UK Ultra Winter Downs 2nd 🥈

Lovely chatty run with Alice

Running late

CRC social

For those of you who were watching my tracker, I hope that provided you with some entertainment! Read on if you weren’t watching.

My trail husbands (Simon, Damo and Tomo) joined me for a wet and windy winter jolly down in Eastbourne. 55 miles (90km) for us, and 50km for Simon (which he won 👏).

My nutrition didn’t arrive on time so I had to go old school and rely on the aid station buffet table, eating what I want when I want with no tracking of carbs etc. This worked well for me and although I finished the race very dehydrated, my stomach was absolutely fine. I had a real craving for Christmas cake and I think I ate about 5 slices! 

The race started strong and I ran with Damo and then Grant, a kiwi who had recently completed the Dragon’s Back, so we had loads to talk about. I was in the lead from the beginning and maintained my position and average pace until 80km when I made a big mistake. 

Everything was going well, I felt wired and chirpy the whole time and I had no issues about from that pesky stitch on long descents which has happened in all my races this year, I’m convinced it’s in the mind. 

I didn’t get cold despite not putting my back on in the rain so I was lucky there. The wind was absolutely relentless, that headwind in the first half completely zapped me, but I know these things are one big roller coaster of highs and lows and I just needed to ride it out. 

I skipped 3 aid stations which was a little stupid but I was being chased from the get go and the lady, Kate, was sometimes just 300m-500m meters behind. Just when I thought I had shaken her off, she would reappear and my heart would sink. But I tried to keep a level head and not push too much, 90km is a long way and I didn’t want to burn out or feel stressed or have a horrible day. I was running my race and if she passed me then she passed me. What will be will be! 

With just 10km to go I appeared to have lost her so I was having the time of my life bombing down a hill dreaming of that first place and course record. I ran into a party outside a barn and asked them which way the runners were heading, they said they hadn’t seen any runners. Then my phone rang. It was event HQ. I had gone wrong, very wrong, nearly 2km down a hill which I now had to go back up. 

It was my own fault, it was dark and I hadn’t turned my head torch on. Partly because I enjoy running at night without a torch, and partly because I didn’t want the lady to know how close she was to me. The UK Ultra signs are navy blue with a reflective arrow on, so impossible to see in the dark without a torch and I turned my map screen off on my Garmin. Absolute rookie mistakes. Karma got me. It cost me 30 minutes and first place. 

Overall I am still really happy to have come second. I really enjoyed the race and felt good in myself. Lessons learnt - turn your bloody head torch on and have your glasses handy - because that would have saved my poor eyes in that wind (I couldn’t be arsed to stop to get them from my bag).

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Helen Newman

UK Ultra Winter Downs 2nd 🥈

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UK Ultra Winter Downs 2nd 🥈

Lovely chatty run with Alice

Running late

CRC

CRC social

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