Saltmarsh 75

My goal for 2015 was to run a marathon, it wasn't pretty but I did that. I had said that my goal for 2016 would be to run an ultra marathon (distances over 26.2 miles, generally anything 30+ miles). It was March this year when Paul mentioned to me Saltmarsh 75, a 2 day 75 mile run around the salt marshes of Essex. At the time I had not even run a marathon but for some reason I was intrigued by the suggestion and was willing to consider it further. Paul was touting the idea of entering the first day of the event and not the second but before I thought about the words that were coming out of my mouth, I had rubbished the suggestion and said we should enter both days. This is a decision that I have been continually reminded about!

Since the marathon in May I have been trying to manage my injuries and as a result I have been resting more than running. So true to my usual form I was finding myself approaching what could seem like a mammoth task with little preparation. To hinder me further I found myself with a honking  cold in the week leading up to the Saltmarsh 75 weekend. All week I was considering my options, could I make it to the start line, should I see if I could defer to next year, my mind was full of doubts but I refused to make any hasty decisions. On the Saturday morning of Saltmarsh I woke up feeling like the cold was finally on the way out, I was going to get to the start line and give it my best shot, there would be no shame in trying.

Saltmarsh 75: Day 1 - South Woodham Ferrers to Steeple

We were up bright and early Saturday morning to make our way to the start at Marsh Farm, South Woodham Ferrers. I was feeling strangely relaxed about the weekend, we'd spent the week before getting ourselves organised, we had packed probably enough food and kit to see us through a week, not a weekend! Better to have it and not need it, than to not have it and need it I say! Given the length of the run we both wore our Ultimate Direction running vests. There was essential kit that we were required to carry such as an OS map, shower jacket, head torch and enough food/water (minimum 500ml) to get us between the check points.

Registration was a breeze, a short queue to pick up our race numbers (1 and 2 no less - purely aspirational numbers)!  We then collected our commemorative Saltmarsh 75 lapel badge and the route instructions for stage 1. With plenty of time to kill we sorted out the rest of our kit, put our drop bags into the appropriate boxes and loaded the van with our camping gear and kit we wanted to be delivered to Steeple, the location for the end of day 1.

My 'I'm not bricking it at all' face!

I had been keeping an eye on the weather forecast for the weekend. Last years weather had made for challenging conditions with driving wind and rain on day 1 which resulted in a high number of retirements. I could handle the sun but I didn't much fancy the misery of a drenching. It was however looking promising for the weekend, both days looked to be bright and dry. I made the bold decision to downgrade to a windproof rather than a fully waterproof jacket to save on space in my running vest but still kept a dry pair of socks on me just in case.

Paul grew the ultra beard for this race!

The walkers departed an hour ahead of the runners. 08:45 we gathered for the race briefing, the realisation of what I had signed up to was slowly starting sink in! With time for one last trip to the toilet we assembled at the start line and dead on 9:00 the horn sounded and we were off on the 38 mile trip to Steeple.

We set off along a farm track before picking up the sea wall just outside of Marsh Farm. The morning started off cool and misty, ideal conditions if a little eerie! This distance was new to the both of us as was a multi-day event. We discussed various tactics in the lead up to the event agreeing on running for 25 minutes and walking for 5 minutes. However, plans do not always survive contact with reality as I discovered. I was feeling good and it was a joy to be able to breathe through both nostrils for the first time in 6 days! I continued running at a slow pace only slowing to a walk when there was a stile to cross.

Not nervous (honest) pre-race selfie

Before we knew it, we'd reached the first check point in North Fambridge 6.1 miles in. We briefly stopped so Paul could use the toilet and we removed a layer of clothing as the sun was starting to burn through the mist. The aid station had been cleaned out by the walkers who were an hour ahead of us, luckily we were not requiring food at this stage of the day. However, the drop bags of food we'd left scattered at various aid stations now seemed like a brilliant idea!

Captured in motion somewhere near North Fambridge
Photo credit: Andrew Kenyon

We had 7.9 miles until our next rest. I was quite enjoying the run at this point, it all seemed to be going well despite my general lack of physical preparedness. We chatted to a number of runners on the way round, most of whom were either there on unfinished business from the previous year or had completed both years the event had been running. It struck me what a friendly bunch the ultra running crowd are, no short of encouragement or help. As we were approaching half marathon distance I realised how quickly the good feeling was diminishing. Things were starting to hurt and I was beginning to fatigue somewhat. This was way too early to happen especially given I had to find another marathon in my legs. Check point 2 at Burnham-on-Crouch could not have come soon enough.

Mud and boats - a familiar sight

Here we stopped to take on some food and make use of the facilities. Again it looked like a flock of vultures had descended on the buffet table. Fear not, we'd left drop bags of food at this aid station. I'd run out of water perhaps a mile ago, feeling parched I drank a few cups of squash and refilled my water bottles.

We'd reached the stage of the race I was not much looking forward to. It was the longest and toughest section of the day, 13.3 miles, just over half marathon distance to check point 3 at the Bradwell Orthona Community. It is remote and extremely exposed, fortunately for us the weather this year had decided to be kind to us so with little wind and barely a cloud in the sky. This did mean that our water supplies were not going to last until the next aid station and our drop bag hadn't sustained us as much as we'd needed. Half-way through this stage the Dengie Hundred Runners had laid on an additional water stop and boy was I glad to see them. These guys were probably the highlight of my day! My water bottles were taken from my hands and refilled, homemade cake and flapjacks were offered to us, it was just what we were in need of. Our spirits feeling lifted we continued the trudge along the sea wall.

Oh look, more sea wall!

Whilst the course can be described as flat, it would have been foolish to assume this meant easy! The surface of the sea wall was punishing, at times uneven, narrow and on an awkward camber. By now my feet were feeling it, my ankles and feet ached. I was desperate to sit down and take the weight off of my feet for a moment. Paul however would not let me, I think he realised if I stopped it would be difficult to get me going again. We had a welcome break in the form of a concrete section of the sea wall, I could have got on all fours and kissed the ground it looked that appealing. The relief it provided though was temporary, things still ached. This section of the course was starting to get boring, aside the occasional pillbox there was literally nothing as far as the eye could see, just flat, uninhabited, desolate marsh land.

Possibly the last time I smiled along the 13.3 mile slog

It was here that I also discovered another annoying trait of costal running, nothing is quite a close as it may seem. I was desperately looking for a landmark that would indicate that we were nearing the end of the section. That final mile seemed to drag for an eternity. I could see the small woodland in the distance which the stage notes spoke of, however they just didn't seem to get any closer. I was approaching a very low point in my race, had I been given the option to drop out I would have done without giving it a second thought.

We'd made a huge mistake with our food drop bag organisation. I'm guessing when packing the drop bags we thought we may need some encouragement to get through that difficult section and we'd give ourselves a food reward to look forward to. Instead I had spent the best part of 13 miles struggling to get enough calories into me to fuel my legs which caused me to walk more often than I'd wanted to. The annoying thing too was running actually hurt less than walking but I could only manage short bursts before I needed to walk again as I'd run out of steam. In hindsight it was obvious, we'd run a marathon without a huge amount of sustenance, a few gels, energy chews, a chocolate biscuit and a handful of pretzels and expect that and the anticipation of what awaited us in the drop bag to be enough to get us though but it wasn't.

We reached the Bradwell Orthona Community. I was in a bad place, feeling close to tears I grabbed our drop bag and looked for somewhere to sit. The reward was a slice of cold pizza, I was desperate for something savoury. It didn't taste as good as I had hoped, I suspect it was too little too late for my body. I did a scan of my body, I was weary, my feet, ankles and knee hurt. I heard another runner mention taking some painkillers. We were carrying a few medical supplies so I decided to break out the ibuprofen to try and provide some relief. We stopped here for 10 minutes or so refuelling, possibly too long as when I did get back to my feet I was in agony and unsure how I'd carry on.

