In the lap of the Gods

I think I'm enjoying running too much at the moment. Pretty sure this stuff is meant to be hard work, yet I keep finding ways to have fun whilst doing so! This week included my first club run & a visit down to Dorset for more White Star Running insanity.

Cross Training

Perhaps spurred into action by the knowledge that Team Um Bongo Teamaster General Paul had been struck down by a back issue, Monday morning I decided to get in a DDP Yoga session in front of tv before work. I'm still yet to grasp fully the concept of core work, like broccoli I know it's good for me, I just haven't been able to fully embrace it.
I could feel the benefit straight away, lots of clicks as my back freed itself up. A slight cause for concern was my left shoulder, still playing up a bit after my Evil Knievel stunt show at parkrun.
The day had started well, before the yoga I'd hopped onto the scales and I've now lost half a stone since the start of the marathon cycle. In truth, I've simply clawed back to where I was before the break up binge. I'm happy for the progress though, heading in the right direction. I'm not trying to lose weight in a rapid, unsustainable way, more so just get a bit healthier, the marathon training is certainly having a positive effect.
After work I'd decided a gym visit was necessary, double PE after a long run! The Stansted gym is a bit smaller than Dunmow so I had to settle for a conventional bike over a recumbent. I had a very clear purpose, turn the legs over to aid recovery. 30 minutes of sloth like minimal effort cycling. I kept myself amused by trying to work out Coronation Street with subtitles, podcasts and a blog update. It was only in the final few minutes that I pushed myself, even then just a little bit. The whole point was to ease my legs into a bit of activity. The long run had left me with tight hamstrings, I was hopeful the cycling would cheer them up. I covered all of 6km in 30 minutes, I could have technically run faster!
I got home and constructed an almighty salad, once more being a bit off when it comes to portion control.
Satisfied with my efforts, Tuesday was a full day of rest. I'm managing to just keep myself on the right side of the line in terms of injuries. I have aches and pains, calves that are over worked certainly, but nothing pressing.

The Debut that nearly wasn't

Wednesday night is now club night, the main night of the week for Bishop's Stortford Running Club. I had left work early with a view to getting some errands done & leaving plenty of time to get down to the clubhouse. As I arrived at Tottenham Hale it became apparent that my plans were going to fail. Every train north was cancelled, no trains for at least an hour. Even then it would be onto replacement buses.
I had a brainwave, but it would require an almighty favour. Back southbound to Liverpool St I went & made a call to my Mum. A lift from Braintree was arranged & I was soon on another train out of town. I'd be due to arrive at 1828, giving us 62 minutes to navigate the A120 & for me to get to the club, ready to run.
Traffic was calm and I was home just before seven, with a promise of lunch at a future date the thank you to Mum & Steve for their help. My housemate had also kindly put some running kit together so after a very quick turnaround I was out the door and heading south. Some short cuts through an old estate I used to live on & I was soon parked up. I even had time for a quick kit change as my yellow Stort 10 (only thing I owned with a BSRC club badge) shirt was attracting every thunder bug in Hertfordshire.
The advantage of knowing so many people through parkrun was immediately clear, I was completely at ease, no newbie nerves. There was a huge turnout and the format of the runs was simple, find a group running a similar pace and distance to what you fancied. I was chatting away with guys I'd consider faster than me (Karl beat me in our showdown, Bekah was of a similar pace over parkrun distance, Denise & I had run together at the Stort 10, Simon got within touching distance of a 3:30 marathon, Mark was a regular 21 minute parkrunner, Matt was of a similar standard to Simon, Adam had won our fundraiser back in January, Lee & Pete were often varying degrees of distance ahead of me). The talk was of nine minute miles, 5:35/km in my language. This is the beauty of the club runs, everyone has different goals, some of the guys were coming back from injury, some were there for the social and the food that followed. I could hang at that pace with relative ease so joined them.
The plan was to head to the forest, reach The Shell House & then head back. This worked perfectly for me as I'd had fun getting lost finding my way back in Sunday.
Once into the forest we stitched together some of the various parkrun routes, pausing for some water at the fountain before turning for home. The second half was quicker as we embraced the tarmac and a group of us (Bekah, Denise, Mark & I) forced the pace a bit more. It was good to still chat to the guys as we ran, firstly it was an indication that we weren't pushing too hard, secondly I was familiar with all of them through parkrun but hadn't chatted at length. Mark being the fastest of us continued to drive us, soon Bedlams Lane was upon us and he kicked for home. Not knowing the route as well I waited a bit longer before I followed suit, embracing the chance to really stretch the legs out, finishing with at a 4:20 pace.
After a stretch it was into the clubhouse for refreshments. The setup is simple: run, eat, drink, club announcements, chat, home. Karl has stated the food is good enough that he'll sometimes pop down just for the after run social. For a fiver you get a hot meal and a cupcake, an idea that makes perfect sense as there's no need to go home and rustle up something later, or worse, find a cheeky takeaway. Chilli & rice were an excellent refuel, especially having run a bit further than expected.
After the announcements Karl, Paul & I ran through some parkrun stuff as others had headed off. Paul has been working on me since he joined the parkrun team, extolling the virtues of how the club could accelerate my improvement. So he was a happy man to see me walking away from the evening with new BSRC kit in hand.
I couldn't have enjoyed my first evening with Stortford more, or have been made to feel more at home. Phil, the club chairman extended a warm welcome during the notices, it dawned on me that being the local parkrun Event Director means there is no where to hide! I went home happy, very pleased with my decision to join.

The green & gold

Dorset Invader Half

We were originally signed up to the Bad Cow Half later in the year. Yet for a White Star Running event it appeared to be a bit *whispers* dull. Seven laps and pretty flat for WSR. After Larmer Tree was a lot of fun Emily suggested we transferred to the Dorset Invader, a new addition to the calendar. It appeared to follow the WSR script: Trails, a shittonne of hills, fun, fancy dress, awesome medal. I was easily persuaded and the team at WSR were obliging with the transfers.
Despite the long distance runs, this had potential to be the toughest of the marathon cycle. Even more so when you factor in fancy dress. Paul had mentioned he wanted us to have inflatable armour and weapons, then nixed the idea as the heat might lead them to be discarded. I decided to take up the mantle, my aim was to run for fun, no time targets here. An eBay search for men's toga yielded some interesting results before I settled on this.....

Sure there would be soldiers and standard Romans a plenty, they needed a God to worship though! Conventional wisdom is to not introduce any new kit into a race scenario. What this doesn't account for is picking up a fancy dress kit from the post office en route down to Dorset! I'd be unsighted to the state of my kit until we got to the hotel, so had packed (or so I thought) a full set of running gear just in case. The journey south west was decent enough, the usual gruel around the M40-M3 was to be expected.

Bad Fuel

It was just after seven when we made it to the Travelodge in Amesbury & headed straight out for food. Rather than drive into Salisbury we chose a nearby retail park and with Harvester or Pizza Hut on offer, opted for Pizza. Deciding I needed the carbs, I ordered a large deep pan. About halfway through the second slice I realised how dumb the decision had been. Too much of a good thing, or in my case a little bit of a good thing and I suffer. The heavy carbs were bloating me. The problem is one of my own making, I like pizza, but my body doesn't. Had I opted for a thin crust I might have got away with it. Instead I'd naively gone for the carb loading option to my own detriment. 

Paul smiling away, might be due to the drugs attempting to calm down his back

The fear in the eyes, realising this was a bad idea

Better race prep

An appalling night of sleep followed, stomach cramps, toilet visits, feelings of self loathing. This was all my own fault & when I woke in the morning feeling empty in the stomach I knew the worst thing I could now do was try and eat too much for breakfast.
There was one benefit to bring awake between 2-3am. Over dinner I'd discussion my flirtation with a September half marathon to try and PB before Berlin. Emily & Paul had sensibly suggested this was foolish & that the goal was first & foremost Berlin. As I was feeling confident, I was starting to book in races after the marathon. Their solution, look for something in October or November instead. Having a website that lists all running events globally and is searchable bookmarked is both useful and dangerous. It means when constructing plans I can usually find a couple of races that fit my goals. It didn't take long for me to find the River Thames Half in Walton. Fast, flat and three weeks removed from Berlin, it offers me the chance to cash in on my marathon training. At least the hour awake wasn't completely wasted.

