Spitfire Scramble 2017

As a runner returning for the fourth year since the inaugural event, this time in a team of four, I was looking forward to seeing what was in store from an ever growing race that continues to grow from strength to strength. 

Spitfire Scramble is London's (using the terms fairly loosely as it is based in Hornchurch country park in the city's Essex outskirts) only 24 hour trail race, offering runners a unique experience to run a multitude of miles either solo, as a pair or in a team. 

Logistically the event has moved as it has outgrown its original home so the campsite and start/finish line is now homed in a larger field. Plus points; so much more space and better parking. Downsides; some of the most scratchy grass and uneven ground known to man, which meant irritated legs from sitting on the grass and a crooked back from sleeping on some really uncomfortable ground.

Running wise this meant the course, although the same started at a different point the main difference being the killer Ingrebourne hill now came towards the end of the lap followed by a downhill descent for the last kilometre or so. 

So how did the race go?

I was part of team 'Running in (bob) hope' a name in comedy reference to running hero Tony Auldenshaw as opposed to anything to do with the deceased American comedian. 

Following previous years where I was part of UKrunchat teams and last year where I ran solo, this year I was part of a team of four consisting of family members I have at least partly been responsible for infecting with the running bug over the last few years. As a four man team in the 3-5 man category we were always going to be at a disadvantage and so it proved as we finished sixth in our category somewhere adrift of the five other teams. 

As a team we gallantly fought through a variety of individual injuries and ailments to complete 20 team laps of the 5.6 mile course within the 24 hours. I myself managed to notch up 7 laps while struggling with a wrecked back after my first nap. Few things dampen my enthusiasm for running but a sore back that ricocheted with pain whenever I ran more than a few hundred metres just about managed it until a second more comfortable nap and pain killer eased my afflictions. 

Being part of team didn't fail to inspire a good amount of comaredie, frivolity and general banter that you would imagine would ensue when four chaps camp out together for a weekend. 

That's the beauty of this event though, it's not all about the running, it's the camping, the chilling in the campsite, the eating (mostly soreen banana loaf, malteasers and chocolate covered coffee beans), drinking (mostly iced tea and coronas) and chatting to other runners (great to meet Will @Wilberf0rce and Ant @RunEatCleepRep). 

The weekend does involve a fair amount of running though, I clocked up 40 miles which wasn't a bad effort and I was inspired by team mates Dan and Tony who stuck their hands up to run more laps than they had originally volunteered for and ran further during the event than they ever had before. 

Spitfire Scramble is a pretty special event, how many other events let you run through a country park in the middle of the night allowing you to enjoy the peaceful solitude? 

Fourth year @SpitScramble24 and am still amazed at how awesome the night laps are 😊 pic.twitter.com/lRaBDTa56G

— Gareth Davies (@beoutrunning) July 16, 2017

Which other event gives you the opportunity to ascend a steep hill to then be rewarded with watching the sun set over London? 

So my fourth year, still loving what is a great event, another year to look back on another unique set of experiences and I'm already making plans to come back in 2018 for my fifth event. 

The only question is in what format do I enter in next year? I'm liking the idea of going solo again or perhaps looking for a partner to share 24 hours of running with....

This weekend I will be mostly running

So this weekend I will be mostly...

Running....

For the third year I am taking part in Spitfire Scramble but this time instead of being part of a team I have taken the plunge and am running as a solo runner.

My aim is to cover 100K in the 24 hours which will be my first stab at an ultra.

I will be honest and say I am not sure what to expect, running so much further than I ever have before, going solo instead of being part of a team and pushing myself as far as I can go are all challenges that I will tackle.

Can I cover the distance? 

On the one hand when I think that in previous years at Spitfire I have covered almost 60K and felt fine then why by slowing the pace down a bit I should easily be able to cover a bit more distance, but then again the thought of running two and a half marathons just doesn't seem feasible! I cant say I have ever felt like running another mile after any marathon I have completed let alone another marathon and a half!

What are my tactics to get me through?

I have a schedule of how the 24 hours are going to plan out in terms of my running and rest periods. I have planned out my scheduled start times for each lap and how long my rest periods will be so I know what I need to do.

