Chris runs ultras

The South Dows Way 100k is a challenging point-to-point race that takes participants from Arundel to Eastbourne, covering the picturesque and historic South Downs footpath in Sussex, England.

I had an 8 week training block to prepare for this race which went very well. I consistenly trained for 5 days a week, gradually increasing the overall weekly mileage from around 60km per week to 100km (for the last couple of weeks) before tapering down for the week prior to the race.

There were two main aspects of the training that I wanted to target: my weight and strength work.

I wanted to bring my weight down from 87kg to (ideally) 80kg. I managed to reduce it to 81kg, by cutting out chocolate biscuits, not drinking alcohol during the week, and fasting between breakfast (approx. 9am), and dinner (approx. 5pm). This allowed my body to semi-fast for the 16 hours between dinner and breakfast the next morning.

I knew the South Downs were hilly (I ended up wracking up 2600 meters of elevation gain during the race). So, one day per week consisted of heavy weights in the gym, targeting my hamstrings, quads, abductors, and aductors, with atleast one additional day of lighter weights before a treadmill run. I also had a few sessions of climbing with a 20kg weighted vest on a max incline treadmill and the stairmaster towards the end of the block. I should have done an additional day per week of heavy weights for the last 2-3 weeks of training as my legs did start to fail in the last 20km, due to the near constant steep ascents and descents.

The race itself went well overall:

– My nutrition plan worked for much of the race. I ate little and often and my stomach took everything that I threw at it, including High5 gels, Tailwind, Jam sandwiches, Flapjacks, crisps, and lots of water. I avoided chocolate and bananas, instead opting for dry, savoury real foods which worked well. The aid stations were well stocked with a large selection of food and drinks to choose from.

– The first couple of hours of running were relatively cool, but it wasn’t long before the sun was high in the sky with no cloud cover on very open trails. The temperature was forecast for highs of 21 degrees. However, my watch was recording up to 27 degrees (in the valleys in the middle of the day), with an average of 25 for the whole day. It felt very hot! Luckily, I did bring my Sahara cap which I was able to wet at a few of the aid stations.

My fitness was good, I felt strong up to around the 80km mark, I even ran the first marathon in approximately 4 hours 34 mins with aid station stops. The pain in my quads and lower back progressed as the long and steep descents took their toll. After the 80km mark I eased off on the calorie in-take as the finish line was drawing closer, which was probably a mistake, as the last section was probably the most brutal – climbing over the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head before dropping down in to Eastbourne.

Other than shredding my quads late in the race, my only other noticeable ailment was rolling both of my ankles at around the 20km mark, but luckily I managed to run both off with the help of some Paracetamol. Both occurred on steep, slightly out of control, hill descents. Other than that, no chafing or blisters to speak of.

A little bit on gear:

– HOKA Speedgoat 5’s: These shoes are a staple for me now. After having tried many different trail shoes over the years, nothing seems to work aswell for cushioning, and blister prevension over such long distances.

– Salamon Advance skin 12: A great vest, plenty of room for carrying all of the essentials, and does not move around much.

– Sahara hat: I seem to have a habit of running these races on very hot, clear days, and this hat has really helped keep the sun away and the temperature down.

– Hilly toe socks: Thin and breathable socks that separate the toes out to prevent them rubbing against one another. It’s just a shame they don’t do a high leg version, as these stop at the ankles, and I don’t like wearing compression sleeves whilst running, so I have very little protection on my lower legs.

Some random facts from the race:

– I burned 8,144 calories

– I finished 16th overall, and 6th in my catagory (MS)

– I set a PB of 13:35:20, bettering my previous 100k by nearly 2 hours

– Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/9158859077/overview