CTS Stage 5: Social South Devon

So yesterday I caught the train down from London to Totnes en route to the race. I got off the train and was about to have a bit of a wander around the castle but that turned out to be locked up. Instead I made my way towards the bus stop and while doing so another runner waved me down asking if I was doing the race and did I want to hang out? I did, so we went and got a coffee until time for the bus and killed time talking about our game plans for the race. We then caught the bus to Kingsbridge and shared a taxi to our respective bed and breakfasts. 

I then checked in and was introduced to three Dutch people who were running the marathon and ended up answering a lot of questions for the newbie who was understandably nervous, and thought I was some kind of expert because I'm doing the whole series (I'm really not, and I did my best to make that clear). I then went to the local pub in Chillington for an incredibly stomach unsettling dinner before bed. 

This morning I got up and left almost straight away and as soon as I stepped out the door another guy, Carl, picked me up and gave me a lift to the start which was very kind of him. He did the marathon here in four hours twenty two minutes a few years ago, so I'm guessing is going to smash the ultra much faster than me today. 

We arrive and register before the obligatory toilet break, food and bag rearranging. I then see Peter, the guy I'd spent a couple of hours on the bus with yesterday and say hello. He's wondering whether to change top of not considering it's pretty freezing this morning. 

We mill about until the start and just before the gun Carl finds me again and we shake hands, wishing each other well. Going on his previous time here I think it wise not to run with him as I'm expecting him to be a bit too fast for me. 

The gun goes and we're off. Peter recently did the Dorset CTS marathon, so king on his time there compared to mine I'm expecting I can probably run with him or a while before letting him go off ahead. 

We set off up the first slope and it's good to finally be getting going. I was starting to get cold standing there so it's nice to get the blood flowing again. 

I stick with Peter as people jostle and find their places in the lines of people. We soon settle in as well and almost instantly are looking around at the lovely scenery and view up the coastline. Straight away I can see that today is going to be a good race as there are great views as far as I can see. 

As I've put on extra layers to keep warm on the start line I begin to overheat. This happens on nearly every run I go on though and I know it will pass if I give it a bit of extra time so my body can regulate. I focus more on settling into a good pace as that's probably going to be more useful I feel. 

The first few kilometres are up and down along the side of the coastline. There are quite a few bits where we're on a fairly steep slope down to crashing waves below which makes for a nice view, though I wouldn't want to slip too far as it would take a while to climb back up. 

There's a couple of nice little hills to go over as well so I make sure to just take it easy on these. It's nice to have someone to chat to from the start for a change as well as it means the first few kilometres pass pretty easily without even thinking about it much. Peter is a bit unsure on pacing having had a bit of a struggle at the Dorset race so is keen to take it a bit slowly, which suits me just fine. I've still got a bit of ITB niggle so want to just coast today if I can. 

Soon enough we reach the first water stop although no one is stopping as we've only been going less than an hour so no one really needs water. It's followed by a hill up towards Start Point lighthouse and after a while we're coming down towards that. There are some beautiful views behind us all along the coastline here and it's looking like the weather is going to play ball today and give us a nice day which is perfect. 

After this we head back down to the lower part of the coastline and potter along there. I stay with Peter for a while longer but am starting to feel like I want to ease the pace off a bit more so tell him to feel free to go ahead at any point if he likes. I also mention my stomach isn't feeling the greatest so need to be a bit careful. 

We then get into a conversation about last night’s dinner and it sounds like he had a stunning one down at Beesands near the start line. It makes me even more jealous as my stomach rumbles from the grotty lamb pudding I had. 

We reach another climbing section and there are a couple of other guys behind me so I stop to let them pass and from then on go at my own pace. I see Peter heading off ahead and mentally wish him well as it’s his first race so hope he has a good day. 

I'm about eight or nine kilometres in at this point and starting to feel warmed up. I want to make sure I enjoy myself today so decide not to put too much pressure on and just plod my way through. I can't really do fast at the moment because of my ITB (and my weird dodgy stomach of late) so am planning on just taking it easy until I'm feeling like I've got more to give at later races in the series. 

