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!  

Hatfield Broad Oak 10k

The Hatfield Broad Oak (HBO) 10k has become something of a tradition in our running calendar. This year is our third consecutive HBO 10k and the events 30th anniversary so it promised to be a good one. I was feeling the effects of running 10 km of hills on Saturday and had a really bad flare up of patellofemoral dysfunction (or runners knee as it's more commonly known) which seems to have been aggravated by the marathon a week ago. I decided to give the kinesiology tape a go to see if it could help my kneecap correctly track and reduce the irritation as I ran. My shin pain seemed to be back again so I also applied some tape to just my left shin. I worked out that it had taken £5 worth of KT tape to get me in some sort of shape to run, probably not wise or sustainable. I think following this run I may have to give some thought to recovery and treating old injuries.

Paul and I pre-race

We arrived well ahead of the race to get a parked and beat the road closures. The morning whilst starting off bright turned overcast and quite cold, not like previous years when the sun has almost made it too hot for running. We met up with our fellow Um Bongo team members Chris and Alec as well as a few of the guys from the Hatfield Forest parkrun. There was quite a bit of excitement and anticipation around the t-shirt design and medal as it was the 30th anniversary celebrations. We found the tent where the t-shirts would be handed out at the end and asked if we could get a sneak preview. They were grey much to my surprise or as Paul described them 'Gandalf' grey! When we asked about the medals we were told that they were only being handed out for the kiddies fun run. It was a bit of a shame as there had been some discussion on the HBO 10k social media pages about the race having a special finishers medal and t-shirt to celebrate the 30th anniversary. It didn't bother me too much but I felt sorry for those who may have been running their first 10k and had been expecting a medal for their efforts.

Team Um Bongo

The event had changed from previous years, the race HQ was at the school and the runners facilities were on the village green which made it a lot spacious. The course was a reverse loop starting and finishing on the high street which made it a lot better for both the runners and spectators. I'd heard rumours from other runners who had tested the route that they thought the new route was 5 minutes slower than the previous course.

The race was due to start at 11 am so we made our way to the start line. The field was split into predicted finish intervals, Paul and I were going to run together so placed ourselves in the 55 minute area expecting a gentle run. I am not sure I heard the starting gun but the crowd of runners started to surge forward so I knew that we'd soon be crossing the start line. The first couple of kilometres seemed very crowded and bunched to me, we spent much of the time dodging other runners and trying to pass people who had already stopped to walk. There was also a little elevation but nothing compared to what we had experienced during the Dark Ox a couple of days previously. Soon after we were able to settle into a steady rhythm, I wasn't looking at my watch to keep an eye on my pace, I was just running to what felt comfortable.

Just before the start

The Um Bongo vests were getting a lot of attention. At one point a kid shouted at me "GO HIPPOPOTAMUS!" now I know I am carrying a extra few pounds but... oh wait I forget there is a great big pink hippo on the back of the race vest! It was really nice, Paul and I hadn't invited anyone to come along and support us but we felt like we had our own fan club. The vests never fail to make people smile and lots of people comment and encourage us as we're running.

At the 5 km point Paul was unleashed and stretched his legs and ran off ahead. The field was a little more spread out now so I wasn't feeling quite as cramped. I was conscious that I didn't want to let the pace dip once I was running on my own. The scenery on the route was really quite pleasant, all of the race was on closed roads around the village of Hatfield Broad Oak. My painful knee was more or less a feature of the entire race and even though strapped with KT tape there didn't seem to be any relief. At around 7 km the arch of my right foot began to ache, this was a new one! Kilometres 6-9 were really consistent with only 3 seconds difference in the pacing. For the final kilometre I decided to begin to pick up the pace. I had been running on and off with a girl for most of the race so I kept her in my sight and made sure I kept up.

We turned onto the road back into the village which I recognised from when we drove in and I knew it wasn't far to go. One of the marshals shouted "final kilometre" which had got my hopes up but I didn't recall seeing the 9 km marker. We were still about a minute away from the 9 km marker! Luckily I hadn't sped up too much. I was quite impressed with my pace at this stage, I was not feeling too laboured and seemed to be over taking a lot of other runners. We turned onto the high street and I could see the finish line so opened up and sprinted overtaking about 12 people in the finishing funnel (which probably not very sporting of me). I finished with the official time of 53:45, almost exactly a minute slower than my efforts at the Flitch Way 10k in April and approximately 2 and a half minutes slower than my 2014 HBO time. I wasn't too disappointed though, I knew I had injuries which were perhaps holding me back and I had managed my expectations to accept that it was unlikely to be a PB day.

