Race report: Team Run247 took part in the Mizuno Endure 24 on June 28-29, 2014. Find out how they got on
Last week we introduced the four runners who made up Team Run247 at the Mizuno Endure 24 (HERE). They stuck to their goal of putting fun ahead of performance and had an great weekend in Berkshire!
The weather changed from heavy thunder-storms and down pours to glorious sun-shine and after a long weekend and 24 hours of running, the team finished in 37th place out of 45 teams in the mixed team category (3 to 5 runners). They completed 23 laps in a time of 23:32:58.
Photos: Paul Hayward on the final lap. Britta, Paul, Kirsty and Paul
Deciding how to fairly allocate laps in order to maximise time for rest and recovery for all is an artform! Below is our running order:
|
1 |
Kirsty Reade |
00:39:02 |
|
2 |
Britta Sendlhofer |
00:46:36 |
|
3 |
Kirsty Reade |
00:41:09 |
|
4 |
Britta Sendlhofer |
00:51:59 |
|
5 |
Paul Shanley |
00:42:32 |
|
6 |
Paul Hayward |
00:41:30 |
|
7 |
Paul Shanley |
00:42:29 |
|
8 |
Paul Hayward |
00:41:53 |
|
9 |
Kirsty Reade |
00:41:44 |
|
10 |
Britta Sendlhofer |
00:51:31 |
|
11 |
Kirsty Reade |
00:45:37 |
|
12 |
Kirsty Reade |
00:49:18 |
|
13 |
Paul Shanley |
00:51:18 |
|
14 |
Paul Shanley |
01:01:59 |
|
15 |
Paul Shanley |
01:21:04 |
|
16 |
Paul Hayward |
00:58:32 |
|
17 |
Paul Hayward |
00:54:41 |
|
18 |
Britta Sendlhofer |
04:53:00* |
|
19 |
Britta Sendlhofer |
01:02:49 |
|
20 |
Kirsty Reade |
00:48:44 |
|
21 |
Paul Shanley |
00:58:50 |
|
22 |
Paul Hayward |
00:49:38 |
|
23 |
Paul Hayward |
00:57:03 |
* With the four of us running close to capacity, we decided that we might as well take an extended rest during the darkest hours of the night, so this time also includes some hours of sleep.
After each lap the team gave a short summary of their experience to camera. We think this video shows off some of the emotional and physical ups and downs runners experience during an ultra!
Below we have asked the team a few questions about their experience:
True to form Kirsty, having completed a 100 mile race just two weeks before Endure 24, headed of for a training week in the alps the day after the race, so we will get her answers at a later time!
A two line summary of what Endure24 is for you:
Paul S: A weekend of fun with some testing running thrown in. I don't think ultra running is for me but I can't recommend people try this race enough! Its lots of fun and a really good weekend (even in the pouring rain!)
Paul H: A rollercoaster of emotions and fashion changes; with much needed time with Team Run247.
Britta: The running equivalent of a music festival. You can talk running, watch running, meet runners and of course run yourself to your hearts content. You can take it as seriously as you want or just have fun.
Kirsty: A weekend of hanging out with friends, making new friends, witnessing some truly inspirational stuff everywhere you look and doing a bit of running!
How are you feeling two days after the event?
Paul S: Not too bad. Body feels a bit slow but generally ok. Legs are surprisingly good!
Paul H: Ankles hurt, legs are okay but still tired!
Britta: A little sleep deprived and there are a few tight muscles but overall I'm really pleased with recovery - no injury niggles or blisters...
Kirsty: The following day I did the vertical kilometre in Chamonix and two days after I was off on an Alpine training camp for the Trail Team 2014 (www.trailrunningteam.com) so I must have been feeling ok!
How many laps did you do
Paul S: Six laps - three single runs and three together.
Paul H: Six
Britta: Five
Kirsty: Six. Five on the Saturday, then another on Sunday morning
Was that what you had (secretly) thought you would do?
Paul S: I was hoping I could get near six and would have loved to have managed seven.
Paul H: Four
Britta: I really didn't plan on doing more than three, four at the most, so am pleased with five laps, despite having the niggling feeling of being 'the weak link' of the team
Kirsty: I was hoping that six would be the maximum as I didn't want to tire myself out before my training camp. Secretly, though, I feared that Mr Shanley may not be in peak physical fitness so I might have to do a couple more but how wrong was I? He turned out to be quite the dark horse!
Could you have done more or should you have done less?
Paul S: The first lap was the worst and I had real doubts if I could do another one or two so really pleased to have got around 6. I was tempted to try the 7th lap although I think that might have just broken me a bit too much.
Paul H: No. Although I was tempted to try three on the bounce.
Britta: I could possibly have managed one more, very slow, lap but I can over-rule the ego these days and make smart desicions. Three years is a long time to struggle with an injury and I may not be as fit as I used to be but I'm possibly a little wiser about managing my running!
Kirsty: I do a lot of ultras so I'm sure I could have done more. I think six was a happy medium though - it meant I pulled my weight in the team but didn't tire myself out too much. So it was about right (though when you set off on that last lap you always feel like you may be writing a cheque your legs can't cash).
Calorie surplus or deficit?
Paul S: Well I don't think I lost any weight?
Paul H: Surplus surely. All I ate was cake!
Britta: Hard to say. There was a lot of lovely food and I ate lots of it, but I seemed to finish most laps feeling starving hungry, which means that either I didn't eat enough or just the wrong stuff at the wrong times - probably the latter!
