The Experience of a Lifetime

.
I know that as a phrase is is much overused, but in this particular case it almost under-states the reality of what the 10 in 10 was for me.

Two years ago the first of these was held. Lorna and I didn't know about its existence before that, but once we did we looked at each other, and almost in unison said,

"You know what...? *WE* could do that."

That in itself was a significant point. It was a challenge that we saw as an *us* challenge. Something that we could do together. And that was really important.
And we thought about it from that point forward.
Logistically we couldn't organise things to take part in 2008, so we started badgering Scott Umpleby at Brathay as soon as we'd finished running the Marathon in May.

In our minds we were already training for it. At least, it was the *focus* for the training that we were doing. If I'm honest, I always thought that of the two of us, V'rap was more likely to get accepted by virtue of the greater number of marathons and longer Ultra events that she's done. I wasn't at all confident that *I* would get a place at all.

We talked about what we would do if only one of us got in, and really there was no question. The other would be there to do whatever they could in a supportive role.
Because it was an *us* thing!

We needn't have worried. An email and letter from Scott informed us that we'd both be part of the running 'team'

And then came the self-doubt for me
A marathon is a significant undertaking - it's a LONG way - it's a distance that you have to respect - ONE is pretty tough - how on earth does one train to do 10 on the bounce...???

We formulated a plan - which was quite simple really.

Make running something that we *DO* not something that we *TRAIN FOR*
Make sure we have one decently Long Run a week
Do some back to back long runs and races
And run more than once a day.

The last point was important, I think. We quite often ran quite long mileage broken up into smaller chunks. So getting the volume and the strength to hold good form, without battering the body too much with repetitive longer runs.
And it gave us the "get back out there and do another one" mentality that would be needed for the 10 in 10.
I also think that it went some way towards conditioning our bodies to quick turnaround recovery (although that is just a guess on my part!)

But it also changed the way we thought about running. A half hour gap would have previously been dismissed as too short to bother getting changed for.
Now it was an opportunity to trot out a 3 mile circuit.

Over a week - that's another 21 miles! Training without realising you're doing it!

We started training in earnest in September, and initially it was going well, and then V'rap developed a phigglesome shin in November, so December was a bit of a write-off. I found it difficult to get out and train when she couldn't - and even once she was back in January, it took me a couple of weeks to get back to it!

But from that point on it all went well.
We did most of our training together, something which I think benefited both of us.

An interesting side-effect of this was that I started to get quicker over every distance, and from February to April, I was bettering personal bests pretty much everywhere. And recovering from harder run races really quickly.
I was particularly pleased to run under 3 hours at Shakepeare, just 12 days before the start of the event, and even happier to see Lorna massacre HER marathon PB on the same day.
We had clearly got something right to this point!

There was something quite surreal about driving up to Brathay on the Thursday. We arrived reasonably early, having waited fro the rush hour traffic to peter out.
We followed the signs to Shackleton Lodge, which was hidden away in the woods away from the main buildings. There were a few faces that we already knew and had met.
Steve and Teresa Edwards, Aly Knowles, Tom Giles (briefly in passing on the race route on weekend when we were recce'ing it), David Baylay (briefly at Shakespeare), and then slowly but surely a bunch of new faces. As it is with groups of people meeting for the first time, Day 0 was NOTHING like any of the other days

The really striking thing about it was how relaxed people were in each others company from the off.

We were introduced to Robin, the Team Nutrition fella, and a little later, Amy the Super-Physio did a little presentation about what she and her team would be able to offer us during the event.
I wonder if she realised *then* just how much work it was going to be!!!!

Day 1 was the most nerve-wracking of the 10. I was my usual caged-lion self, and incredibly nervous. Logically I knew that once we got under way I'd be OK - and that proved to be the case. But the anticipation of ACTUALLY getting started was unbearable.
And the weather was unhelpful

I won't repeat the minutiae of each race here.... because there was SO much more about the event which I didn't put into those reports!