I hobbled away from the check point feeling overwhelmed by emotions. Then we emerged back onto the sea wall with the first sight of the sea. The tide had come in, the afternoon sunshine was beating down and all of a sudden I began to feel soothed by the sound of the tide rolling up onshore. May be everything was going to be ok after all?

With the most difficult part of the race over with I knew that I was on the home stretch. The final three sections of the course were bite sized manageable chunks in comparison to what we'd just covered. I just had to treat it that way, 3 and a bit parkruns to go. I walked for quite a bit, my feet were feeling battered and my knee was burning. Running seemed aspirational but I managed to turn my walk into a shuffle and eventually a run. I realised just how slowly the miles were passing whilst walking. I have a new found respect for the walkers in the event, it must have taken a lot of patience to not have got bored!

I battled with the 3.25 miles between check points, running where possible. On approaching Bradwell I noticed the change in scenery, it felt as though we were nearing civilisation which started to give me hope that we're almost there. Looking out across the water was beautiful and distracted from great big ugly nuclear power station to the left of us. I was eager to get a move on through this stage, I didn't like the thought of being around radiation and wondered if we'd see any 3-eyed fish! We stopped at Bradwell Waterside, CP 4 of the day. Here we found crisps, lovely savoury crisps. Both Paul and I were sick of sweet things, our bodies were craving salt. Grabbing a bag of crisps we were on our way again with purpose. The end was beginning to feel close, just one more check point to go before we were on the home stretch.

A lone runner caught up with us, a lovely lady called Cherie. We ran together, compared what hurt, spoke about parkrun and other running experiences. It turns out the that running world is a small one as we found we had mutual acquaintances. Chatting provided a welcome distraction and helped pass the miles as we alternated between walking and running. By this time I could feel blisters beginning to develop. My left forefoot was burning and my right heel most definitely had a large blister forming. We eventually made it to the final check point of the day. Once again we refilled water bottles and played crisp roulette with a large bowl of crisps. Turns out cheese and onion is not the most pleasant flavour to eat when running!

Beautiful salt marshes

After a brief stop we set off with purpose. Just 3.25 miles stood between us and the finish. We were informed that the navigation on this stage of the race could be a little tricky. We cautiously followed the route instructions as none of us fancied any bonus miles! Luckily it looked like we'd be finishing in the daylight so this should help us find hard to spot gates and openings in hedgerows. My watch battery had been alerting me to a low battery for some time, it fell short of the reported 10 hours activity time as it died with 2 miles still to go! Had I not been so focussed on making it to the finish I would have resorted to using the Garmin app on my phone to capture those final 2 miles.

We soon popped out onto a section of the seawall Paul and I recognised from our recce run the previous weekend. We were so close now and also confident that we knew the way to the finish at Steeple Village Hall. We crossed the last field which had recently been ploughed and added to the discomfort I was already in with my feet. We could see lights in the distance, the cutting through the hedgerow had been lined with fairy lights so we knew were were on the right tracks. We went through the last gates to the grounds of the Village Hall, joined hands and crossed the finish line, we'd done it! 38 miles (or 39 I am informed by those whose battery lasted) in 9 hours and 26 minutes. It was way off of Paul's original estimate of 8 hours but I did not care, I was officially an ultramarathoner!

In the Village Hall Paul and I grabbed a cup of tea and coffee and some toast. We put our names down for a sports massage as we knew this would be vital to our recovery. I took my shoes off and assessed the damage to my feet. Just one large blister on my heel, it was exceedingly painful and I was not looking forward to putting shoes on again. Whilst I waited for a sports massage Paul went to the pub where we'd be camping over night to check our kit had arrived. The previous year the event organisers had put up people's tents, however there was a large number of drop outs after day 1 due to the poor weather conditions so we'd been told they wouldn't be offering this service this year. I felt really bad that I wasn't helping Paul who was exhausted and putting up a tent on his own in the dark.

After a welcome sports massage we made our way over to the pub. We desperately wanted a shower but it was getting late and we needed to eat before the pub stopped serving food. There were two vegetarian options, both pasta (our favourite!) so we opted for the vegetarian lasagne along with a pint of water and a pint of cider. I was delighted that the pub had Aspall cider on tap, I struggled to drink it though as my taste buds were not quite right and the cider tasted strange. Weird things happen to your body it seems when you push it to its limits, despite 9 hours on our feet and burning 4,131 kcal I was really not hungry and struggled to make a dent on the lasagne and mountain of chips. I did my best but for the first time that day I conceded defeat!

FOOOOOD!

We grabbed a quick shower and were in bed by 10 pm. There was still quite a bit of activity around the campsite, we could hear tents being put up presumably by walkers who had only just arrived. In all I got very little sleep that night. I got quite a shock when trying to extend my legs, my knee had locked and both hip flexors seemed to have gone into cramp, I think I realised that getting up at 6 am and getting ready to run was looking unlikely.

We woke from a cold, damp, restless night. I told Paul that I had made my mind up that I was not going to start day 2. My blister was extremely tender and my knee was swollen and feeling sore, I may have made it to the first or second check point (very slowly) but I could not see me reaching the finish. I was feeling content that I had managed 38 miles already, this had far exceeded anything I have done before. Paul was feeling on the whole ok so he decided to at least give it a go.

Saltmarsh 75: Day 2 - Steeple to Salcot-cum-Virley 

Paul lined up at the start line, I was happy that he was giving it a go but felt bad that I'd abandoned him, on the same hand I was relieved that I would not be going through the pain I had experienced on day 1! At 8 am the runners were off. I waited at the pub for a lift from the organisers back to Marsh Farm where I'd pick my car up from. I was not alone, I was joined by 3 other runners who had retired from day 1 so I had company and passed time talking about various marathons and ultra-marathons we'd run.

The ultra marathon man

Eventually we were picked up and taken to Marsh Farm. Unfortunately our camping gear was not going to fit so once I collected my car I had to drive back to Steeple to collect our stuff. I had asked Paul to text me when he got to each check point so I had an idea of where he would be and where to meet him. The first two check points at Maylandsea and Maldon Promenade were a short distance so he passed through these in no time at all. His Mum and Dad would be at Heybridge Basin CP 9 to see him, I was really grateful that they'd come out to support Paul as I knew that this would give him a lift and keep him going.

I was unable to get any reception or 4G on my phone so was navigating purely by guess work but I somehow managed to get the CP 10 at Goldhanger Creek. I parked up and made my way to the sea wall, before I had got to the check point I spotted Paul in the distance walking towards me. He'd just left the check point and was on his way, a minute later and I would have missed him! Paul seemed in reasonably good spirits if feeling a little tired. It was going to be a tough 9.5 miles to the next check point, if it was going to be anything like the Burham-on-Crouch to Bradwell of the previous day then I knew that it was going to be a struggle. Shortly after Paul left I received a phone call from his running coach Lindley. Lindley was out on a recce of the course as much of the route was the same as his Essex Coastal Marathons the following weekend. He hoped to find Paul and run with him for a bit. Lindley had given Paul a pep talk on the phone which was hopefully going to help him mentally take on the next leg of the course.

I arrived at CP 11 in Tollesbury and found a bench in the sun, I was expecting to have a couple of hours to wait before I'd see Paul. Runners started making their way through the check point, I was inspired at how strong some people still looked despite at this stage being 68 miles in! Lindley appeared at the check point, he'd been unable to find Paul and had most likely missed him by a mile or so. I'd not had the opportunity at the previous check point to see any other runners so I did not know where Paul was within the pack. This eased my concerns slightly. Lindley and I had popped into the neighbouring tearooms for coffee and piece of cake, I was just about to pay when I could see Paul emerging from the trail. We ran out without paying! Paul was not in a good way, he was tired and emotional. He said he'd walked most of the 9 miles and he didn't think he could go on. It was difficult seeing him physically and emotionally drained. Determined to be sending him back on his way we refilled his water bottles, stocked him up on snacks and stuffed some malt loaf in his mouth. The check point volunteers were concerned for him and asked whether he was ok to go on, Lindley assured them that Paul was not injured or unwell and we pointed him in the direction of the path and sent him on his way. It felt harsh although necessary, there were only 8 miles remaining. Paul would have later felt disappointed had I let him hear what he wanted and agree that he should retire. Besides this was only the start of his journey as an ultra runner, he'd soon be facing far greater challenges. I was really grateful for Lindley's support and expertise at this difficult stage in the race.