I know staying hydrated will be key as well as taking on enough calories to keep me running. The plan is to take on something after every 10K lap whether that be a gel, some dried fruit or something more substantial if I can take it.

Other than that my tactics are consistency, coffee beans, trying to get a few hours sleep somewhere in the middle and trying not to feel like a hamster going round and round on a wheel!

I am hoping it will be fun and I will embrace the challenge of running longer and further than ever before.

Any last minute tips and advice for a first time ultra runner? If you are also spitfire scrambling this weekend good luck and I hope to see you there! 

Taking the plunge into an ultra

I have taken the plunge and signed myself up for an ultra marathon in the form of a solo entry to spitfire scramble 24 hour event.

The plan had be to enter as part of a team as in the last two years but my the team didn't quite materialise so rather than miss out I have taken a punt at going solo.

My aim will be to cover 100K in the 24 which will equate to completing 11 of the 9.8K laps. 

I am feeling nervous and apprehensive about what I have left myself in for and rightly so I haven't ran further than a marathon before apart from completing 6 laps at spitfire in 2014 (approx 58K) and 4 laps last year (approx 39K) but that is a different ball game compared to going solo. Those laps were all done pretty much as fast as I could where as running solo will be about slowing the pace right down and about trying to just keep moving. 

This is a big jump out of my comfort zone and I know I am going somewhat naively into this adventure under trained (it's 4 weeks away) and possibly under prepared (I don't have any fancy kit, I don't even own a garmin! I have recently bought a buff though so that's OK!).

I really want to do this event though, as it's location in Hornchurch Country Park is so local to where I live, I used to live even closer and it's where I really started to train more extensively and it is easily one of my favourite places to run. 

So thank you to all the crazy #UKrunchat people who have taken up my Twitter timeline in recent months posting massive miles in training runs, ultras md other adventures, thanks for the inspiration! 

Already I have received so much support and advice, if you have any words of wisdom on how to approach this event, what kit to buy or pack, nutrition and hydration advice or anything else for a first time ultra runner please let me know I'm all ears!!!!

Spitfire Scramble Event Review

For the second year running I spent my weekend camped in a field with a group of relative strangers taking it in turns to run 5.8 mile laps of Hornchurch Country Park as part of the 24 hour team relay event that is Spitfire Scramble.

Writing up a 24hour event could well turn into a long progress, if you would prefer to read my summary of the event you can do so here.

As with last year I was competing in the event as part of UKrunchat's #teamred against the fearsome opposition of #teamblue.

Our team consisted in the end of 7 runners whereas #teamblue had their full compliment of 8 runners so already competitive advantage was theirs! 

Being a local to the event I arrived on Friday evening to get the task of setting up my tent out of the way. I arrived to a much larger campsite than the previous year which made it difficult to find the UKrunchat area. I soon found the right place and was ably assisted in putting my tent up by team mate Laurence and teamblue opposition Paul, my blue tent further muddying the waters of this team competition.

I had decided on the easy option of spending Friday night in the comfort of my own bed rather than camping for two nights, a decision I was pleased to have taken on Sunday after the lack of sleep achieved on Saturday night. So I returned to the campsite on Saturday morning to meet the rest of my team mates captained by Jen and the opposition for the weekend marshaled by Jeff. It was my second year locking horns with Jeff as we were both the sole survivors of the UKrunchat teams from Spitfire Scrambles inaugural race last year.

After the introductions and pre race photos and briefings were completed the race was soon underway at 12 noon and the gruel ling 24hours was underway! The thrill of these 24hour events is the unknown, how many laps will I be required to run? What will it be like running in the dark? Will the team survive the 24hours intact? Will there be injuries and dropouts? All I knew was that I was scheduled to run as the 7th member of the team with an estimated starting time of 6pm. 

So quite a difference to a normal race where you get up early, get to the race and bang your off! The first few hours were going to involve a lot of sitting, chatting, cheering, clock watching, eating and relaxing before my running got under way. 

