On the run from the Crum
What
a roller coaster!
2008
I entered my first Marathon with little to no training. I
didn't run much after it until a few years of causeway coast
marathons also the half marathon. The next step for me was the
Causeway Ultra. I knew I couldn’t get away with bluffing it and
that was the start of my ultra run training. I completed the Causeway
Ultra in Sept 2018. From then to now I have entered a few more
marathons, a 6 hour challenge at the East Antrim Marathon series and
a 50k Trail Ultra. While trying to gain knowledge on Ultra run
training. I found a massive community out there all racing week
in week out with stories of amazing feats of human endurance. Many
books, videos, groups and podcasts pop up with everyone’s own idea
of the right way to go about it. What you learn quickly is everyone
is different and training or even racing is different for everyone.
So
why a 24 hour?
I
went to watch a couple of 24 hour events at Mary Peters and Victoria
Park in Belfast. I always thought that would be the ultimate in
running. Around a track or park just didn’t have the appeal
to me. I was in awe of the vast range of people who run in
these. Asking myself could I physically run for 24 hours could I
mentally keep myself going even if my body was properly trained for
it?
I
found a local podcast The inspirational Runner produced by runner
Robbie Marsh. This was full of amazing stories and tales from
ordinary people and some extraordinary people. While listening to one
about an event called escape from Meriden I thought now that’s a 24
hour that would interest me. Leaving from point A and running any
direction you want for 24 hours. I hadn’t really thought much
more about it until I was running at a We run wild NI event and heard
they had planned a similar event leaving from Belfast. The seed was
planted.
Support
crew
When
the event details went live I didn’t hesitate. I entered straight
away. It then started to dawn on me this wasn’t just a long
distance run this was 24 hours. As daunting as it was I was
determined to make it work. Training ramped up and a diet change
(something I never do) It was happening. First I needed a
support crew and someone that knew me and how to keep me going. Ivan
Park had done support for me before and has a wealth of knowledge
behind events like this. When I asked him him he agreed but was
tentative due to supporting team Ireland at the Eco Challenge in Fiji
a few weeks before. Jamie Morris was another name I knew wouldn’t
let me down. He also straight away said yes. It turned out that
Callum and Aaron his sons would come along and do a fantastic job at
the feed hand overs.
Route
planning
It
sounds simple in planning terms. Leave point A and run as far
as you can in 24 hours done. The issue was the final distance wasn’t
what we would cover. When we finish the final distance was measured
as the crow flies meaning a straight line on a map. To put that
in context 10 people could arrive at the same point having covered
different mileage due to route choice. For me I love maps and this
part I liked doing. I won’t go into the detail of how I plotted my
route but I had decided early on the general direction. It is amazing
how small changes in a route can make massive difference as I found
later on. A week before the event we had to submit our route to the
organisers. This was so they could track us and alert us if we went
badly off course. A great safety measure from the organisers.
Race
morning
The
time leading up to the event seemed to breeze through. The thought of
“have I done enough training?” started to pop into my head. Then
the niggles in muscles and parts of the body. I think it is a
subconscious part of us that is kind of saying WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING
ON DOING TO ME????? I remember reading a Bryon Powell book
‘Relentless forward progress’ that getting to the start line is
one of the hardest parts of any race. (I wasn’t agreeing with
that statement, ankle deep in water on the back roads of Monaghan)
Saturday morning I had a quick gear check and filled the water
bottles. I ate a 2 egg omelet and had a pint of water. The door
went and Ivan had arrived, shortly followed by Jamie, Callum and
Aaron. My son Liam was off to his hurling tournament. We
wished each other luck and he headed on. The crew and me went
over what I had and loaded up the van. Jamie’s van was well kitted
out for an event like this. Cooking facilities, fridge, crew cab and
even a bed in the back (not that I was planning on using it).
We set off to get to the Crumlin road jail shortly after 8.
Gary and Gillian had the registration tables set up outside the
governors office. They went through our mandatory kit and sign on
sheets and then we were free to walk around the jail. We got photos
taken in and around the jail. You could clearly see the
exciting building. Some competitors really getting into the spirit of
things dressing in prison uniforms. Some even had ball and chains,
handcuffs linking the chain gangs. It was fantastic to hear
everyone in such good form. The Despite it being a chilly
morning I took off my jumper and started in shorts and T-shirt.
