Ridgeway Challenge 85

Anyone else giving this a go? I've done it twice now and it's the ultimate challenge. An excellent event with great support. Plenty of food and stops along the way.
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Comments

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭
    I'll be there.  Top event.
  • excellent. Need to find some more runners then!!

  • helly dhelly d ✭✭✭

    I'm almost certainly up for this one as it's been recommended and sounds like a good distance  to aim  for this year.  I was told that watching the dawn break was brilliant but the sun was somewhat fierce.

    Just need to wait to see if current injury settles enough to start running again.

  • Give it a go and wrap up warm for the nights!!
  • mr fmr f ✭✭✭
    Im undecided on this one, due to the Devon100 looking like its been cancelled bar any late organisers taking it over! A stunning course, much hillier in the first half than i thought!
  • Jerry-Jerry- ✭✭✭
    OK, I need just a little push to get me to enter...helly d are you up for this?
  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    <<heave>.

    <<shove>>

    This has got to be my favourite event ever.  Fabulous course, 3000 years old.  Feed stations to die for.  They ask you what you want in your sandwiches ...

  • Jerry-Jerry- ✭✭✭

    I just need one more little heave past the Wife's "Running Radar" which is on full sensitivity at present as she awaits my next challenge.

    I just love night runs and this one has been on my Things to Do list for way too long.

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    Jerry-   I'm afraid it is also an afternoon and evening run before and a morning run after ...  Unless you're quick in which case you'll be finishing in the dark. 

    Great weather last year with the low rays of the setting sun shining golden over the fields and creating dappled light through the woods.  The night feed stations have crackling log fires going and every comfort.  Would advise compass on North Wessex Downs - there are paths and bridleways everywhere and waymarks not always noticeable in the dark.

  • Gives Jerry a big shove. I am defo doing this as you know, so lets book it and do yet another event together. I have even just picked up a new Myo XP headtorch which will be ideal for the night time when you are doing (i mean we) are doing the map reading!!!!! Hope the maps we get are better than our last event..........
  • I'm up for it again this year. A third finish for me hopefully!image Agree with T rex - Feed station are great!
  • Jerry-Jerry- ✭✭✭

    Form printed, filled it out, cheque written now looking for stamp. Mrs Jerry has all the tell tale signs of "She knows what is going on and pretending not to".

     Come on Mr Immune, it ssooo much cheaper than our old friend London to Brighton and we can choose our own sandwich fillings, I am thinking tuna fish and raspberry jam for startersimage

    Thank you gentle men and lady folk, I'll see you there and no doubt chat here in the meantime

  • Good stuff Jerry, i will be doing the same this weekend. Better start training then!!! (Once ankle is 100%)
  • Jerry-Jerry- ✭✭✭
    EXCELLENT...just get that ankle rested, I need it rested and repaired before training commences
  • Shoves Jerry none too gently in direction of post office. The more the merrier.  I would like to do L2B again but adding suddeny inflated race cost to taxi cost it's becoming prohibitive.

    I've got my confirmation email so I'm in, my knee managed the Thames Trot so I think I 've got my mojo back. Marmite sandwiches for me.image, nice antidote to all those gel things. I'm not too good at running in hot weather but I think this race has a lot to get excited about.

  • Jerry-Jerry- ✭✭✭

    Great news helly d, I too am not touching L2B this year although we ran the route from Tatsfield to Edenbridge this morning and joined part of the Gatliffe 50km route from there to run all the way back.

    I appear to have "top permission" from her in doors so here we go again.

  • I don't know the area, I just remember suddenly encountering a familiar bit which really raised my spirits towards the end of the horror that was Gatliff (over 9 hours! not much food left till the last checkpoint! overtaken by walkers! Edenbridge station!).

    I'm going to have to get myself a mobile phone that takes decent pictures for this one just in case I'm in a fit enough state to use it. Ancient route, stone circles, my first attempt at through the night running. Are the crackling log fires strictly necessary on August Bank Holiday weekend?

