Event 17 Imrey's Trail Half Marathon Review

As the dust settles after the successful running in event 15 HOPE24, I wasn't sure how my body was going to be so soon afterwards.

The day after I felt pretty good to be honest and legs could go again, but due to the blisters caused by melting the compeed on my feet to my feet on the gas fire it wasn't going to happen. Two days later and the Armada Athletics Network Summer 5k series was on up at Saltram House so blisters or no blisters I was going to sneak this one in.

Event 16 - Armada Athletics Network Summer 5k

Nothing really special about this one, it was another very local well organised event that happens once a month
. £2.50 to run, register on the day and it's chipped timed. The course is around the National Trusts Saltram estate, in Plymouth. I route I have run before in the past. It has two small but steep hill climbs after a downhill start into a rolling midsection. It has a good downhill finish which makes up for the two climbs. Another club member wanted company to help beat her PB, so I offered and I got her a new PB for that 5k course. There is something very rewarding helping others achieve their goals. Despite the tired legs and painful blisters, I had an enjoyable run. The weather was great and not too hot.

Event 17 - Imrey's Trail Half Marathon.

I entered this event a day after HOPE24, I think it was just before online registration closed. I have a friends who have run this event before and hearing that it was a tough course and the fact the heat last year made it tough, did make me wonder if it was a good idea so soon after HOPE24.

Imrey's Trail Half & Marathon is set around the Clay Pits of St Austell, Cornwall. The Clay Pits are known for it's china clay that's exported all over the world. It's rarely open to the public, so it's definetly a course I wanted to give a go to. Race HQ was at Cornwall College in St Austell, which provided plenty of parking. Living in Plymouth meant it wasn't a massive journey but with the standard road works which always seem to be on going, we needed to allow for this. We arrived in good time, and was marshalled into the car parking area, again marshalled and were running a tight ship.

Cornish Clay Pits (taken off the internet)

 I went to the registration area which is right byt the start/finish line. It was quite busy inside with various runners chatting, registrating or getting ready. I joined the queue for the pre registrated entrant, although the on the day queues had no one in it at the time so I wished I joined on the day. Hey ho it went smoothly enough once I got to the desk.I got changed and I dropped my bagage off  again this was well staffed.

Registration

 It was nice to catch up briefly with some local legends and all round good eggs Andrew Ferguson, Isobel Wykes (GB 24 hour ultra athlete European Champ medalist) and Richard Keefe, all of whom are Mud Crew Ultra Team runners.

Soon enough I was on the start line after some club pictures with fellow Plymouth Musketeers. A local brass band was outside playing all the local hits. I guess it's different to what I've recently been used to at some events where dj's have been the dominate force in the music scene at the events.

The Start

 After a quick safety brief we lined up and off we went. It wasn't chipped timed so gun time was the official timing for this. I was nearer the back of the starting pack where both half and marathon runners were bunched together. The race started with a full lap around the college building before crossing the start line and then heading out of the college up a grassy climb to a small back road. The first mile and a bit lead along this road before finally hitting the "Clay Trail" this is a public trail path around the outskirts of the Clay Pits also known as the Cornish Alps (Yes I know!). After a few miles we were soon into the pits, where I've left the gravel type terrain and now running on clay sand type terrain.

Along the beautiful trails

 The weather when I left Plymouth was bright sun shine, but come the race start it had became slightly over cast. It still remained warm and dry. As the course was dry I opted for road shoes instead of trail shoes. With the way my feet was I am glad for the little bit of comfort the shoes gave compared to my trail shoes.

One of the climbs (2014 taken from the events FB Group)

My legs were feeling a little tired but ok, and I planned on walking the bigger climbs but running everything else. After about 4 miles I soon had some unexpected company, a young female runner caught me up and we soon started chatting. Her name was Chrissy and it was her first half marathon. Kudos to her for picking this one as her first one. She was struggling a little bit, so I said I would keep her company and get her to the finish. We chatted a lot and soon the miles were ticking off. We'd walk the hills and run the rest.

Stunning views!

The route was well marshalled with plenty of happy fun going marshals. Cheering, giving directions and in some places sweets and crisps. There were a few water stations and even a couple sponge stations. I wore my Inov8 Ultra Race vest. I had a full 2ltr bladder of water and two bottles of isotonic drink, so I never had the need for the water stations. I was glad I had my race vest though as it was quite warm and I made use of the fluids as I went.