We went outside to get GPS reading on our trackers and went through
the last minute briefing. Everyone was being tight lipped with route
choices despite it being too late to change. Once ready we
headed into the jail for the race start.
Race
start
A
mass start meant we over powered the guards on C wing. Prisoners in
orange, black and white uniforms powered through the lower prison
gates and out into the exercise yard. We done a lap of the yard
and out the side gates. FREEDOM!!!!! Through the gates the fun began.
I heard one team say this way then or is it, are you sure? Not a good
start to a race like this. Runners split up with some heading down
the Crumlin road, some up it and others straight through. I was
going straight through joined by a few others and everyone got
chatting. Still mostly tight lipped about route choice but others
made the point of saying don’t just follow others as they might be
lost. I was conscious about pace and feeling great the hardest thing
was to take it easy. At the falls road the group split up again. Just
myself and another runner (Ivan Sandlier) went straight through. We
ran down through Galvally and out onto Grosvenor road. Crossing over
and through the grounds of the Royal Hospital. Chatting to Ivan I
think he had planned to take a lower road and use the footbridge over
the M1. He must have trusted my route and came with me. At the balls
on the Falls he went left and I went straight through. He got all the
green lights and I got stuck in the middle for a bit. On joining
Boucher road I could see he had picked up a good lead. I decided to
remain at my own pace and just keep going. When I reached the
lisburn road more runners passed me. I looked at my watch and
thought I was slightly too fast. It is a strange feeling watching
others go past when you feel so good but know you cant chase them
down. I encountered a police car in Lisburn but they didn't recognise
me thank fully. Things were feeling good and I was slightly ahead of
schedule. Keeping an eye on the time I was almost an hour into the
run. I was eating small bites and sipping away at water throughout.
The first couple of hours seemed to go by in a flash. Then you think
about time left to cover and time doesn't seem to be going that fast.
Pace was really comfortable and running like this gives you time to
look around and take in the scenery. I passed the Maze Prison and
Maghaberry Jail I was on a jail crawl. Running on my own at this
stage and just enjoying the moment.
I
got to Moira and spotted Ivan Sandlier coming out of a shop. He was
stopping to eat and I had food with me so I was eating on the move.
Eggs and bacon from the start and its just as well “Because deep in
the heart of the moira valley there lays a burger bar which serves
not only food but dreams” and NO MORE BACON ROLLS!! (for those
that don't know what I am talking about look up Moira's drive thru on
Youtube. Back to the running and I went past Ivan as he was still
getting his food. My support crew checked in to see if I needed
anything but at this stage I still had enough. It wasn't long until
Ivan past me again and I just let him shoot on. I had a game plan and
I was sticking too it. The weather was great not to warm but dry and
clear. I was leaving moira and noticed a car slow and an elderly
lady wave out the window. She shouted I seen you in lisburn is it
for charity, well done keep going. It is amazing how such a small
gesture like this means so much. I am not an emotional person but I
could have cried. I went down the road with a spring in my step and a
smile on my face. In the unlikely event that you are reading this,
Thank you so much for taking the time to wish me well. I was
covering good ground and feeling great. While route planning I got
into discussion with Jamie about Lurgan and craigavon. He said
Kristian Mullen might have a good way through the town on cycle
paths. I spoke to Kristian the night before but when he said the
cycle paths wouldnt be the straightest route through I decided to
stick to my original route. Another thing that happened was I forgot
to update my gps that the support crew had. Initially I had me
running down the busy dual carriageway but had decided against that
later. So on arriving into Lurgan I heard someone shout my name and
looked around to see Jonny McCord driving past giving me a shout of
encouragement. I caught the van up at lights and he said I was
flying and there are loads of people way behind me. I took the turn
off and headed for the back road through Lurgan. Little did I know
that my support crew and a few others where waiting for me on the
other road. When they seen I had gone along the back road they all
came along in convoy passing me shouting encouragement. They stopped
further up the road and waited. When I was reaching them Callum and
Aaron had a change of drinks bottle ready for me. They ran along
side and I didn't have to stop to get the bottle (great work from the
boys). A line of supporters greeted me in a layby in lurgan (That
just sounds wrong) but it was amazing. Superstar Mountain Biker
Hannah Mullen with the fist pump, Mrs Mullen in the car shouting
words of encouragement, my support crew, then Kristian Mullen, Jonny
and Jay McCord with High fives. I was buzzing from seeing the guys
coming out to wish me well. Lurgan seemed to be a stumbling block
for some. Ivan told me he was expecting me on the other road and
others had went that way. He said some had been trying to find the
road I was on and that had been a good move from me. In my head I was
still running my race and not bothered by others. The next part
through portadown was fairly straight forward but this was my first
low point.
