Jemma Does the 2016 Rat Race Coast to Coast

The Coast to Coast 2016 Multisport Event

Jemma's account of the 2016 Rat Race Coast to Coast

For this year big test was the Coast to Coast with myself going solo. After completing the event last year with Liam I wanted to beat my times from back in 2015. Recently my mountain bike skills have improved a lot when compared to last year having taken on a number of red routes at local trail centres and generally getting used to riding my mtb. Coming into the event this had given me an increased confidence boost.

Knowing what to expect from each of the stages we were hoping the weather was kind for us after the previous weekend's extreme conditions for Man V Mountain causing disruption to the planned course after a dissipating hurricane.

Great thing I knew what to expect from start to finish but having better weather conditions last year was hoping to have similar but after previous weekends weather at Man Vs mountain from the dissipated hurricane weather was unsettled to start with a rather cold start.  Opting to wear my Gillet over my cycling outfit was a good move till I got too warm with having only small pockets in the back of my Adidas climacool cycling top I had to hold it for about 4 of the 7 miles run to Cawdor castle.  The run itself is a good mix of trail, single track with little amount of pavement.  With the long stretches of single track with no option to overtake like last year was going as fast as the person in front of you.  I felt I was going an ok pace finally getting to transition getting self all ready for the move was quite smooth.

Once I left the sheltered grounds of Cawdor castle the wind hit me and at that time didn’t know this is the biggest obstacle of the whole weekend.  Small climbs was made ten times worse and finding needing to drink more often than usual.  Handling bike and eating was a no go with the force of the wind. Regular food and drink stops was needed and by the amount of people doing the same I knew wasn’t alone. With around 10 miles to go I just about ran out of water in my backpack and less than a quarter of bottle full of liquid.  This was a concern as I knew there wasn’t any shops on the route I knew of.  Battling quad fatigue where they started to lock up wasn’t what I hoped for.  Stretching out and taking time to eat yet more food and battled on was now seeing signs for Fort Augustus so knew end was in sight for Day 1.

The start of the long final climb I was following a man and for motivation tried to keep him in sight and keep his pace.  Just before the second large incline I lost him but saw a magical campervan with a sign saying water for Rat racers.  This guy was a proper star I stopped to collect water to then start with quad lock again and guy came over to see how I was and filled my water bottle up.  Small chat with others which come to fill water bottles up I took time to have my pork scratchings the salt is definitely what I needed and felt immediately better.  The last part of the climb which I would say was the third incline was rather steep and kept peddling with a few walking up as unable to manage it I got to the top without getting off my bike.  Load cheers from other racers as they saw what I done gave me massive boost and then to be told by Marshalls to watch my speed on my descent down the hill.  The wind again spoiled this last year I went rather fast eying Liam’s line last year with my hand on brakes.  This time no need to use the brakes the wind stopped me going fast as it rolled off the loch into me slowing me down.  Getting to transition and getting my arm and leg warmers off and anything I didn’t want wet for the kayak part which will end my day.  The run was a nice ease out from the battering wind I experienced for the past four or so hours.  The kayak was very windy and I was teamed up with another person and let’s say we was as clueless as each other after either missing buoys or just about taking them out with the kayak got round Loch Ness in one piece to finally get some food inside me and resting up as knew had to have my A game on for day two in any hopes of beating last years’ time my 2016 goal

Cawdor Castle to Fort Augustus cycling. Fort Augustus Kayak Stage st

Day 2 of the Rat Race Coast to Coast

We were also advised the last kayak wasn’t going ahead with the weather being very windy and Rat race have safety as no 1 priority.  I was quite happy about this as last year’s 2nd kayak stage was a long tough one.  My position in the holding pen I knew had gave myself the best chance to get round the 1^st tricky off road cycling without waiting too much.

