Millennium Way Ultra 41 miles – 3 March 2019
143 runners finished the race. Marie finished in 56th place with a time of 8:31:38. Rose finished in 84th place with a time of 9:11:25.
Martin and I traveled down on Saturday afternoon after the hectic drop off of pets and children at different locations as I thought it was a bit much for my sister Mel to have my girls and two dogs as well as her own three children and her crazy Springer Spaniel.
The Premier Inn Burton Upon Trent was really nice, well you can’t grumble at about £35 for a double room with comfy bed and clean surroundings plus about 1.5 miles away from registration. Next door was a nice Beefeater pub with loads of choice. Also there was a Morrisons opposite the Premier Inn which came in handy to purchase lemon donuts and pain au chocolat for the morning.
Mazza came to our room around 6pm where we looked at Martin’s glossy ultra magazines. These magazines are like his babies so if you bend them in a way he doesn’t like he gives you a funny look.lol We all went back to the pub next door so Mazza could have some tea. I bought all our drinks which were 2 normal fruity ciders and one with 0.2 % alcohol (for Mazza). The bar tender demanded ID from us (yes not joking) Mazza and I nearly ended up on the floor laughing (like the Peppa Pig family). The bar tender didn’t know where to put himself and we still had to show ID. Luckily, I had my driving licence on me but Mazza only had pictures of herself with her kids which after a few minutes of him looking at the photo let her off.
Can’t remember what time we went to bed but it wasn’t very late and I felt refreshed and ready to go in the morning. Martin and I had them porridge pots, pain au chocolat and a coffee for breakfast. No Premier Inn breakfast for us as 5.30 am is too early for that.
I arrived at the registration at Shobnall Leisure Centre for around 6.25am to be told I should be registering at the other end which is Newport but I still got my number, timing chip and tracker. Martin then took me to the start at Newport which is 41 miles away. Mazza managed to book a place on the coach to get her to the start.
The Race
I started doing around 12.30 minute miles running with Scooby Doo man but then Mazza appeared at the side of me and I kept with her to the first check point at 11.5 miles doing a faster pace then I intended. I ran with her here and there throughout the race for a few miles but the last 10 she was really flying.
The course was mainly flat, mud upon mud,stiles with a very small amount of road to run on.
The worst part for the mud was miles 20 to 30. There were so many ploughed fields to cross. There was a stile were you nearly had to go into the splits to reach as the mud underneath it had disintegrated. As I reached for the rail I dropped but managed to stop myself before my bottom was caked in loads of mud. There was a bloke behind me called Phil who I helped keep going and from behind it must have looked like I was doing a sexy pose.(The drop pose) lol
I felt I really struggled from mile 32. I was going stiffer and stiffer and could have cried from mile 35.
I went wrong with 0.6 mile to go (Martin rang me to tell me this) as I ended up in an industrial estate but I knew where I was going so I carried on the way I was going.
Would I do this again? No as too much mud and it zaps your energy. Very scenic though.
Thanks for reading
Rose James