I left my wallet in Bancyfelin

     I was staying with my Uncle and Auntie in Bancyfelin. Where? About 5 miles from Carmarthen in South west Wales. I spent a lot of my school holidays in Carmarthen as a kid and I still loved it as an adult but most of the time was spent in the pubs with my dad to be honest. I managed a hungover parkrun at Llyn Llech Owain country park near Crosshands in Gorslas but that was it all weekend. By the time Monday came I was keen to go for a run.
     With some help from my Auntie Christine, a 5 mile route was mapped out. It was flawless, only an idiot could get lost. I was to run and do a loop of a place near where my Dad grew up on a farm. This place is called Llangynog.

        I decided to take my rucksack with a spare t-shirt, some gloves, my camera and phone just in case I got lost. I had studied the route a few times and then without breakfast, I avidly headed out the door in minus 2 conditions wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
I ran down the driveway and jumped over a few patches of visible ice and then left onto the main road towards Carmarthen along the A40. No pavements, just road but no traffic either, so all was good. My Garmin was going a bit weird. I thought it might be set in kilometres but it wasn't and later when I checked the splits, it stated that I had run my first mile in 4 minutes and 47 seconds. Not a bad start!

     I took the first turning right and ran under a bridge and then my Auntie said it would climb. And did it climb! Have I gone the right way? Then the doubts are put aside when I see a sign for Llangnog. I'm quite high up now so I decided to stop and take a couple of pics. I was running pretty well with some nice sub 8's.

       Okay, I had come to my righthand turn to take me back in Bancyfelin but I was enjoying this run too much. Just a couple more miles would be nice. Let's make it a 7 miler I thought. I ran straight on and into Llangynog. I passed a few houses, a phone box and an xmas tree and then came a downhill road. I now decided to head back and on the way back I took the first left as I noticed on the map earlier that there were 2 roads back into Bancyfelin but one was slightly longer. More miles for me :)

        I was 5-6 miles in when I was greeted by a dog running towards me. I gave him/her a stroke on the head and off I ran. The dog followed and then decided to become a run leader. I had a pacer and a pretty fast one too. As it was downhill again, I decided to up my pace to try and keep up but I slipped on some ice. I tried my best to stay upright and I slipped again. This happened 4 times on the same sheet of ice as I tried to slow my pace going downhill. God knows how I didn't fall over!

    So I followed this dog for over a mile now on this single-tracked country lane. It was obviously lost or missing. If I ever saw a house again I would knock the door and enquire about its owner.
  I was now and truly lost even though there were no side-roads or any other lanes. I carried on and after about a mile and a half, the lane veered around to the right but there was a turn off to the left which i'm guessing probably just led to a farm or a house. The dog sat on the road to the left and as I ran on to the right, he/she looked at me and pined. I guess the dog lived there. We were both sad to be parting company I think but I had to keep warm and get back to civilisation.

     Due to the slipping and sliding on my previous downhill, I was now walking the downhills just in case. I watched as 20-30 rooks flew around in the distance ahead of me and then came to a farm with a signpost. Llansteffen (left) St.Clears (right). Okay, so I was lost. I didn't have to think too hard though. I couldn't be bothered to run the 8 miles or so back so I would run to St.Clears. I must be nearly there, or so I thought. I knew Carmarthen was about 5 miles from Bancyfelin and that St.Clears was about 10 miles from Carmarthen. So was St.Clears 5 miles from Bancyfelin? Probably was on the A40 but not on these winding backroads. All the signposts will state a place and a direction but unlike England there are no distances stated most of the time. So you never knew how far away anywhere was on these backroads.

      The sun was now shining but it was getting colder. I now decided to put my gloves on. I had to run in the middle of the road as there was a lot of ice on the cambers. My plan was to run to St.Clears and get a bus back to my Uncle and Auntie's place. Not long after that thought, I realised that I didn't even bring my wallet with me or any money. I was supposed to be back as my Dad said we were travelling back to Southampton at 11am. I tried to phone everyone I knew in Wales but had no signal. So I sent a text message to my cousin Selina in Penybont. It didn't send though. I kept on running, just like Forest Gump.
I came back onto the A40 where I ran on a cyclepath. I was getting some good speed downhill now as there was no sign of any ice. I passed some workmen in overalls who all looked at me like I was a bit mental in my shorts and T..lol. I didn't care, I could see more signs for St.Clears and could tell I was getting near as I approached a roundabout.

         I turned left off the main road and followed a cyclepath. Was this the right way? There was a river to my left and some nice open fields around me. Ahead was a man walking 2 dogs. The plan was to catch up with him and ask him where I was exactly. As soon as I ran onto this path I slipped and went straight onto my back. That actually hurt quite a bit as the palms on my hands slapped the cold concrete. My hands were now warm but stinging. As I was led on the floor, I thought i'd better check my rucksack. Luckily my camera was in one piece and working fine. I had a bit of a laugh to myself but the dog walker was now out of sight and it was too slippery to run here. So, I had to walk on the frozen grass whilst holding on to a frozen fence.
      I caught up with the dog walker eventually and we chatted. I asked where I was. He said that Laugharne was 4 miles to the left and St. Clears was to the right. 12 miles in and I wasn't even in St.Clears?

        I took a photo of a church when the dog walker caught me up again and offered me some bus fare to get back. I declined the offer but was very touched by his generosity. I ran into the main part of St.Clears.
All the years I had been to Carmarthen, I had never been to St.Clears. I was expecting another town the size of Carmarthen with big shops and superstores but the truth was that it was half the size of Totton precinct. Funny how you can picture a place that you have never been to.
   I still didn't have a signal on my phone! I tried time after time. I had been gone for hours. I bet my Dad was getting mad by now. I could have done with a drink of water. 14 miles in, I was getting thirsty. Despite the cold weather, I had been sweating quite a bit.

        I saw a sign for Meidrim and thought that was the way to go back. I knew it was kind of close to Bancyfelin but how close I didn't know. I stopped a postman and asked for directions...
Me: Do you know the way to Bancyfelin from here?
Him: It's quite a long way.
Me: I've already ran 14 miles.
Him: Follow this road, go up a hill and then ahead onto an undulating road and then take a right after that.
Me: Cheers, have a good day.