I was over marathon distance but feeling aches and pains. My temp had risen and breathing a bit heavier. Perhaps the buzz of meeting friends on the route had sped me up a bit. Thoughts ran through my head. “If this is the start of the pain this is going to be more difficult than I thought”. I wasn't thinking about stopping or anything but I could feel a frown on my face for the first time. Callum had come up to see if I needed anything and I think just chatting to him took my mind off things. At this stage I had been eating and drinking well. Tailwind mix and plain water, omelette's and slices of bacon. I had some more bacon in my pack. I was beginning to get sick of chewing bacon. I let Ivan know and he started going down a list of foods. I was trying to think of something but nothing was sounding appealing. I remembered I had tuna and asked for some of it further up the road. I also knew I needed something else as it was getting late into the day. I was feeling strong enough and wasn't feeling drained or tired but just knew I needed to keep eating. At another stop Ivan approached hiding something behind his hand. I wondered what he was at when he revealed a big strawberry. That strawberry was like a magic strawberry just at the right time. Took the taste out of my mouth and give me a nice buzz. I followed it up with a baby bell cheese and some more tailwind. The rain had started a while back but getting heavier now. I was on a busy main road but thankfully a great wide hard shoulder kept me safe. When I reached Armagh I got my tuna and started to eat it out of a freezer bag. I forgot to ask for some mayo on it and as you can imagine it was difficult to eat while running. I got a water and tried to force some of it in but it was effecting my breathing as well. Tuna assigned to the pocket and tailwind to the rescue again. I thought about soft mashed potatoes or champ and the boys headed into Armagh to get some in a shop. They leap frogged me to get it heated up. On reaching them they had found a bus stop and had my camping chair out. Ivan said I wasn't getting the comfort of the van. This was the first time I had sat down 8 hours into the event. Only other stops was a pee stop and traffic light stops through the towns and cities. The mash went down really well with a good portion of red sauce. I washed it down with plain water got the bottles topped up and got on the move again. I was wet and cold but the warm potatoes really perked me up again. I had planned not to stop but I think it was a good decision at that point. Ivan wanted me to change socks but I was comfortable and continued on. The hat was on and hood up with rain hitting me sideways. This was now me against mother nature as winds and rain picked up. Temperatures had dropped as well and although I had the rain coat on I was still in shorts. I noticed a van pass and slow down. In my head this person must have thought I was in bother out in the rain as they pulled in and stopped. As I got closer I realised it was my mate Barry Sullivan. It was fantastic to see him and totally unexpected. He had been following the tracker and realised I was passing his house. He ran along side for a bit to see how I was then wished me well and headed on. Another really great moment in this adventure.
Roads flooding, deep puddles and constant rain was just battering me. I was really loving it the weather wasn't going to put a downer on things. I passed through a few flooded sections over ankle depth. Roads had turned into rivers. The first few deep crossings I was trying to skip through but by the next one I was just plodding through. The boys had stopped at what had seemed the deepest to video me running through. It would turn out that there was worse to come. The roads where getting smaller and darkness had fallen. I had the lights on and High viz vest on I'm sure the cars passing had wondered what I was at. One elderly man even stopped to make sure everything was OK. Another nice gesture. I turned off the busy main monaghan road and into the back roads. Speeding motorists were keeping me on my toes. I think constantly watching out for cars and lorries was a good distraction from the running. Trying to stay safe even if it meant steeping off the road and into the hedges while vehicles passed. What I quickly learnt was the most dangerous wasn't a single car coming towards you. It was when a group of tailgating cars came towards you. The first would pull out but the others didn't After the first time I just stepped in after that as I knew the same would happen. The form was still good and I wasn't overly tired just zoned in on keeping moving. I rang home to hear my family before they went to bed and it was a great pick me up.
