Grand Union Canal Race 2011

…So where do I start?

I have decided to start this blog page as a way of recording my efforts to become a decent ultrarunner.

Is a 145miles non stop footrace from Gas Street Basin in Central Birmingham to Little Venice near Paddington in central london along the Grand Union Canal.
28th and 29th of May 2011

Firstly I applied for this race in November 2010 as did everyone else but did not get a place in the ballot and did not appear on the 25ppl waiting list for supported places so 45 ppl would have to drop out before I had any chance of a place and even then I was a bit down the list after that so really I though I had no chance of a place even though Allan ( a friend from Fetcheveryone ) picked one up last year with a week to go and cracked out an amazing 34hours time.

With only weeks to go and as I thought no chance of a place I volunteered to buddy run with a guy called Kevin Lally  for the last 60 miles or so which would give me a great training run ready for Lakeland 100 in July in which I had a DNF last year will be going back to have a better go at again this year. I decided to email Dick the GUCR organiser just to see how far down the list I was and was very surprised to find I was now second on the list for a last minute place!

Only a few days later (14 days from race start) I got an email on my blackberry whilst on night shift at work from Dick offering me the place I wanted! It took me a whole 4 minutes to think about it and reply that I would accept the place! Dick sent me all the info in a couple of days and I sent him some money – I was in!

That’s when the panic really set in as I had not really trained properly for this race and was planning on my training peaking in June and tapering into July for Lakeland 100 not running 145 miles in May but hey ho what can you do – I was not going to give up the opportunity to run it as lots of people had told me they though it was the greatest race in the UK without doubt and I wanted to experience that.

Q lots of days obsessing over the logistics of it all and somehow finding a crew to give up their bank holiday weekend to come and help me run 145miles along a canal in possibly all weathers!

My missus Sue obviously volunteered even though she thought I was insane and not really ready for it. I managed to get someone from my running club to come up on the Sunday afternoon to help out also, then amazingly Allan stepped down from buddy running duties for someone else who had plenty of crew and offered to crew with my missus which was amazing as he had done this race last year at shorter notice than me and he had been one of the runners that pulled out this year. His help was to prove very useful.

So I was in and had a crew, I did as much research as I possibly could by reading blogs and speaking to as many people possible who have done it for tips and ideas.

I had a plan formulated and had all my kit sorted and then started to flap a bit and seriously doubted my ability to complete this as all the people I know that have finished are all very experienced ultra runners with many long races under their belt and here is me a clearly overweight runner with only a few ultras of which 100k is the furthest under my belt. How could I hope to complete it with such little training and experience when some very good runners have tried for many attempts and never made it.

Someone told me there have been more people in space than have completed this race in the 17 years that it has been running, I am surprised at that but certainly not many people finish this each year and I really wanted this to be in this exclusive group.

So there I was on Friday crapping myself waiting with a loaded car while Allan travelled to mine by train and Sue finished work so we could travel to Brum to register for the race…

Friday we travelled up to Brum and made reasonable time, we checked in and I picked my numbers up from Dick who thanked me for doing him a favour and accepting a place at the last minute!

(was not so sure who was doing who a favour!)

Allan introduced me to loads of cool runners that I have not met before, some Fetchies from the Fetcheveryone site who I had never met and others including some truly awesome runners who I am in great awe of such as Binks and Pat Robbins who won the race!

We then went down to the start for a look around and spoke to some other runners doing the same, we all took some photos and then went to the pub. About 12 of us all sat around a table and ate and chatted including Binks(James Adams), Paul Stout, Paul Ali, Allan, Sue, Gemma, and other non fetchies. Maybe sitting next to binks and Allan was a bad idea as all I heard about was spartathlon and other more mental races which just served to highlight the fact I was so inexperienced amongst this company!

We went to bed about 10pm but I hardly slept due to nerves and noise and Allans snoring! which probably did not help on the Sunday in the race. Up at 5am washed kit sorted and off down to the start. Lots of chatting and meeting ppl such as Anna Finn and Kevin Lally who I had not seen the night before. A few pictures taken and I got to the back of the group so as not to get sucked into going quicker than I should have. At 6am few calm words from Dick about not using too many painkillers and messing up his insurance etc then we were off and holy crap I was doing it.

I settled into an easy paced run and hit the first CP (10.7miles) at 7:56 and was out in 4 mins with some food and drink in me and some food to carry. I was enjoying the run and the company and just focussing on each CP and nothing more than that.

I had schedule worked out for my crew which they worked perfectly and I knew they would always be there and do what was needed to get me sorted and gone as quick as they could, they had a harder job than me I just had to keep moving.

Next CP at 18.1miles and in and out with food in 3 mins and still running well but now adopting a run walk 25/5ish routine as advised by many experienced runners before the event.

Next CP at Hatton locks and in and out again in 4 mins and 24 miles done but still fresh and running well and really enjoying the race. Fantastic company out on the canal and I actually enjoy running by the canal and looking at the boats and people around a great day for running weather wise.