      I follow the directions. Station hill is quite impressive but by this time I was over taking photographs and just want to get back. I ran up it pretty strong too. This is the farthest I have run since July! I run along the wavy undulations and then stop to ask directions again as i'm not sure on the right turn and which one to take. The bloke with the leaf-blower isn't very clear. I run on past 2 right turns and then think it was probably the first left turn. I run back and take it. It leads me to a farm and a dead end. I have to run all the way back up the hill and back to where I was and take the other turn with a sign post saying "Gibeon". Never heard of it but let's go for it. Still no phone signal or internet, so no Google maps to save me here.

     I run around lots of fields and farms. I'm on a country lane climbing in the middle of nowhere. I decide to start walking to conserve energy. I am now 16 miles into my run. I have no water or food. No money and no phone signal. I was dizzy and feeling a bit weird. Then... A panic attack hits me. I start to panic and think i'm going to die. My thirst for water becomes exaggerated and I think i'm going to collapse. The last time I had a panic attack this bad, I was drowning in Newquay bay when I got caught in a riptide. I was alone and it was the evening. Luckily that day I drifted in and was able to touch the sand with my feet again after a couple of minutes of treading water. I took a few deep breaths and tried to rationalise. I walked on..

     Then I came to an unexpected crossroads. Bancyfelin was signposted. My spirits rose and I started running downhill in which I knew to be the right direction. I ran up a hill afterwards and then came face to face with a man in his tractor. The lane was only just wide enough for the tractor. So I had to run back down the hill until I could find a layby to stand in while the tractor passed by. I ran back up the hill and then I came to the A40 again. I must have missed a turn off but I didn't care now. I just wanted to get back and I knew the way... Straight down the dual carriageway with the speeding traffic. I really didn't care at all. I ran for 2 miles and then I was back in Bancyfelin, past the Fox and Hounds pub and at my Uncle and Auntie's place. I had done just over 20 miles.

       
          I got back and my Auntie told me that there was a search party out looking for me. This consisted of my Dad in one car and my uncle Brian in another. She had to phone them both (no problem with their bloody phone signals!) and tell them I was back safe. I had a quick shower, a sandwich and a cup of tea and then I was sat in the car for 200 miles until we got home. What a great adventure, but a bit scary as times. I learnt a valuable lesson indeed. Next year I will take a map, some money, some food and water. Anyone keen? ;) 

 

Cycling from Southampton to Saltash

       For the past few years I have planned to do something for my birthday. Last year was my 40th and I ran the Flanders field marathon in Belgium. The year before I did a 42 mile ultra marathon running for Ely to Cambridge and back and the year before I held a skateboard jam/competition at a ramp in Mytchett, near Farnborough. So, what would I do this year?

   Well, the original plan was to try and cycle to Dylan Thomas' boathouse via visiting my family in Carmarthen. I thought it would be too far and too hilly though and decided against it.
Instead, I came up with a 197 mile route to Plymouth. The journey would end in Plymouth to meet a few friends for some birthday drinks and then the train back home. Nobody knows why I want to do these things, but I just do!

     So, I had my 197 mile route planned. I had Wednesday until Tuesday booked off work. I had 3 cycling maps from Sustrans with my route on. I had a heavy rucksack with 3 spare t-shirts, 3 pairs of socks, spare pants, spare inner tube, a pump, some protein bars, and a hooded top and some gloves for those cold, early morning starts. I was ready but not that confident to be honest. I was thinking maybe I could do a 100 miles a day on my mountain bike and I would be done in a couple of days. I was thinking of booking b&b's in advance but my buddy Mike Mattingly advised me not to as he said I would never know how far I was going to get in one day. This was my biggest fear: cycling all day only to find out that you couldn't get any accommodation for the night! I made a backup plan of listing all the railway stations on my route and if I had to, i'd just get the train straight to Plymouth and abandon the ride.

        I left on a Wednesday morning at 7am. It was still a bit chilly and there wasn't much sign of a sunrise. I cycling into Totton and then to Lyndhurst and onto the bike trails which I always get lost on but still manage to get to Balmer lawn and Brockenhurst eventually. It didn't take me long to get lost but I got there. I didn't bother getting out my map and just cycled the route to Boscombe that I ran last year. Which was via Sway and New Milton, and then into Christchurch. I bought an expensive breakfast bap and a bottle of water at Boscombe pier. While my bacon was being fried, I decided to steal some tea bags, sugar and milk cartons. I thought it would make up for the £1.50 bottle of water. I then realised that I would have to carry these items along with all the other crap I already had including my digital Nikon camera that I forgot to mention earlier. I ate my bap and played on the musical instruments on the pier where some guy jokingly said he'd hire me for his band one day. (I was that bad).

      Now I had a nice cycle along the seafront from Boscombe pier to Bournemouth pier and then Poole and into Sandbanks. It was here that I would get a ferry across the water over to the Isle of Purbeck. It was only £1 and gave me plenty of time to scoff down a double decker. I also made sure that I stopped my Garmin watch as I didn't want to cheat myself out of un-cycled miles. An old lady in leather gear looked at my mountain bike and said "You should get a motor on that". It made me laugh and I told her I was cycling to Plymouth. Then she told me stories of her son's adventures while we waited to board.

     Right, we're across the water. I had time to study the cycle map as well. I cycle to Studland and then up a big hill. I then cycle back down this hill and then back up it again. Hill reps? Nope, i'm lost! I can't find this path on the map and end up on the Isle of Purbeck golf course on pretty rough terrain.
I had read many reviews about these cycle maps before I purchased them. "They are rubbish, you'll get lost, not detailed enough". "They're only made of paper and rip really easily, I wouldn't buy another one". The list of negatives went on, but I bought 3 of these maps anyway. Hampshire and Isle of Wight cycle map, which I never used. Dorset Downs cycle map, the one which had already got me lost. And South Devon cycle map which I would be trying out in a couple of days.

    After a while I gave up trying to find the right way and made my own way via Corfe Castle. I followed this old couple up a hill on the main road. I wasn't sure about cycling on this main road as it was quite busy and the cars were going quite fast along it. I followed this old couple anyway and came off the roundabout in Norden where they did and caught up with them to have a chat. They were just doing a loop to Arne and were from Wareham. I cycled past them many times but then they would catch me up when I was lost and looking at my map. The whole time I had been cycling I had yet been on the cycle route! I cycled through Ridge and then finally Stoborough which would be the start of me actually on the National cycle network route number 2. It then got easier. Next was West Holme and then East Stoke and then it was time for a late lunch as I found a Nice pub in Wool.
     It was 2pm when I ordered my burger, chips and coke at the Black bear pub. I was sat in a lovely beer garden with the sun shining. I was starving and had managed 60 miles so far. My original plan was to make it to Axminster on the first day. I had estimated that it was 62 miles to Dorchester but I was nowhere near there and had been on the road for 5 hours already.

