A Hard Day’s Night on the Costa Del Humber
The last time I found myself sweating in hot humidity at 2am I was in Kaileua-Kona, Hawaii, so it was the last thing I expected as I spent a night in August running out and back across the Humber Bridge in Hull. I had brought the usual array of waterproofs and thermals as I do to any event but was instead there I was wearing a short-sleeved top and pouring water over my head as I became encrusted with electrolyte deposits.
The format for HOTH was simple. Start at the visitors’ centre on the North end of the bridge and run two miles to the other side of the Humber, turn around a cone and return to the start/finish and repeat as many times as possible for 12 hours. Unlike the Lakeland 100 three weeks previously there were no navigational factors to take into account and the entire route was relatively level. The event relied on nothing more than physical effort and mental determination, so the fittest and most focussed person would win.
The support crews' camping area.
The race began at 7pm so the competitors and their support crews spent the afternoon pitching tents and setting out tables and chairs under a canopy of trees. With the still, humid air and friendly atmosphere the area felt more like a campsite in France than a car park in Hull.
Race briefing from Karl.
Once everyone was settled we had a short race briefing from Karl and then we were off. We set off beginning with a short climb which took us from the visitors’ centre up to the Humber Bridge footpath. I wasn’t at all concerned with my position for the first few hours so disassociated myself from what everyone else was doing settled into a relaxing pace. The temperature was perfect and there was a slight breeze as we returned from the Southern turn point, a far cry from the horizontal rain I had prepared myself for in the build up to the event. The sky was virtually cloudless as the race progressed into the evening and we were treated to the almost surreal sight of a vivid red sunset to the West.
Hull as you've never seen it!
For the first couple of laps the bridge appeared flat, but I gradually realised there were slight variations in incline which would become more apparent as the race progressed. Once we’d climbed from the visitors’ centre the bridge steadily continued to climb at a very slight gradient towards the first support tower where the bridge then levelled off. After reaching the Southern support tower it dropped again but continued beyond the bridge until the turn point. It was therefore slightly downhill to the turn point and therefore uphill back to the start/finish.
I was using the event as final preparation for the Sri Chinmoy 24hr track race in September. My pre-race aim was simple: I wanted to run 70+ miles which would mean I’d be on course to achieve 200km at the track race and give me the qualifying standard for the 2013 Spartathlon. As I had completed three 100 mile events in the previous five months I was confident of running the vast majority of the race with short walks introduced in the last 6 hours. To run 72 miles I had to complete 18 laps (36 crossings), so I intended to run continuously for 9 laps and then walk for 1 mile (in accordance with Prof Tim Noakes’ recommendations).
After the continuous concentration required at the Lakeland 100 it was liberating to not have to watch my footing or consult a map on a regular basis. Many people prefer constantly changing scenery but I’m just as happy switching off and almost disappearing into myself as I run. I rarely wear a watch so simply ran at a pace I thought I could maintain throughout the race and concentrated on maintaining a high cadence with light foot strike. I was also continually resetting my posture as it’s very easy to develop a slumped position throughout an ultra especially as the hip flexors gradually stiffen.
I usually compete alone but for this event had talked Joe – a work colleague – to join me based on the premise that it would be great fun. For the first few laps we greeted each other with a hearty wave but approaching half way the waves were becoming smaller and less enthusiastic.
Camp Tosspot.
I was taking a drink every lap from Camp Tosspot, our personal aid station we’d established at the finish and used gels and cereal bars when I felt like it. I’d also added a salt sachet into every bottle as I have problems absorbing energy drinks at their normal concentration, and in hindsight would have added a second sachet as I was sweating so much.
The finish area developed into a psychological highlight as the race progressed. Music could be heard from the PA system towards the end of every lap and the whole area was populated with people sat around in groups on camp chairs, some dozing, some chatting and drinking beer. It almost had a continental feel to it and I kept having to remind myself where I was.
Costa Del Humber (Photo Toro CSC).
As the sunset eventually gave way to nightfall we continued running in the dark under the lights from the road which ran parallel to us. Occasionally bemused motorists would sound the horn as they passed but generally the whole experience was very peaceful and I was loving the simplicity of the event.
By the time I reached the end of lap 9 I was getting slightly fatigued but I decided to complete ten laps before stopping. I didn’t intend to sit down unless I had to attend to my feet so I took some extra food (including a handful of crisps for the salt content) and set off to complete lap 10.
Prof Noakes advocates walking at least 1 mile at appropriate times during ultras as anything shorter doesn’t provide enough recovery to be of any real benefit. In a hilly race you have periods of walking dictated to you at regular intervals but it takes a lot of patience to walk that far on a flat course, something I’d learnt in my first serious ultra at the Sri Chinmoy 24hr track race the previous September.
Joe’s cheery waves had by now ceased altogether and I was now greeted with a half-hearted nod, and we both pushed on with our respective races. The weather was still uncharacteristically warm and humid but I loved it. I was still wearing my short-sleeved Skins top and never felt the need to put move clothes on at any point in the race.
Nosferatu on EPO (Photo Toro CSC).
We’d been offered a midnight pizza delivery at registration and I was initially very keen on the idea. Usually - especially during night sections in a 100 mile event - hot salty food is the best thing imaginable but I had a feeling it would be the last thing I wanted in a comparably short race. At the end of lap 10 people were sat around eating the pizzas and I knew I’d made the right decision: a handful of biscuits, crisps or a gel every lap was giving me enough energy without causing me to feel stuffed or bloated.
By the start of lap 11 I was ready for a walk. My legs were beginning to stiffen and I could feel my hamstrings beginning to cramp, most likely due to the excessive sweat loss. I took a handful of food and a bottle with me and walked to the halfway point on the bridge, occasionally stopping to stretch my hamstrings as I went.
