Race Report - Thames Trot 50 February 2015

I was certainly making the most out of the Thames Path as I signed up for another race on it, the Thames Trot 50.
 
In theory I should know this route, but as the race mandatory kit was maps, I decided to take no chances and get some printed in advance. I needn't have bothered, the race organisers provided a brilliant booklet which was far better then what I put together. .
 

My maps before cutting to size, this one was run in the opposite direction to the T184, better remember that.
 







I should state, I have Fionna Ross to thank for this race entry, she didn't realise but by  casually mentioning she was entered and coming down for the race, the seed of thought was planted, and I was soon on the race website entering too.
 
I could drive from checkpoint to checkpoint trying to spot her to cheer on, OR I could just run too and try and keep up!  She didn't need a crew, it was to be a proof of fitness race for her, and a see how my legs are recovering from Barcelona for me.  
 
The route goes from Oxford to Henley, I collected Fionna from the airport Friday and we headed straight to Oxford to the start where we were staying.
 
 

Sunset - my favourite colour.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It starts in the car park of the Hawkwell House Hotel, so don't be thinking we were roughing it in a field, nope total divas on this occasion.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hotel breakfasts are awesome; but will need to be so tomorrow,  on race morning I had my standard porridge. Once signed in, numbers and chips collected, we had a whole hour of kit faffing to do.  



 



For me this weekend was a chance to catch up with Fionna, and test out the legs. A race is still a race though.

Barcelona 24hr wasn't that long ago (9 weeks) but I felt good. I'd recovered quickly thanks to as always pranichealing and the change in technique. The only niggle had been an annoying tightness in the hamstrings, not a pain or injury just a tightness, everything else had repaired extremely well, and I was still buzzing from making the GB team and achieving a PB.

 

Besides it was good timing for a 50 miler before Turin in April, and couldn't think of a better way than in a race.

The start delivered a sense of excitement. It was chilly, it was February after all, I was glad I started in sleeves and gloves, we got started, and followed everyone else down the road until we reached the Thames Path.


I found my stride, made sure the arms were working and not just along for the ride, cadence good, running tall, relaxed, no heel strike, head up, loving life. Looked at my watch and realised I was running a tad too quickly, okay, I've now tested the legs, and they are fine, so calm down and remember half your normal distance does not equate to going twice as fast. 


I found Fionna, we took turns to lead each other along the narrow paths, it was great to be out there with her, we had a few fellas behind us who must of had enough of us nattering away. It was a good way to keep the pace sensible, and get the first few checkpoints out the way.

Races unfold, and as we moved along the course, the chatting stopped, and we were racing in and out of checkpoints as quick as we could, embarrassingly even though I've been on this path a lot over the last 6 months, I still managed to miss a turn off a bridge, I'd stopped briefly for a quick comfort break and Fionna and the group had gone ahead.

As I started down the wrong path I was called back by a familiar voice, the wonderful Mr Paul Ali. 

We had a quick catch up over the T-Series events, I was hoping to do the T60 in May assuming I recovered well after the worlds, we ran into the next checkpoint where I'd caught up with Fionna again, who had also had a waver on the navigation.

Fionna is not a keen navigator, she will not mind me saying that,  the Thames Path is  marked with weymarkers, but with a few diversions on the route, and several tricky bits, it was reassuring to be with someone who knew the route, unfortunately for Fionna I was not that person, in fact there are sections of the T184 I cannot remember being on at all!

What I haven't mentioned yet was the mud, not just mud, but MUD.  The hamstrings were certainly being tested, so was my patience, we had been lucky for the first few sections as the frost had made the ground hard so not a problem, but now as it warmed up, the mud was getting very slippy, road shoes were not the smartest of choices, ah well, just got to get on with things, and keep your thoughts positive.

Sometimes awful conditions are a blessing, I didn't think that at the time when running in the 'Green Man' last year,  but thinking back the mud there had been worse. The race had been immediately after the floods, so some sections impossible to run on altogether, this was frustrating and tiring but at least not bringing us to a standstill.

