Date: Tuesday 27th December 2022
Official miles: 50 km
Strava says: 31.26 miles
Elevation: 2,543 ft / 775 m
Weather: Cool and sunny
Start: Meon Hall
Route type: 4x out and back
Conditions: Damp but not too muddy
Website link: Second Wind Running
Describe the route in three words: number one Santa
Winter Cross 50km - Race Report
My friend Ingrid had run this race a couple of years ago and said she'd really enjoyed it, due to my work schedule I have never been able to enter. But thanks to the Boxing Day bank holiday, this year meant I could enter. I was umming and ahing as to whether I should or not as I’m not currently where I’d like to be fitness-wise and also surely it’s mad to run an ultra after all the Christmas indulging? I realised that if I didn’t do it, then next year I would be really annoyed with myself and would regret not doing it when I had chance to. I set all my expectations very low, and aimed to enjoy it and treat it more as a training run.
I packed a drop bag and and it was quite comforting to know I could return between legs to the warmth and sanctuary of the hall, stocking up on whatever I wanted. I nearly put a rice pudding and a Pot Noodle in and then reminded myself that it is only 30 miles on a relatively flat route, this would certainly be overkill.
As we gathered in the hall I started a conversation with a chap wearing a Hardmoors tee shirt, we swapped Hardmoors stories before heading to the starting area. My watched informed me that I had completed the course so I thought it best I cross over to the other side of the start so as not to confuse it again, it meant as the course was now ‘complete’ I had to set it up again on my Garmin.
Leg One (9km) takes you north along the Meon Valley Trail. We’d been warned there would be an unavoidable big puddle around 500 m out of the start, as we reached it I asked the marshals “Is this the big puddle?” (it wasn’t as big as I’d envisaged) and then my foot went down a pot hole! Wet feet straight away but who cares, the weather was great for December!
This is 4km out and 4km back along what used to be a railway line. The path has lovely views to either side of sheep and horse fields and the rolling hills of the South Downs. As you near the turnaround point you see the front runners on their return, I found myself waving and saying “well done” to every one of them. It was soon my turn to be running back and passing the ‘out’ runners, I spotted the guy in the Hardmoors top and gave him an extra cheer, by the time I had waved and called to everyone, it really didn’t feel like I had much further to go until the end of the leg. The 'back' leg is ever so slightly downhill and I found myself doing around an 8 minute mile, really not at all ideal for an ultra! I positioned myself behind two guys and told myself not to overtake them. We passed a lady with a lovely long swinging plait which put me into second place. I chatted with Paul, an experienced ultra runner who has previously done UTMB and Marathon des Sables as well as many other big events. I glanced at my pace which was now 7.50 m / mile and told him I’d really need to slow it down on leg 2 as this was quicker than my marathon pace and not at all sustainable.
Paul and I splashed back through the puddle and reached the aid station at the end of the leg.
Leg 1 North finish - overall 18 / lady 2
Paul stopped at the aid station and I carried on, the lady with the lovely long plait passed me putting me back into third. Leg Two (21km) heads East along the South Downs Way. The 'out' is in the same direction as the South Downs Way 100 which I had run back in June. There is quite a steep but short hill which I vividly remember from before as I had been wondering if I should get my poles out or not. This time though I didn’t have poles with me as I didn’t need them for a 30 miler. I was right behind the lady with the plait but decided I would not ask to pass her as it would then be a bit embarrassing when she overtook me a few minutes later. The guy she was with kept taking photos of her, I did wonder if maybe she was sponsored by Salomon as she was covered head to toe in the gear and he really was taking a lot of photos. I was then surprised to see the lady in first come up from behind, she must have stopped for a pit stop at Meon Hall, this did however mean that I had been first lady for a very short amount of time when I'd started the leg!
We reached the top of the hill and had a lovely damp leafy track that was ever so slightly down hill, I ran past the plait lady and her photographer, crossed the road and then had a super enjoyable downhill section. It did however keep popping up in my mind how I would need to get up this hill on the return! Once finally at the bottom you pass through a farm where a big group had been camping when I had been on the SDW100 and then you head up a long drag of a concrete hill, up towards Old Winchester Hill nature reserve, I’d remembered that bit as that is where I had applied suncream, funny the bits your remember on ultras. This is where a bubbly young lady passed me and she wondered out loud if she would regret running up the hill later.
