Race to the Stones 2015

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Comments

  • purplepigpurplepig ✭✭✭

    Thanks guys...roadies it is then!image

  • tricialitttricialitt ✭✭✭

    Just lurking- I'm not doing this, but just wanted to say, re: the grit getting into shoes- Have you got gaiters? If not- try to get hold of some, they make a huge difference to the state of your feet as long as the splits in your shoes aren't on the soles, and are good for all trail running.

    Enjoy!

  • purplepigpurplepig ✭✭✭

    OMG...I'm leaving for my hotel in less than an hour. What have I done???? image

  • What have we done! Purplepig

  • tricialitttricialitt ✭✭✭

    Realx!- Enjoy it, you'll have fun, - just take it easy, and talk to other folks- you'll find most folk are very friendly, and willhelp out a fellow runner if they can.

  • Thanx Tricialitt. Still bricking it though. And excited as wel.  bring it on

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    Luck everyone x 

     

  • Well I tried, that's all I can say! After a complete lack of training I managed to haul myself round the first half in 5h35 which was way slower than I'd planned when I signed up, but then I hadn't planned on being injured since April either! I thoroughly enjoyed it though, great experience! The stations were fantastic (I stopped at all of them to use the loo and to fill up all my water bottles and to generally have an excuse to not be moving!), the staff were so helpful and encouraging and the route was beautiful. I walked the big hills but ran the undulations, I fell over and scratched up my knees and shoulder and I got something in my shoe and ran with it for about 20 miles, turns out it was a small stick! I've never run trail before, it was much harder than I expected and I was just so grateful to have got to the half-way point that I couldn't bring myself to turn up for day 2! I'm actually nowhere near as stiff as i would be from a marathon but I haven't got another 32 miles in me, or not if I want to run most of it anyway! I've got so many other races booked that I have to get training properly pronto, I can't afford to have shattered legs and reduced mileage for the next 2/3 weeks.



    I hope everyone else did well! I am already considering doing it next year, either just half of it or do the full thing in1 go, the two day is too difficult to get to and I'm never going to be getting up at 4am to eat!



    There was talk at the start of the thread about how another race was the same route but cheaper. I believe that race is longer than RTTS so would give better value but I could find absolutely nothing wrong with yesterday, organisation was brilliant, lovely route, really enthusiastic staff, great aid stations and loads of loos. The only irritating factors for me were the start/finish locations being so hard to get to (nothing can be done about that) and the start time for day 2 which was 6-7am, sorry but that's more painful than the actual run! If it had been a 9am start on day 2 I'd have gone and tried my luck but I'm not getting up at 4am to have breakfast for a run that's going to break me, no way! Also the organisation pre-race was a bit slow although had no actual baring on the race at all, but a lack of little updates etc is unusual in this day and age.
  • Wow, that was a long way. Finished in 14hrs 31mins. (Very pleased with that as my target was 16hours.) great finish with all the glow sticks on the floor. The organisation was first rate. I know it's expensive but you do feel it's a great entry point into ultras for someone who is used to big city marathons.

    I don't feel too bad today. I can at least walk up and down stairs.

    hopefully everyone else had good experience.

  • Finished about an hour behind you Alastair. It is a long way isn't it?! I was on target for my sub 15 aim, pretty much until about mile 55ish, at which point running became very painful. At that point I thought I was walking it in and I did walk for 2 miles, but decided to try running again and was able to manage a very slow jog.

    I'd agree on organisation. Can't fault it (although I was seriously cursing having to loop  back to finish, after the stones!). I'd definitely recommend it as a first ultra.

    One thing I'll definitely take forward is to carry much less stuff. I had a full pack for every eventuality, and it just wasn't all necessary, meaning I carted around a  lot of pointless weight.

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    Great running everyone image 100km is a serious distance image

     

  • tricialitttricialitt ✭✭✭

    Well done! I agree that the tenency is to over-pack, and the experienced guys are often the ones with minimal gear, I think you learn to reduce as you go along.

    Don't feel bad , HIAHS- sounds like you had a great intro to ultra running, and if you're not used to trail, it's tough to deal with that, plus the step up in distance.- Hope it hasn't put you off, and you'll be back to try again.

  • purplepigpurplepig ✭✭✭

    Well done everyone that took part. I was so taken aback by the amount of people entered! The first miles or so was like London marathon on trails!! Had to watch you didn't get tripped up, lol

    I thought the route signage was really great - no chance of going wrong. The CP marshalls were really helpful and friendly.

    I finished the non stop version in 12 hours 52, so quite pleased with that. I was hoipng for about 14 hours

    Does anyone know where/when  the results will go up?

  • Results are up purplepig: http://www.racetothestones.com/live-event-page/

    Link on right hand side of page.

  • I stumbled across this event yesterday on my way through Streatley.

    Big respect to all participants, and I really feel for the guy that had to pull out when he'd reached the Bull in Streatley, although not a bad place to decide to finish image

    Well done everyone!

