Dartmoor Discovery Ultra Marathon

mickeysalz

Dec 2011

11:15am, 2 Dec 2011

2 posts

0

mickeysalz

I've just sent in my application for this (hope I'm not too late). It will be my first Ultra. Should be extra special as my Mum grew up in Princetown and my Grandad used to work at the prison.

sal

Dec 2011

12:23pm, 2 Dec 2011

100 posts

0

sal

You will be put on the waiting list mickey as its now full!

mickeysalz

Dec 2011

12:57pm, 2 Dec 2011

3 posts

0

mickeysalz

Thanks for letting me know Sal. Hopefully I won't be too far down that list.

derv

Jan 2012

3:48pm, 1 Jan 2012

568 posts

0

derv

this is my first ultra im num 214 i think just got in looking fawerds to it

mickeysalz

Feb 2012

1:00pm, 3 Feb 2012

7 posts

0

mickeysalz

For anybody on the reserve list, I was number one on the list and I have been contacted by a few people already. Time to step up the training

UltraPaulo

Feb 2012

1:16pm, 3 Feb 2012

45 posts

0

UltraPaulo

Cracking event... did it for the first time last year and will be back this year... number 5 if I recall correctly. Got the magazine through yesterday.

A guy from our club has done it a lot of times and his main peice of advice to me was that the race doesn't really start until Ashburton. Didn't really get what he meant until I got there (~ 13 - 14 miles) and there is the biggest climb on the course. Plus side is once you are over the top of it you are as good as half way! Great route, great event and well worth doing. A little sparce on spectators if you are into that but I prefer to just be out running a good course myself. Ideal if you have family and friends as they can get anywhere on the course with the exception of a couple of miles where it gets very narrow so they don't allow race traffic through.

Do take advantage of the bottle drop option, it really works well. They stand someone about 30m - 50m up the road who shouts your number out and the bottles are in number order so by the time you get to the water station someone has it out and ready for you. I taped a gel to every other one of my bottle to save me carrying them.

derv

Feb 2012

5:57pm, 3 Feb 2012

577 posts

0

derv

thanks for the heads up m8 any info is good info realy looking fawerds to this run and the feed stations ect are a must

tipsku

Feb 2012

10:06pm, 28 Feb 2012

46 posts

0

tipsku

I ran the DD last year and I was impressed by both the scenic course and the organisation. As UltraPaulo said, the bottle drop worked great. I also taped gels to my bottles to avoid carrying them around the moor. I remember the first big hill at around mile 6, Badger's Holt. Not as high as the hills just out of Ashburton but very steep. Then the double whammy from mile 14 to approximately mile 20 and then another one departing from Widdecombe in the Moor. After the marathon point it's a very undulating course for about 5 miles until you hit the final big hill - the descent down to Two Bridges which you ran down first thing in the morning. I remember it very well, plodding downhill and making a mental note to myself: and in about 5.30-6 hours time I'm going to crawl up this one!

mickeysalz

Feb 2012

3:54pm, 29 Feb 2012

8 posts

0

mickeysalz

Thanks for the tips everybody. Definitely going to try taping gels to bottles. I'm trying to get my head around just how hard this is going to be. I have a couple of marathons planned in the next month or two to build up, but they are both fairly flat and I really struggled with the hills at the Beachy Head Marathon last year. The thought of 6 extra miles and 1,500 ft more of hills is daunting.

Oh well, I guess there wouldn't be much point in doing it if it was easy!

Naomi P

Feb 2012

4:50pm, 29 Feb 2012

9,560 posts

0

Naomi P

This is a brilliant race. If I weren't sworn off long distance from April, I'd be there like a shot ;-)

It was my first ultra when I ran it the first time (done it 3 years) and my training wasn't so different from a marathon, I added an up-to-10-miler the day before my long run which accounted for the distance very well.

I didn't do enough hills (and never have done, living in London) but would recommend a hilly run once a week, or a proper hilly session to replace an interval session every other week.

Keep your fingers crossed for good weather, and pack for every climate going. I've done it in blaring sunshine, sub zero wind and rain, and hailstorms.

