The Kindness of strangers
Going into this run, I really wasn't sure if I could do this....145 miles - London to Birmingham alongside a canal. Anyone that knows me knows that my navigation skills are pretty dire...I can get lost in Asda!!! I had not managed to recce this route at all....but the infamous canal runner Roz Glover was an absolute saviour sent me a gpx file to download to my watch. Maps are supplied for all of the canal races but my eyesight is terrible, I cant even see the map on my watch but heavily rely on the little bleeps to tell when I need to turn, cross bridges etc and to also let out a shrill if I'm off course. I spent over 5 hours driving (after a nightshift) to get to Swindon where I stayed with my running buddies Maurice and Lisa. We then got up at 3:30am to travel to London together (although neither of us slept). Maurice and myself had ran probably over 1000 miles together and he kinda got me into this race. We were both going into this race very uncertain...Maurice literally just coming back from injury and myself totally lost my mojo after a stressful relocation and pretty much having to run on my own. We were running this together so shared crew and running buddies.
Arrived at the start Little Venice....soon put at ease with all the familiar faces there....most of whom are as batshit crazy as myself with running crazy miles....chatting away , calmed the nerves and apprehension of what was ahead.
And......we're off....started off at what felt a comfortable pace, Maurice reigning me in as I have a habit of going hell for leather at the start....our strategy was to run 5 miles an hour average for the whole race. We got to 5 miles well under the hour and Maurice advised we should walk until the hour is up and start to run after....this was not really something I could do. I have Rheumatoid arthritis and struggle to walk/stop too much as my joints may seize and to walk this early in the race just would not have worked for me, so trotted on slowly and tried to remain with someone as knew I would possibly get lost. I got to the first checkpoint for our joint crew but no one was there, I guessed that the crew was working off of our predicted arrival times so carried on but soon realised that I possibly wont have any crew until night when my husband would be there for some moral support. Luckily crews for the other runners were absolutely amazing...filling my bottles, offering snacks and ice for my drinks. I was running in the heat and bumped into James and his partner on the path...ICE LOLLIES...omg I nearly cried, it came at the right time...thank you lolly lady xx The kindness of the boat owners on the canal was fab too, offering drinks and also allowing me to have some posh wee's.
Mikki xx
About 25 miles in I decided to call my husband and ask him to try and get to me as soon as he could as had lost Maurice and support crew....Hubby was leaving straight away and unfortunately got stuck in traffic for hours...so still no crew for me .... it was nearly 70 miles in and my husband finally got to me....a lot of my supplies were with the other support crew so he bought me some lovely chips and a drink at a pub....I had ran most of those miles with Mari, Mikki and James. Left hubby at the pub and caught up with Mikki ....we were running a similar pace so stayed together as neither of us fancied running in the dark alone. Night came and we stopped at a checkpoint ...I decided to walk on a bit as desperate for a wee, and Mikki and Seb would catch up with me .
I had to wee on the path itself as no hedges or anywhere else to go....darn it...peed on my trainers!!! I carried on walking, hoping that they would catch up with me soon. Came to a diversion so took the route I thought it would be , got about half a mile in and didn't feel confident with my route so went back and tried a different path to realise I must've got it right to start with...back on the diversion...still no Mikki so thought that they must've passed me when I tried other route. Doh...on my own, pitch black and starting to panic....I decided to run and keep running and so hopefully would catch up with them. I battled through the Giant Hogweed, dipped a toe in the canal a couple of times and decided I needed to "do a Maurice" (have a nap). Led myself on the canal path and set my alarm for 20 minutes...dropped off for what felt like 2 minutes but felt alert enough to carry on...splashed my trainers again with wee and found a new lease of strength. It started to get light and felt so relieved to get through the night. After about 10 minutes, another wee!!!! my trainers were starting to stink!!!
Finally I saw a sign saying Hatton Locks...I knew this was the 123 mile (approx) checkpoint . These locks are also known as the "stairway to Heaven" OMG it definitely felt like I was going up and up, on and on for eternity...I had seen more locks than a lock smith by the time I got to the check point!!!! ...On getting to the CP I felt quite chipper thinking I only had about 20 miles to go but the marshalls advised it was over 26 miles to go...to say I was P***ed was an understatement...I was savage to the point I wanted to quit. Finally i went on my way....looking forward to seeing my daughter at the 10 mile mark to run the last bit in together.
HISSSSSS ...canadian geese...2 families on the path with their babies...would not let me pass...started to shout back , they chased me back....tried talking nicely to them...still not having it....picked up a couple of branches up and started flapping them like wings...giving it large (my wings are bigger than yours kinda thing)....it worked they got in the water and I was able to pass. After that experience, absolutely busting for a wee again...nowhere to go and now it was light, I was tired and gone beyond the point of giving a damn...I hadn't seen any humans on the path since the night before so...middle path, dropped my shorts and knickers, crouched and let it go
only to hear someone as I was mid flow...a guy on his early morning run....DOH!!! quickly finished and re dressed my bottom half...yep weeing on my trainers again, apologising profusely...the guy didn't seem too phased, if it did shock him he didn't show it. Carried on running and just out of nowhere a check point...confused as by my estimate from the info from previous CP I had another 6 miles to go....absolutely speechless to start ,apart from saying it's been shit, then on realising how close to seeing my daughter my mood lifted massively...told the volunteers about my crazy night adventures , fighting off canadian geese, fighting with giant hogweed, the possibility of getting arrested for flashing and the fact I must stink of wee to boot!!!
Very emotional point for me
They sent me on my way (I must've stank). All of a sudden I heard a fimiliar voice....Poppy!!! Not sure what happened but I cried, I have never got this emotional before. It was soo good to have someone to walk/run with.
Best finish ever !!!
Almost there and reminded myself that I told Dick at an earlier CP I would do a sprint finish. On seeing the end , changed gear and ran as fast as I could, ended on the finish line with a little jig and a massive cuddle from Dick....
What an experience , what an adventure and to share it along the way with so many amazing, kind and generous people...from volunteers, Race directors, other runners and their crews and to total strangers that offered drinks and lollies and even to use their toilets for a posh wee.
Thank you all for this journey.
P.S.
I came 3rd female with a time of 30 hours and 29 minutes.
PPS....the trainers were binned!!!!
A few more highlights
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