Support crew had arranged to get pizzas in monaghan. I was looking forward to something like that but still feeling pretty good.
I got a pic in Monaghan and that first slice of warm pizza was fantastic. Legs and hips were sore but nothing like they were in Lurgan. I stood at the side of the van eating a few more slices then bagged up the remaining slices to take with me on the road. A few chips and I was away again. I started slowly to let the food settle and get back into it. Finally the rain had stopped but I was still pretty comfortable or so I thought. I stopped and got a clean dry T-Shirt on. A long sleeve top and a different rain coat. It was a heavier rain coat but the difference in dry clothes was fantastic. I got my heavy rain bottoms on choosing not to change shorts or socks. I got moving again and Ivan thought I was limping a bit and was worried about my feet. I think it was just me getting moving again because my feet felt fine. It would later transpire that I probably was limping a bit and Ivan could see it I couldn't. Later I would feel a stabbing pain in my ankle and the limp must have been my way of trying to save the ankle. Now well into the night I stopped in clones for a dry pair of socks, some talc.
It was at this stage I realised just how much of a buzz my wee sister had created online. I couldn't believe what I was hearing and how many people had been reading the story, donating and wishing me well. Clones came and went and I was back onto the road again. I was getting the first sense of being tired with my eyes watering and burning. My legs were sore but they were still working. Back in Armagh I had said to Ivan I noticed a camper van passing. I thought must have been another runners crew but he didnt say much about it. Seeing it again over and over I realised it had to be another team or solo runner not far behind me. I hadn't seen another runner since Armagh and it was me against the clock and my mind. I wasn't even thinking about other runners. When I started seeing it more often Ivan then said to me did I want the good news or the bad? He said they had been watching another racer and he was catching me but every time he was getting close I was pulling out a gap again. Probably due to me not stopping much. He said I needed to push on. I didn't know if I could as I didn't want to blow up. I set off at a steady pace again with the leapfrogging happening again. I had looked at a route down a back road that appeared longer but turned out was shorter. I seen the camper pass me again but when I turned off the main road I hadn't seen it. They must have planned to go along the main road. Shortly after that the camper appeared on the back road. Not sure if they figured my road was shorter as well and went the same way as me. That was what I thought and tried to use that as motivation to keep pushing on. We were into the wee hours of the morning when a van came up along side. Two young guys asking if I was just out running for the craic. I told them what I was doing and that I was 16.5 hours into the run and had started from Crumlin road jail Belfast. They couldn't believe it but wished me well. I reached a small town spotting the camper van in a lay by and shortly after it near the marina of bellturbet Jamie and Ivan had parked up. The boys sound asleep in the beds and Jamie had soup ready for me. I sat on a stone wall and drank it quickly. My ankle was getting sore so I had some pain killers and got moving on again. At this stage I thought I am in a race. I was getting really tired but I thought if I can get away quickly and the person behind stops for longer it gives me a bit of breathing space. I made my way through the wee village town with pub goers taking a second glance at me shuffling through their town. Pain killers, Soup and coffee seemed to be kicking in and I put in a long stretch of constant running. I was in auto pilot and found a speed that was working well. I had a feeling of being able to keep going forever at that pace. After so many miles feeling so good was almost euphoric. Like I was on a cloud, there was pain but pain with a purpose. I was getting the good feelings back and trying to just maintain the pace without going too fast. I remember passing the support crew and just giving them a thumbs up. It felt like I put a good long shift in without easing or stopping.
