Let Sleeping Cat Owners Lie

"Darling, we need to talk about the cat..." not a conversation I thought I'd be starting with my husband on a Friday morning. We've been accidental cat owners for the last 5 months. Accidental because we never planned to get a cat, it wasn't on our radar at all, until a friend got in touch looking to rehome their gorgeous Bengal who is affectionately known as Fang. Now this little bundle of fluff, who frustrates and charms us in equal measure is part of the family but something has to change.

Fang at rest

You see you don't really own a cat, the cat owns you, and never is this more apparent than at meal times. That is, the meal times that *she* decides upon. In the evenings this can be a bit flexible. It's easier to ignore a cat winding around your legs and meowing when you're trying to cook dinner, less so when you're eating though so we've become strategic with evening feeds. In the morning, however, nothing wakes you up quite like a cat stomping on your bladder or walking across your pillow and sniffing your face to see if you're still alive. This can happen anytime between 5:30am and 6:30am. Ignoring her leads to meowing and knocking over the bedside lamps. Shutting her out of the bedroom results in scrabbling at the door. We've tried an automatic feeder, which opens at a set time and has helped a bit but not entirely and does rely on one of us remembering to set it.

Pretending she's find of me

As I've been struggling with sleep and energy levels recently, Dean volunteered to take responsibility for morning cat feeds for a few days. But somehow, on the days the feeder hasn't been set, I'm still the one waking up to feed her. My husband is a heavy sleeper. So we're now having a conversation about the value of actually doing something if you say you're going to. A plan is in place! Earlier to bed whenever possible (10pm, and no later than 11pm), setting the feeder *every* night and an elbow in the ribs if he's forgotten to set it and isn't waking up. I can't cope with my current work load and training volumes on 6-7 hours sleep a night.

Longest ride this year

And boy is training ramping up now! I've been feeling tired almost every day which is why quality sleep is SO important. Just two days after Swimathon I was back in the pool for almost 3km and this week heralded my first OW swim of the year (brrrrr). After a frank conversation with Ellie about my cycling, speed, confidence and aborted sportives, it's clear that things need to change and quickly. So instead of a 20 mile time trial this week I spent an hour at a disused runway with Ellie practicing my stops, starts and manoeuvring and getting some tweaks to my bike fit from Ian. All of which made my second brick session of the week *much* more comfortable and confident.

Getting an informal bike fit

It's now just two weeks until Outlaw and six weeks until Lakesman. My cycling has improved in terms of skill, confidence and endurance in just this week alone which is reassuring. I'm feeling ready for Outlaw but there's still work to be done before I feel similarly ready for Lakesman. I'm not sure I will feel ready for it actually but I a few days of double training sessions, longer rides, tired running and some cold swims are going to put me in the best shape I can be on that start line. Provided I get some more sleep too!

Week beginning 30th April
Swim : 3,700m
Bike : 97.14miles
Run : 15.34 miles

Samaritans Run 2018 - What's New

I really enjoy being a part of local races, whether running them, working behind the scenes or supporting on the sidelines. I'm especially fond of The Samaritans Run, which I've run every year for the past 4 years!

The Sam Run, as it's affectionately known, is a 5k and 10k race, usually part of my running club championship, in aid of the Bracknell branch of The Samaritans. It's a vital event in their fundraising calendar and it always has a good turn out. This year it will be held on June 30th and not only am I entered in the 10k event but I'm also an ambassador for it! What does that mean? Well, I'm helping to promote the event, I'll be helping out on race day (when I'm not running), I'll be leading training runs and have provided training plans.

The event used to start at Wellington College, moved to Fujitsu and has now found a new home at Easthampstead Park School. The organisers have been working really hard to take into account the feedback given last year and there have been some changes! I went out to recce the course last weekend (in the snow) which has been simplified and has a new section through the woods. The start and finish point will still be in the school field and 10k-ers will pass through here to start their second lap.

Last year the race village had a lovely community vibe and this year will be no exception. There's stacks of free parking, a new kids fun run and all finishers will receive a nutrition bar, bottle of water, banana and bespoke Samaritans Run medal.

The medals have moved on a bit since this one!