30 miles in and I was feeling great, energy high, running form good, I was certain I could keep the pace to the finish, 5 miles of mud later I was feeling slightly less joyous about things.

I reckon I had a 35 mile good run, then 15 miles of head down and get yourself to the finish in as-good-a-state as you can. I was out in the lead with Fionna, but as we headed into Reading we were over taken by another lady, Susie Chesher;  Fionna gave chase, I did not.

Times like that you can look back and feel bad about your own commitment to the race, I certainly did. Thoughts of doubt enter your head, did I go off too fast is a standard one of mine, I just didn't think I had that change in pace to hand.  I didn't want to risk the hamstrings the mud had certainly aggravated them a bit, and to be totally fair, those girls were stronger than I was.

I continued on as best I could, occasionally spotting Fionna and Susie up ahead. They were running really well.


The last checkpoint down, and a run into the finish,  head  back in the game, I felt a second wind but too late to do anything with, Susie had won, Fionna second, and me in third.

Fantastically the quickest 3 ladies times on  course records.

Well done and a big congrats Craig, Scott, and Paul, 1, 2, 3 and  to everyone else who ran.

There's always going to be some disappointment not to have ran as well as you hoped, however the truth is you are always being tested and learning from it, and basically that's why I do it.

Results http://gobeyondultra.co.uk/Results_2015

On a massive positive I had a great weekend, the runners, supporters, and organisers were brilliant, I got to spend some quality time with my team mate and friend Fionna, tried out a new rucksack which (I almost laugh saying) may be used in the Thames Ring 250 later on in the year, and I got to build up my bank of race experience.

I do think the mind struggles to let you do things it doesn't think you can do, it piles on the negativity, which in turn  brings you down, one way of combatting this is to build up experience and keep moving forward, each time you do this you will find the mind gives you a little more leeway when the body wants to quit.  
The other is to simply ignore those thoughts (which does not feel simple at all at the time)  push back on them with positive ones and an absolute belief in what you know you can/will do. 

I did not have that belief today, a part of me had already decided this was not the day to 'race' race, but I know its there, I've already experienced a small sample of what you can do when you are truly focused, I look forward to the next race and another chance to test myself. 

Thanks to everyone for their help and support along the way.  http://ultrafionna.blogspot.co.uk/,  http://www.ukpranichealing.co.uk/, https://runningreborncoaching.wordpress.com/ 



GB & NI team announced for IAU 24 hour World Championships - Turin

  
         World Championships Katowice 2013




So happy to be part of the team going over to Italy to race in the World 24hr Championships.
A total honour to be running with such an incredible group of people!
http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/media/news/2015-news-page/january-2015/15-01-2015-iau-24-hour-team/

The difference a year can make..

 

 

Barcelona 24hr 2013 2nd place
Barcelona 24hr 2014 1st place 

Race Report - Barcelona 24hr December 2014

Having qualified for the GB 24hr team for the World Championships in Taiwan December 2014, and then hearing it was cancelled, we all had to resubmit our personal bests and Race CV’s for the Worlds confirmed as Turin Italy, April 2015.
In the meantime there had been some incredible running going on, and I mean REALLY incredible.  In September I went to Tooting to crew for Fionna Ross in a 24hr race, it was there we were spoilt for choice in terms of inspiration.  Fionna won with 233k, Isobel Wykes came 2^nd with 230k, and Noanie Heffron 3^rd with 213k.

Fionna already on team GB was incredible to watch, she put a staggering 17k onto her personal best, Isobel and Noanie in their first official 24hr race were equally impressive, and as I passed Noanie a custard pot in the final few hours, I was cheering them on to surpass the qualifying standard and also my own personal best.

Tooting Race Report

http://run.runandbecome.com/london-running-news/self-transcendence-24-hour-race-2014/
The results fantastic for them, sealed the deal, I had to race another 24hr if I was to be back on the team.  Barcelona December 20/21 was going to be again my qualifying race.



