Memorial Mile Challenge, a mile for those never coming home. by Spotdog

Hi Everyone,

How are you all? Hope you're all well. So I'll attempt to make this quick but it probably won't be, I've still got a little bit of packing to do for my weekend trip to Luxembourg.

Lets start with Friday, on the friday I started feeling a little bit woolly headed, missed swimming. Saturday I felt not great but went off and did some shopping, did food shopping etc. Missed swimming again and at one point just got back into bed. Threw up a couple of times and had an early night. So whilst I was looking forward to the run on Sunday I felt a little concerned about not feeling great. Sunday came, I got up and I think due to the excitement I felt fine. Really good, had a cashewnut butter and jam sandwich, had a drink, no problems. Got in my car and set off to Nottingham.  The bus was leaving Nottingham Castle at 0715, no waiting for latecomers. Satnav lady got me to Nottingham with no problems (big surprise as she normally tries to have me go down one way streets the wrong way) I managed to get a car parking spot near the finish line. A small group of people were gathered by the road and I went to join them. The whole atmosphere was chilled out, a lot of people knew each other and people were friendly. Got on the bus to get to the community centre where the run was to start. I sat next a really nice woman called Amy who recently moved over from the US, she enjoyed running because it allowed her to see other parts of the country.  She said it was the furthest distance she had ever run and I said it was the same for me. We generally chit chatted until we got to the community centre. The seemed a rather long bus journey and whilst it didn't feel daunting it made me realise the 50k is quite a long way. Got to the community centre and everyone had to register. Got my number and it had my name on it, the first time ever that my race number had my name on it. Wow.

Got myself a littel spot to get ready.  Had decided on Saturday night that I would run with my bag so I got that sorted and then I met the 9 bar man.  The company running the race that day, ULTRArace, were running a Ultra championship, sponsored by 9 bar. 9 bar, for those who have never had the experience, are a bar made up of seeds, honey and a layer of carob. The 9 bar man, really called Alan,  was handing out 9-bars. Tried one before the run started, soooo good. The atmosphere was still really laid back, the gentleman opposite me had brought his own caffietiere and was brewing his own prerace coffee. That's dedication to good coffee/caffine. We got chatting and turns out he'd done ironmans and had been in the RAF. I explained to him about the challenge and he wished me luck.

Then came the pre-race brief, given by Rory Coleman who set up the ULTRArace company. Wow, the community feeling that was there was amazing. Close connections between runners and organisers, the organisers were really hands on. Rory Coleman did the photography and Jen Slater did the results as people ran in, as well as both cheering and encouraging everyone around the course.

 Not only them but the Mr 9 bar and his wife, Mrs 9 bar, who also is the nutritionist for the company were out cheering, as well as all the volunteers. It was the smallest run I've been in, think there were about 100 people taking part. The thing about Rory Coleman and Jen Salter is that they are both ultra runners and good at it, both have racked up the miles and guiness world records. For an impressive read visit ultrarace.co.uk. The thing is that they were so down to earth, not strutting round like champions, almost humble about who they are and what they have acheived. When I crossed that line I got a genuine heart felt, well done and seriously I felt like I'd borken a reconrd or something. Anyway I digress because I'm at the end before I've even started the race. The pre-race brief went ahead and then came the start. No rush, no surge, so prints to get ahead. A slow paced start and people wuite happy to have a chat. I'd been warned by one regular runner not to start out too fast and it would feel too slow. In fact I think I went out too slow and it felt really forecd and uncomfortable. So after a while I picked up a little bit of speed and eased into it. After a while I caught up with a great woman called Irene. It was her birthday and she was out doing the Ultra and running for the Guide Dogs, we had a chat and then I moved on a bit. I then caught up with an amazing woman called Anna. We ran together for about 30k. I'm always aware that some people don't like to talk but Anna was willing and I could ask her alsorts about Ultras and we just chit chatted.  She's a mtahs teacher and she used the time to explain to me about a probabilty problem that my sister has tried to explain to me before. The one about you're on a game show and there are three doors and behind one door there's a prize, you pick your door and the show takes away one door that doesn;t have the prize behind and leaves two doors. According to maths you should change your decision to the other door. Now Anna explained it a bit differently to me, instead of three doors she said there were one hundred doors and you pick one, the show takes away 98, leaving two doors. Anna said that it is unlikely out of 100 doors you would pick the right door on your first decision therefore you should change your mind. Now that did make sense to me. So that's how we filled the time.  She told me all about the Ultras she had run, she is in the 100 marathon club and on her 51st Ultra. At one point I went for a pee, which I think is a positive, means I wasn't so dehydrated. I drank at every water station and ate a couple of 9 bars. Really easy to eat on the run, sat easily on the stomach, no heaviness or consequences. I also had my energy gels, for the first three hours I made sure  I had one every hour. It worked out well, didn't hit the wall or struggle. My legs started to feel tight aound the 20 mile point but since after that I was in new territory on the distance then I just figured it was my body reacting to the extra miles. The water stations had packets of soreen, cans of coke, water, sweets, 9-bars, you could stop and have a quick chat, it was great.