One of the perks of being an ambassador is that I've been given a handful of half price race entries to share. Everyone who comes along to one of my training runs will be entered into a draw to win one of these entries (draw will take place on the afternoon following the training run). I'm planning four training runs, giving you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the course (although I encourage you to do your speed training/race pace practice in addition to these) and meet smoother participants. You can do either 5k or 10k on the course with pace will take into consideration those taking part.

1. Sunday 22nd April 10am
2. Friday 11th May 6:30pm
3. Sunday 27th May 10am
4. June - TBC

Be sure to follow my Facebook page to join these events! If you don't fancy your chances in the draws, or can't wait that long, you can enter the event here.

Round (Half) The Rock

It's around half past seven on Friday evening when Dean and I encounter a hotel lobby suspiciously full of Datchet Dasher runners in St Helier, Jersey. We've missed the race briefing for the Round the Rock ultra that we're taking part in the next day, thanks in part to someone on our flight not being able to last 45 minutes without a cigarette. The briefing room is empty save for the organisers, rows of chairs and a stash of cardboard boxes. We make our apologies, claim our race numbers, event t-shirts and the highlights from the briefing.

St Helier

Round the Rock is a rather small and exclusive-feeling event consisting of circumnavigating 48miles around the island in under 12 hours. No mean feat when you consider that much of the route takes in the coastal path. You can choose to do it solo, as we had, or as a relay team. All in all there were around 100 runners taking part, making this perhaps the smallest event I'd ever participated in. The only events I could compare this to, in my experience, were Tiree (35 miles around an island) and the Ultra12 (12 hours to do as many laps as you can - I covered 40 miles), neither of which ended up coming anywhere close to the experience I had on Jersey.

Pre-race dinner at Pizza Express. Thanks Nectar points!

We'd gone straight to the briefing from the airport so after satisfying ourselves that we knew where the start was and having a cheap eat at Pizza Express we finally checked into our hotel at about 9pm. An hour or so was spent organising race kit and negotiating an early breakfast with reception then it was alarms set for 4:30am and an attempt at some sleep. Neither of us slept that well, full of apprehension and excitement, but none the less we were fairly chirpy on Saturday morning as we had some food and walked to the Steam Clock in the wind and drizzle under brightening sky. Thankfully the rain didn't last and we set off at 6am on the dot.

Starting at the Steam Clock

The first part of the course is all on road and flat. We went out anticlockwise around the island and quickly found ourselves at the back of the pack. I was determined not to set off too quickly, knowing we had so many miles to go. It was a beautiful morning, and so warm that jackets and arm warmers were shed within two miles. We nattered, admired the houses, enjoyed a bit of Fleetwood Mac being played on loudspeaker by another pair of runners and started to see some views.

One of many biews

The first check point was at around 10 miles. We both felt fine and after a quick drink and a snack, we were off into the second leg. I know we were at the back still, but I wasn't worried. As Dean said, finish lines not finish times. We'd been working on the basis that as long as we managed a 4 mile an hour average we would be fine. We'd banked some time in the first ten miles and Dean was constantly doing the maths on how long we had to make it to the halfway point to be on track. What we'd failed to take into account were the checkpoint cut off times. I wasn't nearly as prepared for this event in terms of logistics as I usually am. I'd only given a cursory glance to the race instructions and not registered that although there was no cut off for CP1 and an overall cut off of 12 hours, there were cut offs at all the other check points. I'd over heard someone mentioning them at CP1 so took a moment to look it up. We had to make it to CP2 by 10:30am. That seemed ok.

Coming up to CP1, when things were still fun.

Then we hit the coastal footpath. Things changed very quickly. The path became narrow trail. We started to encounter steps. Not just any steps, big uneven steps made of sleepers with pins in to provide more traction. Up and down. Dean is more powerful than I am by virtue of a) being a man and b) having done a lot more cycling than me. I started to slow up on the uphills a lot. What was frustrating was that I couldn't even make up much time on the downhills, usually my forte, as there were also steps down, and sometimes the path was so narrow, rocky and close to a drop that I was terrified of losing my footing.