So I do take it easy and just try to take in the lovely countryside for a while and just enjoy where I am. I start to feel incredibly peaceful for some reason. Maybe it's because it's been quite a rough and busy week for a few reasons, but it really feels like I'm right where I'm supposed to be at this moment in time. 

The coastline rolls by as do the kilometres. There are some ups and downs, mostly ups at this point, but on the whole none are too steep or complicated, it's just undulations. 

I'm on a particularly narrow section when the front runners start making their way back. It's an odd section to put runners going both ways as there isn't much space, but I guess there wasn't another suitable track higher or lower. I move out of the way for the first guy then a minute or so later the guy in second place steps aside for me. I think it's very kind of him, but rush him past telling him not to be silly. Stepping aside for a scone makes no difference to me but if he does it enough times he could lose his placing so I've no problem moving for him. Shortly after two more guys pass me and again I get out of the way. 

From here I go down a narrow section over a gully to come up the other side. I take a step over a rock and suddenly my ankle is at ninety degrees. I help and right myself, hobbling the rest of the way down. Bugger. This is really quite painful. It doesn't feel like it's too bad but what if it is? What if I ripped a ligament off and can't feel it because of the adrenaline? What if gangrene is setting in at a particularly fast rate right now? What if I need an amputation? What if...oh shut up, Kissel, it's fine. Stop being a baby. And it is. Fine, that is. 

I walk up the other side of the gully and by the top of the first bit I've almost forgotten it even hurt. There's a bit of a hill to climb here but that's a good bit of timing for a rest before thumping my ankle again. At the top it's yet another wonderful view back the way we came as well as the way ahead. I take a deep breath then carry along the path. 

There's a nice easy sloping downhill section here for a few kilometres so I just take it easy for a while, no need to hurry. My stomach seems to have settled so hopefully it'll stay that way. Going around the edge of the coastal path I suddenly just feel at peace. I'm out on a lovely trail with great views constantly forcing me to smile. The sun is shining even though it's February and cold. The terrain is quite changeable so I've not got bored once. It's a good day all around so far. Although I'm only fifteen or so kilometres in so we'll see if I'm still thinking that later...

I go down into a wooded section as I found into the Salcombe estuary and again a great view over the way to the town itself. Having come here with Jess and her mum a couple of years ago I get good vibes from the place and is a nice little mental boost. 

I carry on down, wondering if I'll actually be going through the town, just as the route takes a turn back inland away from it. Up ahead is a checkpoint so I refill and grab a few jelly babies. There is a guy filling up with a number for the half on and a few people ask him about it. Turns out he arrived early and thought he'd give it a go. Fair play. 

I start up the hill on the other side. It looks to be quite long albeit not that steep. A couple of people are running it but I decide to just pace it and finish eating my custard creams. 

A few people pass me here or there but most are walking the same as I am. I chat to the odd person as I'm going but generally am still on my own. It's quite a nice dirt road through the woods here so again I spend a fair bit of time gazing around and just enjoying being in the moment. 

Soon enough I reach the top and start running again. This section is mostly downhill along the tops of the path I came to Salcombe on. After a while there is a couple of great downhills to keep me entertained and I slam down the final one as part of a group back to the place I twisted my ankle earlier and the point we rejoin the earlier path. Now it's me passing people the other way. 

I start chatting to another guy as we dodge around other people and everyone tries to be polite and let each other pass. As there are quite a lot of people about now we're also passing and being passed by others going in the same direction. 

It's nice to get chatting again and it certainly passes the time. The guy I'm talking to is a first timer so full of energy which is great for boosting me as well. He's got the South Downs Way 50 coming up soon then the Ridgeway 83 miler, although that may take a back seat as he's also got a child on the way. He mentions he just wants to finish in the cut off today, I ask what it is and tell him he'll be hours inside of that considering how quickly he's done this first part. Today will be quite good training for the SDW as well as that is just several hills one after the other with a checkpoint at the bottom of each. 

We reach the bottom of this hill section and out of nowhere all the Half and ten kilometre runners start passing us. We cross the road and go up a steep narrow path so there is a bit of disgruntled jostling as we're going a bit too slow for most of them wanting to pass us. We end up having quite a detailed chat about socks as well which probably just pisses the intense ten kilometre runners off even more. 

