The
`TR24` to me is the `Daddy` of these events and what do I mean by `events well the
format is 24 hours racing open to Solo, pairs, 5`s & 8`s on mixed terrain 5
to 6 mile course. It is huge - the 2,500 places sells out within weeks of
opening - with a reported 1,700 places being turned away.
It is a fantastic event and so for the fourth consecutive year I
head up towards Burton On-Trent to join up with friends I met on the Runner
World`s Great North thread. We have always entered teams in the `Mixed 5`s`
category & this year was no exception...
First
tip is to get there as early as possible - you miss the traffic (I left
Farnborough at 1.30pm & arrived just after 5.00pm) and the campsite get
filled really quickly...
After meeting up with Mick, Simon, Nick, Chris, Julian & Wendy (&
partners & Families) - with Anne-Marie, Mandie & Vixx arriving in the
morning. We head over the main area where I spend the evening chatting to
friends from all around the country - a brilliant evening. I even managed a
fairly good night's sleep on Friday….but awake far too early on Saturday
morning - I had decided against the local parkrun (which is only a few miles
away).
The course has had slight changes over the years but generally it is a tough
course…...I have pinched the following course description to give you a basic
idea & hopefully not scaring you too much…..
"First 600 metres or so is flat on grass then heads right into a sharp uphill on trial through some woods to just after 1km where it opens up on grass before heading back up through woodland and then onto a grassy hill. Continuing on grass you snake back through the campsite at 2km, before going through some more woods, then back through the campsite on grass to 3km and up the second notable hill. An undulating trail then takes you to 4km through woods and then onto an exposed grassy section with a small, sharp hill to 5km and more trail. Just after 5km there's a water station and the "Conti Climb" which is basically another hill! Then it's back through the woods to 6km and a climb up a grassy hill before heading back into the woods to "the maze" at 7km which is a very twisty-turny section on technical trail with tree roots aplenty to trip over! Once through this section you're up onto an exposed ridge to 8km which then descends sharply back into the campsite and 9km. The final section takes you through the campsite and up a sharp uphill section before descending to 10km and the start/finish area! "
"First 600 metres or so is flat on grass then heads right into a sharp uphill on trial through some woods to just after 1km where it opens up on grass before heading back up through woodland and then onto a grassy hill. Continuing on grass you snake back through the campsite at 2km, before going through some more woods, then back through the campsite on grass to 3km and up the second notable hill. An undulating trail then takes you to 4km through woods and then onto an exposed grassy section with a small, sharp hill to 5km and more trail. Just after 5km there's a water station and the "Conti Climb" which is basically another hill! Then it's back through the woods to 6km and a climb up a grassy hill before heading back into the woods to "the maze" at 7km which is a very twisty-turny section on technical trail with tree roots aplenty to trip over! Once through this section you're up onto an exposed ridge to 8km which then descends sharply back into the campsite and 9km. The final section takes you through the campsite and up a sharp uphill section before descending to 10km and the start/finish area! "
We
had worked out our team order - the `Willy Wonka IV` were Chris starting it off
then with Wendy, Simon & myself before handing over to the speedy Julian.
At the race briefing we were warned about nasty weather approaching - yeah
right - we were weltering in the heat at this point.....
We made our way down the course to see the runners off - due the course design
you could see them at a couple of points...0.5Km & 2 Km & just before 3
Km & later on around all the way from 8.5 Km to 9.5Km
Despite the busy first lap Chris was soon back, with Wendy on the course - the
changeover is quite simple if you remember the basic rule of being there for at
5 minutes before the runner is due back - nothing worse than flying around the
course & no-one there for you to hand the `baton` to...
Soon
it was my go....even at 2.30pm it was baking hot - not quite New Forest heat
but getting there. I went off like a loon - "well it`s only 10 KMs" -
opps I had forgotten how hard the 1st half of the course is.. I was glad to get
to water station just before `Conti Climb` I threw water on me like I was
on fire !!!. The second half of the course is I think easier - you enter the
`technical` area - narrow path marked with tape through trees - then pop out
then back through unto a flat field before entering the second `technical`
section you really did need reactions of a Jedi Master as the route around the
tress was very tight as well as watching out for the tree routes, finishing off
this year with the `sheep dip` before the straight forward, and my favourite
part the last 3 KMs ... and with a smooth baton exchange it was unto to Julian…
I
was due out for lap two at around 6.30pm & thankfully it was a lot cooler.