The final section up to the turnaround was fairly narrow and chalky, I chose to walk, this is where the lady with the plait soldiered on past me and I was impressed with how she ran the entire way up! Paul of UTMB and MDS fame and his friend caught up with me here and we stayed together choosing to go around the vehicle barrier (the ones that are horse friendly and the horse can step over) on the way up and we said we’d all jump over the hurdle on the way back. We stayed together until the turnaround where they stopped at the aid station and I carried on.
It wasn’t long though until the boys caught up with me and we all jumped the hurdle together, obviously with me saying "weeee" as I cantered over on my imaginary horse.
Leg 2 East turn - overall 29 / lady 5
It was great fun going back down that hill, a bit slippy in places due to the chalk but I think I was making people smile with my Santa hat bobbing around and my constant "hello's" and "well done's" in-between squealing with excitement. I spotted my Hardmoors friend and gave him a whoop. It did feel as though there was a lot of downhill on the way back, aside from the big hill out of the farm. I realised before the end of this leg that I was already over half way through the ultra!
I decided at the end of leg 2 to pop in to the hall to grab my sandwich and Hula Hoops as well as use the loo. I headed for the toilet first, we were under strict instructions to keep the floor clean so I knew in order to access my dropbag I had to exit the building where the toilets were and go around and enter by another door nearer the bags. Could I figure out where the door was though? I nearly crossed the finish line, going so close to it that my Garmin told me I had completed the course (again) and then I spotted race director Phil and asked him where I should go. It felt like I had faffed around at the hall for an eternity, wasting so much time (actually it took 3 minutes).
Leg 1 East finish - overall 39 / lady 6
I headed out west on Leg Three (11km), in the opposite direction along the South Downs Way. I was clutching my sandwich and Hula Hoops and hoping for a hill so I could eat them.
I then spotted the issue with my Garmin telling me that I had completed the course…. the course was no longer on my watch! Argh! It took me ages pressing every single button, nearly turning the watch off, stopping it and starting it, almost turning various apps on until finally I found the nav menu. I got the course loaded again but felt a bit frustrated at how slow I had been going whilst sorting it all out, what with the getting-lost-at-the-toilet situation it was all very annoying. Anyhow, I was on the way up The White Way, a lane which gets you on your way to Beacon Hill. I had half my sandwich and half my Hula Hoops and jeffed my way up. It wasn’t long until I saw the front runners coming down the lane and exclaimed how surprised I was to see them, they informed me that this was quite a short leg and I did not have too far to go. I reached the footpath turn off which took me up to the Beacon Hill trig. There was still around a mile or so to go to the turnaround point and I kept thinking how fun the return leg would be! I wiggled my tummy at the checkpoint timer thing, thanked the marshals and headed back the way I had come.
Leg 3 West turn - overall 37 / lady 6
I stopped for a quick picture at the trig and then headed down. What fun it was! My Santa hat was beginning to cause a stir, a jolly runner still on his 'out' run congratulated me on being number one Santa. Good point, I had this in the bag being the only one to turn up in a Santa hat! I passed the Hardmoors guy as well as a lady with pigtails that matched mine on her way up and jovially called, “Hey, we’ve got matching hair styles!”, I think she thought I was weird.
I could hear a clattering behind me on The White Way and a chap pulled up alongside me to tell me he wasn’t in the race, he was a hiker and found it easier to run down the hill. It was his poles that were clattering, we ran down together, he was thundering along in his hiking boots! He told me how he was off to climb Kilimanjaro in a couple of weeks, very exciting stuff. A young lady overtook me on the down hill and I calculated I was now in 7th, great, I just need to stay here to stay within my streak of always finishing top ten! I ran into the aid station, grabbed a bottle of water and did a little dance over the timing mat.
