The step up from marathon to multi-day ultra-marathon is quite significant and it's probably a good idea to go via a few one day events. however if someone organises a 2 day 75 miler on your doorstep it would be rude to refuse.
So this was how I came to be picking up my race number for the first Saltmarsh 75 on Saturday morning. The first things I noticed at registration was a) most people there appeared to be younger than me and b) I appeared to have a lot more kit than anyone else. The age thing I'm getting used to and from the kit perspective I had intentionally took the pack I was intending to use on the MdS complete with stereo front water bottles. I did also have a front pack which I'm not taking on the MdS. The only reason it came this time was because a) it gave me somewhere to put my camera but mainly b) because I'd bought it. This was not a unique reason for doing something as it turned out, one of my fellow competitors was camping simply because he had bought a tent and not used it before.
I was also far from unique in having never run further than 26.2 miles before, which surprised me slightly but was also quite reassuring, maybe I wasn't taking quite such a big leap as I thought. Anyway registered and with a number pinned to my front pack - I was ready to race! One briefing and a short ride in a minibus later and we are at the start - this efficient and fuss-free aspect of the organisation would continue throughout the weekend and undoubtedly contributed hugely to the enjoyment of both myself and my fellow competitors.
Pretty much spot on 10 'o'clock the hooter sounded and we were off. As is usual with my racing I had really got it wrong right from the start. Starting quite near the front meant I was tempted to try and stick close to the lead bunch, which meant checkpoint 1 disappeared in a blur and Sharon barely beat me to checkpoint 2 in the car - although to be fair most of her time was spent trying to find somewhere to park - something she would spend a lot of the day doing. Anyway roughly one third of Day One complete and I'm far too far ahead of my schedule and am about to find out why this is a bad thing...
Stage 3 was 13.6 miles around the Dengie Marshes. Fortunately a local running club had volunteered to man a water station half way along as I was getting through a fair bit of water. I was also beginning to pay the price for my fast start and was starting to stop and walk... and stop and walk... and walk.... There is no shame in walking during an ultra, I'm expecting to do quite a lot of it on the MdS. However its important to have a plan or you end up doing what I was doing and not really getting anywhere. I had been passed by a group that had adopted a 12 minute run/3 minute walk strategy from the start. As I find working out and remembering times whilst running challenging I decided to adopt a run 1 mile/walk 0.25 mile strategy. This at least allowed me to get back to making forward progress. The end of the stage was fairly remote so my 'support crew' (Sharon) wasn't meeting me there but I was just relieved to have made it and completed two thirds of the day's mileage.
Between variations on my run/walk strategy and huge encouragement from Sharon at the end of each stage I completed the final 3 stages without major incident. Highlight of the day came on stage 5 (I think) where a little girl was handing out boiled sweets to runners as they passed her. Never underestimate the wisdom of little girls, a boiled sweet was the last thing I would have thought of eating at that point but actually was exactly what I wanted.
Much to my relief I finally reached the finish at Steeple Village Hall in a fairly reasonable time but knowing I had asked far too much of my body, especially given that I had to do it all again the next day. As a result I 'cheated' on my MdS strategy and took up the offer of a massage. I sat in the hall and chatted to a veteran of 2 previous MdSs as well as one of my fellow campers (the man with the new tent). The general camaraderie and support at the finish of Day One was amazing and certainly helped me face the fact Day Two was still to come. Ultra-runners may be mad but they are a nice mad!
As I was trying out MdS ideas I had foregone the idea of a delicious home cooked pub meal in favour of Peperami and energy bars, although I did go into the pub for a pint of lemonade in order to be sociable. The organisers had put up our tents for us so it at least had that much in common with the MdS and I decided to settle down for the night. Would I regret forgetting my Thermarest and so having to sleep the night on the cardboard-like 'sleeping mat' that formed the back pad of my rucksack?.....
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