Happy finishers

From the finish line we queued to get back onto the village green. It was quite a long wait before we were able to get our t-shirt, it was no improvement on when the finish was by the village hall and meant standing around and getting cold. Paul, Chris and Alec had also finished so we regrouped and chatted to various people that we'd spotted. Despite having run the first 5 km with me, Paul managed to catch up with Alec and got him home in a sub 50. Chris finished about a minute ahead of me with a time of 52:37. It just goes to show how challenging the Dark Ox 10k was as we were 20 minutes faster at HBO just 2 days later! We went back to the car to get something warm to put on and went for a wander and our tradition of a post race ice cream.

Post race 99

Afterwards it was back to Chris' for a BBQ. Unfortunately the weather did not improve so we ended up sitting indoors to keep warm! I had made my BBQ speciality of guacamole and halloumi and vegetable skewers with a lemon, mint and chilli dressing. Chris had got us veggies some onion bhaji burgers which made for a strangely enjoyable combo with cheese, BBQ sauce and brioche bun! We ate a stupid amount of food and there was still plenty left over. We had a really nice afternoon with friends old and new chatting about running and various stuff.

There are moments in life that define you as a person. Likewise, in running there are moments that define who you are as a runner. I should have really enjoyed the race today, it's usually the highlight of my running year however I couldn't help but feel like something wasn't quite right. It may have been that I was injured and sulking but I had accepted earlier that I would run within my current limits. I very much feel like I have had the realisation that I am happiest when running in a small field of runners along the trail. Busy road races, regardless of how flat or fast they are supposed to be just do not do it for me! I think I am a trail runner...

Dark Ox 10k

I seem to be pretty good at making plans without fully thinking them through first. This weekend I would be running two 10k races 6 days after my first marathon. I guess it seemed like a good idea to me at the time! Fortunately my recovery this week has gone well, the start of the week I was a mess, shuffling around in a fashion not unlike E.T. but by Wednesday I was starting to feel human again. I gave myself a complete rest from running to allow my muscles to repair and my energy stores to recharge and Friday night I did a little restorative yoga to loosen up. Although the yoga was not so restorative for Paul who somehow managed to break a toe, it could only happen to him!

The first race of the weekend was on Saturday evening, the Dark Ox 10k. This was our second White Star Running (WSR) event, the first being the Larmer Tree half marathon back in March. We had absolutely loved the Larmer Tree event and soon after started looking at the other races that WSR organise. When Paul came across the details of the Dark Ox it didn't take a lot of persuasion before we'd parted with our money and signed up. Chris had run the Larmer Tree with us so we asked if he'd like to join us. We decided to make the 325 mile round trip in a day, setting off from Essex late afternoon and aiming to get back in the small hours of the morning.

The journey was kind to us and we made it to the Rushmore Estate with a couple of hours to spare. We even managed to find it without getting lost, unlike when we travelled to the Larmer Tree and missed a ninja sign. We followed the long driveway through to the gates occasionally stopping to allow a rogue sheep to cross the road or for me to coo over a lamb doing something ordinary like licking its leg!

We went straight to race HQ to collect our race numbers before having a little wander to stretch our legs and take in the fabulous views of the rolling Wiltshire countryside. It looked like it had been a glorious day in Wiltshire and we were able to enjoy the last of the late afternoon sun. The campsite was in full swing and the evening had a fantastic buzz about it. I have to admit for a moment I was actually quite envious of those who were camping and running the half/marathon/ultra Ox the following day, not to mention not having 162 miles to travel before getting into bed!

We couldn't find the flag of Congo...

Killing time before the race we made the most of the portaloos (on more than one occasion of course) and ate some pre-race snacks out of the picnic we'd packed. We had a hot meal at lunchtime as we knew that we were not going to get dinner before we ran. I had made some chia seed flapjacks to fuel the weekends running exploits. Having scoured the internet for a recipe I stumbled across one from the Ultra Plodder (follow link for recipe) who had used the flapjack for the NDW50. It was really simple to make and was super tasty with no less than 3 different types of sugar! We also had the opportunity to chat to a few people, including Kev (or 'Badger Man' as he's known to me) who had been one of the highlights of my Larmer Tree half marathon and were introduced to some other runners from the Nuclear Races team as mad as us to travel down from Essex for the day. We even adopted an honorary member of Team Um Bongo!

