Photo: Adharanand Finn
Earlier this month I ran across Dartmoor with a group of eight runners including Adharanand Finn and his amazing run leader Colin. It was probably the most fun I've ever had on a run.
Photo: Adharanand Finn
On a beautiful sunny day, we set out from Okehampton fairly early, with some running right off the bat, and then a hike up to the first 'peak' of the day, one of four or five high points we'd be hitting as part of the new course being plotted by Colin. There was some bedrock under foot, and so far things were pretty dry. The photo below shows one of many river crossings, a couple of which were a little bit tricky or technical, but also which, you just could have walked through the river if you wanted.
Photo: Adharanand Finn
Right after that first 'summit' we set off downhill at a very brisk pace. I had my running poles with me, which had helped on the ascents so far, and I used them on the descents too, for the most part. On the really fast bits or on tarmac I didn't use them though, just holding them in one hand. This was my first real run with my new Black Diamond Z poles, and I think I like them even more than the Lekis I usually use, as the Black Diamond poles have a small lip on the handle that lets you pull the pole out of the ground just a bit easier. Not once did I have the 'stuck pole' phenomenon, even though the ground of Dartmoor soon turned soggy, gluey, and boggy.
Selfie from early in the day
The reason this run was so much fun, and so much more memorable than most of my other ultras, is that I did is as a social group run. I am a club runner, so I know firsthand the benefits to be had from these group runs. The cameraderie of the gropu can make all the difference in adverse conditions, and effort seems much less when running hard in a group. This was a *very* hard run that oddly didn't really feel hard, even though my average heart rate over nearly 9 hours out, was over 140, and I repeatedly hit 180 over the day. Strava's effort rating was in the mid-300s, making it one of my hardest ever efforts. But I was smiling at the end, and walking wasn't hard even afterwards (though it was hard to walk the next day!).
Dartmoor, early in the run
The hardest thing on this run was 'micro-terrain', by which I mostly mean the tufts of grass that grow up all over the moor. These ankle-testing grass humps are an obstacle course through which you must constantly navigate. A couple of times I inevitably hit one with my foot, causing it to go over a bit, but only partway. I think the poles helped a lot here too, in stabilization. But it was not just the grass tufts. It was also the long strips of boggy ground that cut across the path at very frequent intervals. So, looking down across the long descent that delivered us from the first northern half of the Dartmoor uplands, it looked smooth, but when running on that same surface, it become a very rough uneven surface that was anything but easy going.
A very happy moment
There were many moments of easy-goingness too, as when Colin would stop to provide commentary on the many landscape features we came across, from mining scars of the mostly surficial historical tin mines, to the pagan-marred granite crosses that dotted the landscape. We would stop briefly as a group to listen and comment and sometimes joke (as in "that's a lot of people below us", remarked Finn when standing on the highest peak in Southern England).
One of many peaks from the day
I learned a hell of a lot on this run, and consider it a breakthrough in my own running career. I fuelled perfectly, and it helped that we had Colin's wife crewing for us, as that provided water and many bananas, and my pack full of crustless quiche, which goes down oh-so-smooth. I learned to eat and drink a lot, and to smile my way through the pain, and I gathered advice during my many chats with the ever-generous Finn, with whom I chatted many times throughout the day. I now have my confidence to ask for what I need in my upcoming two remaining ultras this summer: BigFeats BigSea 50k near Swanage on the 9th of June 2024; and Race to the Stones 100k non-stop on the 13th of July 2024.
Veloforte gels and bars
I also have a box of Veloforte gels and bars that I ordered after findig out about them last Christmas, and then seeing Finn eating them during our Dartmoor crossing. These are the best-tasting gels I've ever used, and I can't wait to start my eating festival on the move in my next big runs this summer. I'm also considering signing up for one of the running retreats he puts on next year, but they do seem to be filling up fast. Jasmin Paris will be there, and I probably don't need to say much more than that!