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭
    Log fires?  They were certainly a welcome sight in the middle of the night!  But wasn't particularly cold, no.  Some runners put on extra clothing for the night section, but I stayed in shorts/long-sleeved top and was OK. I think if you were hanging about or walking you could get a bit chilly.
  • I will be joining you nutters..... Jerry and Mr Immune.  Am back and into the best foot forward after 4 weeks of physio (bank account says ouch) and Crystal Palace Sports Injury Clinic is the best place I have been for rehab (apart from the pub!!), new shoes, new challenge.....can't wait

     Mrs UltraBobban is cool with this too. I will promise a cornucopia of ciders and beers at the end as long as we can organise not driving!! (i.e. I migh take mrs UB away for a nice weekend between now and then as a plea for a lift in her bus!!

    And a bit of bedtime reading for preparation.......Mark Hines...Jungle marathon. fab book, a diary of a total nutter.

  • Jerry-Jerry- ✭✭✭
    This gets better and better, George can't do this one as he is on holiday but it will be brilliant to get together again.
  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    My winter training hasn't gone very well at all and I'll have to build up the mileage before this one.  Got four ultras lined up which should get me back on track.

    Hoping to knock some time off last year's.  The plan is to spend less time dithering at the checkpoints - after all I've said about them! - and not to get too comfortable at Goring.  Only did one navigational blunder last time which I can correct but it won't help because it was an inadvertent short cut image.

    Oh, and I shan't do the touristy bit visiting Wayland's Smithy at 4.30 a.m.  That alone will save 10 minutes.

  • Jerry-Jerry- ✭✭✭

    T Rex, towards the final weeks of your training last time what was you weekly mileage? Were you doing back to backs? What were your long runs?

     Sorry for all the questions but I am training for a 12 hour race in April and my weekly is hitting 55-60 at the moment and looking at my programme can see it reaching the 70 mile mark towards August.

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    Jerry-  My training isn't really based around weekly mileages and I never do those sorts of totals on a regular basis! 

    I supposed what I should have said on my post was that I need to get out doing more long runs!  This is what I prefer to do rather than back-to-backs, and I try to do a long run once a fortnight anywhere between 22 and 35 miles max.  This will usually be offroad and hilly (more hilly than Ridgeway). I would do my last 30+ run about 3 weeks before this.

    What's the 12-hour event?

  • Jerry-Jerry- ✭✭✭

    Thank you, I will see if I can run some LDWA events in prior to this event as they are great prep for these trail challenges

     The 12 hour event is the glorious (if less scenic) Crawley A.I.M 12 hour ultra which has seen me trudging around a track as I prep for the day. Pam Storey always puts on a good show with her 100 km group.

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    I'm doing the Caerphilly Summits 32 in July (LDWA Challenge event) if you fancy coming over to S Wales (assuming of course you're not already here).

    WhichWayNow - you going to be there as well?  I'm going to try to put on a better performance this year.

  • T-Rex I'm opting out of the summits 32 this year however I'm opting for the ross ultra on the 7th march and the compton 40.  Plenty of others too I hope!

  • Mr Trail Running Association Anthony Whatshisname has just told me.......

    I'M IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    monumental. I just can't wait for the cider party afterwards. Jerry, Immune, we are in the sub-24 crew.  Now lets find someone who can plagiarise the recipe for the C2C 45 cake as I am sure that had anti-imflamatories, huuuge amounts of carbs and protein and some special endorphin mix!! If anyone knows......please share your secret!

  • Jerry-Jerry- ✭✭✭

    Ditto....our Anthony is not a man of many words

     Jerry,

    Thanks for your entry.   Regards,

     image

    Yes, I am on the case for the recipe

  • Yep, I am in too. Just need to get some training in then!

    Jerry, Bobban - Fancy doing any of the events below in prep?

    Saab Salomon South Downs Marathon - Three Forts Mara - Downland Ultra 

    I am sure you have plenty of suggestions as well.

  • helly dhelly d ✭✭✭

    I can recommend the SDM, have done it the last 2 years - very well organised and ends in a good picnic area if you've got support crew meeting you.

    The more people I can encourage to do this the greater my chance of getting a lift thereimage

     ETA - Tech T shirt in the goody bag too, I think there were also socks in 2008 but sadly they gave me mansize.

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