Thames Trot Ultra marathon :: 7th February :: Race Report

I ran 50 miles. Me! 50 miles. I say ran but it was a mixture of running, walking and shuffling. I keep saying it in my head as it sounds awesome. Even if the race didn't quite go to plan I still finished it and in under 10 hours. 

This was the Thames Trot 50 mile ultramarathon set-up by Go Beyond and also known as 'The Boat Race'.

The day started nice and calm. We stayed in the race start hotel, Hawkwell House, breakfast was at 7; fruit, cereal, yoghurt and then poached egg on a muffin. Oh and coffee. Then it was to the conservatory to register and pick up my race number and timing chip. Back to the room to get changed, I'd already loaded my race vest the night before, then down to the start. 

Have deliberated extensively, far too much so, my final kit was...

- Adidas Adizero Boost shoes

- Inov8 socks

- Compressport calf guards

- Skins under shorts

- Brooks shorts

- Nike combat short sleeved tshirt

- Nike combat lightweight fleece long sleeve top

- Gore running shirt

- buff

- Asics running beanie

- running gloves

- Salomon S-Lab 5ltr race vest

I was changed and ready, the off was 8:30, at 8:15 I headed down with Luca for company. I was feeling pretty nervous at this time and said as much to Luca. He just looked at me and said "you do this every weekend" he was sort of right and wrong but just made me think how much training I have done. I relaxed a bit.

Nice and nervous at the start!

As the crowd gathered there was plenty of gear on display. A couple of hardly soles in T-shirts. Lots of Inov8 running shoes, one guy in VFF's, and lots of race vests. Salomon Ultimate Direction, Kalenji, Nathan all prominent. 

 

Crowd shot - milling about before the off.

We were called to the start, the horn sounded and off we went. 400m down the hill on the road towards the river. The throng already stretching out then bunching as we crossed narrow bridges over the river to the far bank.

My plan was to run 9min mile pace and try to run the whole race at that pace. I started well enough although had to keep checking my watch as it is harder than you might image running at a pace much slower than normal. My pace hovered around the 8:45/9:15 mark as we all progressed across the frozen single track. 

The weather was much better than anticipated and fortunately there was no rain. The first couple of hours in the bitter cold the path was really runable. It was frozen solid. It was almost like running on Tarmac although you did have to watch it as there were lots of ridges that were like rocks and roots.

The first aid station arrived quite soon at just before 10miles. I grabbed a bottle of water and some of the famous fruit cake and continued. The cake, fruitcake, was lush! I continued at the same steady pace making up some places on runners already slowing down or taking planned walk breaks. 

Another aid station hit in 3 hours, right on cue as I was planning that 10 miles would take me 1hr 30. More cake, more water and off. This continued and I was feeling so confident. I kept saying in my head "I'm doing my thing" and it was working. There was a section that was on the road and I picked up my pace leaving a small group that had come together, behind. We then got lost....

The group reformed and 6 men actually got the map out. We ran together and figured our way back on course. We then ran together for a few miles as we approached and went through 20 and 21. I started to ease forward, upping it from 10min pace to my goal pace of 9 minute miles. This is where disaster struck.

That's a tad melodramatic but it's where the wheels came off. The tow path was changing from the compacted frozen gravel to a grassy, muddy path. Coming in the opposite direction were three people walking a dog. They pulled the dog to them, I thanked them and then said that were 5 others just behind me. Next thing, bang, I hit the deck. 

There was a small grass bank with mud across it. Not sure what foot slipped but I felt my hip flex and stretch as I unconsciously tried to right the slide. It stretched too far and then I hit the ground. Hard.

Immediately I could feel my right quad throb and my hip was really sore. I got up as the other runners came around the corner. I ran with them for a while until I couldn't hold that pace. The discomfort in my right side becoming too much. 

I walked for a bit to get some composure. Then, now on my own, tried to run again. The path was now covered in really slippery thick mud. My footing was all over the place and each correction was agony. At one point on some single track as I slid in all directions I thought if I fall I will either face plant into barbed wire or slide gently and forever into the cold Thames. More walking.

This was the start of my walk and run/shuffle strategy. Very frustrating. 

I reached the 30 mile aid station to be greeted with a picnic. There were sausage rolls, pork pies, crisps, breadsticks, more cake, water and electrolytes and luckily some falafel. I scoffed I a load of food here and had some electrolyte. A really helpful volunteer took my bottle and filled it for me (from a tank!).