With our honorary member of Team Um Bongo

We gathered for the race briefing by the race HQ only to discover that we were in the wrong location and the briefing was taking place by the start/finish line, this should have been an indication for what was to come. Andy the WSR Event Director handed out some luminous face paint before the start. I opted for some standard stripes on my face and Chris suggested we write 'Um Bongo' on our arms. I got a far as writing 'Um' before I realised it was going to look a splodgy luminous mess and gave up! We knew that the race was going to be tough given our experience of the Larmer Tree HM, Chris was running another two races that weekend, Paul's training plan asked for an 'easy' recovery run and I was nursing some injuries left over from the marathon a week earlier so we decided we'd run together and enjoy the race. A drone was there to film some of the race for a WSR new promo video and shortly after 8:30 pm the inaugural Dark Ox 10k was under way and 139 runners headed into the woods.

Head torches and luminous face paint at the ready

From the field we went through a gate into Chase Woods and the pack turned left so everyone followed. At the end of the lane some spectators were shouting that we'd gone the wrong way. What followed was several minutes of chaos as we turned around and the race leaders tried to make their way through the pack back to the front. This section of the race was along a fairly narrow footpath so the pack was quite bunched and periodically stopped when a bottle neck was reached. Added to this was several runners tripping and falling on the uneven terrain and exposed tree roots. I heard one runner liken the situation to the stampede scene from the Lion King movie which was a pretty accurate metaphor! It was at this point we lost Paul, he was finding it difficult to stick with Chris and I and became separated.

Much of my recollection of the race was sketchy, I don't think I have ever run with such concentration. At the start of the race there was still adequate daylight and the head torches seemed to be a little redundant but once it got to dusk the head torches became essential in seeing what was underfoot. Hills seem to be a feature of all WSR events so I expected the Dark Ox to be no different, there will be hills, lots of lovely hills and it was only a matter of time until we encountered the first mountain. The first climb came at around 2 km and Chris and I tackled it with some ease. I had seen from one of the earlier WSR videos that there would be some wild garlic on the course through the woodland. It was quite a distinctive smell that you could hardly miss and given that it had been several hours since my last proper meal the smell of garlic was making me hungry! Chris suggested that we try and find a curry house somewhere after the race and this only made me more ravenous. There was very little flat on the course, it was either up or down. Following on from the first climb came a rapid descent. Chris flew down, however I was conscious that I did not want my legs overtaking my body and took a more controlled route to the bottom. As if by coincidence there was an ambulance strategically positioned at the bottom of the hill! This must have been what had been advertised as the free corpse retrieval service!

The vast majority of the race was on a woodland trail with the odd interchange between wood and golf course. The course was very well marked out with arrows and flashing lights. When we were not running up or down a hill our focus was very much on our feet and concentrating on not tripping over. Every so often we'd call out to the runners behind us to watch their footing, however I am not sure my call of "watch out for the thing" was particularly helpful and by the time I had blurted it out the hazard had long passed! One runner behind me suggested simply calling out "root!" which seemed far more effective.

The final 4 km of the race was an uphill climb. My legs were beginning to feel heavy at this point and my runners knee has well and truly flared up burning with every step. The more challenging hills we chose to walk up to try and conserve some energy although Chris' walking stride was not dissimilar to my running stride so I had to run a little every so often to keep up. With about 1 km to go all I could do was think about finishing, however the little detour at start and knowing the course was 10 km-ish left me unsure of just how much further there was to go. We seemed to be heading out of the woods and I began to hear distant cheering which told me there could not be much further to go. Lifted by the realisation that we were close to the finish I put my knee pain out of my head and focussed on the finish. Soon after we emerged from the woods into the field we'd started in and the lights of the finish line were is sight. Chris ditched me (although he was very apologetic) for a sprint finish, I tried to keep up but he had the edge on me, we finished with a second separating us. My official time was 1:12:55.

The finish lit up like a landing strip

We were greeted at the finish line by Paul who had finished 8th with a time of 52:09. Quite incredible considering he did not push himself, had been nursing a broken toe and also had a fall during the race. We were given our medal and finisher t-shirt both of which were first class. WSR events have some of the best medals around. The medal is truly unique, each of the Ox races (dark, half marathon, marathon and ultra) had a different medal design. The Dark Ox was a rather mean looking ox head with the eyes highlighted in glow in the dark purple colouring, a dog tag with the year and a chain, yes a chain not a ribbon! I can honestly say I have nothing else quite like it in my collection!