       I got back on my bike after doing some recalculations of my journey. I cycled through East Burton, Moreton, Woodsford and then at last.. Dorchester. At this point I had covered a good 70 miles and it was pretty easy going but I never really thought about it until now. From Dorchester to Bridport (18 miles) it just seemed to be climbing in elevation the whole time. Cycling was getting harder now and I was getting tired. There was also the fact that I needed to find somewhere to stay before it got late/dark.  Axminster wasn't looking likely today.

   I bought two bottles of water from a weird little shop in Martinstown and cycled up a massive hill to Portesham where Hardy's monument is located. I did a bit of research afterwards and Thomas Hardy (not the author) was the person who is famous for holding Lord Nelson in his arms as he died saying the so-called immortal words "Kiss me Hardy". I could see for miles on top of this place and then sun was still shining. It was beautiful.
I went through some little places like Little Bredy, Long Bredy, Litton Chenney, Shipton Gorge, Loders, Uploders and then Bridport. It was about 5-6 pm and I just went into some tatty old looking pub and asked if they had any spare single rooms.

Me: "Do you have a single room for the night?"
Barmaid: "I'll just go and ask".
Barmaid returns.. "No, sorry. We only have a double room left".
Me: How much is the double room?".
Barmaid: "I'll just go and ask".
Barmaid returns.. "£40".
Me: "I'll take it, anywhere safe to put my bike?".
Barmaid: "I'll just go and ask".
FFS!!

   In the end I got a Family room to myself for £35 because I was leaving too early for breakfast. This included a double bed and a single bed and wide screen t.v bigger than my bike and bathroom with bath, shower and toilet. I emptied my rucksack all over the place and then ran a bath while I ate food and drank tea. Those extra tea bags and milk definitely came in handy. It was then time for a quick walk around the town, pick up some supplies and have a couple of pints at the bar with the locals during bingo night. I was the second youngest there :) End of day one. 93 miles cycled to Bridport.

    Day two soon came around and my calves were a bit sore despite doing a lot of stretches after my bath. I also then realised that I hadn't really done any training for this bike ride. I rode 82 miles to Bath once over the summer and 84 miles around Kingclere. Both rides were months apart as well.

The landlord had to let me out of the pub as I wanted to leave at 7am again. I don't think he was too happy about having to get up early. I wheeled my bike through the pub and thanked him. I then noticed I was staying at the Lord Nelson pub. I now knew the connection with Hardy's monument!

   I cycled out of town and then it was miles of country roads but very hilly country roads. If I thought Dorchester to Bridport was hilly, I was wrong. Today would prove to be the hilliest route I would probably ever attempt to cycle in my life! I found the place called "Dottery" and then it was a matter of following the cycle route. Obviously the cycle routes were not always signed. I also discovered that it was easier to get lost cycling downhill as I didn't like breaking when I was doing 40mph. I went through Broadoak, Wooton Fitzpaine and then I got lost again and ended up in Fishpond's bottom and Hawkchurch. These two place were not on my route. I then just cycled down the main road where cars were whizzing past at top speeds. The sign behind me said "Welcome to Dorset" and the sign in front of me said "Welcome to Devon". I followed this road all the way into Axminster.

      There wasn't really anything to see in Axminster as I cycled through it. I must have missed the town completely. I soon came to a wooded trail and then out onto a field where a guy warned me about the cattle in the field. The cows were actually lying on the cycle path. I cycled past them on the grass. I then came to a road in Kilmington and cycled up it. I wasn't sure where I was going because there were two routes. One was a prone to flooding which they labelled as the summer route. This had really confused me but I figured it all out in the end.
   Thursday was such a hot day. I could feel my neck burning and the hills were getting bigger as I got nearer to the coast. I cycled through Whitford, Colyton, Colyford and then Seaton. My brakes struggled to work as I squeezed them on really steep descents with traffic. Seaton was lovely though. I stopped off at a Café on the beach front as I hadn't yet eaten and was starving. I got speaking to a couple who I offered to share my table with. They were also from Wareham. Seems like a popular place to live!

       Again, it seems hard to pick up on the cycle routes from the bigger places or cities. I got lost again and cycled to Axmouth which was the wrong way. I cycled back into Seaton and then into Beer. I was cycling really fast downhill when I slammed on my brakes. The sign ahead said "Welcome to Beer". I had to grab a photo of that didn't I? I didn't see a pub in Beer though or even an offy. All I remember is a big, long hill up towards Beer Quarry caves. After Beer it flattened out a bit and into a lovely village named Branscombe. There were lots of people around but they weren't real people. They had been made by the local villagers. Some of us tourists stood around and chatted and took photos for one another. I took photos for people and they took photos of me. It was a fun, friendly place. Then came Salcombe Regis and the biggest hills which were in Sidmouth where I had to walk up a hill walking my bike when I got heckled by an octogenarian "Aren't you supposed to be riding that thing" she nodded at my bike after she wound down her car window and smiled.

      I walked back out of Sidmouth with my bike and got speaking to a woman about my travels so far and trying to reach my destination. She had every faith in me and wished me luck as she drove away in her campervan. There really are some lovely, friendly people out there. She stayed in my mind for a few miles and how encouraging and funny she was. Good to see someone who is able to interact with a complete stranger and make jokes and tell weird stories.
Then came Pinn, Otterton, East Budleigh and Budleigh Salterton. I work with a woman called Jane who seems sure she wants to win the lotto and move to Budleigh Salterton even though she's never been there! I stopped off for a pasty and bought her a Budleigh fridge magnet and took some more photos for a couple who were struggling with a selfie.

        Today was tough with all the ascent. Again, I didn't think I was going to make it all the way to Okehampton which was going to be my next stop over. It was getting later so I thought Exeter would have to do. After cycling through Exmouth, the route came away from the coast and followed the Estuary up to Exeter. This was called the Exe estuary trail. At last, all flat and no more hills for the day. This trail seemed very touristy and all the other cyclists seemed miserable. I could barely get a smile or a "hello" out of any of them. Through Lympstone and the lovely Topsham and then back on the trail I thought I saw a kingfisher. I braked and turned around and sure enough, just in front of me was a kingfisher. He was just sitting there on a brickwall. This was the closest I had ever been to one. He soon flew off when he spotted me.