At the top of the hill there is the first bit of the day with quite a lot of water it's not easy to get around. Up until now I've been able to keep my shoes relatively dry, but there's a veritable stream coming down this country lane so it's just not possible. I still try for a minute or so then give up and splash away up the hill, getting completely waterlogged. 

At the top of that bit there is more hill, this time without the stream. We keep chatting all the way up it then carry on along the lane until we reach the checkpoint where the ten kilometre runners turn down to the finish. I fill up quickly and grab some food then as I'm waiting for the guy I've been talking to, up come the first of the Dutch guys from last night. I give him a big grin and ask how he's feeling and he seems in good spirits with only fifteen kilometres left in the marathon. He seems like he's on a bit of a mission though so I don't hold him up too long and let him carry on his way. 

I tell the other guy I'm going to walk on ahead and start along the road. It's a lovely downhill here so after a couple of minutes start a bit of a canter then end up at full pace, unsure how far behind he is, but figuring he'll catch me at some point. I now head down and through Beeson, the town just above Beesands where the start line is. As I reach the bottom of the hill there is a runner with a ten kilometre number on running back to other way looking extremely po-faced. I have to giggle to myself, but can imagine just how annoying it is, having been in the same situation myself before. 

Through the other side of the town and there is a farm track to pass over to go up the hill the other side. A guy is coming out of the farm gate as I reach this and asks how far and where I've gone. I explain the route and he laughs, swears profusely and wishes me luck. He also points out I'm lucky I saw the sign as he had an angry Italian on his land half an hour ago who'd missed it...

I go through the gate and head up the hill, stopping to look around me at the top, before going into a wooded section. As I move through I look to the side and see a treehouse straight out of a goddamn nightmare. There's jagged corrugated iron jutting out ready to decapitate any unsuspecting passer-by. There are rotten floorboards lolling out the bottom of it, looking like the maw of a beast I hope never to encounter. God rest the soul on any child who ever played in that thing and the subsequent counselling bills they spent the rest of their life paying. 

It's blurry, but that mess in the lower branches is a treehouse...

I turn around and point it out to the guy behind me, though his imagination doesn't seem as active as mine and he's too busy getting ready to tell me about how he's doing the Marathon des Sables this year and getting ready to pass me by in nonchalant manner. 

I try to start a conversation but he carries on ahead so I let him go. I reach the base of the next field, which has a rusted spike covered gate not dissimilar to what I would have expected to be the entrance to the tree house at the top of the hill behind me, or even the opening credits to Pet Semetary a la Stephen King. 

I cross the road away from the fog of evil and through into the churchyard opposite. As I go past the church itself, now in the town of Stokenham, I pass a daily getting out of a car desperately trying not to spill a tower of profiteroles two feet high on a plate only a foot in diameter. I debate whether to try to nab one as a joke as I pass, but decide against it when I think about my soul being banished to the treehouse of terrors. 

Instead I go past the church and start up the hill opposite. This one is on a road so not too hard going though is a bit steep. As I'm plodding up I'm passed by a runner so I smile and say hi and it turns out it's the Dutch girl I met at the bed and breakfast last night. She's not too keen on the up and down nature of the course but is enjoying the brilliant views and having a good day so I decide to run with her for a bit. We carry on up to the top of the hill and I ask how the other guy is faring. She's not too sure as she's not seen him since the start but is guessing he's having a rough day as he's good on flat but not hills, so the opposite of what he's getting today. 

We reach the top and go around a corner where we are then passed by four quad bikes with farmers asking if we're winning. We tell them not quite and start down the other side of the hill. It's a relatively narrow road here so end up running two abreast but there are a couple of cars behind us. The first one seems quite keen to wait to pass us so it's not for a while until we narrow into the side again. Then as they pass the second car honks loudly and completely unnecessarily. If we'd moved earlier I've no doubt he would have probably hit us trying to squeeze past. Either way it’s good to have the pressure off and the cars past us. 

