We started the training run on Sunday with me having written 12m 30 on my left wrist. This wasnt for distance or time, but for pace.
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| Claire at ‘checkpoint 2’ of trailwalker near Cocking on the South Downs Way |
The record for completing Trailwalker is 9 hours and 50 mins set by a Gurkha team a few years ago, although that isnt the record that caught our eye. The one that did was the time for a mixed gender team. Some quick maths told us that we would need to manage consistent sub 12 minute miles to have any kind of chance of beating the mixed gender team record. Competing with a military record was madness, but a civilian one was possible……..even if we weren’t allowed big shiny knives (the Gurkha knives are called Kukris).
Gurkhas a renowned for their speed, endurance and tenacity. For us to not only finish but finish quickly on Trailwalker we would need to emulate some of this. The idea of a Hill Race abroad for Gurkhas was introduced in 1890 by Major Bruce of the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles to show that Gurkhas could compete on equal terms with the Indian Army. In the first year the first thirty three places were won by Gurkhas (Dave Harvey hadnt been born or he would probably would have had a go).
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| Claire running up manor farm down on the South Downs Way |
Whilst we started our run Dave was determined to run Eastwards this time but got Crowborough and Cocking confused and ended up coming 15th in the 50 mile Norman Conquest Endurance Run. Dave ran this in under 13 hours.
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| Dave running the Norman Conquest Endurance 50 (he came 15th) |
Whilst Dave was conquesting Normanly, Claire and I got us warmed up by running up Manor Farm Down. Then it was all cross dykes and bottoms (Gadds Bottom. Combe Bottom, Little Graffam Bottom, Limekiln Bottom and Golden Combe Bottom). Our plan was to run from Cocking to Littleton Farm and back.
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| South Downs Way advertising near Cocking |
As we got level with East Lavington we got near Seaford College which is a school I attended for 2 terms when I was 14 and have no fond memories of whatsoever.
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| Lee where the West Sussex Literary Trail and South Downs Way part company. |
Once ‘up on the ridge’ the South Downs Way shares its route with the West Sussex Literary Trail. The West Sussex Literary Trail is 55 miles long and runs between Horsham and Chichester. It was opened in 2007 and its route honours a long list of authors I’ve never heard of including William Penn , John Galsworthy, Hilaire Belloc and Bob Copper .
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| West Sussex Literary trail on the South Downs Way |
The trail then opens up beautifully and took through Littleton Down and checkpoint 3.
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| Claire running Littleton Down on the South Downs Way |
After the wonderful scenery around Beacon Hill on our previous Trailwalker runs I didnt expect anything to be better, but Littleton Down is simply stunning. You could see as far as the two radio masts at Glatting Beacon which almost mark checkpoint 4.
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| Lee running Littleton Down on the South Downs Way |
One of the differences we are experiencing on the South Downs Way compared to the Greensand Way is that the South Downs Way has far more stretches that are bridle paths. This is a mixed blessing. Although the paths are wider (less pushing through brambles and stinging nettles), better signposted , better condition and no styles to climb over it comes with one big disadvantage…….Mountain bikes…..Everywhere! It’s like the running equivalent of a motorway and with the steep hills they go bombing past with HUGE grins on their faces while we wheeze up them in the opposite direction with red faces.
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| Mountain bikers on the South Downs Way |
As we ran back along our route towards our start at checkpoint 2 Claire and I had maintained a pace of well under 12 minutes per mile over a 2 hour run including 2 deliberate 5 min breaks at the checkpoints. It felt great to know we had a good level of fitness to build on towards our pace goal over much longer distances. Our next planned run would be for a similar pace over a longer distance…..meanwhile I’m going on ebay to see if they sell Kukris…..
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| Lee running along the South Downs Way towards Cocking |
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