Glynde to Eastbourne and back: Trailing out on the South Downs Way

It's time, the South Downs Way trail is calling, it's been waiting for us for 2 months, since we attempted to run the South Downs Way to Eastbourne but due to sickness we had to cut it short.

The sun is hiding behind the clouds but the warmth is at the rendez-vous. We are at Glynde Station and are making our way to our first ridge of the South Downs Way.20 miles away Eastbourne sea is waiting. We cross the A47 and soon climbs to join the South Down Way trail.

First Hill of the day

I'm surprised, my mind is blank, I have no apprehension of the heat,... last week's lesson seems to have done me good and the fact that it's not hot yet is helping too. There is no whisper. We cross fields of lamb, cows and wheat. We enjoy the views from both sides of the ridge. I feel like we are on the back of a sleeping dinosaur, going up and down its spine.

From the left side of the dinosaur

You can see Seaford on your right, and infinite fields from your left. The sun is playing up with the clouds  and we are going up and down the ridge until Alfriston. It is a nice cute village with tiny local shops where quietness and birds' song welcome you open arms. There we cross the small bridge and run flat to Litlington, another small village with a nice pub The Plough and Harrow. and when available a CAKE stand!

Hill just after Litlington

Check out the Descent/Ascent to Westdean

7 miles in with not much heat and the wind is sweet. I'm trailing out, my eyes are closed, we just finished climbing another staircase of roots and trees and and I let myself go. My feet caress the groundm I can feel the sun kissing my skin.



I should have kept my eyes open thou...we've missed a turn and I don't recognise the trail. We stop and look for an opening, I'm sure we need to go down.  We are on top of Westdean but where is the trail? I can feel it, we carry on walking until we find an opening and there it is: the descent to Westdean below the tree lines. The descent is marvellous and we have no regrets to not have follow the south downs way for this bit.

Up the staircase to the Park

We go up a deep staircase reach a small wall before descending towards the Seven Sister Country Park. The air is a mixture of sea air and...lamb poop. It's a bit hotter but the wind is chasing the heat, and somehow makes is enjoyable. The whispers are hiding away, it's seems easier to follow Tanya's advice when the sun is hidden behind clouds!





We are now on top of the Seven Sisters'Park. The views are impressive and even thou the path is filled up with tourists, their sound is covered by the sea wind blowing in our ears.

Seven Sisters'Park View

10 miles to go until Eastbourne and the 7 sisters are waiting.
I'm emptying my head of all thoughts of work life, routine and planning the following week. It's a hard thing to do to push it all out. So I am trailing out, the same way people pass out or black out.  I am not forgetting where I am nor do I see the dark, as my heart skips to the trail beat and my steps run the trail flow. None of the cliffs sisters are the same. Your first sister cliff starts with a relaxing flat and shallow descent, no holes, nice grass. Its other face thou, is a tourist playground with happy faces and cute message.

First Sister Cliff

The second sister has a deeper descent, some holes, less grass and its other face doesn't have any tourists drawing. You keep undulating...by the fourth sister, your quads are now feeling it, you pay much more attention to your footing and tummy tucks as the descents become more and more demanding. By the last sister, you are thankful for the wind pushing you up and slowing you down, while refreshing you all along.

It's beautiful, the clouds colour the sea of different shades of blue, the cliffs are not white nor yellow and the choices of trail paths are indefinite. You are now in Burling gap, with its nice National Trust Cafe and parking lot. We decide to stop for a toilet break and a nice Tango. We have time, only 7 miles to go until Eastbourne seaside. We enjoy the views and the company of others, we lock eyes and share a moment of plenitude with the nature around us.

An air of South of France

Belle Tout Lighthouse tucked in between sea trees which are making the trail looking like South of France, is longing for us. We reach the lighthouse and are now making our way to up towards Beachy Head pub. The descent to Eastbourne Sea is close by.
1 mile left before the trail becomes a seaside promenade where the sound of the waves is mixed with laughs of kids... 20 miles with no whisper... Welcome to Eastbourne.