     

  • I'm a bit miffed to see that out of the two-day runners I was 5th lady after day 1, should've just turned up this morning to try. Mind you I did go out for a recovery run today and it was flipping hard work, so I'm sure I made the right decision, back to the training grindstone and all that. I'm definitely considering entering that one for next year, the run was hard but it was all just so pleasant, no time worries, no drama of city marathons etc.
  • And very well done to everyone, I'm in awe of everyone who has managed to complete this race, it was a real challenge and 100k is seriously mega!
  • purplepigpurplepig ✭✭✭

    Thanks CR. Found them now image

  • CheshercatCheshercat ✭✭✭

    Well that was fun.   The organisation was fantastic and the pit stops were first class.  I did like the hot grub at the halfway point.  I am just amazed that the body can just keep going when everything just hurts.  Finished Sub 18 hours which is way better as i'd aimed for 20!  At pit 9 i was in bits, really felt like stopping but just knew i'd regret it.  long slow walk to the stones.

    I did tell myself never thing again as it just hurt too much. Now the legs are working again and i can climb stairs i may just entyer another at some point.

    Well done to all those who ran it.  

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    well done everyone, more than a little jealous

     

  • Well done chesher. I'm the same re doing it again. I found the last stretch from checkpoint 9 absolute agony - not helped by how rutted the path was for a lot of it. There was swearing, tears, with a bit of loud singing for a good few miles along with the absolute conviction I would never, ever do it again. But, of course, very predictably, I've changed my mind. Fifty miles seems a far more sensible distance though!

  • CheshercatCheshercat ✭✭✭

    One guy i spoke to said in all the ultras he has done this was the hardest.   Glad it was sunny & warm made a huge difference coming into the nght stage.  If i eat another packet of crisps or drink energy drinks in the next 6 months it will be too soon!  i wanted a pie and going by pubs did not help. 

    I did find it hard to drink enough to keep sweating, was a little wonky headed in the latter stages.  Got home and made a bacon and egg roll, very nice as was the sausage bun at the finish line.   

  • My feet suffered a bit doing just my 50k attempt, dread to think what it was like to do 100k. I didn't get any worse blisters than I'd normally get doing a marathon, but the rutted terrain just meant that the blisters were constantly getting knocked, which doesn't happen on road races (thankfully!!). I was glad I went in my road shoes though, certainly didn't seem like there was a need for trail shoes, the paths were as solid as tarmac. Did anyone get rained on? I woke up at 5am Sunday morning in Oxford and it was torrential, I smugly went straight back to sleep! image

  • I queued for ages for a sausage thingy at the end but they were so slow and by the time I got to the front I thought I was going to puke so had to walk away. I was craving savoury stuff towards the end too. I'd have murdered for a pork pie. The smells coming from that Indian restaurant on the main road before crossing the M4 were so tempting.

    Heroine, amazingly, I got no blisters and no chafing of any sort. The ruts (which were really bad at about mile 57-60 or so, when it was dark) were just jarring my legs, of which every molecule hurt. I was swearing something rotten along that bit!

  • CheshercatCheshercat ✭✭✭

    Will there be any official photos going online?

     

  • Yes I've seen that there will, but it says a day or two after the event, I've put my details on the photographer's website so they're (supposedly) going to email when the photos are uploaded. I followed a link from the 'live page' on RTTS website.

  • Morning all, and well done everyone!  I finished in 15 hrs 40 mins, so within the 16 hours we wanted.  Found it tough going from CP8, as I couldn't take on any more food; I would have loved a savoury something there rather than more sweet!  Dehydration meant being sick on the slog up to Barbury.  Some learning points re packing as a number of you have commented on, and also on the amount of time to spend at checkpoints - it's easy to spend a bit long there, isn't it?

    Feet are mashed, but other than that not too bad; a massage shortly may make me squeal slightly though!

    For me and running partner, that was a great exercise; we've now got the Cotswold Way Century to "look forward to" in September.  

    For this one, I shall return next year.  It may be expensive, but (apart from the fact you have to pay for a T shirt), I feel you get what you pay for and it's good value for money - the support at the CPs couldn't be faulted, and the organisation was excellent too.

  • Well done gloshawk. Do you know what? I think I may have passed you when you were chucking up on the side of the trail!

  • Ha, well we meet in the best of circumstances then!!  Needless to say, my pace did drop a tad after that - it became more mental than physical, I think.  

    I will make use of the drop bags that we're allowed on the next run to make sure there's bacon or marmite sandwiches for me later on, I reckon.

  • CheshercatCheshercat ✭✭✭

    I saw a few folk looking very sick, one chap was limping badly not longer after the halfway stop. 

    I had to keep off the gels as i know i would have chundered.  The hydration tablets are not a lot better but needed sadly.

    Just can believe i went all that way.  Staggered i managed it image

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