South Downs Way 50 Preparation: that sparkle

Next weekend is South Downs Way 50, a very anticipated race from Worthing to Eastbourne in England organised by the famous centurion running team, we will be going up and down many ridges of the south downs way and follow the traces of some of the fastest British runners!

Since finishing TGC, I  felt frustrated, I haven't been able to do as much running as I want to and so caged in with despair. I felt worried, it's a long distance and a fast race and then felt down, is this not all just an egocentric fulfilment? Not reecing the route doesn't help...everyone keeps saying it will be flat and fast. But then if you look at the race profile and hide the elevation grid on the left, it actually looks like a mountain race profile no?

South Downs Way profile

I felt insecure and got fed up with all of these negativity! So turn turn to Mick and to the great community of trail running, read other runners' blogs, follow the facebook community page and read that others are in the same boat, comments full of fear, insecurities asking for reassurance and getting it in ten fold! I smile, at the contagious excitement of Jacqui, counting down the days that separate her from the start line and feel...

That sparkle,... when you hit the trails race. That sparkle which makes your insecurities, fears, day to day issues disappear when you first step out of the start line with all of the other runners. That you come first or last, we always share that sparkle of hope of finishing something which is bigger than the fear of failure and make us take the first step out of the front door to the finish line.
And so, I feel brave, because all I need is to get out there, the other runners will take care of the race, with their smiles, encouragements, their foofying, moaning, my foofying, moaning and smiles. Trans Gran Canaria showed me that even language is not a barrier, that not talking actually bring us even closer together because it keeps us in our raw nature, grateful of a single smile, a look, a pat from strangers, and make us winner.

Winner because everyone has some sort of physical abilities, to go fast, fly down, climb up, walk, we don't need to be elite runner or champion of your age category to feel like a winner every time , you get to that finish line. As every finish line, no matter how many times you've reece it or race it, it feels like a first time! 

So there! I'm ready! Bring on the sparkle! 

Jacqui's picture of the down to Eastbourne