         I finally made it into Exeter. I cycled through the busy city looking for accommodation until I came to a Jury's Inn. I didn't really want to stay here but had seen nowhere else. The whole journey I was trying to support the independent businesses and not give money to the man. That means , no Tesco, Costa, Travelodge etc.. Anyway.. Turns out there was no room at the Inn. And the guy working there said I was unlikely to find anywhere to stay in Exeter. I could have cried right then. He explained that all the students were back and it was mental. He printed me off a map and moved his pen down the roads where he knew all the b&b's were. He was so helpful and he really didn't have to be because he was so busy and still had the time for me. I would give him some of my birthday lottery winnings but it only came to £25.

    I Cycled to the other side of the city and tried a pub. It looked closed. They had no rooms but again the staff were very helpful. I carried on cycling and it was nearly 8pm now! It would be dark soon but I was too stubborn. I didn't want to get that train to Plymouth, I wanted to cycle there. I then saw a sign! It said "Vacancies" in bright red lettering. My first thoughts were that they had forgotten to turn it off. I rang the door bell and a woman came out. The usual conversation ensued and she said there was only a double room left and it was £60. I was desperate, so wasn't too bothered. I had to chain my bike in the garden though to a plastic drainpipe which I wasn't keen on but the lady assured me that it was very safe. I showered and went to the pub for a Lasagne with garlic bread and extra chips and a couple more pints of cider. Day two done. Only about 70 very hilly miles to Exeter. According to my original guess, I was only 30 miles away from Plymouth! As you can tell, my calculations were a bit wrong.

         Day Three had arrived. I was up slightly later because I wanted a nice fried breakfast and it was really delicious and plentiful. The lady at the Oakcliffe hotel said it was another hilly day for me and I was kind of hoping that my bike had been nicked as my quads were really sore from all the hills from the previous day. Of course, my bike was still there. I tried to ask for directions but couldn't quite remember where I was going...
Me:  "I'm trying to get to a train station, Saint something?".
Her: "Saint Davids?" " she quickly replied.
Me: "No"
Her: "Exeter Cent-ral"
Me: "No"
Her: "Ah, Saint Thomas".
Me: "Yes, that's the one".

    She gave directions but I failed to follow or memorise them. I cycled around Exeter for a good 40 minutes until this student girl approached me on her bike when I was looking at my map.
"Are you lost?" These students are clever I thought! "Where are you trying to get to?" The same conversation followed. "Saint Davids? Central? Ah, Saint Thomas". She didn't know the way but did her best to make me not feel so lost. I thanked her all the same and headed back the way I came and ended up in Alphington and couldn't find Whitestone (pronounced whitstone). I got more directions from strangers and cycled down the main road and skipped Whitestone along with another big hill. I came into Pathfinder village instead. The road pretty much just ran along side the A30 now. It wasn't a busy road but a very long straight one with undulations.

     This was a much better day for cycling as it was an overcast day and the hills were tame in comparison with the previous day. Although now, I was very hot and was cycling topless. It was on quiet roads in the middle of nowhere. So I had a wet t-shirt tied around my rucksack trying to dry it out. I threw my t-shirt and socks away from Wednesday's exertion. Less to carry! The road was easy to follow now and I could just tick off the place names mentally. Tedburn St Mary, Cheriton Bishop, Crockernwell, Whiddon down, South Zeal. This road and these places really reminded me of Wylie valley next to the A303. Then I came into Sticklepath which looked like a lovely place to stop for teas, pub lunches etc but I just wanted to get on with it and get to Okehampton at least. And sure enough, I was soon in Okehampton having another Pasty and a Dr.Pepper.

           The road climbed high out and above Okehampton. The scenery then changed dramatically as I came into Meldon, an old quarry on the edge of Dartmoor. As I rode further around the perimeter of Dartmoor, I asked myself why I had never been here before. It was absolutely stunning and the cycle route was flat. Into Sourton where I visited the old church and then the beautiful Lydford with stunning views from the Viaduct and then the village with its pubs and Castle. I would have liked to stay there longer and will have to return and explore more another time. The buzzards were hovering so close overhead. I stood and watched them for ages. At one point I think there were about 12 of them just circling around over the viaduct.
     I got to North Brentor from here and watched as an athletic family overtook me on a hill on their bikes. We exchanged hellos and then I caught them up with some of my fierce downhill cycling. I got speaking to Mum and Dad at different times. It reminded me a lot of my marathon running. Slow uphill and getting passed by everyone and then flying past everyone again on the downhill. This happened a few times until I saw them resting for refreshments in a pub in Mary Tavy.

     From Mary Tavy the route went around backroads avoiding the main road into Tavistock and into the woods and then out to Peter Tavy which was a quite little place that got me to Tavistock where I managed to cycle into a lamppost before stopping off for another pasty. Tavistock was a very nice place and had a lot more going for it that I had imagined. This was definitely the nicest scenery from the whole trip and it got better as it went rural again through Horrabridge, Yelverton, Clearbrook, Bickleigh and then I knew where I was from Plymvalley as I had done the parkrun here before. I had about 10 miles to Plymouth.
A strange feeling came over me as I knew I was going to achieve my goal. Wow, I thought, I am actually going to be able to say that I cycled to Plymouth from Southampton. Okay, it's taken me 3 leisurely but tough days of cycling but I haven't trained for this and it's been the best adventure ever. Not knowing quite where you are or what lies ahead, who you are going to meet and what you will witness.

     So, I cycled through Plymvalley and then to Saltram. When I got to Saltram it started to rain and then, it really started to rain. I stopped to put on my raincoat which I hadn't yet used. I didn't bring waterproof trousers though, so my shorts and legs got soaked. I cycled through Cattledown and into the skatepark at Plymouth. I had reached my destination. Day Three done. 238 miles Southampton to Plymouth. I stayed at my friend's place. Nick and Hannah. Hannah had made me pizza and tea, Nick was working until 10pm. Sadly, I was asleep in bed before he even finished his shift.

   I totally forgot to mention the tunnels from Tavistock to Plymouth. There are two of them. The short one in the photo and a longer one which has a bend. I cycled through these pretty quickly and on the second I was getting soaked from all the drops of water from the roof. I also didn't notice a cyclist coming from the other direction but then I saw the light from his bike. I quickly switched my bike light on and luckily he saw me. I never really thought about this. The next day I remembered telling my mate Carl in Saltash that I was actually pretty scared cycling through these tunnels and probably shouldn't have gone so fast and then he told me stories about kids who liked to put logs in the tunnel just for fun! I'll be going slower next time.