Race Day

It was soon time to head to the race itself, I wasn't changed into fancy dress yet, just had the base of normal running kit. I didn't pack a shirt so picked up the one I ordered from the WSR shop & Emily put it into her running pack. Toilets dealt with and back to the car we went to make final preparations. For the first time in my running career I was lubing my knees in case the toga rubbed & also my ears as the elastic for the beard looked like it could rub. Some extra safety pins held my sash in place and I was now ready to run, resplendent in purple!

Fear not humble Romans, your God is here

The weather was turning out to be perfect for a summer's day, not ideal for runners, especially those in wigs & beards!!!

After being called forward for an all fancy dress photo & a short run briefing we were on our way. Gary was joining Emily & I for a slow but purposeful run. From our Larmer & Dark Ox experiences we had established a walk run strategy to tackle the hills, accepting that there was little to achieve in running the climbs. 

Team Um Bongo, ready to go

We had no real concerns over time, a desire to beat our Larmer Tree time and set a new WSR best would be nice, but not a priority. What was apparent the moment we started is that comedy beards are not advisable when running. Within the first kilometre I found myself struggling to breath and the whole beard was an unwelcome distraction. In the heat and sunshine I was dripping with sweat already! 
We had started to get some space on the course only to be bunched as we caught the back of a group waiting to cross a road, little did we know this was all of the tarmac we would see until crossing back. After a first venture through some woods it was time to climb over a stile. It would be fair to say I'm clumsy at the best of times, add a wig and knee length toga to the mix and the chance of injury increases. 
Note there was no mention of the beard. I think it lasted all of 3km. I'd looped it with my sunglasses to try and secure it better (perhaps lubing the ears was a bad thing). As we had entered the shaded woods I didn't need the sunnies & in taking them off the beard came off as a result. I couldn't be done with faffing so tucked it into my flip belt and enjoyed the respite. Now I just resembled Brian May at a toga party!!!
Once through the stile we enjoyed a downhill, wider trail and got into a nice rhythm. We were running well as a group,  alongside where the path allowed and in formation when not. At one point we enjoyed a downhill so much that our pace dropped into the low 5:00/km territory and it took some effort to rein this back in before we got too silly. 
At about 4 miles we stopped at the first check point, taking on some water, jelly beans & I had the opportunity to take the wig off momentarily to through some water over myself. Progress was good and spirits were high. Running through wooded areas was a test of both concentration & technique. It felt like we were the only three in the race for a while as we were blinkered by woods. We gave ourselves more space in order to both see the roots & avoid any whiplash from overhanging branches.
Once out of the woods we knew the worst of the course was to follow, but confidence was high. At one point Gary scaled a 4 foot gate. Me, feeling clever, unlooped the rope and walked through, only to be surpassed by another runner taking a route around a hedge to avoid all gate. My smugness lasted all of a second! 

Once through this gate & after a short descend we were due to hit what would become two miles of climb. Progress was decent & soon the signs you most look forward to at a WSR event were coming into view.

LOVESTATION AHEAD

The normal WSR aid stations are excellent. The Lovestation though, that is the cherry on top. Stop. One water to top up the bottle & spray over my head, one to drink, one cider, some jelly beans & babies, amazing watermelon, some photos, readjust wig, Lovestation completed proceed onwards to complete your run. We were afforded a fast kilometre before the climb resumed. At least I hadn't repeated my mini Scotch Egg faux pas from Larmer Tree so wasn't feeling the need to throw up!

Feeling good after Lovestation ciders

Lovestation offerings - decided against Schnapps

More Lovestation

Soon we were walking again & then the moment the course appeared to flatten we were joined by about 4 foot of foliage on either side. We tried running, soon realising it made little sense & conserved our energy. Aid stations excluded this would be the slowest part of the run for us.

From 15km onwards our pace whenever we ran was good & presented no problems for us. Emily was really driving her arms as she ran  & we all seemed to be running with purpose where the course allowed us to. 

Brian May filming the new series of Springwatch

There were times in run where my wide stride meant I had to seek alternative routes, some of the farm tracks were too narrow for me & the slight angle I run at on my left side due to hip rotation. From about halfway my hips had been aching from the awkwardness of the terrain & the constant uneven landings. After short stop at the final aid station in the 18th kilometre it was time to carry on & get the race finished. We repeated our post aid station custom of low fives & got focused once more. Some more farm track that we'd run out on had provided us with a nice surface to push on, allowing for another relatively quick kilometre.

This God Can

Unfortunately we weren't following the track back & were soon diverted off course & uphill. It was only now, in the dying moments of the race that Emily mentioned our walking stride wasn't offering her much respite. Being a bit shorter than us, my aggressive walking pace was forcing her back into running more often than not. Once Gary & I knew this we reined it in & asked Emily to set the pace, we didn't want to be leaving anyone behind at this stage of the race. Another run through a wooded area brought us into the final kilometre. 

Approaching the finish line

Soon we were emerging into daylight & one almighty hill came into view. This time though it was a massive downhill, easily the steepest we'd seen all day. A thirty metre drop was hard work, a struggle to not lose all semblance of form & stay vertical. I had to take a wider line in order to make the gate at the bottom & file in behind Gary, a more direct route would have seen me either collect him or the gate. Emily filed in behind & we kicked for home with the finish line in sight. Gary & I had kicked too much, so we slowed our pace to ensure Emily was with us as we crossed the line together.

Finishing with a smile

Once the almighty medal & goody bag had been acquired we had time to cool off. I was keen to get changed out of my outfit, the base layers had done their job, but were now really quite disgusting!

Awesome run bling

The Eat

A post race cider seemed like a good idea, whether Emily & Paul agreed quite so much as I snored my way home in the back of their car I'm not so sure! It was the finest west country cider you could find, chewy, you could barely see through it, it made for perfect refreshment (and counted as one of my five a day). A farm shop on site also provided some clotted cream fudge & some local sausages that would be perfect for dinner (I wasn't going to make it to my friend's BBQ, I'd be poor company sleeping away in the corner & smelling like a field). A small pot of rum & raisin ice cream was well received, as was the excellent muffin provided with the goody bag.

A very happy Chris post race

Saffron Trail Volunteering

After an early night & a bath to soothe my weary legs I was up at regular weekday time on Sunday. One of our local running event companies were looking for checkpoint volunteers & on scanning the route I'd realised one was only a few miles from home. After negotiating down a 0200 start time to 0630 I found myself sat in the Alfa, in the rain on a Sunday morning. The gazebo didn't look that appealing, despite all of the goodies laid out.

Lindley the Race Director explained the first runner was probably an hour away & to just relax. Luckily I'd prepared for such an occasion, writing a lot of this blog & churning halfway through Ed Smith's book, Luck over the course of the morning. 

Reclining in the Alfa

Intervals between the runners were long, this was the final check point, 65 miles into a 70 mile race & with a field of under 20 hardy souls taking on the route. I was in awe of the competitors, taking mileage to levels that I personally can't fathom. My stint on the aid station was due to end at 1100, I decided to stay on though until Nicki, one of Great Notley parkrun's core team made it through. Shortly before midday she emerged, smiling as always, slaying the demons from the same race last year & indulging in some custard before taking on the final 4.9 miles into Saffron Walden.

I made my way into Saffron Walden myself & ended up parking right next to the finish line. Seeing Rich from GNPR, his family & Nicki's sister there, I quickly did a lap of the town as planned & joined them to see Nicki finish. I gave a lift to a station to a chap who'd travelled over from Australia for a week & just happened to fancy an ultra whilst here!

Add station full of good stuff for ultra runners

With my first marathon approaching I've learnt throughout my time running to never say never. That said, I simply can't comprehend the step up into ultra running. Yet I find myself hurting more from speed than from distance & enjoying the mental challenge of more miles. I don't see an ultra in my future, but then again 5 years ago I didn't see a marathon either.

The Conclusion

Another very enjoyable week on the road to Berlin. I only ran twice, recognising that some rest was required. At this stage I'm very satisfied with my progress & want to make sure that every run has purpose, no junk miles is the goal.

