Millennium Way Ultra 2022

April 10th 2022

40 miles light trail

Last Sunday - feeling good!

Last Wednesday - uh, here comes a cold :(

This is how I ended up on the start line with a horrible horrible cough, certainly grumpy at the unlucky timing. However, this was a training race and my only opportunity to cover any distance and build some confidence before The Lap in four weeks time. Yes The Grizzly was tough, but it was only 20 miles, less than half what I needed.

As an end to end adventure, this race started with a car and bus journey. I felt vaguely OK in the car, but the bus journey was torture, with winding roads and constantly trying to stifle a coughing fit, whilst also sweltering in a mask. Once off I was glad to be able to breath in the fresh, cool air, and made my way to registration, a relatively long walk away (really, a table in the car park would have been just fine, toilets there were plentiful too!). Back to the car park for a short briefing, and we were off!

I was pleased to have spotted a familiar face, and the lovely Jenny (an ex-colleague from my BWB days) joined me for the first stretch, up to CP1 and about 9 miles, and a couple of miles on, saving me from getting lost in the middle of Stafford! This section was therefore chatty and enjoyable, although just a mile in my chest and coughing became very aggravating and it was clear I wasn't going to be able to hit any pace targets, or even be comfortable.

At Stafford Jenny's husband Dan joined us, and after a field that I predict would be incredibly boggy in wetter times, we made our way onto the canal. Towpaths aren't really made for three, so I shuffled off towards Milford, picking up the pace a little as my lungs had vaguely woken up, and a toilet trip in Stafford had certainly helped to (the age old issue of having two children in quick succession meaning even the five pre race loo trips just don't always suffice....)

The canal started off as quite a novelty as I don't train much on canals anymore. This section was pretty open, and although lonely I didn't mind it. Passing Milford led me onto even more familiar canals, through the beautiful Shugorough Estate (home of a couple of Ironman 70.3s for me) and onto Colwich and Wolsely Bridge. Here a checkpoint marked about halfway, and I refilled my bottles gratefully as the sun had come up in earnest.

After this point the canals became much less appealing, both in nature and by lack of variety. It was a good 7 or 8 miles of shuffling later though that I was allowed to take a very understated (and easily missed!) exit from them into some welcome fields and softer ground. I was glad to be following a few others here, as the signage was almost non-existent and my brain a tad fried. The small undulations were very welcome; the heavily ploughed field we had to take a diagonal through, less so!

The descent into Yoxall led to the next feed - and having run out of water nearly three miles prior (lesson here - I need 500ml per half hour on a warm sunny day, so check points at 10 mile intervals necessitate three soft flasks being carried) I was desperate to get there. Knowing how slow the tanks were too, I hastily sprinted past a surprised group of about seven people to get there first - well worth it.

Following the tracks out of town, the last small climb led to a scenic golf course and estate, which we skirted around on a painfully hard tarmac road. This downhill back to the canals was so so painful - even in my new and completely untested (one 10 mile run straight out of the box, I know I know) Hoka Torrents, which were more cushioned than the Speedcrosses I trug through winter.

Ten miles earlier I would never have thought I would have said this, but I was actually grateful to get back on the canal at Wychnor! The surface was compact mud, but dry, springy and wonderfully forgiving on the pelvic floor and hips. From here it literally was a 10k canal romp, immediately adjacent to the A38 (I could practically feel the lorry breath as they whizzed by), popping up just half a mile from the leisure centre where Fred (my white i20) was awaiting me. I managed to surprise myself with some sort of pace here, although an inkling of navigational doubt followed me the whole way, having not seen anyone since the last checkpoint, and not seeing anyone until the finish....

Overall this was the best I could get out of my ill body (a poor chest but well rested legs). On a good - or even normal - day I'd like to think I could be closer to the 6.5 hr mark (and first lady, who was just 15 minutes ahead) but we shall see. This is certainly the flattest route I've run since the Richmond Marathon, and I'm pretty sure if this had been remotely hilly I would have been a DNS.