View of Eastbourne from Beachy Head Pub

Day 2:It's 9 am, we are ready to go back. After a nice breakfast at May Day Cafe, an OK night of sleep at Victoria hotel we are heading back towards Beachy Head Trail.

Happy Mick!

Breakfast of a champion

There is no clouds in the sky, a small sea breeze caches my hair, reminding me that she will be with me throughout the whole way back. We can already feel that the temperatures won't be like yesterday. Eastbourne seaside promenade is already buzzing of locals and tourists alike enjoying this exceptional weather. We walk to the trail, enjoying the fact, that we don't have to sweat too much yet! our ascent towards Beachy Head and the lighthouse begin. We run all we can as we don't want to get struck by the heat. Little whisper is waiting, but this time I'm ready for it. We don't stop until Birling Gap. It's HOT, I wet my buff with cold water, do the same with my neck and my shoulders. I'm ready for you whisper. The last sister becomes sister one, she is a soft ascent, warming your muscles up, getting you ready for her others sisters. Sister Cliff 5 becomes number 2, her descent becomes a steep ascent but your reward is her floral design:

One of the sisters' floral design

Yesterday ascents become descents and vice versa. I close my eyes on each ascent. You have to try it, it's the best feeling in the world. Obviously don't do it on a narrow path or when there is loads of people around! But here, by closing your eyes you show how vulnerable you are and so the trails guide you to this peaceful place where you can walk up a hill faster than you ever thought you could. You are no longer in a challenge with that hill, you can embrace it and release any tension.

Core Cooling

We are back on first sister, and Cuckmere River Beach. It's 11:30 am, the sun is up high, and we are sweating. The water is so mesmerizing that we run down to the pebble beach and decide to have a strawberry break and a cool down. Water is looking like the Mediterranean beach and it's soo tempting. We decide to take a dip. The water is COLD! but it cools down our core and we feel contempt. I would like the time to stand still, the waves are kissing the pebbles, the sound is so calming

Take a deep breath, take a picture...I wish we could lay there all afternoon but we still have 10 miles to go and Titine the car is waiting for us. I wet my buff again, drown my fully clothes self one more time and trail out to Alfriston. 

The White Horse

It's flat,... there is no wind. Sweating...we reach the churchyard looking for fresh water. It's on the side of the church. Another wet buff, cooling head and mind. We walk up towards Jerry's Pond, crossing more lamb poop land, before arriving to White Lion Pond. It is the last descent to the car, I'm going to enjoy it, I won't be closing my eyes as the trail becomes a broken road but I will make it last as I don't want to go back to reality, back to the city where work is life and trail is a round of a park. But just 5 more days, trail and I'll be back to your arms.

If you want details of this gateway, please check the route page :)

Reigate Hill to Otford: 2 days on the North Downs Way: run, heat and little voice

Day 1

It's 10 am, on Wray Lane parking lot on Reigate Hill. The sun is shinning and temperatures are high.
We are getting ready to do 20 miles on the North Downs way to Otford.
I'm quite excited, I never ran in the heat before. The highest temperature was 23 when we were in Madeira. Mick decides to take a large coffee before heading down  towards Merstham....I don't think it's wise...it is quite warm already and  raising my inside body temperature might not be a good idea...but I take a sip anyway....he said caffeine boost the system...hum....I can feel the warmth and sweat building, but before it gets me thinking, we have started our descent in Gatton Park,it's nice and cool under the trees.

 We reach Merstham and are heading towards Caterham viewpoint. We briefly stop in Ste Catharine churchyard where we wet our caps under a tap. Best idea Mick had so far! it is so nice to cool your head down, never thought it would have such an effect! .... we have only done 2 miles but it feels so much more. Legs are heavy, body temperature high but mindset is ok. We carry on, it's nice to talk, take pictures and chat with walkers and cyclists along the way.

 

Tower of Tower Farm

After thinking we got lost and backtracked near Tower farm, we finally arrived at the view point.
It is a nice view we get of the south downs and England countryside, temperatures are much higher. I think I'm enjoying myself, but I am not too sure,trying to keep cool and carry on is not as easy as it sound.