I set off and found a rhythm found to overtake a few people and get overtook by others these mainly been cyclocross bikes. I found myself in a bunch where I managed to keep up in these off road sections but the guy behind me was brake squeaking a lot and could hear his annoyance weather was to myself for the fact got no way of overtaking anyone.  I coped with the switchbacks far better this year with only few times where I had to put foot down as with the experts going through the area the day before and the moist weather was rather churned up.  Knowing there wouldn’t be much flat and stable areas for consume food I took opportunities at key points I know where off road met on road and scoffed as many shot blocks as possible with cherry flapjack.

This ride I felt more confident on the hills I wasn’t stressed and found people walking up and was just powering up (in lowest gears).  One hill I was side of a guy and he didn’t realise how it kicked up after the cattle grid and came right into my path thus stopping my momentum.  Gutted I had to walk the rest way up.  A homemade chia flapjack made me feel better and off I went again.  Managed to even have a conversation with a few people along the way saw some regular Rat racers I knew.  Not a puncture in sight and the closer I was getting to Fort William as I saw the sign I felt rather emotional.  Last year I saw this sign almost broken this year I was ready for my smash and grab at the Esso garage for a sandwich to fuel my mountainous run.  Doing Man Vs Mountain the week before gave me the last bit of prep for this run and felt ready to take it on. 

The transition was placed different this year to last year in a football ground so had to hold my sandwich a bit longer than I thought I would be doing.  Parking up my bike stripping my bike for the remaining food supplies I got changed took off my bib shorts and put on full length bottoms on with my asics running shorts while opted to keep on my cycling jersey and Gillet.  With only 30 mins allowed in transition I started to eat my sandwiches and anything else I saw to eat and found hot drinks also I missed this last year so had a couple of warm milky coffees to help warm me up.  Last toilet stop and away I went ironically enough I bumped into a guy which I had done at the same point last year this year. He complemented on how well and lean I looked well will take that complement and run with that.

The run I started to ease into a rhythm before getting to the 1^st lot of hills run what I could and power walk the rest of them.  My progress was a lot better and the weather for a change had taken a change for the better.  The change was that there was times I had people to talk to which I didn’t have last year.  The wind had kept the midges away so that made the run far much better.  The major disappointment was the Epsom Run sense I was using died halfway through the run so didn’t track all my progress but with the official time splits I done major improvements from last years times regarding day 2.  Taking this as a major positive for 2017 goals which still contemplating though at least a Duathlon and an intro to an ultra-race (30 miles) will make an appearance in my Event calendar.

Day Two Strava

Fort Augustus to Fort William cycling Fort William to Kinlochleven

Watch ran out of battery but ran out a total of 14.9 miles was run on this stage and that stage took me 3.14 hours to complete.

Runstock 2016 - Family Friendly Running Festival

Marshaling and a Few Laps of the Course at Runstock 2016 

Having a Rat Race Season Ticket is great when they announce a new event. It only enhances what great value their season passes genuinely are. (If you're willing to travel and work on the logistics to keep prices down). When they put on a new event it's usually something slightly different. We haven't done a badly organised event from them so we expected big things about their new Runstock family-friendly running festival.

Waiting for the start at Runstock 2016

Rat Race Man V Lakes 2016 - OCR and Morecombe Bay

Last weekend Jemma took on Man V Lakes. A new event for 2016 by Rat race Adventure Sports

Gibralter Farm Campsite looking over Morecombe Bay for Man V Lakes 2016

This is the 1 st ever marathon and furthest I have ever run to date. This distance been on my mind for

some months. Having done my second Dirty Weekend and felt in rather good shape at the end gave

me a small boost that should be able to tackle it. After doing two trail blazer half marathons also did

some longer run training I started to feel a little positive. Till I started getting hip tightness in my

right hip this was effecting running and my strength training at CrossFit. This problem meant I had

to reduce the distances run and brought more stretching exercises in to remedy the problem.

