The Forum of Benfleet Running Club

runningman · #2 Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 152 Location: my office

Jon Kinder finished in 59 hours...........

Graham · #3 Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 395

That is TRULY impressive.

Well done Gaz & Ernie. Very valiant effort lads. Recover well!

debbie g · #6 Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 707

Gaza can you post the results of all those who finish on here please? Hoping to see that amazing lady show the guys how tough she is. Has Alicja finished yet?

And Pammie I have had the misfortune to meet both of them and trust me you and Bobby don't want to shedding any tears over those couple of fruitcakes!!! :blackeye:

runningman · #2 Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 152 Location: my office

Hi Debs .........only Jon has finished so far as far as i know she is still third but currently having a kip under a bush !.. i will keep you updated ASAP with results Gaza

debbie g · #6 Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 707

Thanks Gaza that's brilliant. She's allowing herself a kip?? She's weakening!!! :blackeye:

runningman · #2 Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 152 Location: my office

she is currently 4th ...........

runningman · #2 Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 152 Location: my office

Midnight saturday..4 finished
jon
Stuart Gillet
neil kapoor
alicija

and i think there is 4 out there somewhere............

Ernie · #2 Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 240 Location: Hockley GORC

Well arrived home last night as I've been following the Race "downstream" as Francoise was an Official in this Race at Checkpoint 7 and 9.
As for me ....its simple I FAILED and will always look at it this way.
Its frustrating I know to get so far and have to pull myself from the Race but the Scenario was fast becoming obvious to me.
My feet were in a very bad way and although they have been worse before, that was always at an end of a Race and not with the prospect of another 90 odd miles to go.
A lot of what I remember of the Race is still vague to me and there is one Checkpoint No 4 that although I know I went through that I cant remember anything of at all.
I know that I had been running well for the first 60 miles with only mildly blistered feet but from then on I knew that it was no longer a race for me but it was about finishing so I slowed down "feathering" my feet and toes the best I could and changing socks/shoes and getting blisters retaped/treated at every checkpoint but for the last 50 miles i did every step was painful and my feet were being cut up worse even by just walking.
At the end of my Race I was sitting in a chair at a Checkpoint with still 2 hours in hand before Checkpoint closure with a Paramedic draining and tapeing blisters....it was a long process and took 3/4 of an hour of my valuable time when with the Heavens opening up outside I knew then that sure I could get another 20-30 miles further and possibly end up in A&E in the process but absolutely positive that I couldn't make the end.
The situation was obvious as it was painful just to stand on them ... "how was I going to run another 90 miles" ......I suppose it could be about Mental Toughness and I'll be the first to admit that I'm just not tough enough.
Apparently there was one guy out there who had worse feet that me so I didn't take that prize either.
The annoying thing for me though is that for my badly swollen an blistered feet my calfs,quads knees in fact everything thing else is in really good shape because in many ways I've had an easy race by running so slow.
Will I try again .......Yes but only if I can sort out this problem I have with my feet.....I will try and get Specialist help.
Thankyou all for your insults and good wishes and will even tolerate the Kiwi comments since as a FAILURE I deserve it.
The Race is still going as I type this and those that are still out there running are in a very bad shape.
Those that I saw yesterday at Abington were getting lost on the Thames and losing track of everything.
Great Race and definately one worth having a go at.
A little later I'll put a bit more about the race down as so much happens over so long a time.
For now I must put my feet up to try and get the swelling down.

Mike Mason · #7 Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 1055 Location: Hockley

Ernie....yes you failed and it will hurt for a long time. But remember all the advice you gave me over my more mamby pamby jaunts including Mont Blanc when I failed those....there are few things in life more miserable than a DNF. But there are few things more motivating then them either!

So rest up....we will have a curry..we will critique the crap out of what went wrong and then we will do what we always do................visualise success and try again!

After all we are members of the great 'Caring Club - my arse!'

All the best......
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

debbie g · #6 Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 707

Yes Ernie you are a useless no good Aussie (sorry Kiwi) failure. I don't know how you can live with the shame you have brought on yourself and your club.

Come on you know that there are only a handful of people in the world who could do this and you were very nearly one of them. You had the mental toughness you had the legs you just didn't have the feet. There is a fine line between toughness and insanity and carrying on running with feet cut to pieces crosses that line.

Go out and buy a new pair of feet get back on them and do it again.

And you can call it a success if you like for getting me hooked on the madness that is ultra running and for finding a true inspiration like Alicja Barahona. Sorry you are relegated now from the status of being my inspiration until you get out there and prove you can do 250 miles!

Rest well get those feet better as I need my training buddy back to take me out on those horrible trail runs and to run far further every run than I am supposed to be running.

And to hold Colin back on our Monday night runs!!!