I waited for a short while just to make sure Paul did not reappear at the check point before making my way to the final check point in Salcot-cum-Virley. It was a long and agonising wait, I knew Paul was going to be sometime but I had a rough idea of when I expected to see him. When that time came and went I started to worry. There seemed to be a some activity between the medics and the control centre. My mind was rushing to conclusions, could Paul be out there and in trouble? 1.5 miles into the final 8 the runners were given a choice, take the gate which is a short cut to the finish or make the rest of the way through a nature reserve which was inaccessible to vehicles. Therefore if you didn't think you could make it to the end take the gate and forfeit your medal. Paul couldn't have taken the gate as he would have been at the finish by now.

A runner who we'd spent some time talking to on day 1 had just finished. At CP 11 he had said to me he'd keep an eye out for Paul on the course. He came up to me and said he'd seen Paul and all he could say was "I'm screwed"! This sounds like something Paul would say, I would have been more concerned if he had said he found Paul in a ditch. The afternoon sun was starting to set and the temperature was dropping. I couldn't stand and wait any longer, I needed to get my top from the car. Just as I did I could hear cheering, I ran (as best as I could in flip flops and tired aching legs) to the finish line to see if it was Paul and it was! I was overjoyed to see him walking down the road and smiling. Happy but exhausted he crossed the line in 8 hours and 25 minutes. I could not have been prouder of him, he was officially my hero for seeing it through, I for one know just how difficult it must have been for him.

Paul about to cross the finish line 

Back in the village hall I waited on Paul, the organisers had put on some hot food. I got Paul a jacket potato with baked beans along with a cup of tea and a recovery shake. One thing was certain, I was not able to think about my own aches and pains, it was my duty to ensure that Paul could rest and to get him home. Shortly after Cherie the lady we met on day 1 finished and called out my name. I am so pleased that she had also finished, she has inspired me and made me think I was too hasty on giving up myself. She is one tough cookie!

Paul with his well earned bling (not at all jealous)

We got home and my Mum came over. She had kindly offered to cook us dinner as she knew we'd be incapable of doing anything ourselves (Papa John's pizza was our plan b). She'd made us some proper good home cooked vegetarian food, a 'Dragon Pie', I have no idea how it got it's name, it's what we've always called it! It's essentially a shepherds pie made with aduki beans, lentils and brown rice with a cheesy potato topping. It tasted good and just what we needed after a long weekend. We caught up on the earlier Arsenal match which added to our good mood (we beat Manchester United 3-0) and had an early night.

The route map and Paul's bling and finishers wooly hat!

Monday we were feeling good, well as good as anyone who has spent the weekend on their feet could possibly feel! We had a Nandos lunchtime treat and ate way too much food (no chickens!) before going for a sports massage. I am surprised that I was able to walk, the day after my marathon I was stuck in bed and the only thing that got me up was my hunger and I had to resort to bum shuffling down the stairs! One thing that I had realised is just how much I had enjoyed the weekend and my first taste of ultra-marathons had left me wanting more. I am running another marathon on NYE where I am attempting to actually train beforehand (I kid you not). Then I would like to try a couple of smaller ultra-marathons around 50k before attempting a 100k and hopefully give Saltmarsh 75 another go in 2016. In conclusion, Saltmarsh 75 was an awesome weekend providing a real test for the body and mind. I discovered that my body is much more capable than I realised. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure, it was so much more than just turning up and running a race. We chatted to some lovely people along the way and felt part of a running family. The Um Bongo vests got A LOT of love out on the course and attracted a number of remarks, I hope they made a few people smile. I've known for some time that I prefer trail over road and I am starting to think that I could be an aspiring ultra-runner - shock!

A huge thank you must go out to Maldon District Council for a fantastically organised event. In addition Rover Rescue, EDMS, Raynet and all of the volunteers for making this happen. The Star Inn in Steeple provided a warm welcome and great hospitality for us tired walkers and runners. One final special mention for the Dengie 100 Runners for their support, water and encouragement on day 1, I'd probably have expired out there on the Dengie without them!

In the famous words of Arnie "I'll be back", see you in 2016 Saltmarshers!

Blog Round Up (Cheddar Gorge HM & Takeley 10k)

Apologies for the radio silence of late, tendonitis of the wrist has meant that I have been avoiding all non-essential computer use. I have a couple of outstanding blog posts which I have decided to consolidate into one before writing about a little run around the Essex coast this coming weekend. Since my last update I have run two events, the Cheddar Gorge half marathon which turned out to be bloody tough and a more local 10k in the village of Takeley.

Cheddar Gorge - Half Marathon #5 (14th August 2015)

Our race diary was looking bare for August/September, after a browse of the web I stumbled across the Cheddar Gorge Half Marathon organised by Relish Running Races. I've wanted to visit Cheddar Gorge for sometime so I thought what better way than to sightsee, plus it could be an excuse to sample the local cheese and cider!

We travelled down on the Saturday and made a pitstop in Glastonbury for lunch. I had done a little research beforehand and learnt of the highly rated Rainbow's End Cafe, Glastonbury's original vegetarian cafe. We arrived around 2pm and expected to have missed the lunchtime rush but it was queuing out the door, must be a good sign! I had originally chosen the homity pie, I thought it would be a good carb loading option, however just before our turn in the queue they'd run out. Instead it was replaced with Turkish vegetable and halloumi bake with lemony cous cous, olives and a green salad which sounded equally as nice so I opted for this. Paul chose the falafel and humous platter. Neither of us were disappointed, the portions were generous and the food delicious, well worth the wait! We stuffed ourselves and I only wish I had some room left for cake. We decided to walk off our lunch and get a little hill training in by walking up Glastonbury Tor!

Turkish vegetable and halloumi bake - it was delish!

We got to Cheddar Gorge well ahead of the race start time Sunday morning. The race notes spoke of challenging walk to the start line and they did not lie, we arrived at the top a little sweaty and out of breath and we'd not even begun to run at this point! Registration was painless and the event was seemingly well organised. With our race numbers pinned on we took some time to chill and appreciate the awesome views. We also had the opportunity to chat to a few of the other runners including a lovely lady who was celebrating her 72nd birthday and was running the 10k, massive respect to her!

The climb to the start - not sure bananas make effective trekking poles

We set off with 170+ other runners on the half marathon course. The first km set the scene, it was cruelly uphill, I knew from the reaction from my legs that this event was going to be a struggle. Not to worry, Paul and I were running with the motto "here for a good time and not a fast time", it was all about the experience and not beating personal bests, something we've grown to appreciate more recently. The terrain presented the greatest challenge, described as 'steep in places and very steep everywhere else'! 507m of elevation combined with surfaces varying from uneven grass, rocky trails, bogs, dirt roads, woodland and small river crossings. At around 2km was a rocky downhill section which was slightly damp which made it very slippery, I felt at times I should have had some trekking poles.  It was by far the most challenging and technical run we'd taken on to date, even more so than the rolling hills of Dorset!

Just one of the types of terrain and a horse! 

Our race strategy was sensible, run when we could and walk when we needed. Walking enabled us to take our eyes off of the path in front of us and appreciate some of the breath taking views. The reality was some of the climbs would have been impossible to scale with anything other than a walk. My ankles took a bit of a battering, I managed to roll my ankle twice on the uneven ground but luckily they sprung back and didn't do any damage.