   Anyway, my adventure didn't end there as the next day I thought it would be a good idea to get to Cornwall at least. So I went to pay my mate Carl a visit in Saltash. Nick told me to just follow the coast around from Plymouth until I got to the Tamar bridge. It really wasn't that simple. I cycled to the Barbican, then the Hoe, followed it around and eventually got to Devonport and then a climb up to Stoke Village. Then I got lost and did a loop before cycling down the dual carriageway of the A38 and the next thing I know i'm cycling over the Tamar bridge on the main road when I realise I shouldn't be there as there is a cycle path on the other side of the barrier. I got off my bike and lifted my bike over the barrier and climbed over. I made it into Saltash alive (just about) Had a nice walk and lunch with Carl and then cycled the quick way park to Plymouth via St. Budeaux and Central park.

     256 miles in the end. I'm already having withdrawals from this amazing adventure. As soon as Spring arrives, I think i'll do that bike ride to South West Wales and maybe even LEJOG on my mountain bike. A big thanks to Sustrans who sort out our National cycle network and the volunteers who give up their time. The routes are far from perfect and not always well marked but they do rely on donations from us and I think they do an amazing job to supply us with so many traffic free routes around the country.
People said that I was a bit mad doing it on a mountain bike but I did it and got no punctures and never fell off and didn't have to wear lycra!

Endure 12/50

        So, i'm on facebook one Thursday evening or was it a Wednesday? Anyway, Barbara says she has a place going for a 12 hour race. I hesitate at first and then ask for the place. Straight away she replies that it's mine. I am running a 12 hour race and it was free. Yippee!
   I give myself a bit of reflection time to think about what I have just done. I have just entered myself for a 12 hour race in a couple of days time. I did a 50K trail race the previous weekend which was so hilly and I have Fort William marathon the following weekend! Plus, I have never tried running for 12 hours before.

     A little bit about the event: It's called the Endure 12/50. This is because there are various options. You can run 50k, 50 miles, 12 hours solo or 12 hours as a relay team. The course is 5 mile loops around Beale park near Pangbourne/Lower Basildon or if you really don't know where this is, let's just call it Reading. I wasn't quite sure how these 5 mile loops worked but I would find out soon enough. The race started at 7pm and finished at 7am. I had a lot to prepare for.

    What do you take on a 12 hour run? I was really skint but could afford my train fare and had to buy a headtorch as headtorches only seem to last a few months on my sweaty head before they go faulty. I went into Blacks in town and bought a Petzl headtorch which was reduced to £25. Certainly not top of the range but it would do. Next, off to poundland to buy spare batteries, plus more batteries for a handheld torch I was taking as a backup. I was also carrying a sleeping bag around with me. I probably looked like I was going camping and I was proved right when the guy in Blacks asked where I was camping. I said I was doing a 12 hour run and he just looked at me kind of weird like I had just asked him for all of the money from the till.

   I had also shopped on Friday night for Salted Pretzels, salted peanuts, and made some Peanut butter sandwiches and an ultra runners best friend - Coca cola :) I then packed for all weathers: Suntan lotion, sunglasses, hat, raincoat, long sleeved t-shirts, Lordshill vest, Shorts, gloves etc..
The sleeping bag was only a last minute decision. Even though I had planned to run for 12 hours, you never knew if you were going to pick up an injury or DNF. My brain does work on certain days :)

     I jumped on the train to Reading, changed to another and got off at Pangbourne. I walked the wrong way from the station for a little while until I decided to check Google maps on my phone. I then walked about a mile and a half in the right direction and came to Beale park. I spoke to Barbara while I sat on a hay bale. Barbara and Ian arrived and we collected our numbers. I was then introduced to many runners and supporters from Eastleigh running club. They let me hang out there with them and put my stuff there as I didn't bother with a tent. I then saw Danny White from our club who was doing the 50k and Lewis Chalk from Stubbington. I was also looking out for my friend Carla who I didn't see until we were in the starting grid. There was a bit of a delay and we got off about 10 minutes late I think but it didn't matter. Nobody seemed that bothered. It was quite a nice, relaxed atmosphere with lots of people laughing and joking.

         I ran the first 5 mile loop with Carla and we chatted the whole way round. I met Carla through a JDRF running group as we were both fundraisers for the charity. Carla still does every run for JDRF and her daughter who is a type 1 diabetes sufferer. You can find a link to her fb page here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mum-on-a-runFinding-a-cure-for-type1-Diabetes/559374224176049?fref=ts

Anyway, we got talking and I think I talked her into doing Bramley 20 this year and this is where we met for the first time. That is the farthest she has ever run. Now she was doing a 12 hour run! She'd hadn't even run a marathon before. After the first 5 mile loop I ran on and Carla said she was going to see her husband before he left.
My plan was to do 2 x 5 mile loops at a time and then take on some food and fluid even though I was running with a hydration pack. I wasn't sure if this was a good idea to begin with as you had water stations on the way around the 5 mile loop. On the first and second loops I also got chatting to different Eastleigh runners who were doing the relay. On the second lap I was chatting to a guy from Hardley roadrunners named Steve. Actually, he was chatting to me but I couldn't concentrate too much as I needed the toilet so badly (and not just a wee). I had to stop off mid loop and go behind some trees. I had my toilet roll and just as well as the Lordshill vest doesn't have sleeves (old joke ;).

     It was a lovely sunny day as you can see from the above photo. The course was a windy 5 miler on trails and road. You were running on grass and then gravel track, road and then more grass paths with the river Thames on your left with barges and a few ducks and swans. Very pretty. You couldn't get lost as there were marshals, water stations, signposts etc.. We ran over a springy bridge, back on grassy paths and then into part of the country park with a few little monuments to stare at. Another road, a dark wooded area and then a little climb which I would use as an excuse to walk later on and then more woodland and then very uneven bumpy ground caused by 4x4's. It was nice to see Lewis Chalk and Danny White whizzing past me a couple of times. Lewis won the 50k in a crazy time of 3 hours 20! Faster than my road marathon time..lol

    After being cheered in by a big group of Hedge-end runners I came to the end of my second loop. I stopped and refilled my water bottles and added electrolyte tablets and ate a few salty pretzels. It was pretty humid and I was sweating a lot and losing a lot of salt. There was no sign of Carla and I thought she may not be running much and only doing about 20 miles the whole time. In fact, I didn't see her again for the whole race! I must have scared her off..