Post race hobbit feet, appears my trail shoes allowed a lot of dust & dirt in

A time of 2:19:50 for the Dorset Invader would worry me without any context. 21 kilometres of non stop trail made it the toughest terrain I've run across. Sure Larmer tree was a bit slower, but the mud was a massive factor back in March. I couldn't care for the time though, we were actually 10 seconds under our nominal target. This half was my most enjoyable. I fully embraced the WSR ethos & dressed up for the occasion, loving every second of it. I ran with two good friends & the worked as a team throughout. There is no point in running this kind of race on your own, you miss out on the fun. Emily had suggested I could run ahead if I wanted to based on our current training levels, to me though, spending time with my friends was more important. We started together, we crossed the line together.

Definitely a hilly one

A year ago I was buying my first pair of trail shoes, now I find myself looking forward to insane trail races. Maybe it helps that WSR are a bit insane themselves, adding humour & camaraderie to what would otherwise be some pretty tough races. I don't associate trail races like this with time chasing, I think that allows me to enjoy them more. Running a road race the same way would feel a bit pointless.

This was also my first half since the marathon training has kicked in. This made for a noticeable difference, probably mentally rather than physically. Having run 20 miles the weekend prior for the first time, I knew this race couldn't defeat me. This was also Emily's first half since her marathon in May & well Gary, he'd probably just finished another fifty miler the day before or something! So all three of us combined were pretty strong.

If you're looking for an almighty challenge with a bit of fun thrown in for good measure, I can't recommend White Star Running enough. I'm already looking at their 2016 calendar (Bad Cow doesn't quite fit for my training), a family wedding clashes with the Dark Ox, I'm told it would be poor form to miss the evening reception for a night of getting muddy in Dorset! I can see a return to Larmer Tree in my future though, perhaps it is time to take on the 20 miler as well.

Please keep doing this guys, you're flipping awesome

Forest Fives and Tens

A double bling week, that's a success to me. And everything appeared to be fine after the Endure weekender.

Endure Recovery

I had wisely booked Monday off of work. My body seemed to think Endure was still happening as I woke up at around 11pm, then 4am, maybe this was due to the power of the luminous wristband that sat on the bookcase in my room.
With ruthless efficiency I woke up just before 6 & realised that my body clock has no understanding of annual leave. There was little point trying to fight it so I headed downstairs to play on the Xbox for a bit, determined that the day started as unproductively as possible. As I wandered downstairs I was instantly confused. I could walk just fine, DOMS was surprisingly absent. I had no aches or pains, a nasty cold brewing but that was it.
If it wasn't for all of the running paraphernalia that surrounded me I'd swear the weekend was just a dream. How was this even possible? I'd run further & for longer than anything I'd done previously & felt great.
Perplexing as it was, my physical vibrancy wasn't going to get turned into a day of activity. I switched the Xbox over & watched Money in the Bank, tuning in where the show was decent (Kevin Owens / main event) & out (everything else) where not. I think I liked every Endure photo on IG as my procrastination took on new levels.
Eventually I resolved to empty the car & take on one of many jobs I had been putting off for a while. The garage had become a sprawling mess of left overs from the building work, parkrun equipment, cricket gear, bbq, diy & gardening stuff & anything else that would fit in for good measure. After a couple of hours I felt it didn't look much better, it appears to be the gift that keeps on giving.
I broke up the time by making a start on an epic Endure 24 blog post, splitting my time between both activities. I had designs on heading across to Braintree to catch up with friends & my Mum, but this trip also included a visit to the gym & they were apparently closed due to water mains issues. It was as if it was being prescribed that I should be lazy!
So I let the rest of the day pass & didn't achieve a great deal. As the evening approached I was about to stick a pizza in the oven. I decided that I should at least get in some time on the exercise bike to get the legs moving a bit, before returning to the pizza, feeling like maybe a slice of it was earned.

Let's get physio, physio

Tuesday was a bizarre day. I had some awesome news that I'll talk about in future weeks, finally got round to filling in some paperwork that needed doing in order to move on & finished with some inevitable, saddening news.
Sandwiched amongst all of this was my regular visit to Dan the Physio. I explained that I was holding up well after Endure, but had some concerns about my shoulder, calves / achilles as usual & wanted him to check the shin splints. After the usual work on the neck & shoulders, he eased off the calves. He felt the shins were just fine & that by rolling & stretching I can managed any issue there, tight calves being the cause is hardly a surprise. He also couldn't find anything wrong with the shoulder after carrying out some movement tests, putting the likely cause down to a bit more tension as I've upped the miles.
My intention for the next fortnight or so it to scale it back a bit to the bare minimum amount of training to maintain the base I've built up, so this fits nicely, no major issues for now.
As I tackled some still remaining washing up, Topper returning from the vets. The prognosis was not good, there was now nothing else they could do for him. His kidneys started failing back in October & he's been on medication ever since, ballooning in size as he goes. As his weight has increased his legs have weakened so his ability to jump has diminished. Personality wise he is still the same, potentially he's even more affectionate now. It is unlikely he'll make it much further, now it is a case of monitoring how much quality of life he has. I suspect he'll be spoilt rotten over the coming weeks, allowed to eat whatever (his favourites are eggs, ice cream & fish), forgiven for the early morning jabs to the face & fussed like anything.

Forest Five

On Tuesday I also realised that I was signed up to a race. After my visit to Bracknell Forest Runners track night a few week's previously my colleague Kendra had given me a list of local races to sign up to that would work with my trips to our southern office. I'd wantonly signed up without thinking to check my running calendar, you know to see if there was perhaps an endurance event merely days beforehand.
It was even an event designed to mess with my head following Endure, 5 laps, undulating, around a forest! All I needed to do was deprive myself of sleep beforehand & force someone to do a lap after me & it would be like the weekend all over again.
Fearing traffic I'd left my hotel early & arrived with a mere hour to kill before the race. I wandered to the start line (nearly a km into the Forest), wandered back, found the toilets, chucked my valuables in the car, walked back, walked some more & probably covered 3-4km in walking before the start just to keep myself busy.
I was tempted to run with Kendra & her son Callum who was taking part in his first 5 miler. Instead I opted for the well versed plan of winging it on the day. BFR appear to be another club, like Bishop's Stortford that I appear to be an associate member of by osmosis as I recognised many faces & said hi to my Endure lap 1 partner in crime Cindy.
Anyone that had run over the weekend was comparing war stories, I still couldn't correlate my performance with a seemingly zero problems. I felt like I should be suffering, a bit fraudulent for appearing to have got away from Endure without issue.

Bit of a roller coaster, closing my eyes until it was all over

I had been fooled. Fooled, lulled, seduced into believing that everything was ok. Even after a near 2km downhill beginning it was clear that like say a 2003 Alfa bought in February, though everything appeared alright, there were some gremlins to be found when on closer inspection. Potentially due to being worked on the night previously, both achilles decided to voice their displeasure at the physical nature of the activity. A hamstring that until Lap 5 on Sunday had behaved itself impeccably in 5 years of running was also having a moan. On top of this my breathing was all over the place thanks to the lingering cold brought on from camping being illness inducing.
Other than those symptoms & a general lack of moral fibre, my pace was just weird. I wanted to see if a 44:00 @ 5:30/km was possible, although I hadn't researched the course, or sustained that pace since the HBO a few weeks prior.
This soon became a grin & bear it kind of run. I made an effort to thank every marshal around the course. There was a delightful rollercoaster of a down & up just after halfway, actually by the end of the uphill I'm not sure delightful was the right term for it. I found breaking the run into 2km sections helped & once I was through 6km the back of the run had been broken & I felt more inclined to push whatever I could out of my legs.
My pace was better for the 7th kilometre & a marshal advising us that it was all downhill from that point onward raised a cheer from the runners in & around me. A lady from Reading RC cashed in on the descend a bit more than me, though my pace was increasing I find it far too easy to lose form on a downhill. As the finish came into sight the course flatten out & I decided it was time to really test the legs. Impressively I was able to manage a full sprint finish, reeling in a few that had passed me on the downhill.
I collected my goody bag & liked the unique medal, popping it round my neck whilst waiting for Callum & Kendra to finish. As they approached the finish Callum dropped Kendra with an almighty sprint finish home, recording a 48:53. A great debut performance at the distance & a sprint finish I'd be proud of! I said my goodbyes & made my way back to the car to cool down a bit. A much appreciated Mars bar was found in the goody bag & I headed back to my hotel, trying to work out what to do for dinner. I was in a bit of a state post run & really couldn't be arsed with getting changed, or sitting in a restaurant. Knowing takeaway was my only option from this point I then decided I didn't even want to wait for a curry & chucked the hire car into a McD's drive through.
Dirty tainted food, but it was fine by me.

