Now we're off an running there's no stopping me, Audax last weekend and an organised running event this weekend. It's as if there's 6 months of doing nothing to get out of my system, or maybe it's more a case of "there's always 2 busses come along at once" or whatever the saying is. Saturday morning saw me stood on the start line of "The North Downs Ridge 50Km Ultra Marathon". Billed as a cheeky little jaunt along the North Downs Way, starting from Denbies Vinyard near Dorking and following the high ground of the North Downs Way towards Guildford. Before retracing your steps for a loop around Norbury Park (just to add a few more miles and bump the climbing up a bit). 50 Km of off road trail running fun with a total of 2986ft of ascent, although having run it I'm not sure if there's the same amount of descent, or if they jack the finish line up while your out on the course! As with last weekends Audax , the organisers have put a lot of thought and effort into ensuring everyone's safety and maintaining social distancing. Instructions were sent out in the preceding week, giving specific arrival, registration and start times, depending on predicted finishing times, and instead of a mass start, participants were set of at 30 second intervals. Face masks were mandatory at checkpoints, aid stations and the start and finish lines, and participants encouraged not to loiter or group up. In my humble opinion this worked a treat and everyone I saw was playing fairly by the rules, which is encouraging as we go forward. Anyhow, enough about the admin, what about the running I hear you saying, so without further ado, here we go. Being the sensible chap that I am, I'd taken the van down on Friday night to avoid an early start, and with my registration time not until 08:15 I'd had a nice lay in and an extra cup of tea, before making my way leisurely to the start. A few minutes to collect my number and pin it carefully onto my shorts, you don't want to rush this as a stray safety pin down that way doesn't bear thinking about, a final kit check, and I was stood, ready for the off, on a beautiful, sunny and warm morning, by 08:45. A quick chat with the marshal allocated to setting people off with the correct time gaps, and on his nod I was away. It's straight up hill from the start at Denbies Vinyard as you climb from the A24 gap up onto the North Downs Ridge. A fair old climb it is too, especially on cold legs (that will teach me not to warm up properly), but it's certainly well worth it. As you slowly gain height, so the views back over Dorking and the surrounding countryside open up, more than making up for the effort of the climb. Reaching the top at Ranmore Common things flatten out a bit and there's a chance to catch your breath, before the trail diverts off into the woods. With the occasional view through the trees of the countryside far below, the sun breaking through the still bare trees, casting dappled shadows across the clearings, the woods carpeted in Bluebells, and my feet starting to eat up the miles it was some magical running. The first checkpoint at the 7.5 mile mark soon came and went and it wasn't long before the trail spits you out to cross the A25 at Newlands Corner. Across the road on the marshaller's say so, and onwards across Albury Downs heading towards St Marthas Church. There's a few miles of downhill here, which brings with it a nice change of muscles. But it's not long before it's back up hill and along with the change of gradient a change of surface. Gone are the dried mud tracks of the high downs to be replaced with the loose sand that gives the other long distance path in this part of the world it's name (Greensand Way) It's hard work, running on the loose sand, but as St Marthas Church comes and goes it's only another mile or so to the next checkpoint and the turnaround point. 12 or so miles completed, and I'm soon heading the other way, back along the North Downs Way and back towards the start. As the miles add up so I can feel my belly starting to rumble, reminding me that it's been a while since breakfast. Making the most of the next uphill section, I slow to a fast walk for the first time since setting off and grab a chocolate spread butty and bit of fruit cake from my running vest. It's not as good as a Hot Cross Bun or Marmalade sandwich, but comes a close second and as a burst of instant energy, combined with a few carbs, takes some beating. With plenty of slower runners ahead there's plenty to occupy my mind as I retrace my steps. Catch a glimpse of someone ahead through the trees and slowly start to reel them in, a few quick words as you fall in behind, go past and move ahead, and then start eying up the next victim. This is better than running alone after all those months, a bit of company and someone to talk too, even if it's only for a few seconds, it's better than nothing! 3:50 sees the 4th checkpoint, the Marathon mark, the turn off from the North Downs Way onto the finishing loop around Norbury Park and a return to some sharp uphill running. Certainly not what I need with 26 miles already in my legs! I'm on the finishing straight now though, only another 5 miles to go! Reduced to a walk by the incline, I take the time to chat briefly to the person I've just caught, whilst trying to simultaneously get my breath and eat a chocolate bar. Possibly not the best combination of things to be doing and I get the feeling that he thinks I'm a raving lunatic as I struggle to breath, eat and talk at the same time. We've all been here though and at least I'm not dribbling or choking, and as the gradient levels off a bit I push on, leaving him slowly behind as we continue uphill. By the time 29 miles ticks around I'm starting to wonder if we're ever going to stop climbing and if I'm ever going to reach the finish. A short descent back to the road at Westhumble and the smiling face of a marshal. That's a good sign, at least I'm still on the right path. I'm not smiling 2 seconds later though, as he indicates that I need to go right, I round the corner to see the road going vertically up once again! Argggh. Oh well, a quick bit of banter with the lovely man that's taken the time out of his Saturday to supervise mine and up I go. A few minutes later and I pop out of a little alleyway to see the finish line. Might as well put on a bit of a burst for the line