It was weird but I was feeling very tired early on and the legs were cramping. I had put my headtorch on at the end of my third loop (15 miles). It was getting dark but I was quite confident that I knew the course quite well now. I spoke to one Welsh guy who was carrying some beer and was going to sit by the music bus bar thing. A campervan with lights playing music and offering free Lucozade. "So" he says "How do you train for a 12 hour race?". I just kind of looked at him blankly as I didn't even know the answer to this. " I think you just have to enter and hope for the best, mate". He laughed and walked off while I kept on plodding.
Just before it got dark I saw a girl passing me but she didn't get very far as she twisted her ankle with about a mile of the loop to go. I asked if she was ok. She said she was but was holding back the tears. I offered to walk back with her but she said she'd be fine. I left her and carried on. This part of the course was very rugged and you really did have to be careful. I didn't like this part of the course too much and dreaded its arrival every time.
I was now running on my own a lot in the dark and was starting to feel negative. I wasn't running well at all. Only 20 miles in and I was walking parts of the course already.

    So, mile 20 was terrible and I was thinking about quitting at first and then I just told myself that i'd have a nap for an hour and see if that helped. I sat on the grass in the dark eating my peanut butter sandwich while I listened to many others moan about their suffering. I wasn't alone by the sound of it. I must have sat there for a good 25-30 minutes and then decided to try and get going again. Even if I started with a walk it would be a start in the right direction and I would be getting mileage in regardless.
 The bus was playing "Baba O'Reilly" by "The Who" and there were fairy lights glowing in the woods. I watched as mice and a shrew ran across in front of me on the grassy paths in the light of my headtorch. Moths flew into me from time to time as well. It was still very humid though. Even during the early hours of the morning I was still sweating lots. 

      Mile 30 or lap 6 came and I was feeling a bit weird. I sat down again and took off my headtorch. I had been running with a headtorch for hours now and my vision was going a bit crazy and distorted plus I hadn't slept since 6am the previous day. I bought a cup of tea and some crisps. Just as well I bought some food as there was no free food apart from energy gels. My legs were feeling fine now. They were feeling much better than they had done at 20 miles! I changed socks and t-shirt at mile 30 so that made me feel much better mentally and feeling fresher.
As I was starting loop 35-40 I spoke to Lydia from Eastleigh running club. She was doing the 50 mile race and was on her last lap. She was 10 miles ahead of me! She said she was going to walk most of it and I walked/ran the whole loop with her while we chatted. This really lifted my spirits and I was feeling more positive and in a much better place. Everyone cheered as she came in and before I started my next loop she came over tearful saying that she was the first woman in the 50 mile race. I gave her a hug and congratulated her. What an amazing achievement. She had won the 50k race the previous year beating all the men and a lead time of 7 minutes! Incredible. 12 hour solo next year Lydia! ;)

        I was feeling so much better and decided to get going. I was going to do 50 miles at least. 2 more laps Dean, you can do it! I got chatting to this other guy who said I was looking pretty fresh. I felt pretty good too. It was getting lighter and I could switch my headtorch off now. His name was Graham. He was also 10 miles ahead of me. As we spoke we worked out that we might be able to do another 3 laps (15 miles) if we ran this lap faster with few walk breaks. We pushed on, chatted and gave each other the confidence and energy to get round. It started to rain pretty heavy now so after mile 45 I grabbed my rain coat. Soon as we neared the magic bus I was feeling a bit dizzy and sick and told Graham I was going to walk for a bit and he could run on if he wanted. We walked with a good pace until I said the dizziness had passed. It was nice to have the rain cooling me down. We just had to get this 5 mile loop done before 7am. If you did, you were entitled to another loop (if you wanted it). I was thinking 50 was enough as I walked but then I felt okay as we got running again and the deadline was back on. He was working out our times/mileage etc.. by this time I couldn't even say my own name let alone do simple mathematics. People were asking me how many laps I had done and I would just look at my watch and say 45 miles. I really didn't have the brain capacity for such simple maths..lol

                                                       (Follow the glowsticks!)

      Lydia and other Eastleigh runners cheered us as we came in from my 10th lap and Graham's 12th. We didn't stop and we just kept on going. We had made the deadline with about 15 minutes to spare. It didn't matter how long we took now as we would get our distances. 55 miles for me and 65 miles for him. We even had time to facetime his drunken friends and chat while I ate pretzels. Some sheep seemed to appear from nowhere on the last loop and now there was no-one in sight. Were we the last ones left on the course?
Turns out we weren't, but almost. 55 miles done and I felt okay and not even tired. I spoke to all the other runners left and we congratulated each other. I bought a cheeseburger and waited for Lydia and Danny to collect their awards. Danny came 3rd in the 50K and was looking fresh every time he lapped me.

     Still no sign of Carla the lightweight. I thought i'd check the results anyway and there she was on the live results. I had to do a double take. She came 10th with 50 miles! Wow, what an amazing woman. She was so scared about running 20 miles at Bramley in February and now she had ran 50 miles!!! Awesome Carla. I went away with a big smile on my face and really happy for her. I was also glad I did that extra loop. Haha. She almost put me to shame there.

    Ok, it was 8.30am and I had been awake for 26 and a half hours. I now had over a mile to walk to the train station to catch a replacement bus to Tilehurst and then a train to Reading and another train to Southampton followed by a 3 mile taxi ride. I probably wouldn't get home until about 2pm.

      I was walking through Beale park to the exit when two of the awesome lady volunteers asked where I was going. They ended up giving me a lift all the way to Reading and we chatted about running. They were really lovely and I said i'd come and visit them at their local parkrun one day in Reading. I was bragging about my new 50 parkruns t-shirts until they had both told me that they had done about 250 each. Doh!
I was home by midday, very hungry and very tired but with an indescribable feeling of awesomeness. :D  Yes, I would probably do it again. It would be so much better to get more of our running club there though. I think it's only about £35 to enter as well!

Very warm feet and a blister at the end but a lovely medal and a warm smile.

The Ham & Lyme 50K

                                         (At the registration area in Ham Hill Country park)

            There's a lot to say about this race but i'll try and keep it as brief as I can.
First of all, I wasn't sure about entering. I wanted to do a 100K race but then I was having trouble trying to find any accommodation close to the race and then I saw the course profile and the crazy amount of elevation that the route had. Sadly though, the 50K had already sold out and is limited to 100 runners.
I messaged the race director who I had heard of as I had read his book previously in the year and could really relate with his story. You should give it a read, it's called "Everything will work out in the long run" and is by Dave Urwin and can be purchased from this website... Albion running.