Funky medal, sweaty face

parkrun

I was back on rota for a fortnight of Run Directing down at Hatfield Forest. As James was staying at the house he'd been added to the roster for pre & post event work, although he didn't appear to be overly inspired by us leaving at 0645.
When on duty I try to avoid anything that might induce swearing, I'm already far too fluent at dropping the F bomb without further encouragement. I'd forgotten this golden rule as Nick Helm's Hot & Heavy was already in the CD player. We'd made it halfway towards the forest before I asked James to source something else.
The course was setup in decent time (with me on a bike no less) & with Amy taking on the Volunteer Coordinator role under Karl's supervision, I had time to remember what exactly I was meant to be doing. Thankfully all of our volunteers were in place & ready to go, it was just time to greet the runners, get through a briefing that had a second page & then relax for 15 minutes whilst they ran the course.

Lots of volunteers, no runners though

That is the theory at least. With 18 minutes already passed & no finisher in sight I ran back to our storage to borrow one of the NT's bikes. I could hear some clapping & to my relief the runners had started to file in. To confuse me further, Mark who was running in my 50 shirt as he ran his 50th run was approaching me & appeared to have maimed himself on the course. Not only this, he'd finished first & was apologetic for doing so. He did at least provide the reasoning for this happening. At a cross roads in the forest some runners had carried straight on rather than right. One mortified marshal returning to HQ confirmed that they'd been a bit of an issue. Having experienced this myself on my volunteering debut I was keen to stress that these things happen. I felt it was right to follow up further to reassure & we even caught up at the Hoohaah on Sunday. In hindsight we were missing a lanyard for this position, sending a volunteer out without sufficient information or guidance. That won't happen again, we'll have spares of everything should something go missing.

So we'd lost runners once, you'd have to be really unlucky for it to happen twice? It appears the NT's herds of cattle are a mischievous bunch. Always intrigued by our signage, they'd managed to nudge our penultimate turn from a left to a straight on arrow. This is how Mark found himself leading, thankfully he sounded on to the runners that had overshot & corrected the sign for those that followed.
A reluctant first finisher & definitely the only time my 50 shirt will ever cross the line first! Thankfully all of the runners I spoke to that had missed turns were in good spirits, understanding that these things happen. Some even commented on getting even more free kilometres in!
The rest of the event passed without incident & we chose to take the bikes out once more to assess the two turns where the issues had occurred & collect the remaining signage on the course. I found myself even enjoying the ride. I was such a useless cyclist at school that I even failed cycling proficiency! I think when I rode during our event a couple of weeks back that would have been the first time in 5 years. Sure the quads ache within a kilometre, but it was nice to ride, something I might do more of at the forest.

A very long weekend

James was down for the weekend, making a return to Hatfield Forest parkrun on the Saturday & taking on the summer course for the first time. That wasn't the only reason for his visit, he'd tried to catch Katherine Ryan's latest show a couple of times in Preston & Leeds but had no joy. She was due to play at Udderbelly over the weekend & after acquiring some tickets on Stubhub a plan for a weekend was formed.
So Friday night comprised of gin, comedy & (sadly) dirty McD's food for the train home after the queue for Duck & Waffle was simply too long.

All set for comedy

I'd like to suggest that Saturday evening had some variation. In reality all that changed was we stayed out for longer. Street Feast's latest venture Dinerama had recently opened in Shoreditch & it offered the chance of lots of food varieties & plenty of drinking options. The idea to visit only came about on Thursday so most folks had plans already. Vicky & Cali joined us as they were en route to comedy in Bethnal Green & we managed to grab a table under cover, handy as the rain started to come down soon after we got there.

Pints of cocktail in the late afternoon, this could only go wrong

We started with Busan BBQ sliders, fries & some nachos from Breddos. With the first pint of the day done & dusted James felt it should be cocktails time at 5pm! I remained in charge of the food, following up the first round with some Gyoza from Rainbo.
A second round of cocktails (served by the pint, though a lot of that was ice) & this time we were back to Breedo's to try the beef tacos. Vicky & Cali opted for duck burgers, donuts & mocking me, all of which they appeared to enjoy! They were soon on their way & we decided that open air eating in the rain was fine but it was time to wander ourselves.

All kinds of food at Dinerama

A trip to Brick Lane & we found 93 Feet East. I'd never been so we wandered in. It was like a time warp, back to a student union! Daylight outside & this was the only light we could see as the entire place was decorated in black! One drink & we were on our way, originally to the Big Chill bar but James was smiling too much in hipster East London & the bouncer did not take kindly to enjoyment. Half way through the obligatory feel up I decided to interrupt James' fun & we wandered off to find a more friendly bar.
A couple of more pubs later & it was 9pm, I was pretty much done by this point. It would be rude to head home before the light went so into The George at Liverpool St we went. James insisted on doubling up our Tanqueray Tens, his eyes popping out at the £22 cost! By half ten we were onto the train north, after yet another trip to the golden arches (yes really). No nightcap for me, time to sleep.

Hoohaah Hatfield Forest 10k

This was my second attempt to run the HF 10k. I'd not made the start line for 2014's inaugural event after a delightful weekend of toilet hugging & extreme weight loss. This time around I was looking forward to it. The event last year had sewn the seed for a potential parkrun at the venue as it was the first running event I was aware of at the forest (I was wrong, just wasn't aware of others).
For James, this would be his first 10k, though with another one due next weekend he was more than ready. My ever efficient but not overly friendly body clock performed the half five wake up trick as always. I managed to barter another couple of hours of sleep, but noticed that I wasn't overly with it, potentially due to the gin consumption the night previous. Three slices of heavily buttered Soreen really didn't feel sufficient so I threw myself under the shower to try & wake myself up.
Arriving at the forest but without anything to be in charge of felt quite liberating. I met Sue, Maldon's ED for the first time & it was good to share ED stories. I'm still yet to make it to Maldon on a Saturday morning & will be a long old commute if I don't get it visited soon!
We picked up our numbers & I said hello to Alison & Hannah the Hoohaah team. I cheekily asked if they could mention the parkrun, the response was very much in the affirmative, how about you take the stage & we give you the mic during the briefing?!
We had some time to kill & I spent some time preparing my race kit before chatting to some of the parkrunners present at the event. I bumped into Rich from Great Notley & as James wanted to run to a 55, Rich joined us.
So after a brief appearance on the stage with the mic, where I not only promoted us but all of our local parkruns across Essex it was time to start. James knew his target might be ambitious, but you might as well aim high to see what is possible. A nice flat target time made it easy for me to calculate the splits, 5:30/km, Rich works in miles so I had no idea what that worked out at, probably around the 9:00/mile mark.
Our pace wasn't amazing as per the watch, but I was noticing we were measuring short based on course signage, understandable in a dense forest. This meant I think we were good, but wouldn't be sure until the end. After 3km navigating the forest we were onto the Flitch Way & enjoying the flat & shaded conditions. I'd ditched my sunglasses before the start as it looked overcast, a decision I would soon be regretting.
The weakest kilometre was the 7th & I can only think this was due to the heat & then some boggy, technical trails that had to be navigated. Having been in the shade for a while we were unaware just how hot & sunny the day had become & it really did sap the energy. This was something that I need to take into account for Berlin, it can be terrifically hot there. After my not always perfect pacing record I was keen to check in on James frequently & he appeared to be just fine, with Rich using himself to then pace me, dragging us out a bit more.
As we reached the 8km marker James was on target but told us to run on, concerned he would struggle in the final part of the race. I double checked all was ok & kicked on, Rich was now pushing the pace a bit more to stretch me as the finish line beckoned, setting targets of runners ahead for us to pass. The pace to this point had been comfortable so I was able to go through the gears a bit & get down to a 5:00/km pace. A brief aeroplane to a photographer (sadly not captured) & we were into a nasty little wooded area that preceded the finish. This was a complete momentum killer as hazards both at head height & on the ground needed to be navigated. As we emerged into the field we could hear Vicky on the PA system & Rich encouraged me (like I normally need it) to sprint to the end. Perhaps the pace wasn't quite so easy as I'd previously felt, the resulting sprint finish was a rather weak effort, if the ground were covered in treacle it wouldn't have surprised me.

