Again in January I had an enormous fuck it second. Now, I’m not somebody who goes in for all this new yr decision factor, however I do wish to set targets and problem myself a little bit. So, when a operating buddy despatched a message out on our Whatsapp group in regards to the Atlantic Coast Problem at exactly the second I used to be sat there pondering over the kind of challenges I might do, it felt like a message from the universe. And so I signed up, there after which, appearing on impulse, understanding full nicely that if I considered it an excessive amount of I’d discuss myself out of it.
What Is The Atlantic Coast Problem?
The Atlantic Coast Problem is a multi day extremely occasion in Cornwall organised by Votwo Occasions. Set over 3 days, the problem begins from some extent simply exterior Padstow following the South West Coastal Path and ending up at Lands Finish. The way you get there’s as much as you. You may run, jog, hike, stroll, hell you may even crawl if it’s important to, however principally it’s a marathon a day throughout wild and rugged terrain with an entire tonne of ups and downs thrown in for good measure. Remind me why I signed as much as this precisely!?!?!
This isn’t one thing you may simply rock as much as and hope for one of the best. You must prepare, you want to take it severely and you want to commit. The furthest distance I had run earlier than was about 17 miles. This was going to be a complete of 80 miles over 3 days. Shit simply received tremendous critical. However hey it was January, the occasion wasn’t till October, I had loads of time. And so I forgot about it. Properly, not solely, it was nonetheless lurking on the fringe of my mind, however I used to be repeatedly operating about 15-20 miles in whole throughout every week and I had some huge hikes deliberate for in between, so I wasn’t nervous.
The coaching began to ramp up round in regards to the summer time. As I stated, I’d already busted out some fairly hefty mountain climbing miles – myself and a few pals had hiked throughout the Isle of Wight over the area of three days, and I’d additionally hiked the size of the Serpent path with a buddy over the course of the yr – so my endurance health was feeling fairly good. However I needed to get a bit extra long term match and that meant growing the weekend run and sooner or later introducing again to again runs in order that I received used to operating with drained legs.
Frustratingly, about midway via the coaching I developed sciatica. It was fairly actually a ache within the bottom. There was some extent the place I actually didn’t know whether or not I might even make it to the beginning line. Nonetheless, being the organised management freak that I’m, I took cost of the matter and put a plan in place. I noticed a physio (shout out to the superb Physique and Thoughts Physio in Petersfield whoop whoop!), began weekly Pilates, did stretches twice a day, had a operating gait evaluation, did power workout routines, I rested, and I didn’t sit for lengthy intervals of time. Slowly however certainly the sciatica began to ease, however my confidence had dipped. I’d missed out on some lengthy runs and I used to be unsure whether or not I’d be able to doing that type of distance. However I wouldn’t know except I attempted. So, with only a few weeks to go till the Atlantic Coast Problem, myself and two pals who had been additionally signed as much as it, determined to run/stroll from Petersfield to Hayling Island, a complete of twenty-two miles. We alternated between operating a mile after which strolling a mile, which labored out nice – an opportunity to get some miles and time on our ft while additionally being comparatively mild on my again and restoring my self-worth.
I’d accomplished the coaching. I’d received all of the gear. I’d mentally ready myself for the largest problem I’d ever taken on. This was it. I used to be as prepared as I used to be ever going to be. Cornwall, let’s do that!
Day 1 Constantine Bay – Perranporth (26.2 miles)
We had been very lucky to be staying in a beautiful home in Porthleven that pals of a buddy owned, which meant we had a fab base, cozy beds, and plenty of residence luxuries. Once you signal as much as the Atlantic Coast Problem you might have the choice of staying in a static caravan in St Ives Caravan Park which is the occasion head quarters and the place it’s important to register every morning. However actually, give me a heat, cozy home each single time. It’s just like the distinction between tenting and glamping, and I undoubtedly know which one I desire.
I wakened on race day at 5am. It was nonetheless darkish exterior and I felt like how you’re feeling once you get up early and go to the airport. You already know, a little bit bit sicky and filled with anticipation. However in fact, I wasn’t flying someplace scorching and tropical right this moment, no I had 26 miles looming forward of me. It was time to get this shit accomplished!
Fortunately I’d managed to have a good night time’s sleep, which was a minor miracle as regardless of sleeping like a log in my very own mattress I do have earlier with regards to not sleeping nicely in unusual beds earlier than huge occasions, and never gonna lie, it was a priority. I did get up at 3.18am with bizarre anxiousness desires about getting stains on my marriage ceremony gown, being late for the race, and my canine being eaten by piranhas, you recognize the same old kinda stuff, however I used to be in a position to get again to sleep till my 5am get up.