I was over marathon distance but feeling aches and pains. My temp had risen and breathing a bit heavier. Perhaps the buzz of meeting friends on the route had sped me up a bit. Thoughts ran through my head. “If this is the start of the pain this is going to be more difficult than I thought”. I wasn't thinking about stopping or anything but I could feel a frown on my face for the first time. Callum had come up to see if I needed anything and I think just chatting to him took my mind off things. At this stage I had been eating and drinking well. Tailwind mix and plain water, omelette's and slices of bacon. I had some more bacon in my pack. I was beginning to get sick of chewing bacon. I let Ivan know and he started going down a list of foods. I was trying to think of something but nothing was sounding appealing. I remembered I had tuna and asked for some of it further up the road. I also knew I needed something else as it was getting late into the day. I was feeling strong enough and wasn't feeling drained or tired but just knew I needed to keep eating. At another stop Ivan approached hiding something behind his hand. I wondered what he was at when he revealed a big strawberry. That strawberry was like a magic strawberry just at the right time. Took the taste out of my mouth and give me a nice buzz. I followed it up with a baby bell cheese and some more tailwind. The rain had started a while back but getting heavier now. I was on a busy main road but thankfully a great wide hard shoulder kept me safe. When I reached Armagh I got my tuna and started to eat it out of a freezer bag. I forgot to ask for some mayo on it and as you can imagine it was difficult to eat while running. I got a water and tried to force some of it in but it was effecting my breathing as well. Tuna assigned to the pocket and tailwind to the rescue again. I thought about soft mashed potatoes or champ and the boys headed into Armagh to get some in a shop. They leap frogged me to get it heated up. On reaching them they had found a bus stop and had my camping chair out. Ivan said I wasn't getting the comfort of the van. This was the first time I had sat down 8 hours into the event. Only other stops was a pee stop and traffic light stops through the towns and cities. The mash went down really well with a good portion of red sauce. I washed it down with plain water got the bottles topped up and got on the move again. I was wet and cold but the warm potatoes really perked me up again. I had planned not to stop but I think it was a good decision at that point. Ivan wanted me to change socks but I was comfortable and continued on. The hat was on and hood up with rain hitting me sideways. This was now me against mother nature as winds and rain picked up. Temperatures had dropped as well and although I had the rain coat on I was still in shorts. I noticed a van pass and slow down. In my head this person must have thought I was in bother out in the rain as they pulled in and stopped. As I got closer I realised it was my mate Barry Sullivan. It was fantastic to see him and totally unexpected. He had been following the tracker and realised I was passing his house. He ran along side for a bit to see how I was then wished me well and headed on. Another really great moment in this adventure.
Roads flooding, deep puddles and constant rain was just battering me. I was really loving it the weather wasn't going to put a downer on things. I passed through a few flooded sections over ankle depth. Roads had turned into rivers. The first few deep crossings I was trying to skip through but by the next one I was just plodding through. The boys had stopped at what had seemed the deepest to video me running through. It would turn out that there was worse to come. The roads where getting smaller and darkness had fallen. I had the lights on and High viz vest on I'm sure the cars passing had wondered what I was at. One elderly man even stopped to make sure everything was OK. Another nice gesture. I turned off the busy main monaghan road and into the back roads. Speeding motorists were keeping me on my toes. I think constantly watching out for cars and lorries was a good distraction from the running. Trying to stay safe even if it meant steeping off the road and into the hedges while vehicles passed. What I quickly learnt was the most dangerous wasn't a single car coming towards you. It was when a group of tailgating cars came towards you. The first would pull out but the others didn't After the first time I just stepped in after that as I knew the same would happen. The form was still good and I wasn't overly tired just zoned in on keeping moving. I rang home to hear my family before they went to bed and it was a great pick me up.
Support crew had arranged to get pizzas in monaghan. I was looking forward to something like that but still feeling pretty good.
I got a pic in Monaghan and that first slice of warm pizza was fantastic. Legs and hips were sore but nothing like they were in Lurgan. I stood at the side of the van eating a few more slices then bagged up the remaining slices to take with me on the road. A few chips and I was away again. I started slowly to let the food settle and get back into it. Finally the rain had stopped but I was still pretty comfortable or so I thought. I stopped and got a clean dry T-Shirt on. A long sleeve top and a different rain coat. It was a heavier rain coat but the difference in dry clothes was fantastic. I got my heavy rain bottoms on choosing not to change shorts or socks. I got moving again and Ivan thought I was limping a bit and was worried about my feet. I think it was just me getting moving again because my feet felt fine. It would later transpire that I probably was limping a bit and Ivan could see it I couldn't. Later I would feel a stabbing pain in my ankle and the limp must have been my way of trying to save the ankle. Now well into the night I stopped in clones for a dry pair of socks, some talc.