Medals & smiles (almost)

James followed shortly after breaking the 55 minute barrier at the first time of asking with an exceptional 10k debut. We grabbed medals, chatted to Hatfield Forest parkrunners & then missed out on heckling Vicky as it was prize giving time.
I'd really enjoyed the run & the chance to explore different parts of the forest that we don't see as part of the parkrun courses. No doubt I've now got some new course ideas for the drawing board, though whether the event really needs more routes would be debatable.
James was soon on his way back to the North after a chocolate milk & a shower. His 6 hour journey home wasn't great for his spirits, though I suspect the medal stayed around his neck throughout.
I spend the rest of the day on a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, the first time Father's Day has really hit me for a while. I headed across to Braintree to see my Mum & bring some beers to Step-Dad Steve but found myself having to chuck the Counting Crows CD out as it was reminding me too much of the many things I shared with the old man. It wasn't depressing, I just felt that my driving would be enhanced if I wasn't tearing up! Mum had a load of old photos I'd not seen before, including one from Dad's Japan visit in 1987, which left me wondering if I can recreate the photo when I visit in January.

Dad in Japan. Now just need to find out where this was. And why his shirt to trouser ratio was so bad. And what is going on with the jacket.,,,,

I ploughed my energy into the parkrun run report in the evening, a silly & rather dark sense of humour is something we also shared. Given the amount of fun we'd seen at parkrun it gave me lots to work with, all we needed was some slapstick to really make it something Dad would have properly laughed at. I don't mind these kind of reflective days, it tells me I'm in a good place mentally. Back in February I'd got through most of the anniversary of his death before remembering, my mind was all over the place at the time.
The day finished with a steak, once I realised it was darn late & I could do with eating, then a bath so that I could treat the muscles to a soak after a good 10k performance.

The Conclusion

A thoroughly enjoyable week. Two races, two relatively pleasing performances given my fatigue & lack of speed work of late. My 10k time was good, it achieved the goal set at the start & I was able to get some quicker clicks in at the end. I think I'm in a good place to start reintroducing speed work alongside the mileage & the target of breaking 48 for the first time at August's Pride 10k is something that should be possible. I've got another 10k that precedes it by 5 weeks & Sean is heading down to Yateley with the aim of pacing me to 50 minutes, his reward for hauling me around close to target will be a curry! There is also the small matter of a half marathon PB to aim for & the Dublin trip, also with Sean offers this potential.
The weekend itself was also a lot of fun, spending time out with friends & just letting off some steam was exactly what I needed. It might have hampered Sunday's performance, I suspect I was sweating neat gin by the end!
Looking forward to increasing the mileage again & Friday brings a track 5k, which should be a lot of fun.

Endure 24

Anyone fancy a 24 hour team relay? That would have been the first message, or words to that effect. It turns out quite a few of us fancied the challenge. 10 months, thousands of group chat messages & 145 miles later we did just that.........

Base camp setup

As I had plenty to do, my regular alarm of 0535 seemed sufficient for the what was a day of leave. I had to meet Emily & Paul at 1000 so had about 4 hours to get the rest of my kit sorted. Sausage rolls were made, paperwork printed out, legs were shaved & KT tape applied, the Alfa was topped up with oil & then filled with every bit of kit I felt I did or might need. I was that efficient to allow for there to be time for a blog update. Surely this meant I'd have forgotten something, probably something important, like a tent, or all of my running shoes, or my parkrun barcode.
By 1000 I was at Birchanger services & picking up a paper whilst waiting for Emily & Paul. Our journey across to Aldermaston, just west of Reading couldn't have been much easier. The motorways were clear, a bit of a queue to get onto the M4, but everything on the whole behaved itself.
We parked up & stretched our legs with a wander to race HQ in order to pick up the running numbers, chips & t-shirts for the team. It was then time to pitch our tents. I left Emily & Paul to discuss the dynamics of their tent, I had to work out how my tent worked. I don't really do camping, so was pleasantly surprised that my tent was not only setup relatively successfully, but that I also didn't have a Basil Fawlty style episode whilst constructing it. Only tent pegs were harmed!

Welcome to paradise

With the tents up we enjoyed some rain from underneath some umbrellas, quickly sending a message out to the rest of the team that a gazebo would be really quite useful. Once the rain had relented for a moment we took another walk into HQ to see what delights Mizuno had on sale (surprisingly few) & check out catering. After a rather agreeable toffee flapjack I saw a message from Joel, he'd arrived with Fergie & was looking for us. I gave directions & we went back to give them a hand with the new luxury gazebo (£20) & their tents. As Joel, Ferg & I had opted for the same tent, assisting them was easy. On one of our wanders we bumped into a fellow Um Bongo wearer & a fellow (soon to be) parkrun Event Director that we recognised from Dark Ox. This time we successfully exchanged email addresses & wished each other the best for the event ahead.
Sean & Emily weren't due at Aldermaston station until 2000 so I grabbed just the one beer as we'd got the entire camp, including the hanging of the Congo flag by 1700. The gazebo was an excellent idea as the rain persisted throughout the evening. Joel & Ferg had brought an instant BBQ & huge amount of food so at their insistence I joined them in eating burgers before I set off to pick up our team-mates. Joel joined me as we detoured for ice-cream, more gin & some ice.

We drink it in the Congo

Sean & Emily were waiting for us at a deserted Aldermaston station & once their tent was setup they joined us on the beers or G&Ts. We were also joined by Harlow ED Vicky, who's team were yet to arrive. The atmosphere around the camp suggested that whatever happened the team spirit would be good as we swapped stories & generally took the piss out of each other.
I had some concerns going into the weekend. My achilles & calves continued to be dodgy, especially after some speed work in the past couple of weeks. I was now also feeling some shin splint pain, something that I knew I'd have to deal with throughout my marathon training, but a flare up before a weekend full of running was a worry. I'd iced before leaving home & the night previous, in the hope that I could at least ease the issues. My right shoulder had also been dodgy since the HBO at the end of May, to the point of distraction at times when driving or at work. A few of us were carrying issues & had apprehension as the start drew closer, we knew some of us wouldn't be able to complete all of our scheduled laps.

Maidenhead parkrun

I'd raised the idea of a morning parkrun with the team months in advance. After all, we'd be taking part in a team event but never actually running together. A slow & easy parkrun would be a nice team building opportunity. Unfortunately the rest of the team disagreed on the basis that 3 extra miles was potentially a very silly addition to the weekend's agenda. I still wasn't sure how wise the idea was, adding more mileage to what was already a weekend that would be stretching my ability. At the same time, I don't tour as much now, this was an opportunity to do just that.
Fergie was set to join me, though as we woke on Saturday morning to some fairly grim weather he decided to park the idea. I was still undecided myself, nothing appeals to your dislike of camping like a wet Congo flag slapping you in the face whilst you try & prepare scrambled eggs on a stove that doesn't want to work in a wok that is very much stick rather than non. I checked my phone & Vicky still wanted to make the trip, faced with a whole morning of drizzle & camping grumpiness I decided to throw on the 50 shirt & point the Alfa towards Maidenhead.
I'm glad I made the trip, the team at Maidenhead could not have been more friendly & accommodating. Our history as parkrun events are linked, they launched at the same time as Hatfield Forest. We adopted a deliberate tone down ahead of our inaugural & I'd had my fingers crossed since getting our date that another London centric event would launch on the same date. Maidenhead came to our rescue with it's proximity to London & far more agreeable public transport options than us. This meant that they saw a bumper 303 attendance, where as we managed a nice & manageable 188. In terms of regular event numbers we're on a very similar footing, averaging in the high 100's.
The event had also come highly recommended from the parkrun tourist community, with one guy rating it as a 9 out of 10. I've never got round to rating events numerically & since becoming an ED I've viewed events through different criteria. Less of what I did & didn't like, more so what worked at that event, what didn't work & most importantly, what ideas could enhance my own event.
We arrived early, more out of habit & surprised the Run Director who was only expecting volunteers. I was immediately envious as course setup appeared to be starting at 0830. We had a brief chat with Adam, one of the Event Directors beforehand, mainly to say hello & then let him get on with stuff.
What I hadn't expected was that from that chat we both got a mention in the pre run briefing. A sheepish wave later & we were ready to line up. Vicky was due to run easy, as was I. My intention was to try and run a perfect 30:00. This would need my pacing to be good & for the course to measure an exact 5.00 on Garmin, which in truth no parkrun ever will do. If a course does measure exactly then it probably means that you're actually running slightly more than 5km & as the wheel measures more accurately & the Event Director just wants an easier life than deal with "My Garmin measures this to be short / long" queries (myself included).
Ultimately my discipline was poor. I predictable got sucked into what everyone else was doing & went through the first kilometre in 5:26. I tried to rein it in, but was hopeless at doing so as a 5:50 followed. By the third & fourth clicks I was taking the approach of purposefully tanking it, just slowing down as much as I could, almost to the point of losing rhythm. A fourth km of 6:22 was fine, but still left me needing to run even slower in the 5th. My Strava output shows that I was all over the place & in the end I just opted to run to the end. Even when I thought I was taking it easy to the line it appears that wasn't the case. The Saucony Breakthru responded nicely on their first run. Though not as light as the Kinvara, they were comfortable throughout after I loosened off the laces a bit. They'll need a few more clicks in them before I can be completely happy with the purchase, they do look awesome, although probably adding to the widely held view that I have all the gear & no idea.