Kirsty: Sadly probably deficit, which goes against our whole team ethos. I feel like I let you down there. I did try and there was a fair bit of cake but the ultra appetite eluded me. If it's any consolation I've been making up for it with epic amounts of cheese whilst I've been in the Alps.
Culinary highlights and lowlights
Paul S: Gabbies banana cake has to be the highlight. Lowlight was having finished at one in the morning when I had a protein recovery shake and went to get a massage, but instead of the massage I ended up sitting eating a cheese burger on my own in the corner. The cheeseburger was actually very nice but it was a lowlight that I had got one in the first place!
Paul H: Meatballs were a bad decision as was sausage and egg for breakfast. Gabby's banana cake was awesome.
Britta: Highlights were the banana cake and the steak sandwich! Lowlight was a gel I forced down before on of the laps.
Kirsty: Highlights: Gabby's banana cake, TORQ orange and banana gels, bacon sandwiches
Lowlights: nothing really, except that the aroma of portaloo, which seemed to be everywhere, sometimes took the edge off your appetite.
Favourite moment
Paul S: Lap three without a shadow of a doubt! It was getting dark and the rain was pouring down and the lap just went really well. I got to appreciate some of the madness of running a long way and for a lot of that lap I was on a real high and was planning on doing four laps straight after each other.
Paul H: Listening to all three of Paul S' video laps / seeing headtorch runners for the first time
Britta: Lap three on Saturday afternoon, when the sun came out. The forest was beautiful, I din't once look at my watch and everything felt calm. My legs felt reasonably strong - and I knew I had a long rest ahead!
Kirsty: Paul Shanley's epic run of three laps! Once he got past his early wobble we virtually had to drag him off the course when he got into the swing of it. He could well still be there now, running in 5 mile circles. It was amazing to see him really getting into it, enjoying it and running an ultra when the sensible money was on 15 miles max!
Most inspirational moment
Paul S: Too many to list. Just seeing people go out over and over again on laps was really impressive!
Paul H: Seeing a really elderly solo lady in a dodgy jacket still going six hours after I had last seen her
Britta: Paul Shanley rattling off three laps in the pouring rain, in the middle of the night - it just made me try a bit harder when it was my turn again in the morning!
Kirsty: Watching my friend John Scarborough, aged 62 (apologies if I've got that wrong John), coming over the line, having kept going as a solo runner the whole time with a big grin on his face. Nobody can rival John for enthusiasm and sense of humour, even when ultras get tough, and it was a very proud moment when I saw him crawl (literally) over that finish line. I shed a couple of tears there. Special mention to two teams and some solo runners from my club, Didcot Runners, as well. AImost all of the runners achieved the longest distance they'd ever run, pushed themselves more than they ever thought possible and were a huge inspiration to me.
Most painful
Paul S: Lap number five late at night. It started to hurt to run and then near the end of the lap it stated to hurt to walk so I knew it was time for bed!
Paul H: Getting up after the final two laps to help pack (which was not a lot)
Britta: Realising that almost all my kit apart from what I was wearing got soaking wet in a big puddle in the tent
Kirsty: Nothing too bad, apart from the aforementioned smell of the portaloos.
What have you learnt
Paul S: That 24 hour running races are really good fun!
Paul H: That running is not a lonely sport
Britta: That camping can be fun - even when it rains a lot and all your kit gets wet!
Kirsty: That running as part of a team in an event like that is probably the most fun you can have and that every runner at every level is capable of so much more than they thought they were.
What would you do differently next time
Paul S: If in a team again I think doing two laps each time instead of just one. Also that an offroad course with lots of rain makes it very muddy and add in hills its very hard.
Paul H: Eat properly
Britta: Train more, keep my kit dry, plan my food intake better and maybe have a shower half way through!
Kirsty: I'd eat more, take some earplugs and pick my camping spot better (a small ditch resulted in an in-tent swimming pool).
Random encounters?
Paul S: The fairy giving out free hugs at night was pretty cool.
Paul H: Some of Abingdon runners saw me come in after my first lap - was shocked
Britta: Lots of fun banter on the course. I had an especially enjoyable encounter with solo-runner Zoe on my final lap. Good to remember just how much easier running is when you are distracted by some small talk!
Kirsty: Meeting people that I knew only as Facebook friends through the running community, which was great; unexpectedly seeing and catching up with an old friend from nearly 20 years ago. Nothing too random and everybody was incredibly nice and in good spirits, despite the weather.
How many pairs of socks?
Paul S: Six or seven I think. I have had to wash them two times now and they are starting to look normal again.
Paul H: Four pairs
Britta: Three for running and one for sleeping
Kirsty: Three pairs to run in. It's touch and go but I expect at least one pair to survive.
Best piece of kit?
Paul S: Mizuno running shorts (HERE)! I know we were testing the shoes that were also good but the running shorts are really good and have moved their way up to the top of my list in my favourite running apparel.
Paul H: The Mizuno Wave Hayate (HERE)- just awesome. I liked them.
Britta: Without doubt the Mizuno poncho, which made the rain so much more bearable. Great whilst waiting at the change-over area or whilst watching others run! It'll get a lot of use at races!
Kirsty: Not strictly running kit but the gazebo was a total life-saver. The Mizuno Wave Hayate shoes were very grippy in the mud. Which was lucky.
I wish someone had told me that...
Paul S: ...I was going to enjoy it as much as I did.
Paul H: ... you need to book the next day off work.
Britta: ...the driving (to get to Berkshire from Cumbria) would probably be the most tyring thing about the weekend.
Kirsty: Paul Shanley was a secret ultra runner!
Find out more about the Mizuno Endure 24 here: www.endure24.co.uk