    Anyway, Dave said he may be able to squeeze me into the 50K event if I didn't need the coach back to the start at Ham hill. He even helped out with places for me to stay. I felt bad about hassling him but he was always so nice and willing to help. Finding accommodation anywhere was almost impossible though. Even Yeovil was fully booked! In the end I was just looking at google maps and typing in name places to google for pubs and B&B's that may not be on Booking.com. I randomly emailed a few places and left it at that. This race looked like it wasn't going to happen because of its location and the fact that I don't drive and have to rely on public transport.

                                (North Sub-Hamdon, what a lovely little, peaceful hamlet)

      I was surprised to get an email back confirming that I had somewhere to stay for 2 nights in a place called North sub-hamdon. I think it was a mile to walk to the start from here maybe? Anyway, I say yes and then realised that I only wanted to do the 50K. I messaged Dave again and paid for the 50K and then I got an email for the B&B saying that they can't do Friday night and only Saturday night but I could stay at another B&B on the Friday and they had already sorted it out for me. Now, I felt bad as I had to email back and say that I only wanted the Friday night but thank you for sorting that out for me. I then emailed the other B&B to confirm my stay. Eventually all was good! All I had to do now was work out my journey there and back. The race starts in Ham hill country park in Somerset (Somewhere outside of Yeovil) and finished in Lyme Regis in Dorset. Because the race was on a Saturday, public transport would be possible.... just about.

 

              (I gave myself a brief tour of North sub-hamdon before heading to the pub to carb load)


       I finally managed to work out some travel arrangements and took half a day off work to do so. I would get a return train ticket to Axminster but get off at Yeovil Junction. Walk along a really dangerous main road with no paths for 2 miles and then get on a number 81 bus. The driver seemed to know everyone on the bus, except for me of course. The driver said he would shout out when I was at my destination. I was chatting away to some local skateboarders on the bus for the journey. They seemed quite new to it but could tell how passionate they were about it. We exchanged different skateboarding stories and then it was time to get off.
  I got to my B&B which was a farmhouse with a heated pool and a lovely couple who made me feel very welcome. They were so nice in fact that they offered to cook me breakfast at 7am, even though breakfast didn't officially start until 7.30am and then they offered to drive me up to the start of my race! These people were amazing and i'm hoping to send them a thank you card and stay there again for the race next year too. Yes! I'm doing it again!. What race? I hear you say.

                           (Dave gives us a great speech at the start to send us on our way)

       I pick up my race number along with a little card with my name and a photo on it. I open it, and it reads: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up".  Followed by; "Dear Dean Jones, best wishes for the race! Albion running, Ham & Lyme 2015". I'm glad I didn't get this at the end of the race as I probably would have cried. it was the most wonderful thing and I was very touched by it. They were all handwritten as well which made it more personal too.

   I then bump into Mark Glanville who is a fellow running club buddy from Southampton. He was doing it with a friend. I think it was both their first time doing an ultra but knew Mark wouldn't have any problems as he later proved when he finished 6th in the 50K and his buddy finished 4th! Incredible stuff indeed. We chatted, I take a few pics and watched a bird of prey hover over the top of the hill. Dave soon gives his speech at the start and we are off. 9am on the dot. We ran a loop around the park and some cool looking stones which look ancient but I did my research in my B&B as I read a book about the history of Ham hill and its famous quarry and found out that they were finally finished in the year 2000 ;)

             (It's a bad pic of the stones, but felt a bit weird taking photos so early on in the race)

        The route from Ham hill to Lyme regis follows a 28 mile walkway called "The Liberty Trail" or so I thought anyway. There was a loop at the start to make up some extra mileage. We then headed into woodland. We were given written instructions, I had written down my own notes as well and I also had a gpx file on my garmin to follow. I knew the notes would stay in my hydration pack unless I got really lost and isolated from the other runners. After running on some trails we came to a nice downhill road section. I love downhill, so flew past people on the way down. The problem was that I didn't know where to go when I got to the bottom, so waited for the people behind to instruct me. I thought we just followed the yellow arrows but this wasn't to be the case as people were calling me and telling me I was going the wrong way. I was actually feeling a bit frustrated now and my watch wasn't programed how I liked it because of the gpx file. My watch was vibrating every couple of minutes and was recording in those horrible kilometres. Aaaaaargggggggh!!!!

                                       (Field after field with different views to take in)

       My frustration seemed to subside as I got lost with other people but between us we were able to work through it and solve these minor problems. I was using my gpx file which wasn't always on course for some reason and another read the written directions which seemed to work really well. (I think I will be running with them in my hand next year). We also looked out for Black and Yellow tape on trees, gates, stiles etc.. but these weren't always so obvious. In one field there were about 10 of us lost and we worked as a team by running to different areas of the field until someone had found the Black and Yellow tape. On one occasion, I had found the tape and was super pleased with myself as I called the rest of the runners over. I was having such a great adventure and meeting some wonderful people along the way. We joked and shared various running stories as we ran the wrong way through stinging nettles and got chased by cows.

                                                     (One of the earlier aid stations)

       I think we were lucky with the weather as I was really worried about the sun beating down upon me. I had got heat exhaustion on a couple of trail marathons before so was well prepared with suntan lotion, a hat, plenty of water and a flannel for my forehead if I needed it to get my temperature down.
It sure was humid and I was sweating an awful lot but the sun was obscured by clouds for a lot of my race. I was thinking about the aid stations where I could refuel and eat. I liked to use these as my milestones. I had brought my own food as they said the aid stations would be minimal. They lied though ;) There was everything you could ever want. Coke, squash, plenty of water to refill my bottles, cocktail sausages, watermelon, Jaffa cakes, malt loaf, jelly babies etc.. If this was the generation game, I would totally lose as there were so many food items but I can't remember many of them. Anyway, I was very impressed with what they had put on for us and the marshals were great and very helpful.

     ( I can't remember the names of any places but this was on the Liberty trail somewhere near a farm)

         I had written down names of places so I could try and work out where I was running to or from. This didn't really apply here though as there was very little road or road signs. There were few landmarks as well but the course was still incredible. It's quite difficult for me to describe really. I guess you just had to be there and experience it. You'll know what I mean when you do it next year though.
  I met a guy from Newton Abbot who I walked up a big hill with while we exchanged a story or too.
I ran with some guys who were running the 100k. That's to Lyme regis and then all the way back to Ham hill. Mental! I ran with this one guy from Chippenham. We seemed to stay together quite a lot and worked well as a team with directions etc.. He even waited for me at one of the aid stations as I ate pizza. He was doing the 100k, it was his first one and he wanted a sub 12 finish and I wanted a sub 6 finish for the 50K. It was safe to say that we had both underestimated the difficulty of this course and neither of us made our times. I now know this as no-one finished the 100k in under 12 hours! And the winning time on the 50k was 4 hours 46 and 48 secs.