Trying my hardest to be slow & sloth like

I finished in 29:10, got scanned & grabbed my phone so that Vicky would have some pictures of her finish. Adam was also on photo duty & we caught up again. It's great to hear that other Event Directors are enjoying the role as much as I am. Each event is unique, but we all go through very similar journeys & teething issues as the events mature. Adam invited us to the all you can eat breakfast at the carvery next door, something highly recommended by the tourists. But with me due to lead out Team Um Bongo at 1200 & not fancying the prospect of sharing the contents of my stomach with the other competitors. We said our goodbyes & it was time to head back to Endure, via a DIY shop for another luxury gazebo so that we'd all fit underneath the shelter. I also made an impulse buy, a sun lounger. I'd been given advice to try & rest as much as possible between running stints & the camping chairs just weren't that comfy, so being able to spread out seemed like a good idea. I even dropped into Reading services to acquire some Krispy Kremes for the troops, as a morning in the damp might have made them grumpy (although this could also be due to someone snoring).

All rise for the national anthem of Congo

Introducing Team Um Bongo

I realise that for all the talk of this being a team event, not all of the team have been introduced. Here in true Crystal Maze style is the team (please note they have also contributed to their introductions, as good as my propensity for BS is, they fully bought into it).....

We'd definitely win the Crystal Maze

Lap 1 - Endure 24 begins

After making it back to Congo base camp with plenty of time, I was able to get changed into a fresh running shirt & take on a bit of fuel before we made our way down to HQ for the pre race briefing. This was the only time every participant & team would be in the same place at the same time & the atmosphere was good as runners mingled. I made my way onto the course & lined up a sensible distance from the front, giving the rest of the team a wave.

Let the fun begin

The course itself was approximately 5 miles / 8 kilometres of trail running. A couple of minor uphills, one more annoying uphill just after 5km. A section through the woods & a technical descend followed, then it was pretty flat all the way to the end. Given that this was an endurance event rather than a normal race, we had all approximated our lap times based on an easy pace, with degradation of 2 minutes per lap. This meant my target for the first lap was 48:00 at 6:00/km.

Just a bit excited

The first lap was just like a normal race, lots of people jockeying for position. I tried to get into a rhythm & was a bit despondent to find myself going through the first kilometre in 6:12. It was only after others at the team has completed a lap that I realised there was a a fair bit of climbing, in fact it contained the largest amount of ascend across the course. The trails allowed for one or two abreast so getting settled to a pace wasn't the easiest task. A second click at 6:08 really didn't do much for my spirits, again not realising there was still some climbing involved. I'd toyed with the idea of road shoes, but knowing it was all trail & they'd been some rain in the morning, opted to go straight in with trail shoes rather than be caught out. A short, sharp & muddy descend at 2.4km vindicated the decision. It was slick enough to give the opportunity to become unstuck......

Use enough filters & I almost look debonair

Just after this section I noticed a Bracknell Forest Runner next to me & asked her if she knew my colleague Kendra. She did indeed & for the rest of the lap we struck up a conversation, forgetting until about 6k to actually introduce ourselves. Cindy from BFR was aiming to run at the same pace as me & we were both doing an equally bad job of sticking to that plan! After the first two km the next three were fast, either flat or downhill & we'd found a nice rhythm.
It was only after passing the 5km marker & turning right that we were introduced to The Bastard for the first time. Being the first lap it was a case of not knowing the course & just running up it. I was a bit gassed by the top & said to Cindy that she should go on without me, but such is the camaraderie that exists between runners at this event that we stuck together until the end.
As we entered the start / finish field I apologised in advance for talking to myself. Knowing what I'm like for sprint finishes I was repeating to myself that I was not to attempt one. With three further laps to complete pinging my dodgy groin! I handed over to Gary & made my way back towards base camp, ready for my bollocking for not running to plan. I thanked Cindy for being a great partner for the lap, she was also expecting a similar conversation, though as team captains we had the right to tear up the plans for everyone else!
So after being over target for the first two kilometres, just how had I managed to not run to plan? Well, Bastard Hill excluded the rest of the lap was a breeze & I clocked a 45:19, dropping just over 2 minutes off of the intended time. I put it down to firstlapitis & apologised profusely to the guys as they all now had slightly less time to prep. I also advised them of the various features of the course & implored anyone opting for long sleeves to drop down to t-shirts, the humidity was high after the earlier rainfall.

Introducing The Bastard

I now had around 5 & half hours to rest, refuel & recuperate. I'd been advised that feeding was an important aspect & not to neglect it. Unfortunately what hadn't been taken into account is that I'm an idiot & obviously can't function normally. For some reason, my random purchase, a tin of corned beef seemed like a good idea. Alongside a slab of mac & cheese no less. This was accompanied by a great combo, firstly a nuun cherry limeade energy concoction & a can of coke. Oh & some fruit juice & a brownie & a nakd bar & a flapjack.

A tin of corned beef? Idiot.

It was shortly after consuming all of this that I was introduced to heartburn for the first time. Now this may come as a surprise to regular readers of this blog & those aware of the sheer amount of crap I have been known to eat! Thankfully Sean had some Gaviscon so I could dose up & not suffer the rest of the weekend right?
One thing that was apparent was the speed of the course, after 6 laps we were 8 minutes ahead of schedule & everyone was preparing for what this would mean for the order later on in the event.

Keeping the muscles going with some tennis

Will a member of Team Um Bongo please report to Race HQ

One of the things you never want to hear at a race is your name (or in this case team name) over the PA system. Just before five Joel came rushing back to HQ, Fergie had fallen on the course & was on his way to the medical tent via ambulance. We didn't have a huge amount of detail to go with, Joel was going to head straight out & resume the run for us & those that were in a rest window headed down to the medical tent.
With Joel handing over to me, I had to get myself ready to run. It wasn't easy to focus & both Emily M & I were checking our phones constantly, thankful that a random field in Berkshire had 4G. Stephen had made it back to be assessed & it was looking like a dislocation initially. I'd got a call from Sean to head down as we needed to make plans for getting Ferg to A&E. I'd passed the Bracknell tent en route & Kendra had waved, had to explain I couldn't stop due to the injury.
Joel was out on the course but was also the obvious choice as he & Ferg worked together. Emily A also had injury concerns so heading off site & potentially missing a lap would be workable. I left the guys to make the decisions & made my way into the pen to meet Joel, safe in the knowledge that Ferg was enjoying the gas being administered. He was still able to send us messages from within the medical tent & appeared to be in decent spirits.

Ferguson Valley

Lap 2 - Trying to focus on the running

Joel appeared at least 5 minutes earlier than planned & upon exchanging the wristband he made his way to medical. He'd run on adrenaline, not knowing what had happened to Fergie as he was out on the course before the ambulance had come back to base.
My plan for the lap was based on a 50:00 target, 6:15/km pace. This meant a bit of mental arithmetic to work out splits, though this really didn't become a factor as I started fast, still not realising the first km was on a hill! I was in trail shoes once more, though more comfortable in a vest rather than a t-shirt as the sun was out for it's one allocated hour for the day. I had some new tactics though for this lap, walk Bastard Hill. I felt the recovery time after running up the hill was significant in my first loop, where as the speed difference between a slow run & a fast walk was negligible.
I had got to know the course a bit better with the second lap & just got into whatever rhythm worked & was appropriate. After nearly overcooking the technical descend out of the woods on the first lap, I navigated the section with a bit less pace & smaller steps.
From 6.5km onwards the course was just a breeze & handed over to Gary once more, massively ahead of schedule after a crossing the line in 46:45. We'd agreed by this stage that it was best to just try & run as naturally as possible & forget the target times.