Being so late in December meant school holidays; I had a support crew of my daughter Jordan, Steve, and then Fionna told me she was coming, I couldn’t have been happier.
Crew is so important, last year I had Sharon Law and Angela Rigby, who literally dragged me round, so once again crew wise I was onto a winner.
Barcelona is a track race out in lane 6/7, I had been getting some tips from the others, and found they took their lap splits which enabled them to manage pace, I was definitely going to do the same.
I had recovered well from the T184, 2 weeks as always of no running, my biggest problem I would say were the quads, and an annoying swollen ankle, RICE therapy (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and pranic healing (energy healing) and I was soon knocking out gentle miles again on the flat.



This is what happens when you prod a swollen foot.
After T184 I had been in touch with the Race Director Shane Benzie at Running Reborn  http://www.runningreborn.co.uk/ he had approached me to see if I would be interested in providing some data for his research on running efficiency; anything like that I find really interesting so jumped at the chance.

We went to Kent University and I was videoed on the track, turns out my running style is appalling, and he questioned how on earth I managed to make it round T184 without totally trashing my quads, I could have cried, but I did trash them!!!!  To find out I could reduce the impact they were taking, was fantastic!



Then onto the treadmill and some lactic acid and vo2 max tests, it was a great experience, and looking forward to going back.



I now had some technique changes to make, posture, cadence, heel strike, arms that pretty much did nothing, looking at a still shot of my foot fall was painful, a heel strike is not great, but a heel strike on a straight leg is disastrous over 24hrs.  My quads were going to finally get some relief, careful not to change too much too soon, especially 10 weeks before Barcelona; I was practising the new style and feeling the benefits quickly.
So, 10 weeks to go till Barcelona I had a few long runs to fit in, I work at an airport, so was fortunate to have the runway and apron as my playground for the night, Steve came along and got some crew practise in, and I ran through, wearing the tracking system and monitor to see how I was progressing.
Everything was going well, I wasn’t picking up any new injuries with the changes made, the heel strike was gone, my arms a million times better, and I was feeling pretty good.
The target was 225k, the plan had been sent to my crew for their input, it was now printed and laminated and I was all set.  With the time I’d had, I couldn’t have been more prepared for this one.
Pranic Healing helps me a lot, I meditate; it’s taught me focus, positivity, and belief in myself. I didn’t always have this, and still have to work hard at it, but I don’t fear failure like I used to, every race is a lesson to help you move forward, how can you fail when you are always learning, no one knows what they are capable of, so just keep going.
http://www.ukpranichealing.co.uk/index.html

Fast track to the start line, I had picked up one of the flu bugs everyone seemed to have at work just before I left, I’d had a lot of help clearing it, but the body just didn’t have enough time to fully recover, I was coughing like a trooper, but I’ve started a race in worse condition.

 

I did take my lap splits, and found it really comforting seeing a consistent pace, it was probably consistently quicker than I had planned, but only slightly and I felt comfortable.
I was running through a technique check list in my head, and even had a metronome to help with cadence; unfortunately I didn’t do the smart thing and change the battery first, lesson learned.
The hours were ticking by, Jordan, Steve, and Fionna were brilliant, every lap they were on the case passing drinks, food, asking if I needed anything, I had some great notes giving  updates on distance and how I was doing against the plan, they could not have done more, I cannot thank them enough for their hard work and support, a total commitment to the cause, they were unbelievable.



I ran to each hour, that’s all I was focused on, eat, drink, technique, focus, that’s it. Every hour was the same, check lap splits, and keep positive.  It was great to have support on and off the track, I met Natasha for the first time from team Buff, she was running relaxed and strong, and enjoying the race.


