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Heavyweight
1449 Posts |
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StephenPrice
2112 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 2:21:51 PM
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those pictures are brilliant. Haven't dot a clue who the runners are (except DAVID, obviously) but it's nice to see so many UKNR vests.
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Wicked D
2206 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 2:42:26 PM
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Dips & Mark - brilliant reports, I almost felt I was with you and really felt for you, you did great really pleased/proud of you ALL
HW - great pictures mate, great to see so many UKNR vest's all did a Brilliant job 
"If you're going through hell, KEEP GOING"....W Churchill |
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lincsfella
1207 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 3:11:20 PM
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Bloody brilliant, well done guys n gals. A fab team effort. Have been in fits over the race reports and the pics are fab. So hope to do this next year with you..... if youll have me. But excellent running be everyone.
"Always aim for the moon...... because if you miss, you'll still land amongst the stars" |
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vslow
795 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 3:19:31 PM
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(my go  )
Well, what a brilliant day... I got woken up by a txt from HW, providing photo evidence of Fishy at the start-line, and a stark reminder that this was real, and I was running 9.5 off-road miles somewhere Swindonish at 6pm that evening.
I've been involed in a couple of relays (RNR and Turing) and with both of them I've never run the glory leg and I've never been less "involved" than I was with this one. The involvement was a decision on my part, because I can only do 1 set of logistics a year (RNR) and I'd been mentally busy with work - meaning little time to contribute to the forum and the decision to make the day a family day, rather than spend it all following the race.
Excuses out of the way - we left home and 9am - en famille, and took the scenic route via the Living Rainforest and a pub lunch (regular txt's from HW keeping me in touch with the event) to the start of stage 7 and my first encounter with the race proper. After catching up with Mike and meeting Finchy for the 1st time, we were ready to cheer the (3rd? 4th?) mass start of the race, GO MIKE... before heading off to Uffingham and a squint at the white horse.
A lovely hour or so was spent strolling around Uffingham (not seeing any runners although we were right on the course). I _must_ bring my kite next time (although maybe not on a race day). At 3:30 we pootled the last few miles into the stage 9 start and I slogged up yet another hill to meet up with the Dips, LB, the cheerleaders, Mark (another tick in the UKNR eye-spy book)and finally our glorious leader - king of organisation - master of the informative txt - HW. Who was looking surprisingly spry given the day (and the night and the week) that he had had. Plus OH (which I had finally work out wasnt a forum name  ) who looked remarkably calm given I was about to drive her off into the berkshire countryside.
After a short spell of quality banter, Finchy arrives looking battered and beaten but unbowed and David heads off into the distance, on a mission to drag the relay up to a high enough altitude for me to roll to the finish line.
We head off gingerly to the stage 10 start - shouting "support" out of the window at David as we pass him a scary distance down the road. There are a couple of spaces in the car park and I have 40 minutes for pre race faf, jumping a mile whenever a runner arrives (even though Paul Tergat could not have covered stage 9 before the 5:45 mass start).
Garmin prepped as per Fishy's HOWTO, map clutched in sweaty hand, number pinned on, gels packed, drink in other hand, 3 minutes to the off, all ready, NO... SWEATBAND... I sprint back to the car, grab a sweatband, and get back to line up again. There are 16 of us for the mass start - someone shouts GO - and I do.
So after a day spent sightseeing with the family, I am now - slightly surrealy - in the middle of a race. I set off with the leaders, and then realise they are running 6:15 pace - even on thge downhill that's a bit hot for me, so I back off a bit to more respectable 7:40ish and attempt to relax. Route finding is simple - garmin guide, big "RIDGEWAY" signs and a line of runners in front of me  About 6 people are ahead of me and to my surprise I seem to be catching a couple of them. Thinking that pace is always easier to follow than set, I push on a bit and catch up the group of 2 just as it stops being a group of 2. I pass one of this non-group and begin a vain (and slightly half-hearted) pursuit of the other one. And that's where I was to stay for the remaining 7 miles - the marlborough runner in front of me going very slightly faster and slowly pulling away, the runner behind me going slightly slower and getting dropped.
It was hot - it was veeeeery pretty. I dropped into what felt like a good pace and tried to enjoy the view without losing focus on the running. For a "downhill" stage there was plenty of uphill too, plus surfaces that ranged from earth, grass, heather, and that special chalk with flints poking through that I remember so "fondly" from the Jog Shop Jog. I also had the worlds stupidest route direction on my stage "turn left at the underground reservoir" LOL.
