Date: Sunday 25th September 2022
Official miles: 38.5 miles
Strava says: 37.45 miles
Elevation: 3,232 ft / 985 m
Weather: Ideal
Start: Hyde Common, Frogham, New Forest
Route type: Circular
Conditions: Dry
Website link: BigFeat Events
Describe the route in three words: Debbie’s first ultra
BigSky New Forest Ultra 2022 - Race Report
When Debbie said to me, “I want to run an ultra. But only if you do it with me.” I jumped on board, “Yes! Let’s do it!” I was at work one evening and we were having a bit of a text back and forth, saying how we ought to find a race that was not too far away and one that was circular, Debbie’s husband who is an experienced ultra runner warned her it might be bit tricky ticking both those boxes. I was also thinking it would need to be under 40 miles and not too technical or hilly… I didn’t want Deb to be completely scared off on her first ultra! Within 5 minutes of me sending back a text saying, “I’ll take a look online now and see what I can find” I found the perfect first ultra, BigSky New Forest by Big Feat Events. It ticked every single box. 1 hour 15 minute drive away, 62km circular route, 1026 metres elevation gain, and to top it all, the New Forest is gorgeous and I knew the trails would be really easy and runnable.
I picked Deb up just before 5am and we arrived when it was still dark at 6.15am. We realised that it might have been an idea to bring head torches for use in the portaloos, the torch on my phone was sufficient enough. We were far too early to consider heading to the start and stand there shivering, so we opted to sit in the car instead, we felt quite cosy, steaming up the windows with our hot porridge, good job it was a race day or others might wonder what was going on!
As we gathered on the start line, I could see there were not too many people, just 34 entered into the ultra but there was also a marathon and an 18 mile taking place. Race director Claire gave us our final instructions and we set off just after 7am.
The sun was still in the process of rising and within minutes of leaving we had two grey horses, tails high, galloping alongside us, the morning mist rising all around, it was such a beautiful sight.
The first checkpoint Checkpoint 1, Rockford Common, 5 miles (47m 44s) appeared and there was no need to stop for anything, we still had ample water and didn’t need anything to eat. We both commented how the checkpoint was quite a surprise, time had flown by and we had not been expecting to see it for a while. The course had no significant hills but was certainly undulating, lots of gentle slopes up and down. I was constantly keeping an eye on our pace, the plan had been to run at a 10 to 10.5 minute mile pace but it really was hard sticking to it, the trails were so very runnable, we were consistently under and closer to a 9.5 minute mile pace.
There was a decent downhill where a guy came flying by, his friend in hot pursuit, apologising for his buddy and saying that he didn’t get out much, I told him he wasn’t doing it quite right anyway, there was no “weeeeeeeee" sound coming from him!
It was around here we got chatting to a young chap named Harvey, much younger than us, a full head of ginger hair and a royal blue snack pack and shorts. It was his third ultra and he was keen to hear about mine and Debbie’s experience. Harvey told us he lives in Andover and wants to do Faccombe Backyard next year, I told him I was planning to enter too. After a while another runner, Richard, joined us and the four of us ran together for a short time.
I think we all arrived at Checkpoint 2, Milkham Enclosure, 10 miles (1h 38 45m) at a similar time, another checkpoint that seemed to appear quite abruptly, we hadn’t really stopped talking the whole time! We stopped briefly for a water top up and left them to it. It wasn’t to be the last time we saw them. They caught us up a bit later on and passed us.
As we hit just over 13 miles, I congratulated Debbie on completing a half marathon, and we had done it in not a bad time either. Deb said it was the easiest 13 miles she’d ever run and hoped the rest of the run would breeze by like this. We were still running at a quicker pace than planned, I’d given up trying to slow us down, and I said to Debbie that it might catch up on us later on.
We yoyo-ed with Harvey and Richard for a while but all left Checkpoint 3, Hope Cottage, 18 miles (3h 01m 35s) together, it was super as it was downhill out of checkpoint 3. We were all fired up after an intake of calories at the checkpoint. I had picked up a packet of pancakes to eat (great as easy to swallow) and some peanut butter pretzels (not so great as too dry to swallow!)
I took a selfie just after the 20 mile point as I always like to send an update to my mum and my husband at 20 miles, I think Debbie was having her first dark thoughts around here so I was trying to take her mind off it with random conversation. We were walking more of the hills now and having a bite to eat on them.
I kept hearing an odd sound which could have been voices and it seemed quite nearby... I realised I was making various phone calls and it was answering machines that I was hearing, oops! Last time I had run with Deb I had managed to take 750 photos from my pocket, it had taken an age to delete them all one quiet evening!
I knew we’d hit checkpoint 4 at around lunchtime so told Debbie that when we got there I would get my sandwich out. As with the three previous checkpoints, it suddenly appeared. Checkpoint 4, 26 miles Trafalgar Park, (4h 35m 23s) We spent a bit longer here, filling our water, choosing something to eat, I took some malt loaf to eat straight away and a Milky Way for the trails, Deb took some orange slices, after I bossily told her what I thought would and would not be a good snack. I got Deb's sandwich out of her running vest and made lots of dramatic noises as my hand got the full works, reaching into her sweaty pocket, declaring that I must be a good friend. Sandwiches in hand, we carried on, I noticed Deb's had all but devoured hers before we'd even left the checkpoint! We were going down a track and I was munching on my sandwiches when a speedier runner came by, he asked us if either of us had left something at the checkpoint, I looked at the item he was holding, whoops, that was me! My little bag with a snack and my hydration tablets inside! Apparently the marshal had jumped in their car and driven after us when they spotted it to try to give it back!