I compelled some porridge and a decaf espresso down, which I actually didn’t need, however knew it was essential to get some gasoline in me. I had one million wees and poos, packed my equipment, double checked my equipment, had one other wee after which left the home at 6am to go off and get registered. Registration was at St Ives vacation park, and it was there that we picked up our bib quantity, GPS tracker, listened to the briefing in regards to the day, and obvs squeezed out one other wee. As soon as all that was accomplished, it was again into the automobile for about an hour’s drive to the start line, Trevose Head lighthouse.
Now, I’ve not accomplished one thing like this earlier than, however I’ve accomplished a few half marathons and the Nice South Run, so I’m not a whole and utter virgin with regards to operating occasions. I used to be anticipating a marquee, a begin line on the very least, perhaps a whistle or a gun shot, one thing, something to indicate it had began. However there was nothing, it was actually flip up and go. And that’s kinda the factor with the Atlantic Coast Problem, it’s a problem, not a race. It’s not about what time you do it in, it’s nearly doing it.
So off we go. The solar’s out, there’s no wind, it’s a good day for operating. However my head is enjoying methods with me. I’m a little bit of a one for this. I attempt to have phrases with myself, to be my very own cheerleader, to close that chimp again in its field, but it surely will get me each time. I’m an over thinker, a catastrophiser, a ‘what if’ woman and all I might concentrate on was the enormity of the entire race. Not simply that day, or attending to that first checkpoint, no I used to be dwelling on the whole 3 days value of race and the way distant the end line was. And it was doing my head in. I couldn’t get my respiratory proper, I felt sick, my pacing was all out of whack and all I might suppose was if I felt like this now, within the first 6 miles, how on earth was I going to handle a trillion million extra!?!
However I plodded on, as a result of even one step ahead is a step forwards. I believe what didn’t assist was that I partly knew the terrain. We’d stayed in Mawgan Porth a couple of years again on a vacation household and so I knew what was arising, and even that felt like such a good distance off, not to mention Lands Finish. Nonetheless, as soon as I’d received via Mawgan Porth, my mindset began shifting and I started to really feel happier. All of a sudden I might loosen up into the run a bit extra. By strolling the hills and operating the flats I discovered a tempo that labored for me. The surroundings was beautiful, a great deal of beachy coves, cute little bays and the folks had been all actually pleasant. There was no competitors between different runners, everybody would say one thing as they handed or run with you for a bit and have a chat, and the general public would cheers us on and assist level us in the best route if we seemed a bit misplaced.
Day 1 ended on probably the longest seashore in the whole world. We received a little bit misplaced within the sand dunes for some time however managed to get again on monitor and trekked throughout the seashore, the end flag simply in sight within the distance. The reward on the finish was a scrumptious cup of do-it-yourself lentil and tomato soup, which I wasn’t positive if I’d be capable to handle, however as quickly as that first sip hit my tummy it was like being given some type of life giving elixir mixed with an infinite cuddle, precisely what was wanted after my very first marathon.
Day 1 Rundown
- Begin – Constantine Bay
- Checkpoint 1 – Mawgan Porth
- Checkpoint 2 – Porth
- Checkpoint 3 – Crantock Seashore
- End – Perranporth
Day 2 Chapel Porth – St Ives Vacation Park (26.2 miles)
I wakened feeling way more optimistic about issues on day 2. I knew what to anticipate now. There was barely much less of the unknown. And positive I used to be aching, and drained, and nonetheless a little bit bit apprehensive about whether or not I might do that, however I knew I might give it my greatest, and that my greatest was completely adequate.
One other early begin, though we did have the posh of an additional half an hour in mattress as right this moment’s start line wasn’t as distant as yesterdays, so we might begin a little bit later. But once more I’d slept brilliantly, partly as a consequence of me taking some Kalms tablets earlier than mattress, but additionally as a result of I used to be so flippin’ knackered!
It was a beautiful vivid and sunny day, but additionally very windy, I misplaced rely of the variety of instances I needed to seize maintain of my cap to cease it from blowing away. I assumed I’d give you a genius concept of attaching it to my hair with hair clips, however once I wanted to shed a layer as a result of I used to be scorching, it ended up being a proper previous faff as my prime wouldn’t go over my head with the hat on. Within the kerfuffle, I managed to by some means lose my buff. Now, should you’re a runner you’ll know the way helpful a buff is. It retains your neck heat, you should use it to wipe sweat away, it doubles up as a tissue (hey, don’t choose me, wiping your nostril on a buff is manner nicer than clearing your nostril by doing that hideous snot rocket factor that I noticed lots of people doing that day!) Anyway, I realised when my nostril began operating that I’d misplaced it, however there was no manner I used to be going again to search for it, as a result of umm hi there I’m not including on miles to an already milesy run. Properly, how stunned was I when fairly a couple of extra miles in, my buddy noticed my buff draped over some railings. Some pretty individual had clearly noticed it, picked it up, run with it, overtaken me, after which left it there. It was a small factor, but it surely made me smile.
