Report by Neal
After my return to the marathon distance last year in Malta no sooner had I crossed the finish line (I was actually in the bath in my luxury hotel suite (sorry I’ll never tire of mentioning my hotel room in Malta)) that I began to think about what I would do next. My quickest times were well behind me so distance had to be the objective which meant an Ultra. I immediately dismissed this as what little I knew about ultra running instantly put me off apart from the increased distance. Self navigation on ridiculous rocky terrain and carrying your own kit I’d never be able to manage that and if I didn’t get lost in the middle of nowhere I’d probably turn up fail the kit check and just have to go straight home with my tail between my legs .
However during the course of the rest of the year thanks to the encouragement of my closest running friends these things between to change. A few fell races began to break down my inhibitions this moved onto doing recces on various races and then one of my consultancy team kindly gave me a watch including navigation. This was great it didn’t matter if you had no sense of direction the magic watch would guide you home.
The Dig Deep 12:12 was the big breakthrough as this gave me some proper race focus and in preparation we did a couple of recces both in the pouring rain. The highlight of the recces was no doubt Claire’s foaming tracksters as the Burbage rain obviously disagreed with her laundry powder. This helped break the gloom of a miserable morning which then turned into the afternoon as we seemed to be out for ages but who cares did you see the terrain we were running on !
After a visit to Accelerate my kit was complete and at least I now had the gear and a bit of an idea as the saying goes. After two recces in the pouring rain the weather on the day itself for 12:12 was shocking which was only to be expected after all. I loved it as my made my way steadily out around the course (which was thankfully marked) in the pouring rain in my new running jacket which
when I’d bought it I thought that it was far too expensive but on the day itself it was worth every single penny. During the race David Addenbrooke in just vest and pants shot past me in the opposite direction heading for the finish before I’d even got halfway round ! SRC the fully inclusive club.
A bit of cross country in the mud to end the year strengthened my resolve that I was no longer just a road runner and it was now time to devise a training plan and pick a race. After a bit of research I devised a training plan that was varied and flexible enough to allow me to complete my midweek SRC duties whilst increasing my mileage and just like a marathon plan the key was the long Sunday run. I even threw in a bit of track as thanks to the strength work I’d been doing I could now handle back to back sessions and in some cases double sessions were key to increasing the mileage. The Yorkshires, Northerns and Nationals complemented the other off road work I’d been doing nicely.
Sadly the race I’d been told about as the ideal starter ultra by my chief consultant was full by the time I’d convinced myself that I could do one and after a bit more research I settled on the Punk Panther Urban Legend starting in Otley. This meant an extra month of training with an emphasis on hills due to the increased elevation in the Urban Legend as I made my way around Tinsley Park Woods before work with 70 Acre Hill my new best friend !
Finally after a very very brief taper which included a Trunce and Kimmy Kanter it was race day.
Helen C had very kindly agreed to drive me up to Otley as she combined visiting friends and family with being my seconds (as the phrase goes). My nerves were dispelled by Helen pointing out her childhood haunts to me as we eased our way through the centre of Leeds and up towards Otley. We arrived at race HQ at the Otley Methodist Church where I passed kit check with flying colours.
After checking my kit at least 10 times on Friday night it would have been a tad disappointing to get a DQ and have to come straight home again !
I was issued with number 41 out of 54 across the three course distances and after one final toilet stop we drove the short distance to the start which was on a pretty seedy gravel car park next to a bridge crossing the Leeds Road. Whilst we were waiting we were amused to see one competitor move their car closer to the start to bag a better parking space. That will make all the difference after 30 miles ! It was then time to make final decisions on kit I settled for short sleeves and jacket on before the race briefing. The whole event seemed quite relaxed and the briefing reflected this with a very “simple look for the yellow tape and if you get lost give me a ring”.
So finally it was time to get started and Helen’s parting words of “Well you’ve come this far” helped settle me down after all I’d done the training just enjoy the day. Literally within ten seconds of starting the rain began to fall as it would do on and off for the rest of the day. We crossed over the bridge and then went straight upwards through the Chevin Forest Park up to what is known as Surprise View. Helen had plenty of time to get the car up there to get a couple of pictures as I tackled over 900 feet within the first mile before finally finding some flat terrain.
We headed off in the direction of Yeadon due south and I initially struggled as after the first 10K the sweepers were on my tail and having to direct me as some of the vital yellow tape was missing. This wasn’t great for the self confidence but a bit of solid road saw me pick up the pace a fraction and I began to catch some of the other competitors. They were probably doing the medium or longer routes but I felt much better for not having the sweeping crew on my tail.
Helen appeared and paced me around the water what was Yeadon Tarn, this is where I came across my new ultra bestie Mark who described himself as a walker who runs a bit. He would become a familiar face over the next 25 miles. Helen bid me farewell and headed off to lunch whilst I headed off towards Horsforth.
The course was what I’d really expected and even after 10 miles I’d encountered all sorts of terrain and a few animals to boot. Some of the gates were a bit of a menace though as my beloved number magnets keep being attracted to them and as I was wearing my jacket my number had been attached to my shorts. This effectively gave me a magnetic upper left leg for the duration. At the 12 mile checkpoint I filled up my water bottle took a few jelly babies and took off my jacket.
