Enigma Quadzilla Day 3 2011

Day 3

I was very stiff last night and I did wonder whether I would be able to run at all today. I didn't sleep particularly well either, but to my surprise I woke to find my legs much better. I had slept in compression socks and maybe that made a difference. But my legs were certainly not as fresh as they were on days 1 and 2, so I decided that sub 5 would be fine and sub 4.45 would be great. I decided to go for the 8.00 start instead of the 10.00 so that most of my drive home would be in daylight.

On day 2 I had played cat and mouse with Sally, a non-Fetchie. She was ahead most of the time and I caught her just before the end. She thought I wanted to overtake her, but I didn't have any intention of going by her, I just wanted to hang on to help me get to under 4hr 30min. She speeded up the closer I got to her and we both got under 4hr 30min with her 1 second ahead

Today she was ahead for the first bit and lap 1, but then we ran about 4 laps together chatting away and it certainly made those laps much much easier However, by the start of lap 6, I was suddenly feeling pretty awful, nothing I could identify, just not in the mood to run as fast as I had been. So I told her to go ahead and I really struggled round lap 6. Having experienced this feeling before, I knew it would not last and at the start of the lap 7, the final lap, I felt much better. I knew there was an outside chance of sub 4.45 and I just ran steadily until one of my timing points (where I knew how long it would take me to get to the finish). Sub 4.45 was still possible, so I put my foot down a bit harder and came in with 4hr 42min. I didn't catch Sally this time, but seeing two Fetchies ahead (they were 10.00 starters so they had no need to speed up) gave me some motivation.

The weather today was grey again at the start but it became a lovely sunny day. The drive home was fine, but I was very, very stiff when I tried to get out of the car. It has been a lovely three days. I have met some interesting and very friendly people and I think I have got through the three races without any serious injury.

Enigma Quadzilla Day 2 2011

Day 2

Well I did the 7 laps of the lake today. Before the start it was sunny, but the clouds came over and it rained for about a lap and then my last lap was sunny. Contrary to what I had expected, I enjoyed the laps. I think its seeing so many of the other runners as you lap them or they lap you.

I could see that a time under 4hr 30 was feasible for most of the race, but I had to push hard at the end to get it and I did by 12 seconds ! Cutting it just a little fine. However pushing it when you have another marathon the next day is probably not too wise and I felt very stiff this evening.

I am going to try and take it easy tomorrow. There is a choice of laps or the canal tomorrow, but as I did the laps about 75min faster than the canal, I'm going for the laps. I might take the option of the 8.00 start as I have the long drive home tomorrow.

Enigma Quadzilla Day 1 2011

The 10 marathons on 10 days Windermere runners have to raise a lot of sponsorship money and one way some of them do it is to put on races. The organiser of these four marathons in four days has been doing it for a while now, he has done the last two 10 in 10 events and is doing the next 10 in 10 in May.

Apart from the organiser, there were some focussed runners doing these events. One is aiming to run across the USA, another is planning 60 marathons/ultras this year and another is running all four marathons dragging a tyre behind her. She was out there for 8 hours or more ! She is planning to run one hundred marthons/ultras with the tyre.....

I have done two back to back marathons before and I thought it would be a challenge to try three back to back. I couldn't do four as it was my Dad's 90th on the day of the fourth one.

I used shot blocks, Succeed S!caps and Asda Isotonic berry drink for fuelling. My Goodness Shakes powders for recovery (thanks for telling me about these Denise !) and I slept in compression socks after day 1 and day 2 and ran in them on day 3. They all seemed to work as I didn't get any cramp and I didn't seem to run out of energy.

Day 1

There was a choice of routes to run today - 7 and a bit laps of the lake or a lap and a bit round the lake, an out and back down the Grand Union canal followed by a three quarters lap of the lake.

I chose the latter as we have to do the laps tomorrow. My friend Liz was also doing the canal and wasn't sure of the route and I find it easier to run with someone else so we agreed to run together. We last ran together about ten days ago and in that time she has completed three ultras, she is amazing !

It seemed a fast start and we made it round the lake without any problems. The organiser had dome an excellent job of marking the course with flour, although I heard later that once wet, the geese found in an interesting meal.

I picked up my rucksack from the drinks station at the end of the first lap - the canal route was unsupported and we then moved to the canal towpath which was tarmacked all the way to the turn around point. It was interesting to see all the moored canal boats with their unusual names and the amazingly varied things stored on the roof.

We took it very easy in the rain, it either drizzled or steadily rained all day. Then it was back to the lake, round it in the other direction and to the finish. 5hr 44min. A bath, food and chat followed. It was good to put faces to some more people from Fetcheveryone.com