Race Day 3 - Three Forts Marathon

Wow! That was TOUGH! Whoever came up with the nickname "The Tough One" has clearly never run that race. That was beyond tough! I'd have gone with something more like "The arduous, backbreaking, demanding, exacting, exhausting, fatiguing, punishing and tough one"! 27.2 miles and 3,450ft of climbing seemed like enough of a challenge but the conditions were, and I quote one of the marshals, "the worst the race has seen since it started in 1977"! It was so cold and wet when I got there that I actually contemplated hiding in the portaloo to keep warm! Thankfully a quick whiff brought me to my senses!

The marathon started with driving rain and wind and within a couple of hundred yards it was apparent that this wasn't a regular marathon with a traffic jam at the first of many farm gates on the route. The first 2.2 miles was a 550ft climb to Cissbury Ring (Fort 1) a combination of the narrow path and heavy mud made it tough going.

Cissbury Ring

The first water station was a welcome sight after the first big climb, especially when I realized that each station was going to have not only water, but orange squash, ribena, cakes and wait for it.....JELLY BABIES! AMAZING! Over the course of the marathon I learnt quite a lot about the pros and cons of the various delicacies on offer and was even able to rank them (that's what happens when you leave me with my own company for four hours!).

Aaaaaaat 5: Propping up the chart was the cookie. Now don't get me wrong, I love a good cookie as much as the next person and was more than a little excited to see them on the menu. However, it turns out that when you're running and breathing heavily you just end up spitting crumbs everywhere!

Aaaaaaat 4: Only marginally better than the cookie was the flapjack where the bits that I can only assume are the flap of the jack get stuck in your throat.

Aaaaaaat 3: Nanas. Effective but a little too healthy for my liking!

Aaaaaaat 2: Fruit loaf. Taking healthy food and making it unhealthy, genius and mmmmmmmmm! Especially the slices with a cherry in them, bonus!

Aaaaaaat 1: JELLY BABIES of course! Think I must have decimated an entire nation of jelly babies over the 27.2miles Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately my running watch got drowned in Stratford-upon-Avon last week (good Czech engineering) and there were very few mile markers on the course so it was pretty difficult to get any idea of pace. To make matters worse every time there was a mile marker it was a massive disappointment. The first mile marker turned up at 8 miles but I had myself at the halfway point. At the halfway point I had guessed at 18 miles, at 18 miles I was guessing 21 and at 21, well I was guessing about 21 as I'd cottoned on by this point. Nothing like realizing you've got a lot further to go than you thought to keep the spirits up!

The climb to Devils Dyke (Fort 2) was tough with a sharp 700ft from the Adur river to the submit, but the downhill was equally difficult as you had to constantly fight to keep your speed down to stay on your feet. As the race went on the tracks just got worse and worse, to the point where I had so little grip that I couldn't do anything other than keep running in the direction I was going, which was usually either off the path and down a hill or into a barbed wire fence.

Devils Dyke - please note that this picture is for illustrative purposes and in no way represents the conditions on the day!

By the point the third climb to Chanctonbury (Fort 3) I was really struggling but refused to walk. On the uphills I was able to pick off quite a few runners, although the passing was reminiscent of when you see a big lorry struggling to overtake another big lorry on a steep hill on the motorway (without the cool flashy thing they do with their indicators to say thanks obviously, and yes I am a large lorry in that analogy!). Unfortunately on the downhills I just couldn't keep pace with people who actually had proper cross country running shoes which were offering at least some grip.

A well prepared runner!

As one final treat you have to climb Cissbury Ring (Fort 1) again on the way back to the finish. I was just about prepared for the hill from miles 22-24 but wasn't expecting another one at 25 miles (I'm sure it wasn't on the map!). I have to be honest, the last 7 miles or so were pretty low, to the point where all I could think about was to just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and that's why I enjoy running so much. You learn a lot about yourself and what you're capable of. The feeling of satisfaction when you've managed  to keep yourself going when it feels like you've got nothing left is fantastic. At the end of the day I was pretty disappointed with my time of 4:42:25 but it was enough to come in 128th place so can't be too down about it.

So, that's three down and seven left to go. So far, they've all lived up to their name and reputation. London was the best supported marathon, Stratford-upon-Avon was the most Shakespeary marathon and the Three Forts Challenge was most definitely a challenge. It was also the most British marathon imaginable. Cold, muddy, wet, encounters with the wildlife and their droppings (predominantly sheep and cows), enough cakes that it could have been my grandparents house and to top it all off, the turn at the top of Devils Dyke was round...wait for it...A TOURING CARAVAN!!!! Makes you proud to be British!!!!!

Thank you again for the continuing donations. The grand total now stands at an amazing £4,403.75! Next week, The Essex & Halstead marathon, innit!
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/FrazerCampbell_10_in_10