It was still drizzling but pretty mild at this stage. I pushed on past the halfway stage and began to take a bit more note of the urban sprawl which I encountered, a bit like RSR you would run across a pretty nice bit of trail emerge onto a main road and then after crossing pick up another footpath with a slightly different type of trail sometimes rocky sometimes uphill sometimes downhill and if you were lucky runnable before then emerging onto another main road. At one point I ran alongside a pretty large junior football tournament and glanced across at the skills on show. I also spotted several very tidy cricket grounds on my travels at one the lull in the rain saw eager players peeking under the covers whilst the umpires looked around at the massed rain clouds. No chance I thought early tea and they’ll be in the pub by 5.
Suffice to say it was soon raining again this time seriously hard and the jacket went back on after I emerged from woodland into the back of a dodgy looking housing estate. The three ladies I’d been running with at various stages along with the couple I’d encountered earlier all appeared at this stage and we went into the next checkpoint the other side of Beckett’s Park together en masse along with a couple of chaps who were wandering around the woods looking for tape. We were also joined by Mark and the sweeping team a few minutes later.
The rain had thankfully abated now and I rearranged my kit on the roof of the car which was the checkpoint. My magnetic left leg caused me a few issues at this stage as it became attached to the car and I had to delicately prise myself free hopefully without anyone noticing. I said my farewells to the ladies and the couple who were doing the medium route and it was now just myself and Mark
who had an irritating ability to cross the busiest city centre roads at will. A few times during the course of the day I’d be waiting patiently for the green man and then all of a sudden spot him on the other side of the road ahead of me.
The next section of the route was along the Meanwood Valley Trail and this was probably the most technical part of the course as if someone just merged all the worst bits of RSR together. To add to the excitement most of the tape appeared to have been removed from this section as the magic watch came into it’s own in guiding me safely along the correct route. At the next checkpoint halfway along the trail I was offered a seat by a kind young lady. Not a great idea I thought !
Thankfully the trail from this point became a bit easier and I enjoyed a few grassy fields before emerging at the next checkpoint next to Eccup Reservoir. Helen had planned to meet me here but due to some confusion over another runner using my number she managed to somehow get there too early for me and too late.
Nutrition wise up to now I was just concentrating on the basics I’d done whilst training water, jelly babies, cereal bars etc. and not being too ambitious. The checkpoints were well stocked and we’d now reached the stage of the day where the savouries were coming into play. I took a tiny sausage roll with zero meat in it and swiftly moved on before being tempted by the baby scotch eggs. I’d learnt my lesson in the past when struggling to bowl up the hill after various sumptuous cricket teas.
The miles were now finally ticking by albeit slowly and the end was in sight. I was doing my best not to check on my watch for the mileage and delayed looking for as long as possible so it became a nice surprise. The magic watch helpfully told me that I’d be finishing at about 4.30pm which was what it had been saying from about 10K in. Damn clever technology.
Although the terrain was now a bit easier the amount of stiles on the last section was becoming a bit of a pain as I gingerly hoisted myself over them, most of them were wobbly wooden and had nails sticking out of them so had to be navigated with care.
Mark caught me at the final checkpoint as he was determined to hit his 8 hour target he went straight through whilst I reported in and took a final slice of orange before my descent to the finish. One final sting in the tail was a steep rocky section but I now knew I was almost home as I emerged onto a section of road where I was greeted by an enthusiastic Helen who paced me down to the finish at Pool in Wharfedale despite being full of coffee and nachos.
I found my road legs again for this final section. Helen stopped a huge artic for me at the final zebra crossing and I made my way past the sign that said “FINISH” at the church door. I then stopped at the sign that said remove all muddy shoes briefly wondering if I had to do that before finishing and was waved into the main church hall by the Race Director.
Naturally I forgot to stop my watch straight away a bit like Kimmy Kanter last Tuesday but my certificate said 7:56 on it and that was all that mattered. When I got home I placed it next to my SRC timed mile certificate and smiled at the contrast. One of them actually had my name spelt correctly on it (clue it’s not the SRC one). My race shirt was brown but had a pretty snappy back print “Born To Run Wild”, I’d be out next Friday with that on in West Street !
Helen very kindly got me a cup of tea (the working class default for everything when you feel run down) and after changing my top layer I put on my medal and picked at a few pieces of cake. I knew I needed to eat but I wasn’t sure what and my body wasn’t telling me, something I need to conquer if I’m daft enough to want to go further next time !
We saw the first lady come in from the long route, she seemed confused and surprised at the same time before watching some of the presentations including Mark’s award for being the most improved. I shook his hand bid farewell to the organisers and we made our way out of the church hall to the car.
The adrenaline was still flowing and the journey home seemed to zoom by as I told Helen about my day and she told me about hers. I’d ran further then I’d ever rather ran slower than I’d ever ran on the sort of terrain I’d never ran, added to his was the social element of talking to people at the checkpoints and all around the course. In short I’d loved the whole concept of it and the quirkiness when you compare it to events like Sheffield Half when you feel hard done by because you have to run up a hill.
So then it was all over as I got home approx. 12 hours after I’d departed as I said a grateful goodbye to Helen with a very heartfelt high five.
So what next then ? My journey to my first Ultra had began in a bath in Malta and one thing is for sure I intend getting out of my bath in Rotherham before having any more daft ideas. However it just goes to show what can be achieved with the correct training (not just running strength as well)
as when I joined SRC I was a fading road runner with a dodgy back and jelly calves and I never thought I’d manage another marathon never mind anything else.
Just before finishing another epic race report (this is why I’m only allowed to write them once a year) I’d just like to thank my bestest running friends for all their help. Especially Helen P my Ultra Consultant who somehow managed to persuade me that I should do this whilst having her elbow in my calf and of course Helen C for all her fantastic help on the day as this made all the difference. Onwards and upwards (I hope) !