Categories: uncategorized
Date: 15 October 2004 18:09:39
**long report warning**
i'd been hoping to do this event for over a year now, it being local and interesting.
there's a bit of history that resulted in a long distance path being established and marked around coventry.. and that is the 40miles (ish) of the coventry way which winds it's way through the countryside taking in streams, hills, canals, railways and many villages.
myself and tim (runnersworld ultra guru) rolled up outside the pub in meriden and prepeared to get going. walkers were able to check out and head off from 6am and the runners could do the same from 9am although as it was most of them started on the hour in a big bunch.
slightly cruelly for a run of this distance the first obstacle was a steep staircase and road crossing but soon after we were into the fields. i was mainly in this for mileage as was tim building back up from an operation so we had no pretentions of going too fast, and sure enough after a few fields of following the crowd they dissappeared leaving us pretty much last of the bunch.
it soon became clear though that following the route book would be fairly simple, partly as it was well mapped and written and partly due to the correct route having been recently stampeded by walkers and runners! as an extra backup i also had my gps to log our progress and suitable programmed with the route on sections i was unfamiliar with.
soon enough we were at carol green to the west of coventry where we joined the section of route i know quite well and after a quick wiggle on the road and a couple more fields we joined the disused railway path that sped us on our way direct to kenilworth. we had a good idea that we were going too quick really but accepted that the going was good and the hills were yet to come.
coming out onto kenilworth road we were slightly bemused to see lots of people out the front of their houses with chairs and stuff, but they all ignored us so evidently weren't for our benefit. in fact there's a historic car run that same morning they were watching. shortly afterwards at the bottom of the hill was checkpoint 1 (8miles 10:20am) where we dutifully had out numbers taken and stamped our checkpoint cards. after some water and something to eat we set off up the hill and back off road towards stoneleigh.
still on the route i know well we cross the a46 and drop down into stoneleigh followed by a quick walk up the steep opposite side of the valley (having crossed the river sowe). again we drop down this time crossing the river avon shortly before the sowe joins it, and back up to stareton we go.
a slightly longer road section takes us toward bubbenhall although being a bit paranoid about going off course we turn left a field too early (i dont think we were the firs either) and ended up having to hoik over a gate. a bit further on and a little wiggle through bubbenhall brought us to checkpoint 2 (14miles 11:30am). more fluid and cake later and we headed off, almost left my glasses which would have been a disaster.
the day was getting on and warming up and looking like being very sunny! which is all good and well unless you're trying to run 40miles.
the next section took us across to ryton with the path running through the middle of the parking area at the peugeot plant. this is slightly surreal when the new ones are all parked up en mass but i dont recall there being many on this occasion. across to wolston was well trampled which i was pleased about since i've got lost here before although it looked very different on this occasion.
just approaching wolston we met paul who is a blind runner who had decided to do these 40miles in his 40th year, they'd set off with the walkers i think but was forced to walk rather than run (with his guide) on much of the off road sections. he finished and much respect to him!
at the wolston checkpoint 3 (18miles 12:24pm) tim seemed determined to have a long break and a natter with paul who caught us as we restocked on fluids and more cake! the next section took us to the closest point to home for me and tracks i've run on countless times. when we hit the road again at bretford there were a couple of marshalls for the car run who asked if we'd seen a couple of rolls royces that they'd lost. shortly afterwards tim managed to miss the tarmac path and take a tumble, a mere flesh wound.
a gentle climb took us toward brinklow and across a stubbly field i had not run before, hence we missed the exit point and had to backtrack giving paul & co. time to catch us again. tantalisingly close to checkpoint 4 the route diverts around the old castle mound in brinklow, which was pretty cool as i'd never bothered to check it out before.
checkpoint 4 (23miles 13:48pm) and i was sick of the electrolyte drink i'd been carrying and managed about 2/3 of. so i ditched that and filled up on water instead. retreating to the shade to drink as the sun was getting fierce.
shortly after leaving checkpoint 4 we were passed by a couple of fast late starting runners. this section takes us onto the oxford canal to the east of coventry and follows it round toward the north, another of my regular long run routes. we could follow it all the way to the coventry canal that comes north out of coventry and joins at hawkesbury junction near bedworth. the coventry way route however ventures off toward ansty.
shortly before ansty they had set up an extra water point due to the heat of the day which was much appreciated. unfortunately having a lie down at this point was jason another runnersworld comrade who had succumbed to the heat, he was thinking of pulling out at that stage but he came along with us through the interestingly named village of barnacle and on toward bedworth. it was clear he was struggling and getting sudden cramps.
the trickiest navigation of the route by far was through the sprawl of bedworth, part way through was checkpoint 5 (31miles 16:05pm) where we again sheltered from the sun and had some drink. i took the opportunity to sit down and staring at the floor i was almost totally unaware of tim talking to me, whether he was coherent enough to be making any sense i've no idea.
fortunately on the way out of bedworth and especially through the new housing estate which had very naff road names jason was on the ball with navigation and we left him to it. all the time though his cramps seemed to get worse as he'd suddenly pull up nearly collapsing with it before carrying on.
across towards fillongley was the final straw for him, the terrain was uneven and at one stage we had to drop down into a ditch and out the other side. i had to think twice about it as there were no hand holds, relying totally on leg power to push out of the other side. jason went for it and immediately collapsed with his legs in spasm. it took us a while to get going again. we climbed another stubble field with roung hay bayles dotted around the only shade, when we got to the top we turned to find a walker behind us not jason who had flopped against a bayle.
he was in a bad way, we coaxed him on. sick with heatstroke we resolved to walk him to the next checkpoint that was only just over a mile away. tim took his pack and we pressed on, it seemed to take an eternity to get there and with 2 stiles and a gate to climb each one set his cramp off it must have taken every ounce of determination for him to get there!
after refuelling at checkpoint 6 (35miles 17:27pm) a little way from the m6 corley services we left him having a well deserved lie down.
the rest of the route was mostly a technicality but predominantly new to me i was reliant on my gps to guide us, referring to the map book when uncertain. a slightly surreal turn involved following a path through dense corn that was about 10ft high followed by turning into a rather tranquil wooded area where someone had left a coolbox full of water and a jug! very helpful fairies round here!
more following our noses in a fairly trance like state we came to corley moor where a tri club member seemed to be enjoying his beer and was bemused to have seen 3 people in our distinctive club kit out and about for completely unrelated reasons. shortly after was checkpoint 7 (38miles 18:25pm) but i was keen to get on and get to the end!
the last few miles were uneventful but i was pleased to drop down under the a45 knowing that meriden couldn't be far. handing our checkpoint cards in i knew the time wasn't great but good training for time on our feet at 10hrs 20seconds!
so if you want a low key long distance event for any ability this is great! i'm still bemused that i survived on orange juice and predominantly swiss roll but it looks like i;ve found my new ultra-fuel.
i'll probably be back next year in the build up to an october ultra, but i'm sure i can do it quicker than that!
paul the blind runner finished (14hrs18) whilst the winning time this year was 7hrs18, jason spent the night in a local hospital on an IV having been unable to keep any fluid down that evening.
here's a plot from my gps of speed vs distance, it's pretty noisy as these things are so i've filtered it to give a better idea. the faster initial pace is evident as is the downward trend. checkpoints are marked in red with the extra one dashed. jason's crisis is visible after the black dashed line but up till then he probably hadn't slowed us down much.