Mr T medal and awesome race t-shirt

We decided that we would head home straight after the race and look for something to eat on the way back. Strangely enough the smell of garlic had put me off of going for a curry! We stopped at the Fleet services on the M3 about half way home. By this point it was gone midnight, the choice was between McDonalds and Burger King. Burger King was my preferred choice as I like their veggie burger but a motorway bridge stood between me and their Veggie Bean Burger so McDonalds won. We walked into the services wearing our finishers t-shirts complete with medal bling around our necks. I was feeling only ever so slightly self conscious but then I noticed that we were not alone and another two girls who had also completed the race were sitting in McDonalds still in face paint. We ordered a Veggie Spicy Deli sandwich complete with a side of fries and a Sprite. It was dirty, filthy food but it was probably what was needed to get us through the last leg of our journey.

We eventually crawled into bed at 3am after having a shower. Some might think we were mad to travel all that way in a day to do a 10k race. It wasn't any race though, it was probably one of my favourite of that distance so far. WSR had delivered the goods once again. Besides it sure beat spending the evening watching what some call Saturday night entertainment on TV! I was mortified that I had missed Eurovision... NOT!

Team Um Bongo does the Flitch Way 10k

I was pretty excited when I heard that Challenge Running were organising a series of new races for 2015 along the Flitch Way. The Flitch Way for those of you who are unfamiliar is a former railway line running for 15 miles from Braintree to Bishops Stortford. It's flat, free from traffic and covers some beautiful Essex countryside. It is also where I do most of my running these days as it's on my doorstep.  

Paul and I were not going to miss this one so signed up right away. Our friends Chris and Alec also signed up, Team Um Bongo assemble! Chris some while ago bought himself an Um Bongo running vest. I am pretty sure at the time we laughed at him as it is a pretty mad vest. Now we all own these running vests and enter events under the name Team Um Bongo (when not Team BBQ)!

The days leading up to the race were less than ideal. Paul and I had been doing some decorating and were moving furniture on the Thursday evening. We were lifting a sofa which wasn't at all heavy just a little awkward to grip when I felt my upper back twinge, I shook it off and thought nothing more of it. Then Friday morning I got up to go to work when my back twinge went into spasm. Back to bed I went! Then Friday evening I started to feel like I was coming down with a lurgy. I felt like it was a conspiracy to stop me from running on the Sunday. I didn't want to see those dreaded letters against my name DNS (Did Not Start) so did everything in my power to get myself better. A bit of gentle yoga, some natural anti-inflammatories and every cold/flu remedy known to man seemed to do the trick.

One of the best things about running is that it gives you a license to eat, especially when you have an event coming up. That's an excuse I use probably far too often to justify my eating habits! So Saturday lunchtime I had a tough decision to make, go to the supermarket to do the food shop on an empty stomach or make Marmite pasta for lunch. I chose the pasta of course! To most Marmite pasta probably sounds a little random and like something from a student cookbook but I assure you it's flipping awesome. My dear friend Patsy put me onto the recipe (it's from Nigella Lawson), it's so simple that if you're a Marmite lover then you'll probably already have the ingredients to make it - spaghetti, butter, Marmite and some Italian hard cheese (vegetarian).

Sunday morning provided us with some glorious weather conditions, spring finally felt like it had sprung. The race started and finished at the Great Notley Country Park which is just off of the Flitch Way. It made a great race HQ and provided all of the essential facilities. It is also the home of the Great Notley parkrun, our local parkrun so we were in familiar surroundings and felt like we were at home. We caught up with a couple of other people we knew who were also running, Matt from Michelle's Running Group and Helen who we run with on a Sunday. We listened to race briefing given by Lindley (the Race Director) before heading to the start line. The race was a straight out and back course, starting at the Great Notley Country Park, picking up the Flitch Way along to Bannister Green Halt where we'd turn around and come back on ourselves. The start was just outside of the park and the finish at the top of the hill, affectionately known to Great Notley parkrunners as the 'hill of doom'. Luckily I was already aware of this (I volunteered for the New Years Eve Flitch Way Marathon and this also finished at the top of the hill) and it didn't come as a surprise but the reaction from the 200 field of runners would suggest that they were shocked why anyone would end a race at the top of the hill! The same sort of person who makes a 10 km course 10 km-ish (10.3 km according to my Garmin)!

