TR24: a Great weekend with amazing people

I had often wondered whether I would truly enjoy the proper endurance events you read about.  MdS is firmly on my bucket list, and when I pick up trail running magazine and read of multi-day stage races through various wilderness- rainforests, deserts, the Thames Path, and the Essex Way,  I dream of completing these challenges, self sufficient, taking in the magnificent scenery and revelling in that sense of accomplishment at the end.  For me, with the camping element, TR24, was a sort of halfway between the organised mass-events I'm used to, and these more interesting solo pursuits, that a geographer salivates for.

We arrived on the Friday night- I'd come in from London on the train, and a couplle of my team mates fetched me from the station.  Its rather strange- I hadn't met any of these people before, but we were all part of that worldwide club of runners that basically means you have a friend anywhere you travel as long as you talk about running.  I was particularly excited to meet my RW forum buddies who have given me so much guidance and support over the past 7 months, resulting in Pbs at Marathon, half marathon, 10k and 5k distances (as well as 12.2, 14.9 and 15 miles if you count the crazy cross countries I've done).

We had a few drinks to break the proverbial ice, although, there was no ice to break, we got on really well.  It was scorching, and glorious sunshine!  I didn't believe that it was going to rain tomorrow, no matter what the forecast said.  I was convinced we had a blocking anticyclone, and no other weather systems were coming through...more on that later.

So the camp we had was for 3 teams, a pair with @mia79gbr, a 5 with Malcs from the forum and his friends and wife, and our team of 8, a bunch of us from the forums, or friends of them.  Tigger, had organised almost everything- got us a brilliant camp which we set in a circle so it was really sociable, and had organised the team kit - it looked awesome, and was a much needed additional piece of kit this weekend.

With a team of 8, we estimated that we would each get to do about 3 laps, though Sarah wanted to do 2 laps back to back, and the night ones would probably take a bit longer.  Having done 10k in under 50 minutes 2 weeks ago, I honestly didn't think a 10k cross country course would take me 10 minutes longer, but it did.

I was 4th to run on Saturday in the Sweltering heat, I had been feeling pretty awful in the sun all morning,so I thought I was taking it easy.  I knew the running would make me feel better, so I got on with it.  at around 5k I was starting to feel good, but I was being sensible and walking the hills, knowing I would have to run again later that day.  I was glad I carried my water bottle with me, rather than relying on the 1 water station on the course.  I was squirting water on top of my head and as it dripped down my neck it was so warm it felt like I was pouring baked beans over my head, not ice cold water!  I really need to buy a white cap!!!

I got around the lap in 1hour, 1 min, 28 seconds.  Surely when it would be cooler later, I would go under the hour?  I got back to the camp, gathered my things and went back to queue for the showers.  Unfortunately, I got a cold one, and wimp that I am couldn't have a 'normal' shower,but was standing on the ledge and putting various body parts under the water.  I've never been able to take the stress of cold water on my spine, no matter how hot I am.

I would be running again around 9pm, so I had a hot jacket potato with a luxurious amount of butter and cheese.  Looking back, I ate very little on Saturday considering it was a day I ran 12 miles.

Later on, around 7pm, it started to get darker as the clouds were coming over, and the humidity was up.  I guess I was wrong about that blocking anticyclone.  I was getting set/psyched for my next lap, and hoping it was just going to be gentle rain- you know sometimes how the british weather doesn't deliver on its forecast... that's what I was hoping for, but no, the heavens opened.  At first, it looked like it was a rain storm that might last an hour, tops, so with any luck, I would eb able to do my next lap in the relative dry with the atmosphere cleared.  In any case, given the time of day, I would be taking my head torch.

I headed to the race hq a bit early with @mia79gbr, and am so glad we did, as it really really began chucking it down- we could stay in the shelter of the food tent until we had to go to the transition zone, rather than making the journey from the campsite in the really really heavy rain.  The thunder and lightening had started, and it was pretty scary.  The route did go through the forest afterall.  I was getting rather annoyed with so many people walking around with umbrellas aka lightning conductors...I headed across to the transition zone and about 5 minutes later Tigger showed up - there was so much rain, and visibility was poor that we had to scream her name for her to find me and hand me the baton, but she was in good spirits, adn seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the run that started dry and finished wet.

