Sophie & Sam's 50 mile Hilly Exploit - Wendover Woods,Wendover, 26 Nov 2016

A First and Second Place for Belles (10th Sam, and 14th for Sophie overall)Well neither of us had actually planned this race in our calendar this year ( totally out of our comfort zone), both having been on the waiting list got the confirmation we had got into the race a few months back.  With me preparing for  GB Doha 50k it was my only focus and this was just some fun around the woods after, for Sophie the Stort 30 miler.The Wendover Woods 50 mile wasn't for the faint-hearted and consisted of 5 x 10 mile loops entirely on trail and very hilly with 2900m (9500ft elevation), which later after lap 1/2 became brutal and even more so when darkness fell.  No time for second thoughts....A little from Sophie Carter on her race:I didn't prepare for it as a race which probably was why from the start I found it hard. but I learnt stuff about myself and running helped just to have some inner peace so it was a purely personal thing this race. A beautiful setting and day and well organised. Extremely hilly but challenging in a good way. A good way to run and eat sweets for the day! today I completed my first centurion event and 50 miler and I discovered what a brilliantly organised event should be like. To see the guys (Marshalls) out on their feet checking the course all day was fantastic. The marshals were amazing and so encouraging. The course was brutal...for me, I knew the challenge was more in downhill running than uphill. Everyone commented how I was able to run the uphill yet walk the downhill! Ultimately I think that slowed me not being able to take advantage of the downhill but I wanted to take on this challenge! There were only about 25 women who finished the race and a lot who didn't make the cut-off or who dropped out.  Shows we are made of tough stuff!A little from Sam Amend on her race:It was a miracle to get to the race start having incurred a pretty painful strain to the hip flexor and 4 days off running.  The test came Thurs/Fri when I did a few short runs which gave me some hope.  Having reccied some of the course I knew roughly what I was in for but still petrified at the climbs.  I must admit I did go off a wee bit quick  with the front guys on the first lap, no idea how to pace this crazy race but also not wanting to get caught up by too many runners. Starting in 6^th place on the first loop and eventually, an overall finish in 10^th place of the first lap was spicy in 1hr 23 something on that type, of course, wouldn’t sustain.  The start of the 2nd lap my legs were feeling tight, Christ I was going to be in for a lot of pain by the end.  Lap 3 at the point of half way I kept saying half way to go.  Also got into a rhythm knowing when the hills were coming, when to run and then when to walk, it then became the descents that were harder.  By now it was more spread out, ran the race solo with no one really around me just people I passed.  When I had a wobbly moment feeling I needed energy or my quads screaming I told myself “get a grip!”  So it was a mental game every lap, I had no idea who was in second place but sure it maybe Sophie, knowing the strong racer she is and our many race battles.  On the penultimate lap, cursing every hill I was relieved to see the finish and win another Centurian event.  Results: http://centurionrunning.com/live/19618377094(1) Jeff Pyrah 07:39:26; (10) Samantha Amend 08:51:00; (14) Sophie Carter 09:21:00.  175 Runners Finished