So, I got to The Park Inn (without much help from Northampton's one way system) at about 7pm on the Friday night. Helen was already there and it was strange finally meeting her. We met on the Ultra 90 Forum when I posted for a roommate for the event, and we've Facebooked and emailed constantly since.... it's like we know each other, even though we've never met. We dumped our stuff in the room (which was alright - tidy, comfy etc) and went down to register.
There were quite a few of us there already and we were given our maps, goody bags (energy powders, 9 Bars etc), numbers (laminated AND with our names on... very nice) as well as our techie-t-shirts (nice - white and grey with 'Ultra 90' on the front) but only in small and large..... a bit naughty as the majority of ultra runners I would argue would probably want the medium!!).
Anyway - we got our stuff and perused the map at the bar with the assistance of a pint of cider (important pre-race nutrition) and a bowl of chips...... ok, I can't defend that one, except to say that there was nothing else for vegetarians except for curry.... and that's far too dodgy to have on a race weekend! We met up with two other runners who came to sit with us - Graham who'd only run a marathon before and had run 30 miles in training, and Trinity who was pretty good - she was 3rd lady on the first day and is in training for the Marathon Des Sables (forever after in this post known as MDS). We chatted tactics... ie keep running until the end, then retired to bed at a reasonable 9.30pm.
Myself and Helen faffed about getting our kit ready for the next day, then finally got to bed about 10, although I don't think either of us got any kind of decent sleep. I was having very strange dreams about getting to the start late. I'd looked at the maps and, knowing I was navigating mainly by bridge numbers, was concerned at the minuscule size of said numbers on the map...... and if we were navigating it in the dark, it was going to be fun!
Day 1 - Northampton to Tring
Breakfast was a couple of pieces of toast (they had no porridge) and a quick scramble to get bags to the foyer for transport to our destination, and packs onto our backs for the run. We set off from the Hotel Foyer dead on 8am. There were people from Sweden and Germany at the race, as well as a 70-odd year old runner and a 19 year old virgin (ultra virgin..... obviously..... and male).
We started downhill (YAY!) through the streets of Northampton, took over the one way system, and turned left to join the Grand Union Canal (GUC). This was the most exciting part of the day. From hereon in it was 45 miles of canal....... never ending canal......
I was feeling quite good mechanically - legs felt ok, feet fine and energy levels good. Ran solid for the first 2 hours. Caught up with a couple who I'd run with on and off at the Rotherham 50 miler back in October, and they overtook me, although I note they didn't start on the second day). I also ran for a while with a male agency nurse who works 12 on, 12 off and uses these odd shifts to support his training, as well as the German lady who was running behind her hubby - who I think won it on the first day, breaking the course record by completing in 6hrs 27! Nutter!
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| The Grand Union Canal.... my Nemesis..... |
We only got a bit lost but soon found our way. You'd think it'd be easy, but you have to keep crossing the canal, and if you miss one bridge you might not be able to cross back for a while, or worse, have to run back from whence you came in order to cross! Graham caught up and demanded that I entertain the troops, but as I was not in the mood for singing or dancing, we resorted to telling jokes and looking for odd things in the canal. My top three things to find in the canal on day one:
1) Teddy Bear Leg (for sheer random-factor)
2) Assorted dead animals - sheep, fox, badger, cat (sad, but interesting)
3) Lacy thong - red (no comment)
I also met lady and her partner, and she was in training for the MDS. She wasn't a runner in 2008 when she applied for MDS and got given a place for 2011, but she figured she best start learning to run. Since then she's done a few ultras, but was using this as the test for getting going the next day. It was nice running with them as they kept me well paced and took regular walk breaks. Interestingly, her main aim is keeping hydrated as this will be a HUGE issue in the desert, and yet you need to train your body to be able to take on that amount of water.
Helen caught me after about 3-4 hours ish (I think - it's hard to keep track) and her method of running 25 mins, walking for 5 mins seemed to be keeping her shifting along. By mile 20, my motivation and mental strength was in my boots and I was hating every minute. Legs etc felt great, but I just didn't want to do it... I was bored.... it was boring.... and I couldn't change my mindset. I found pacing very hard, because I usually run hilly courses, so the terrain paces me.... walking up the hills (and eating at the same time), running down the hills and the flats. When it is all flat, it's hard to know when to run and when to walk. This is how I ended up slowing and getting increasingly demoralised. The checkpoints were all about 9 miles apart, so it seemed an age in between, and they didn't even have cake... just 9 Bars and flapjacks... of which I fancied neither. Luckily though, I was troughing through my own food like there was no tomorrow.