Not having done many miles recently, I was slightly nervous about blowing up, and this might have reigned my pace in slighlty, leading to surprise whenever the garmin bleeped at how quickly the miles were passing. I had a minor ankle-over moment that worried me for a few strides, one tiny navigational panic and as is common at the moment, hassle with stitch in the latter stages of the run.
There's a bloody steep hill a mile from the end that I attacked with an enthusiasm that left me a bit wobbly. The downhill afterwards felt a bit trecherous and I took it gingerly, so when I swung onto the road at the marshall said "200m to go" I gave it a large dose of what-for. The cheering from friends and family further inspired me to a sprint finish I will remember for a long time.
The tale of the tape... 9.4 miles, 71:09 - I must run downhill more often
And then it was over. I would have loved to stay and buy David and his OH a beer - but it was a school night and home was a few hours away. I grabbed my fabulous goody bag (I LOVE my coaster, and the boys grabbed most of the sweets as is only proper) and we drove home, knackered but happy.
Big BIG BIG thanks to David and his OH for the massive amount of work they put into this. Thanks to the other runners for coming out to play. Thanks to everyone who was there at the end. I was so proud to be able to finish off a fantastic team effort.
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Dips
4073 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 5:28:40 PM
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Stephen..thats VSlow above and I'm the one with short fat hairy legs  Fishyweb = first runner and in case you can't see my short fat hairy legs I'm the only female in the team with a number on.
Dips x
Running is real and relatively simple…but it ain't easy.
--Mark Will-Weber |
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Lazybones
454 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 5:36:23 PM
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Before saying anything else the biggest thank-you to HW and his OH for the fantastic organisation. What a brilliant job, AND, even though I know I didn't deserve it, I got a goody bag too. I am just sorry I must have made the logistics even more difficult at such a late stage. Dips had better wrap me in cotton-wool before Norfolk
Thank you too to Finchy for letting me drive that lovely car. At least Dips knows me and my driving when she handed her keys over (not sure whether that made it better or worse). I can truly appreciate your apprehension when confronted by a strange one-handed (well plus one in a large plaster cast) female offering to take your car off round unknown narrow country lanes. Was your wife's as bad as she said - I do hope not.
Anyway brilliant result everyone and I had a great day with you all. Hope the supporting made up in some small way for the probs I caused.
The only losers are those who quit |
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MarkWillcocks
1275 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 5:57:59 PM
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great photo,s.....luckily my route was so off the track not too many of me!!!! and alongside little Dips on the hill i look even bigger,(and she tried to rugby tackle me!!! no tears mind , she was brave.. )) any how, my mummy loves her little soldier
Stephen in the group shot i,m the one in dopey shorts and hi viz with Finchy and his legs beside me..his legs are not that special anyway.....
lincs leg 4.....Im sure Dips would agree, i,ve got issues with 5 so i want revenge!!!
He who dares Rodney, he who dares. |
Edited by - MarkWillcocks on 16 Jun 2008 6:38:28 PM |
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krissienewton
1268 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 7:01:24 PM
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Fantastic running everyone and fab race reports and photos too. You have all done the club and yourselves proud. I too am now really excited about the RNR.
You should get that piccie framed of you going up that HUGE hill dips!
Krissie
Get up and walk if you have to, but finish the damned race - Ron Hill |
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Mij0
847 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 7:29:40 PM
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Dip's wrote "Mike came through the finish looking a little pained. We quickly assessed he didn't really want 3 cackling females faffing round him and left him to re-hydrate and get some clothes on" I would like to point out that I was not actually doing my leg in the nude - but that might explain why there are no photo's of me running!
Had to get that off my rather ample chest - right back to reading.
Fit Fat and Hedonistic |
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aluaka
1727 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 7:52:49 PM
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Absolutely fantastic achievement - well done to all UKnetrunners and their supporters in the Ridgeway Relay event.
Best team effort to date - bar none!
And as for HW - very, very, very well done David - your organisation and determination to plan this event has been superb and produced a team event that we should be (and I'm sure are) proud of!
Many many thanks.
Alan Lacey
Chairman UKnetrunner |
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Laura Foster
1142 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 8:49:12 PM
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| Fantatstic teamwork. Great organisation. Really proud of you all.... and jealous! Well done. |
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Mij0
847 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 9:26:57 PM
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Hmmmmm - my turn. Well first of all great admiration goes to those runners brave (or stupid) enough to do two legs. And brilliant job David and OH for the organisation - although I confess to utter confussion when the HW I'd txt'd to turned out to be a fem!
