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Two Bridges Ultra

Listed by plodding hippo
Entrants (1)
Club		 PB SB Pred Time WAVA
plodding hippo Two Bridges Race Report(this is an epic----) Prepare for another tale of pathetic plodding and despair-you know you love it! Pre race prep: As usual-work went crazy the week before the race.Colleague went on long term sick leave again other colleague on holiday-and the locum doesn’t like to work much. Then Mr Hippo was ill-so it was up to Scotland all alone.Caught the plane and then a taxi to the hotel-eventually arriving there at 8pm.Unfortunately-all Id managed to eat all day was a peanut butter roll.Hoped to find food in Inverkeithing-but too late for pub meal.Spotted a Spar-which sold tubs of grey stuff called flem(??).The only food they had which didn’t require cooking was a small quiche which was my tea along with a packet of crisps.Didn’t sleep much-the cricket club made a right racket all night and only shut up when it was time to get up at 5.30 am!!!!! Met Trinity for brekky-and forced down one weetabix before my brain shut down my stomach.Compeed on my feet.Immodium swallowed. Found it was TOTM—hasnt been for months-why today?!! Then it was off to Rosyth There was a 90 minute wait where we set out our special drinks and met old friends-and new forum friends. Again all skinny serious looking runners-except me-----felt I shouldnt be there-but quashed the thought and lined up on the start line. Miles 0 to 14 And we are off!!!!! Thee was a worry about the water stations-we had been told of a 50 min cutoff for the first one at 5 miles. Maybe that’s why everyone set off so fast Clocked sub 9 on my garmin at one point.Despite slowing myself down I was still 10 min miling-and yet I could see everyone disappearing off into the distance.But I am used to that.We had a police escort all the way to the bridge-and they held back the traffic.No way could I walk whilst that was going on-so I kept up the 10 min miles. Onto the forth road bridge-this seemed like a HUGE long hill Now I paid for the fast start Sickness and stomach cramps Before 3 miles I was having my first walk break Okay-don’t panic-just plod on You are ok Got to 5 miles in about 54 minutes I think-and the water was still there-phew Just couldnt get any sort of rhythm so ran and walked by feel.Not boding well.Stomach very painful now.Trying to enjoy the sea view-isnt this supposed to be fun? Down through a little estate onto a quiet country road towards hopetounhouse Tim Rainey(ultra hamster )phoned me at 6 miles-thinking I had done 10-oops.To be honest I was glad of the walk while he chatted-was feeling lightheaded and unwell. Off plodding again, and it was into the forest trails. This was an interesting bit of the course.Trails, mud, squelchy grass and a staircase. Now I started to see runners coming back towards me The route was marked by bin bags hanging from trees. All were encouraging but it meant a lot of walking while I got out of their way on the narrow trails.Physically I started to feel better ad carried on run walking. 9 miles was up a grassy hill round some cones.There was water and jellybabies Had a nice chat with the ladies at the top(and Pam) and admired the view.I was still at 12 min mile pace despite walking and it was good to reach the first turnaround point But I was last Really last The marshals-bless’ em DID wait for me so I didn’t get lost on the trails.They even told me I was doing well and one really fit looking marshal said he couldn’t do a third of the distance I was attempting.Very sweet of him Oh those muddy stairs hurt And then back out along the coastal road to the housing estate. 13 miles in 2.43-ho hum and another bad patch-feeling weak and unwell.Gulped some of my precious store of isotonic and ate a glucose tablet. At 3 hours I was at 14 miles by the garmin.Not so said 2 marshals-its 16 miles ?????????? did I lose THAT much signal in the forest Nope-illusions were shattered just under the bridge It was 14.2 and there was my redbull at the water station. Miles 14-25. Walked up the hill to the bridge and owing to a route change we had been told not to use the stairs.So ran the wrong way for 2 minutes.Accosted a couple of cleaners and felt a right idiot when they pointed to the bridge behind me.Oh well it got me running again! The bridge didn’t seem as hilly this time.I ran walked between the markings on the ground and somehow got to 16 Less than 20 to go Its going to be all right Then down a long stairwell back up again and then a run along the main road towards Inverkeithing. I knew I was meeting Speedy at mile 18-and looked forward to this Through Inverkeithing I started to meet the lead runners.They werent looking so fresh now-they must have been over 30 miles at that point.Even so I still got some well dones! Hit mile 18 at around 3.53 And a wibbly wobbly wall And Speedy So it was walk time till I felt better Speedy was a brick-she was supposed to be doing a training run of 12 mile with me-and had thought I might be too fast for her But she walked with