The temperature was a lot warmer than I thought it would be, and I remained in a vest the entire time, just adding some sleeves during the night.  It got dark around 17:00 but I actually quite like that. I do a lot of my training at night, in fact I do a lot of my training on a treadmill at night, poor old Jordan she falls asleep to the sound of a treadmill, although she says its quite comforting , ‘comforting’  OR  she knows where I am and can’t catch her out staying up late.
The difference between the last 24hr race and this one was massive, my legs felt so much better, my head was up, I was running stronger, I definitely felt more in control, I was trying my hardest to stick to everything I had been practising, technique and mind-set, those 2 things were giving me the confidence I needed to believe I could achieve the goal.
I was ahead of plan slightly but not by an alarming amount, I was the leading female coming towards the 12hr mark, things now get a bit more serious, I was still on plan, and conscious I had to keep what I was doing going, Fionna was now my crew as Jordan needed some rest, but in 7hrs she’d be back fresh with energy and giving me everything I would need to finish and hit my target.
I am so thankful to have help from Les Flitcroft and with Angela also giving me an energy boost every 4hrs, I just needed to keep the head clear, stay positive, and not let anything distract me.
What was beginning to become a very annoying distraction was a pain in my stomach, could be dehydration, could be the flu bug, could be anything, but I couldn’t ignore the pain for much longer, and was having to stop way more than I wanted to see if that would help. In this state eating becomes an issue, I was trying not to get frustrated and feel the race was coming apart, I saw through the next 3 hours stop starting, and fighting that feeling of this is now falling apart.



17hrs in, I was reassessing my target, something I promised I wouldn’t do, I wanted to believe I could make it to the very end, no matter what tough patch I went through. I could kick myself now, for  if I knew then what I know now I would have clung onto that goal till the bitter end.  Another lesson.
Sometimes you cannot achieve your goal, injury, illness, genuine reasons, but don’t miss it because you simply gave up on it, at least try your very hardest to the very end.    If I’m being honest, I gave up on the 225k, my laps had gone from 2:30mins to 5:00mins, I was in agony, my stomach felt like it was in pieces, I had an itband issues,  it just felt like I had nothing, looking back though I let them get to me, and they became worse for it.
This is really not the time to think I went off to fast, I’ve made mistakes, I’ve blown this, and with 3 hours to go, and Natasha catching me up fast, I saw Jordan return, I made Steve get a message to Les that I was struggling, and I kicked myself into gear.
In three hours this pain would stop, and in my head three hours, is actually two and a bit, okay that’s better, I had a hit of adrenalin, and sped up for a few laps,  I can do this, I made it round to the two hour mark, I just needed to rise above the pain, I hadn’t done all of this to lose it in the last few hours, I just had to want it enough.  Fionna, was giving me updates on distance, I was getting information on what I needed to do to stay ahead of the qualifying mark and keep my lead, it was going to be close, another surge of adrenalin, I knew I was getting closer, I ran purely towards hour 23, after that anything could happen and I was confident I could deal with it.  Natasha was so good, so strong, and still relaxed, it was going to be close, I was now over the new qualifying mark,  Natasha would be too, this was going to be a fantastic race for us both.
I made Fionna literally tell me how long was left every time I saw her, my watch was off, I was  running as hard as I could, Natasha would not catch me now, I knew I had the distance I needed to submit, I’d definitely got a personal best, and it was all now about holding it together and giving everything I had in the last remaining minutes,  10mins, 5mins, I was ‘flying’, I genuinely thought I was sprinting,  the siren went, I stopped…..hold on why are they still running, aargh bet that was 1 min to go, I had to get going again, I gave it all I could, siren again, and immediate face plant.
I had Jordan hugging me within minutes.



I finished with 221k, with lots of areas to still work on, and one unbelievably proud daughter, a fantastic support crew I couldn’t stop thanking, and for the first time I did the smart thing, and had some electrolytes as soon as they were handed to me. I felt all in all pretty good!!
There are lots of people to thank for all their hard work and support, I genuinely could not have done this without my brilliant crew, Jordan, Fionna, and Steve,  Shane Benzie at Running Reborn; who’s technique changes have totally changed the way I think about body movement, Les Flitcroft and Angela Rigby at ukpranichealing.  Thank you!
I now have to wait and see if I did enough for team GB, I’d love to be back out with the team, such an honour running in a GB vest, and part of something very special.

