Adidas Thunder Run 2010
31/7/2010 to 1/8/2010 - 24 hour team relay
After month getting a team together there where 3 last minute drop out, good job I was running a reserve list.
Loads of planning had gone into this as needed to get a team order that worked for all. One person only wanted to do 1 lap, another only 2, a third did not want to run during certain hours, etc.
A couple of the team had arrived the night before and setup camp. I was the next to arrive and setup my tent and layed out my stuff (clothes, shoes, food, etc). With a few hours to go getting a bit worried as there was only 3 of us. However, one by one they arrived.
After a brief briefing it was nearly time for the off. Getting excitied but the released it would be around 7 hours before I was off. Waved our first runner off and strolled back to get some food.
First runner back and second off. First runner was under our target (PB + 5 mins), he said the course was tough and not going to be fun at night. Second runner back also under target. So on and on it went everyone coming back under target.
Then it was my turn so off I went. A slight down hill into a tight twisty uphill wooded section, then up and down some hills heading back to the start area. Up some more hills to the 5Km water station, grabbed a cup and walked up the hill. Then twist and turns through the woods to a long dog leg downhill. Onto the flat around the camp site then a final up hill to the finish and hand over to the next. I was under target as well.
Getting dark now, so showered and had some food and tried to get some sleep. Up early as was drifting in and out of sleep (worried about everyone making there slot). The night run peoples times had started to drop and where coming in over target.
I stood there with my head torch waiting for my team mate to come in, thinking this was your stupid idea. Switch over and off I went into the dark. Very odd experience running the same course in the dark. Have run at night before but always had street lights, this was the middle of no where so no light pollution just the moon and other runners. Times slowed dramatically as need to pick your way through the tree roots etc and keep and eye on where the course went. Lap 2 done.
After a shower, food and some sleep. I was not feeling great until a had a cup of coffee. I was concerned about my ability to sort myself out for Lap 4 so I elected to do a double lap. Off I set for Lap 3 keeping the pace down so I could do a negative split. Lap 3 done and I still felt good. Time to up the pace a bit. At around 2Km I went into a pot hole and twisted my ankle. Decided to try and run it off but no good, had to run walk the remaining distance. At the 9Km mark I saw my team mates waiting for my. I could have cried felt like I had let them down. Changed over and iced my knee and ankle. Had a shower, dosed up on painkiller and had something to each as the team kept going.
26 laps done in just under 24 hours. All tired and broken but all we can talk about is doing it next year.