Anywho my run - after Tuesday race my fizz session on Wednesday did not remove any of the pain so if this had not been a team event I would have scratched - but now I am so very glad I didn't. Got to my meet point 15 mins early to find Finchy already there and waiting so I parked up only slightly blocking some path or other - probably not an important one - got my stuff sorted and into the car for a pleasant drive and chat - always good to meet another ex-rugby player and delighted to hear how light he now is - there is hope.
So I don't have my watch it's at home, but I do still have my glasses on - they're supposed to be in the car, oh I don't have my garmin which is in my car back at the finish - why am I wearing a HRM strap then? I'd already printed a map 4 times to make sure I had one copy with me - now I was to run not knowing how long or how far.
Leg 7 car park was packed no doubt due to the mass nature of the start - a chat as my nerves rise, followed by Matt and Mrses plus young uns telling us all about the living rainforest. Retie my right shoe lace 6 or 7 times before going to the start.
When they read out the numbers of those teams in the mass start I was relieved to hear ours included. The assembled masses had too many fit people and even the old ones with knee bandages looked much faster than me.
What can I say about leg 7 - you can't get lost, it's hard surface or grass, when you have dodgy ankles of course you hamstring will cramp on the first mile, there are no stingers but also there are no trees but for 1 stretch, wear a hat (I didn't), get your hydration right (I didn't), don't believe there are 3 roads on the route cause there are 4, don't believe the profile that says there are 3 good climbs cause there are also 4 bad ones, and if you don't know how long or far you've run and have lost your map don't try to burn passed a runner in the hope that there is less than a mile to the finish cause you will find there is at least 2 to go, if you ignore the drunks lazing in the sun they will not bite, and finally it doesn't matter how much you want to see the "form" of the blonde in front you just never will catch up enough.
So a mile or so out I can see the comms tower which spends the next half a mile getting further away before the last drag up hill to the finish. I did swear at the "ample" bloke walking down the path towards me but my scowl drove him to one side, and as I ran into the change over the crowd took one look at me and parted ways - yup I am that big make way for the elephant, and finally the tag and I could stop running.
Some woman came to me and I'm dizzy and feeling sick then I'm seeing treble - no it's our ladies (sorry for not being my normal charming, suave sophisticated self) - I manage a chat but guess I'm not good company. After a map discussion I'm too knackered to join in off they go and I stagger back to my car.
water sports drink energy bar et al plus the shade of the car and I'm nearly ready to drive - about the time finchy was close to finishing his leg.
Drive to the end of leg 9 - tea and eccles cake (see I know how to live, 2 lucozade sports and a stretch before others started to turn up - it is so good to put faces to names, and to re-meet people I get to see once or twice a year (note to self - race more). Matt is hyped and running around faster than I raced - the ladies are looking lovely now I'm not delerious, and HW's OH has some serious running pedigree (hint hint)
David looks shattered - but then the organization would have had that effect on me let alone running two legs. I too am delighted with my tea coster - it's on my desk at work. And we decamp to the finish, to a blistering sprint finish, to smiles and good byes, to IPA's and an award ceremony.
My numbers 9.1 miles in just over 1hr 21 mins - 8.55 pace. We finished further up the field than when I started so job done.
NEXT year I will be available to do it again, I will have more time to help through the day, and I will have done more than 1 or 2 runs in any week of the previous 4 months.
Thanks everyone.
Fit Fat and Hedonistic |
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fishyweb
2309 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2008 : 08:17:01 AM
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I've really enjoyed reading the reports for the latter stages, and well proud of every single team member and supporter. OK, so not a podium finish overall, but a result to build on for next year, as I think some other sage already mentioned, as well as an excellent club-strengthening exercise! Now, if we can just copy the other cheating teams who had 10 different runners for the 10 legs...
Great photos again, HW!
I see the draft results are now up at http://www.marlboroughrunningclub.co.uk/ridgewayrelay.shtm , but my co won't permit Excel downloads, so I'll have to wait till I get home to see how badly I did in my leg. Garmin told me it was 10.73 miles in 93:52, with somnething in excess of 1000' of climbing (and even more descending ).
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Steve |
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MarkWillcocks
1275 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2008 : 08:28:53 AM
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Steve,
you did according to the sheet, 1.33.52 so as your garmin said......
my leg was proof of dont get lost and run up a hill before you realise you are lost!!!!
He who dares Rodney, he who dares. |
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The Ridgeway Reclaimed