Race Report – T184 August 2014

Race Report – T184 August 2014

 

The T184 is a self-supported non-stop race covering the full length of the Thames path.  184 miles starting at the Thames Barrier in central London and finishing at the source of the River Thames in the Cotswolds.
August 22^nd 2014 was the first time runners would set of on this epic journey, and I was really excited to be one of them.
Looking back I had wanted to be part of this race as soon as I read about it, it was the unsupported aspect and the sheer scale of the event which did it for me,  I didn’t realise at the time, but this was to be one of my most proudest moments, and one which I almost didn’t start.
Like a lot of people, pre-race preparations did not go to plan, having run well earlier in the year I was frustrated to fall unwell in the lead up to race day, had this been a training weekend there was no way I would have run, but this was the race I’d been looking forward to for months, the race where friends and family could track us and feel a part of,  the race which had introduced me to bivvy bags and different styles/sizes of rucksacks,  the brilliant guys at Activ8 Rehab had worked hard on getting me new orthotics which I’d requested in a last minute pre-race panic, realising my old pair wouldn’t last the course, I’d spent weeks reccing the latter stages of the route, and I really wanted to see how far I could go,  in summary  there was no way I was going to miss this.
The evening before the race the kind people of the Thames Head pub were happy for me to leave my car there,  deal sealed,  I was running and I was going to get to the finish.
Traffic into London was pretty good Friday morning, I arrived in plenty of time to check in, get sorted, and spot a fellow racer Andy Saville, who I’d met in a previous race.  I wasn’t selected for a random bag search, but I knew the contents inside and out, I’d checked it myself so many times:
8000 calories, Bivvy Bag, Full waterproofs, Compass, Maps, First aid kit, electrolytes, silver foil blanket, Head torch, batteries, long sleeve, leggings, hat, gloves, and glasses.
The briefing Shane gave was great, there were 7 checkpoints, we could take additional water from lock taps which were marked on the provided maps, we should expect a few diversions off the path, and our GPS trackers where all good to go, all that was left to do was walk down to the Thames Path, and a countdown to get us started.
The first 5 miles were brilliant, it was the furthest I’d run in weeks, I took that as a good sign, and carried on chatting with Andy who I’d found myself running alongside, the second 5 miles however were pretty grim, I felt ill, uncomfortable, and having to work hard just to run at a steady pace. We were walking for 5 mins on the hour which was a relief and I enjoyed the break, I was worried I was slowing Andy down, and told him to go on, but he was happy to keep it slow and steady, with 174 miles ahead of you slow and steady sounded a good idea.
The first checkpoint was a welcome sight, and to be told we were high up in the field was encouraging, we stayed long enough to take on more water and refill the waist pockets with food, Andy was giving me a guided tour of the city, which was a nice distraction, I was focusing too much on how my body felt rather than being part of the race, and when we met up with some other runners I was really not in a happy place.  At 13 miles we were cheered on by who I thought a rather enthusiastic random chap, who was in fact a friend of Andys who worked close by, it was a nice reminder this was a race, and was good to hear the tracking was picking us up, as his pocket bleeped with our live progress.
Mile 13, photo taken by ‘random enthusiastic chap’



I could happily bore you with the next 60 miles, in terms of scenery it was incredible, we left London, passed through Hampton, Windsor, Henley, then coming into Goring I was now into familiar territory, we’d gone through a night, I’d used way more batteries than planned due to a faulty batch, I was struggling with bruised shoulders from my rucksack and having to pad them out with my extra layers, but in terms of how I felt , I was actually now feeling stronger than ever.
I had been on this part of the course before and race mode kicked in, we were about to reach the Goring Checkpoint which is 100 miles, and it was looking possible to reach it just under the 24hr mark, but I mean just, we sped up for a mile or two, but accepted in the grand scheme of things, it was a nice idea, but realistically it wasn’t our main goal.   We ran into the Checkpoint, and stayed a little longer than the others ones to make sure we were fully stocked, this was a sleeping checkpoint, but neither me nor Andy really wanted to rest here, we ran out of the checkpoint then promptly walked to finishing adjusting packs and finish eating my homemade flapjack.
Goring checkpoint, shoulders getting some relief