The views were second to none. Vast expanses of blue green sea, swathes of purple heather, butterflies everywhere, bright sky, sunshine galore. It was hard to see much of the route ahead, as it twisted and turned, dropped down and ascended steeply, but every now and then we caught a glimpse of runners ahead and made it our mission to keep them in sight. This often made it only too obvious what we had awaiting us around the corner in terms of ascent, which was quickly becoming soul destroying for me. Dean was motoring on and I was just trying to keep up. Handfuls of M&M's were administered, I finished my electrolytes, gels sucked down, sweat dripped off our noses and down our backs. Our pace had plummeted. The course was brutal.

We passed a pair of girls who were having to retire due to a twisted ankle, we found some marshals and spectators for a few encouraging words. My toes were sore from hitting the fronts of my trainers on the descents. I'd narrowly missed twisting an ankle, got a mini panic attack on an ascent, stumbled a few times. Despite the scenery, despite the fact I was doing this with Dean, who I love running with, I was not having fun. I by-passed the "power sob" phase that I end up in when things get tough and went straight to the "lost all hope" phase. Dean was still fixated on making the half way point by a particular time but I knew we'd missed the CP2 cut off. I think that was part of my undoing.

As we got closer to CP2 and found some road I tried to run again but the hills had sapped everything from my legs. Dean kept waiting for me and I knew that whatever I was doing wasn't quite enough. At the checkpoint we were told that although we'd technically missed cut off, we could carry on if we wanted to. I desperately wanted to be able to continue for his sake but deep down I didn't want to carry on. I doubted I'd make it to CP3 on the remaining coastal path. I was afraid of what would happen if I was between checkpoints and unable to continue. Knowing that Dean wouldn't carry on without me, knowing I was letting him down, having had some proper food, rest and more fluids at CP2 I made the call. I wasn't going to carry on. 21 miles in just under 5 hours. My first DNF. I promptly burst into tears on the poor checkpoint volunteers shoulder.

I normally only have to make these decisions for myself, but knowing I was impacting someone else race with my decision made it so much harder. I do think, now, with some perspective, I made the right decision but I spent the rest of the day beating myself up about it, trying to justify it, feeling like a failure and getting angry that I'd not managed it despite the things I've achieved before. Even the next day, when my legs didn't feel too atrocious, I struggled with my decision, thinking that if I could move today, maybe I didn't push myself enough.

The elevation map

We got a lift back to our hotel from the volunteer with the wet shoulder, in a mini van along with some lovely ladies who benefit from the charity that the race supports. We got cleaned up and wandered over to the race finish and back along the race route to support those coming in. It was bittersweet. We saw the medal and were relived that it wasn't a super duper spangly thing to be coveted. One of the finishers told us how she fell over three times on the route, had to call her mum for a pep talk and that the third leg was still really brutal.

Post run refuelling.

We enjoyed the rest of our afternoon exploring the town. Pasties were consumed, beers supped and we fell asleep in front of the athletics on telly. The next day we played tourists as our flights weren't until the evening, visiting Elizabeth Island and meandering along to St Aubin. In the event it felt as though we had a really great holiday. We talked about whether, given what we know now, we would return to try and complete the race another time. I would only do it if I felt prepared, if my legs were stronger and if the weather was fine. I can't contemplate attempting the route in the rain. It may have been folly to even begin the race and it's taken me some time to come to terms with what happened, but it's onward, preferably not too much upwards, and use this to learn from and fuel my determination to be better. Jersey was tough, but I will become tougher because of it.

Have you ever made the decision to DNF? Was it difficult? Did it affect someone else?
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Event Review : Reading Half Marathon

Thanks to Vitality I was fortunate enough to win a place in the Reading Half Marathon this year. I knew a lot of people who were running, it's a very popular event for the local running club, but I must confess that I hadn't felt moved to enter myself. But I also never say no to a free race entry! I've made no secret of having paced at events and as a couple of people asked if I'd be willing to pace them round Reading I thought it would be a great use of my place. Rachel and Cathy joined me on the starting line with Dean, also playing unofficial pacer, on a "breezy" Sunday morning.

We'd turned up nice and early to our pre-paid parking spot in the pink car park and wandered over to the start village to meet fellow club runners and to pay a visit to the Vitality tent to claim a Team Vitality shirt (which will be worn on other runs) and to take advantage of their dedicated bag drop, much smaller and easier to get to than the main one, although I heard no horror stories there. Let's get the important things out of the way... there were enough loos from what I could tell, including some in the parking areas, and there were an array of food trucks, merchandise stalls and massage areas. The start was well sign posted and we found the Orange start with relative ease.

