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!
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| Welcome to paradise |
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.
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| We drink it in the Congo |
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.
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| 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).
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| 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).....
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| 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.
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| Let the fun begin |
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| Just a bit excited |
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| Use enough filters & I almost look debonair |
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.
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| Introducing The Bastard |
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| A tin of corned beef? Idiot. |
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Icing between 2 & 3 |
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!
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| The night is scary |
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.
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| The forest of fairy lights |
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| 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.
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| Paul ran like this for the entirety of his 5th lap |
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.
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| Attempting to keep warm before the 5th lap |
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.
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| Done! |
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!
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| Dirt. |
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| 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
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| Be adaptable |
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.
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| 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.
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| See you in 2016 |
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