We are so engrossed with the scenery, we miss a turn and end up doing a detour on a road....not cool. Watch out, the NDW is right inside the view point, don't go down the road. By the time we realise it, it is too late to go back up...so hoping to join back the trail we begin a long descent on the road. Quads are working hard and I can hear a whisper. I take more sips of electrolytes,  it distracts my brain from cramping and boredom as well as shutting down the whisper. I need to remember that... Let's play with the roots, avoid the gravel. Another whisper, caffeine effect ran out 3 roads ago and I don't really know what to do with myself...it is such a weird feeling. Whisper becomes a voice asking me to stop, telling me that I hate the road and this is not a nice trail to run on...I need a distraction fast...let's keep up with Mick... he makes it looks so easy.

Where is the shade? Let's play looking for the shade. Running is my gateway to nice places and where I can feel blissfulness. Right now thou we are on this looong stretch of road with no shade and all I am feeling is the sweat all over me and the urge to cool down. 
We join back the north down way and head up towards Tarbridge hill before arriving at Oxted Down. There is a nice descent with bumps just before Oxted view point. Mick says we should take a rest.I don't think he has a clue of what's been going on in my head. I don't say anything about it, it's watermelon break! It tastes and feel soo nice!  It was worth carrying the weight!!! We've done 11 miles. Thanks to watermelon, whispers are gone! We carry on towards Tilsey Hill, looking down you can see there is no escape from the sun, but watermelon effect is still on! and we soon arrive to this nice shady long hill where I decide to get some food down. Watermelon is great for water but not energy, I'm not hungry thou, it's a struggle...Are you hungry when you heat run?

Still smiling

Mick is laughing and comments on the fact that I am from a tropical island but I'm struggling from a tiny bit of heat...It gets me thinking: he's right, I'm struggling, so I decide to debate if it is in your blood to be temperature adaptable  in which case I suck or if you should be training to be heat adaptable? in which case, I'm screwed! Things you take for granted!
We arrived near Knocknolt, but we do another wrong turn. Whispers are back...Where is Otford? We run down and go back up. Whispers are shut down when there is enough visual distraction and ascent but come back when it's flat...and when out of water. 2 1/2 litres are not enough.I don't want to take it on to Mick, we have been running for 5 hours now and it is not his fault for getting the path wrong 3 times already. It will be better on our way back, right...We are so thirsty! I wonder how on earth people manage to run so fast and far under this scorching sun !  Mick tries to distract me and talks about James and the Spartalon and the ability to run in extremely hot temperatures??  So thirsty...we find a house with a kind gentleman who refills our bladders. I love the countryside for this feeling of community and entraide. We have been running for more than 20 miles...the guide got it wrong, right? It doesn't matter thou, we have water for another 20 miles under this sun...how far off can we be?

The wrong descent

We reach a main road, its quite dangerous to cross as there is no pedestrian path...I wonder how runners cross during the NDW 100. We have reached another field after many roads crossing.  Its a lavender one! It is beautiful and smells so good. I'm back in my happy place. I can feel the end of our  journey, and without expecting it, we are in Otford! I'm grateful, the sun is down and the temperature feels nicer. Or is that a mind trick? We just done 28 miles...we were not prepared for it, but then I wonder if we would have done it if I knew it...thank you watermelon and lavender field, you made the day!

Lavender fields near Otford

Day 2 should have been the same type of manageable struggle, but for some reason, it didn't happen this way, I couldn't find my happy place, my body was fine but my mind couldn't cope with the fact that I was having a hard time handling the heat.  We start the run and realise that maybe it has something to do with my ego and the fact that I like to think I'm a "strong" person and can cope with anything that life throws at me.