The race soon sets into a rhythm though of supporting other team members as they either complete laps or start laps, then a debrief of how the lap went before a quiet period where the runner on the course completes their lap before the whole cycle starts again.

My lap came around pretty quick to be fair at around 5.30pm and by that time I was desperate to run! I figured that as my second lap would be at about 11pm in the darkness when I would have to take things easy I might as well go for it and go flat out rather than save something for a second faster lap. The problem was when I got underway I was pretty lethargic from all the hanging around and realised I had eaten far too much during the afternoon, an easy trap to fall into! 

I completed the lap in 45.41, my aim had been to rival my first laps time from last year which was 43.40. Realistically I knew I was not as quick as I was last year so I was pretty pleased to get within a few minutes of last years time.

After lap number one I had some pasta from the onsite catering, continued getting to know the rest of the team and enjoyed watching the bright summer sun head in for the night. Around 9pm I managed to grab about 45 minutes sleep before getting ready to run my second lap. 

Head torch at the ready I set out on my second lap in the darkness of night. My plan was just to settle into a pace that I was comfortable running at both in terms of pace and where I was confident of finding my footing on the uneven trail surfaces. I also decided to take on the giant Ingrebourne hill at mile 2 a bit gentler. 

The lap was brilliant despite it being at 11pm and having already ran a fast lap I felt brilliant and felt like I flew round despite the tricky underfoot conditions. A speedy run coupled with the magic of running in the stillness and peacefulness of night combined for one of my favourite ever running experiences. 

Getting back to camp I was conscious to try and keep warm and get some rest so after a Mars milkshake and a few half hearted stretches I climbed into my sleeping bag with my alarm set for 5am to be ready to get up and run again at about 6.

Although I didn't feel tired I was soon asleep it was just unfortunate that the sleep didn't last too long! Our tents were positioned alongside the course route about 50m from the changeover point which meant we had runners coming past at regular intervals calling for their various team mates in the change over area. It was pretty frustrating to be constantly disturbed but it was made bearable by the funny remarks and commentary from Paul in the neighbouring tent who was very amusing! 

The time to get up soon came and after a pain au chocolate and a handful of jelly babies I felt ready to run despite the early hour and the lack of sleep. 

Lap 3 was again an enjoyable experience as I was heading out soon after sunrise and the course felt peaceful with the day yet to begin. Again I ran a pace that felt comfortable, took it easy on the hill and tried to enjoy the route and the scenery. 

Both before and after the lap I was surprised with how well I felt, yes I felt tired and lacked a bit of energy but my legs felt good and I felt more than capable of running at a decent speed.

My third lap completed and it was still a way off 8am on Sunday morning! 

After the initial buzz of the run faded I definitely started to feel fatigued so I did what what I need to do eat and sleep.

The eating came courtesy of a brilliantly greasy and fatty bacon bap, bacon makes everything better!

Then the sleep followed shortly after with a 40 minute power nap in my tent.

By this time it was around 10am and the event was entering its final stretch, there were noticeably less runners running around and less team mates waiting for changeovers and signs of people starting to pack up camp.

I knew our team had time had enough time left for me to squeeze in my last lap as Sarah Jane didn't want to run another lap as her back was sore from all the running and sleeping in a tent so this meant I got pushed up the order and would have a chance to run lap number 4. 

It was great to see that satisfaction on runners faces as they came into the finish to complete their final laps, a grueling 24 hours of running was over and people could start to enjoy the rest of their weekends. The sense of achievement at the large number of miles ran by everyone was almost tangible as every runner completing a lap started to get cheered and clapped home as all of a sudden everyone seemed to have a beer can providing celebratory refreshment. 

Before I knew it I was waiting for outer teams penultimate runner Simon to complete his lap, the 24 hours had simply flown by! 

There was no pressure on Simon to complete his lap although he still completed a speedy lap and set me on my way at around 11.30 to complete team reds final circuit of the course.

I wasn't sure what to expect from my final run, I kind of thought to take it easy, enjoy the run, enjoy the scenery, take lots of pictures and ease my aching legs around the course. Surprisingly though I felt brilliant after the initial stiff and achy first few hundred metres so I threw caution to the wind and thought I would just try and blast my way around the course.