I was cold from standing in the rain, so set off at 5k pace, I was just trying to go as fast as possible to warm up- after this I would get to sleep afterall- ample recovery, so no need to save anything.  I can't remember walking any part of this, although I probably did, I just wanted to move as fast as possible to stay warm, and to get away from running in the thunder storm!  I was getting rather concerned that my phone would be waterlogged as I was carrying it in my bumbag, so I checked it to find a message from David asking why the event was called Thunder run :-).  In fact the rain had made the ground conditions quite nice, it was softer on the feet and cooler, so I thought I was going really fast.  Crossed the line in 1 hour, 1 minute and 14 seconds... so maybe the course and the weather didn't make a jot of difference!!

At the end of the lap, I had to transition to Sarah, and I couldn't see her anywhere, I got that sinking feeling of oh no, I'll have to do a double!  But then she screamed my name and I found her, I handed her the baton, and she handed me an umbrella... great, I was now going to be a lightening conductor ;-)  but actually it was the best thing as now I wouldn't be pelted with rain on the way back to the camp, and might have a chance of not freezing after my run.  I made a bee line for the food tent and wolfed down some pasta bolognese and a cup of tea.  Back to the campsite for some sleep, but at that point I couldn't work out how to change from my wet muddy running kit to dry clean sleeping kit... I was sleeping in my running leggings and a long sleeve tshirt, so yes, it is sleeping kit rather than pyjamas.  After about 30 minutes of contemplation, I figured it out, adn got to bed.  I was so cold I ended up putting socks and a fleece lined hat on to sleep.  2 days before I had been wondering whether I would even need a sleeping bag!

Through the night I could hear the other team members getting ready for their laps.  I guess I had it easy not having to run in the middle of the night, but then a lot of the team were really keen on doing a night lap, whereas I had had quite enough of night running having done marathon training last winter- running at night in the snow was enough for me!

I got up at around 6am- It was light, it had stopped raining, and I had needed to go to the loo for ages, but didn't want to brave the rain.  I got up and saw @mia79gbr.  Apparently her husband had decided this was a silly idea in the middle of the night, and didn't come to meet her after her 3rd double lap! haha, hilarious!

My next lap was going to be around 8am, so I didn't want to eat too much before.  Now it had stopped raining, surely this would be the lap I did under an hour.  Alas, it was not to be, all these people were going on about the course drying, but the clayey soil just turned to, well, clay, and clogged up my treads, making my trail shoes fairly useless.  I had to walk to avoid injury.  After I'd got through the worst of the mud, the point where I had felt I twanged my knee on the 2nd lap was starting to hurt on the 3rd lap to the point of pain.  Considering my bike ride next weekend, I didn't want to push through it.  I stopped to stretch out my quad- it was definitely very tight, and started running again, but this didn't fix it.  I took the rest of the lap gently.  This was a really tough one I looked at my watch at 3k and it was reading 22:30= the time I did 5k last week... at 4 miles I was on 50 minutes, which was my 10k time, so that was rather demoralising.  The last lap was done in 1:22:17.  Unfortunately my slow time meant that perhaps another member of the team wouldn't be able to get his 3rd lap.

Now, I could eat, but for some reason, my body wasn't telling me I was hungry.  I was drinking lots of water though.  I must have been pretty dehydrated.  We all started packing up the campsite ready to leave as soon as the race had finished.  We went to cheer clive on his last part on the course, and then met him at the finish, he was coming around really strong, and also very very muddy!  Neil had jumped into Malcs team to finish it for them, and I think he was quite impressed to have such a big cheering crowd!  and @mia79gbr looked Awesome with her sprint finish.  Only she could muster a sprint finish after 54 miles of running!

We all posed wiht our medals for our team photos- before heading our separate ways.  One thing I wasn't prepared for was how emotional I would find it watching the solo runners completing the race.  I read about people doing these amazing distances running: 100km, 100 miles, MdS etc, or 24 hour endurance races, but actually seeing people doing it, seeing my new friends completing 54 miles, makes me think that one day, I could do that too!  And no doubt I will one day!

I definitely want to go back next year and see if I can do more laps - 30k in a weekend isn't more than I've done before.   I would like to go back and do at least 50k, and even more - 100k would be amazing!  but I think I need to focus on the primary goal for now, which is the Boston Qualifier.

On the knee- after 5 hours of travelling, I got home and had a bath - my muscles were starting to stiffen up, particularly my quad and shin on the leg with the dodgy knee.  I gave it a bit of self massage, and as I worked over my knee cap, it clicked back into place, so I think it might have been a patella tracking problem, which I've had before.  I might have to tape it up for the bike ride next week, though I'm sure if I focus on some stretching this week it will heal up just fine...