As you will know, both Niandi and myself took a good beating at the Trail du Mercantour in September. With Nottingham Ultra landing exactly three weeks later, my plan was to rest and recover, do a little training and go to Nottingham ‘fresh’ but a little under trained.

I actually took a full 10 days rest. I really felt as though my body and my mind needed that break. Mercantour had twisted us and bashed us like no other race. Considering we had also used our Hoka One One shoes, I dread to think what I may have felt like had I not used them!

I started back with a few 4 mile runs and then at the weekend did a 10 mile trail and 12 miles on the road. All pretty easy paced. I felt sluggish and I also could still feel some ‘deep’ fatigue that I needed to get rid off. Race week was easy and then 3 days before the race I went out on the road and ran 8 miles tempo, finally, some two and half weeks after our French race I felt as though some zip was coming back. I purposely then took two days rest and arrived at Nottingham with Niandi feeling fresh.

The race was primarily off road running in the steps of Robin Hood from Sherwood Forest to the cobbled streets at Nottingham Castle and the statue of Robin Hood. Checkpoints and feed stations where placed at approximately every 10k and the route was marked by stickers or yellow arrows sprayed onto the ground or trees.

From the off a group of us moved to the front and within 3 to 4 miles the race was strung out. Two guys up front by 20 or 30 seconds, one guy in the middle and then myself and another guy in 4th or 5th.

Coming into the first check point the positions stayed like this but as naturally happens and feed stations the order changed. I didn’t stop at all as I was running very much self sufficient. I had a bladder and 2x 500ml bottles and ‘shot blocks’ for energy. My plan was just to keep pushing and not loose momentum.

 

As the course twisted and turned it was really important to keep your eye on the markers. Don’t get me wrong, the route was really well marked but it was easy to miss a waypoint if you just kept your head down too long.

Arriving at a golf course the markers suddenly disappeared. Now running 3rd/4th place the time wasted looking for an arrow allowed the 5th runner to catch us. The three of us looked left, looked right and then suddenly saw a glint of yellow that would take us around the golf course. A sudden screech and a quick turn around saw one of my fellow runners go over on his ankle… I had done almost exactly the same minutes before but had run it off knowing that I would probably have some swelling and pain the following day. He had to ease up and once we had checked he was okay pushed on.

It was becoming apparent that the early pace was now causing my running partner some trouble and without accelerating away from him he slowly drifted off my pace. I had now moved up into 3rd place but when I arrived at checkpoint three I was told I was in second place some 7 minutes off the lead guy.

Priority now was to hold pace and maybe try for a late push. It seemed unlikely that I would reel back in 7 minutes but it is so easy to have a bad patch. Throughout the event, a MTB rider had been going backwards and forward between the fron of the field. He didn’t provide updates but it was good to see him as it always confirmed I was on the right track. At one of the many gates, I looked back to see a runner who had moved up through the field who was now in 3rd place. I think at this point I had possibly slowed unknowingly allowing him to move up to me. As we pushed on I felt his presence and not wanting to be a carrot I eased up, let him past and decided to have a role reversal. The weather now was pretty warm and this guy was running in tights, long sleeve top and t shirt over the top. He made me feel hot!

In the final sections of the race I had pegged him all the way and when I noticed his pace start to drop I put a hard effort in and pulled away only to arrive in Wollaton Park, with no markings. Looking around it wasn’t clear of the direction to take. He came back to me and then we saw a runner who pointed the direction to take. I ten pulled away again aonly to find that at the next junction we had no clear markings again. I was wasting time now and when you are in 2nd place that is just no fun!

I branched left, 3rd place followed me. I was half committed as I was unsure I was taking the right direction. Looking over my shoulder I saw 4th place runner taking a different direction. I turned, ran hard across the park and pulled my up to him. Now 5th and 6th place had joined us and it was becoming beyond funny. Nobody knew the direction to take and so we looked at the map and decided on a route. It was wrong!

My second place now become an 8th and I think the 9th place runner had come through and moved up to 2nd.

Bit between my teeth I started the chase but I was running on frustration and at 28/29 miles into a race you just don’t have that ‘spare’ resources to run hard. Out of the park around some road works and on to the canal. I had moved back up into 4th with 3rd in sight but probably a minute away. With just over a mile left I couldn’t pull it back. I arrived at the Robin Hood statue on reflection happy with my 4th but frustrated it wasn’t 2nd.