NDW100 2025

Three things went wrong that were within my control; a lot went right, even a greater number of things.  But the balance tends towards the errors as they magnify relentlessly through the course of a race of this length (100 miles).  Let's start with what went well on the North Downs Way 100 (2025):

1. My feet were happy and I had no blisters.  The Mafate X shoes are brilliant.  They have a carbon fibre plate in them, and they have a wide toebox with thick cushioning.  In combination with the Ultra Injinji toe socks there were no issues with rubbing or hot spots or pinching toes.  I also lubed my toes with Squirrel's Nut Butter and I do think this helped.  At one point I thought the big toe of my right foot might be rubbing a bit against the bottom of the shoe, but the Injinji design prevented it from being a problem and after 50 miles (when I pulled out) there was no redness at all.

2. I actually paced myself pretty well.  When people were dropping out all around me after Box and Reigate Hills, I felt really good.  At 31 miles when the crew told me 10 people were already out, I had no problem feeling energetic and stoked to keep going.  Mind you I was in last place (and people groan here and offer commiserations), and this fact was actually a point of pride since it meant I was still in the race and was keeping pace.  It was never really that close as I had 15-25 minutes to spare in these cases.

3. I had crew helping me and without my wife Diane showing up several times (I lost count, it was so many) I wouldn't have even gone 50 miles most likely. Or at least it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.  A few times she popped up on some lonely sections of trail and we had a good little chat about this and that and it helped distract me from a sense of isolation or a long way to go. 

What went wrong:

1. I ran out of time. At Knockholt Pound I, technically, left with a few minutes to spare, meaning I made the cutoff at this, the seventh, aid station.  But the crew there told me I had three hours to make the 10 miles to the next aid station heading into the dark at Wrothom.  My pace up to this point was only just over 3 miles an hour anyway, and I was slowing down into the dark due to being cautious on tricky terrain.

2. Chafing.  This was a deal-breaker, to be honest, and it was an error on my part to wear the shirt that I did, and to fail to put on anti-chafing cream in my armpits.  It has never been a problem before, but the shirt made it a problem.  It is a shirt I have run in before, and it is very comfortable, but the armpits hang down just enough to allow for skin on skin rubbing and after 50 miles on trail with my poles the pain was excrutiating.  In addition, I'll add to chafing an issue I had with the top of my right foot.  I got a bit 'psyched' by one crew member who thought my toe rubbing must be an issue because I'd mentioned it to him (but it wasn't an issue as I intuited which is why I didn't take action).  Reacting to his concern I took the 'reasonable' step of tightening my right shoe laces a bit.  This led to some pain in that right foot, until I re-loosened the laces.  I had the beginnings of a bruise but it never actually developed into that, thankfully.

3. My pole broke at Knockholt Pound.  The button that holds the pole in the extended position failed and I can see that this is a design flaw in the Carbon Fibre Black Diamond Z poles.  There was just too much stress on that pinch point and in the end they let me down.  I've already run several races with these poles and they've been brilliant up until now.  I could have run with one pole (and in this sense only it was within my control) but with the other two factors above, felt it wasn't going to work. 

The last three 'wrongs' added up to a fatal situation for my race.  Still, I'm extremely happy with the day, and it was one of the most memorable, exciting and beautiful days I've ever had on the trails running.  

A few days later and I feel very good, and have completed a good track session.  

I had fun on the trail running with some others.  At the start I was with John who is a coached runner and chatted for a bit very early on in the race.  Eventually he put on a speed burst and disappeared.  Later I ran with Clement an American who chatted with me for over an hour.  We got lost together when some kids moved a couple of the signs around, sending us down an old mountain biking trail that Clement and I had to go up and down a couple of times before finding our way again. 

The whole day was brilliant fun and I think next time I'll just sign up for the NDW50 miler.  The cutoff for that one is 13 hours and it obviously had 6000 feet of elevation, but the course is just so brilliant it'll be hard pass up.  

NDW100 Taper Tantrums: 3 more sleeps

 I COMMIT, I WON'T QUIT!!

With three more sleeps to go until race day, when we line up to run 100 miles along the North Downs Way in Southern England, my mind has been a bit more calm, now that the pre-race Webi-gnar is behind us.  I'm watching lots of videos by the likes of Ben Parkes and Billy Yang and others, where they map out things like their WHY.  Why do they run these races?  Yang talks about Gratitude, for one.  

Yang has some compelling and very thoughtful arguments about the complacency of modern day life, and how there is a pleasure to be had in feeling a certain level of discomfort to balance it out. While Yang's video focused on Leadville 100,  Parkes's video of his girlfriend Sarah Place finishing the Thames Path 100 is a lesson in how an even-keeled approach and determination can result in some very happy vibes.  