We hit marathon distance at 11.49am and we stopped to take a photo, Deb’s first marathon!
It was shortly after that we crisscrossed the River Avon over a series of bridges, graceful swans preening on the water, this was a magical part of the route for me, it was just so beautiful. As we reached Downton Village, Deb said she needed to have a bit of a walk. I suggested that we had something to eat whilst we did so. I think her mind was telling her that she’d come a long way, by still had a long way to go. I hunted around for my Milky Way but couldn’t find it anywhere, really annoying, I had some Skittles instead.
We reached a very large field, I had a feeling that Deb might have another low moment in here, there’s something about big fields like this, after the initial beauty wears off, they can become a bit featureless. I asked her how she was feeling and she admitted that she wasn’t enjoying the field. We could see Richard up ahead, he was walking. I wondered if maybe he was struggling a bit as it was flat where he was and no need to walk really. We caught up to him and asked him if he wanted to jog with us, he agreed. He fell behind again after a few minutes but we kept calling him shouts of encouragement when we stopped to pass through gates.
Later on Richard caught up with us and said he’d been having a real low moment in the field but had a chat with himself and picked himself up. We all ran together for a bit and Deb and I edged away from him on a long green path, I commented to Deb that she was really running strong, her face was telling me she was not perhaps enjoying this section as much as I was. We neared a group of Forest ponies with a foal at foot, I wasn’t sure if we should go behind the foal or pass through the middle of them, I voiced my thoughts out loud and it completely threw Deb, she lost her pace and I apologised as it took her a minute or two to get back in the zone. We rounded a corner and were greeted by a really fun downhill bit, I have a feeling Debbie was hurting all over now as she needed to go very carefully down the hill.
Richard was back with us and as we reached a river crossing at around 33 miles. We almost went off course as there was a sudden lack of signs (which by the way had been plentiful throughout) luckily the map on my Fenix 6 kept us going in the right direction. I knew the next checkpoint wasn’t far and told both Deb and Richard that after that checkpoint it was a 4.5 mile home straight. The car park where the checkpoint was came into view and Deb and I ran to the marshal who had Forest ponies for company. Checkpoint 5, 34 miles Godchild Car Park, (6h 25m 07s). The marshal was really having to work hard multitasking, in between filling our water bladders and asking us what we’d like in our cups, and telling us about the food that was on offer, she was having to constantly push away the cheeky ponies! A ginger fella came up just as we were leaving and asked if Harvey had been through, yes we said, he’s gone through already, the chap proudly said, “That’s my son!” we did a double take at him and giggled, of course this was Harvey’s dad, the resemblance was uncanny!
We really were on the home straight now, just a few short miles to go. The gravel track was wide and easy to run on but we did a few short walks which ended with me saying, "Little jog?" and Debbie thinking she might punch me. I could see a car park in the distance and told Deb that it could well be the finish line, and if it wasn’t, the finish would be shortly after. As we neared the car park I looked at my watch and saw that we still had 1.5 miles to go, it can’t be the finish, it’s too near. But as I ran to the top of the hill, I spotted my car amongst the others, "This is it Debbie, I can see my car, we are at the finish!" I reached out my hand for Deb to hold, "No no, you go, you cross the line, you’re ahead of me!" "No way Debbie, we are doing this together!" We held hands and our pace quickened, we crossed the finish 7 hours and 5 minutes after starting, we hugged, Debbie shed a tear, what a fantastic achievement for Debbie! And for me, what a privilege to be with someone every step of the way on their first ultra.
What’s in the snack pack?
Cream cheese and cucumber sandwich
Hula Hoops
Dried fruit and nuts
Shell less Skittles
Voom bar & Lucho Dillitos square
Sugar coated stemmed ginger
Mints
2x 500ml bladders water - 1 plain, 1 with Hi 5
Spare Hi 5 tabs
Inov 8 Trailshell waterproof jacket
Long sleeved spare layer
Vasaline
Spare hair band
Safety pins
Compeed, plasters, surgical tape, spare socks
Whistle
OMM ultra flexi cup
What I wore: Saucony Ultra ST 11, Garmin Forerunner Fenix 6 Sapphire, buff, Sweaty Betty power leggings, Stance socks, tee shirt, arm sleeves, sun cap, sunglasses, Dirty Girl gaiters, Salomon Adv Skin 12 running vest.
Lead up:
I had taken the summer off from heavy exercise as thought it might be an idea to let me body really recover after doing Blacks to the Beacons, Gwynne-Harris Round and South Downs Way 100 in a 6 week period. I’d planned to jump back into training with a 20 mile training run (which I did), Blaze sessions and running club but I got a horrible cold the same week I was officially ‘back in training’ and then got a bad back which took an age to go away, I was concerned that with no training in the bank so to speak, I’d find it tricky. Luckily, all was good on the day.
Morning preparations: Waking at 4am I had two slices of toast with jam and then on arrival I had a porridge pot. I was able to do some stretches before I left home.
Summary
Certainly a fabulous event for someone looking to step up into ultra.
Lessons learned
I can be really bossy! I was telling Debbie what to eat, when to run, when to walk and reminding her to drink, turns out I can be super bossy.
I loved helping Debbie to complete her first ultra! If anyone else wants me to assist them on their first ultra, let me know!
Results
Chip time: 7 hr 5 m 0 s
Overall: 17/34
Lady: 6/10
BigSky New Forest Ultra 2022 - click here for results