It was at this stage I realised just how much of a buzz my wee sister had created online. I couldn't believe what I was hearing and how many people had been reading the story, donating and wishing me well. Clones came and went and I was back onto the road again. I was getting the first sense of being tired with my eyes watering and burning. My legs were sore but they were still working. Back in Armagh I had said to Ivan I noticed a camper van passing. I thought must have been another runners crew but he didnt say much about it. Seeing it again over and over I realised it had to be another team or solo runner not far behind me. I hadn't seen another runner since Armagh and it was me against the clock and my mind. I wasn't even thinking about other runners. When I started seeing it more often Ivan then said to me did I want the good news or the bad? He said they had been watching another racer and he was catching me but every time he was getting close I was pulling out a gap again. Probably due to me not stopping much. He said I needed to push on. I didn't know if I could as I didn't want to blow up. I set off at a steady pace again with the leapfrogging happening again. I had looked at a route down a back road that appeared longer but turned out was shorter. I seen the camper pass me again but when I turned off the main road I hadn't seen it. They must have planned to go along the main road. Shortly after that the camper appeared on the back road. Not sure if they figured my road was shorter as well and went the same way as me. That was what I thought and tried to use that as motivation to keep pushing on. We were into the wee hours of the morning when a van came up along side. Two young guys asking if I was just out running for the craic. I told them what I was doing and that I was 16.5 hours into the run and had started from Crumlin road jail Belfast. They couldn't believe it but wished me well. I reached a small town spotting the camper van in a lay by and shortly after it near the marina of bellturbet Jamie and Ivan had parked up. The boys sound asleep in the beds and Jamie had soup ready for me. I sat on a stone wall and drank it quickly. My ankle was getting sore so I had some pain killers and got moving on again. At this stage I thought I am in a race. I was getting really tired but I thought if I can get away quickly and the person behind stops for longer it gives me a bit of breathing space. I made my way through the wee village town with pub goers taking a second glance at me shuffling through their town. Pain killers, Soup and coffee seemed to be kicking in and I put in a long stretch of constant running. I was in auto pilot and found a speed that was working well. I had a feeling of being able to keep going forever at that pace. After so many miles feeling so good was almost euphoric. Like I was on a cloud, there was pain but pain with a purpose. I was getting the good feelings back and trying to just maintain the pace without going too fast. I remember passing the support crew and just giving them a thumbs up. It felt like I put a good long shift in without easing or stopping.
Back
into dark small roads the feeling didn't last. I was staggering on a
hill it was a struggle. The first real feeling of struggling and not
just tiredness. My eyes were closing and I was swaying side to side.
Last time I was like this was many years ago when I used to drink.
I always made it home on the drink so I would make it to the finish
of this. The support crew knew something was wrong when they passed
me and stopped at the top of the hill. The only words came out were
coffee. As I seen Jamie turn and sprint to get a coffee ready. I
shook my head and shuffled along letting him catch up and hand me the
coffee. I kept moving as I downed the coffee the feeling was
horrible. It was like I had two minds, one telling me to push on and
the other telling me to sleep. I topped up on tailwind and tried to
run a bit. The pain in my ankle was now getting really sore. To the
point it was waking me up more. I thought to myself I can use this
to my advantage and started by walking faster then into a jog every
step was agony but I noticed I was going in a straight line and my
eyes where opening. I took several long deep breaths as I moved
forward well. It wasn't long until I got a fright by a dog coming out
of a house. Looked like a rottweiler or similar and it bounded
towards me. I was trying to remain calm but slowed so it wouldn't
case. It ran at me then behind me. I was waiting for the teeth to
chomp on me but then noticed it running back up the lane. I was now
wide awake and in some ways I should thank the dog.