Leg 3 West finish - overall 37 / lady 7
The final Leg 4 (10km) headed South along the Meon Trail, this wasn’t as scenic as the first leg as it is more enclosed. It is flat though and is a great place to try and pick the pace up a bit. Not much to say about this leg other than there were often people to wave at, right from the start, as by now the front runners had finished. I overtook a chap who looked like he was really beginning to struggle, he called out kindly to me saying, “Great running, you’re looking strong, not too far now!” how lovely! I called a "well done, keep going" back to him. Towards the turnaround you have to come off the Meon trail, it was just before here I saw the lady with the plait but this time no photographer by her side. I headed down some steps and under a bridge, it was quite muddy and looked like for a moment I’d have to go in the water! I grabbed a Coke at the aid station and headed homeward bound.
Leg 4 South turn - overall 37 / lady 7
I passed the chap who’d been super encouraging and realised it was plait lady’s photographer! He was really looking a very different picture to the other times I had seen him, as though he had just run out of batteries, I wished him well and carried on. There really is no way of knowing how people are going to fare during an ultra as this situation prooved.
I gave a huge cheer to Mr Hardmoors and when I spotted the lady with the pigtails she lifted them to me in a ‘cheers’ kind of way, and I lifted mine back at her, I then shouted some really bizarre pigtail related encouraging comment like, “Go team pigtails”…
As we headed off in our opposite directions I thought out loud to myself what a weirdo I was and she probably thought I was completely bonkers too and was surely pleased to be running in the opposite direction away from me.
It felt really odd passing the central aid station and seeing people standing there refuelling and about to head out on their final leg, here I was coming up to the finish. I ran over the grass and across the finish line and was handed the most sparkly medal. I saw the plait lady posing for a trophy, can you believe she was only 2 minutes ahead of me and was 1st V40… now if only I hadn’t got lost in the toilet maybe I’d have got my hands on some bling!!!! She looked like she’d had a brilliant run, every time I saw her she looked super strong and seemed to maintain a very consistent pace. Mental note to self, get stronger and faster going up hills!
Leg 4 South finish - overall 35 / lady 7
What’s in the snack pack?
2x 500ml bladders water - 1 plain, 1 with Phizz
Natural bar x2
Fun size chocolate x2
Plastic bag (for aid station food)
Hydration tablets
Gloves
Hat
Inov 8 Trailshell waterproof jacket
Long sleeved spare layer
Vasaline
Whistle
OMM ultra flexi cup
Drop bag
Philadelphia cheese sandwich and Hula Hoops
Spare Phizz tabs
Spare hair band
Safety pins
Compeed, plasters, surgical tape, spare socks
Spare trail shoes
Hat
Gloves
Base layer
Leggings
Silva head torch
OMM Halo waterproof trousers
Salomon Bonatti waterproof over mittens
What I wore: Saucony Peregrine 12 ST, Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire, buff, Sweaty Betty power leggings, Stance socks, Ronhill merino long sleeved top, Sweaty Betty athlete long sleeved top, Dirty Girl gaiters, Salomon Adv Skin 12 running vest.
Lead up: Not too much to say in terms of preparation for this race, I only decided about a week before that I would enter and I am certainly not as fit as I could be / have been in the the past. The main goal, as always, is to enjoy and have fun.
Morning preparations: Luckily it was not a super early start as it was around 45 minutes away, alarm went off at 5.30am, left just after 6am having had porridge with berries and banana for breakfast and a short stretching session.
Summary: A brilliantly enjoyable event by a really warm and friendly organiser. Would definitely recommend this as either a first ultra or a route for someone wanting to have an opportunity to push themselves on the flatter legs or for someone looking to have a great day out right after Christmas, certainly ticked that box for me!
Lessons learned
I really don’t need much food for this kind of race, I’ve certainly got used to the longer races in either distance or time on feet where more food is required, I definitely put far too much stuff in my drop bag, which I didn’t need.
Hills, I really do need to get back out in the Beacons and brush up on my hill climbing.
Results
Chip time: 5 hr 17 m 18 s
Strava time: 5 hr 17 m 24 s
Overall: 35 / 133
Lady: 7 / 44 (2nd F40)
Winter Cross Ultra 50 km - click here for results
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