I was reluctant to leave this station, it had a great vibe and runners seemed happy to kill some time. The next couple of miles were on the road and through a housing estate. Again navigation was difficult and I ended up in a small group of runners. We arrived at the path and off again, I started running with a guy that was doing 9min pace. We were chatting and running and it was easy, until it started to hurt. I slowed down and arrived at walking pace.

The next few miles were mud, mud and mud. I walked, walked and walked. 

There was a nice stretch through some woods and I ran for a bit with an accountant from Cambridge who supported Liverpool. He was, however, a nice fella. Eventually he dropped me and I never saw him again, perhaps because I am a Chelsea fan.... This became the story of my race, I was going backwards. I picked up then with a chap called Kirk. We ran together for probably a couple of hours on and off. Chatting about family, training, upcoming races and generally chewing the fat. Eventually he dropped me as the inevitable mud took its toll I was unable to run but he continued. 

There was a surreal stretch through this where we ran through Reading. Leaving the Thames Path to skirt around some building works we were surrounded by high rise and cars. After having had it so peaceful this was quite a change. In a group I don't know what we must have looked like, survivors of the apocalypse or something. We must have smelled bad too! It was also quite odd that having been out for so long it still felt like morning and so even at 2pm I was saying good morning to people that we encountered or passed on the path.

At the final aid station I begged how long to the finish to be told 10k. I was pretty gutted but then smiled when the aid station chap said that it should be around 30minutes for me! In my dreams. 

The light was now fading (head torch time) as time ticked on and there was more mud. I was being over taken with far too much regularity now. As Henley approached I was told there was one more field and then some road. Relief.

Finishing in the dark...

I ploughed on (see what I did there) and on firmer ground was able to run a bit more.  Coming into Henley I crossed a long bridge, there was time to get lost once more with a couple of other runners, we were all now in head torches, before the finish was in in sight. Luca and Amélie were waiting for me with about 200m to go. Seeing them was awesome, really gave me a lift. I made sure to be running and even managed a sprint, or maybe an improved shuffle, to the finish. 

Action shot!

It was done. 

Evidence of my fall...

 

I was mightily relieved but not emotional, not drained or particularly exhausted. I felt really intact. I had done the whole race. I had just run 50 miles. I was a bit underwhelmed at the finish as I wasn't in difficulty. Although I had been managing my body over the previous 28 miles or so at no point did I think I wouldn't finish. On reflection the training I did was obviously correct and the right amount as I was not broken by it. I had fuel in my tank as I had not been 'racing' the second half.

 

I grabbed a cup of tea, I really needed something warm now as the cold was biting, and grabbed my kids a couple of pieces of the fruit cake and then walked to the car. Got changed by the boot and was then craving some savoury after so much gel, shot bloks and cake.

 

We found a chippy 5 minutes from the race finish and never has fish and chips tasted so good.

 

As a diabetic my blood sugar is pretty vital, this means basically eating enough to not bonk. Important for everyone racing but, perhaps doubly for someone with Type 1 diabetes. At the start of the race my blood sugar was 12mmol. I had had 6 units of insulin with breakfast. When I tested at the end of the race my blood sugar was 4.1mmol. I had eaten a couple packs of Shot bloks, a couple of gels, a trek bar, a Meridian foods nut bar, 4 helpings of fruit cake, a load of falafels and some breadsticks. I hadn't tested during the race as I was feeling fine and in control. At no point did I feel like my blood sugar was getting away from me. I have run miles and miles so know how my body reacts to this.

 

It was then a drive home (me as passenger!) - I had a hot bath and some more food. I thought I would be exhausted and asleep very soon. It didn't come, I watched the football on TV and eventually went to bed around midnight.

 

I am looking forward to my next ultra, as always there are lessons learned but I know I can do it. I can do it and be in control and not break. Isn't that what ultra running is...

 

Cup of tea at the end...

Results Update...
I finished 144th out of 259 finishers in an official time of 09:37:38.

My splits between each checkpoint...
CP1 - 01:32:17 
CP2 - 01:29:55
CP3 - 01:48:48
CP4 - 01:34:36
CP5 - 01:33:54
Finish - 01:38:08