3rd April 2010
5 Dallam runners 1 supporter and 76 others
In the departure lounge we hopefully chatted to Wendy Dodds about the course and her previous tours, 6 outings 5 wins, she was looking at a time of around 6 hours so we thought 6 and a half. The boat was full so only a few seats at the back for us boys. This turned out to be the slowest trip I’ve ever done, 4 hours in a packed seating area with the constant drone of the engines sapping every last bit of enthusiasm out of me. At last we docked at Douglas to pouring rain and snow still covering the hills, it should have been a short walked to the hotel instead it was a taxi ride. As we checked in we asked about breakfast to our horror 8am to 9am, our bus to the start was 7:30am luck was on our side chef would come in early to do porridge etc. We had dinner in the hotel, duck pancake followed by Beef and mash, then back to our rooms to pack the kit bags and early bed. The alarm sounded its time to get up but no lights we had a power cut, I had Mickey P in my room so you can guess what he had to say about having to get dressed in the dark fumbling around for kit.
After breakfast a brisk walk to the taxi rank and then onto the mini bus for the 40 minute ride up the TT course to Ramsay the driver pointing out some interesting places all the time saying how mad we must be to run to Port Erin. In the village hall we prepared for the start then we people watched, kit bags were packed, muddy trainers laced up and stretching of limbs was done, Wendy Dodds proving to be the most flexible of them all, before it was time to go. With only 81 runners the field was soon spread out and we started to climb from the offset. That’s what we seamed to do all day just climb in wet mud and heather, just like the section from Skiddaw to Great calva, this was all day mile after wet mile slipping, sliding, splashing, and wading our way across the island the terrain was leg sapping and hard. The clag was down until we reached our fourth summit and first water station we climb a fence to cross the wettest field on the island with added melting snow to numb the feet for just as we arrived at the next check point a marshal asked if that runner behind was on the road ‘not sure’ was the reply. But he was and it was Greg glancing back as we climb the next summit we could see Greg getting a telling off. The hills kept on coming we passed through heather, wet field’s and gorse bush’s we jumped fences, rivers and walls, one even had a set of aluminium step ladders at them we laughed at the thought of what Greg would have to say about them as he filled in a health and safety foam.
I had been trying to eat something every hour but my stomach had been cramping all morning, turned out Jane had the same starter as me the night before and she was suffering also, I was finding it hard to eat, my head felt it was ten times bigger than normal……… I was feeling very low, this was my first bad patch, I had been battered with the cold, rain, wind and snow the week before but this feeling was worse. It felt like I not only had a ball and chain on each leg but I was dragging the cannon as well, I was ready for stopping at the next water station I had to get some food on board or the day would be over. Mikey P filled me with oranges and I tried some more flapjack, at the water station I gulped fresh water then a marshal forced Jelly babies at me followed by a wet sponge to the head. Luck was on my side the next section was a down hill road I plodding on and I started to pick up soon we passed the 21 mile marker and I was feeling good again, the bad patch had passed, just as it did Mickey started with one my turn to force sports drinks and sweets into him.
We had three hills to do, the weather had pick up, the sky was blue, the views stunning and the end was in sight, chatting to runners as we passed them most were dead on there feet they all complained about the heavy ground draining the legs. We drop to sea level again before the killer final climb and what a climb it was mega steep, all the time we were passing walkers, half Marathon runners and even a couple of early marathon starters, a big boost, we crossed the line made up with what we had done and straight into the sea to cool off the legs before a hot shower at race HQ. We returned to finish line to watch Greg in, we had been close to some of the cut off times and we thought he would have been retired by the marshals but in he came to the biggest cheer of the day, but wait he didn’t cross the line ………he had been retired but thought what the hell I’m doing this course anyway, just as I would have done, we returned to race HQ for hot food and beer, off the beer at the moment but after that kind of day we all had a couple, before the presentation and every one of the half and full marathon runners collected there certificate and great little touch. The mini bus arrived to take us back to Douglas for some more chat in the bar.
Overall the weekend was great with some good like minded company, a very well organised race with some very friendly locals. The race turned out to be one of the hardest days I’ve had so far but in a different way than just being batter by the weather. I was feeling down yet still maintained 4 mph ave speed another good test.
Totals: 32mile, 8100ft ascent, 4mph ave speed
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