Otford Pound

But this heated run seemed to get the better of me. It's only 20 miles for pit sake! I need to get a grip. We are on the bottom of our first hill, this should help me get to my happy place....it's too late,  the whispers are now a voice screaming to STOP. I ignore it, put it on the side of my mind. But I'm getting distracted, the voice is now an action! It starts with the top, it's giving me a skin rash, so we slow down for me to be able to change top. We are on the top of the hill, it's a flat session, I know what is coming, the road is like the back of my hand since we done it yesterday. I now know every turn, flat, trail and road sections of it and what's coming up it's not looking good, darn visual memory! I have shut down, my mood is grumpy, poor Mick, he knows I need some time alone.

He goes further up the road, giving me the space I need but I'm thinking it's not a good idea, something up with my breathing. what's going on?! I'm breathing but feel that I am not. I look up for Mick,I'm zombie running and Mick is disappearing further and further. Is this a heat stroke? Little voice says no just messing with me!... Mick comes back, he says that I maybe I should stop, that maybe it's too much, maybe I need to eat. I'm not hungry but craving for watermelon, wishing to have kept some. I want to carry on, it's not too much, I know what's coming up with the trail, this is where I need to be, not on a side of the road waiting for rescue, this is not a race, this is a gateway. I need to be winning against this little voice who feeds on disappointment and bitterness. Mick carries on, I feel for him, I too would not want to be with myself right now. We are 15 miles in. I decide to think about this blog, this post and why I am doing this run. I want people to know about this trail and wanting to try it. It's a nice trail, mixture of everything from road to fields to woods. Come on, there is a hill just after this turn, a wood and Tilsey hill descent  Living in the moment is not actionable right now, so I'm looking to the future trail, visualising it, embracing it.Voice is back to a whisper. We meet Ultra Stu in Oxted down! how cool is that! he talks about his next race and all and it's nice. There, whisper is gone, breathing is back. We eat an orange at the same bench we were a day ago and without noticing it we are back to Tower Farm. I hear voices, cyclists at a pub, just by the road. NICE! we decided to stop for a coke and refill the water bladder. We note that we need to organise these runs with refill point. Coke feels nice and cools down the core. I'm ready to tackle the next flat section near the posh houses, I know we are not far from Mertsham, just another field and we are back in Ste Catharine Church yard and the water tap. We wet our caps and ourselves. Another note, we should have done that before leaving the B&B...we are at the Wray Lane Parking lot, I'm  happy to see the car safe and I know a nice protein cake and fresh drink is waiting for us. Now this is what I call a gateway ;)


PS:  if you want to know more about the route, check the Running Routes Pages for details

Facing the unknown: 80 Km Mont Blanc Report

It’s over, after 17h42 minutes of pure euphoria, I have to say goodbye to everything that has made my day/night one of the best of my life.

I’m in peace, I have faced the unknown, I ran until it became a familiarity. I found my mind in an euphoric state throughout the race and my body followed. How can it be?

I started with butterflies in my stomach, scarred, tensed. I looked around, everyone looked like professionals, ready to tackle these miles and everything that is coming with them. We are in Chamonix Town Centre, facing the church, it's 4 am.

Chamonix Church

I kissed Michael for one last time, we won't see each other until the end. I put my head down, and there we go, up towards the Brevent. The path is lighted by the headlamps of everyone around. We are out of the forest, onto a rock trail “en file indienne”, breathing hard, and afraid to look up to the never ending ascent. Where are you Brevent?

Here comes a snow trail, ice crushing beneath our feet, each breath contained by what's surrounding us. First check point, we are at Le Brevent ( 2462m) and La Flegere is impatiently awaiting for us down below.  

Ice trail again, before heading down the rocky trail of Plampraz, I’m not moving, I’m holding back, I don’t want to do this anymore. Not because I can’t, not because I feel bad or hurt, just because I suddenly have an urge to fail, a need to prove to myself that I am not worth this trail.

Second Check point, La Flegere, so not into it, I don’t realise I haven’t checked in. I decide to walk, and have a talk with myself. Gosh! Who knew I was going to be such a brat? I look around, people are passing me, a lady moans about people using sticks. I’m now going up towards Tete au Vent. I’m kicking myself, this is silly, I should be running. I’m looking at my watch, it’s all blurry, numbers are not registering. So I keep on walking, taking pictures.