Fergie update

On exiting the course I checked my phone, after the Fergie fall we were all looking to have a phone on us at all times. Emily & Joel were taking Fergie to the Royal Berkshire in Reading, with Rosie, Ferg's wife making the trip down to St Neots to be with him. Thankfully the injury had happened early enough in the day that the Saturday night traffic was yet to land at A&E, allowing Fergie to be triaged quickly. Rosie arrived & after a hand over (no wristbands or batons here) Emily & Joel made their way back to Aldermaston.
We continued to receive updates throughout the evening, the prognosis was a fracture to the humeral head of the left arm. Our fallen teammate was soon posting photos & trying to give a thumbs up from his hospital bed before being discharged & driven home by the heroic Rosie.
One possible conclusion from this is that Fergie & I should not attend running events in each other's company. In October 2013 I attempted to pace him to his first sub hour 10k, this also ended in collapse! I'd like to think this was an unfortunate coincidence. Stephen had fallen at the muddy descend I'd encountered at 2.4km on the first lap. He'd gone out in road shoes & also pointed to his lack of trail experience as a contributing factor. With the course not getting any firmer the rest of us were sticking to trail shoes.

Our wounded warrior might still have been high on gas

With that situation in hand, the remaining team members not on the course started to juggle the roster. We still didn't know what time Emily & Joel would be back, or whether they'd want to run in this next cycle. Paul & Emily A swapped places in the roster so that they'd not be due to run until around 2140 & 2230. At this point the benefit of more coloured sharpies was clear! Paul had long held the view that overnight double up laps might be the way forward. Knowing how the team was feeling, this identified Paul, Gary, Sean & myself as candidates for the double.

Icing between 2 & 3

At around half eight the guys returned & were both up for running their usual laps. Everyone wanted to experience a night lap so we just kept Paul & Emily A swapped & reworked the roster through the night. Taking Fergie's laps out of the equation had moved everyone forward & also reduced recovery time, so we'd all have to be smart in managing ourselves & each other. For example, my original start times were: 1200, 1824, 0106 & 0800, now they were looking to be 1200, 1756, 2330, 0524. We were also smashing the lap times so had to be ready & prepared to start a bit earlier.
Earlier in my rest period I'd cooked what was a much more sensible meal than the tin of corned beef. Some fresh pasta, mozzarella, parma ham & sun blushed tomatoes in a sauce. Admittedly I'd cooked far too much & failed in my attempts to palm the remains off! Conscious of the need to keep myself fuelled I ate as much of it as I could stomach & as early in the rest window as possible in order to get my stomach to settle, accepting that heartburn wasn't going to leave me for the weekend. I kept doing a bit of stretching, Sean & I also played a bit of tennis (though this could have been in the other rest period, they've all kind of merged). I was on the fence about sleeping when my run time was originally set for 0100, now with even less time I decided to just embrace the lounger & relax.
I did at least have time to cajole my teammates into using the glow in the dark body paint, Emily A being the first victim & Joel happy to be the second. He did at one point suggest that he didn't want a cock drawn on his face, I couldn't work out if this was a double bluff (Joel has a history of drawing cocks on friends, family, mantelpieces), so opted for a curly moustache instead.

Lap 3 - Embracing the darkness

Joel was bursting with enthusiasm as he handed over to me, apparently the night run was all kinds of awesomeness. Before the changeover there had been a few laughs in the holding pen. Runners would approach shouting the name of who they were looking for. Those in the pen would then repeat the name. Someone was calling for an Alice, which got the classic Smokie song treatment!

The night is scary

Once on the course I found myself with headtorch envy. My Black Diamond purchase seemed to be sufficient, until in the company of others, who looked capable of landing planes!
The run itself was a lot more mentally taxing. I had a target time of 52:00 at 6:30/km, but was concentrating on staying upright rather than pace. I'm used to looking a few metres ahead, but in the darkness it was necessary to focus on what was right in front of you. The underfoot conditions had got a bit more funky, the clay had a weird spongy feel to it.
By this stage in proceedings the run had become a solitary affair. It was rare to find anyone on course running to a similar pace, it was a case of pass or be passed. I tried to encourage & say hello to everyone whether I was overtaking them, or more likely they were passing me.
I continued the tactic of walking The Bastard, but overall found the lap to be hard work. I'd needed to resort to Voltarol on the shins & Natural Hero spritz on the calves beforehand, mainly as a precaution for what was the fourth run of the day (no sympathy, rightly so from the rest of the team following the parkrun expedition). The lap was a tough one, a case of getting round. The forest was lit with fairy lights & it was tempting to take a photo, but there were too many runners around me for it to be safe & appropriate to stop. Instead I got the rest of the lap done, just under target in 51:27 & headed back to Camp Congo.

The forest of fairy lights

After checking in with Paul & Sean who were staying up until their laps begun, it was time to get in some sleep. First I needed to cool down, there was no point trying to sleep whilst still sweating away. So I enjoyed a Cocio chocolate milk & arsed about on the internet for 15 minutes before setting a 0430 alarm.

Paul resting up before his 0230 lap

Lap 4 - Carry me home tonight

Waking at what appeared to be 0417 was not particularly fun. I felt disorientated & a bit spaced out. It took a few minutes to work out what was going on, why I was in a tent, why I was surrounded by running kit, why was it so damn early in the morning & at what point did I make such poor life choices.
Surprisingly the legs felt a lot better for the rest, no shin pain, achilles & calves both feeling good. After a day of bad choices previously I opted for a banana & a chocolate oat shake for a pre run breakfast.
My original run time was 0524, but we'd continued to chip away at the lap times so I headed down to the changeover area for ten past five. As I approached I realised I'd forgotten all of Joel's kit, so offered him my jacket by way of apology when he arrived. He remarked that he was done after his 3rd lap, something that was completely fair as that was all he was originally scheduled for.
I had taken my iPod down to the start area with me, feeling that a bit of music might be what I needed to get through the lap. Unfortunately the battery had discharged itself over the weekend (kind of expected when the lock button doesn't work on a near 10 year old device). I decided that music was still required so hooked up my phone & scanned Spotify for something upbeat, but crucially at least 50 minutes long so that I could get round the lap, didn't want to be searching for new music mid run. I settled on Fun, slipped the phone into my Flipbelt & bounced around the course with a smile.
My fourth lap aim was a 54:00 @ 6:45/km pace based on the attrition we'd allowed for. Going past 5km in just over 30 minutes suggested that I might just be running under pace! This was despite walking up the hills in the first & third kilometres. Whilst walking up The Bastard I sent a group message so that Gary was prepared to head down to changeover early. I decided that this time I would take photos through the woods as I had so much time to play with & the course appeared to be less busy.
My rhythm felt good throughout & as I entered the finishing field to hand over the proverbial baton I was pleased with a 49:39. The lyric from We Are Young rang true in my head, especially after a dance remix of it came on at the end of the run, it would indeed be appropriate to carry me home tonight!
As I wandered back I was satisfied with the efforts so far, 20 miles (23 including parkrun) was what I'd wanted to achieve & based on how my legs felt, I was ready to take on another 5. Checking my phone I noticed more injury news as Vicky's knee had also succumbed to Ferguson Valley, forcing her to be ambulanced back to medical during her 4th lap. Injuries are part & parcel of this kind of event, the chances of two people you know being struck down is pretty slim though.