After a few miles I realised I was at least matching my first lap time so decided to push on and try and beat my time set some 17 hours earlier. 

I think it was somewhere around mile 4 when I heard the distant roar of the mighty spitfire and it wasn't long before I saw this majestic fighter plane soar overhead, a sight that will stay in my memory for some time. After coming in low over the start/finish area the spitfire circled to repeat its fly past and I was fortunate to get a great view of it banking and circling back on its self right over my head as I ran, a real spine tingling experience.

As I approached the finishing straight my UKrunchat team members were all gathered so we could run in the closing metres together. This prompted a Mo Farah style sprint finish from me as we all stormed across the finishing straight, it was a privilege to have run the last lap for the team and I even got to keep the slap wrist band relay baton as a souvenir! 

Getting my hands on the medal was now on the agenda, and what a medal it is?! A shiny silver outline of a spitfire, very fitting and very attractive, easily one of my most impressive medals.

With the running all over there were plenty of congratulations all round with team mates and fellow runners before plenty of post race team photos. 

So in the end I ran 4 laps composing around 23 miles with split times of 45.19, 47.37, 47.53 and 46.00 all on only a few hours sleep.

Unfortunately I faded away in the last mile and missed out on beating my first lap time. 

The final team results were somewhat disappointing for teamred as we finished someway behind the speedily impressive teamblue but we were really pleased with our overall finish of 17th out of 42 teams. 

The weekend was then all of a sudden at an end as I started to pack up and pack up my tent. Goodbyes were said and everyone reflected and agreed on what an enjoyable weekend it had been.

UKrunchat team members you were all awesome, it was great to meet you all and teamred will be back stronger and faster for 2016!

Spitfire Scramble you were bigger, better and more gloriously enjoyable than last year! A great event so well organised in a great venue, thank you for all the organisation from the event team and massive thanks to all the marshals for their cheery encouragement and assistance throughout the 24 hours. I hope to be back again next year! 

Hopefully this read will give you an insight into the action packed adventure that is a 24 hour team running event, a grueling mix of running and fun that quickly flies by in a blur of excitement, I would definitely recommend giving one a go! 

What did you do this weekend? I got scrambled!

Between midday on Saturday and midday on Sunday as part of the amazing 24 hour team relay event that is Spitfire Scramble my weekend consisted of the following:

• Spent the whole time camped in a field with people I have never met.
• Ran approximately 40K
• Slept for about 3 hours 

           

• Ate large quantities of jelly babies and my home made chocolate and banana cake
• Didn't shower for in excess of 24 hours despite all the running and some hot and sweaty conditions 
• Got bitten to within an inch of my sanity by a variety of creepy crawlies
• Enjoyed meeting UKrunchat members from Twitter and they turned out to be a friendly bunch of runners with a range of running experiences.

• Despaired at early morning visits to the portaloo
• Witnessed the awesomeness of a spitfire flying and swooping down over me while running my last lap.
• Helped steer UKrunchat #teamred to a very respectable 17th place out of 42 teams, a top half finish that was well deserved that we were very proud of.

• Earned an amazing medal

• Overall had a blast, enjoyed some epic running experiences and reconfirmed my love of running.

Come Sunday evening I felt exhausted which to be fair had a lot to do with having my tooth extracted in hospital on Friday as well as the running and the lack of sleep. On Monday morning when I got I regretted not taking the day off and wished for a weekend to recover from the weekend I had just had but by the time I left for work I had the smug glow of knowing I had done something awesome at the weekend.

Never entered a 24 hour team event? You should! They are a bit crazy but in a good way, lots of running interspersed with eating, socialising with other runners but not so much sleeping, give one a go you just might find you like it! 

Cider fuelled running

This weekend I headed down to the South West and Cider country to spend a weekend with friends.

The weekend (as with most activities in this part of the world) involved drinking a large quantity of that apple based alcohol beverage which happens to be one of my favourite forms of refreshment as it does quite literally grow on trees around there.

My two nights of sampling what Bristol had to offer were nicely segmented by a trip to Ashton Court Parkrun. 