The most incredible thing about this whole event is that, while it is a deeply personal challenge, it was also one where the very BEST in people was brought out.
Nowhere have I seen the level of support between the participants as I did here. From Adam who broke the event record numerous times and was running just over 3 hours for most of the 10, to Anastasia who often took over 7 hours to complete the course - always missed Lunch and so had significantly less recovery time than everyone else.
There was genuine relief and joy when people returned - a fair number of "Oh. My God.'s" when folk defied their injuries and posted an unbelievably great run.
Tim winning a race outright - a real highlight for me

And the day that Tom came into the Lodge in immense pain, collapsed on the floor and sobbed, saw everyone in the room galvanised into action. The initial look on Amy's face was not that of a physio concerned for a client, but of someone that was truly concerned about another human being in distress, and one about whom everyone cared.
Tom rose up from that point with his infectious good humour, and his achievement blew me away

And a crashing low point when Gareth had to pull out of the event on day 3 with an injury with which he was simply unable to continue.
The strength of character, and the measure of the bloke that he is was shown in the fact that he came back to support the remaining runners for the last few days. And quite rightly took his place with the team at the presentation on Sunday.
It's hard to describe - but it was like being a Family - but one that REALLY cared about every person there.

There were few defences and barriers amongst the group. There couldn't be really. With Mark S on one bed and me on the other, galvanising the physios into a competition to see who could make whose 'bum' wiggle the most, and elicit the most humorous 'squawks' which WAS a great spectator sport

There were low times too.
On the evening of Day 6 I was all but ready to throw in the towel. I'd upset Lorna - and I just wanted to get the hell out of there. I really couldn't see the point of being there at all. I was REALLY bad company that evening, when Lorna's parents took out for a really lovely meal
And come the start of Day and Race 7 I was less than mono-syllabic - it was awful!

BUT - I ran better, and by the end of the race, the GrumpBee Demon had been cast off and under the wheels of a passing lorry. He wasn't a welcome guest!

I must just mention Day 8. As you know, I had a bad day at the office. My slowest marathon, and mild hypothermia by mile 14 - day saved by Amy and our friend Dave. Interestingly this wasn't my worst race! I very quickly accepted that I couldn't run (when I couldn't) and my head zapped into a completely different place. Finishing became to goal - do the VERY best I could became the goal as well

I was at peace with that - and suddenly walking sub 13 min/miles was not only a goal but a triumph!!
Starting to run again - an incredible experience
Spending a bit of time with Dave running just behind me yattering about everything and nothing - fantastic - it could have been as beautiful sunny day, I wasn't really noticing the weather.
I waxed lyrical about how much I loved the course (easy when you are on the 'easy' bit though )
Tim cheered me in as he was lowering himself into the river

I finished in 4:32 - it hurt - a lot. But I was strangely happy with it.
Lorna (who'd had a really good run) came belting out of the Dining Room to hug me looking worried and upset. She had scared the Kitchen Staff in to making up some more hot food for the cold runners. Dave and Helen came in for a chat as well.
Everything about that day summed up for me the incredible power of Good that is in people. It was both humbling and uplifting at the same time

The last 2 days were like a big party
Incredible support on Saturday, and the knowledge that, barring death, once it was done then completion of the event was GOING to happen.
Missed seeing Aly's parents though. They'd been a permanent fixture on the course but were otherwise engaged that day. It was really noticeable that they weren't there

The Final day was a revelation. The weather was perfect for running. The start 'huddle' was strangely quiet and intimate, and that spell broke when we stood up.
The end of the journey which had been such an intensely personal one - but taken with an incredibly tight-knit group of people- was in sight. It could have felt like an intrusion with so many people sharing in it..... but it didn't.
It felt like a celebration of something incredibly special, and with a large number of people that had been following our progress through the power of technology.

I felt incredibly privileged to be standing on the start line with the extraordinary people with whom I'd shared this journey, and for there to be so many friends, family and well-wishers there to see us off is something that I'll never forget.

There was a striking difference between the noise and hubbub of the build up to, and the start, and the quietness of the road once we had started. Because I was running well, I spent most of the run alone.
It was amazing - and intensely emotional.
I have come to think of the course as an old friend, and in a way every footfall was bidding it a fond Au Revoir.
I had to control the urge to cry may times during that peaceful first 12.5 miles.

The finish was the most spine-tingling thing I've ever experienced. It is a memory that will stay with me forever!

If the events of your life, and the people you meet along the way shape the person that you are, then this event and these people - EVERYONE who was involved - have been a huge chapter in mine.

I think that the synergy created by that specific group of people, at that time, in that place, doing that event was completely unique - utterly unrepeatable.......

The experience of a lifetime!


.