Three twelve-hour timed events in eight days; what could possibly go wrong? I was looking forward to these challenges as a test as to whether I had the mental focus to keep trudging out the miles come what may, a decent step towards longer ultras planned for next year. I had even privately blamed my dnf at Caldecotte the previous week on lacking focus as these were more important events. Best laid plans and all that...
Though I started conservatively on the first day at Ranscombe my slow pace soon felt tougher than it should have done. It was warm and hilly but even so my cautious start should have felt like cruising, instead my legs felt heavy and rests became a necessary part of each lap. By the time I had completed marathon distance I was dizzy and nauseous, telling myself that I needed to get through phases such as this I pushed on for another lap but was starting to feel as if I may not get round another one and so stopped at that point. After half an hour laying in the shade I felt a little better but knew the correct decision had been made.
By the time I was more aware of what was happening Mandy had completed her fifth lap and several people were encouraging her to get another two done to reach marathon distance for the first time. I heard a friend say that he would accompany her for the final lap and so I decided to go round with her for the sixth. Completion of the full distance after seven weeks with no training whatsoever was a great triumph of determination. particularly as she finds running so challenging. I was very proud if a little guilty that supporting me in my hobby has lead to her being drawn into a netherworld in which running a marathon or more a week is considered perfectly normal. Sorry love...
On the Sunday morning I awoke feeling dreadful. I realised how bad things were when I fell asleep during the process of putting my socks on. After a couple of further attempts to get moving the lure of the duvet proved too strong and I slipped back into slumber feeling no need to justify yet another in my rapidly growing dns and dnf count.
Endure 12/50 commenced at 7pm, went through the night to finish at 7am, and if successfully completed would be the first time I had carried on throughout the hours of darkness. The event took place at Beale Park, only a couple of miles from home, and consisted of five mile laps, mainly on flat trail and including a scenic stretch alongside the Thames. It was a relaxed, sociable environment and being so close to home there were a lot of friends involved, which was excellent.
I started in my preferred 'ultra' mode of Very Slow Indeed, jogging round comfortably and aware that putting off the effects of fatigue for as long as possible was likely to pay dividends later. I ran with my club mate and friendly rival Pete for a while before he pushed on with me calling after that I would catch up with him at 35 miles.
Despite my controlled start the familiar heavy legs soon made their presence felt and by the ten mile point weariness was already a worrying factor with hamstring and glute pain also preying on my mind. I walked back to my car, grabbed some grapes to supplement the two Clif bars I had already consumed, took a couple of ibuprofen, donned a head torch and set off into the gloaming.
My night vision is poor. I once drove my car into a ditch thinking the inky blackness was some lovely fresh tarmac. This combined with my fatigue contributed to a marked slowing in my already snailish progress. Despite caution in the dark I just could not distinguish the humps from the hollows and eventually, inevitably, took a tumble. At that point I resolved that it would be safer to just hike through the darkness, avoid the possibility injury through tripping, and see how things were when the light returned.
My walking pace is good, a legacy, I always like to think, of keeping up with my mum as a small boy whilst she paced it around Maidstone market seeking out bargains. However, even given the darkness, I was disappointed with only being able to knock out 17 minute miles. By the time I completed my fifth lap, meaning I needed one more to 'count' for 100 Marathon Club purposes, I wasn't even sure I would get that far. I repaired once more to my car, gathered together some grapes, energy drinks and gels to leave in the solo runners' support tent (which I had only just discovered, conveniently located right beside the start/finish!) and headed out again, after, bizarrely, joining the toilet queue for a few seconds before realising that I didn't even require use of the facilities. At this stage I calculated that if I got lap six completed, I could rest up and maybe get another two done in the morning to record a total of 40 miles for the event, with which I would have to be satisfied.
One of the enjoyable and uplifting elements of this undertaking was the supportive, friendly attitude of the marshals spread regularly throughout the course, their spirits didn't seem to wain throughout the twelve hours which was a great boost. My favourite part of the course was the VW camper van parked in a field just as the course reached the river on each lap. Prior to dark it was pounding out dance tunes which brought a smile to my face every time I approached. After dark the volume was understandably reduced but the ultraviolet lighting gave the scene a trippy, surreal feel. Added to this a glowing, blue, ghostly bar was plentifully stocked with vodka shots and Lucozade Sports drink. I haven't used this drink for a few years now as I found it too sickly sweet. However, in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of an ultramarathon, feeling knackered, a bit miserable, sorry for myself and having decided (once again) that I wasn't suited to endurance running, I took one and glugged it down in one go.
Not long afterwards the sugar-rush hit me and I felt much better. Immediately I was loving the novelty of being out by the darkly powerful river during the nighttime and pushed on with renewed vigour. On the next lap I felt the urge to start running again on the non-trail sections and was striding through the trail parts a far faster rate, unable to resist breaking regularly into a canter. I topped up my sugar on the next two laps and felt unstoppable. Even early morning rain didn't dampen my revived enthusiasm. Mental calculation revealed that I would now be able to complete ten laps within the twelve hours and therefore be entitled to get another one done thereafter.
During the tenth lap I was full of the joys of 50 mile running and passed Pete at 47 miles, twelve miles after the point I had jokingly told him I would catch up . My mile splits on this circuit were 10:32, 10:35, 9:51, 10:48 and 9:50 and I am certain I could have continued at this sort of rate but I realised that I would achieve a PB if I stopped at that point. I know some runners quite legitimately claim shorter distance PBs recorded during the course of longer races but personally I don't and so decided to stop simply in order to record an official time for my own purposes.
This was a night full of learning. I definitely need a better head torch, my current two, although very serviceable for the cheap price, do not pass muster with my weak night-vision on unfamiliar trails. More importantly I have often heard that no matter how bad things seem they can always improve and although I had experienced this to a lesser degree previously, this experience really drove it home. At ten miles I was in pain and heavy legged; at 25 I was uncertain that I would complete another lap; at 45 I was on top of the world and running freely feeling that nothing could stop me. It was fantastic! I am aware of the role that sugar played in this turn around and will look to see how I might use this more judiciously over these longer events.
I love a stat or two and so it is always a pleasure when events provide split information for me to analyse, ponder and play with. My lap times were; 53:10, 55:35, 1:12:51, 1:23:12, 1:26:55, 1:30:02, 1:08:21, 1:07:41, 1:05:27, 50:22. Laps three and six include the excursions back to the car and so are slightly longer than they otherwise would have been if I had used the solo runners' support tent from the start. These figures show that I was faster over the second 25 miles than the first by about ten minutes; 5:51:43 compared with 5:41:53. I'm not certain that this is the best method over a 50 mile race but I certainly enjoyed doing it that way. I'm not sure whether I'm happier about the negative split or the fact that my last lap was the fastest of the night but one thing I am sure about is that my most enjoyable two runs so far this year have both been 50 milers.
11th July 2015 Ranscombe Challenge 30.4 miles 7:02:20 #86
12th July 2015 Ranscombe Challenge dns
18th July 2015 Endure 12/50 50 miles 11:33:36 #87
26th July 2015 Snowdonia Trail dns
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