me and ran when I could run a few steps I was really glad she was there The next bit was a coastal path past some of the biggest houses I have ever seen Then more trails gravel tarmac.By now I was aware of fairly severe pain from both arches and balls of feet I knew my arch blisters had recurred but I was well over half way-surely it would be ok.And my feet had got soaked on the trails-so the ball of foot pain was just macerated feet wasn’t it. We started seeing people coming back towards us Trinity in shock still form a near miss with a car Lexi tate-looking strong Dunna runner-looking very relaxed There was another set of stairs At 22 miles-there was another water station-and the nice lady marshal said that they would be packing up , but would leave drinks out That was fine Onwards My walking speed picked up and I was able to jog short bits My feet hurt As we came into Aberdour, Speedy started talking about a race called the Donkey Brae-which had a terrible hill It does We puffed our way up it and there was mile 25-and the turnaround We were met by 2 marshals-one of whom was distinctly frosty as he demanded to know “what are your intentions” Er-“to finish” Only 11 miles to go! He then contemptuously asked if I always walked races(we’d just walked up the Donkey Brae hill) Muttered something about walk run and we plodded off-the wrong bloody way! That was the last manned water station-it was getting late! Miles 25-35 The way back seemed to go more quickly I was so glad speedy was there to spot the green arrows and flour to mark our route My feet were in agony by this point-and the multi terrain surface wasn’t helping. Alone I would have wept with the pain but I had to be content with a surreptitious tear and a few quiet whimpers. I could still run a little on the tarmac-but I was slowing badly-even walking I think I hit marathon point at 6 hour 4 minutes I wondered if there would still be marshals at 30 miles-and whether they would pull me out I was almost hoping this was the case It would still be an ultra But the memory of stopping at Draycote 35 at 30.12 miles rankled still Somehow we got to 30 miles-deserted Speedy gave me a hug and some lucozade sport And a nice lady came out of her house and handed me my red bull which I stashed in my bum bag I was on my own Walk plod walk plod-keep going In my mind I longed to break 8 hours My biggest fear was getting lost-but the route was really well marked I turned of the tarmac to Queensferry-and-oh god another coastal path My feet screamed in protest-and this one was really pebbly. The bits of my feet which didn’t hurt were numb.So I didn’t dare run as I was at high risk of falling .I walked as briskly as I could. 31 miles It occurred to me that maybe no one knew I was still out on the course-and to be honest I was a bit frightened. There were apparently “animals not to be disturbed on the path”So at 7.40(cut off) I phoned the race emergency number and told them I was still out there but ok. 10 minutes later-my phone rang.It was Speedy.She had spoken to a marshal who hadn’t known I was still out there and they were looking for me! I was glad of that because coming back on to the road I didn’t know which way to go How pleased was I to see the friendly concerned face of the marshal! I don’t think he thought I could finish-but it was 33 miles now, and I was back on safe tarmac so I started plodding to convince him I was ok. Ad then Speedy , bless her, came into view She had run down from the finish to come in with me Only one problem She said it was 2.5 miles to the finish-and mostly up hill- It couldn’t be But Sue whom we met a little later-said a mile and a half to the finish My garmin said 34.5 Was this race longer than 35????????? Then there were tears And I carried on walking.not bloody running now-its not fair At last I saw the finish-and the forumites Managed a 20 yard stagger to the end-and the time keeper was still there(8.53) Just let me sit down--------- The aftermath After a pint I got a taxi back to the hotel Time to inspect the damage. The bloodstained socks and blood dripping on the floor should have told me it would be bad. I may be a doctor but I HATE feet Soaked in a bath and whimpered as I pulled off the compeeds and the skin on my feet I couldn’t even walk on the outsides of my feet as the right foot had a blister there too Lay on my bed –intending to stay there I hadn’t eaten all day-and I couldnt face the 10 mins walk into town to get food Soddit After half an hour I pulled myself together patched myself up and went to the disco Im really glad I did-what an event.Had missed the food but by that time was past caring My legs were fine but my feet wouldnt let me dance But it was a great night Thanks to all the marshals-you were stars Thanks to the forumites for support But the biggest thanks goes to speedy-who did 17 unexpected miles Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx If im allowed I will be back next year!
100 Marathon Club 		8:53:00 8:53:00 8:53:00 36.82







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