Paul & Emily A were rising as I returned & we looked at the roster to see what was now possible. Joel's 4th lap would have started at about 1020, so we had two or three laps to fill depending on timings. Paul was an ideal candidate for a double lap having been an advocating a multi lap strategy for a while. We'd also established that Paul is slightly insane & the chance to be a hero for us whilst also running for longer than expected ticked all of his boxes. To give him a bit more rest, Emily A returned to her original roster position, reducing her recovery & taking over from Emily M just after 0830.
Based on current timings we had lined up both myself & either Gary or Sean to run 5th laps. Paul's 4th & 5th double would start at around 0925 & his pace would dictate what time remained. Gary & Sean were both prepared to run a 5th lap if necessary, but enthusiasm was minimal, if Paul finished before 1110 then it would be possible for 2 more laps to be completed & for our debut at the event to yield 30 laps.
In the end we decided to be sensible, neither Gary & Sean really wanted to run if truth be told, I felt good & wanted to see what was possible. We decided that whatever time Paul finished at, I would head out for a 5th lap & that would be us finished as a team, irrespective of whether I finished before midday or not. Paul was meant to be running slowly, something he'd had trouble with throughout the weekend, something I could empathise with! In the end the only way he could slow himself down was to stop & take photos throughout the course.

Paul ran like this for the entirety of his 5th lap

A sudden drop in temperatures over the morning had left me scrambling for layers in order to try & keep warm. My muscles were starting to seize up & the lap was going to be hard enough work as it was. Soon it was time to dress up in full Um Bongo regalia & lead the team home.

Lap 5 - Pushing the boundaries

Despite his foray into photography Paul was still waiting for me at handover! I'd been delayed by the necessity of requiring some awesome face paint & co-ordinating what our finish would be like, the idea being we'd all cross the line together for a nice team photo.

Attempting to keep warm before the 5th lap

I started the lap without a target, perhaps a nominal 56:00 / seven minute kilometre agenda, but absolutely no time pressure at all. I walked every hill, chatted to runners, encouraged every solo runner I saw for their supreme efforts. When I wanted to run I did, when I wanted to stop I did so. The marshals just after Ferguson Valley at 2.5km were on particularly good form & worthy of some high fives. There were still some fast teams gunning for it, they didn't care for conversation. Sure they could cover more laps, but as a team we'd enjoyed the experience.
In moments that I walked I kept in communication with the team so that they knew what time to expect me at the finish. As the lap neared completion I realised that fatigue was starting to kick in, with minor aches in the hamstrings, glutes & quads as the mileage count surpassed anything I had experienced before. My only goal realistically was to finish & seeing the trail turn to field was a welcome sight. The course was now lined with teams & spectators cheering on everyone as they finished. One team had created a tunnel to run through with sweets on offer. I declined but did get a "nice retro drinks vest" compliment on my way. It was a sea of light blue Endure shirts & I was struggling to pick out the rest of the team. At the last turn they had spotted me & poured onto the course, complete with Congo flag so that we could all finish together. I crossed the line in 54:22, arm in arm with the rest of my awesome team.
We'd only gone & flippin done it! 145 miles between us in just under 24 hours, something we could all be proud of. As the last member of the team to complete a run I had an ankle chip to swap for a very substantial medal. The only items I'd asked the team to bring down for me was some flip flops & my Endure t-shirt. It was a nice feeling to kick the trail shoes off & I assembled them into a medal as hanging them around my neck, they'd done a lot of work over the weekend.
I took a moment to sit down & compose myself, still not quite able to qualify quite what I'd done in the space of 27 hours. Everyone was wearing matching Cheshire Cat grins, taking in the finish atmosphere & reflecting on what we'd achieved between us. Soon it was time to haul myself off the floor & we headed to a big Endure sign for some team photos.

Done!

I caught up with a happy bunch of BFR runners on my way back to camp. Typically with the event over for us the sunshine was now out in full force. After a few minutes to chill out post run it was on with the task of packing up.

There was one thing the whole team had on their mind, when can we sign up for 2016?

The Eat

After a detour into Reading to drop Sean & Emily M at the station I was soon onto the motorways & heading to South Mimms services to grab some lunch with Emily A & Paul. The tiredness from the weekend combined with my tendency for driving narcolepsy provided a bit of a hairy drive back & a definite nod off just as I was in the exit lane, I couldn't have been more happy to see the service station.
Emily had also been suffering behind the wheel & was napping when I arrived. After a dirty burger I was feeling more human & decided that I could attempt the motorways once more. I decided to do this aided with a frapuccino, full air con & Nick Helm blaring over the Alfa's stereo!

Dirt.

I was soon home & decided that only the food needed to be unpacked, the rest could wait until the morning. I threw myself under the shower, never having been quite so happy for a wash before, threw on a fresh pair of Zubaz & stretched out the recliner to watch the dying embers of the cricket. I think I saw all of a couple of overs before falling asleep (no reflection on the game) & upon waking decided it was time to run a bath. I duly fell asleep in the bath as well & by 2015 was getting my head down, no doubt snoring like a banshee.....

A very welcome sight

Lessons Learnt

This was the first time any of us had done an endurance event. The experience was great, but there are a few things I've learnt:

• Buy your team-mates (and yourself) earplugs - especially when you know you might snore a bit
• A self inflating mattress is rubbish, buy some proper kit & you'll sleep better
• Don't buy a cocoon sleeping bag when you know you like to sprawl out when sleeping
• Sleep won't really happen anyway, the sun lounger was an excellent impulse buy
• Check that the camping stool you buy is adult sized
• You don't need to bring 3 rollers
• You don't need to bring quite so much food
• If the course is mainly trail, don't load up with road shoes, have multiple trails instead
• You really don't need that much food
• Always pack more socks than you think you will need
• Seriously, stop packing all that food!
• Get some rest before driving home

Be adaptable

The Conclusion

I still can't quite come to terms with how successful the weekend was. Going in I had the usual injury concerns that are mainly in my head, trying to unpick any confidence you have. I felt four laps would push me to something I didn't know was possible. To complete 5 laps & a parkrun to precede it just doesn't make sense. The only injuries I've come away with are a nice blister & a bit of chaffing.
It wasn't just a case of feeling obliged to run a 5th lap, I wanted to run & felt more than capable of doing so. 28 miles in 27 hours, just 3 & a half of those hours included sleep. My cumulative total was 4:36 for the distance, now all I need to do is put it all together into one performance.
What the weekend has taught me is that I'm more than capable of getting across the line in Berlin. Endure was 10 weeks into a 25 week plan, if I can achieve this now, who knows what is possible in Berlin.
As for the event itself, mainly positive feedback. The atmosphere was excellent & the course was just the right challenge. There are times where a few more event staff would have been handy, some of the camps around us blocked access & there seemed to be minimal race crew available around the handover pens. I don't know how you solve the portaloo over a weekend issue, other than by providing more, they got a bit funky at various points. The t-shirt was bizarre, Mizuno are the lead sponsor yet despite their logo being on the print, the shirt was a generic one.
These were all minor points though, the event was excellent, a real festival feel & great camaraderie throughout. The medical team were superb in their work on our fallen Fergie & we were alerted quickly to the situation.
The marshals that worked tirelessly through the day & night & day again deserve a huge amount of praise. I struggle to keep my attention span for just a parkrun, to do multiple hours is great work.

Hefty bling

The Thank You(s)

The weekend wouldn't have been a success without the help of a lot of people. James for checking in on me over the weekend. The Hatfield Forest parkrun lot for their constant pats on the back through Strava likes & comments. Kendra & the rest of the BFR lot for being so friendly & welcoming. Zena for the advice in the lead up, answering any Endure question no matter how dumb. Cindy for the lap 1 pacing & company. Vicky for joining me for the trip to Maidenhead parkrun & joining us on Friday evening for some drinks. Adam & the team for Maidenhead parkrun. Chris, another Um Bongoer & soon to be parkrun ED for proving that all of us EDs are just a little bit crazy. Anyone who got a laugh from seeing all of us dressed up in silly fruit juice based outfits. Dave & Alec for being on standby, ready to step in should one of the team not make it.
Most importantly, the rest of the team. This was initially meant to be a Thunder team, however seeing how likely that was to sell out, I'd picked up (with only a couple of the guys being aware) an Endure team spot as an insurance option. For 2016 there is only one option for us & that is Endure.
The planning had been fun, with everyone throwing ideas around. We got on well, no arguments, no taking ourselves too seriously, we were there to enjoy the experience & even in spite of Fergie's injury we managed that. In a time of crisis everyone showed resilience & compassion & of course once Fergie had confirmed he was ok, humour. You have to choose your team wisely for these events & we somehow had the perfect mix of characters. The weekend really was all kinds of awesome, in no small part due to the guys & girls I got to share it with.
Everyone walked away wanting to return for next year, the calendar is already marked.

See you in 2016