About This Thread

Related Threads

Free training & racing tools for runners, cyclists, swimmers & walkers.

mickeysalz Dec 2011 11:15am, 2 Dec 2011 2 posts	0 mickeysalz I've just sent in my application for this (hope I'm not too late). It will be my first Ultra. Should be extra special as my Mum grew up in Princetown and my Grandad used to work at the prison.
sal Dec 2011 12:23pm, 2 Dec 2011 100 posts	0 sal You will be put on the waiting list mickey as its now full!
mickeysalz Dec 2011 12:57pm, 2 Dec 2011 3 posts	0 mickeysalz Thanks for letting me know Sal. Hopefully I won't be too far down that list.
derv Jan 2012 3:48pm, 1 Jan 2012 568 posts	0 derv this is my first ultra im num 214 i think just got in looking fawerds to it
mickeysalz Feb 2012 1:00pm, 3 Feb 2012 7 posts	0 mickeysalz For anybody on the reserve list, I was number one on the list and I have been contacted by a few people already. Time to step up the training
UltraPaulo Feb 2012 1:16pm, 3 Feb 2012 45 posts	0 UltraPaulo Cracking event... did it for the first time last year and will be back this year... number 5 if I recall correctly. Got the magazine through yesterday. A guy from our club has done it a lot of times and his main peice of advice to me was that the race doesn't really start until Ashburton. Didn't really get what he meant until I got there (~ 13 - 14 miles) and there is the biggest climb on the course. Plus side is once you are over the top of it you are as good as half way! Great route, great event and well worth doing. A little sparce on spectators if you are into that but I prefer to just be out running a good course myself. Ideal if you have family and friends as they can get anywhere on the course with the exception of a couple of miles where it gets very narrow so they don't allow race traffic through. Do take advantage of the bottle drop option, it really works well. They stand someone about 30m - 50m up the road who shouts your number out and the bottles are in number order so by the time you get to the water station someone has it out and ready for you. I taped a gel to every other one of my bottle to save me carrying them.
derv Feb 2012 5:57pm, 3 Feb 2012 577 posts	0 derv thanks for the heads up m8 any info is good info realy looking fawerds to this run and the feed stations ect are a must
tipsku Feb 2012 10:06pm, 28 Feb 2012 46 posts	0 tipsku I ran the DD last year and I was impressed by both the scenic course and the organisation. As UltraPaulo said, the bottle drop worked great. I also taped gels to my bottles to avoid carrying them around the moor. I remember the first big hill at around mile 6, Badger's Holt. Not as high as the hills just out of Ashburton but very steep. Then the double whammy from mile 14 to approximately mile 20 and then another one departing from Widdecombe in the Moor. After the marathon point it's a very undulating course for about 5 miles until you hit the final big hill - the descent down to Two Bridges which you ran down first thing in the morning. I remember it very well, plodding downhill and making a mental note to myself: and in about 5.30-6 hours time I'm going to crawl up this one!
mickeysalz Feb 2012 3:54pm, 29 Feb 2012 8 posts	0 mickeysalz Thanks for the tips everybody. Definitely going to try taping gels to bottles. I'm trying to get my head around just how hard this is going to be. I have a couple of marathons planned in the next month or two to build up, but they are both fairly flat and I really struggled with the hills at the Beachy Head Marathon last year. The thought of 6 extra miles and 1,500 ft more of hills is daunting. Oh well, I guess there wouldn't be much point in doing it if it was easy!
Naomi P Feb 2012 4:50pm, 29 Feb 2012 9,560 posts	0 Naomi P This is a brilliant race. If I weren't sworn off long distance from April, I'd be there like a shot It was my first ultra when I ran it the first time (done it 3 years) and my training wasn't so different from a marathon, I added an up-to-10-miler the day before my long run which accounted for the distance very well. I didn't do enough hills (and never have done, living in London) but would recommend a hilly run once a week, or a proper hilly session to replace an interval session every other week. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather, and pack for every climate going. I've done it in blaring sunshine, sub zero wind and rain, and hailstorms.