6km presented us with a 200m boggy crossing. Even the most stable looking surface had the ability to surprise. We tried to navigate this section quickly but it wasn't long before my entire foot up to my ankle had been swallowed by the ground leaving an unpleasant squelch in one shoe. It felt more like a mud race at this point

The aid stations were often a welcome sight and were staffed by friendly, cheerful volunteers. There was a good selection of sweet and savoury goodies as well as cups of electrolyte drinks. Another thumbs up for the event organisers for offering vegetarian friendly Haribo jelly beans, these are fast becoming a race favourite of mine!

Paul enjoying the aid station buffet

At around 11 miles when my legs were already feeling a bit battered and wobbly, we came across a section of steps, some very steep steps and from the bottom we couldn't see where these steps ended! Luckily they were divided into two sections which enabled us to grab a breather and look back on how far we'd climbed. At the top of the steps we were rewarded with a flat section with stunning views of the gorge.

At the top of the crazy steps

Our reward at the top of the steps - this view!

From 11 miles onwards I was wondering when it was all going to end, desperate to spot something that indicated that we were close to the finish. I did spare a thought for those running the marathon as it was a 2 lap course and would have to go through that all over again with the knowledge of what was to come.

The rocky terrain made for sore, tired feet

The final mile was a loop around the top of the gorge before we re-entered the field for a finishing straight. Incapable of a sprint finish Paul and I joined hands and jogged over the line with a time of
2:55:39. My slowest half marathon time to date (although arguably the toughest race I've ever done). We wandered over to collect our medal and post race goodies which included an ice pole and was most welcome as it had been a warm day.

Cheddar Gorge Half Marathon DONE!

We didn't hang around too long after the race as we were fully aware that we were going to have to climb down back to the main road and with wobbly legs. Too exhausted to think about a proper meal we grabbed a bag of chips before making the 3 and a half hour journey back to Essex.

Victory chips

All in all we enjoyed our long weekend in Somerset and I finally got to visit Cheddar Gorge. On reflection though it seemed rather silly to have traveled all that way for a half marathon, we've probably done enough of that this year. Not one we'll be returning to but still a good experience and a physical challenge. Next year may be I will enter a flat road half marathon to try and find my form again.

Takeley 10k (6th September 2015)

Last year I missed out on running the Takeley 10k as I was still playing football. I was relatively undecided on whether or not to run but when fellow Team Um Bongo runner Chris had double booked himself and was offering a free place I decided I may as well tick it off the list.

It's a popular local 10k drawing in close to 300 runners. The route is what appealed to me, it's a straight out and back along the Flitch Way and takes in a loop of Hatfield Forest. No boring roads here!

My preparation the night before was hardly conducive to good performance (getting my excuses in early). We'd been to see the Foo Figthers at Milton Keynes Bowl and had a total nightmare journey, we were still sat in traffic outside the bowl when the first support act were on stage. Chris had kindly offered to drive as a repayment for the couple of times I'd driven down to Dorset this year, he had also just picked up a new car which I think he was eager to drive. Turns out though despite having 4 seats, a Honda CR-Z is not a 4 person car, I took the back seat which I am figuring was purely ornamental as I was unable to sit upright (I'm 5'1"!!!). When we did eventually arrive, the three of us (Me, Paul and Chris) were feeling hangry (when you're so hungry that your lack of food causes you to become angry and frustrated!). I wasn't holding out high hopes for the vegetarian selection and was prepared to give in to a grotty veggie burger or bag of chips but to my amazement I spotted the Goodness Gracious Healthy Foods vegetarian and vegan food stall in the distance. I went for their soya based veggie burger stuffed full of salad, chia seeds, topped with a slice of halloumi - it hit the spot! The Foo Figthers were brilliant, however the journey home not so much. We eventually got to bed at 3:30am.

No picture of the burger sadly, I was too hungry!

Tired, aching and dehydrated, I didn't really feel much like running Sunday morning. I tried to be as positive as possible but I have to admit to being in a bit of a bad place with my running of late. 2015 has seen me injured and a patch on my form from last year. Taking a realistic view on my own current form and fitness I knew that it would be a case of getting round rather than targeting a PB.

I walked up to the start line with fellow Um Bongo team mate Alec. The start was along Flitch Way outside what was once the Takeley train station. It was quite narrow and crowded but I made my way through and positioned myself somewhere between 50-60 minutes. One downside to the event is that it is not chip timed so once the gun goes you have a little way before you cross the start line, not saying this makes a massive difference to your time but still adds around 20 sec. I started moving slowly with the crowd and gave a wave to Paul to was waving from the railway bridge.

Two representing the Congo but not in club colours

The first kilometre was pretty quick clocking in at 5:14 /km however it was unlikely that I'd be able to hold that pace for long and slowed down to nearer 5:30 /km. The first 3k, was out along the Flitch Way. Less familiar with this stretch it was quite pleasant just finding my rhythm and not having to worry too much other than putting one foot in front of the other.

The start line

Kilometeres 4-7 were in Hatfield Forest. No stranger to the terrain I tried my best to maintain my pace but started to struggle. The grass was bumpy and the ground undulating, my legs were lacking in energy. I enjoyed this part a lot less than I had hoped. The worst part though was getting out back onto the Flitch, there was about a 1km stretch along side a farmers field. The ground was uneven and the sun was beating down, it was a long drag and monotonous. I could have quite easily at this stage packed it in.

Back onto the familiar Flitch for the final 3km stretch to the finish line. I was getting fairly used to being passed by this stage and was feeling frustrated by my loss of pace. It was a mind over matter thing, I just had to block out the negative thoughts and concentrate on finishing. I spotted a familiar face I know from a running group walking so gave a pat on the back and encouraged him to keep going and that the finish was close. Taking my own advice I motored on and eventually reemerged from the Flitch onto a housing estate before heading back out onto the main road. The finish was at the village hall, after navigating the road crossing I put what energy I had left into a sprint finish crossing the line at 0:55:49. Again a steady decline with 3 minutes off of my best 10k time this year and 4 minutes off a PB.

Forcing a smile at the finish

I was just glad to have finished. I queued for my finishers t-shirt and grabbed a cup of water and banana. This was a really well organised event with helpful marshals in abundance, the ladies on the water stop were extremely cheerful and friendly. All in all a good day out but I missed not having the rest of the Um Bongo crowd there.

Next stop Salt Marsh 75...

Dorset Invader - Half Marathon #4

Friday afternoon we travelled down to Dorset, a journey that my car is beginning to know too well. On Saturday Team Um Bongo would be taking on the Dorset Invader, given the earlyish start time for the race we thought it would be wise to stay a little closer in a cheap Travelodge. This would be our third White Star Running event we've attended this year and it was probably the most eagerly anticipated. After we'd run the Larmer Tree Half Marathon back in March we were straight onto the WSR website to see what other events of theirs we could attend. We'd seen the Dorset Invader event and thought that it looked like a great deal of fun. Described as an out and back race, 95% trail and hilly it appealed to us! Paul was instantly sold on the medal alone, given his training goals I had fully expected him to want to enter the marathon. Paul however thought the half marathon medal which was in the design of a Roman Legionary shield was cooler than that given for the marathon. We entered the half marathon and also convinced Chris with little persuasion to join us, after all we'd run together for the previous two WSR events.

Unfortunately Paul didn't make it to the start line. The weekend before, his back went and he had spent the week leading up to the race laid up resting at home. It had been touch and go whether he'd even be able to make the journey with us so running was going to be out go the question. By Friday he was just about able to sit in the car with the help of some strong painkillers. I was absolutely gutted for him as this race had appealed to him in every way. We had also convinced Gary (he ran with us at Endure 24) and his Brother-in-Law Matt to join us for the race.