I ran this lap better, more evenly paced. The soloist were doing great - 6 hrs
in. My time on this lap was only a few seconds down on lap one. Funniest
thing in this lap was the `sprint 100 metres trail` - this lasted from 6:00pm
to 7:00pm on the `Conti Climb`. I wasn’t meant to do this but I get there with
another runner & we see the bottom timing mat is still there so we both look
at each other & without a word we give it a go…head down sprinting up this
hill…..as we get exhausted (fairly soon to be fair) I look up & see the
timing guy walking down from the finishing line…..with the top timing mats is
his hands…..I stop sprinting & eventually get my breath back
I
made sure I had money tucked away so I could eat & drink something on my
way back to our pitch - saves a bit of time. The fish n chips were great….
Now
this is when the weather changed and after what seemed ages of Thunder &
Lightning the rain started…..and didn`t stop…
I
guess it rained for 2 to 3 hrs before I went out to do lap 3 (11.00pm) which of
course meant wet & dark !!! Like the two laps before I wore my adidas Adizero
XT4`s -
which I have to say were brilliant in the earlier drier condition but first
real outing in the wet. I have to say my attitude to running in this dreadfully
weather was that old saying " Life isn`t about waiting for the storm to
pass - it`s about dancing in the rain"….and boy was it raining. The course
was a mud fest. I was soon soaked (still in Shorts n T-Shirt), I was caked in
mud - I WAS DANCING & loving it This was, without any doubt the
best lap of ALL of my Thunder Runs. The XT4`s were brilliant - I didn`t slip
over once & it wasn`t a case of me not running as fast I could - I was
disappoint I crept over the hour when I handled over to Julian.
Experience
told me now was the time to eat & try to have a nap - simple sums to when I
was due out next seemed to getting harder - I was an hour too early - opps but
at least it was the right way to be wrong. I had got the `day-break` lap again
- you start in the dark needing your torch but at the end you don`t really need
it. The light breaking through the darkness almost recharged your inner
batteries. Luckily the rain had stopped half-through that lap. The course was
still muddy thou :-)
This
break I needed to sleep - after a quick wash I hit the sack - well sleeping bag
really. I awoke no more than couple of hours later - just about trebling my
sleeping time since 4.30am on Saturday - Ok normal breakfast & coffee then
out for my next lap at 9 am ish.
Again
waiting there for Simon, chatting to others runners & checking the score
board - the `Willy Wonkas IV` were doing ok - heading for another top ten finish…I
already knew I was not going to hit the magically seven laps - one year I will
thou. Despite that I gave it my all - the course was very sloppy in a number of
places. It was almost quicker to go up some slopes sideways than on the `race
line`. again quite pleased with my time for lap 5 and again handing smoothly
over to Julian.
Before
the handover we had a team talk - we as tradition now run the last lap as a
team lap - we remove all but one timing chip and run together - we walk the
hills and run the flats & make sure we don`t hold up any runners - we congratulate
the marshals & runners we pass esp. the Soloists.
Wendy, Simon & Myself headed out on this last lap - it was
only 60 mins since I finished my previous – a long cool down is how I thought
of it J You
can see the `Willy Wonkas IV` finishing out lap of honour at around 3:41 on the
video – just in background when Rebecca is crossing the line. We shook Patrick`s hand & congratulated
him on a brilliant event & to me the best ever – roll on TR24 2014.
We as a team finished in a very respectable 9th
place with a total of 26 laps – well done Willy Wonkas
Brilliant to see you & the Thunder Crackers
Results - LINK
Individual tally – 37.2 Miles in 06:05:01
Lap One (2:30pm) - Garmin Connect Link
Lap
Two (6:40pm) - Garmin Connect Link
Lap
Three (11:00pm) - Garmin Connect Link
Lap
Four (04:00am) - Garmin Connect Link
Lap
Five (09:00am) - Garmin Connect Link
Lap
Six - Team Lap (11.00am) - Garmin Connect Link
Laps of 51:02, 51:09, 1:00:17, 01:06:17, 01:01:24 & 01:14:53
Next up = well what`s on the horizon really – my 200th parkrun at the end of August so may try to go for a cheekie PB, the JW Ultra in September & then the big target of in October the Caesars Camp 50 ….. can I get PBs JW Ultra & Caesars Camp????
Best not run any bonus miles in those races then J
Happy running….
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