Some cool rocky stairs are in front, some more snow. I am on my butt, sliding fast, no care in the world to look pretty silly as I am passing some people struggling to go down on this snowy part. Someone laugh at me, make a comment in French and there it is: my wakeup call. I’m here. I am now feeling the ground, breathing the air. From an unfamiliar voice I become ME. I decide to follow the voice, it belongs to a Frenchman who talked for the whole descent towards Vallorcine. I don’t talk much, I listen, but wonder how he can talk so much!

Going Up to Col du Passet

First CheckPoint to Vallorcine, I check my watch. Crap! I’m late. I should have been at Col du Passet for 9:30ish. My dear mother-in law is waiting for me. I’m so not even close. I decide to run. I pass by Ninon, a cool lady from Lorraine. We talk until we are almost out of breath going up towards the Col.

Vue from the Col du Passet

 I’m moving as fast as I can but I can’t help to take pictures! The trail is mine, I am the trail. I hear my mother in law voice, I am suddenly on the top of the Col. I apologise, I should have been there sooner, she doesn’t mind and tell me to just carry on and not to worry about it. After making the checkpoint people laugh and a nice cup of Redbush, I carry on to Loriaz (2020m) trying to catch up Ninon.


Arriving at Loriaz, I decided to sit and put a plaster on. I don’t have a blister, but I’m aware that my foot is getting hot on one side. Any excuse to stop and not carry on running after Ninon. I sit there for a while, looking around and talking to tourists passing by, I’m not fussed. The time is ticking but the longer I stay on the trail, the more time I have to enjoy everything. But all good things have an end so I get up and start the descent toward Vallorcine. I’m “flying” and without realising, I caught up with Ninon, so we run/walk/talk toward the checkpoint. It’s a nice flat trail by the river. I decide to stop at that checkpoint and fill myself up with food and drink. But I get ichy feets, I want to carry on and just stay with the trail, so there I am starting the ascent towards the Col des Possettes.
The trail is wonderful, it’s a small forest like, roots are everywhere on the path, I’m happily taking some more pictures, talk to the people around me.




I'm so relax that Ninon is now back at my side, and soon passes me. Waou! She is going up that ascent effortless. Me on the other end, I’m starting to get bored, as we are now on the ski slopes, with no visual stimulation, just ugly rocks, and nothing to let my mind play with. So I decide to not follow the "easy" ski slopes’ path but cut through it, more effort as it's super steep but so much better because I’m playing with my breathing and I no longer look at my watch. I arrive at the checkpoint at the top of the Col. They are saying, it’s going down now. I can’t wait! But Benoit, a guy from Luxembourg is moaning, and my great mood is back, so I decide to stick with him and cheer him up. It’s so much more fun sharing the love of the trail with someone and making sure that they are feeling as good as they can be. We talk/run so nicely that soon enough we arrive at Le Tour, a check point and  we carry on towards Argentiere.

I’m having so much fun, but I lost Benoit so I decide to run after people and talk to them. They are smiling; they don’t understand how I can still be so “fresh”, I don’t know myself and decide not to ask myself why. I’m in the moment. Soon enough we are in Argentiere. It’s supposed to be only a light refreshment station, but there is everything! So I take a soup and a banana and carry on walking as La Trapette is waiting for me! From this part on, it’s a blur, I don’t remember anything beside cheering up Benoit once again and arriving at Les Bois. What happen during these 2 hours are still a mystery, no recollection, not even a picture to say I was there! I must have thou, I’m at Les Bois. I don’t know what happen to Benoit,once again. We keep loosing each other. I look behind, what happen?! I chat with a volunteer who kindly fill my water, I take some chocolate, another banana and with faith, start my ascent towards Le Montenvers.