Jemma at the start of Man V Lakes 2016 Rat Race event 

Jemma Does the Rat Race Dirty Weekend 2016

Rat Race Dirty Weekend 2016

Jemma finishing the Rat Race Dirty Weekend 2016

This year coming to the event where I had an idea of the terrain and obstacles was a good thing and a bad thing.  Tried and tested kit depending what the weather was going to be on the day.  With 9 am start the sun was starting brighten up for a great day out on course.   I decided that I would use my Inov-8 X-talons with my Sonico compression top.  Compression calf guards with a pair of ¾ Capri bottoms.  This suited me well as the calf guards seem to help when in the water as I seem to cramp a lot while in water for some reason.  We was advised there would be a change of course and wouldn’t see the water sections till around mile 6 unlike last year had at mile 4.  The water sections are for me weakest thing and found a big struggle to do last year.  Knowing I am not a strong swimmer which I am lucky to do 100 meters at best.  This would certainly be a more mental challenge for me to overcome.

The Crossing Rat Race Review 2016 Whitehaven to Scarborough

The Crossing 2016 Whitehaven to Scarborough on Mountain Bike

Me and My Radon ZR Race 29er in Whitehaven for The Crossing Rat Race 2016

Before the leg break 2015 for me was supposed to be focused on doing some different things. The Crossing Rat Race event was supposed to be one of those things. 200 miles (or thereabouts) coast to coast on Mountain Bike across the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It sounded pretty epic for a weekend riding my bike so had to be carried over to 2016.

I can see the appeal of a coast to coast adventure. Nottingham is pretty much the furthest of anywhere in the UK from the sea which is probably why we seem to flock their en masse. The sad scenario is we flock to the dive that is Skegness . The chance to dip our wheels in the sea at Whitehaven and then three muddy days later in Scarborough is pretty glamorous in comparison.

The Crossing Rat Race Review 2016 Whitehaven to Scarborough

The Crossing 2016 Whitehaven to Scarborough on Mountain Bike

Me and My Radon ZR Race 29er in Whitehaven for The Crossing Rat Race 2016

Before the leg break 2015 for me was supposed to be focused on doing some different things. The Crossing Rat Race event was supposed to be one of those things. 200 miles (or thereabouts) coast to coast on Mountain Bike across the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It sounded pretty epic for a weekend riding my bike so had to be carried over to 2016.

I can see the appeal of a coast to coast adventure. Nottingham is pretty much the furthest of anywhere in the UK from the sea which is probably why we seem to flock their en masse. The sad scenario is we flock to the dive that is Skegness . The chance to dip our wheels in the sea at Whitehaven and then three muddy days later in Scarborough is pretty glamorous in comparison.

Up to Traquair House for The Mighty Deerstalker

The Deerstalker is the first Rat race event of their calendar and after last year’s enjoyment was looking forward to going back and having another crack at it.  This time Liam gets to play on the course and see what he thought of it.  With me continually running outside all winter which is considerable more than this time last year I was aiming to do a good performance and enjoy the views.  

It had been said that was snow on the ground a week before the event which got me worried would my trusty Sondico compression top be warm enough?  I decided to purchase some cold gear clothing there are many brands floating about the OCR scene and with my body shape keeping on changing with my intensive CrossFit winter training I went with Under Armour woman’s cold gear compression roll neck top.  It seems after the Dirty weekend I suffered with water and calf cramps I am now accustomed to wearing calf compression sleeves and these are perfect.  At this moment in time I am using Skins branded ones.   For the last two years of racing I have used a pair of New Balance Capri bottoms as dubbed “racing bottoms” which sadly no longer fit properly so  This year I have a new pair of Capri bottoms from Karrimore in a Jemma friendly dark purple colour with a perfect zip pocket in the back for a gel too. 

A first for this year we drove up to Innerleithen as a trio. As our friend Mark who likes to marshal decided he wanted to join us on a trip up north and was placed on the finish line.  Liam was booked onto the 1^st wave and me the 2^nd wave so I got to see him off as such and cheer (nice to give myself the illusion I am going to chase and catch up).  I got a different head torch this year from last year which in the night run tests seemed to do the job  though on the packaging didn’t give me how many lumens bright it was (oh dear).  As we I got started finding a pace we came to a field of sticky mud which I managed to almost lose my shoe last year.  Doing a fast pace as best I could again the same thing happened again and trying to get my shoe back on in a sea of runners was hard going.  Which meant at the river under the tunnel crossing I was at a back of a cue?  With the stronger currents we were to go in twos and that cold water just hits you.  No sooner as you get out back to running again and knew would need to warm back up again as the climb up would be a killer.  

