Endure 24 2014 - Race Report - 28/6/14

After ending up with hurty feet at last years SDW100 I was a little tentative to return to silly distances.  I'd managed 40 at the Oxford 20/40 in May but knew that the issues only appeared after 60 miles.  But how to test how far I could manage?

Endure24 seemed to provide the answer.  Running as many 5 mile loops as possible in 24 hours, with a option to bail at any point - seemed ideal.

I arrived early Saturday to set up tent, thinking I'll be early and therefore there would be loads of space - wrong, seemed to bag the last small patch of ground in the Solo runners area. The whole place resembled Glastonbury with out the music or the mud.  With about an hour to go, the music had already started, and then came the thunder and lightning and bucketfuls of rain.  So we had music and mud - perhaps it was going to be Glastonbury after all.

As well as solo entries the race is also run with team relays (of various sizes and sexes).  At the start the speedy teams went to the front, the solos at the back.  12:00 arrived and off everyone went.  The first lap was muddy, from then on it got worse.  By the end of the 4th lap, rather like the Inuit who have lots of names for snow, I had made up several mud related names:

Mudousse- for the chocolate mousse mud that was available after the check point

piddle-Mud - the light coloured puddles that were full of mud

forest-gateaux-ud - entering the newly cut path to the peats stinky mud

Breakneck mud - the special mud on the down slopes the just manages to remove any grip at all from a runner who thinks they need to run down hill.

you get the picture - it was muddy.

After for laps of this though (and feeling very fresh in the legs) I could feel the feet starting to complain.  The route undulates constantly and I think that and the mud had started to aggravate the tendons.  I was running very steady 50 minute loops - and was very pleased with the effort so far.  I took a walking break for most of the next lap, then went to the tent for a change of kit, to see if the pain would start to ease off.

The next lap didn't get much better, I had a longer break and then resumed.  Then an every longer break and walked most of the next one.  Even walking in the mud was entertaining - trying to keep out of the way of the fast runners coming through and remaining upright.

It was starting to get dark, so I though I'd do at least one lap in the dark and then call it a night.  Which I did.  I stopped, went to get some food at the catering tent, before spending an age trying to get clean before clambering into my sleeping bag for a few hours sleep - which was really easy.  #

The sun was up early - and so was I.  I did a few slow laps - hit 55 miles and called it a day.

I was disappointed with the mileage total, I was hoping to get as close to 100 as possible, but it wasn't to be.  It doesn't count as a DNF but it was really.

The event is a very social one - lots of local runs make up teams and keep going through the night - maybe if I do this one again - I should do this as part of a team - just need to rope in a few bods!

Salisbury 54321 Race Report - 20/8/14

There are two reasons I do this race : the chance to run through a Yew tree forest (normally of limited to the public) and the bread pudding.

This race comes in may sizes: 5K, 10K 21, 33, 42 and 50K, with walk and run options - so something for everyone.  Due to the mixture of course lengths there is always someone around - either doing your distance or a different one.

I took the 42K option, for no other reason than I couldn't be bothered to do 50K, lazy I know.

On the journey there, the heavens opened and dumped quite a lot of water on the course, which turned remained quite runnable and not too muddy (unlike Endure24).

I do like the way you can park at the start line and still have an easy walk to registration.  Start time clicked round and off we went, in the rain - some people in wet weather gear, some in singlets and shorts.  I'd opted for a waterproof to get me started, soaking wet shirt early on plays havoc with the upper chest area.
Climbing up Old Sarum was mainly a slow walk (along with everyone else)  shame the views over Salisbury were obscured by the rain.

I did have to remind myself at later points to look up every now and again, so that I could see the scenery, otherwise it was head fixed in front and plodding away.

By mile 10 the rain had stopped and the sun was starting to make a show of itself.

This is my 4th running of this race, it's got still has a nice vibe to it.  the course is a mixture of everything - road, trail, hill, wood, a few streams and rivers, town and country.  So there is always something to look at - assuming you remember to lift your head up.

There were water stops every few miles which was more than enough, the best one though is just before the yew forest.  Here you are able to grab some more water, a slab of bread pudding and then enter into the enchanted forest of yew trees.  Following a piece of string to ensure you don't stray off the route - perhaps the goblins would get you if you did.

From hear it was over the race course and then the only dull bit round the houses before popping out in the cathedral close.  Luckily the earlier rain had limited the number of tourists out in front of the cathedral - so the game of dodge the camera totting numpties walking backwards was quite easy.
I finished quite strongly in the end, although I did notice it was slower than last year (which was in the heat).

Maybe I'll do the 50K next year, perhaps there'll be extra bread pudding in it.