The ground was different now, the tow path turned to grass, things were progressing a little slower than intended, especially when a diversion took us into a farm, and we had to back track to get back on the route, this frustration hit us hard and got us quite down about things, so we decided we needed a pep talk and took 5 mins to actually sit down and sort our heads out.
We were passed whilst sitting down by another racer Kieron; this was going to have to be some pep talk to bring back up our spirits now!  Back on our feet we needed to walk a little more, and it took a little while to get back up to pace once running again, my legs preferred to run than walk, and definitely did not enjoy the change between the two, after 110 miles I was going to have to make an awful decision, I tried again with a pep talk, “this is our challenge, it’s how we deal with this now that counts, we chose to do this race so we need to do something”  I left it as long as I could, but I was running away from him without meaning to, logically I knew I would have to leave him,  I didn’t want to upset him, and had it been the other way round I would have made him run his own race, however I still felt pretty awful.
I ran on.
I was now in 3^rd, and was hoping that as I caught Kieron so would Andy. No offense intended to Kieron, I just really wanted Andy to do well, I owed him such massive thanks.
Kieron caught me up, he had been sheltering from some pretty heavy rain, and was now back up to speed, and we both headed towards the next checkpoint, we were running together at times, but also a bit of cat and mouse and trading positions, I was now focusing on what I needed to do, how far was left, and that this was now just a 50 mile race, no more negativity, I could feel my energy building up, I felt refreshed and eager to reach the next checkpoint and cross another off my list.
Kieron had said he was thinking of resting at the next checkpoint, and I hoped Andy would have ploughed on and would gain strength from getting to the checkpoint and running himself into 3^rd.
At the checkpoint as I was told I was now an hour away from the leader, I felt great, nothing mattered now except catching him, I sorted my bag, and left, it wasn’t long before I had to stop and get a head torch out ready, which Id wished I’d done at the checkpoint and saved myself the additional stop, every minute mattered, I was full on racing, but still  cautious I made sure navigation was monitored and I stayed on the right path.
I was then stopped and asked if I had time for a quick chat, it was a chap from the race organisers, who I’m very glad I stopped for when he told me I was now in the lead! Sadly the leader had to pull out, I was winning overall,  just keep moving forward as quick as I can now, and don’t go wrong!.
In the dark the path was hard to spot, I was now completely out in the open, the river I was pretty sure was on the correct side, but trees marking field crossings could also have been a river, and for a moment I was a little worried I’d gone wrong,  I climbed far enough down the grass verge to be sure it was in fact the river which  I was following,  the fog was now really thick, and making the head torch fairly useless.
I was cold, wet, and concerned my head torch would run out of battery, on the bright side it was keeping me pushing onwards, I was down to the last battery, I swapped to my spare hand torch  which was actually better in the fog.
The route now veered away from the river and instead crossed fields on the diagonal,  I had to hope there was a gate with a Thames path marker on it, I thought I was on the right bearing  but when you are not sure its a nervous place to be in,  I really did not want to back track, I actually wasn’t sure I could.
The only walking I was doing now was on the inclines, which on the Thames path are not that many, though this far into the race what is classed as an incline is pretty generous.
The section was now marked with tape, which I was grateful for, the way markers are good, but easier to spot red tape then double check it’s still a Thames Path sign, especially when having been up since very early Friday morning.  It was now a rather damp and misty Sunday morning.  It didn’t quite dawn on me until afterwards that I had manage to get through the whole race with no rest,  I’d had a few caffeine tablets, and had cut out all caffeine months before the race in the hope they would have more effect than normal, which seemed to have worked well,  but what really kept me going was the all encompassing urge to just keep moving, I had nothing in my head except get to the next gate, round the next corner, to the end of the road turn right, and so on, total focus, clear the mind of any doubt, there is nothing that can stop you.
