Saturday 27 October : OMG! What has happened to the weather - we have suddenly been transported to the Arctic. Ferocious northerly biting wind that didn't seem to want to blow just in one direction but would whip up and hit me from all sides. An early start to boot - picked Pat up at the unearthly hour of 5 am in pitch darkness (and it would remain dark for the majority of our journey) and headed off towards Eastbourne. Luckily the traffic was very light (well, what do you expect at that time....sensible people are still tucked up in bed, in nice warm houses) and we arrived just before 7.45 am. Numbers and timing chips duly collected, we rushed back to the warmth of the car for a last bit of breakfast before trying to decide what on earth to wear : I was already donning long winter sleeves and my charity vest but I could still feel the cold so decided to wear another long sleeved winter running top underneath my vest and topped it off with a buff covering my ears and a pair of gloves. I've never run a marathon in so many layers and at no time during the race did I have any inclination to remove any either!
It was so cold that we went from one loo queue to another and we were still in the queue when the 9 am start time elapsed...there were so many people milling around that we thought they must have decided to delay the gun. Nope...we got outside to find everyone streaming up the steep hill and we were left to join the walkers! Wasn't long though after crossing the start line before we were walking - 50 metres max! I'm not sure of the incline of the first hill but it looked at least 45 degrees! I ran with Pat for the first couple of miles as we traversed the edge of Warren Hill, where a lone bag pipper was playing the Highland Fling and headed towards the top of Willingdon Hill. The views over to Eastbourne to the right were stunning, if you could make anything out through streaming eyes : the wind was extremely strong and blustery from the word go, trying (and succeeding) to push you off the track.
After running downhill to Jevington, and the first refreshment station, it was then a lovely run through Friston Forest. The colours of the trees were spectacular, with the sun streaming down from a perfect blue sky causing dappled light effects.
It was then out into the open fields, to run around the edge of Windover Hill, two steep 3 sided valleys heading off on our left making for stunning views. Shortly after this it was a long, long downhill run in a deep trenched, chalky track to CP2 and more squash and Mars bars...unfortunately I was finding that whilst I was enjoying the latter, I couldn't run and chew them at the same time so had to walk a little bit before being able to break into a run again! The downhill gully continued amongst trees, before emerging in the bottom of the valley in Alfriston. After running along the side of water meadows, I then passed through the village but unfortunately got caught up behind a huge hay turning machine with the driver deciding that he was going to drive very slowly up a narrow side street - exactly the street we were running up! I had to revert back to walking until he picked up a bit of speed (he was a lot bigger than me and he had lots of spiky things hanging off the back of the tractor so elected to give him right of way!). After losing the village, it was then a steep climb uphill and once again into open fields. And this was where the Arctic blasts really hit home. It was so difficult to walk, let alone run and people were battling to stay on their feet. Plus it was virtually all uphill to Bostal Hill. It really was hard work and a bit soul destroying that you couldn't really run for more than a few steps without becoming absolutely exhausted. Lots of people around me were losing feeling in limbs by this time!
Finally, once reaching the tumuli of Bostal Hill, it was then a short downhill section to CP3 where we turned left and at long last, had the wind behind us...and boy did that make a difference! I was fairly racing along the grassy tracks, running freely for what felt like the first time. The track went on for at least 3 miles before eventually we emerged from a small wood to cross the road at Cradle Hill and CP4. I had to stop and take in the views from here, over the Cuckmere River as they were absolutely stunning...a real WOW moment. Steep downhill towards the river where we ran along the bank until crossing via a small wooden bridge and skirting the village of Litlington and CP5 where they were offering hot tea and coffee and hot cross buns! I elected to take half of the latter as my stomach was grumbling by this time (it had been hours since I'd eaten breakfast at home!) and ate this as I started to head into the hilliest part of the run (as if we hadn't done hills up till now!). After crossing a few open fields, we entered the west flank of Friston Forest, having to negotiate a couple of long flights of uneven steps. Before emerging at the top of the woods, the bag pipper was back! I've worked out that wherever the bag pipper is...there are hills! Over a stone stile and another WOW moment...this time the view over the estuary meandering down to Cuckmere Haven which signaled the start of the Seven Sisters Country Park. If we'd done hills already, then the mountains were coming up!
Up, down, up, down...get the picture!? I was actually able to run up two of the sisters (very slowly with tiny little steps, but I was most definitely running!) but the others were way to steep and long to get very far at that pace. I challenged myself to see how many people I could catch and overtake before the finish, trying to keep my mind occupied!
At Birling Gap and the last CP, we left the main South Downs Way footpath that went over the top of the cliffs and beside Belle Tout lighthouse, and instead headed around the bottom of an old fort settlement and through a quiet wood before picking up the coastal path again to run up and over Beachy Head itself. The wind came roaring back with a very mean streak at the top, straight in our faces or trying to knock us over with a side blow : it really was extremely difficult to move forward and even more difficult to do it in a straight line!. After another mile or so of buffeting, it was a real relief to then drop down onto a well worn path where we were relatively sheltered from the wind by a steep wooded bank. This path then met up with the very steep hill we had run up at the start so it was more than a welcome sight to see the finish banner just ahead.
I'd overtaken an amazing 54 people since setting myself that mini-challenge at the start of the Seven Sisters.
I also finished in a very good time of 4.22.35, 246th place overall out of more than 2,000 starters and 25th female so was very, very pleased with myself.
I didn't have too much in the way of warm clothing to put on afterwards, as I'd worn most of it during the race! So, I waited for Pat in the warmer area of the gym : she finished around 5.25 and had unfortunately been caught in a rain / sleet shower nearer the finish but she ran extremely well too, bearing in mind the atrocious conditions.
We decided not to join the long queue for free hot food, instead headed back to the car for some heater warmth to thaw us out. We stopped off for a meal at the first service station we came to, just outside Chichester, only to be joined by Ade, Paulo and Phil from Littledown Harriers and proceeded to recount stories of our marathon adventures!
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