The Cotswold Way /// Day 2 /// Back To Back Ultras

Let go of your limits!

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it’s been really difficult to be honest I think I thought day two because it’s 5K shorter I think I thought this would be easier it’s the same amount of elevation cramped into a shorter distance it’s so steep my quads are ruined how on Earth am I going to do day three yeah my too [Music] day two baby let’s [Music] go right you’re going to be a good girl days well done right I see you painswick pwi 10 miles 16k Joy day thank you day two let’s go so here we are then the top of crickle hill which was the end point of yesterday’s run and obviously the start point of today and the plan today is to try and not going get lost should have gone down there anyway yeah what was I was saying the plan today is make it to W or what under Edge I don’t know how you say it how have I gone where should I have gone I don’t even know where the said this way even though it’s a really well marked Trail it ain’t you do need your watch there a trail there I wonder if that’s it yeah back on course so yeah the plan is to do 54k obviously I’ve just run an extra 50 m and every time I go off course it does add up yesterday I tried to run 59 ended up running 62 because of the GPS drift and getting lost so yeah let’s have a good day today and uh see if we can get through it on in on in so let’s go lovely views there’s May Hill in the distance either end glass this year can even see the mulvin coming into view around the corner so yeah lovely view up here perfect running conditions so far it rained over night fairly heavy actually and it’s left like this Cool Breeze you know there’s a nice clear feel uh about about life today which is nice because yesterday was it was very warm and it was made life quite challenging uh but I fully expect the sun to come out at some point which is why I wanted to start these these runs early just get some time in the bank when it wasn’t so hot and yeah I’m hoping today what was I on my feet for 10 hours yesterday I’m hoping for about 9ish today maybe 9 and a half uh that would be nice cuz I did start half an hour later than yesterday so I started at 7:00 today so yeah hopefully I’ll be getting into what under Edge about 9 hours is that’s the plan but so far off to a good start 5K in doing okay I spoke too soon Here Comes the Sun [Music] this first 10k of the day has just been absolutely beautiful it’s been my favorite section of the trail so far from quickly Hill to Cooper Hill which is the famous cheese roll in Hill which I’m about to come up too soon it’s just been a really really nice section lots of downhill as well which made for a nice start to today’s run so yeah feeling good I’m about to have a bit of breakfast well I’ve already had for this morning for breakfast but I’m going to have some soorry malt loaf shout out to my main man Brett elore for the uh what should be a sponsorship really because the guy eats more malt Loaf and they gets up in the middle of the night and eats it so and he’s a pretty good runner so if he eats it I figure must be quite good and it is l Le than 100 km to go just ticked over now the watch is telling me we’ve got 99.9 okay to go double figures baby come on when you see it in real life you realize how crazy these people are that follow a wheel of cheese as fast as they can and they might break next in the process that is honestly ridiculously s thank goodness I’m not going up there got to come down here to watch this one day that looks crazy look at that memory of 18 times cheese rolling Champion Steve brain who won his first race in May 1983 at the age of 15 wow his last wishes were that his ashes are to be scattered over Cooper’s Hill his spirit will forever remain on the hill rip Steve although we didn’t walk up Cooper Hill we’ve walked round it into the top that is frighteningly steep God what do people do it but it’s so funny some of the British traditions we have here this is brilliant than they right I think I’m 68k of the way through meeting La at 75 in 7K and I think we’ve got some more climbing to do donut time these things are incredible got them from Morrison’s the other day might not be as fresh but so good so good so 10 miles 16k that was the best section of the trail so far as in the nicest or easiest everything it was net downhill so majority downhill to get to you that’s good I’d say 90 85% of it was running undercover Under The Canopy of the forest so good for the mind and just good to keep the sun off here and it’s a lot colder today so yeah feeling uh in good spirits I actually thought this day too would be a lot harder than it’s feeling so far I mean I know I’m only a little bit in but I thought it would be almost impossible to get going but I feel okay feel good it’s all about keeping the pace nice and chilled nice and slow conserving energy conserving you right you look cold so it’s actually I’ve been s in a warm car it’s so cold it’s actually quite cold now I’ve stopped all right have a quick rest and I’ll see you again in another 10 14k is it so I’ll see you about 30k today yeah so yeah I’ve gone wrong a couple times okay wow Cooper H the cheese rolling Place Mental it’s Ste isn’t it right see you later babe [Music] bye heartbe in quiet SPL empty room so just running through Village of painswick or the town of painswick it’s lovely here really nice place here and uh yeah as you might have heard me say before it was mainly downhill from the start of day two but that’s all going to change cuz we’ve got a Whopper of a hill to get up in a minute and then I’ll see Laura again in 15K and then there’s the biggest climb of the whole entire uh of the whole entire thing which uh yeah could really challenge me but um yeah do Good Feeling Good Feeling Good am I about to join a race what’s going on gotway challenge amazing [Music] I started to wonder something I can’t deny in the moment unold [Music] my a little bit pissed off to be honest I’ve somehow join this race I’m