Saturday morning we'd been blessed with some delightful weather, the sun was out and it was going to be a hot day. We arrived at East Farm in good time to register and go through the usual pre-race faff and port-a-loo queuing. We met up with Gary, Matt and his wife Amy who'd camped the night before. Matt had chosen to run the marathon. WSR are no strangers to fun and had encouraged people to wear Roman themed fancy dress, there were many Roman soldiers and togas in attendance and Chris who'd dressed as the Roman God Neptune. Paul and I had toyed with the idea of fancy dress but had decided against it as we thought it may have got uncomfortable especially if it had been a hot day. A special mention has to go to fellow Essex person, Justin Horrocks who had come dressed in full historical reenactment armour and was attempting to walk the half marathon route complete with helmet, shield, body armour and some very uncomfortable looking leather sandals!

Team Um Bongo and God

As 09:45 approached we made our way over to the start line for the race briefing. There was approximately a field of 250 runners in the half marathon, not too many which added to the friendly atmosphere of the event. The race was started by a guy dressed as a Roman solider on a horse, probably the first and only time I will be able say that! Chris, Gary and I decided to run together, our only intention was to have a good time and just enjoy the experience. One thing we've learnt from previous WSR events is that there is little point in trying to beat a PB set on a road course, the aid stations were to be stopped at, graze and chat and along the way there would be photo opportunities and the hills are for walking! Whilst not going for a time we settled on the idea that we'd like to better the time we's set for the Larmer Tree Half Marathon back in March.

The race starter

The race started in the main field and took you out onto a dusty farm track and more or less immediately into a steady climb. The legs didn't feel too bad, I had been a bit concerned prior to the race as I was still suffering with some leg soreness from the mid-week running club sprints and I was a little out of condition over distance. Since the marathon back in May I had been resting various injuries and had not run more than about 8 miles so the prospect of running 13 miles was a daunting one. The sun was beating down on us and after the first km I was already feeling quite hot, the one thing I had managed to forget was a sweat band so I just had to put up with the beads of sweat rolling down my face. Whilst I was hot I imagine it wasn't a patch on Chris who's fancy dress costume was complete with beard. Needless to say it wasn't long until the beard was lost!

The 2nd km took us through a farm storage area before we joined fields. The ground was pretty uneven, this was probably the roughest trail terrain I'd run on before. We were slightly caught out by a gate between fields, we'd each taken it in turn to climb the gate when we were passed by a lady who informed us we could have just run around it! From then on when we found a gate we checked if we could open it first! The course took us through a section of wheat fields, which was reminiscent of the scene in the Gladiator film! I chose a path through the wheat rather than run across the wheat stubble. The last section of the wheat field was downhill, we cashed in on this whilst we could as we'd no doubt be punished by more hills very soon.

It's a hill, get over it!

At around the 3 km mark mark we encountered part of the 5% considered as not trail, a road crossing! This section was well marshalled and the traffic was held up so we could safely cross the road. The other side we ran alongside some woodland which provided us with some very welcome shade the sun was becoming quite oppressive. Where there are trees there are roots so I spent much of the time with my eyes fixed on the ground ahead of me listening out for the call of "root". In places the foliage was a little over grown so after being slapped in the face a couple of times I decided I had to drop back a little from Chris so I had some warning to palm away any branches myself! My confidence when running through woodland has certainly grown since the Dark Ox races. I am much more aware of the dangers and do not find the underfoot challenges a reason to slow down, I'm able to manoeuvre obstacles much more efficiently side stepping tree roots and rabbit holes. We had a brief moments rest whilst we queued to cross a stile which took us through a field before entering the adjacent woods.

Just past the 5km mark we reached the aid station. Now WSR know how to do aid stations, they're by far the best I have encountered at any event! At this point in the race I was doing OK so didn't really want for much. Massive props though for providing some veggie friendly sweets, whether this was planned or purely luck it was greatly appreciated by this herbivore! I usually miss out on jelly sweets as the vast majority of the time they contain gelatine or other nasties so it was a breath of fresh air when I checked the box of the Haribo jelly beans and discovered a lovely green 'V' marking them as suitable for vegetarians. I grabbed a few and a cup of water and we were on our way again.


We had been keeping the pace fairly consistent, trying to run steady when the conditions allowed and conserving our energy on the hilly sections by walking. The only problem with the walking is that the boys take a far longer stride than I do. I was struggling to keep up even power walking which was doing my already tight calves no favours so found it easier to do bursts of running followed by a quick walk to ensure I didn't drop too far behind, not ideal but it meant I didn't hold the group up.

We'd briefly studied the course profile prior to the race an knew that there was a challenging section about mid distance where we'd be hill climbing for approximately 3 km. We came across a welcome sign "Lovestation Ahead", for those unfamiliar with WSR events a Lovestation is like their fantastic aid stations but even more awesome! We were met by a friendly bunch of volunteers dressed in togas who'd laid out a real feast of goodies. I was a bit overwhelmed by the choice as there was so much to choose from. After a cup of water I spied the cider, the drink of all good athletes and partook in a little drinky (it'd would have been rude not to). I washed that down with a flat coke and then spotted Gary eating watermelon. Oh my never did I think watermelon could be so refreshing, it was the perfect accompaniment to a hot half marathon. We posed for a quick photo, grabbed another handful of jelly beans and were off on our way again.

Lovely selection of goodies on offer at the Lovestation

Enjoying cider and watermelons at the Lovestation

Once the course flattened out we encountered our next challenge. We were running between two fields and the foliage on either side of the path was coming up to my shoulders. This is where I could have done with my own Roman solider to clear the path with his sword. Unfortunately the best I had was a Roman god aka Chris who didn't seem to have any special path clearing powers, disappointing. We did our best to continue with the running but found it too difficult, we were barely able to see the path underfoot and the grass and brambles were doing their best to slow our progress so we walked again. I was grateful to be wearing compression sleeves on my calves, this offered some protection to my legs but my arms on the other hand were getting scratched as we fought our way through the undergrowth!

Battling our way through the foliage

As soon as we were out we hit a single file track. We got stuck behind a few slower runners but stayed behind as there was not really a point we could pass. Once the course widened out we passed a handful of runners and Chris gave me the option of leading the group for a bit. I opened up to what felt comfortable and stretched my legs out a little, the course was feeling nice and flat but it wasn't long though before Chris recognised that I had taken us off too fast. I had been running at an average pace of 5:30 km whereas we needed to be closer to 6:00 km. I think it was the frustration of having been slowed down by the earlier foliage and slower runners.

Brian May or Roman God???

At 18 km we reached the final aid station on the half marathon course. We briefly stopped to fill up water bottles followed by a quick customary Team Um Bongo high fives before pushing on to get the race finished. This section of the course took us back along part of the route we'd started on so we had a rough idea of what stood between us and the finish. We were soon walking up the hill in the wheat field which I had very much enjoyed running down. By this point my calves were feeling pretty tight and unforgiving. I did my best to keep up with Gary and Chris but found myself walking and dropping further back. At this point I had kind of wished that they'd carried on and left me behind but true to the spirit of Team Um Bongo they stopped and waited for me. Apparently they'd only just realised that my shorter stride meant I had to run to keep up with their walk!

Trying to catch up with the boys!

At 19 km we were back on familiar farm track, whilst slightly uphill we were able to push on as we knew the finish was not far away. We entered a field and could see the finish line and crowds of people at the bottom of the hill. A very steep descent followed, it was a job to manage the speed for fear of falling down the hill head over heels. Longer strides worked better than shorter ones but I still struggled to keep up with the boys who were bounding down the hill. Once at the bottom it was through a gate back into the main field for the finish straight. Chris kicked on for a sprint finish but noticed whilst I was doing my best to keep up I wasn't going to be challenging him to the line so slowed down and the three of us crossed the line together. We crossed the line at similar times with my gun time registering at 2:19:51 which was under the target of 2:20 we'd hoped to beat and much quicker than our Larmer Tree time of 2:27:56.

