Round the Island Multistage Ultra 2011
25th/26th June 2011

Event Report by Tim Vincent, an XNRG Competitor

The grey and stormy skies above Southampton reflected the unsettled conditions in my stomach as both the ferry to Cowes and my first ‘Ultra’ loomed ever nearer. Inside the clouds of my stomach, various emotions swirled – fear, anxiety, nervous excitement, happiness.

Now that I was at the port, I knew that I’d finally be starting the race tomorrow. The feeling was akin to when I finish work and ‘umm’ and ‘ahh’ about putting my running shoes on to go for a run. Once they’re on I know I’ll not take them off before hitting the trail. Now I was at Southampton, I knew that I was going to be attempting the Round the Island the next day… There was no pulling out.

I ran my first marathon in 2010, and have run four more since. But I’d never gone beyond 26 miles, and for the previous 3 months I’d not run over 20 miles in any one run. How was my body, and more importantly my mind, going to react to 70 miles over 2 days? I had no idea but I was massively excited to find out!

As the yacht race was on, and Cowes was buzzing, once we arrived, me and my mate popped down into town to soak up the vibes, as well as some chips. After a couple of cheeky pints, we headed back to the school hall for some sleep.  The school gym crash-mat proved to be a great mattress, and I awoke reasonably refreshed and ready for the first big day, 38 miles from Cowes to Brighstone…

Somehow, I’d ended up in with the elite runners, thus starting in the last time slot. We all flew off the ferry and up the hill, and I enjoyed the feeling of being tucked in 7^th place. This feeling lasted until around mile 12, when I just couldn’t keep up with the true elites, and slowed down. I then got cramp at mile 16 and had to walk / run for a few miles until the worst of it passed. I never get cramp ordinarily, so was both surprised by it and unsure as to what to do.

In my head I broke the race down into checkpoint stops and key distances. The checkpoints are around every 10 miles or so, and on top of these, I had 18 miles as a marker (only 20 to go!), 28 miles (just 10 to go!), and 30 miles (sounds much closer to 38 miles than it really is, but the brain is a strange thing at times and being in the ‘30’s’ was a small comfort.)

Apart from the cramp and the occasional mis-reading of the instructions, the day passed relatively quickly. The checkpoints were always welcome, unlike the mist and the wind… On the long cliff section at the end, I found myself screaming at the wind to ‘Stop it!’ and ‘Shut up!’. The only ears the words fell on were my own as the wind cruelly blew them back at me. I’ve never been closer to tears in a run as I was at this point, and the finish was within touching distance. I hoped I didn’t break down into a crying wreck when I got there, and thankfully the tears gave way to euphoria and pride. The watch said 39 miles. I’d made it! Well, through Day 1 anyway…

Day 2 began muggy with a heavy mist. We were camped on the edge of the cliffs but could not see the sea at all. The noise of the waves lapping on the shore was a constant tease of the undoubted beauty of the area, but we began running in a grey world that smelled of Tiger balm. My body was stiff and aching, but after a few miles, the pain eased and the shuffle was at least rhythmical if not pretty to look at. 32 miles today. Despite being less than yesterday, it was still the second furthest I’d ever run in my life. Strangely though, yesterday had taken my confidence to another level. My brain knew I could do it. And as long as no serious injury was incurred, I knew, right from the start, that I’d get round.  The weather must have picked up on my positive vibes, as the mist burned away quickly to reveal a scorching hot day with clear blue skies. The tranquil scenery helped to take the mind off the running, as did new companionship along the way (cheers Jonny!). I was immensely glad of bringing a sun hat...

The first 20 miles seemed to go by pretty quickly, but then around mile 23 time seemed to stand still. Each mile seemed to take forever, the stiles seemed to be getting higher, and the ground seemed to be continually going uphill. It wasn’t of course, but the brain was doing strange things around this time. Never have I been so relieved to see a road sign saying Cowes 6 miles, with a checkpoint close by too. I must have spent 15 minutes at this last food haven, before slowly creeping towards the finish.

What a fantastic sight the XNRG banners were as I ran up the hill towards the school. I finished towards the end of the pack, but there were still plenty of people out to show their support, and my whole body was tingling as I crossed that line. I finished 32^nd overall, and have been smiling like a Cheshire cat ever since.

Thanks to the whole of the XNRG team – the caterers, the checkpoint crews, Neil and Rich, and the lads who put our tent up at the end of Day 1. Your personable approach made a memorable experience even more memorable. It’s safe to say I’ll be back for another.

Tim