We get to the bottom and as we found the corner there is a field chock full of people on horses and dogs. I jokingly ask one what's going on as I pass and she glances back at me from astride her mount with distain. I then click they're out for a hunt and realise she thinks I'm a peasant unworthy of reply so don't bother to wait for one. 

From the top of the hills we've just come across we could see we were heading towards the coast and the flat section across Slapton Sands so I'm expecting there to be a bit of a quicker section here. We head into a marshy area first though and still keep up quite a good pace. Soon enough we find the MdS runner stretching his cramp out ahead and start running with him for a bit. 

It's a nice section over some boggy bits and some wooden walkways over the particularly marshy sections so a nice difference from the rolling hills not long ago. I decide to slow down a bit though so tell the Dutch girl to carry on and enjoy the finish not too far away as I take a walk break. 

I carry on through the woods with a nice canopy above me and after a while pop out the other side to find the final checkpoint for the marathon, telling me I'm five kilometres from their finish and my final lap. I grab a couple of jelly babies and crisps then immediately think I should have grabbed more but am already too far away to go back for more. 

I head down to Slapton Sands and hang a right towards the long flat section. Down here there is an estuary on one side and the sea on the other so it's quite a narrow strip of land that can fit a beach, a road and the footpath I'm now on and that's all. I look ahead at the long flat bit until a hill way over the far side and know I'm not going to enjoy this much. 

I'm not as much of a fan of flat sections as I'm not as good at them, particularly at the moment as they seem to really aggravate my ITB issues, so I decide to just put my head down and plug away at this one. It's about two and a half kilometres to the end of this section so I get through a fair bit of it then take a short walk to give my hip a bit of a break. 

Nearer the end I come past a toilet so go in. I don't even need to go it's just an excuse to sit down for a couple of minutes and rest, though I pretty quickly tell myself to get back out running and take a rest on the trail somewhere if I want not in a dunny. 

I head out again and soon enough am heading up another hill on the other side. It's quite a nice one after a longish flat stretch and gives a great view back of the estuary and sea I've just come across. There are some nice tree lined paths then I'm on my way back down the other side. I see the flags not that far away, but don't take too much heed as I've still not seen the one mile to go sign. 

I always get a bit itchy at this point as I like getting past the finish line as the final lap always feels like I'm pretty much there. Like a victory lap of sorts. A lengthy one at ten kilometres but a victory lap all the same. Then just as I've started to think about it the sign appears around the side of a bush. 

I'm then back down on the coastline and going across the park and car park for the start and finish so head on past there onto the hill on the other side. There is a woman ahead who on approaching the hill abruptly turns around asking in a bit of a panic if this is still the right way for the marathon. I say I don't really know, I assume so but am unsure and am just about to get my phone out and check when someone who's getting changed in their car waves her on so we both head up the hill. It's only a short incline before a sharp right turn sending her down to the finish. I tell her to enjoy it and carry on up to the small water station ahead.  

I dib in my timing chip and fill my water a bit and chat to the guy there. He's a jovial fellow and I ask him if he agrees there's a bit over ten kilometres left as I'm thinking. He tells me it's actually just under which is nice news and points out the lighthouse and that it’s just a hop skip and a jump to the final checkpoint there before turning around to come back. 

As I'm grabbing some jelly babies the guy who I was talking to earlier about socks coming grinning up the trail behind me. I grin back and we set off together. It's the nice section here along the coastal path a fair way up with the same great views. 

We carry on chatting and faffing about getting food etc. and changing layers etc. I decide now is a good time to get out my scotch egg that I've been saving all day to eat. I do my best to enjoy it but this time around it's just not quite what I need so I struggle a bit with it so it takes a while to get into it. 

The guy asks my name and I tell him it's Ben. He laughs and tells me that's his name as well. He stops to put his jacket on and tells me to feel free to carry on, though it would be great if I hang about. I wonder whether to try to pick up the pace a little then decide to run the rest of it together as in all likelihood we'd end up going back and forth a yay so may as well run together. Team Ben set off again ready to take on the world. 