Badger man aka Kevin waving the runners in

Sweaty Team Um Bongo embrace

We were presented with our awesome medals and made our way over to the goodie bags where we were also given a homemade Dorset apple muffin (which was delicious). The goodie bags were pretty decent, they contained a bag of crisps, some biscuits, a bespoke Dorset Invader neck tube and a jar of strawberry Dorset Invader jam. Other races ought to take note, this was actually a goodie bag worth having rather than the bag of usual random crap and leaflets you get at most events.

Fantastic goodie bag and not a leaflet in sight!

We caught up with Paul and Amy who had spent the time investigating the farm shop and sampling some homemade cake. Paul had also decided to mix some of the local ales with his painkillers, I was a little concerned but he seemed happy enough! I had already changed out of my race kit when we stumbled across the Roman baths. A pool had been constructed out of hay bales and lined with tarpaulin, in hindsight I wished that I had gone in for a dip. I imagine the water was cold and would have helped my sore legs on their way to recovery. Instead we headed back to the farm shop to pick up some fudge and some gifts for our cat sitters before making the journey back home to a much flatter Essex.

Posing with the most epic medal ever!

In conclusion I had a great time. WSR had done it again! This race was an inaugural event for them and they got everything right, I can say without a doubt we'll be back next year (Paul wants his own medal). The WSR experience is a unique one, every event we have attended has left us wearing a smile. The races are small enough to still feel personal and we have already started to recognise people from other events. The organising team and volunteers are all fabulous, the event organisation is spot on and they've thought of every last detail which makes their races stand out. Each course we have run has provided us with the opportunity to run through some amazing countryside, sure it is challenging, there will be hills, sometimes mud but it's all part of the experience. We don't enter these events to run a good time but to have a good time!

Well said!

Thank you to everyone at WSR, you've been the highlight of our 2015 race calendar and we'll be sure to be back in 2016. We may even have to buy a season pass and relocate to Dorset!

     

Endure 24

I have never been one to conform to convention so when Chris approached Paul and I gauging our interest in entering a 24 hour team race I was immediately interested. The race in question was Endure 24. As the name suggests it is a 24 hour race which takes place in Wasing Park, Reading over the weekend of 12-14 June. You can enter as a solo runner (if you're nuts), pairs or teams of 3-5 and 6-8 (mixed or male/female). The course is a 8km loop of a woodland trail, the idea being you run as many laps of the course as you can over 24 hours.

After many months of waiting, hundreds of Facebook group messages and spreadsheet filling, the weekend of Endure had arrived. Paul and I had taken the Friday off of work so that we were not under pressure to rush our packing, which was just as well as we'd both had busy weeks at work and were not quite as organised as either of us would have liked to have been. We had formulated a kit list of things that we thought we may need for the weekend so this left little doubt in our packing. Chris, Paul and I were going to get to the camp site early to secure a decent pitch for the team. We set off and met up with Chris on our way before convoying onto Reading. For a Friday the traffic was pretty kind to us only slowing down at the usual spots on the M4. We arrived at the camp site around lunchtime and parked up to claim our pitch.

We headed over to race HQ to register the team with a mandatory stop at the portaloos which had just been opened. This was going to be the last time I could describe the portaloos as pleasant, it was full on horror from that point on (may be this is why the event has been likened to the Glastonbury of running)! We picked up bib numbers, timing chips and event t-shirts for the team. The t-shirt didn't blow me away, it was a nice colour but the design seemed a little plain and didn't even have the event date on it. The events main sponsor was Mizuno so I was a little disappointed that it was not a Mizuno t-shirt. I was however quite impressed that they had women's t-shirts, this may actually be an event t-shirt I end up wearing. Being a petite person (polite word for midget) I find that small men's t-shirts are still too baggy and end up just sitting in my draw with hundred of other overly big race t-shirts / nightshirts.

Team Um Bongo L to R: Chris, Me, Paul, Fergie, Joel, Gary, Sean, Emily M

We headed back to the camp site to pitch our tents. I had been studying the weather forecast daily, it had been changing frequently, we could be expecting heavy downpours, thunderstorms and temperatures of up to 25 degrees celsius! With potential rain and thunderstorms in mind we decided to pitch our tents a distance away from the tree line bordering the field! We had decided to buy a new tent before the event, whilst we already had a 2 man tent it didn't allow much room for all the kit we were taking and it would be nice to be able to stand up whilst changing (which we'd be doing a lot of over the course of the weekend). Paul found a pretty awesome tipi tent which allowed ample space for sleeping and kit storage not to mention some head space. I wasn't going to mention it but there may have been a little incident involving tent pegs and poles being thrown around and diva-ish outbursts which occurred as a result of someone (Paul) being hungry and not wanting to wait and listen before setting the tent up. We made sure Paul was well fed for the rest of the weekend! Once pitched we got out the camping chairs before being greeted by the first rain shower of the weekend. Unfortunately all we had for shelter was a couple of golf umbrellas so we huddled under and did our best to stay dry. We sent out an S.O.S message to the rest of Team Um Bongo pleading with someone to buy a cheap gazebo for the weekend as it didn't look like this was going to be an isolated instance.

When the rain stopped we headed back over to the race village to have a look around. Mizuno the main event sponsor had a tent selling their wares which offered a slim choice of merchandise. They missed an opportunity not having some Endure 24 branded goods, I am pretty sure people would have bought hoodies etc. Sports massage was being provided by North Hampshire Sports Massage event team, they were in for a long shift with a 30 hours non stop service for the runners! I stopped by their tent and introduced myself as a likely customer and jokingly asked if I could make a down payment for the weekend! I had been suffering quite badly in the week leading up to the race with a bad plantar fasciitis flare up and my calves were both solid. I spoke to Steve who runs NHSM and we chatted about running and injuries, I mentioned that I would be starting a sports massage diploma in September. It's a small world as he knows the tutor on my course! He has kindly offered me the fantastic opportunity to join the event team at Endure 24 2016 to get some practice hours under my belt.

Back at the camp other members of Team Um Bongo started arriving. Joel and Fergie were officially my heroes as they'd come armed with a gazebo. Chris hung our national flag (Congo of course) with pride from the gazebo frame and Camp Um Bongo was ready for the weekend. We waited for the next members to arrive, Sean and Emily M. In the hours that passed we prepared like all good athletes would, ate most of our supplies and drank cider (had to drink up whilst it was still nicely chilled)! We had a thoroughly pleasant evening despite the on/off rain, discussing race tactics and generally taking the piss out of each other. This was to be a constant throughout the weekend, despite all being a mutual friend of Chris, some of us had only met once or twice before yet I felt like I had known everyone for years. At around 11 we turned in for the night in the hope of getting some sleep before the big day.

Preparation for a 24 hour race begins with cider

Saturday - pre race

We woke up around dawn, turns out tents don't have blackout curtains! I'd not had the best nights sleep, it had rained more or less throughout the night and as such a nice puddle had formed in the entrance to our tent. We emerged to a grey and dreary morning and prepared some breakfast. We'd picked up some porridge pots and bananas which were probably the most nutritious things we'd eat all weekend. Gary, the final member of Team Um Bongo arrived and joined us for breakfast. Chris had abandoned the camp for parkrun that morning, I did question his sanity as it meant an early start and running an unnecessary 3 miles on top of what we'd be running over the course of the next 24 hours. All was forgiven when he returned with another gazebo so we could build an extension to Camp Um Bongo and a box of Krispy Creme doughnuts. We continued our elite preparation with a doughnut and a coffee.

Paul and I pre-race

At 11:45 am we headed to race HQ for the briefing. Chris as team captain would be running our first lap. We'd previously drawn up a running roster taking an educated guess at how long we'd be a lap and adding 2 minutes onto our times per lap. It wasn't an exact science but would at least give us an idea of when we'd each be up. We wished our team captain good luck as he disappeared off into the crowds at the starting line. There was a real buzz in the air as the 400 runners set off for their first lap. We'd toyed with various race strategies but decided on running 1 lap before handing over to the next runner on the roster.

The National Anthem of the Congo was observed before the running shenanigans begin!