following the way markers but this isn’t the cot way so I’m running parallel to it so I need to work out a way to get back onto it cuz these guys are running a different way they’re not running the cotwall way I’ve lost my Little Acorn I haven’t cheated the course I’m just not running on it and it’s yeah I don’t know doesn’t sit right with me so I need to get back onto the course somehow I’m just hoping the route that these guys are on will join back up with it right I’m going to take a risk I should be down there hopefully not too steeply down there but my watch says there is a cut through if I stay on this route it’s the danger of following the person in front of you man I said are you guys doing the C all way yeah yeah yeah yeah it’s this way it’s this way not they’re running a whole different way hopefully I don’t see them again right this might not be pretty but we’re going this way there it is I can see the track it’s all the way down the bottom of the hill so I just climbed up a hill I didn’t need to climb and by lots of things we’ll have to climb back up anyway no my life and the good news is it’s only a steeper than Cooper’s Hill I might have to go down to meass here sake the cwell way so those guys right they’re doing a 100K 50k or a 25k race and God knows where they’ve started and finished from because the cwell way is 160k so it’s just a generic run through the cops walls to me I don’t think it I don’t think they can call it the cops way challenge anyway look at me getting all protective over it cuz I’ve been running on it over it for two days these people I don’t know what they’re talking about right now I’m back on course I’ve just been thinking do you like how I blame those people for my mistake classic Andy classic so with 82.8k to go it’s not exactly halfway lap 23 12:43 I’ve been talking too much and taking too many photos uh I think with a view like this I’m just going to take a second and say this is halfway this is Mega this is mental I can’t believe I’ve run this far wow what of you that’s called hairs Wick hairs hair don’t know it’s called something SM Beacon hair’s Wick I want to say but it might be wrong hwood hawood Marlon hawood I don’t know anyway apparently we got some nice downhill well I assume it’s not going to go any higher because we’re at a beacon so I think we’ve got some downhill and even better I think we’re running downhill through a wood my fave so let’s go all right this is where I’ve gone wrong because the people that have labeled the course of donkeys have put their charity event way markers over the CW way signs literally over the acorn and I’ve been looking for the acorn the whole time so bit annoying really but race organizers do what race organizers do best don’t they let’s take over right 27k in which is good news cuz psychologically that means I’m halfway through day two which I’m very very very happy about so in about 2 or 3K we’re going to see Laura who’s at the uh checkpoint of middle yard which I wonder if it’s over there man maybe or I don’t know pointless guessing around here cuz we could be going that way but uh yeah still in the game would be lying if I said that this was easy it’s not [Music] so 30k in I’ve just been running with a runner called Jason nice fella who’s doing the 100K basically I was right it’s a 2550 and 100K run they’re doing but they’re doing circulars from siren sester which is nowhere near where I’m going so any minute they’ll be turning off um some of them are doing 25 some are doing 50 some are doing 100 and that guy Jason was doing the 100 so as you can imagine we were having a good old Ultra ch which is nice oh is that no right Laura should be in the next I don’t know she should be fairly soon she should be like 500 M away or something but yeah I’ve just done 30k let’s see time check we’ve been going for 4 hours 26 30k I’m happy okay next checkpoint we’ve arrived [Music] get right it’s 12:00 now I’ll see you in did we say 11k 11k so I’ve got and that’ll be I would have hit 100K by then would I that’s that’s 101k 101 so that’s exciting and I’ve just got this hill to get up at the start then it’s a bit undulate but I can handle that but then it’s all downhill to dersley that’s where I’m seeing you next isn’t it yeah so hopefully this next 11k should fly by that’s what I’m hoping and then there’s only one more leg and that’s day two done come on right can I take that please or can I take that uh yes see you in dersley let’s go bye [Music] so I’m at about 36k now I think and uh struggling less than I was this time yesterday but that’s still doesn’t mean that I feel good um what I did do at the last aid station a station checkpoint with Flor is change my shoes and socks because my socks were so wet and I’ve got some blisters now which might make today tomorrow’s run a bit uncomfortable so but anyway I’m glad I’ve put some dry socks on new shoes and yeah it’s just feels nice to get dry stuff off and wet stuff off 39K I thought it was downhill all the way to dersley look at this shambles this is the face of someone who’s realizing they’ve just run a 100K 61 yesterday 39 today I wish I could enjoy this moment Okie doie just coming into derley the final checkpoint of the day um Laura’s here somewhere she said she’s opposite of Chinese the thought right now of chicken fried rice and beef chow main I I’m so excited for oh she golden wall there she is she’s waving at me she said she was outside the Chinese yes made it to the checkpoint baby that was a grueling section hi what’s that my favorite no s pelino lemonade the Posh stuff and a what Rocky Road say it louder Rocky Road Rocky Road baby she’s just a sweep how are you Mrs oh okay let’s get me sat down sounds so divish let’s get me sat down guys get my chair for me where’s my chair lay out my chair please give me my S pelo lemonade lemonata my what all right they here see last checkpoints what under Edge two hours let’s go we’ll do probably won’t let’s go two big Mammoth climbs coming I just want to get it out of the way now and