Ernie · #2 Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 240 Location: Hockley GORC

12 Finishers
Final Results here
http://www.photobox.co.uk/my/phot...=128883234&photo_id=203734185

bobby · #2 Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 257

Ernie, if your feet are theproblem why not try doing it next time on your hands. Seriously tremendous respect to you and gary for having the imagination to attempt such a thing. We all really feel for you and hope you can get the problem solved to achieve your goal.

JBD · #3 Joined: 15 Sep 2007 Posts: 317

Ernie, sir.

You can stick 'failure' in your posts as much as you like, you're still a blooming hero to me and loads of us mortals.

Look forward to seeing you soon mate.

Ernie · #2 Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 240 Location: Hockley GORC

Bobby...thankyou for your kind words but the only real goal I have is to run as far as possible and this is a never-ending Goal without any real closure.

I will probably work my way around this one because I am a determined Bastard and just love daunting Challenges.

Lets face it though feet are a very important part of a Runners equipment and mine wern't up to the task and the job I have now is to find out why certain Runner's feet can do this sort of thing virtually undamaged and others just fall apart.

I'm not suffering too much and hope to be running again within a couple of weeks but will start off running with a slower Group at the Club and gradually work myself back to speed again.

Do have a little Goal and that is for a sub 65min PB for a 10 mile Road Race I want to achieve later in the year.

debbie g · #6 Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 707

runawaykj · Joined: 28 Jun 2009 Posts: 1

Hi Ernie

I attempted GUCR 2007 and went back and finished in 2008. For TR250 I wanted to help Dick and Anthony on this as I have enjoyed so many TRA trail races including GUCR and The Ridgeway (which is brill). I was at CP4, 5 and 6. It was a pleasure supporting you and I'm sorry you had to pull out. Your feet were bad which is a shame as otherwise you looked good. When I pulled out of GUCR 2007 at 100 it was due to feet. I also was determined to sort out the cause and found a book 'Fixing Your Feet' http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fixing-Yo...evention-Treatments/dp/089997354X
It is by no means a one stop fix but it gives many different solutions - it seems what works for some doesn't for others, however (if you haven't got the book) it may help.
A pleasure supporting you and thanks for the inspiration!

KJ

Ernie · #2 Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 240 Location: Hockley GORC

Thanks for the tip runawaykj , I will get that book and research this problem and hopefully be back for 2011 since it is a bienial event.

Also thanks for your support as its always been the proffessionalism of Running enthusiasts like yourself who understand the complexities of Ultrarunning that make these Events such as Thames Ring,GUCR and I would suppose Ridgeway so successful and keeps the likes of myself coming back for more.

See you next Ultra !

Mike Mason · #7 Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 1055 Location: Hockley

Ernie, hi. I have the book it's the John Vonhoff one.

See also his blog and sign up for free updates:

http://www.fixingyourfeet.com/

I also have Maffetone's 'Fix your Feet.' As you know if I spent less time reading and more time training I would make improvements..so don't buy I will loan...
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

Ernie · #2 Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 240 Location: Hockley GORC

Here is some of a blog I have duplicated from Runners World Forum on Thames Ring regarding Muggings :

Thought I would join a forum for once as I was one of the 2 runners unfortunate enough to meet a group of idiots on the route who grabbed me and gave me a good knee in the back of the leg! Happened in Kingston between 1am and 2am - struggled on another 2 checkpoints before retiring at 106 miles. Hope to be back in 2011 - great race and as usual a great group of athletes, checkpoint crew and for the most part.......spectators

Hi Crutterz I think you were the chap who couldn't take pain killers either...due to an impending op?? If I am wrong please ignore this... if not Just like to say a massive well done for continuing after you were so badly knobbled! you are STOIC

from the nut that offered to buy you a drink then possibly disapeared...no doubt in the bushes...again!

Zips...say no more!

Zips - you are absolutely right! Nose op on Wednesday! Big couple of weeks!

Thanks for the offer of a beer - I'll take you up on it next time!

Karl C · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:39 am Post subject:

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Confucius

Mike Mason · #7 Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 1055 Location: Hockley

or:

七転び八起き nanakorobi yaoki
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

Ernie · #2 Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 240 Location: Hockley GORC

Well surprisingly I'm just about right to get out there and start doing some miles again. Its not easy not to run.

One thing I'd like to add about this Race was the superb commitment the Marshalls,Officials, Checkpoint Helpers etc put into this Race.
Many of the helpers were just not out there for 12 hour shifts but were helping out for 4 days straight with just catching a couple of hours sleep in Tents,Vans,Cars or even popping home for a quick shut eye and then getting back to the race with only the Runners needs paramount in their mind.
I have never ever seen such selfless commitment which goes beyond impressive.
I feel above all its these people that have made this Race the Great Race that it is.

bobby · #2 Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 257

Remember Ernie's words about how important marshalls are when I come crawling on hands and knees asking you to volunteer forour cross country or the benfleet 15. Thankyou and goodmorning.