Chuckling to myself as I ran down the road like a mad man. I wasn't chuckling when I seen the teeth on that dog. I pushed on a bit but it wasn't long to the tired feeling came back. I was almost sleeping against the side of the van. Ivan said get in and sleep for 5 mins but I was scared of feeling terrible when I woke up or maybe seizing. Ivan said you are going to fall sit for 5 mins. I got in the front and closed my eyes. I could feel myself almost nod off but held back. Then my head rocked forward and I jumped with a feeling I had been sleeping. I opened the door and got out. Ivan side that's 3 mins just. I said I am going took a drink and away I went. Starting with a shuffle then picking up the pace to a run. I was alert and moving I wouldn't exactly say wakened but I was moving. The support crew passed and spoke to me. saying I was looking better. I was feeling better in pain but the cloud had moved from my head. Day break was coming and there was a warm glow in the air. I said to the guys lets go get this 100 miles. I think it brought a smile to Ivan, Jamie and myself. I had made it through the night. The sun was rising and I was getting some great photos of both sun rise and rainbows. Anything to keep my mind occupied. The boys where now awake and ready to Celebrate me reaching 100 miles. A pizza box with '100 miles and still smiling' penned onto it was a nice touch.
Chuckling to myself as I ran down the road like a mad man. I wasn't chuckling when I seen the teeth on that dog. I pushed on a bit but it wasn't long to the tired feeling came back. I was almost sleeping against the side of the van. Ivan said get in and sleep for 5 mins but I was scared of feeling terrible when I woke up or maybe seizing. Ivan said you are going to fall sit for 5 mins. I got in the front and closed my eyes. I could feel myself almost nod off but held back. Then my head rocked forward and I jumped with a feeling I had been sleeping. I opened the door and got out. Ivan side that's 3 mins just. I said I am going took a drink and away I went. Starting with a shuffle then picking up the pace to a run. I was alert and moving I wouldn't exactly say wakened but I was moving. The support crew passed and spoke to me. saying I was looking better. I was feeling better in pain but the cloud had moved from my head. Day break was coming and there was a warm glow in the air. I said to the guys lets go get this 100 miles. I think it brought a smile to Ivan, Jamie and myself. I had made it through the night. The sun was rising and I was getting some great photos of both sun rise and rainbows. Anything to keep my mind occupied. The boys where now awake and ready to Celebrate me reaching 100 miles. A pizza box with '100 miles and still smiling' penned onto it was a nice touch.
The dream
goal had been achieved. I still had time on the clock so after
photos I kept moving with a huge smile on my face. I was on a long
straight with the sunrise on my back. I could see a car coming
towards me and was expecting it to pull out. It got closer and
closer but I still expected it to move. At the last minute I had to
jump towards the ditch tucking myself in away from the wing mirror.
The low sun in the sky must have been in the ladies eyes. She hadn't
seen me at all. So late into the event and it could have been
disaster. The clock was ticking and on I went. The final few
minutes of this awesome adventure. On hilly roads with lakes and a
beautiful sun in the sky warming a cold body. The van pulled up
along side. My Garmin hit the 24hr mark and I kept asking is that
it. What does the tracker say, is it 24 hours on the tracker as
well? I was repeating myself but didnt want to stop until I was certain I was done. Ivan reassured me I had done it. 24 hours, 166.5km, 7
counties, 2 provinces and an amazing support crew. The lads had drive up the road to get pulled in as we were on a bend. There it was, no fan fair, no big arch finish. Just me fresh air and the beautiful scenery. Lets face it if you do events for a big finish and podium photo these aren't the events for you.
