Run > Trail Run

Mizuno Endure24 Reading 2018

Well, that was a fun challenge!

A very hot, sunny and sauna-emulatingly humid start to the run didn't stop this Idiot putting in three sub-hour, 5 mile laps in the midday sun. Even allowing for a bit of slowdown and some stops, that was perhaps over-cooking it somewhat.

The pace did settle down to something more reasonable and I found a nice rhythm, which I think of as my 'Ultrarunner Zombie Shuffle'. The strategy had been to stop as little as possible, carrying water, food and sports drink in my hydration vest rather than taking longer stops at the start/finish and the halfway café.

The heat diminished somewhat and it became overcast, which was nice, but the humidity stayed high and sweating achieved nothing more than irrigating the shirt. In consequence, I was drinking much more than I usually do and stopping at least every other lap to top up my fluids.

I seemed to be pottering on nicely―pretty much on schedule―reaching half way in 10:43, when I decided that I'd treat myself to a new pair of socks. Luxury! Except what I saw was a huge blood blister on my left bunion (still trying to work out a bliver joke, but it's not coming†). That took half an hour to lance, sterilise and compeed. Still well within a plausible 100 mile schedule, so no panic yet.

It tried to rain on us―there were clear signs of people starting to celebrate―but it came to nothing and we were barely spat at. And the humidity remained in the stratosphere‡

The pace started dropping off by around 10 minutes per lap but I was still on target. Until 1km into lap 17. That's the point that the hill that rises from the start levels off and running becomes possible. Except, this time, it didn't. Not even the "Weebles Wobble" style of "Ultrarunner Zombie Shuffle" (basically, trying to let gravity do it all, even uphill (says the failed physicist)).

The 17th lap got walked and I bid a tearful farewell to all the lovely marshals round the route whom I'd been terrorising for the previous 20 or so hours. My mental arithmetic confirmed that I'd need to lose no more than 2 minutes over the next two laps (that had been getting slower by around 10 minutes per lap by this point) in order to sneak over the line in time to complete a 20th lap. Everything was really rather sore by now (mostly with the exception of the blood blister, which I hadn't noticed in the first place and cost me half an hour) so I waved my last, cheery wave at the commentator ("It's David Gould! He's been here every year! He always gives me a big smile and a wave!" No pressure, then.)

There followed a trudge to the tent; a longer trudge to the showers; an even longer-seeming trudge back once I'd found the huge queue and the advice that most of them were rubbish; and a bit of a crash in the tent before emerging to wave everyone past.

There were too many of my friends there to tag them all, but I received great support on the way round and saw some amazing performances from them and others.

The legendary Peter was there yet again: 88 years old and given the number 88. "Bazza" was out there celebrating his 70th birthday by attempting 70 miles. He seemed confident each time I passed him and I hope he's one of the two Barries who managed 14 laps (the results don't give you age categories or clubs, which is significantly naff).

What a great weekend! I didn't hit my target, but I think I understand better now how I might be able to do it next year (summary: train) and I have―God help me―registered my interest in doing it solo again.

† I toyed with "Then I saw my foot, now I'm a bliver" but I figured I'd lost the onion bit and, probably, the entire plot.

‡ obviously not literally true or, at least, I have no evidence for it.

Lap (5 mile) Splits:
1: 00:56:21
2: 00:53:23
3: 00:56:40
4: 01:02:50
5: 01:09:31
6: 01:12:46
7: 01:05:58
8: 01:11:05
9: 01:04:09
10: 01:10:42
11: 01:35:30
12: 01:10:20
13: 01:21:58
14: 01:31:35
15: 01:30:47
16: 01:44:19
17: 01:50:11