 At this stage, there is no one around, it’s just me and the trail. I reach what I thought was Montenvers but is in fact Les Mottets with its kind people offering tea with energy drink. I laugh with them a bit, and decide to carry on faster, my mother in law is awaiting for me at Montenvers. I meet a girl from Birmingham, she is “defaite” so I cheer her up as much as I can. I feel bad to feel good when I look at the majority of the runners I pass. Why do I feel so good! Surely I shouldn’t be, what am I doing wrong?! I catch up another Frenchman, among the rocks and the ladders,we have been passing each other for a while now. We talk a bit until Montenvers, I see my mother in law, she waited even thou I told her not too, I’m grateful for her kindness. She said it’s not too far from the end, the people at the checkpoint/aid station say “that is the last ascent, it’s all going down to Chamonix now!” I’m quite happy to go down, so I carry on walking without taking anything, looking forward to the descent to Chamonix. I’m almost there, I can feel the victory to have faced the unknown. But it’s not going down, it’s actually going up to some “Alpage” that no one at this stage of the race gives a toss.

My euphoria has left me, I’m now conscious that the end is not where this guy told me it was, why did I listen?! How can his words have such an impact on my wellbeing ,on how I feel about the trail. I’m getting frustrated so I start running uphill, I catch up with moaning runners, we all saying the same things. I’m thinking about the guy at the aid station, I wonder if he knows that everyone want to turn back and strangle him. We finally arrived at L’Alpage de Blatiere, we just gained another 300m of ascent,... so much for the downhill. The guys at the checkpoint promise us that it is now all downhill.

Thanking them, I can now picture this nice descent to Chamonix back to Michael’s arms!!!
But this is shattered by an ankle drama! Who would have know that literally 5 min later, left ankle decides that it has enough and twists itself ( I probably didn’t help it by trying to run down like a chamoix!).
My nice picture is shattered, my dream of finishing in 17h 00 is falling to pieces. I’m not fussed about the time anymore, but the timing of this drama. It’s the same ankle I twisted in Madeira, but the other side out. A friend will comment later on that it happened to balance it out...right now thou, I am so angry at the rock and the ankle that I can’t digest the fact it happened 5 km before the finish line! But heh! There is no way I am not finishing ! I have been having too much fun for the last 16ish hour!!! I decide to drag that foot for this last downhill. Man! It hurts, tears of frustration and hurt are rolling down my cheeks, faster that I am going down that hill. All of the people I have passed are now passing by, asking if they should call the rescue. No way I say! I’m going down, I’m going to finish! It’s ONLY 5 more kilometres! Frank ( Thank you Frank!) gives me some painkillers, I gratefully take them. Gosh it hurts! Why can I only fly in my head!? I decided to “drag faster” by jumping rocks ( do not try, it’s useless and more painful) it’s not working. I need to distract myself. It’s time to play with the roots and rocks, time to focus on my footing and less on the inability to run. Here...a small downhill field, I am down on my butt, and decide to roll, it’s much faster but it does hurt the butt, Frenchmen are laughing, I join in, might as well enjoy that moment right? I don’t know if it is the effect of the pain killers or the call of the people down below but I find myself dragging less and moving faster. I pass a Frenchman walking, I cheer him up feeling his pain and knowing that just like me, he is not going to give up. I have found my new self again, I’m ecstatic and sad, it’s almost over, I don’t want it to be over, I’m having too much fun. Here comes a root I didn’t see, and it kindly reminds me that I have a twisted ankle and I shouldn’t be having fun. But I can now see the road, the people are cheering in all languages. And the unthinkable happens. I’m sprinting, sprinting to the finish line, the cheers are lifting me up, there is no more pain, the cheers are giving me a strength I never thought I had, I’m now racing, I’m thanking out loud everyone cheering around me. My God this is beautiful, they are clapping like I’m a superstar, it’s crazy and beautiful. I don’t want it to end, I want to keep on running, this is mad! Here comes the finish line, the medal, the bag and the beer. I’m smiling, I just had the best time of my life. I have ran 78km, climb 6044m of ascent, and met the most beautiful people in the world. Each of us have faced our own self and retained a knowledge that only a trail could have given us.

So what did I learn?

I have faced the unknown, I have met a new self each step of the way. I can clearly hear the call of the trail and I can’t help it, it has become a familiarity. I want to trail like I breathe. I want to meet myself again.