It can be frustrating walking while others are running but during an event of this nature everyone has periods when they need to back off. I was confident that I would make any lost time up in the second half so used the time to eat and drink and generally relax. The bridge was also becoming quieter as the 6 hour runners had finished and some of the 12 hour runners were taking breaks.
I eventually broke into a jog and after a few awkward steps began to loosen up and felt much better than I had for the previous few laps. I re-focussed on the same points again: stride rate, posture, relaxation and everything began to fall into place.
I wasn’t aware of my position at any time in the first half of the race but had a feeling by now I was relatively high up in the field. Some of the fast starters were now walking and I’d begun to lap people. After a quick sock change and an emotional reunion with Joe at Camp Tosspot I began lap 12.
I immediately began to catch a runner who I’d seen consistently tapping out the miles since we’d started. I passed him and he eventually re-caught me so we began to run together. His name was John Nicholson and we soon established he was a full lap in front of me. Amazingly it was his first ultramarathon and he had not walked a step during the race. He was also going through a dodgy patch but after a few minutes we were both feeling much stronger and pushed on at a reasonable pace.
I immediately began to catch a runner who I’d seen consistently tapping out the miles since we’d started. I passed him and he eventually re-caught me so we began to run together. His name was John Nicholson and we soon established he was a full lap in front of me. Amazingly it was his first ultramarathon and he had not walked a step during the race. He was also going through a dodgy patch but after a few minutes we were both feeling much stronger and pushed on at a reasonable pace.
John was wearing a GPS and knew his split for every mile. I normally avoid any data until after the finish but I began to find it very useful as something to focus on, possibly as it was giving my brain something to finally think about. It transpired we were running the ‘downhill’ miles averaging around 9:35 min/mile and the ‘uphill’ miles in around 10:25 min/mile. As we ticked the laps off we became surprisingly consistent and were clearly benefitting from running with each other. With the pacing data we were also able to calculate how many miles we were likely to complete by the end of the 12 hours.
Digging in for the last few hours (Photo Toro CSC).
As the sun began to appear to the East I knew every step of the course. The once seemingly flat and featureless bridge had now developed into a massively varied course packed with numerous landmarks within well defined sections. I now noticed how the gradient of the support cables changed at different points, where the ground echoed in certain places and where the best places were to place my bottle between sips. As these places varied throughout the race it became a game of epic proportions as I guessed where I had previously left the bottle. I even had the dilemma of whether to turn clockwise or anti-clockwise around the cones at the turnarounds, something which demanded increasingly more consideration as the race progressed!
Assuming there were no dramas in the last couple of hours I was on course to complete 72 miles, four miles behind John. As runners were to be stopped close to 7am if they didn’t realistically have enough time to complete a final lap before the 12 hour deadline, I was pushing as hard as possible to give myself enough time to be allowed to continue. John was still determined to run as he didn’t think he would be able to resume running but I was walking the climb out of the visitors’ centre every lap without being dropped. Different tactics work for different people.
Laps 16 and 17 were the hardest effort of the race and although we were both beginning to feel the consequences of the relentless pacing I felt very positive and focussed. More surprisingly, despite the growing fatigue my legs feeling 100% stronger than they had on lap 11.
I’d slightly pulled away from John (although he was still a lap ahead) and caught Joe towards the end of lap 17. I was now running as hard as possible and determined to reach 72 miles. Joe was finishing his race at the end of the lap and we both had a hearty man-to-man chat as we neared the finish area.
By the end I was very familier with this view...
The final crossing of the Humber was uneventful and it was simply a case of driving on and ignoring the protests from my legs. By now there were very few people still running as they hadn’t made the previous lap in time to continue. I was happy to see the last of the bridge but the event had been a great experience and I’d not been bored once despite the repetitive nature of the course.
Two miles out and back: the Humber Bridge in all its glory.
After sinking into my camp chair at Camp Tosspot and spending a few minutes discussing the relative merits and drawbacks of racing ultramarathons with Joe, we eventually limped over to the cafe to receive our complimentary bacon rolls and a coffee. Result.
Swollen and painful but worth every minute.
Reflection
Karl and his team ran a very friendly event with a keen sense of humour. The course is repetitive and this suits some people more than others, but I thoroughly enjoyed the race from start to finish and liked the predictability and familiarity of each lap.
As I’d completed three 100 mile events in a relatively short space of time before HOTH I wasn’t sure if my legs would rebel at some point during the race. The fact I felt good for most of the race and finished strongly was a confidence booster for the 24hr track race (my main aim for this season) five weeks later. My average pace was around 9:55 min/mile which - although not outstanding - makes the Spartathlon qualification standard of 200km a very realistic prospect.
Race details here: http://www.torocsc.com/index.php/features/runevents/hell-on-the-humber/event-information
Kit Review
I had brought the usual array of clothing for every weather eventuality but never had to change any clothes except my socks at the end of lap 11. I was entirely clothed in Skins A400 compression wear for three reasons. It’s very breathable, the calf guards seem to prevent calf strains during races and the shorts don’t cause any chaffing. I find loose running shorts lead to unnecessary rubbing, especially in hot weather.
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12
I ran in my usual Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 to provide the necessary support but also brought my Saucony Hurricane 14 which I planned to change into if I began suffering from blisters. As the sock change (and liberal re-application of Vaseline) seemed to prevent anything more than a couple of hot spots developing I didn’t change shoes.
The socks were the same as I have used for all my events this year: Gore Essential socks which are very effective at wicking sweat away from the foot and also provide extra cushioning (and reduced friction) under the foot.
All Brooks, Gore and Skins items were provided by Royles: www.royles.biz
