Going for a FKT...

Bath Half - postponed; Castle Hill Corker - cancelled. It seems that the racing god's have it in for me, each email informing of the changing situation coming ever agonisingly close to the starters gun. How many more times could this happen? When will I finally get to cross that finish line? Or maybe...

What if there was no defined start time? What if I could take back control? So the idea germinated like the first flowers of spring, like it has for so many people during these past couple of years during the pandemic. Why not go for the wonderfully American concept of the fabled FKT? If successful it would mean that I had a world record, at least in my mind, in a sport that I once vividly remember closing the door on back in 2017 after completing the Yorkshire 10 mile (very few miles, too much booze and some cigarettes appear not to set you up for running well).

Living around Bath there is an abundance of trails and muddy spots, usually just a short, but steep rise up one of the surrounding hills. Numerous FKTs can be found within a few miles of the city, the most famous locally being the 102mi Cotswold Way that snakes through the Cotswold hamlets and villages. 

Map of the local FKT routes around Bath that can be attempted taken from the FKT website (https://fastestknowntime.com)

Why the Dan Booth round?

The FKT that I was going to attempt had to be manageable; I wanted something that I could complete by myself - that's the Cotswold Way striked off the list then. Plus given my general lack of experience with any silly long distances (yet!) I knew that I couldn't push my body past what it was capable of, especially with the knowledge that the Bath Half was still to come. This leads to a natural fall onto the Dan Booth round - roughly 24 miles, around 1000m elevation and no definitive route. The challenge, to touch each of the 10 trig points (well now 9 since the removal of the Widcombe trig).  

Goals

I am going into this attempt with 4 goals:

        A* - sub 3 hr

        A   - sub 3:15 hr

        B   - sub 3:23hr (FKT)

        C   - to get round and enjoy it!

The A* goal is very very ambitious and I will not be setting out with the prospect of going sub 3 hr. However if it's on at the halfway point I will push on for the second half. More realistically, the A goal is the one I will think will be achievable. I have left it with a 8 minute buffer to the current FKT (goal B) as cover for if my legs do fall away in the second half. Ultimately, failing getting the FKT, just getting around the route and enjoying it will be a good outcome (although the joy of the FKT will be the motivational force sweeping me around).    

Shoes and nutrition

I will be wearing my Inov-8 X-talon 235's due to it likely being a bit boggy in places along the route. They can do some road work, but I find that after about 2miles of only hard surfaces my feet begin to feel worse for wear. To overcome this I have planned a more 'traditional' route, sticking to trails where possible.

For my nutrition and hydration I am going to be taking:

• 2 x High5 gels (Bananna & Apple)
• 12 x homemade energy peanut butter balls
• 750 ml homemade sports drink
• 2 L water
• Emergency/celebratory snickers

All of this is going to be carried in my trusted Kilpi cadence 10L.

FKT report

Englishcombe

The 5:45 alarm was surprisingly welcomed, excited for the days running ahead. A quick scrambled egg on pitta bread alongside Moka Pot coffee. The rest of the morning was spent relaxing and those last minute nerves causing me to double and triple check my kit. Had I got my food? Did I actually fill up my water bladder last night? Did I need my headtorch? (of course not, the sunrise was at 6:30). 

Start to Englishcombe

So as 8am approached, I was warmed up and ready to go. Route loaded, cap backwards, sunnies on standing at the entry to the field where the Widcombe trig used to be. 3... 2... 1... False Start, got to say hello to the dogs. Right focus; 3, 2, 1 and I was off rolling along at 7:30 min/mi, a little bit faster than planned but the trails were good and the pace felt right. Out of Freefields Woods, turning right to head through Combe Down and old familiar territory.

Southdown Knoll

After getting through Combe Down, I was approaching the first trig point at Englishcombe. Before I could get bag the first one there was the dreaded road section of the A367 to navigate, unfortunately unavoidable unless I fancied a half mile detour! I managed to time my darts along the grass ridge at the side of the road, avoiding the overgrown trees with minimal time lost and a few appreciative thank yous from some drivers (probably all wondering what the hell I was doing). And then it was there (sort of) as since the Dan Booth round was created there have been some works starting around the trig point itself with ominous security signs warning informing me that I would be watched if I intruded.