Pic doesn't do this hill any justice!

 We soon made our way out of the pits and back on the Clay Trail heading back toward the direction we came from. We hit 11 miles and had 1 big climb left. Chrissy was starting to suffer with her back and when we went down hill her toes in the end of shoes. I continued to support and encourage Chrissy, as we soon entered the grassy decent back down into the college grounds. After telling me sloves a sprint fininsh, I picked up the pace, getting Chrissy to keep up, whilst encouraging her all the way. After 2 hours 41 mins we both crossed the line. When you look at the winners time, which compared to a flat road half is slower for someone's first half and a tough off road one at that, that time was a good time. Something she will no doubt beat. I caught up with one of my best mates who else ran as well as his wife and all their awesome Carn Runner friends! They're the Cornish version of my Musketeer club!. I think if there was a social gathering between the two of them it would be a really messy affair HAHA!

Event 17 of 37 done!

 Now it cost £14 to run the half marathon, the course was well run, the goody bag was good it was far better than the Plymouth Half marathon goody bag (it wasn't hard). It even included a tin of Cornish Lager (tasted quite nice and refreshing) amongst other things and the bag itself is a good quality bag. They had a bigger numbers of entrants in the half due to on the day, and some half marathon finishers didn't received a medal at the end. They are being sent out to those who didn't get one, a little gutting but it's not the end of the world. I had to borrow a friends for the pic. It's a nice bit of bling for the collection. 

A good goody bag which included a beer as well as medal (medal borrowed of friend) amongst other things

 I do recommend this event one for it's unusal course, but also because it's a good value well organised event.

If Plymouth Half and this were on at the same time, I'd have to enter this.

So I've a week now until my next event which is a off road (beach and dunes 10k) in Cornwall. Hopefully my feet will be heeled!

Until next time!!

Owain

Event 11 - Plymouth Half Marathon

It's been a week since the Paris Marathon and it was time for another event to tick off. I've still got the cough that ruined me in Paris but that wasn't going to stop me.

Now the Plymouth Half Marathon is my local event, and it's a pretty big event in organisation and the amount of runners that take part. 4,000 runners run it pretty much every year. Registration opens pretty early and it is a very popular event, with many making it their first half marathon. At just over £30 for entry it's not the cheapest and not the best value for money. If you want a finishers t-shirt it's extra money and the goody bag isn't really a good bag. It's a bag with lots of leaflets with a packet of crisps, cookies and a vegan coco bar. The medal is a good medal, and you do get water and a banana at the end. However they ran out of banana very early on, so a lot of runners didn't get one. Which is quite bad knowing how many runners are running on that day.

When you compare how much London Marathon costs which is just less and you get more for your money. Also the Silverstone Half Marathon was only £20 (see previous review) and you get far more including t-shirt and medal.

If it wasn't a local race for me, where many from the club run and you know the support will be good, I doubt I'd enter to be honest. I did enter it though knowing all the above.

Kit already to go!

 It was a 9am start and with the my running club the Plymouth Musketeers mustering for a club pic at Smeatons Tower for 8.15am it was going to b an early start. With roads being closed off at 6am, I knew traveling to the event will be a bit of a nightmare as will getting somewhere to park. We left in good time, but even still traffic was bad and parking was a nightmare. I had to jump out to try and get to the photo in time. The wife went and found a car park space whilst I jogged off.

I arrived just after the main photo was taken but managed to get in another of the group photos. I was meeting a friend who was keeping me company for the run. Danny Slay is an Marathon Des Sables veteran and race organiser of HOPE24 a 24 hour ultra in just outside Plymouth. I met up with him at 8.30am in the athletes village. I wouldn't say it was much of an athletes village this year, there was two lots of massage marques and a baggage area. Far less going on there than the previous year and it was slightly disappointing.

Picture taken by Colin

Athletes Village

Athletes Village

Danny finished getting himself ready and we made our way up to the pen before it got crazy. The race being chip timed meant unless you were super fast that needed to be up front, it didn't matter where you were you were really in the pen. We had about 10 minutes to wait until the start of the race. With the pen filling up, standing space was soon getting sparse and you couldn't help but bump the nearest person.

