Equinox24 2016

17 and 18 September 2016

Equinox24 is a 24 hour race over a 10 km mixed terrain course.

I completed this race last year by completing 16 laps in 23 hours and 38 minutes. I did not have the willpower to push for #onemorelap as was allowed. Billy was my support crew, he kept me fed watered and treated my blisters as well as accompanying me for 4 laps overnight. I was fourth female, a fact that made me want to attempt to do better.

Aims for 2016

1. Have the energy and mental strength for #onemorelap

2. run 16 laps (160km/100miles)

3. Podium

This year Billy was entered as well. We arrived at a breezy Belvoir Castle around tea time on Friday, our friend Chris, who had done it last year too, had arrived earlier and got us the space that we had last year. We put up our gazebo, registered met with the group from Bedale who were camping and headed off to Premier Inn for the night.

once settled in our room we went out for tea. We went into Grantham and chose to go to Prezzo as it seemed reasonably empty and being a chain, the food is kind of guaranteed quality rather than an unknown restaurant. Walking there I turned my left ankle on an uneven slab. fortunately there didn't seem any damage, phew! 

After tea we headed back to our room for a kit check and an early night.

I didn't sleep well, nothing new, the night before an event for me, but we still had a lie in with the race not starting till midday and didn't go to breakfast till 07:30.it was wet, very wet. After a Premier Inn all you can eat breakfast (Well bacon eggs hash browns and pancakes, all washed down with fruit juice and coffee). we chatted with Chris and his wife Cath before heading to our room to sort our hydration.

Our main source of hydration and nutrition was Tailwind. We had decided that instead of refilling our Solomon soft flasks every lap, which would be tricky when tired, we bought 500ml bottles of water and added the Tailwind powder to them which easy to do as it dissolves easily. 

We loaded the car and set off back to the race site. It was raining but that was not dampening spirits.

We had a camp bed and sleeping bag each for if things did not go to plan. 24 hours is a long time to be on the go and anything could happen. We put spare trainers under the beds and bags of kit on the bed. We had head torches, spare clothes, I had an MP3 player and my Light vest as well as Lanacane  plasters, socks and wetwipes. We set the table with drinks and snacks and our lap cards so that we would know where each other were at.

All sorted, I decorated our base with Yorkshire Rose bunting and hung our Yorkshire Rose flag on the fence as a focus as we ran up to our base after crossing the line each time. The position was great. right on the route with no fence to cross, just nip in do what we need and get back on with the run.

And so we were prepped. Sid popped by to say hi. again he was running in a morphsuit to raise money for Birminghams Childrens Hospital he too was hoping for 100 miles as were Billy and I.

As 11:00 approached the camp quietened as people gathered at the start line for the childrens race of approx 1km around the camping field. 

There were hundreds of them, children of all ages and ability, some toddlers with parents, all running in the rain, smiling, chatting and not affected by the rain and wet grass. 

Billy and I took a final look at our base, checked we had what we needed, donned our rain coats and walked to the race briefing. We gathered by the marquee under grey skies. It was so much busier than last year, there were almost 3 times as many solo runners this year 253 entrants and 250 teams from 2 to 8 members.

We met up with Graham but could not find our other friends, it was so busy and some people were sheltering from the rain. there was a glimpse of clear sky though. hopefully as forecast the rain would stop soon. Johnny did the race brief and we headed for the start line, most people still wearing waterproofs.

The start was packed with solo runners, team runners and 10 km runners, way busier than last year. we were a bit far forward, but never mind what will be will be.

The rain stopped and we didn't have to wait long for the start and we all surged forwards, that's it every step, every second was nearer to the end from now on. I removed my raincoat and passed it to Cathy as we passed. We were passed by lots of runners but it would be a long day so I wasnt worried, Billy and Graham were chatting comfortably as we left the wet field. It felt much further than I remembered to the rough field, I hoped it would be less rutted than last year, wrong, it was still rutted and now it was muddy too, glad I had my trail shoes on. we stayed together Billy and I, we thought it would be nice for the first lap. Round the field and onto a muddy puddly lane, it was wide and 2km in so the faster runners could get past. then it was road for the next 3 km including a long hill with ramps. we walked the steep bit of the hill,

then Chris jogged steadily by as we approached the water station and headed off-road again. this time as we got to 6 km the trail turned steeply down with a savage camber to the right, at the bottom we turned to our right  and right again for "That Hill" a short steep affair of grass that was already turning to mud.

Most people walked it, conseving energy for later in the day.

From there it was mainly downhill on and off road until we returned to the campfield. we ran round the edge to calls of encouragement to cross the line for the first time. 1 lap done. It was nice to complete the first lap with Billy, Graham was still with us too. "thats a bit quick" we said "2 min faster than last year"

We went to our own bases, Billy and I swapped used bottles for full ones and headed back onto course. for the whole lap we were close together, The route was getting more muddy but the rain stayed of. it was humid and my pack tat I was wearing to carry my bottle was getting on my nerves drawing the sweat out of my back. I was also struggling with near and far visual focus. I decided to get my glasses next lap. 

After lap 2 I again changed bottles and got some flapjack to munch on lap 3. Billy was now ahead somewhere. Ah! I had forgotten my glasses. The course was muddy offroad and I was relieved to be on tarmac for a short while. getting back on to the campfield was quite treacherous. I laughed as a childish voice shouted, "Fall over, you'll be on you've been framed" I passed the line there was lots of support all round the camp field. I went into the base, 

Billy had ticked lap 3 and I wiped my face with a wetwipe , changed my bottle, grabbed some salted nuts, jelly sweets and marshmallows before running off again on the slippy grass to lap 4. Pants! I forgot my glasses. I chatted with other runners, there was so much encouragement from team runners to solo runners, i kept my eye out for \Billy, waved at Chris and the Bedale runners who were in 2 groups. I saw Sid was going strong and met Rachel and Morven at various points. that hill was getting muddier and the approach descent was tougher each lap.

On lap 5 I finally had my glasses and It eased my tired eyes a bit. The laps were ticking by and Billy was somewhere ahead, I shared a section of lap 6 with a guy on lap 7