Limbo
72 days to 100 miles
My training is in an awkward place at the moment.
After the fun disruption of the trip to the Balkans,1 last week was solid, with an OK overall mileage and the completion of one of the key long runs that I wanted to do. Thanks to the mental reset from the pauza described in the last issue, I’m keen to maintain this renewed sense of momentum over the ten weeks that remain before the South Downs Way 100 on 13 June.
But, I’ve got the South Downs Way 50 on 11 April. This requires a week or so of tapering, and then (hopefully only) one week to recover. So even though I’m itching to get out and do high mileage, and resume the strength and mobility work I’ve neglected, I’ve got to wait and keep the training light for now.
Plus, I’ve reached the end of the three month training block I’d prescribed myself and need to draw up the plan for the next couple of months.2 However, there’s not much point doing that until after the SDW50, as I won’t know what I need to focus on until I’ve done that race, which is a dress rehearsal for the 100.
All of which means, I feel like I’m just waiting for the SDW50 to be done before I can work out what I’m doing next.
As a preparatory race, the SDW50 is both the most obvious, most useful option, and not quite right.
The pros are clear:
50 miles is probably the longest single run I would want to do before the 100. There’s something about the thought of covering at least half the distance in training that makes the full 100 feel less scary.
It’s convenient to be able to do it in a supported environment and rehearse the race day routines.
Because it’s on the second half of the SDW100 route (the bit that’s harder for me to get to from Southampton), it’s a helpful reconnaissance opportunity.
I also entered it as a back up option for qualification, in case I made a mess of the Chiltern Wonderland 50 last autumn. Fortunately, the CW50 went well and I’ve ticked that box.3
There are cons though:
A 50 mile training run, as much as it offers a psychological boost before the 100 does come with risks. It’s a really long way, so I could end up with stubborn niggles, if not proper injuries.
I’ve got to taper for, and recover from it, which has a negative effect on about three weeks (at least) of training.
In an ideal world, I think I would rather replace the SDW50 with a couple of 35 to 40 mile runs on the route, a fortnight apart. That way I can still get the rehearsals in, but without it having such a big impact on the rest of my training.
It’s not an ideal world though, so I’ll just have to make the most of the situation as it is.
In the lighter load weeks before and after the SDW50, I have an opportunity to work on some areas that I haven’t paid much attention to over the last few months:
Getting food and drink right - not just when racing and training, but generally.
Clearing some work and life admin so I have less non-running stuff to think about during the hard training to come.
Working on my mobility and foot strength.
Planning the logistics of the SDW100 itself, such as drop bags, pacers, and what I’m going to do after the finish.
Night runs.
Making adjustments to my kit.
I’m also looking forward to having slightly more time to enjoy the lighter evenings, get in the garden, work on a very-delayed article, write up my travel notes, process some film, and maybe even do some painting.
Inevitably, I’ll end up not doing everything - because I never do! - but it’s a nice thought and makes me feel less fidgety about having to hold back for the next few weeks.
This is volume one, issue twenty-seven of ¡Venga!, a running journal by Jonathan S. Bean.
Volume one: ‘326 days to 100 miles,’ documents Jonathan’s preparation for, and participation in the South Downs Way 100 mile race on 13 June 2026. The journal is published on Substack and as a paper newsletter sent by post.
Subscribe to receive new posts in your email inbox, for free
Subscribe to receive the print edition of each newsletter, posted to your door, for £5 a month.
Pauza
The omladinska pruga (youth railway) was a post-war construction project that saw more than 200,000 young people from Yugoslavia and beyond build volunteer to build a 239km railway line from Šamac to Sarajevo in 1946-47. It’s a staggering achievement that, eighty years later, scarcely seems believable.
Resolve
Sat in a café, with old friends and new acquaintances, I was asked: “Are you an ultrarunner, too, Jonathan?”
The quiet Chiltern Wonderland 50
Why aren’t the Chilterns busier? It’s a perfectly pleasant bit of the country, with rolling hills and broad views, within easy reach of London, yet there’s hardly anyone in it. In comparison, the Cotswolds, which is an objectively similar region (cute pubs and villages, good walking routes, decent transport links), gets loads more visitors.