Let’s discuss checkpoints. Votwo make certain every checkpoint is rather well stocked. It’s a like a veritable buffet. Snacks included: jelly beans, mini cheddars, flapjacks, chocolate bars, peanuts, bananas, crisps, sandwiches, and there was additionally water, squash, cola, plus I believe some even provided scorching drinks. So, there was lots of selection. Greater than sufficient selection. My physique had different concepts although. I assumed mini cheddars could be my go to snack. I’d educated with them and so they’d labored brilliantly. It’s good to have one thing savoury in amongst all of the candy stuff. However once I tried consuming them on this run, my mouth was having none of it. They felt just like the driest factor to ever enter my mouth, and as I attempted to chew after which swallow, it was as if my mouth had forgotten find out how to work. Jelly beans… identical. Flapjacks… additionally the identical. And don’t get me began on the jam sandwich. I assumed it could be good, to get one thing a bit bulkier in me, however think about a two day previous sandwich that’s been left to fester in a child’s faculty lunchbox and that’ll offer you some concept as to what that sandwich tasted like. It was grim. By means of means of elimination, I labored out that essentially the most palatable gadgets had been bananas and twixes, so I caught to these and that was just about my ‘lunch’ for 2 days. I needed to eat extra, however my abdomen was simply having none of it, and it was an effort to even pressure the bananas and twixes down. I did make certain I drank a lot although and had electrolytes in my bottles, which gave the impression to be sufficient for me (I’m happy to report that submit race my urge for food has come again with a vengeance and is certainly making up for any misplaced energy!).
The spotlight of the day was seeing seals at Godrevy. It was an actual decide me up second, one thing very a lot wanted after the three bitches (3 vertical ascents with steps as huge as your waist, one after the opposite, completely relentless). There was yet one more lengthy seashore right this moment. I take again what I stated about yesterday’s seashore, THIS was the longest seashore on this planet… or at the very least it felt prefer it. And this one got here with the double whammy of not solely stretching for 4km, but additionally ran alongside the end line. OK what’s mistaken with that, I hear you pondering. Properly, I’ll inform you what’s mistaken with that. Sure, the end line was proper there over these sand dunes, however there was a sneaky additional checkpoint thrown in to be sure you didn’t cheat. And that checkpoint went previous the end level, down the remaining stretch of seashore, out into an industrial property, spherical a housing property after which again into the caravan park from the primary entrance. Bodily powerful. Mentally brutal. We staggered up what felt just like the longest driveway to get to the day 2 end level and was greeted with a cup of pea and mint soup. Two days accomplished. One to go.
Day 2 Rundown
- Begin – Perranporth
- Checkpoint 1 – Chapel Porth
- Checkpoint 2 – Portreath
- Checkpoint 3 – Godrevy
- Checkpoint 3a – Hayle
- End – St Ives Vacation park
Day 3 Lelant – Lands Finish (28.5 miles)
Day 3. The ultimate slog. This was the lengthy one. It was all constructing as much as this. Not solely did we now have two marathon’s value of tiredness in our legs we additionally needed to cope with our longest run up to now. And it was raining. To be trustworthy, we’d received off evenly up to now with the climate, however this was going to make it additional powerful right this moment. And boy was it powerful. My legs had been drained, my ft ached, and my toenails had been shot to items. I’d taken off my socks yesterday and was satisfied my toenails had been going to peel of with them they felt that damaged. Fortunately they didn’t, however the jury’s nonetheless out as as to whether they may all survive or not.
We began good and early and thank god we did, as a result of right this moment was brutal. The rain in a single day had made the course just about unrunnable. It additionally turned out that there have been minimize off instances. One thing which I had been fully oblivious of, as a result of they had been such beneficiant minimize offs, that it was by no means going to be an issue. However right this moment it was. The in a single day rain had made the bottom dangerously slippery. Like actually mud snowboarding with strolling poles. There have been additionally huge boulder fields we needed to clamber over, which at factors concerned sitting down on my arse and sliding down them they had been that huge. To prime it off, the primary checkpoint was 16-17k away (all different checkpoints had been spaced out about 10k in between). This was soul destroying, fully and completely soul destroying.