The scenary was beautiful, the route was great. I felt bad but left Anna just before the 40k mark. She'd been so great and I kinda felt like I was fobbing her off by running off but she was encouraging and told me to go for it. So off I went on my own for the last 10k, I really had to focus now, it would've been so easy to sit back and cruise but I really wanted to finish well and know I'd given it everything I could. Once I focused I found I could control my legs and go a good pace. I wasn't doing too badly on the energy front, under Anna's guidance we'd walked the uphills and run the flats and downs and I think this is what allowed me to go for it at the end. The end was up a hill (past my car) and finished at the cstle. I managed to get my legs to run up the hill, I ran as hard as I could because the end was close. I corssed the finish line and was presented with my medal from Rory. Then came that awful moment when I didn't know if it was less painful to keep moving or to stop. In all honesty though it was not as painful as the first half mara I did but my body was telling me I'd run the furthest I'd ever run. I managed to stretch out a bit and waited for other people to come in. Irene came in closely behind me. She fallen and twisted her ankle just after the 40k mark but kept going because of the momey she'd already raised for Guide dogs. The sad thing is that she gave me money for my charity challenge but I cannot find her online on just giving to be able to sponsor her : (  Anna also arrived shortly after, smiling as she crossed.

The day ended with the presentation of the Championship prizes. Anna won 3rd place int he woman's. Like she'd said to me on the run, you don't have to be fast, slow and steady might not win the race but it might get you third place. She really did give me some great advice, some of which I will never forget.

I couldn't get the names on my t.shirt this time as I was wearing my bag. So I wrote them out on paper and put them in the window of my car.

I'm looking forward to my 40 miler now and I'm also looking forwrad to my next Ultrarace run, think I'm going for the London Ultra. If anyone is thinkiing of doing an ultra check out the Ultrarace website, they've got something on for everyone and the company motto is "never say never" and they want to encouarge anyone, regardless of ability to run an Ultra. I'm definately sold on this one. It was an amzing experience, really was. You weren't just a number in a huge crowd, you were a runner and your race mattered to everyone not just you.

I finsihed the day off with a swim and I think at that point the fact I'd been poorly the day before hit me. I couldn't get warm in the pool so after an hour I got out. MOnday I had to do PT which was a little bit of leg circuit, tuesday was a light gym session and a swim and today was pt this morning and went running tonight. I'm away with the swim team for the weekend so a rest weeekdn on the running front, think I might need it. Felt rather fatigued during the interval training tonight and instead of sprints it kinda went to a slow jog. Feel good for going though.

So that's the story. I hope I haven't forgotten too much. I'm off to eat a 9bar before I go to bed. Hope you've all had a great runs this week. Thanks for reading

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