Previously on 24... earlier in the year, I was given the opportunity to join Team Write this Run at the London Enduro - a 12 hour team challenge on Wimbledon Common. It was a great experience, a different kind of running and lots of inspiration from my team mates. We decided that one event and 12 hours just weren't enough, so we secured ourselves a place at the 24hr Spitfire Scramble at Hornchurch Country Park and started preparing to run again. There was one change to the team with Christina joining Lenka, Josie, Hannah and I for team Write This Run part 2.
Much of the last few months has been spent preparing for this 24 hour challenge. My goal was to run at least 4 laps of the 5.8 mile course, possibly more. Training went well until the final two weeks where I barely ran a step... my hope as I travelled down to Hornchurch on Friday afternoon via taxi, train, bus and tube was that the enforced rest would help! I was the first of my team mates to arrive and found us a good spot to make camp... a big thank you to Kirsten for the loan of the tent. Friday evening was spent talking tactics, meeting other runners and eating burgers!
On Saturday morning, I sneaked out of camp to fit in a spot of parkrun tourism, trying out Harrow Lodge parkrun. I did have a bit of trouble finding my way there and had the slightly strange experience of seeing approximately 100 runners charging up a hill towards me as I completed a panic run down the hill to the start line. Despite my late arrival, I enjoyed the run and they were a very friendly and welcoming bunch, with many of the regulars were either participating in or volunteering at the Spitfire Scramble. Back in camp, it wasn't long before the race was set to go, with a pre-race briefing from event organiser Danny. Just time for our pre-race photo and I was heading to the start line to take on the first lap.
The following takes place between 12pm on Saturday 30th August and 12pm on Sunday 31st August:
Much of the last few months has been spent preparing for this 24 hour challenge. My goal was to run at least 4 laps of the 5.8 mile course, possibly more. Training went well until the final two weeks where I barely ran a step... my hope as I travelled down to Hornchurch on Friday afternoon via taxi, train, bus and tube was that the enforced rest would help! I was the first of my team mates to arrive and found us a good spot to make camp... a big thank you to Kirsten for the loan of the tent. Friday evening was spent talking tactics, meeting other runners and eating burgers!
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| My home for the weekend - it had been a long time since I'd put up a tent! |
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| Josie's master plan... the log for recording lap times and working out when it would be time to run again |
The following takes place between 12pm on Saturday 30th August and 12pm on Sunday 31st August:
Lap 1 (12pm): setting off all at once, the first lap was all about orientation, working out when to turn and how the terrain changed. There were lots of marshals out on the course, which was brilliant, and the route actually proved pretty straightforward to navigate. It started with a section across a field, there were pathways through the woods, a fishing lake, then a long section on a gravel path round the edge of the park which eventually wound up to one of the high points of the park - this became known as Spiral Hill in my head although its official title is Ingrebourne Hill. For a time I ran alongside a solo runner who shared some of the history of the park - Spitfires flew from the former airfield, creating a connection between Hornchurch and Stoke-on-Trent. There was a very short sharp climb at one point - I think I only managed to run up on the first lap - before another section along the edge of ploughed fields. The last mile was probably my favourite, a woodland section which reminded me of some parts of the London Enduro course. I probably started out a bit fast (too much pre-race adrenaline) so my pace slowed a bit at the end of the lap, but I lap completed it in just over 55 minutes and handed the baton over to Hannah.
Break: The pattern of the breaks between laps was very similar: change clothes, eat, catch up with team mates, cheer on other runners, rest. After my first lap, I refuelled with a bowl of pasta and spent time relaxing in the race HQ, chatting with other runners and some of the race volunteers. Race HQ was also the place to keep an eye on the up-to-the-minute race stats.. you could check your own and other runners' lap times and also check out overall standings for team and solo runners.
Lap 2 (4.22pm): Hannah passed the baton to Christina, then it was over to Lenka and then Josie, who all completed fantastic first laps, and my turn to run again came round pretty quickly. After the experience of the first lap, I tried to set off a little bit more slowly, conserving energy for the tougher section half of the course. I took in my surroundings a bit moretoo, taking a moment to enjoy the view back into central London from the top of Spiral Hill - you could see Canary Wharf landmarks such as the Natwest Tower and beyond that to the Shard too. My overall lap time was very similar to lap 1 but I felt more in control and really enjoyed lap 2, finishing really strongly and enjoying the downhill through the woods again, before handing over to Hannah again.
Break: knowing my next lap would be in darkness, I sorted out my head torch (thanks Paul) before it got too dark. I kitted myself out with an extra torch (thanks Christina) and flashing arm band too - hopefully I would be able to see and be seen. More food and several cups of tea later and the girls had all completed their second lap - 10 laps for the team in total.