To offer some perspective about how powerful day 3 was, there have been a gaggle of older guys, one in every of whom had accomplished this race 15 instances (15!!!), who stated in all these 15 he had by no means seen the circumstances as unhealthy because it was this time. It took us 6 hrs to get to checkpoint 2. 6 bloody hours. That’s not far off how lengthy it had taken us to do the entire of the opposite days. Plus one thing else we realized the next day once we checked again on the outcomes, was that out of the 311 individuals who signed as much as day 3, 164 didn’t end. That’s how powerful it was!
We made checkpoint 2 with simply 20 minutes to spare till minimize off. That basically put the stress on. It was by far one of the best checkpoint – actually simply on a rock in the midst of nowhere. Bananas and twixes have by no means tasted so good. Snacks consumed, drinks drunk, it was time to try to ramp up the tempo. There was no manner I used to be going to let a time minimize off be the explanation I didn’t get to complete this. It was head down, battle on via the rain. This wasn’t a day for taking pictures, this was a day for getting via it. Tin mines, rocky outcrops, waterfalls, the panorama was completely beautiful, however in my thoughts I used to be feeling the stress to get to checkpoint 3. And so they had been going to be strict about this, as that remaining stretch was too harmful to do within the falling gentle.
We made checkpoint 3 by the pores and skin of our enamel. However we’d made it, we had been allowed to proceed. So, on we plodded.
Recognizing Lands Ends is each a blessing and a curse. You’re relieved as a result of it’s lastly there, but it surely’s nonetheless so distant and you’ll see what number of hills and coves it’s important to get round first earlier than you’re even near the elusive end line. Not gonna lie, it was a whole and utter headfuck.
I managed to run the previous couple of hundred metres to the end line, a sudden burst of power and such intense reduction that this was over. I used to be completely accomplished in. All the things harm and I seemed and felt like I had aged about 30 years. My trainers had been hanging on by a thread and so they smelt as if one thing had crawled in and died in them. I used to be handed my medal and a Cornish pasty. I’d accomplished it. Me, Bex Stafferton, just a few common mum from Hampshire, who’d had a little bit of a fuck it second in January and signed as much as this epic problem. Me who bloody hates the hoo har of occasions, not that fussed by medals, loves the couch. Yep me. I’d solely gone and bloody accomplished it!
Day 3 Rundown
- Begin – Lelant
- Checkpoint 1 – Zennor
- Checkpoint 2 – Brandys (rock outcrop)
- Checkpoint 3 – Cape Cornwall
- End – Lands Finish
Publish Race Ponderings
After I crossed that end line, I swore to myself that I might by no means ever do one thing like this once more. This was fingers down the hardest factor I’ve ever needed to do. It had damaged me. I might select to offer beginning ten instances over slightly than undergo that once more. And but as I sit right here typing this submit, every week on, nonetheless a bit achy and my blackened toenails hanging on by mere threads, I’m questioning what my subsequent problem might be. As a result of it’s addictive this operating lark. It’s a bloody miracle I’m even operating in any respect to be trustworthy. I hated operating and going for walks as a baby in order an grownup I had myself marked as somebody who simply couldn’t run. Becoming a member of the runnyhoneys, my native operating group, modified that. I ran my first 5k with them and the remaining, nicely the remaining is historical past. I’m now a marathon runner, an extremely runner, and I’ve simply certified as a run chief. I believe it’s secure to say that I’m certainly a runner.
And what in regards to the sciatica? Properly, seems I needn’t have nervous an excessive amount of about that. My again didn’t hassle me one iota whereas I used to be down in Cornwall. So, should you’re on the lookout for a remedy for sciatica, I’d advocate operating 80 miles! I believe what really occurred, is that my physique harm a lot in every single place else, that it made me overlook all about my again and the sciatic ache. It was the least of my worries.
So, what now? Properly, after I’ve accomplished plenty of sitting and plenty of consuming, maybe I might be satisfied to enroll to one thing else. I imply, now I’ve accomplished this epic problem, I kinda really feel like I might actually tackle the world. If I can do one thing this powerful and get via it, even when every thing inside me is screaming to surrender, I don’t suppose there’s something I couldn’t do. However perhaps I’ll simply do a bit extra of that sitting and consuming first!
Writer Bio
Becky Stafferton is a full-time content material creator, internet writer, and running a blog coach. She regularly strives to advertise a sensible, sustainable and optimistic picture of find out how to lead a wholesome life. When she’s not writing she could be discovered operating via muddy puddles, making lists of lists, having previous moan, speaking in humorous voices to her canine, renovating her home within the nation, and instructing others find out how to become profitable from their blogs.