I'm still trying to stuff my scotch egg down when we arrive back at the checkpoint. We walk over and dib in, then the marshal comes out of his car and jokes with us before realising we've still got another bit to do and shouldn't have checked in here. As we're leaving another woman arrives, angry at the route markings. I'm glad we're leaving as I bite my tongue rather than point out the guy is a volunteer and she shouldn't be getting angry at him. Plus if there is a lack of marking it’s probably the fault of people moving the signs not this guy. Anyway, I bite my tongue and we head back down the other side. 

There is a long stretch of road here down to the lighthouse so we get a little bit of pace back up. It's an interesting puzzle to try to do this while juggling and not dropping a scotch egg but I somehow manage it. 

We reach the lighthouse at the bottom and head to the right back onto the coastal path. We go over a small lip and there is a photographer taking pictures of us. Me with a mouthful of scotch egg and Ben with a banana. Who said ultras were about running again? I'm pretty sure they're just eating competitions. 

We head down the nicer more technical side of the rise around the head that the lighthouse sits at the end of. It's a nicer side and I can't help myself slamming down to the bottom of this bit by the waves crashing and waiting for Ben there. He comes down laughing at me and we begin the ascent back up the other side. 

I'm struggling quite a bit with the scotch egg and decide it might be time for us to part ways. I find a spot hidden out of the way and put it there to biodegrade out of sight and plod on. 

What goes down must go back up (or something like that) and we find ourselves on the hill going right the way back up to the checkpoint. I can't see what the lady was moaning about as it’s all pretty well marked. It's a nice break to look around at this side of the coastline as well. 

We get back to the top and through the hedge that takes us back to the checkpoint and dib in again, having another joke with the marshal. Ben jokes about never being able to trust a marshal after he tells us it's mostly downhill from here which gives the guy a laugh. I ask if he knows how far, he says six kilometres and I shout back I'll aim for seven which leaves him laughing as we potter on our way. 

There's a short road section then there is quite a bit of downhill on country lanes for a bit which gives us a good chance to get a bit more speed up. We reach the bottom of the hill though then turn back up the narrow path that's really muddy where we chatted about socks earlier. 

I suddenly remember how grim this bit was then have to laugh at myself for believing the marshal that it would mostly be easy and downhill as this was the worst bit (albeit not that bad at all) of the day. Why did I believe the guy even though I had already seen the rest of the course?!?

We trudge our way up again, this time not having to worry so much about getting in the way of speedier runners then find ourselves back hiking up the stream. There's not much for it so we just slosh through until we get back to the more paved road with, crucially, no stream running down it. 

A hop, skip and a jump sees us at the top again and moving along to find the final marshals pointing us down the path to the finish. They say it's only a mile and we joke about not believing them but sure enough the sign telling us is just there. We go through a hedge then down the side of a hill, passing a couple of guys as we do. 

I turn around and sure enough it's Carl who gave me a lift this morning. We have a laugh at the coincidence before Ben and I move on ahead. We found the corner and down below us are the finish flags. We potter down to the final gate and as we go through Ben says he's feeling pretty overwhelmed at his first finish in an ultra. I confess I'm a bit the same as crossing this finish line puts me halfway through the series, a place I wasn't sure I'd be able to manage the discipline to get to. 

We cross the line and grab our medals then go over to the tent and also find Peter, who has very kindly waited after finishing a brilliant forty five minutes earlier in a cracking time. Carl pops over and says goodbye and congratulations all around as he's got to rush home. The three of us grab a cup of tea and talk over how the race went then Ben offers me a lift to the train station which is going to make it a lot less hassle to get home so we say our goodbyes to Peter, who is staying tonight as well and head off to the car park before the cold sets in. 

On the way over we're waved down and, lo and behold, it's the three Dutch people in a bus waiting to head back. Ben goes to get changed in the car so am stop to say hi and congratulate them all, but have to make a move when I'm starting to freeze. Ben and I have an excited chat back to the train station and soon enough I'm home. 

Given I wasn't feeling so good going into this race, sometimes it shows that if you go in with a smile you can always find some people to make a day fly by far more enjoyably!

Next up is Northumberland, looking forward to it.

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