Lap 3 (8:54pm): the first of my darkness laps was actually pretty straightforward and my pace slowed by just 5 minutes on the lap. There was quite a lot of light pollution in the park and my head torch was much more powerful than the ones we'd used at the London Enduro, so much of the raw fear was replaced by pure enjoyment. The course provided plenty of challenges in the dark, especially the little bridges with handily located beams of wood to catch you on the shins if you didn't slow down and step over them, but, amazingly, I didn't fall over or run into anything all weekend. Despite my slower pace, the lap seemed to pass pretty quickly in darkness, and I was soon enjoying the downhill through the woods - much more fun in the dark - and back to the handover point.
Break: I retreated to my tent pretty quickly after lap 3 to get changed and get warm. I knew I needed to rest if I was going to keep going so I set my alarm for 12.50pm and tried to sleep. I drifted in and out for a couple of hours, listening to the sounds of runners coming and going from the changeover point, and finally got up again just before the alarm sounded. I felt very stiff, but reasonably awake. More refuelling - I may have had a bowl of porridge or possibly beans on bread - then waiting for Josie to return.
Lap 4 (1:53am): proper night time now and possibly my favourite lap of the 24 hours. I wasn't getting any quicker, slowing to 65 minutes for this lap, but I was still enjoying myself. There seemed to be fewer runners out on the course - I think some of the teams / solo runners took a break in the night - and I only occasionally passed or was passed by another runner. The friendly and supportive marshals were still out there though, so I still got lots of support. The lakeside sections were incredibly peaceful at 2am, with very little noise from the surrounding roads and houses, and the view from Spiral Hill was always worth pausing for... central London in a blaze of light. Despite mention of badgers though, the only wildlife I encountered was a cat!
Break: despite feeling really tired, I didn't retreat to my tent for too long after 4. A couple of the team were struggling and I wasn't quite sure when I would be required to run again. I tried to eat, but I'm not really sure what, and rehydrated, and put lots of extra layers on - it felt pretty cold at 4am. Bravely, Josie went out again after Hannah and then it was my turn again.
Lap 5 (5:12am): after so little time between laps 4 and 5, I knew this lap was going to be a struggle and there would be a few walk breaks required to get me round. I decided not to worry about this and took my camera with me to capture the sunrise over the park. I relished the quiet of the wide open spaces and felt really proud of myself for keeping going, one foot in front of the other, however slowly.
I felt exhausted though and have photographic evidence to demonstrate:
Break: despite a few wobbles, Team Write this Run was still going and we'd completed 19 laps by the time I got back from my 5th lap. Hannah and Josie were going out again, then Christina, before it would be my turn to run again. I changed clothes again, ate again and treated myself to a "wake-up" legs massage from the Flying Physios. I think it helped.
Lap 6 (9:28am): as I set out for what I knew would be my final lap, I was tired but feeling slightly refreshed after a . It seemed to work, as I felt relatively strong over the first couple of mostly flat miles. Between laps 5 and 6, the park had come to life. There were runners, cyclists, walkers and lots and lots of dog walkers - most in the park seemed pleased to see us, if a little bemused, and I got lots of shouts of "you go girl" (cue Essex accent). From the top of the spiral hill, I took one last look to central London then wound my way back past the lakes, over the little bridges, across the fields and through the woods for one final time. I felt absolutely exhausted but determined to push on, running as much as I could possibly manage. My final lap ended up being slightly faster than either I or my team mates actually anticipated, resulting in a tiny delay at the changeover. Hannah and Christina each completed another lap to take our team total to a very pleasing 25.
Break: job done: 6 laps, 35 miles. Exhausted, it was time to change into clean clothes, pack up camp and get ready for the long journey home. It was an amazing experience, the camaraderie among runners from all teams was brilliant. I achieved more than I thought I could and I met some amazing and inspiring people along the way. The event was well organised and the marshals and volunteers were constantly cheerful and helpful - no small thing over 24 hours. It was great to run with Hannah, Lenka and Josie again and also to meet our new team member Christina, who got involved by responding to a plea on Twitter. The members of Team Write This Run all received trophies for our team performance. Extra satisfaction for all of us.
Next time... I just about made it home thanks to a cheeky Weekend First upgrade on Virgin Trains for my and my trophy, ate more food and was asleep by 9.00pm. I've got a couple of blisters and I'm moving very slowly today, but no permanent damage, and I'll give myself plenty of recovery time. I've got a big parkrun milestone to look forward to... my run at Harrow Lodge took me to 98 parkruns so it will be a big celebration at Hanley parkun sometime during September for my 100th run! And after that? I'm on the hunt for my next challenge and I'm hoping I'll need my head torch and trail shoes!