I was having minor tummy issues also, meaning pretty regular stops along the canal for the loo... Paula Radcliffe style. Unfortunately, the GUC is quite busy. Either you're in a built up area (houses and dog walkers) in a more remote area (fishermen and lived in barges) or being passed by runners! I managed to find a Geocache (Google it) on one of my toilet stops, which would have been fantastic had I been looking for it. The 'gift' was a pack of Snap cards, which would have helped while away the hours, but I thought it would be rude to steal as I had nothing to replace it with except a 9Bar!
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| Towpath was a mixture of tarmac, gravel, mud and sludge.... but it was all flat..... |
I don't know which mile it was (to be honest, they all looked the same) but I began leap-frogging a pair of men runners, one of them being Mac, a Welsh prison officer currently working in Birmingham. As I went to Uni in Wales, lived near B'ham and worked for the Police, we had much in common. Eventually his friend ran on, and we agreed to keep together till the end (probably the last 4 hours or so). I was glad of his company, particularly at the end where it got very dark, overgrown and narrow along the canal.
Mac's legs were tired but mind was willing, my legs were fine, but mind was lacking, so we supported each other well. We had a good laugh together and he acted as a double-check on my map-reading towards the end when canals start merging and branching off. We made it to the final bridge (Number 135 - etched on my brain forever) and got onto the road and ran the 500m to the Pendley Manor Hotel. Our official time was 10hrs 53mins and we were joint 81st out of 102 finishers (there were 13 non-starters). I was knackered.
Helen was already back, so I jumped into a hot bath and surveyed the damage to my feet. Now, I don't get blisters, I NEVER get blisters, so I was furious to find that the constant flat pounding of my feet on the dull dull towpath had given me blisters! I had them on both feet, and whole toes were surrounded with them causing the skin to slough off like a glove! Yuck! I enjoyed bursting them and cutting away the skin so I could leave them open to the air overnight. I then walked (on my heels) to retrieve my trainers from the foyer whilst Helen ordered us an Indian Takeaway delivered to the car park. We'd have eaten at the hotel, but it was a posh hotel with ridiculously expensive food for tiny portions... and we were starving! Funnily enough, the German couple ate there, complained at the tiny portions, and were served seconds. I think we'd be far too polite to do that in England, and therefore we are very stupid.... the Germans had the right idea!
Blurry, but you can see the whole of my little toe is one HUGE blister, and the painful one, is the blister at the base of my second toe... which went all down to the ball of my foot....
Day 2 - Tring to Northampton
Mac was only running yesterday, and I noticed that of the 90 milers who started yesterday, 30 pulled out on the morning of the second day. I couldn't be one of them, but I did know I'd be slow, so I asked for an earlier start.
We had breakfast at 6.30 (nice - toast, egg, Danish Pastry), and I set off at 7.15 - 45 mins ahead of everyone else. My legs felt fine and my blistered feet were 'ok' in my other set of trainers, but I knew they would be an issue later in the day. I set off at a good pace and ran for at least an hour solid before my first walk break. This was mainly due to the dark and scary canal I was running down, and the fact that I'd decided to wear my IPod to cheer myself along a bit. I was 100% aware at all times that I was simply running back the way I came yesterday, and found this infuriating!
I look tired, and suitably unimpressed.....
Winner: Moose Drool (so random)
Runner-up: Narrow Escape (clever)
However, this did not keep me occupied for long. I was starting to be passed by the one-dayers, who all clapped and cheered me along in my 90 mile attempt, which helped lift me. The lead male sprinted by (show-off) looking effortless, as my run was now descending into more of a hobble.... and later a shuffle.... as the HUGE blister on my right foot began to squelch under my foot. As I slowed down I was getting more and more cold, and more and more miserable too.
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| Helen passing me on Day 2 |
All this added up together, and at CP2 when the marshall told me she could transport me back to the Park if need be, the deal was done. I stopped. My first ever (and hopefully last ever) DNF. I'd done 70 miles (which is my furthest to date) and I did my first ever 2-day run (45 day one, 25 day two), so I had nothing to be ashamed of, just lots to be proud of. I'd managed 5hrs 33 mins running, to make a total over the 2 days of 16hrs 26 mins for nearly 70 miles. Anna drove me to CP4 to collect my bag and then took me to The Park. I jumped straight in the car and drove home.
I got home and bathed, then started working on my feet. Again, my legs felt amazing, it was the flat pounding that had done me in. Before I entered, I KNEW I hated canals, but it really proved to me a) how MUCH I hate them, and b) just how 'mental' this sport is. If I could have switched my brain off, my body could have completed... but it wasn't to be. I am happy about completing the 100 in May as it is a continuous run; I found the overnight break harder than anything else!!
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| Blister on Monday - dried and drained.... nice! |
RESULTS: http://www.ultrarace.co.uk/events/downloads/results/2011_ur45_results.xls
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