Tag: Daft

Steyning Stinger Marath..ahem…Half-Marathon – Race Retrospective – 3rd March 2019

Stormy Shenanigans over the South Downs

Ok. It’s been a while since the 3rd March 2019! I must admit to being a little tardy with my reports. But with this race looming again on our schedule, I thought it would be a good idea to cover what happened previously in more detail. So to cover my lateness, I thought I’d title this update with “race retrospective”.

The first time I ran this race was in 2014 and, as my first trail marathon, has stuck in the mind ever since. I distinctly recall the pleasant surprise of the first food stops, laden down with various sweets and biscuits (you don’t really get those in road marathons!). The crazy hills, or “stings”, which at that point I hadn’t really encountered with such frequency, being from Essex. A relaxed and staggered start at your convenience and a cooked breakfast at the finish. It also had one of the quirkier medals I’ve seen, featuring a scorpion, a hill and some trees. I can’t forget the characters we met either, including one runner who decided to deal with some of the muddiest terrain I’ve encountered by running the whole thing in sandles!

So all in all, I remembered the Steyning Stinger as a great race and it was now time to return. There was just one potential problem…Storm Gareth! We’d heard some mutterings in the news about a potential storm coming, but paid it no mind. Then when it came to actually getting there – it’s an early start – the weather was pretty dire and we gradually became aware of how tough this was going to be.

It initially started out ok, with much of the initial race gradually ascending to the top of the South Downs over three steep climbs.

One of the stings….although it was relatively sheltered from the wind thankfully

However, as soon as we crested the top of the hills, it became clear how strong the winds were. Despite being pretty well insulated against the weather, the rain still stabbed like needles and it was hard to stay on the trail as we were buffeted around so much. You could barely see more than a few metres in front of you and the brave Marshalls had to take cover in vehicles at the more exposed parts of the course. At some points it was difficult to keep running, although a steep turn on the course sometimes resulted in a welcome boost from the wind.

Looking at some of the race photos, I decided to add the only one where I’m actually smiling. While I definitely wasn’t smiling inside, I was still glad to get out of the wind! Check out the hazy background and the mud. It was around this point we decided that the weather was a bit too extreme considering our fitness levels. We’ve done more than our fair share of tortuously long races over tough terrain, but it seemed silly to continue and hats off to those that finished the whole marathon. The wind wasn’t the only hazard with the final long descent having morphed into one long mud slide during which I had very little control. I’m very surprised I didn’t stack it! I probably did, but have likely blocked it from my memory.

Finally we finished and I staggered over the finish line to gratefully take cover in a solid stone building and enjoy a well earned breakfast. We’d covered a half-marathon and 457 metres of ascent in ridiculous conditions. However, I’ve retained a nagging feeling since then that we had some unfinished business.

So now we’re returning on the 1st March 2020, hopefully sans storm or anyone called Gareth, and fingers crossed this time we can succeed where we previously failed. You’ll probably find out next year though!

Cold Christmas 50k – 26th January 2020

Warming ourselves up after a (kind of) Cold Christmas?

This was a fun race! It was our first attempt at self-navigation and running at the same time, which could have ended very badly… Thankfully we only got a bit lost now and then, but this generally happens when races are clearly marked!

It was an early wake-up call for Sunday morning with registration opening at 6.15am at High Easter in Essex. A point-to-point race, the start line was actually in Hertfordshire at a lovely little village called Cold Christmas, which we were bussed to en mass at 7am. Our metaphorical journey over the course of the day, from winter to spring, would also mark our quick progression from 5k runners to elite ultra-marathon runners! Not bad for January. The race title itself had initially stood out as a bit of an oddity when we booked and we only realised what it meant when we overheard a conversation on the bus! It’s actually a neat idea.

This race was a great example of a local running club putting on something really interesting. The route was mostly off-road, using bridleways and various parks, with three checkpoints staffed by some very helpful volunteers. We were lucky with the weather in the end and it didn’t rain until we finished, but warm cups of tea at the checkpoints definitely helped keep morale up as it was still cold.

The narrative instructions made for an interesting challenge; especially when the brain stopped working later on. In general they were very good and appropriately descriptive, but there were some moments where the acronyms blurred and brain fade occurred. I’ll be honest and admit I had to re-read certain sections multiple times! Thankfully my running buddy was better able to run and read and I was generally only called upon when in dire straits.

It also provided a great challenge in terms of elevation. Nearly 450 metres is certainly not to be sniffed at. Especially with the race mostly occurring in Essex of all places! I’ve generally struggled to find some good hills to train on so it does come as a surprise to find a race profile like this. Although over 50km the regular ups and downs do add up, so there wasn’t necessarily a small number of massive hills out there. The terrain itself was extremely muddy, which matches anecdotal tales I’ve heard from other runners competing in similar trail runs in the area. Pack your grippy trail shoes! You have been warned.

Often after races like this, certain things stick in the mind. A picture or image of a moment that stays long after any muscular pain or weariness has disappeared. A derelict and haunted church just outside Cold Christmas, a wheezing pug barking at interlopers, amused golfers pointing dazed runners to the right path and curious Henry Moore sculptures littering the landscape. I definitely have some happy memories and a good training race under the belt to take into the rest of 2020.