The race was due to start at 10:30am, much later than I'm used to, due to a family run taking place beforehand. It had proved popular, judging by the number of people heading away from the stadium area as we were arriving, and made for a good atmosphere. I believe the front wave was set off promptly but it took around 20 minutes for the orange wave to reach the start line. Thank heavens for the body heat of strangers! In all seriousness, the start was managed well, with everyone managing to set off at their own pace with little jostling and weaving. There are thousands of entrants to the Reading half so managing the start line is crucial.

The four of us stayed in sight of each other for the first few miles, keeping to a 2h15 finishing pace. We sought out supporters in the crowd, enjoyed the bands and DJs on the route, and generally enjoyed ourselves. Dean caused a moment of chaos, concern and hilarity when he tripped over whilst running backwards to point out the lab he used to work in at the University... I don't think he'll be doing that again... and then it was into the town centre proper.

Cathy and Dean started to break away a little bit and we let them. Rachel was running a strong first half of the race but recovering from illness meant this had always been a "suck it and see" goal of 2h15 and we took a pragmatic approach of adjusting the goal in the second half. The support along the route never wavered, there were plenty of jelly babies on offer from kindly folk, the water stations always seemed to be just where you needed them (the squeezy pouches worked well) and soon we were heading down the dual carriageway towards the finish at the Madejski Stadium. I ran Reading some years ago and remembered this being long, tedious and dreary. Maybe it was because I had company this time, that I was stronger, but it didn't seem so bad. Rachel, trouper that she is, saw the signs counting down the meters to go and kicked it up a gear, reaching the finish line just 30 seconds outside of her PB - a fantastic achievement!

Well deserved medal for Rachel

The finish line was just as well organised as the start, with runners encouraged to flow through the first aider area to collect a foil blanket, goody bag, t-shirt and refreshments. It wasn't crowded, easy to find those we were looking out for and similarly easy to get our bags back form the Vitality tent. The walk back to the car seemed to take twice as long as it should have done and he only thing that put a bit of a dampener on the event, for me anyway, was how long it took to get out of the car park... 45 minutes! But all in all a great event and a fun day out.

Proudly sporting our finishers t-shirts and medals!

For your £35 entry fee you got a sized cotton finishers t-shirt and a goody bag including a mars bar, meridian bar, bottle of lucozade and bottle of water. The medal was heavy and had space for an iTab should you have felt inclined to record your time. Vitality seem to have gotten the organisation of their events spot on and although large, I would recommend them. Thank you to everyone involved in the day and congratulations to all finishers, whether you achieved your "A" goal or not.

Have you had a friend pace you before, paced for someone or used an official pacer? What was your experience?
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Event Review : Polar Night Half Marathon 2017

There's quite a back log of races to write about, and while some I may not, I wanted to share my experience of the Polar Night Half Marathon that I revisited back in January. You may recall I ran this last year with a couple of friends and at the time thought "great, that was fun, another tick" and toyed with the idea of the Midnight Sun Marathon but not the night one again.

Ha! What a fool was I? My friends signed up again almost immediately and eventually I was persuaded to go back out to Tromso too. And then Dean said he'd come and run too, as some partners were also coming out to Northern Norway, so that was that. Hotel was booked, flights sought, down jackets prised out of the wardrobe and ice grips left until the last minute to buy (and failed to turn up in time).

Landed in Norway!

The trip out was fine and we were delighted to get snowfall on our first night. There was already snow on the ground but it wasn't as thick as the year before and it was a little warmer, meaning conditions were slushier underfoot. Discussions were had about the merits of trail shoes against road shoes either with or without grips. As the race doesn't start until 3pm we had a morning to try out some options and ask the locals at the race pack pick up.