                                               (Another climb, but not the biggest one)

         I was worried about how big the hills were but it didn't seem that bad for the first 15 miles to be honest, but things would soon change and despite this, my legs were already starting to ache. I had hardly eaten anything at the first aid station, which is very unlike me. I promised the guy I was running with at the time that I would fuel up when we got to the aid station at the Church. My calves were starting to cramp a bit too. Losing too much salt probably. He pointed to the crisps which I ate, followed by salted peanuts and pretzels while I refilled my water bottles and drank more coke. Coke is the best thing ever on ultras. As long as it's flat, which is was :)

                                (This awesome guy kept me going right until the end)

        I remember getting to this massive hill. It climbed and it climbed and my calves were saying No Dean, No. It was a gravel track or road and we knew at the top of this hill was another aid station at Lambert's castle. We saw a marshal at the top of the road but no aid station. She points us in a direction through the woods and encourages us to continue and says we are nearly there. It pretty much climbed twice as much and I was using my hands on my knees to propel myself up this mountain. Through a gate and then upon a grassy hill we had arrived. The marshal took my water bottles and offered to refill them. I even got one of them filled with orange squash, but could have had blackcurrant if I wanted to. I was overwhelmed with these acts of kindness.

                                          (An epic climb up towards Lambert's castle)

       After this I think we went onto a road and we had a nice little bit of downhill to enjoy. This didn't last long though as it climbed high again but the views were stunning and as we were promised, we were able to finally see the sea. This was an amazing thing to witness and take in. The next few miles I spoke to another runner who had just fallen down a rabbit hole, he was from Portishead and was telling me how he was going to get 4 cans of cider and sit in the sea at the finish. His vision had now become my dream too. I was already feeling the cold water on my burning feet. How nice it'll be to get these smelly shoes and socks off. I could even cool down those burning hamstrings.

                  (This dude was taking down our numbers, another dude refilled my bottles for me)

        The whole account of this may be a bit jumbled as I am remembering stuff as I type but so far I think it's all in order. Many off us had got lost a fair bit. Once, I followed some people through chest high stinging nettles, only to realise it was the wrong way and had to run back through them again. Another time was when we saw some runners running back towards us by a farm. We hadn't missed the turning by much though. Then, just before the last aid station which was manned by Dave's lovely parents, we ended up in a woodland bit and had to get down this really steep bank whilst holding onto a very rickety fence covered in barbed wire. I told everyone to be very careful as I knew a slip here would be quite painful. I'm blaming this on a farmer telling us to go that way. He must have be laughing all the way home.

                                                (We were soon able to the see the sea)

          Anyway, after spending a lovely time with the race director's parents. We had to cross this very busy road and I was kind of fearing for my life here as the traffic whizzed by but in a short space of time a marshal was able to direct us across the road without any of the cars doing 100mph. This is where someone says... "Well, we shouldn't get lost again now as we're nearly there". It didn't take long though. We ran through someone's garden which was part of the Jubilee trail (I hope) and while I was contemplating punching this punch bag in the garden that was hanging from someone's tree, everyone else had run on. I followed them and thought it best not to mess with other people's property. The hedges became really overgrown now and when I looked at my gpx it looked like we were off course. This became really evident as I was now nearly crawling under the bushes which turned out to be thorny ones and my hands were now bleeding. We continued anyway and turned right and soon enough we got back onto the course once again.

                                         (You could see hundreds of fields from here)

       So, I had been lost quite a few times. This really wasn't that unusual for me. Hence the name of my blog. I was now thinking that I was going to run somewhere between 30 and 35 miles. I really wasn't quite sure but I have done enough trail marathons and ultras to know that you should never take the distance as a given. I like to add on at least 5 miles for getting lost and the difficulty of trying to accurately measure the distance of a trail route.
I had just passed the 6 hour mark, so I wasn't getting my sub 6 today but it really didn't matter. I was nearly finished and I don't think anyone really cared about the route into Lyme regis as runners were just keen to finish. It was lovely to see crowds of people again as we had spent a lot of the day in fields and on isolated tracks. We finished by coming down a set of steps, which I now know was the wrong way but I just followed the others in front of me. I discovered this as I was cheering in other runners on the balcony of a pub with my well deserved pint of cold, refreshing cider.

                                                             (The finish at Lyme regis)

        So, I came into the finish with the guy from Chippenham who had kept me going to the end. The crowds were cheering us in as we ran with the coast on our right hand side. It was an amazing feeling as we came in and I was very relieved not to have entered the 100k like my buddy who had just got me here. I was exhausted here and he had to do it all again yet! Crazy. I thanked him and wished him the best of luck for his return journey.
I also remember watching the lead runner in the 100k coming back as we were still running to Lyme regis. He was barely sweating, he was smiling away and he was high fiving us all. That's ultra running for ya!

                                   (Sat with my feet in the sea drinking Minestrone soup)

     Dave greeted me as I finished and asked how the course was. In my current state, all I could say was "Hard". Probably not the most useful feedback he got that day. I got a magnificent medal, some very refreshing fizzy lemonade and the most amazing soup - Right, when I first read that we would get soup at the end of this race, my first thoughts were... Who the hell wants hot soup in the middle of summer after running 50K? It just didn't seem right. I asked for some soup and said that half a cup would do. (They were big cups). Like any long distance race, I didn't really know what I was doing with myself as I wondered around aimlessly in a daze.
In the end, I ended up sitting with my feet in the sea and drinking my soup. This soup was the best soup that I had ever had and was now gutted that I only got half a cup.

                                                   (Not too much over 31 miles in the end)

          I sat around for a bit and nearly went for a massage but got talked into going to the pub instead by the guy from Portishead who fell down the rabbit hole and David the guy from Barcelona who had lived in Ilfracombe for a long time. We drank cider and cheered the other runners who were finishing or turning around. It was then time for some chips which I ate on the number X31 to Axminster to everyone's annoyance and then a train to Salisbury and back to Southampton. What an adventurous day and a wonderful experience I had had. You just can't beat it.
Later on I found out that I had come 25th too, which was much better than I thought. I'll be back for my sub 6 next year.

                          (I even bought a couple of photos from the official photographers)

                                      (The photographers were friendly and encouraging too)