I find myself thinking 1^st marathon done less than 5 to go! Only in an ultra!

30 miles done and another 4 mins checkpoint and the system of me texting ahead when a mile away of what I want was working well and my crew were slick sitting me down and getting stones out of shoes and making me drink and eat and topping up my bladder and shipping me out.

35.9 miles and another CP and 5 mins this time and still running well with very little tiredness in my legs and with my run walk routine I was evenly chucking out average 12min miles(ish) which I was advised was a good pace in this race and right in the early parts of the race.

3 more smooth checkpoints and still moving at a steady pace and 57 miles done now, had a funny chat on this section with a guy called Rob who I come to spend a lot of time with in the race about how at 45 miles in there is only 100 to go!

Next checkpoint at 65miles at 8pm, and I have now run further than I have ever gone before, Every step was a new PB but surprisingly I was still feeling good and focussed and mentally strong. I was tired but not more than I expected to be and I was getting more confident that I could complete this race.

72.3 done at the next CP and Sue runs with me for a bit because she needs to top up her miles for the month and obviously because I love her company. Its getting dark now and unlike some people I really like running in the dark.

Most importantly I was half way now and in my head on the downhill slope, I had more behind me than in front of me and that is good mentally.

The second half…..

Sue went back to crewing with ogee at 80.4 miles and off I went into the dark at 23:47 on my own still feeling good and although obviously tired I was really strong in my mind and body.

1am and another checkpoint done and despite a little wind and drizzle I was off again in shorts and a long sleeve HH.

Next came Tesco’s in Leighton Buzzard and a sit down in the boot of the car and more food and drink and an update from Allan on who had dropped so far and where other Fetchies were, Unfortunately some had dropped and others in front of me were slowing and I was gaining on some runners which made me feel good. If they were slowing and I was consistent then I must be coping better than them with the night so off I went into the dark again with less than 10 miles to the 100miles point.

Then disaster! About 4 miles further in I managed to miss a hole in a bank whilst going round some lock gates and my foot went down a hole and I twisted my right ankle which is my weak one. I hit the deck like a sack of you know what! I lay there for a minute cursing to myself then got up to test the ankle and found it was not too bad and although a bit sore I could use it ok, then gingerly continued on to the next CP at 96miles and told my crew who made sure I was ok and gave me some more Ibuprofen to help stop it swell. Rob who I mentioned earlier had leapfrogged me at this point and was with my crew when I got there and complaining that his vision had gone and that he could not see properly any more so we made sure he left with me and we ran off together towards the 100mile point. There is a race CP at 100miles and I ran straight past it and Rob decided to go in and take some time to get organised so I trotted off on my own again. I was feeling really good although tired, I had just done 100miles in 23.5hours which I thought was fantastic and an ambition of mine that I was not sure I could achieve before this race. I may have got a bit tearful here as I ran along.

102.5miles in I met my crew again, It was fully light again and in daylight with the world waking up again off I went chasing my dream of completing this race with only 43 miles to go! It was now a distance I could see me doing even in the current tired state I was in. Along this section Rob from earlier picked me up again and we caught a couple of other runners and for a while there was four of us running/walking along chatting as if we were out for a stroll before breakfast.

08:25 and I met my crew at 108.5miles more food and drink and Ibuprofen which I was now taking every 4 hours and alternating with Paracetamol as my body was starting to feel it and behind my right knee was starting to get tight and complain quite strongly. I got ogee to massage it and could feel it swollen and managed to get to settle down a bit but it was starting to slow me a little. It is likely I pulled it in my night time fall and it was just getting slowly worse but is was working and I was in good spirits and still moving well all things considering.

115 miles in and my knee was slowing me down a bit and I was tiring generally but still moving ok and still managing a run(shuffle)/walk plan although I was down to about 3mph now. We decided to get Allan to run with me from the next CP at 120miles to try to keep my speed up and because he was itching to have a run on what he(and me now) describe as the greatest race in the UK.

120.3miles and I spend too long in the chair here(10mins) and my knee is really tight when I get up but off I go with ogee and some how with his company and motivation he gets me back up to 4mph which is fast at this stage of the race! We hit the next CP ahead of schedule and here I briefly meet James from my running club who has driven up from Essex to help out so free Allan to run if needed. Thanks mate. I am not sure he expected me to look that tired with so far to still go but I got in and out fast so had no time to chat. 17 Miles to go now and it was getting hard.

We caught up with a guy called Iveagh(pronounced Ivy) from Ireland who Allan took it upon himself to include in our party and we helped him along for most of the rest of the way. I was starting to get really tired now and was dead on my feet, I don’t know whether the injury or lack of pre race sleep was having its toll but I was really sleepy and started to take pro plus to help with this.