Englishcombe to Newton St. Loe

Newton St. Loe

Next, to the cow field with a disappointing number of cows (total count: 0) and a shin whack while passing through a gate in what seems to be becoming a tradition for me. After a quick dash through the orchards and along the road it was a power hike up to Southdown Knoll and arguably the funkiest looking trig point in UK. 

Next there was a bit more boring road work up to Newton St Loe. I was feeling strong and in control but reminded myself that there was still a long way to go.

Newton St. Loe to Hanging Hill

Penn Hill

Heading down from Newton St. Loe, I had my first little wobble. The pounding from running downhill took it's toll on my stomach and lower back and then heading up to Pen Hill trig point. The legs were struggling to get going uphill and the other distractions weren't helping. I kept repeating to myself "You are in control" in a hope to convince myself that everything was going well. And it worked after Pen Hill I felt some life return to my legs and I set myself into an effort that I knew I could maintain up to Kelston. 

Tagging Kelston Round Hill is always a favourite of mine, the views are some of the best around. Unfortunately, as I was on a mission I did not have time to appreciate them and it was a quick tag, picture, move on scenario. 

Kelston Round Hill

At this point as I was feeling good I was able to put down some good solid running up to Bath Racecourse. A few squats under the barriers, on and off the race track and a flat run past the golf course (and a brief stop for a golf ball) then along to Hanging Hill.

Hanging Hill to Bannedown

In and out of Hanging Hill was smooth and a brisk wind from behind pushed me along. A slightly jumbled swap of my food bags put me off of my rhythm and I wondered whether the challenge might be slipping away slowly. However I still had time in the bag on the record (1:42:30 at Hanging Hill) and I regained my composure. I then decided to push it down to Swainswick, in hindsight a little mistake as it burnt up my quads a bit and they never quite recovered afterwards. 

Hanging Hill

This made Solsbury Hill a bit of a slog, and when coupled with the slick mud causing a loss of traction meant that I experiance the first signs of what was to come when climbing. Not a good sign as the second half was heavily stacked with hills. Off the top of Solsbury Hill I tried to limit the damage to my quads by taking it chilled and this likely paid dividends when heading up to Bannerdown.

The track up to Bannerdown was the boggiest of the lot, with ankle deep mud for the majority. Not good for my legs or my motivation as I thought the FKT might be slowly slipping away. 

Bannerdown to End

Solsbury Hill

Coming down from Bannerdown I was relieved to hit some harder trails and the road where I could bank some time for what I knew would be a slog up the hill to the University of Bath. Travelling along the river gave me some time to recover the legs and prepare myself mentally for the hill. However the legs were feeling very rough by this point so I was totally reliant on my mind and shutting off the warning signals being sent from my legs.

As expected, the hill chewed me up and tried to spit me back out (down the hill). My pace was reduced to 20 min.mi and I was left watching the time ahead rapidly fall, praying that the end would come before the I fell behind the required pace. I made it to the top with plenty of time ahead left! A quick shimmy to the Bathampton Down trig left a sprint (or what I could muster) for home and hopefully gain 20 seconds on my 3hr15 target for a fulfilling and successful run. 

Bannderdown

I saw my pace dropping every 0.25 miles, 8:00 - 7:45 - 7:30 - 7:00. I was flying but I didn't quite know or understand how my legs could keep it up. They were starting to cramp up, I was willing them to just hold out for 5 more minutes, promising them that after that they could stop if they held out. My knowledge of the University of Bath campus helped navigate the potential maze without any problems and past the lake. Just two roads left to cross. The first a brief pause. Would that stop me from beating 3hr15? The second smoothly across. I let my legs go - dropping the pace to 6:15 which came as a total shock to me. Finally I rounded the final corner through the gate, a brief look at my watch read 3:14:30, I was going to beat my 3hr15 goal. Crossing the line at my start point stopped the watch at 3:14:41 and with that the FKT.

Bathampton Down

I had done it, I'd achieved what I had set out to and pretty much nailed my pacing plan, taking the FKT by 8 mins 41 seconds.

Widcombe