I'll be your substitute, whenever you want me, dont you know I'll..........aaaarrrgggghhhhhhh!
When I heard these words in the early hours of Sunday morning, I thought maybe I was so tired I had transported mysef back in time and I was 8 again wondering if my stepmum HAD to listen to the same damn song over and over and over again :-D
But no I was very tired, but that was because I had been up since 6am Saurday morning. The shit song choices were all Henks, organiser of Caesars Camp ultra runs, and I was marshalling, and sadly still 41.
I went down to Hampshire with 2 runners world friends Smiffy and Pete. Pete was running, Smiffy was running the start /finish checkpoint and I was helping with that.
Except I had another job to do first. As soon as we got out the car Henk said hello to me and told me to get my kit on (I know!!! quite refreshing) because as a runner who had never seen the course he wanted me to do a lap to ensure the tape and arrows were set out properly. TBH if I had known that before I would have crapped myself because I am notorious for my sense of direction (or lack thereof). Anyway I didn't have time to worry I just set off, and it was fine! 10 miles off road all on my own (a relief after listening to Smiffy I can assure you) and I only got lost a little bit near the end, because they did need a few more bits of tape.
So I got back just as the runners were about to set off, some for 50 some for 100. A lot wouldn't make it.
I didn't have time to worry about that though as we needed to get things set up. There were jelly babys wine gums jaffa cakes flapjacks mini mars crisps pringle pepperami soup beans friut salad rice pudding......yeah all that and a constant stream of cups to wash as each runner was visiting us at the end of every lap and that would be 10 times if they did the hundred. I think there were about 90 starters for the 50 and 100 so no way we could not recycle.
So for the next 12 hours I filled cups, water bottles and camelbaks. I made sure food was kept stocked and offered tea and soup to weary runners. I had a bit of a moment at about 1am where I started to flag so I got in the car but I was so cold and the music was so loud and rubbish I couldn't sleep. so I started work again.
Early in the evening I girl I had met at another race who was doing the 100 asked if I fancied doing a lap with her later. I said yes she just needed to tell me when. About 2 am she came in and said could I do the next one with her, 70-80 miles. So at 4.30 I got my running kit back on and I think we set out at 4.45 when head torches were definitely required. Obviously Ester was tired but having someone to run with her cheered her up and she was in pretty good spirits. She was desperate for it to get light and to get to the halfway CP but apart from that it was ok. Toward the end of the lap she started to talk about giving up......I told her what I thought and offered to run the next one with her...........well hef best friend was at the CP and he said he would walk the last one with her so she then agreed I would run 80-90 with her.
This one was hard. Despite not having run 80 miles I was knackered, and Ester was much more down. She was hurting badly and obviously exhausted. I was trying all tactics to get her to run the runnable bits. When she was obviously going to cry I dropped back a bit to let her, but told her lots how well she was doing and congratulated ANY running no matter how short a distance. We talked about how much nicer the second half of the course was, which made getting to the halfway CP a real boost and somehow we made it through that lap in the same time as the one before.
Just before we got to the end of the lap she announced she was giving up :-/
I said what I thought but ultimately it was her decision.
She changed her mind :)))))
I found out today that she finished (I had to leave before she got back) in 26 hours something. Just brilliant and I felt really happy to be able to help a bit.
I just loved the weekend. Though I have hardly trained since cos I have been so so tired. But I now have some idea of what it will take to complete 100 miler. And I know if I have to I can stay up all night, and still run (well get round) 20 miles. COOL!
Do I think I can?
What do you think?
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