As last year, registration was busy but efficient. Timing chips were checked to be working, we were given a bottle of water and a race paper (in which two of my travelling partners made an appearance) and able to ask the burning questions. "If you want to get a time or win, wear spikes" was the advice of a local. I hadn't brought trail shoes so road shoes it was! There was no further snowfall and temperatures were verging on comfortable. Whilst I was at the "expo" I pawed again at the race t-shirts and other items. Everything in Norway seems expensive and if you ever thought a race vest was pricey in the UK you can imagine how much more it might be out there. Regardless, Dean bought us both a race t-shirt and an additional reflective beanie hat for me. Bless! They didn't half look smart and they were duly worn over base layers for the event.

His and hers t-shirts. Here, have a sick bucket...

On the start line once more I was looking forward to it all. Dean was nervous and excited and just a general bundle of fizziness. We set off, slowly at first as we got used to the ground underneath, and to be fair we didn't get an awful lot faster. Conditions were ok, slightly slippery, but calm in the residential areas that the route winds through at first. There was just as much support as last year, lots of marshals around and torches all along the way. As we came out of the residential area and beside the water towards the airport the winds started to whip the snow around us. My face started to feel red raw on one side and I gave up wiping my nose. A gel was consumed at 5 miles and half way was a very welcome sight. Dean was seeming strong but I was finding it all very hard going from mile 9 and eventually I had to call out to him to slow to a walk for a moment. I had the second of the gels I had with me and we walked for a while. Turns out he wasn't feeling too great either and we ran-walked a couple of miles, managing to jog the last mile (I can always run a mile, but stringing them together doesn't alway happen).

Post race with medal. 

Some of our group had done the 5k option and others in the half marathon had beaten us home so we got a nice cheer on the final straight. Hot squash and bananas were hoovered up, alongside several snickers bars (Dean) and we all retired to our hotel to defrost, clean up and rest in advance of a group dinner and drinks later. Olhallen, the brewery bar we enjoyed so much last year, was the go-to destination.

Fighting with the bear in Olhallen

With the race being on a Saturday we had a couple of days after to relax and sight see. We were fortunate enough to get the last few spots on a whale watching trip on the Sunday and took some time to meander around the town, on Monday, after the obligatory recovery run over the bridge to the Arctic Cathedral and back. And just to top everything off we saw the Northern Lights again whilst on the plane heading home.

Dressed for whale watching

Whale!

Arty photo moment

A great time was had by all and despite the event being such hard work on this occasion, I thoroughly enjoyed it (in hindsight) and would absolutely do it again, although I think we've got our sights set on the Midnight Sun event for 2018! These events are well organised, not too huge, and a real novelty for those of us used to running in the UK. They're not cheap but it's a great excuse to travel and maybe fit in some other activities while you're there.

What's the most unusual event you've ever taken part in? Does night running or ice running appeal?

Heart Health Benefits of Running

With one of the most common New Years Resolutions being to get fit it's no wonder that January sees a sharp increase in the number of people in the gym or pounding the streets. Running is simple to do (although not always any less daunting than other forms of exercise) and has a host of health benefits associated with it.

Amongst these are the benefits to lung capacity, mental well being, weight loss, improved strength and endurance. It also has huge benefits for the heart and I was recently signposted to this collection of articles which has a wealth of information about how running helps the heart. So if you needed any further encouragement, take a look.

Event Review : Samaritans Run (10k) 2016

For the past couple of years I've run the Samaritans 10k at Wellington College in Crowthorne. I'd resigned myself to not running it in 2016 as I tend not to do the same race very often, let alone three times. However, for 2016 the route was changed to Jennetts Park with the start at the Fujitsu office  due to ongoing building works at the college. This was enough to persuade me to run it for a third year, and as part of Bracknell Forest Runners.

It's a key race for the club, being a championship race for the 5k distance that takes place alongside the 10k. I'd signed up for the event before becoming part of the club and hadn't taken part in any other championship events so didn't feel the need to suddenly switch distance but I saw a huge number of fellow club runners on the day taking part in both distances and going on to a social afterwards.

Start time was a very civilised 10:30am for both distances with a warm up before hand. There was plenty of free parking and a few stands near the start including a tombola (I didn't win anything) and a cake stall (I purchased a custard danish - all in the name of charity of course).