Lap #1 - Saturday 2:58 pm 

I was 5th up on the running order following Emily M. Reports back from the team was that the course was drying up under foot so I thought I would risk my slightly comfier road shoes. With the various injuries I was carrying, I knew that the right choice in footwear could end up being the difference in managing my aches and pains and squeezing out an extra lap. I waited nervously in the transition pen for Emily M, being my first hand over I wasn't too sure what to expect. I spotted Emily M running into the home straight and waved my arms so that she could spot me, she handed over the baton which was one of those luminous charity wrist bands. My first steps as expected bought pain, I decided to try my best to ignore it and try and quickly find a good rhythm.

I was so focussed on handover that I had forgotten to start my Garmin. It took forever to find a signal and I was eventually connected after the first km. The course started on grass and then transitioned briefly onto tarmac for the first km. At half a km into the course was the first climb, it wasn't too menacing but did present a long steady drag. I rarely walk so early in a race but not knowing what the next 7 km had in store I decided it would be sensible to conserve my effort at this point and wait for the ground to flatten out.

At 2km we entered the woods. The ground here was mud and the overnight rain had left it a little spongy in places. I could instantly tell that there was an unpleasant camber to the ground which gave my Plantar Fasciitis cause to complain. From previous experience of running woodland trails I knew there would be a likelihood of exposed tree roots so kept my gaze at my feet. The course could be described as a technical trail so concentration was required at all times to ensure you stayed upright. I prefer this kind of running as I feel connected with my surroundings. Approaching the 3km mark was a downhill section made up of mud and loose surface gravel. Usually I would welcome a bit of downhill speed but the runners knee made it quite clear we'd not enjoy this bit!

Downhill loose gravelly bit

At around 5km there was a beautiful, still and tranquil lake, I took my eyes off of my feet long enough to gaze across at the woodland the other side. Then positioned just off of the trail was an aid station (called Ali's Bar) offering some water and a few goodies for the solo runners. I'd decided not to carry a water bottle on the course as it was added baggage and I'd decided it wasn't hot enough conditions to warrant one. I welcomed the brief stop and gulped down a cup of water. More or less immediately after was a VW camper van playing some music and offering bottles of Luzozade to the runners, already hydrated I decided not to stop. Then there was the hill, it wasn't a little hill by any means, I tried running but my legs slowly stopped so walking was the only way up. The hill over the weekend became affectionately known as the 'Bastard' by Team Um Bongo.

Ali's Bar a welcome sight at 5k

The final 3km of the course were by far my favourite, not because it was nearer the finish but because the trail was particularly interesting. The trail cut through the woods and weaved in and out of the trees, there were some tricky downhills and ditches to jump. For the final half a km we emerged from the woods back into the main event field. This provided a real boost, you could hear and see the finish line and the course was lined with the tents of the solo runners and supporters cheering on the runners.

One of my favourite sections of the course

I ran down the home straight to the finish line and looked for Paul. He wasn't difficult to spot, a 6 ft guy wearing an Um Bongo vest is pretty easy to spot. I handed over the baton, gave him a sweaty kiss and wished him good luck for his lap.

Lap #1 time - 00:47:40

Once Paul had finished his lap he passed the baton onto Fergie. We met back at camp and got changed out of our race kit. I wasn't feeling too bad after my first lap, as expected my foot hurt and I could feel a little tightness in my calves so I decided to put on my compression socks. I felt completely comfortable walking out in public wearing shorts and my compression socks pulled up to my knees, it's what runners do, right?

Man down! 

Joel appeared at the camp looking a little panicked, to begin with I thought that he'd forgotten to take something to the start line with him for his lap, he was next on after Fergie. Instead he said that Team Um Bongo had a call out over the PA system and something had happened to Fergie. All we knew was that he's taken all fall and was being bought back by the medical team. Paul and I volunteered to go down to the medical tent. There we met Sean and Gary and waited for Fergie. It felt like we were waiting for a long while which was probably made worse not knowing the extent of his injuries. Eventually, an all terrain vehicle appeared with a muddy and bashed up Fergie sat in the back clutching to gas and air. He seemed in good spirits despite being covered in mud with some nasty cuts to his hands and legs and being in some visible discomfort with his shoulder. The medical team looked over him whilst we decided what we should do next. It was quite clear at this stage that he would be taking no further part in the weekend.    

Fergie had fallen shortly after 2 km on a downhill section where the surface was mud and gravel, it was also fairly undulating. he'd landed on his shoulder as he went over. 

The medics were fairly sure that he'd dislocated his shoulder and despite having put it back in the joint they suggested it would be wise to take him to A&E for an X-ray. After some discussion it was decided that I had probably the most practical car for taking Fergie to A&E. We waited for Joel to return from his lap to update him before sending Chris out on lap 2. Whilst Fergie seemed quite capable of getting in and out of the car I wasn't entirely confident on going to A&E alone so asked if Joel would join us. Joel and Fergie are work colleagues and friends and I thought that Fergie may be more comfortable having someone familiar around. We took a steady drive to the Royal Berkshire Hospital, I was conscious of every corner and every bump in the road to ensure the patient was as comfortable as possible, the suspension in my car can be pretty unforgiving. Fergie's wife Rosie had been told the news and was making her way to the hospital from St Neots so Joel and I waited with Fergie until she arrived. 

Trooper - the gas and air meant Fergie was still smiling from his hospital bed! 

We handed over the patent and headed back to the camp to get ready for our 2nd laps and left Fergie waiting at A&E for further assessment. We later got the news that he had broken the humeral head! I have to hand it to Fergie that was some way to go out!

Lap #2 - Saturday 9:32 pm

We had arrived back at the camp shortly before 8:30 pm, the reworked schedule had me down to start my 2nd lap at approximately 8:55 pm. Paul and I decided to rotate our laps to give me enough time to get changed and have something to eat and drink, it had been a pretty hectic few hours. This also gave Chris the opportunity to test out the glow in the dark face paints on me! If I had a mirror I would have probably insisted on applying said face paints myself, however it was dark and I was going to have to trust Chris not to make me look like a complete fool! Unfortunately my imagination wasn't able to come up with anything so I let Chris and his artistic license loose on my face. I could tell this was probably a mistake as he was giggling at what he'd created whist painting my face. I can say painting your nose is a stupid idea as you can always see it glowing out the corner of your eye which can be quite distracting!

Less than convincing smile and thumbs up for Chris' face painting efforts!

I headed to the transition pen to wait for my lap, my glowing face got a few smiles along the way. I suspect people were being polite and then burst into laughter after I had passed. I took the baton from Paul and this time he gave me the sweaty kiss! I had opted for trail shoes on this lap, whilst they were not as comfortable as my road shoes, the course was still a little sticky and had the footfall of several thousand runners in the time between laps so I wanted to be safe. Plus when Fergie had gone down he'd been wearing road shoes so I didn't want to take anything to chance, especially as it was now night and I knew extra care would be needed out on the course. 

Once out of the well lit field I switched on my head torch. I've done half a dozen or so runs with my head torch (Petzl Tikka RXP) but this was it's first real test. I really like the idea of adaptive lighting and it worked perfectly adjusting to the lower light levels in the sheltered wooded areas. This lap required probably the most concentration if I was to stay upright. I spent a lot of the time looking down at the path in front of me to avoid any potential trip hazards. I could tell that the course was beginning to change under foot, some mud was starting to feel springy and a few holes and divots had started to appear. Whilst not too tired to have hallucinations from lack of sleep I did on two occasions see a broken tree root and at first glance thought it was a lizard and a dead rat! 

The 5 km aid stations were lit up like SOS beacons in the distance. I again grabbed some water and continued. The earlier VW camper van had turned into the VDub Bar and was offering free isotonic shots, this threw me a little bit and being the suspicious sort I decided to pass on by. I think the nighttime confuses me a little bit! When we got to the trail that cuts through the woods the trees had been lit up with fairy lights, it made it feel really magical. Then I got totally freaked out by a fairy and an angel. It was only gone 10 pm so I couldn't be having sleep deprived hallucinations already, it was just two volunteers dressed up giving the runners a little encouragement!