I think I have finally caught the Parkrun bug as this was my second successive Parkrun weekend and my third different Parkrun in the last couple of weeks. 

Now you have an idea of my weekends itinerary you can see why I coined the term cider fuelled running for my weekends activities. 

Before I get onto the running let's start off with the cider as well as some amazing food.

Friday night was meant to be spent in Wembley stadium rocking out to Dave Grohl and his foo fighting gang before an early morning trip to Bristol. Unless you have been living under an incredibly dark social media deprived stone for the last week or two a badly broken fibula put paid to those plans.

So an early Friday evening was spent instead sipping cider on the Apple, one of Bristols finest cider serving establishments, a bar based on a barged moored up on the harbour just outside the city centre. 

Two nights on the cider does come come that highly recommended, (I speak from previous experience from previous trips to Bristol) so having Parkrun on the horizon the following morning was my saving grace to save my liver from too much punishment.

I did take it kind of easy on the cider on Friday night then, a few pints followed by a trip to the Spitfire BBQ for dinner. This place was amazing, the kind of joint that you could find Adam Richman salivating excitedly behind the counter while pestering the chef for a taste of everything from the menu.

In a place like this the only problem is deciding what to have! I took my time sipping on some cider while I decided. 

I opted to go for everything, well a little bit of everything in a burger courtesy of the Pitboss Burger, a 6oz beef patty topped with rib tips, pulled pork, brockwurst slices, smoked applewood cheese and bbq sauce. 

It was every inch the delicious meat feast it promised to be, a brilliant burger went so well with the succulently soft pulled pork, incredible tasting brockwurst and creamy out of this world sensation of the smoked applewood cheese.

Accompanied by a bowl of BBQ chicken wings, my double order being enough to get labelled 'greedy' by the waiter, man versus food and the obesity epidemic obviously haven't quite reached the South West yet?!

A deliciously tasty farmyards supply of meat devoured it was time to move outside into the cool summers air to sit by the harbour side surrounded by the smokey fumes from the restaurants log fires.

It was Friday night we were with friends enjoying ourselves so talk quickly turned to the desert menu and a mouthwatering suggestion of sweet treats soon led to orders being placed.

I was soon polishing of a ridiculously rich and chocolatelay Peanut butter stack which left me glad I would be running some of the calories consumed at Parkrun the next day.

Despite not overdoing the cider a combination of a heavy belly full of meat and the several above average strength cider led to my customary early evening passing out on my friends incredibly comfy sofa.

I was still up bright eyed and bushy tailed to take on Ashton Court Park run in the morning. A thirty minute walk took us away from the city and to the Ashton Court estate providing a great viewpoint down over Bristol and the surrounding areas.

An example of some of the picturesque views from A
shton Court courtesy of  http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2191279

The course run is really a tail of two halves, the first half taking you up a steep winding hill before turning around and the second half taking you downhill in a fast descent. It's known for being one of the tougher Parkrun routes and I can appreciate why, although you can fly down the hill in the second half it is difficult to judge your effort level on the steep climb up and especially in the sunny mid June heat the hill was pretty energy sapping.

Overall I finished in 23.50 in 62nd place out of some 200+ parkrunners, although my official Parkrun time was actually clicked at a slower 24.03. Prior to the race I was interested to see how the two halves of the race would compare in terms of times, I completed the ascent in around 13.30 and the return in about 10.20, the rapid downhill also provided me with a sub 4 minute km and my fastest 1/2 mile, 1km and 1 mile I have clocked since using strava.

It was a really challenging yet rewarding run, adjusting my stride length on the way down was tough as was the rapid pounding on my lower legs as I hurtled down the hill.

After my exertions I was left to refuel and rehydrate and I did so with great relish taking advantage of the fine food and cider being served from the many excellent establishments Bristol has to offer, notable mentions to the Stable, the Apple again and the Old Duke.

Thank you Bristol for another thoroughly enjoyable weekend in your most excellent city, I came, I saw, I ran your hills, I drank your cider and ate your food and I conquered all you had to offer!

