huddles of supporters on the trail. Even the remainder of the 6.5 mile gentle uphill start were fine – chatting with other runners, hearing stories of previous races and enjoying the cheers and well wishes of more supporters.
My heart sank a little when I saw runners in the distance having to go beyond Parsley Hay cafe and a few hundred yards to the switchback point, but my lovely husband had surprised me by turning up at the junction of the trails to cheer and take pictures of us all, which really helped steel me for that small blip.
There is little shade in the whole section from mile 7 to mile 24 and, on a day as relentlessly sunny and hot as this one, it was going to be tougher than normal to force mind over matter on the sweeping open stretches.
At mile 21.75 and averaging 08:58 per mile, I just decided to give myself permission to stop and brisk-walk it to the upcoming tunnel.
That revived me, but afterwards I noticed the odd twinge in each calf. I’d been hydrating every mile, and had taken on gels regularly since mile 9 so tried to convince myself it was just the heat and tried drinking a little extra.
I was still on track at Middleton Top and I knew I had tough but welcome downhills coming and plenty of shade (finally!) coming up around Black Rocks.
The Middleton Top incline was hard going – an inspirational chat with a fellow runner really helped me focus but then bam, my calf twanged again and I had to let him go ahead whilst I focussed and drank a little more. I think I made it to Black Rocks without much walking, I don’t honestly remember.
Black Rocks shade was unbelievably wonderful. Black Rocks incline was mad. There was a short diversion on the course because of a landslide. For me this was possibly my ruin as the diversion took us off the trail and over 200m of uneven, rocky woodland terrain, with some slippy mud and plenty of irregular footwork needed – sadly I’m a bit rubbish off-road so this rocked my confidence and my stride.
Towards the bottom of Black Rocks incline just before the final flat stretch to the finish, as I came to mile 25, ouch! – my left foot cramped then OUCH! my right calf turned into solid pain. It hurt like crazy and I couldn’t get my heel to the floor, my leg had gone solid. That was my race effectively over, and I was pretty confident I’d lost all hope of my 4-hour target.
The final mile was a mixture of emotions. I was frightened I wouldn’t make it, yet desperate to keep trying. Every 150-200m my right calf went into spasm and stopped me in my tracks, forcing me to walk-stretch for 20 paces or more.
In genuine fear of having to walk over the finish line with the increasingly frequent spasms, I gave myself a final talking to (out loud) and clawed my fingers with concentration and forced myself over the line, straight into a very tearful hug from my fab Alex.
My official time 4:00:55.
My first words at the end “Never again. Never ever ever.”
My second words?
“Well…. maybe a winter one…..”