Team Um Bongo L to R: Alec, Chris, Paul, Emily (and the hill of doom in the background)
(Photo credit: Katrina Leamey)

At 10am the air horn sounded and we were off. I started with a steady pace trying to keep myself around to 5 min/km, I wasn't aiming for a set time as I knew the hill finish would mean that I'd have to bank myself a couple of minutes to be within a shot of a PB and I was well aware of the niggling injuries I have. The first km the field started to spread out a little and I registered a 5:03 km so all was good. Then a girl next to me tripped and took a nasty tumble, she looked like she landed on her shoulder and grazed her knee. I stopped to check she was ok as did another chap who helped her up to her feet. She was just a bit shook up and was able to carry on. I was unexpectedly greeted by cheers at Rayne Station where the group I do my long Sunday run had finished their run and were enjoying a cup of tea. This gave me a boost and I tried to pick up my pace a little before I hit the bypass bridge which on a bit of an incline.

One of my reservations about the race was as it is an out and back race, before you get to the turn around checkpoint you'd be passed by other runners coming in the other direction on the home straight and I thought this could be a little demoralising. The first few runners who passed us were cheered on by the the other runners and given words of support and encouragement, it added a great vibe to the race. Then to my surprise I was passed by Paul who was on the home leg, he must have been 2 km ahead of me at this point and was looking strong considering he'd had issues with his achilles a few days earlier. I'd not been paying much attention but I was sure he was in the top 10 at this stage. Every runner I knew and passed going out or coming back got a high five, I forgot to mention to Chris that he must be less enthusiastic with his high five as I think he almost dislocated my shoulder! At the checkpoint I grabbed a much needed cup of water. I decided not to run with water as it was a short enough distance not to need any and if I'd hydrated well enough I should be fine, however in hindsight I wish I'd carried a small bottle.

On the return 5 km I really found a good rhythm and found myself getting faster and slowly making my way up the field passing a few runners. I even managed to register a couple of sub 5 min/km. Passing Rayne Station the running group were still there and again gave me some great encouragement. With just over a km to go one of the runners said to me "I could really do with a carton of Um Bongo right now", all I could say in reply was "me too!", I was gasping. The last km was torture, all I could think about was how thirsty I was feeling and how close yet still so far I was from the finish line where water awaits. I tagged along with a couple who were clearly going for a time, keeping up with them pushed me on and before I knew it I was over the bridge and back into the park nearing the finish. Just the hill of doom to conquer!

Climbing the hill of doom to the finish line
(Photo credit: Katrina Leamey)

The hill was lined with people cheering and supporting which really helped me find that final bit of effort needed to keep on going. Then I spotted Paul and his parents and my Mum, knowing that they'd be waiting for me at the finish line had really motivated me throughout the race. "Touch the bird to stop the clock" was all I remembered so I crossed the line and reached out for the concrete sculpture that sits on top of the hill. Lindley awarded me with my finishers medal (which is super cool) and I grabbed a much needed drink. Then I went to see Paul and Alec who had already finished and were waiting, they asked if I had stopped my watch, of course I hadn't I'd been too distracted!

The race medal was designed in the style of an old railway ticket

We waited at the top of the hill to see all the runners we knew home. Being a local race it was nice running alongside some familiar faces we know from parkrun and the circle of running friends we've grown. The whole event had a really nice and friendly atmosphere to it. Once Team Um Bongo were all accounted for we headed to the shelter of indoors at it had been quite breezy on top of the hill. Chris had put on a special treat by making some 'non-sausage rolls' especially for Paul and I as a thank you for the volunteering we'd done at Hatfield Forest parkrun (of which he is Run Director for).

Finishers with our race bling

It was never going to be a PB course due to the 0.3 km extra & the finish hill, besides the day was about enjoying myself in the company of friends. The official finishing times for Team Um Bongo were: Paul 43:19, Alec 50:14, Emily 52:42, Chris 58:54. Annoyingly, according to my Garmin my time at the 10 km mark WAS a PB of 50:58 (beating my 2014 Hatfield Broad Oak time of 51:12). However I was pleased with my efforts for the first 10 km race of the year and to my surprise I finished as the 10th female. Paul did fantastically well finishing 9th overall.

Huge thanks to Challenge Running for a fantastically organised event and the volunteer team who were always happy and helpful! If you fancy one of their Flitch Way events they've organised a Marathon in May, a half in June or if you're totally insane a New Years Eve/New Years Day double header of marathons! (Edit: an Autumn Flitch Way 10 km has just been added for September).

A special thank you to Scimitar Sports who were able to arrange a bespoke vest for me so that I could run with my fellow Um Bongoites. It was great fun wearing the vest and it attracted may comments and smiles from the crowd. The power of advertising is strong, I am sitting here drinking a cold glass of Um Bongo whilst writing this blog. Ever since someone had mentioned it to me on the run it's all I've fancied!