then, there's no point finishing with anything left to give. With 31 miles done it's hardly an impressive sprint for the line though and I finally meander across in 4:35 for 21st place from the 279 starters (7th in my age category). (Results) I'd set off hoping to get back in under 5 hours, so I'm more than happy with 4:35. More to the point though, it was a lovely route, with a good combination of hills, runnable woodland sections, outstanding views and a friendly atmosphere. The entire event was well managed, in a Covid safe way, with excellent communication from the organisers from the off, leaving you in no doubt what to expect on the day, or what was expected of you as a participant. As far as I'm concerned I couldn't have had a better return to the world of organised running. The sun shone, I seemed to get my strategy and pacing spot on on the day (which is unusual) and I had a brilliant day out. Bring on the next one is all I can add to that! I'd ummed and arrrred all week about my plans for the rest of the weekend. The weather didn't look too brilliant with showers forecast, and depending on how Saturdays run went I'd either be full of beans or hobbling about like a wounded soldier by Saturday evening. In the end I decided to cover all the bases by loading the van up with just about everything I own, including my bike and walking gear and telling "The Emma" that I'd be back at some point over the weekend. I'm good like that, and if you haven't already gathered "The Emma's" pretty relaxed about my adventuring and need to be outside too. I think really that she just likes me out of the way so she can kill zombies, or whatever she does on the X Box, and wander about naked, eating cereals out of the box and drinking milk out of the carton, without me moaning. But, I'm always grateful that she puts up with me and doesn't have a problem with me doing whatever I want (that works both ways mind). As we've already seen, Saturdays run went too plan, and the forecast rain never really materialised (ok we had a few brief showers in the late afternoon), but with the outlook looking fine I eventually decided to stay in the local area and get out on my bike for a few hilly miles on Sunday morning (it seemed a shame to waste a journey just for the run). And so it was then, that I was up and ready to go with my cycling gear on, after a good nights sleep, with the sun trying to break through the low laying cloud at early O'clock, thinking what the hell am I doing, my legs still hurt from yesterday! "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" though (allegedly) and with the van parked in Shere, there's only one way to go, and that's upwards! If there's one thing that the Surrey Hills are it's hilly, and Shere and the surrounding villages are at the bottom of the hills in every direction. I've mentioned before that there's some lovely cycling in this part of the world and my plans for today were to do a few miles on the route I last did in July 2020, knowing full well that I'd be coming back past the van at the 40 mile point which seemed about right considering how my legs felt! It's straight into the climbing, with a long old slog from Shere back up to Ranmore Common before dropping down into Dorking too cross the A24 and climb back up to Box Hill on the other side. Box Hill seems to have been made famous by the 2012 Olympics where it was used as part of the cycling road race and The Knacker Cracker. OK, maybe The Knacker Crackers not the main reason, but in my opinion it should be, as the legendary "Zig Zag" road to the top certainly doesn't live up to it's reputation as a difficult cycling climb. I'd guess that it's long slow ascent, up a very alpine looking road with a few switchbacks and the fact that is isn't actually that steep, which makes it achievable for just about anyone, has helped, and on this Sunday morning it was packed with cyclists making their way to the café at the top. No stopping for me today though, I don't even drink coffee, so it's straight through and back down the other side, back into Dorking. After Dorking normal service resumes and the climbing's a bit steeper. Two ascents of Leith Hill from different directions, gives my legs something to think about (that will learn them) and then it's off towards White Down Lane. Straight over the A25 again and it's upwards, this is more like it, this ones properly steep, but I'm going well all things considered. Going well that is until someone in a big Audi decides that they can't wait 2 seconds, forces their way past and then instantly has to stop for a car coming the other way! Once I've been forced to a stop behind them it's far too steep to get going again, and despite having to walk for a bit until the gradient levels out enough to get going again safely, I'm still sat on their bumper all the way to the top and held back on the next descent. Oh well, obviously it's so much faster by car, and I'm so glad you had to be in front! A few more descents, a few more less challenging climbs and I'm heading back towards Shere and the chance of a brew and lunch. I briefly considered pushing on and putting a few more miles into my legs, but I'm hungry and with 40 hilly miles on top of yesterdays run, valiantly decide to call it a day. Not a bad morning out then, and the rain held off, which is always a good thing. Back at the van, I spent the afternoon mooching around, sat in the sun and did a bit of reading, had a wander through the woods at Hurtwood, spent some time admiring the views back toward the far off sea and generally chilled out. This is why I spent all those cold, wet weekends back in the winter of 2019 building the van. Freedom, peace, tranquillity and the opportunity to get away and have some fun! Whilst I was out and about at the weekend I spotted the little bits below too. Neither of them really fit in anywhere else but both caught my imagination and I think are worth sharing.
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Paul PerrattOld enough to know better, young enough to still feel invincible, stupid enough to keep on trying the same thing again and again. Cyclist, Gardener, Runner, Hiker, Cook, Woodworker, Engineer, Jack of all trades and master of none, Anti social old git and all round miserable bugger. Archives
March 2024
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