Going up the familiar hills was no easier than it was in 2015 but as the sun sets the torches came on.  We were advised there were course changes from last year due to the forestry commission doing felling works.

One major difference this year was treated to halfway round a disco rave in the woods with lights, smoke and music which did bring a smile to my face.  With time pressing on and the usual single file parts of the course started to notice my head torch wasn’t as bright as it once was and this didn’t come too apparent to till the scramble up the scree has started to find it hard to see where I was and finally got to the top i made a slow decent down as couldn’t see too far in front where to put my footing.  This was fine as gave me chance to catch my breath and enjoy the spectacular views.  

Coming to the end of the course we was treated to the sliding finish which most people seem to enjoy bar me don’t know what it is water and slides just don’t seem to hold that fun factor as once did in my younger years but was happy to finish yes slower than last year but with 2016 course feeling like the big brother course to 2015 course.  Only downside this year is where is my Frontier Beer? As that’s a much better pint than Coors light sorry Van Damme it just is!

Liam's Mighty Deerstalker 2016 on Strava

Jemma Takes on the Spring Ram Run

After Marshalling for 2015 autumn ram Run I got to see and play on the course myself as a payment for giving muddy hugs.  I wasn’t disappointed one bit I opted for the Sunday run at 24km giving me good distance in my legs for Rat Race dirty weekend which is fast approaching.  I do like how it’s all been organised.  I went in the Fun runner’s category which started 1^st before the trophy hunters eventually would catch us up and overtake.  The 12km wave was then set off midday with the idea we should all start to finish around the same time and can enjoy more of the after race events.  This I think should where possible adopted elsewhere.

Coming to this race the only worry on my mind was the chest/head flu I had just recently get rid of had left me with a persistent cough and my running miles beforehand considerable reduced almost similar thing happened to me when doing 2015 Deerstalker race. I was aware this course is making use of the natural environment and its obstacles with others which was man made.  Some of these man made obstacle came in the shape and form of approx. metre high yellow hurdles which you jump over which also was used as course markers wherever possible I estimate I saw over 50 + of the now known as Little Yellow Bastards.  The 1^st 12km loop these was a sore point till fatigue set in on the 2^nd loop round and these LYB could have been two metres tall for how you felt getting over them.  Kudos to the Iain and the team for those.  With farmers spraying fields with fertilizer we didn’t have to swim in the river like I saw in the autumn ram run which was great fully pleased for but instead  had to shimmy across bridges with rope which was tricky as with MHSOF knew if you fell was onto concrete but falling into water wasn’t something I wanted to happen.

The man made obstacles wasn’t easy we had varying types of walls to complete in different heights too and the inverted wall one which was for the mere mortals aka fun runner and a massive something like 8 ft one for those trophy hunters was good thing to get teeth stuck into or my case have my bum shoved up and over.  By the 2^nd lap I about mastered the run and launch self over wrapped hay bales which was something nearly 4 ft tall with larger one for the trophy hunters.  The rig which was the new creation as the spring ram run is the 1^st one where you could get qualifier for the OCR championships later in the year so this rig to complete was a must.   Thankfully for my level I was able to get across the parallel bars and crawl under cargo net quite well but hats off to the guys who had the harder section to complete without touching the floor.

The course personally thought was well marked with marshals at every point would want to see one and they was armed with enough haribo sweets to keep any runner happy.  There was reasonably priced food and drink at the end of the event which was still serving hot fresh food right to the very end which some events been too in the past started to pack up before the last runners have come through.  The biggest bouns there was showers to clean up at the end as been one of the last runners I didn’t experience cues for these magical showers and got hot water.  (the boiler must have just heated back up).  This alone makes me want to come back again.  If was running both days there was optional free camping and an event where free car parking on hardstanding floor is great for the inclusive price tag will I be back again defiantly and recommend this to any OCR or newbie runner