get it done come on okay so I’ve been going for 7 hours 8 minutes with 12K just over 12K to go but with two fairly big climbs coming my way so the sub nine dream could still be on lap 43 34 minutes 0 seconds not the uh fastest marathon of ever done [Music] 709 right this is dersley if you’re wondering so coming up to 50K I think it’s 50 anyway I’ve lost count we’re going up this bad boy going up to that Monument I think and uh I’ll be honest I’m starting to lose me Ed now meed’s gone at the top of there there’s a golf course the other side of it was really Steep Hill to get to it and everyone was going straight on from this race that I’m following and I thought well I won’t follow them just in case they’re going a different way so I followed the cotsworld way sign around the golf course and it took me about 4K around so 2 and a half mile around if I’d have taken the cut through that is the cotw way basically you get round the golf club and there’s a sign that said optional cotw way route straight across the golf club but it didn’t say that the other side so I completely lost me head when I saw that so I basically just wasted three three miles of you know could have been 3 miles further down the road couldn’t I so uh it’s so easy to lose your head on these Ultras yes obviously it hurts with your legs and getting bad shave and feel Sun affected but your your mental state is so fragile on these Ultras I uh that must be terrible company thank God I’m running on my own sorry Sam apologies and Advance when we do the under [Music] I can’t even be ask going over there for the picture I mean it’s amazing but when you’re feeling like this it just looks a bit yeah it’s a [Music] tower right that was close it was too close can now put me stupid road shoes on didn’t I oh no yeah well I’ve changed them halfway because the trails were soaking wet of me socks yeah Joel that could have been worse but I’m okay thank God I’m nearly done exct are you all right yeah I’m good just cing a bit oh okay oh that was a near miss the road shoes on the trail with the higher stack maybe that was what it was tired legs not concentrating properly on the trail and the stairs that could have been way worse that could have been ligaments an ankle break actually I prefer to break me ankle than do me ligaments anyway closing in on the end of day two just coming up to wooden sub Edge or whatever it’s called wooden in the Hedge W Wen with in the badges or whatever I don’t know what it’s called and uh an under Edge and yeah it’s been really difficult to be honest I think I thought day two because it’s 5K shorter I think I thought this would be easier it’s the same amount of elevation cramped into a shorter distance oh my little to my poor toes it’s so steep my quads are ruined how on Earth am I going to do day three of course we’re going to get it done of course we’re going to get it done we’re going to be stubborn we’re going to do it okay first of all let’s finish day two without any trips or Falls I’m calling it here what do we do oh look 55 K 55 1/2k uh we did it in 9 hours 4 minutes not quite sub four sub n ah oh well let’s see if we can do SUB n tomorrow but yes done so pleased I’m going to call it a day here at this free car park hopefully Laura can come and get me and then it’s another night in the tent ready to chill Big Time here’s my trusty ride ride or die 56k done here she is there she is hello 56k done day two done 113k done right let’s go camping again one of the good things about this farm that we’re staying in you mighton be able to see the car in the background we’re not allowed I guess because it would risk us getting marooned down there if it rained but you’re not allowed to drive down to the tent and again I don’t know if you can see it in the distance but it’s great for like recovery walks because I’ve just seized up in the car and the ride home and uh thank you and getting all these walks in cuz it’s literally about a 400 m walk and we did it about five times last night didn’t we so uh yeah it’s actually it’s actually quite good we I actually slept really well last night in the tent did you I slept better than I thought I was going to I just kept waking up but I didn’t it’s just because I wasn’t as comfy as I normally would be I thought it was quite cozy listening to the Rain yeah I liked the rain going to sleep that was nice yeah but yeah it was good I think uh all in all considering it’s technically camping it’s actually is really not too bad yeah so I’ve literally going to turn around and go back to the shower Block in a minute cuz I need to get myself sorted out and then I’m going to walk back and then we’re going to decide what to do tonight because I need some calories I need a lot of them probably been another 5,000 calory day barely done anything you shut it shut your mouth also here’s our little we’re about to release our little bullet from a gun you ready three two one break look at that that’s how I set off today set up a bit too fast so here we are in the Golden Light in the sunset at the tent here in what’s it called Horsley Horsley it’s called it’s really really nice so day two done I’ve run 113 k that’s ridiculous and I I’m sat here and I can’t quite believe it so what can I why oh was a long way is it no why have you run it yeah why why would you do that I was going to talk a little bit about why am I doing this on the next episode which is day didn’t know that sorry no I haven’t I’m glad I’m glad you said that because I haven’t mentioned it so yeah why why are you doing this why aren’t you at home or just you know run a 10K you know yeah sometimes you I’ll talk about a small chunk talk about it tomorrow but it’s been it’s been emotional a hard day today quads are ruined because of all the downhill today I’ve got a list of things I can moan about but I’ll just moan about them in the morning when you’re not here cuz you just tell me off for moaning so I’ll see you on day three take it easy wherever you are in the world and I’ll see you soon ta oh [Music]