A nice running experience

Yesterday I headed out for an hours run, it wasn't really planned I just wanted to get out and run so I did. 

I headed out to Ingrebourne Country park with the aim of running through to the far side of the park, up Ingrebourne Hill and back again, a total distance of around 12km. 

On my route out I decided to deviate away from the main path and take on one of the off road trails just for a bit of variety as I don't usually run that way. The trail I headed onto is part of the Spitfire scramble course which naturally brought me to thinking about the event, both last years and this years up and coming race.

So Spitfire scramble was fresh in mind as I continued my run, I was thinking about what objectives I should set myself for this years race and reflecting again on how much I enjoyed last years event.

As I headed up Ingrebourne Hill I was aware I was being followed by a cyclist so naturally I pulled over to one side of the path to allow him to pass. He didn't seem to want to pass though. I wasn't sure if he was hanging back as he was either struggling on the steep incline or perhaps didn't want to risk passing me on such a narrow and twisting path. I just tried to concentrate on my running and the climb up the hill. 

Next thing I know I hear, 'excuse me, sorry to interrupt...' as the cyclist tried to strike up conversation with me.

The cyclist preceded to question me about whether I know the park and knew the route of a 5.8 mile course. After some discussion I realised he was referring to the spitfire scramble race. We soon stopped at the top of the hill and engaged in conversation about running in general, his running and cycling around the Ingrebourne area. I tried to advise him and direct him around the course which in fairness was quite easy a he had a good knowledge of the area from his previous experiences training here. 

He went on to explain that he had read about the event and in particular the solo male category and he was aiming to better the 17 laps achieved by the male winner last year, I felt quite inferior referring to my 6 laps achieved as part of a 6 man team. 

Some 10 minutes later I continued with my run after I had imparted by knowledge and we had gone our separate ways. stood at the top of the hill in the cold and the wind was not ideal and I never really warmed up on the run home! However I was left feeling a great sense of friendship and camaraderie that you can experience as part of the running community. 

I always enjoy the opportunity to share my passion with other runners and that is in part the reason why my blog exists. This chance meeting has reignited my desire to interact with other runners wherever possible both in person and online via social media and my blog. 

Day 15 Enjoying a day off work with a run

Today's run - Slow and Steady - pavement/trails - 9K approx - 50 minutes

Today was a nerve wracking day as it was the first day myself and 49 other bootcampers waited for a call to hear our fate in the Runners World Asics Target 26.2 competition.

It is now around 9pm and I haven't received a call nor seen any evidence of anyone else having received a call via Twitter so all I can presume is that the judges are having a difficult time in deciding and will let us know their decisions tomorrow.

In terms of running as I was off work today I headed out early for a longerish run aiming for a around 10K. I headed out into my local country park of Ingrebourne Valley which you will have heard me mention often in my blogs.

I headed out alongside the Ingrebourne river before diverting off and following along some of the Spitfire Scramble course. This turned out to be appropriate as I received notification later in the day that I had been offered a place in one of the UKrunchat team for the 2015 event.

If you aren't aware of spitfire scramble it is a 24 hour team event which I took part in earlier this year, my write up of the event can be found here.

My run itself was most enjoyable, I enjoyed being out early in the quiet and enjoyed going a longer distance. The scenery was great and I found it most rewarding especially in comparison to my commute into London that I would have been undertaking at that time had I been going to work.

Despite trying to stick to paths and trails that would be more solid under foot I did encounter a few dodgy muddy areas where my trainers ended up taking a dip

into the dirty muck!

Alongside my exciting Spitfire Scramble news I also discovered today that Brentwood now have their own parkrun and it is going to be staged in the lovely setting of South Weald Park which was the venue for my third of three marathons in three months the South Weald Marathon. I am really excited to be taking part in this inaugural parkrun on Saturday and hopefully on many future Saturdays to come! 

In terms of my runstreak I continue to enjoy running everyday and continue to feel stronger and fitter. I am now halfway through and am looking forward to finish the raining days strongly.

Tomorrow will now be my day of reckoning to see if I make it through to the next stage of the process for the Asics 26.2 competition! I am keeping my fingers crossed to see what happens!