In my mind’s eye I tried to see what I looked like, check I still had a running form (I’ve got so many photos of me at the end of a race where in my head I’m still ‘running’, but in reality it’s a shuffle barely worth calling that) I was already visualising the finish, I was adamant on the drive home I would look back on every part of this last 20 miles and know I could not have done any more.
In the lead and the sun coming up, It really did feel like I was flying, I hit the last checkpoint at a sprint, I was so excited, and with 16 miles to go, the feeling was unbelievable, I left all the food I wasn’t going to eat, having carried it this far I found food in my bag I’d forgotten about, I readjusted my shoulder pads, and left for the last stretch of 16 miles.
I remember this leg the best, probably because I had covered this part on a training run in both directions.  I had dreamed of being here,  I was told I was safely going to win it, but now I wanted to be under 48hours, I thought I could go under 47 I tried, but I did just a little too much walking to make that time.
One section which I walked (looking back is now comical, at the time not so much) was due to cows.  I am not great at running through fields of cows, kind of silly , but in this instance it wasn’t just  giving a few a wide berth, the entire herd were blocking my path.
The only way to go was through a gap between trees which they were inconveniently blocking, I stopped, approached slowly, they didn’t even budge, I got nearer then realised I would just have to go through them, they allowed me to passed, but then closed ranks and followed me up the hill towards the gate, I walked faster, and thought for a moment I would have to sprint for the gate, they weren’t that far behind at all when I fumbled the lock and got through.
No more dramas thankfully, it was a just case now of focusing on getting to the finish, my shoulders were sore but manageable,  I had a large blister on the side of my heel which had popped ages ago, but was not bothering me enough to do anything about it, certainly not this close to the finish, I felt like I was running on empty, I was still working hard on the sections which were runnable and marching out the parts which were not, every single step was getting me closer to the finish.
Even though I knew this section, parts went on a little longer than ideal, but I was getting there and that’s all that mattered.
There was no way I was going to finish this race dressed like an 80s reject, call me vain, but I stopped and the shoulder pads were removed,  the river was now reassuringly reduced in stature,  I knew I had missed the sub 47 hour goal, but  was now working on getting in under 48.
when I saw I  had just a couple more fields to go it was overwhelming, a few more gates, a large dog to avoid, and then I was met by one of the organisers on a bike who rode alongside me until I entered the final field.
I could see the T184 banners, Race Director Shane Benzie, supporters, and most importantly the stone signifying the start of the Thames, but our finish.  A final push and I was there, 184 miles, the outright winner in 47:18 I couldn’t believe it, absolutely over the moon, it had been every part the epic journey in the most fantastic cliché of ways.



The Finish.



And the finish from my daughter Jordan’s perspective, the actual video she took apparently involved singing and dancing , so a screenshot had to do.
The tracker was great, not once did I feel alone, when you know that know that friends, family, team mates are all following you it was a huge boost, definitely made the night sections easier, it was only afterwards was I able to see just how much support there was for the race, the comments , race reports, and shared experiences from everyone has made this an unforgettable event, one that I am very proud to have been a part of.
To be fair, it was touch and go I would be starting the T184 at all, I owe massive thanks as always to Les Flitcroft and Pranic Healing, (a complimentary therapy, similar to how the Chinese use Qigong, which uses the energy around us, and has changed the way I approach every challenge) It’s helped me deal with failures, and successes, and see them for what they are.  Now for me each race is a lesson, and this was certainly no exception.
This race was tough, the finishing statistics prove that, but looking at how many people are wanting to give it another go, it was a race that gave so much, and one I will definitely come back to, everyone involved from the organisers, volunteers, and competitors help make it an experience like non other, a massive thank you to everyone, and congratulations to all those who competed, in the truly fantastic T184.
To find out more information about the T184 and T-series events go to www.tseriesracing.com