We started on time, setting off on a one or two 5k loop of Jennets Park respectively. It's not an area I've explored much so it was fun to run around the housing estate, odd as that may sound, and the parkland. The benefit of running around a residential area is that there's a good level of support. The marshals were also fantastic, cheering and making sure no one got lost on the more windy sections of the course.

I enjoyed the main part of the course, with the exception of one short, sharp incline on both laps did not enjoy the zig zag section through the car park to the finish. But, I understand why it was there, it was just tedious. I gratefully accepted my medal (green ribbon for 5k, purple for 10k) and goody bag which contained a snickers, bounty, two protein brownies, banana, water, pedometer and water bottle.  Not bad at all for £16 entry (for early bird/club runners). It was a beautiful day so I stuck around for the prize giving and to chit chat. All were agreed that it was a roaring success but it still won't sway me to run it for a fourth time... unless the route changes again of course!
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Event Review : Polesden Lacey 10k

One of the things I really wanted to do this year was to race at a National Trust property. I've been a member of the NT for years and admire the work they do. Heck I've even been on working holidays with them (although making cider and learning to surf and turf didn't really feel like "work"). The grounds of the properties they own and the swathes of countryside are stunning and it just seemed like a lovely thing to do, given the opportunity.

My friend and RunFitter, Rachel, took part in the Polesden Lacey 10k last year and hearing her description of the event, even with mention of the huge hill, was enough to get me signed up. Polesden Lacey is a National Trust property with a beautiful 1400 acre estate with stunning views across the Surrey Hills. It was owned from 1906 by the famous Edwardian hostess, Mrs Greville, who entertained royalty, politicians and the cream of society. The route takes in the grounds and some of the woodland walks that surround the house. The 10k only cost £18 which gets you a fine medal, chip timing and chocolate at the end of the race. There is also a 2k fun run for those who don't want to tackle the whole thing.

It was a grey and drizzly sort of morning as we set out to make the hour drive to the event. As we stepped out of the car I regretted my choice of attire; vest, shorts, thin long sleeved top. The wind bit through and I could feel the rain seeping through to my skin. A brisk walk to the shelter of registration tent to collect my number and then to the woods near the start line to eat a picnic breakfast. Overnight oats for me and mum, sausage sandwich for dad.

On the way we stopped at the Hoka tent to eye up the brightly coloured trainers. The guy there said that I could try a pair of trainers for the race so ignoring the rule of "no new things on race day" I promptly ditched my beaten up old Salomons and laced my feet into a bright new pair of hokas. After breakfast when I found Rachel and the rest of the Tool Station Posse (as we now call ourselves at RunFit) it didn't take much to persuade Rachel to try a pair too. So kitted out in fresh kicks and snazzy visors to keep the rain out of our faces we huddled into the crowd on the start line, bracing ourselves for "the hill".

It wasn't a huge event, around 400 people and so there wasn't too much jostling at the start. The route quickly lead out of the main grounds and into the woods. The terrain became progressively gravelly, then muddy, first down hill then up hill. For a mile. I am not ashamed to admit I broke and walked. My legs weren't fully recovered from the previous week's marathons and I'm not strong at hills at the best of times. Spirits refused to be dampened by the rain, although the trees offered respite from the down pour, and soon we were tackling another, shorter uphill through meadows back towards the property. The steps up and through the pagoda must have been someone's idea of a joke but the views before we turned into a dense wooded area were stunning, even in the rain. My legs found a sprint finish, thanks to the cheers from parents and friends.

Soaked to the skin and a time of 1:03:35 could have left me feeling deflated but instead I felt a sense of achievement and wellbeing. It was a joy to cheer Rachel over the line as she finished in a time 12 minutes faster than the year before. Well done! Medals and chocolate bars collected, hugs all round and tags snipped from our now not so new-looking trainers. Regrettably we did have to return the shoes but the consolation was that our own trainers were nice and dry!

So without further ado it was a quick dry and change and to the cafe where we partook of tea, cake and other various lunch items. If the sun had been out we would have stayed for a picnic and made a day of it, but alas, t'was not to be. We will be back though, to visit the property and to race again no doubt. We're also talking of trying a night run at another NT property in the autumn.

