Slugging it out: The Stansted Slog 2008

I thought I'd give the Stansted Slog a go as a pleasant alternative to the usual Sunday run, although as most of it is run on trails that we run every Sunday anyway it wasn't really that much of a change. I really should have taken a camera with me, but if you want an idea of the look and feel of the race then my Sunday Run post is pretty much it (in fact Stansted House is the backdrop of the first photo).

This was only the 3rd running of the event, which surprised me somewhat as it seemed to be one of those traditional events that everyone does and I'd yet to attempt. Maybe that's an indication of the quality of the organisation provided by Pompey Joggers. Certainly you'd be hard pushed to find a better venue, starting and finishing as it does in front of Stansted House. The toilets are also the best I've come across at an event, being the stone floored stable-block toilets used by visitors to the house. Good toilet facilities are always a great asset for any race - I'm not kidding here! It makes a big difference.

The weather couldn't have been better. It was rather cool in the shade but you soon warmed up in the unbroken sunshine. It was perfect running weather: all that sunshine and no overheating! The conditions underfoot too were perfect - hardly any mud and good firm footing.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to avoid any of the glorious hills of the South Downs, but for those wanting a slightly flatter shorter route there was the 8-mile Stansted Slug as an alternative to the 13-mile Slog.

At 10:30am precisely we set off and immediately I was running on familiar trails, albeit on a route parallel to our more usual path through Stansted Forest. There's something magical in running through woods on a bright sunny day as the light flickers and picks out fleeting features on the forest floor. It all seems somehow a heightened reality - who needs drugs when you have all this?

My aims for the day were to have a nice training run: a progression run where I start out slowly and pick up my pace throughout the race to hit half marathon pace at the end. I'd intended to stay with Diana for more than just the first mile, but as we ran through the trees I couldn't help start to pick up places one by one and I left her behind. It was also a relief to get past the big smelly brute ahead of me (some enormous guy, not Diana, I should point out). How can someone smell that bad only 1 mile into a race?

On we slogged past the beautiful Idsworth Church, this time approached from the opposite direction to our usual Sunday route. The setting of the church is amazing - right out on its own among the fields. Such is the lack of surfaced access to it, that a wooden bridge has been built at the foot of the hill, to keep the congregation's Sunday finery out of the mud that naturally forms in the hollow during the winter.

I'd been warned about the big hill we were about to climb, but in the description of how bad it was I'd assumed it was the near vertical climb further up the valley. In fact we were about to climb the hill I've done many times before: steep but runnable - it just goes on a bit. We got a small respite half way up and then continued to climb the now shallower gradient up on to the ridge. I'd commented to a fellow runner that I was relieved we hadn't gone up the steep bit. I now listened in amusement how my tale was being relayed back down the field "She reckons this is the easy bit and she's glad we haven't gone up the steep part!" "What??!".

As we got to the top of the ridge the runner ahead of me stumbled and nearly went over on his ankle. He commented that this was the last place to turn an ankle, being so inaccessible. I replied that if he was lucky "we might be in Air Ambulance territory". As I spoke those words I immediately heard the familiar low rumble of a helicopter behind me and I shouted "Wow, that was quick service". It wasn't as familiar a rumble as I thought though, as to my surprise I turned to see a Lancaster Bomber fly low over our heads. I later realised it was on its way to the Goodwood motor racing circuit for their revival meeting. What a spectacular sight! They don't build them like that any more.

On we slogged and we came to the really steep bit I'd mentioned earlier, though mercifully we were going down it. I love going fast downhill but I had to patiently wait behind the other runners due to the narrowness of the path. I suppose I could have launched myself straight over the edge of the winding path but I was concerned about what might be lurking in the long grass, cowpats aside. At the bottom of the hill I passed Rob who'd taken a wrong turn and ended up on the Slog course instead of the Slug. An unexpected treat for Rob then!

We were soon on to the only unfamiliar part of the course, as we ran up from Ditcham towards West Marden. People moaned about this afterwards, it being a long interminable slog up a big hill, but I didn't mind it: it was shallow enough that you could run with a reasonably normal gait - you just had to pace it and be patient. The reward at the end though was a steep well surfaced drop down into West Marden where I could now use my full range of descending techniques. I love running fast downhill!

Someone who isn't going to love running downhill is Andy whom I met climbing out of West Marden. I could see by his limp and the dirt on his back that he might have taken a tumble. He'd gone over on his ankle coming down the steep bit. I suggested now was a good time to drop out as we'd just passed the marshals at the drinks station. His reply was that he'd never yet dropped out of a race and he wasn't going to now. With 4 miles to go and the revelation that he thought he might have broken something, was this really such a good idea? He gave us a shock at the finish when, following treatment, we thought he had been taken off to hospital, but he eventually emerged with a strapped ankle, presumably intact.

Back to the last few miles of the race and I'd been having trouble picking up my pace due to the steepness of the terrain, although I had been overtaking a steady stream of runners right from the start. Now that we'd climbed out of West Marden though, the terrain started to flatten out and I was able to really pick up the pace and drive for the finish. I was pleased with my pace for the last few miles, almost to half marathon pace, though due to 8 miles and a heavy gym session the day before, there was a touch of fatigue preventing me getting my heart rate up to where it should have been.