The VDub Bar offering isotonic shots at night

Once back at the finish line I handed the baton over to Joel. I had finished just over 6 minutes slower than my first lap. I was hoping that this was the night slowing me down and not fatigue and injuries.

Lap #2 time - 00:53:55 

I met with Paul straight after my lap and we headed to the catering tent for something to eat as we'd not had a chance to cook dinner earlier. I'd eaten an energy bar and banana before I ran so really wasn't feeling that hungry but couldn't deny Paul the chance of something decent to eat (he gets a bit weird if he doesn't eat properly and I don't mean the earlier 'hangry' outburst). We grabbed a veggie burger each which seemed to be one junk food meal too far that weekend and resulted in heartburn. I suppose 'proper' runners don't sustain themselves on Pot Noodles, burgers and flat Coke!  

I'd had the idea of a shower and massage before bed. However by the time we got back to the tents most people had turned in for the night and the thought of trekking all the way back to the shower blocks was too much so I decided to try and get some sleep instead. In hindsight I should have gone with my original plan as I suspect this would have resulted in some sleep rather than none. I made the mistake of getting into my sleeping bag whilst still a little sweaty, I spent the next few hours tossing and turning whilst feeling cold and sick. I think I should have allowed my body more time to settle before jumping into bed. Paul on the other hand decided to sit up and drink coffee before his next lap in the early hours of the morning. 

Lap #3 - Sunday 3:17 am

I felt a little happier on this lap knowing what to expect although tiredness was starting to take effect. I continued with the tactic to walk the hills and conserve energy for when it was most needed. This lap felt much more subdued as the rest of the campsite was sleeping at this time and those runners out on the course probably wanted to be sleeping too. I spotted a chap wearing a Vegan Runners vest so decided to walk with him for a little while and chat. He was running as a pair and aiming to do 10 laps. I had seen him out on the course earlier in the day so thought that he may have been running as a solo or pair and therefore appreciate the company. We spoke for a short while, he had not been enjoying the 24 hour running experience quite as much as me. I could have quite happily walked and chatted for a lot longer but was conscious I had to keep moving to stay within our race schedule. So I said good bye and good luck for the rest of his race and was on my way again.

At the 5 km aid station curiosity got the better of me and I decided to stop and the VDub Bar to try an isotonic shot, turns out it was nothing more than Lucozade in a neon shot glass. They'd not lied in their description and I don't wish to sound ungrateful but I couldn't help but feel a little cheated and it really didn't sit too well with the heartburn! By this time the fairy and angel had disappeared from the woods, they'd presumably gone home or the hallucinations had stopped! I don't remember a great deal from this lap, it was quite a surreal experience running at this time of night, it was described pretty accurate by another member of Team Um Bongo as feeling as though you were floating on a cloud. Everything seemed to stand still, even me judging by my lap time, 10 minutes slower than my first! By the end of my lap I started to hear the chorus of bird song and the inky black darkness of the sky started to lift as dawn was approaching. I passed the baton onto Joel for his lap.

The finish line straight

Lap #3 time - 00:57:13 

I decided to have another go at sleeping when I got back to the camp and managed all of about 2 hours, it was better than nothing! I got up not much after 6 am and got the kettle on for coffee and porridge whilst we prepared for the final laps. We had a rough idea of our current finish time if all continued to go to plan and realised that we'd need to do an extra two laps to bring us in around the 24 hour mark. Both Paul and Chris put themselves forward for the extra lap taking them to 5 each (25 miles). As Paul would be running a double lap we switched back to our original running order.

Lap #4 - Sunday 8:31 am

I took the baton from Emily M for what would be my final lap. I went out with mixed emotions, part of me was relived to be doing my final 5 miles, my body had just about held up for the course of the weekend and I was feeling tired by this point. I think this last lap was me reaching my limit, I'd already had to dig pretty deep to have made it this far. I was excited to be having a shower at the end, I'd already packed a bag and left it with Paul to hand to me at the finish. A series of bad timing had meant that I'd not bothered with a shower all weekend and I was feeling quite grim at this point. But then I was feeling a little disappointed that this awesome weekend was coming to an end.

I went out feeling the usual pains but managed to persevere. I had taken a bit of a gamble and opted for my new and previously untested Solomon Speedcross to see how they handled the terrain. The course was like a battlefield of the wounded, you could tell that there were some very tired legs out there at this stage especially amongst the solo runners. I managed to pick the pace up and improve on my previous lap time, I was possibly running on a bit of a high at this stage, you could feel the excitement building the closer midday got. Whilst out on my lap I spotted Peter White an 85 year old solo runner, I had heard many people speak of him throughout the weekend but had not yet managed to catch him myself. He is certainly an inspiration to all and if I can be half as awesome as him when I reach my 80's I'll be pleased.

When I reached the field back into the runners village I knew that a matter of minutes stood between me and the end of my Endure 24 journey. I literally piled every last ounce of effort into my 'sprint' for the finish line where I handed over to Paul in the transition area. Paul would be going out and running a double lap before handing over to Chris who would be bringing it home for Team Um Bongo.

Fantastic race bling!

I exchanged my timing chip for a rather impressive medal. I think it may be the heaviest/biggest bit of bling my collection! With my medal proudly worn around my neck I headed off to the shower to get clean and changed to be back in time to catch Paul finishing.

Lap #4 time - 00:54:01 

I tried to convince bananas would be a good food to fuel his double lap but did didn't quite agree!

Paul was under strict instructions to slow down the pace to around 50 minutes for each lap, this would mean he'd be handing over to Chris with enough time for one final lap. For Paul this was an impossible task, he'd run at his previous laps in 35/37/39 minutes respectively. He surprised us all and managed to slow himself by taking selfies and photos of the course on his way round which he shared with our group chat! After my shower I positioned myself on the finish straight in order to catch Paul finishing. He challenged the guy next to him to a sprint finish to the line!

Paul's face here on the sprint finish sums up what a blast we'd had 

Team Um Bongo assembled to meet Chris for the finish. We'd all dressed in our finishers t-shirts complete with medal and waited near the finish for Chris. We were able to enter the course and run with Chris for the final few yards of the race. One runner kindly let us out in front of him so we could run home together. Crossing the line as a team was a pretty awesome feeling, Team Um Bongo HAD conquered Reading even though it claimed a victim along the way. Fergie may have not been with us but he was there in spirit, we'd been able to collect him medal to pass onto him.

Team Um Bongo - completed 29 laps / 145 miles

Team Um Bongo (minus Fergie)

Things that we learnt:

• Running for 24 hours is actually a lot of fun, I'd recommend trying it
• Socks, you can't have enough pairs of lovely, dry socks
• Quality calories, junk food is ok but it gives you heartburn after too much
• Eating all the foods beginning with 'P' is a bad idea: pizza, pasta, porridge, pot noodle
• Paul turns into a right diva when he's hungry (pack emergency Snickers)!
• Solar chargers are rubbish unless you live in the Bahamas 
• Trail shoes are pretty good for running on the trail, buy more pairs for next year
• Toilet paper, you can't have enough of it
• Gazebos no matter how cheap are awesome when camping in British weather 
• Sleep is overrated 
• Coffee is a runners best friend 
• Porridge pots are a great invention 
• Supermarkets will deliver to the campsite, get an Ocado order in next year!

One of our most enjoyable race experiences to date

Conclusion:

What a cracking event, Endure 24 has left a lasting impression on me. Even 2 weeks on I am still smiling when I think about it! Team Um Bongo were awesome, we were a group of friends bought together through our mutual friendship with Chris. A couple of the team I may have only met once or twice before yet we all got on like we'd known one another for years. Endure 24 offers a unique running experience like no other and Team Um Bongo will most definitely be back for 2016!