Me and Danny at the start in the pen

Heart fm were there doing announcements, warming the crowd off and were going to announce the start. "We'll be starting any minute now, oh there's klaxon go!" Just like that we made our way to the start line.

The start line

Danny being aware of my illness knew I wasn't up for a fast time and that getting round was my goal again. The start was pretty manic as we squeezed through the narrow section until we hit the road up the hill along the Hoe into the Barbican. We settled in and away we went down into the Barbican. The course isn't a flat 13.1 miles, with some long hills thrown in. I was feeling ok right up until the first 4/5 miles when I felt drained once more. I started to struggle and Danny noticed this. There were plenty of water stops, although the first (which was also the last) water stop had one of those weird squeeze soft water bottles. I struggled to get enough water out when I needed it.

The weather warmed and soon it was another hot run. We made our way to the long climb of Billacombe Road to Elburton. In the warmth it makes it feel never ending. I got to almost to the top where I really startled to struggle. I had to break down to a walk for a minute to get my breathing back. I was back into a run soon after, all the while Danny kept with me.

We turned left off Billacombe and down Elburton, a nice down hill before another uphill towards Saltram. Again as I made up the hill, my chest and cough struggled. I had to power walk the best I could. You know those many sayings other runners say to those struggling they shouldn't say, well they said them. I just ignored them and focused on just getting up the hill in Saltram Estate.

One Marshal knowing I had just ran Paris with struggled joked shouting "Anyone would think you just ran a marathon". It brought a well needed smile to my face I can tell you. We got to the top and turned left in through Saltram along a rolling section of tarmac before down Saltram Hill (used be the route upwards before they reversed it a through years ago). Well needed down hill, but I a quick pee stop behind the narrowest of trees was needed. Danny ran on as I watered the flowers with shouts at me of "I can see your willy or I know what you're doing" again made me chuckle and much needed.

I ran off and caught Danny up. We eventually after about 8 miles made our way out of Saltram and back along the road towards the city. First though we had to run out and back along Embankment. With the estuary on side and the returning runners on the other it felt like it would never end. Again I started to struggle even more and I even on the flat i had to break into a little walk. I picked up the run again and eventually we hit the turning point just after 10 miles. 3.1 miles to go! A whole 5k that was all. I got to 11 miles before struggling once more, I broke into a walk and told Danny who had been with me all the way so far to crack on to the finish. He asked if I was sure, and I said yes. I let him go so he could get in at least a good leg stretch!

I made my way down Gydina Way before the turn towards the Barbican stretch. I grabbed my final water pouch thing before breaking back into a run. I ran back through the streets of the Baribican before hitting the last two hills, which I walked up both. The last hill leading towards the final stretch to the finish. I still managed to break into a sprint finish down the last couple of hundred metres. I was completely drained. The fact I can run these distances with out issues up until recently made no difference it felt like I was a complete novice. Mentally I found that tough. I finished in 2 hours 25 mins, my Pb for half is 1 hour 47 mins and I know I am capable comfortably of sub 2 hours comfortably. So it does really knock my confidence a little but then I come back to reality and say to myself you are ill, you have whopping cough which makes you dizzy and throw up. It drains you of energy every day. It's an illness that can kill babies.

I did finish it! Danny waited for me at the finish, I'm so glad he was there.

Danny and me after the finish

The Medal

Now that was the run for me, but the atmosphere was brilliant. I can't fault the support that goes on at this event. A lot of people cheering me on, knowing me from my running exploits recently. One crowd support who I didn't recognise shouting "I saw you in Paris well done!" The high 5's from the children, crowds giving out jelly babies, a well marshaled course made the pain worth while.

I'm very lucky to have very good friends in the running world willing to help me, be it from my running club the amazing Plymouth Musketeers or from the ultra running world like Danny. I just hope now my illness goes sooner rather than later so I can see what I can really do when it comes to HOPE24.

Most people would've not started Paris or Plymouth with my illness, but I'm not most people. I don't do them for me, I make the sacrifice for others.

Thank you for reading and please if you can donate towards my target that would be great.

www.justgiving.com/yolo7dayultra2015