There are a lot of videos out there, but the good ones are the ones where you can actually take something away and use it.  Yang's video shows the pre-race meeting where the race director asks the participants to commit to the race, and to promise they won't quit.  Thus the leader of this blog post: I COMMIT, I WON'T QUIT.  In my pocket I'll be carrying a map with this written on it, along with instructions to my self of each thing I need to do at the drop bag locations.

Another inspiring runner of 100 milers is Jeff Pelletier, a fellow Canadian. He has an almost machine-like ability to complete very long ultras, compiled over long experience and consistency in his approach.  He obviously feels all the thing other ultra runners feel, but he EXECUTES and keeps his brain smooth and anti-judgemental.  This is clear from his face and his tone of voice.  It seems he's always smiling, whether in the roots and rain of Quebec's Mega Trail or on the mountain-sides of the UTMB.

I've got my drop bags finalised now and have starting charging up my power pack and headlamps.  I'll top up the watch charge and phone charge on the morning of the race, and then I'll be ready to go.  I've even got my pre-race drink and morning gel for the drive over to Farnham.  Now I just have to keep my brain calm, and carry on.

NDW100 Taper Tantrums: 4 more sleeps

On Saturday the 9th of August 2025 I'll be lining up at the start line of the North Downs Way 100 mile race (Centurion Running).  I'm number 159 and can be tracked here. 

My training block has been perfect: I've hit every long run, and have even gone above and beyond, with several 50km or sub-ultra races strategically run in the 16 week training block, including a Dartmoor retreat and long run; a Snowdon 25km race; the Beat the Sunset 50km near Maidenhead; and a really satsifying South Downs Way 50km race that I finished in a very satisfying (for training) time.  I've averaged 40-50 mile weeks and 9-10+ hours of training per week in the peak weeks.  

That figure includes walking and strength training, two key components on staying strong and getting ready for the rigours of 100 mile racing.  And you are racing, even when you are walking and/or in active recovery mode most of the way.  You are also running, and I'm told by Alex Hutchinson that the average 100 mile racer consumes 8000 calories over the distance.  The average calorie burn for those same individuals is in the range of 16,000 calories, meaning that success equals getting at least have of what you burn in.

It's hard to eat that much on the move.  I struggle with solid and 'real' foods, so when these start to lose their appeal I'll switch from sausage rolls and cheese sandwiches to gels, energy drinks, and my secret weapon, longlife milk later in the race.  These foods just slide right down.  You have to keep up the rhythm of eating too, consuming something every 30 minutes minimum.  I've got high carb Naak powder to supplement the Tailwind provided on course; and I've got high carb SIS and Naak gels, to top up the Precision Gels (also high carb at 30g per gel) provided at check points.  

All of this is fine.  It's the mental game that is the true struggle.  You can't start thinking; you have to just relentlessly execute, and turn off your brain.  The only way to do this is to either distract yourself, or to dial in.  Distraction comes in the form of high fiving people, joking with the volunteers, looking at the scenery, or reciting a mantra.  I'll be using a pacer from mile 82, in part to distract myself from myself.  I'll be trying to keep a 'smooth brain', one without jagged or judgemental emotions.  The smooth brain won't judge: it moves on, leaving examination of complex emotions to be processed post finish (thanks to Sabrina Little's ultra-running philosophy book for this insight).  

You lose sleep running ultras too, both during, and before.  I'm already dreaming of the race very night, especially last night after our first Centurion race webinar to go over course setup and expectations.  It would be nice to figure out how to shut this off, but actually I think my brain is performing a vital function of sorting out some angst and getting rid of it for me before I even get to the start line.  Actually, I slept quite well last night too, despite being on the trail in my brain all night.

I've followed Damian Hall's advice, writing down all the things that are troubling me on the mental side of training, of which he notes, we don't do enough.  Not only do you write everything down, but you also write down what you are going to do about each one of your fears/worries when they arise.  He rightly highlights accountability and letting people know what you're up to.  My strategies in response to his advice are to move through temporary discomfort and try my hardest (be tough); to enjoy the inevitable good moments, and to anticipate them (it never always gets worse); to visualise the race; and to run mile to mile and check point to check point.  

I've got 4 more sleeps; 4 more days to taper tantrum by having weird/bad dreams and writing blog posts. I'll visualize, I'll try to be calm and serene in these days before the big race.  At least I get to fit in two more runs!  I did a 4 miler today (13 min/mile pace or 8:09 min/km); and get a 3 and then a 2 and then a 0 mile day.