Happy running
Liz T
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| Course Map - photo from http://www.spitfirescramble.co.uk/ |
Lap 2 (4.22pm): Hannah passed the baton to Christina, then it was over to Lenka and then Josie, who all completed fantastic first laps, and my turn to run again came round pretty quickly. After the experience of the first lap, I tried to set off a little bit more slowly, conserving energy for the tougher section half of the course. I took in my surroundings a bit moretoo, taking a moment to enjoy the view back into central London from the top of Spiral Hill - you could see Canary Wharf landmarks such as the Natwest Tower and beyond that to the Shard too. My overall lap time was very similar to lap 1 but I felt more in control and really enjoyed lap 2, finishing really strongly and enjoying the downhill through the woods again, before handing over to Hannah again.
Break: knowing my next lap would be in darkness, I sorted out my head torch (thanks Paul) before it got too dark. I kitted myself out with an extra torch (thanks Christina) and flashing arm band too - hopefully I would be able to see and be seen. More food and several cups of tea later and the girls had all completed their second lap - 10 laps for the team in total.
Lap 3 (8:54pm): the first of my darkness laps was actually pretty straightforward and my pace slowed by just 5 minutes on the lap. There was quite a lot of light pollution in the park and my head torch was much more powerful than the ones we'd used at the London Enduro, so much of the raw fear was replaced by pure enjoyment. The course provided plenty of challenges in the dark, especially the little bridges with handily located beams of wood to catch you on the shins if you didn't slow down and step over them, but, amazingly, I didn't fall over or run into anything all weekend. Despite my slower pace, the lap seemed to pass pretty quickly in darkness, and I was soon enjoying the downhill through the woods - much more fun in the dark - and back to the handover point.
Break: I retreated to my tent pretty quickly after lap 3 to get changed and get warm. I knew I needed to rest if I was going to keep going so I set my alarm for 12.50pm and tried to sleep. I drifted in and out for a couple of hours, listening to the sounds of runners coming and going from the changeover point, and finally got up again just before the alarm sounded. I felt very stiff, but reasonably awake. More refuelling - I may have had a bowl of porridge or possibly beans on bread - then waiting for Josie to return.
Lap 4 (1:53am): proper night time now and possibly my favourite lap of the 24 hours. I wasn't getting any quicker, slowing to 65 minutes for this lap, but I was still enjoying myself. There seemed to be fewer runners out on the course - I think some of the teams / solo runners took a break in the night - and I only occasionally passed or was passed by another runner. The friendly and supportive marshals were still out there though, so I still got lots of support. The lakeside sections were incredibly peaceful at 2am, with very little noise from the surrounding roads and houses, and the view from Spiral Hill was always worth pausing for... central London in a blaze of light. Despite mention of badgers though, the only wildlife I encountered was a cat!
Break: despite feeling really tired, I didn't retreat to my tent for too long after 4. A couple of the team were struggling and I wasn't quite sure when I would be required to run again. I tried to eat, but I'm not really sure what, and rehydrated, and put lots of extra layers on - it felt pretty cold at 4am. Bravely, Josie went out again after Hannah and then it was my turn again.
Lap 5 (5:12am): after so little time between laps 4 and 5, I knew this lap was going to be a struggle and there would be a few walk breaks required to get me round. I decided not to worry about this and took my camera with me to capture the sunrise over the park. I relished the quiet of the wide open spaces and felt really proud of myself for keeping going, one foot in front of the other, however slowly.
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| Sunrise to the East |
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| Central London to the West |
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| Caught on camera - thanks to Andrew Kenyon for the photo http://constructionetc.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/spitfire-scramble-24/ |
Lap 6 (9:28am): as I set out for what I knew would be my final lap, I was tired but feeling slightly refreshed after a . It seemed to work, as I felt relatively strong over the first couple of mostly flat miles. Between laps 5 and 6, the park had come to life. There were runners, cyclists, walkers and lots and lots of dog walkers - most in the park seemed pleased to see us, if a little bemused, and I got lots of shouts of "you go girl" (cue Essex accent). From the top of the spiral hill, I took one last look to central London then wound my way back past the lakes, over the little bridges, across the fields and through the woods for one final time. I felt absolutely exhausted but determined to push on, running as much as I could possibly manage. My final lap ended up being slightly faster than either I or my team mates actually anticipated, resulting in a tiny delay at the changeover. Hannah and Christina each completed another lap to take our team total to a very pleasing 25.
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| Setting out on my last lap - clearly tiredness means I can't pin my number on straight |
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| Determined - completing lap 6 Photos by Andrew Kenyon |
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| Celebrating our Team Prize - photo from Lenka |
Happy running
Liz T
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