My thoughts? The marshals were all cheery and genuinely helpful, the organisation good, too few toilets but an excellent medal. The rout, although slightly challenging was not beyond most and very picturesque. Having the fun run was a great way to make it more of a family day out and an extra marque for shelter (mainly for spectators) would have been nice. I'm adding it to the list of "would do again" races.

Event Review : Cakeathon

I'm a big fan of running, a bigger and of bling and am almost convinced that I'm genetically wired so as to be incapable of refusing cake. So the perfect event for me was of course something called Cakeathon!

Organised by Saxons Vikings and Normans, Cakeathon is a time challenge event; participants have 6 hours in which to complete as many laps of the course as they wish. You only need to complete one to qualify as a finisher, making it ideal for all ability levels but giving scope for more serious runners to compete against themselves. On completion of each lap your lap card is punched and you decide whether to continue. If you've had enough you just ring the Bell of Doom to receive your medal and goody bag. SVN events are renowned for their bijou events, amazing goody bags and awesome medals. Seriously, I've never seen anything like them before, and this was no exception. In addition, as this is CAKE-athon after all, there was a substantial amount of cake on hand over and above the usual aid station.

Set in what used to be known as Foulmead Country Park in Deal, Kent, the lap on this occasion was 4.37 miles, so each loop burned around 400 calories. A modest sized bit of cake per lap! Participants were encouraged to bring their own cake creations. There were prizes for the best cakes of the day, in the categories of:

1) Best cake

2) Best cake featuring marzipan

3) Best marzipan creation

4) Best cookie/brownie

5) Best vegan cake/creation

Vegan Turkish Delight cake. My favourite!

I rocked up around 8:30 for the 9am start. It's a small event in terms of allowed numbers so there was no trouble collecting my number and working out what was going on. Race briefing was amusing and informative. Amongst the regular Joes we had people running their 50th, 99th, 100th and 200th marathons that day! We started a fraction after 9am. It all felt very chilled out and relaxed. The first lap felt like the longest as I wasn't really sure what to expect but I soon settled into things. Run a lap, get my card punched, pause for squash, cake and cheese straws, set off again.

The course was stunning and traffic free (although not public free) all on gravel surface with a few "slopes", which I chose to treat as hills (i.e. walking up them). There were lovely woods to run by, ponds, grasslands and wet lands. It was pretty windy in the middle section of the course and I deliberated for ages over whether to ditch the base layer. In the end I didn't. I wasn't uncomfortably hot and I cooled down quickly after each lap. I didn't spot an awful lot of wildlife other than birds but I did hear a cuckoo on every lap. Although for once, you could wear headphones on the course and I had mine with me, I didn't feel the need to plug in. I was kept distracted enough by the course and also by greeting other runners on the out and back part of the course. By far one of the friendliest races I've ever done, "well done" was the catchphrase of the day, and sincerely meant.

My parents arrived to support me as I came in from my second lap. It was a joy to see them and my end of lap routine now included a chat with them. In the 45 minutes or so I was out on the course they   have a cooked breakfast at the visitor centre, chatted with the event team and supped cups of tea. After a couple of laps they discovered a half way point they could as get to so I was greeted part way round as well.

Dad napping. Was I taking that long?

I'd set out with the intention of attempting 7 laps, and achieving ultra marathon distance but my hip flexor started to ached and after my 6th lap I decided I probably couldn't run another and wasn't prepared to walk so I rang the bell. Better to finish on a high and besides 6 laps was marathon distance and I was delighted with that. Five hours 22 minutes on the course (including stops). Not bad. I'd only managed a couple of slices of cake as I just couldn't face it after a while but I did leave with several pieces in a takeaway container!

My ankles pre-clean down

We retired to the visitor centre for tea, warmth and, in my case, a bit of a clean up. Pretty dusty out on the course! As well as cake I got a super special finishers medal, custom made and designed, not a generic one, plus a goody bag containing actual goodies, not a bunch of adverts. Best of all, nothing healthy! Chocolate, crisps, cola... that sort of thing. 

It was a really enjoyable day out. I talked to people who ran 10k, half marathons, full marathons and every thing in between (and over). I am already eying up other SVN events to do and my mum was so impressed by the medal she was actually moved to say she would do it next year (maybe just the one lap). Highly recommended.

Have you done an SVN event? How do you feel about lapped events or time challenges?