Part 2 is here
T2
Ok, it doesn't deserve a write up. Flew through pretty slick. The only real mention is for the cheering crowds and helpful marshalls. Oh and not thinking to remove my arm/leg warmers or dump my jacket now that the sun was out.
2 mins 36. Including packing my helmet and gear back into the bag and handing it to the marshall.
T2
Ok, it doesn't deserve a write up. Flew through pretty slick. The only real mention is for the cheering crowds and helpful marshalls. Oh and not thinking to remove my arm/leg warmers or dump my jacket now that the sun was out.
2 mins 36. Including packing my helmet and gear back into the bag and handing it to the marshall.
Run
The first quarter mile of the run is still massively supported. Lots of cheering supporters to get you started. I felt that I was doing fine for fuel and drinks to that point, but I let my brain take over and spent the first half mile working my way through a flapjack.
The course is out and back and within the first mile I started passing runners coming in to the finish. They looked to be going quite strongly and I recognised the third athlete I passed as a guy from Shetland who is pretty good, but it wasn't till I passed the fifth runner and realised that he was from one of the strong teams that I realised I had probably seen the winner. This gave me a big boost. I had expected the top handful to be in before I was off the bike, and with my bad bike I expected that number to be into the twenties. To be a mile into the run before anyone finished really made my day.
I knew it was going to be tough though and my back and right hip weren't feeling great. I was already trying to figure out how to get to the end, but it was fairly simple. It is an out and back course, so make it to half way and then you are done. It is as easy to walk to the end as anything else. So all I had to do was make it to half way and I knew I would finish.
I was going quite well to start with. Nice comfortable pace for the first 5k. But I was dying for a pee and I had to take a quick stop. Shetland girl and one other went past while I was watering the bushes. I got back on the road and back into my running quite easily. I was doing 9 minute miles and feeling fine.
As it was an out and back run I was recognising plenty of people passing the other way, and watching out for the ones I thought I might catch if I could keep my pace going. My right hip was bugging me and the niggle in my left calf and knee was getting worse but neither were slowing me down any. I was taking on water at every opportunity and taking a gel every 3 miles or so, and was finally feeling that I might actually be able to get round in under 6 hours.
Then at the far end of the course there is a little dip. Maybe 10 or 15 meters long with a downhill slope. And that was it. The calf niggle and my back together decided the down slope wasn't for them and they had enough.
From that point it was walk, jog , walk jog, to the finish. It was agony. It was really frustrating as swarms of people passed me (from the results I figure about 60 people passed me in the remaining 6 miles). I also got overtaken by the last Threepeaker with about 2 miles to go. It was agony when I tried to run, and it was frustrating when I just walked. I wasn't tired. I hadn't paced it wrong. I had plenty of energy and fluids. The weather was finally good for running in. If I had managed to just keep going at the pace of the first 6 miles I would have been really close to 6 hours. It took me 18 minutes longer to come back than it took me to go out.
When I did finally reach the end I got a step over the line and needed help from the officials to sit down. They kept offering me water and gel but I wasn't in need of either. After a few minutes of sitting down my back felt much better and I was able to get up and walk around. I was hobbling a bit (I still am 2 days later) but not suffering anything like the tiredness or exhaustion I expected.
Was really gutted with my time, and with how much I lost on the run, but happy to have finished.
Run time 2 hours 12mins 09.
Total time 6 hours 20mins 07.
The first quarter mile of the run is still massively supported. Lots of cheering supporters to get you started. I felt that I was doing fine for fuel and drinks to that point, but I let my brain take over and spent the first half mile working my way through a flapjack.
The course is out and back and within the first mile I started passing runners coming in to the finish. They looked to be going quite strongly and I recognised the third athlete I passed as a guy from Shetland who is pretty good, but it wasn't till I passed the fifth runner and realised that he was from one of the strong teams that I realised I had probably seen the winner. This gave me a big boost. I had expected the top handful to be in before I was off the bike, and with my bad bike I expected that number to be into the twenties. To be a mile into the run before anyone finished really made my day.
I knew it was going to be tough though and my back and right hip weren't feeling great. I was already trying to figure out how to get to the end, but it was fairly simple. It is an out and back course, so make it to half way and then you are done. It is as easy to walk to the end as anything else. So all I had to do was make it to half way and I knew I would finish.
I was going quite well to start with. Nice comfortable pace for the first 5k. But I was dying for a pee and I had to take a quick stop. Shetland girl and one other went past while I was watering the bushes. I got back on the road and back into my running quite easily. I was doing 9 minute miles and feeling fine.
As it was an out and back run I was recognising plenty of people passing the other way, and watching out for the ones I thought I might catch if I could keep my pace going. My right hip was bugging me and the niggle in my left calf and knee was getting worse but neither were slowing me down any. I was taking on water at every opportunity and taking a gel every 3 miles or so, and was finally feeling that I might actually be able to get round in under 6 hours.
Then at the far end of the course there is a little dip. Maybe 10 or 15 meters long with a downhill slope. And that was it. The calf niggle and my back together decided the down slope wasn't for them and they had enough.
From that point it was walk, jog , walk jog, to the finish. It was agony. It was really frustrating as swarms of people passed me (from the results I figure about 60 people passed me in the remaining 6 miles). I also got overtaken by the last Threepeaker with about 2 miles to go. It was agony when I tried to run, and it was frustrating when I just walked. I wasn't tired. I hadn't paced it wrong. I had plenty of energy and fluids. The weather was finally good for running in. If I had managed to just keep going at the pace of the first 6 miles I would have been really close to 6 hours. It took me 18 minutes longer to come back than it took me to go out.
When I did finally reach the end I got a step over the line and needed help from the officials to sit down. They kept offering me water and gel but I wasn't in need of either. After a few minutes of sitting down my back felt much better and I was able to get up and walk around. I was hobbling a bit (I still am 2 days later) but not suffering anything like the tiredness or exhaustion I expected.
Was really gutted with my time, and with how much I lost on the run, but happy to have finished.
Run time 2 hours 12mins 09.
Total time 6 hours 20mins 07.
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