Written by Rachel Lonergan - https://runsandsmiles.wordpress.com
I first came across TP100 in 2013, let’s call it ‘the slightly damp year’, when a friend was running it. What kind of imbecile would possibly EVER be interested in such a ridiculous event, I remember thinking.
Fast-forward about 6 months and my husband entered! He finished the 2014 TP100 with a broken leg and serious muscle damage, and was on crutches for months afterwards.
A little voice had by now started up in my head, and I think the seed was firmly planted a few weeks later when we volunteered at our first Centurion event… I was hooked so set about running the qualifying distance of 50 miles at the NDW50 in 2015 and volunteering at the finish to see what it was like….
6 months prior to the race I started my training plan. It lasted a week before a niggle became a problem (stress reaction), and I couldn’t run for 2 months. I nearly gave up at this point but set about cross training of swimming and cycling with a vengeance. Remarkably when I started running again I had gained speed and fitness! My training plan by Eddie Sutton was very different from my homemade one for the 50 miler the year before – I had plodded everywhere at ultra pace, whereas she had me doing strength work, intervals, tempo work etc. I was also keen in the months before the race to recce the whole route, even though I knew sections from crewing Michael in his race. I have to say this paid off immeasurably because I remembered a lot of it and it took any doubt away from me. For people who think ‘Don’t you just follow the river?’, no you don’t! I find it is a tricky course in places because of the river crossings and the towns you go through slightly off the river.
I became obsessed with the weather in the week leading up to the race and one of my pacers pulled out on the Monday before with a bad back. Another friend stood in and the forecast improved so we were all set! Michael and I arrived at the start REALLY early and I got a bit tearfully overwhelmed as we were waiting around… what was I doing?!
This isn’t me tearfully overwhelmed… this is me, the idiot!
One thing I have to say at this point is that I don’t know how anyone does this race on their own… I am SO lucky to have an amazing husband, family and friends supporting me and I genuinely know it makes a HUGE difference to me. About 15 friends from parkrun descended on the river from Old Deer and Richmond to cheer me off.. thank you!!
A selection of ‘Lonerfans’, a crazy but amazing bunch of friends I am very lucky to have!
And we’re off!
My plan was to aim for 11 minute miles and I really had to hold back at the beginning to keep it close to this. In the early miles I fell in step with Tracey who I had met a year previous at NDW50. We ran together to Windsor and she went on to have an amazing finish.
Living near Hampton Court, I had so much support in the first section it was incredible, including groups of friends at HC bridge, Walton and others having lunch at a riverside pub in Chertsey. What makes these friends amazing is that they not only gave up a precious bank holiday weekend for this race, but they also printed off the entry list and were cheering on every runner that went past!
It was at Windsor that the wheels fell off for me… at 28 bloody miles! I had run this sort of distance in training for months, and here I was struggling to walk at 18mm! This lasted till about 34 miles when I again saw friends and Michael, had a little cry and told him I couldn’t do this. He said I could and just needed some sheer bloody-mindedness so, after some ibuprofen (I know!) for my back, I jogged on. And on. And on. The sections into Marlow then Henley were so strong I was happy, running and, as my Dad informed me at Marlow, inside 24 hour pace! I tried to politely tell him that this didn’t interest me as I knew that time was beyond me…. and that, no, he couldn’t eat the crisps from my crate!
Happy again in Cookham
I was hoping to get into Henley with enough time to spare so that the second half had some time in the bank. I arrived in just over 11.5 hours so was pretty pleased so far.
Headtorch on and a couple of pieces of pizza wolfed in Henley, it was time to set of with Pacer #1, Andy, into the night section which, being a clumsy person, I was dreading. But we chatted, trotted, walked our way through the night, deliberately not spending much time in aid stations and trying to make progress at all times. It was cold but neither of us found it debilitating. For me, the terrain was determining my pace and whether I had the confidence to risk running, and I couldn’t stop weeing! Apologies to any runner who happened upon me in a half squat (a full squat was well beyond my legs at this stage!) in the middle of the path! Dawn started to creep into the world at about 4.30am and our head torches were off by the time we reached the 77.9 mile mark and Pacer #2, Zoë. I was amazed that I was still able to run at this stage and we trotted along, chatting, in the bright sunshine. I was still weeing like a horse and my hands were puffed up to the size of a small country by this point! Clifton Hampden seemed to take an age to arrive and, by now, my pace had slowed to a yomp rather than a jog. I also didn’t feel much like food by now but was managing to keep Jaffa cakes going in. However, in spite of all of this, as we entered Abingdon we overtook 2 ladies out for a morning stroll who told us we were the most cheerful runners they had seen! Zoë briefed Pacer #3, Emma, on shovelling Jaffa cakes into me, opening gates, shielding me when I was weeing etc (ie all the glamorous roles!) and we were off for the last 9 miles. I spent much of this section asking Emma what time it was ‘in the real world’ – I found I was so wrapped up in pace, running time etc that I didn’t want to lose track of the 2pm deadline. The finish seemed to take an age to arrive but, after a 9 mile walk with Emma we made it!!!
The only time I mustered any ‘speed’ (a relative term!) from Abingdon to Oxford was at the finish!
What a fantastic feeling! I had finished my first 100 mile race, and the time started with a ’26’ (26h 36m!) when I would have been happy with 27.59!
I couldn’t have done it without these guys – thank you so much forever to (L-R) Michael, Suzan, Dad, Mum, Emma, Mo, me (obvs!), Andy and behind the camera Zoë!
It’s now Monday morning. I managed a bath yesterday, you’ll be pleased to know, and having got into bed I haven’t moved an inch since. I hurt. I really hurt. The race was tough but I don’t think I realised how much it took out of my body until I had finished, got home and saw my swollen knee, felt muscle soreness I had never imagined was possible etc but this pain will subside at some point and the pride will remain. My hands now look like mine again, rather than belonging to a sumo suit, and I have stopped weeing like a horse so there are some improvements already!
Everyone seems to doubt me when I say that this is my only ever 100 mile race. I certainly feel pretty sure of this at the moment! I’m not sure I feel the need to put myself through another one… I’ve got my belt buckle but haven’t got a clue what I’m going to do with it!!
P.S. Not even 3 weeks later and I have ordered the Ridgeway map and think I will give the A100 a go! From not being able to move an awful lot in the couple of days following TP100 I feel well recovered, have started running again (and biking and strength training!) so my ‘never again’ was, as everyone said it would be, short-lived!!