At 133 miles I was done in and could no longer run at all and was reduce to a very painful 38min mile walk. Allan was doing his best to encourage me and drag me along and motivate but I may have had the odd sense of humour failure here!

We arrived at the next CP where one of the marshals decided to tell me that I had the biggest man tits he had ever seen! I was not sure this was funny at this point but mainly ignored it although everyone else though it was hilarious! He may have had a point as I am a big lad and not the sort of build you normally get on these races. More drugs and off I went again.

Less than a Half Marathon to go now and still 9 hours to go till cut off time so there was no reason I could not do this now apart from the state of my knee and the fact I was struggling to stay awake and keep running and the small matter of the 133miles I had just done!

A couple more miles and I am really struggling and tell Allan that I need more pro plus and stronger painkillers because my leg is really getting to me. I feel nauseas and so sleepy that I want to lie down and I don’t know how long I can fight it, he tells me its fine and we will get some at the next CP but I argue I wont last that lot long and eventually he gets the message and phone calls ensue to Sue and James on my crew. He tells me stuff is on the way.

My knee completely falls apart about 7-8 miles out from the finish and the only thing we can find is Duct tape from Iveaghs pack to tape it up and it helps it a bit to keep it together and allows me to keep moving.

Then Paul Ali and Paul Stout’s buddy runner catches us up with a hand full of drugs that my crew has managed to blag off them to help me, I then get down me 6 pro plus, 2 Ibuprofen, 2 Paracetemol, and 3 Tramadol which I a prescription morphine based painkiller where the adult dose is 2!

Off I go again towards the next CP, I meet my crew at the next CP looking quite bad not that they tell me that and I dont stop I go straight though toward the finish. I am speeding up now that the drugs start to really kick in, I am back up to 23 min miles! I try to convince Iveagh to go on ahead as I know he is now stronger than me at this stage of the race and deserves a better time than the one he will get with me. I start to dream that it is still just possible to get under 40 hours which was my dream aim on this race, I get a bit tearful again but no one notices. With just a few miles to go I feel really bad again and James is despatched with coke and drugs and freeze spray to meet us, he must have hammered it to us because he is knackered when he gets to us. Another can of full fat coke and some drugs and we are back to 20min miling walking again, Iveagh goes off here for the finish and it leave me and James and Allan to trundle towards the finish. At some point along here I have a row with Allan about my hat, he tells me to take it off to help keep cool as it is warm and I insist I want it on. He argues that it will help and I say I need it to keep the sun off even though there is no sun! The argument goes back and forth for a while till I tell him my hat is fine and it is staying on and if he touches it I will throw him in the canal (I probably would have!) so he leaves it.

Less than 2 to go now and sub 40 looks guaranteed, Gill (Allan’s) missus walks out to meet us so we know when the finish is coming up. I discuss with Allan what will happen when I get near the finish and we decide that him and James will go ahead to the finish in the last little bit and let me finish alone and I will finish as fast as I can. I started running so will I finish it running.

Off they go and I am on my own again with the last few hundred metres to go and I get a bit emotional again then I am at the last corner. I struggle into a run/shuffle as best I can and concentrate on maintaining it till the line, then there is the finish with all my crew and new friends and runners who have waited to watch people in.

The last 100m takes ages and I have to dodge people with dogs and prams along the towpath and then I am there and I cross the line and stop for the first time in ages.

I hug my gorgeous missus and then get a manly kiss off Allan and a handshake then a hand shake off James from my crew. I look around and I am pleased to see Rob and Iveagh still there and they to shake my hand along with many others incuding the guy who finished just in front of me. I am a bit overwhelmed then Dick comes up and gives me my medal and says well done and I sit down and someone wraps a tartan blanket round me and I get more handshakes and hugs and chat to few people then Avon(paul) and Stouty(paul) come in and I make sure I congratulate them. I sit for a while and stare into space trying to take in what I have just done and how it feels – I can’t.

I get up and get ready to go and say my goodbyes to all around and limp off towards the car and crawl into the back seat and lie down, at home I struggle to get upstairs and just crash on the bed feeling ill and in pain.

I completed it in 38hours and 49 minutes coming in 33^rd place out of 53 finishers and 92 starters which is the highest amount of finishers ever but that is probably down to the weather as it was perfect for running.

It was the hardest thing I have ever done and the best, I can’t describe the emotions you go through during the race or the camaraderie between runners. Everyone who enters this is a winner and will learn a lot about themselves by the end.

My crew were amazing and I knew they were always going to be where I expected them to be when they should be and do what’s needed and that can not be underestimated in it’s value. They made it possible for me to get to the finish.

Allan done a fantastic job as a buddy runner when I was on my last legs and helped to keep me on track I owe him a lot for that.

This is a great race for lots of reasons….

Longest, Furthest, Toughest, Friendliest and most prestigious etc but I think its the greatest because of how it makes you feel before during and afterwards.

I have already entered it for next year!