I
can't thank the lads enough, everything went well. They handled
everything I threw at them. What a team! We took a few photos the
lads congratulated me. I phoned home to find my sisters had been up
most of the night watching the tracker. They said I had won. I
wasn't sure at this stage because I hadn't been watching the tracker
page. Ivan agreed and said you have it won. Completing 24 hours on
my feet was enough for me. Getting over 100 miles was my goal and I
had done it. These type of events aren't about glory they are
personal battles. Yes there might be a winner but that isn't why I
took part. I got in the van and headed down the road to find a
better spot to get changed. It hadn't really sunk in yet. I was
awake and didn't feel like sleeping. The journey home we talked about
what had happened throughout the event. They told me about others
dropping out due to the weather and how it was like a game of cat and
mouse through the night. Route choices from other competitors and
also the variety of routes through the city. The race was such a
buzz from start to finish. I hope it gets the recognition it
deserves. It is not everyday you can break out of the crumlin road
jail and race for as long as you want. Thank you so much to Gary and
Gillian We run Wild NI for giving me the opportunity to take part in this unique
event. We all made history as the first running event to start from
inside the jail. A few days had passed when I got the official
results. I had finished 1st Overall and 1st
solo Male. It was never about overall results but I am glad I can
show that hard work and determination can payoff. I am just an
ordinary guy that ramped up my training and got in the right mindset.
“An
event like this can in someways represent how people battle with
mental health issues. We have highs and lows and some lows you can't
see ending. With the support and help of others the darkness turns
to light and we see things in a different frame of mind. What was a
struggle before now is behind us and by looking forward we can
achieve anything. Help is out there in all forms. Talk, see things
differently and realise you are not alone.
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/michaelregan24hourrun
Food during the event
Ivan took a record of everything I ate and drank during the race.
Breakfast
2 Egg Omelette
Start
Tailwind 500m
400ml water
2 egg omelette
1 slice bacon
1 slice bacon
1 x Smoked cheese 125g
11:30
Tailwind 500 ml Berry
12:30
3 x bacon, handed back
13:30
Tailwind 500ml Berry
1 x Bacon and egg
15:00
Tailwind 500ml Berry
1 x Babybel
1 x Strawberry
16:15
Tin of tuna
500ml water
17:15
Mash direct
Red sauce
500ml Water
18:30
500ml Tailwind Berry
Mug of coffee
20:00
500ml tailwind Berry
10” pizza
Few chips
22:00
Mug of coffee
23:30
1/2 pizza
500ml tailwind Berry
01:30
Coffee
Blueberries
1 x Strawberry
02:30
Cup of vegetable soup
500ml tailwind Berry
2 x painkillers
04:00
500ml tailwind Berry
04:15
Chicken, sweet corn and noodle soup
05:00
2 x painkillers
05:40
Coffee
2 x mini fudge bars
Coke
200ml tailwind Berry
07:30
09:30
Other Notes
Route choice through Lurgan played a big factor for runners, Micky made up lots of time here.
Rain
Started about 3pm
Still raining at 8pm
Few flooded roads before Monaghan
21:15 rain finally looks like it’s stopped.
22:00hrs.
LChange of kit up top, new T-shirt, long sleeve top, rain jacket and buff.
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/michaelregan24hourrun
Food during the event
Ivan took a record of everything I ate and drank during the race.
Breakfast
2 Egg Omelette
Start
Tailwind 500m
400ml water
2 egg omelette
1 slice bacon
1 slice bacon
1 x Smoked cheese 125g
11:30
Tailwind 500 ml Berry
12:30
3 x bacon, handed back
13:30
Tailwind 500ml Berry
1 x Bacon and egg
15:00
Tailwind 500ml Berry
1 x Babybel
1 x Strawberry
16:15
Tin of tuna
500ml water
17:15
Mash direct
Red sauce
500ml Water
18:30
500ml Tailwind Berry
Mug of coffee
20:00
500ml tailwind Berry
10” pizza
Few chips
22:00
Mug of coffee
23:30
1/2 pizza
500ml tailwind Berry
01:30
Coffee
Blueberries
1 x Strawberry
02:30
Cup of vegetable soup
500ml tailwind Berry
2 x painkillers
04:00
500ml tailwind Berry
04:15
Chicken, sweet corn and noodle soup
05:00
2 x painkillers
05:40
Coffee
2 x mini fudge bars
Coke
200ml tailwind Berry
07:30
09:30
Other Notes
Route choice through Lurgan played a big factor for runners, Micky made up lots of time here.
Rain
Started about 3pm
Still raining at 8pm
Few flooded roads before Monaghan
21:15 rain finally looks like it’s stopped.
22:00hrs.
LChange of kit up top, new T-shirt, long sleeve top, rain jacket and buff.
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