As we basked in the sunshine at the finish, swapping stories and checking out the strapping on Andy's ankle, we witnessed a very tired Kevin arrive to complete his first (near) half marathon. He now knows he'll easily finish the Great North Run in 2 weeks' time. Well done Kevin!

It's a shame for Rob that after 13 miles of Slog, he was listed as last finisher in the Slug!

Fab day, great run!

The Oxford and Cambridge boat race: Southern Counties Veterans Athletic finals Ashford 2008

We looked out over the deserted track and infield of Julie Rose Stadium as it submerged under a deluge of epic proportions. The rain had come too late to interfere with the battle between Cambridge and Radley (near Oxford) who, as we stood watching the waves of torrential rain batter the stadium, had just been named joint winners for 2008. Despite our best efforts, we couldn't sink the 2 crews, finishing just behind them in third. After my soaking in the first event of the day, the pole vault - more on that later - the rain had in fact held off until after the last event to make for a very enjoyable, if windy, day.

My main, and arguably only, contribution had been the 3000m towards the end of the event. We went into it with a good chance of victory, so needing as many points as we could muster - no pressure then! I've been suffering cramps and spasm in my calves for the last couple of months, whenever I do races or speedwork, so had hoped there wouldn't be quite so much pressure to run hard. In the event though things played out quite well.

With Steph running A-string, myself B-string and Marilyn our V50 runner, we had a strong line-up, but we were up against it when it came to Cambridge Harriers: they had the UK W40 champion Clare Elms on their team along with someone who looked like she could have been Clare's sister running B-string. The regular creases in the B-string runner's vest suggested it had just come out of its wrapping - I hope they hadn't recruited her into the team just for that event - that wouldn't really be in the spirit.

The race started and the first lap went by at quite a sedentary pace - real championship running. The quality soon started to show though as the Cambridge women picked up the pace. Steph gave chase but I realised my battle was with the B-string runners and this worked out quite well for me as the Cambridge B runner took off with her team mate at a pace I knew I couldn't match, leaving me still running comfortably on the shoulder of the Herts and Phoenix runner in 2nd place. Radley were somewhere behind but this didn't surprise or concern me as their strengths seemed to lie very much with field events and sprints rather than endurance running.

I was running at around 10k pace, putting in 100 second laps, although the effort seemed greater due to the strong headwind in the home straight. My Herts quarry seemed strong, lapping consistently, but I knew I had plenty in reserve - hopefully this wouldn't be too brutal a race for my fragile calves.

With each lap I monitored my friend's breathing as I heard shouts of "good tracking Susie" from my team mates at the side. The most telling evidence of her condition came on each running of the home straight. I was unable to get any real drafting due to the angle of the wind so just sat on her shoulder and monitored her effort. The first few laps she ran strongly, but with 3 laps to go she was noticeably struggling into the wind. With 2 laps to go I was now having to slow slightly to remain behind her in the straight. I knew the time had come to make my move.

She picked up her pace again as we swung out of the wind and I moved along side her along the back straight. As we rounded the bend with under 600m to go I heard a little voice echoing from a running book in my head "When you make your move, make it decisively". I picked up the pace and powered past her into the wind, sensing the gap widening behind me.

I felt good! In fact I felt great! With 200m to go I picked up the pace again with Pete shouting "Easy!" from the sidelines. Did he mean to take it easy or that I made it look easy? My second surge was fairly pointless as I'd already sealed 2nd place B-string, but it felt good to finish strongly to the cheers of my team-mates.

Steph got 2nd A-string behind Clare and I got 2nd B-string behind their other extremely talented runner, who in fact beat Steph into 3rd place on the track. I think their V50 also won. We got good points, but unfortunately lost ground to Cambridge.

My time was slow: 12:29.5, but I was pleased with how I ran. My penultimate lap was a full 10s faster than any of the previous laps, and my last 200m was covered in a comfortable 44s - my mile PB pace. Satisfaction in 7½ laps!


A major source of my apprehension before the 3000m was my performance in the pole-vault at the start of the event: I failed to make the opening height of 1.40m and so despite Cambridge not fielding a vaulter I failed to score any points - you'd have thought I'd get a point for at least trying!

My pole-vaulting hadn't started well. I watched in frustration at the men warming up (ie practising!) as we searched in vain for someone who could get me access to a stadium pole I could borrow. When I finally found one I was left on my own to warm up in a heavy shower, while everyone else sheltered. I managed 3 jumps onto the mat, just enough to establish that the pole was far longer than I was used to and I should be holding it well down the pole. It was then time to jump for real over an opening height 30cm higher than I'd normally be allowed to start at in the league. I'd cleared 1.40m several times in practise a year ago, but after my torn stomach muscle I hadn't jumped since. I was nervous! It didn't go well! I think we'll leave the story there!


Apart from the pole-vault it was a great day with some great performances from the team. If only we'd been at full strength, we might have had those 7 points we needed to win. Here's to the finals next year: watch out everyone - we'll be back!