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Saturday we participated in the Relentless Endurance Race http://www.goadventureasia.com/RER/rer.htm , a timed 6, 12 or 24 hour run with the participant covering the most distance in their category being declared the winner. We initially signed up to support the charity after which the race is named and to meet up with some like minded people.
I went into this race coming off the PEC marathon that I had to abandon at KM 37 due to injuries. My goal was to at least cover the 42.2 km marathon distance in the 6 hour run. Should be a piece of cake.
In Prince Edward County, Brenda set a Boston qualifying time in her run, so her goal was to achieve Ultra Marathon status by covering at least 50 kms.
It all sounded good on paper.
According to my Garmin, when we started the race at 2:00 PM, it was 32.8 degrees and there was not a cloud in the sky. The sun was beating down. The race was run around the lake in Huay Tung Tao park, about 11 kms north of Chiang Mai. One lap around the lake is 3.7 kms.
As you may have surmised, Brenda is a far better runner than I, so we didn't spend much time together over the course of the next six hours. On the first lap she quickly pulled away, running along with the race organizer, Katherine. After each lap, there is a rest area where runners can re-fuel, fill up their bottles or have a nap, if they so choose. After 3.7 kms, I knew this was not going to be walk in the park. I'm used to running in 12 - 20 degree temperatures and, in this heat, every pore in my body was working overtime to try to cool me down. I was melting like a popsicle in July. Everytime around the circuit I'd re-fill my 750 ml bottle with electrolytes, water, coconut water or a mixture of one or the other. Then I'd douse myself with one of the sponges soaking in the bucket of ice water. Nothing offered any substantial relief.
One hour, two hours, three hours, longer and longer rests between laps. Around lap 6 Brenda and I met up at the rest area. She had already lapped me once and was also feeling the heat. By this time though, the sun was starting to sink behind the mountain and the air started to feel cooler. We walked lap 7 together for a couple of hundred yards, then she was off again. The heat had taken a huge toll on me and I found myself run-walking the remainder of the race. As I approached the end of lap 10 there was only about 20 minutes left on the clock. If I had started another lap before the 6 hours expired, it would have counted to my total, but I still would have completed only 40.7 kms, a kilometre and a half short of my goal. So, once again, I hung up my runners at the 37 km mark.
Brenda pulled into the rest area about 5 minutes after me on her 14th lap. A total distance of 51.8 kilometres! She was officially an ultramarathoner.
A second group of 6 hour runners had started their race at 6:00 PM. At the time she finished, we knew Brenda was in the lead for the 6 hour race, but the final outcome wouldn't be decided until midnight when the other group finished.
We returned to the park Sunday afternoon to cheer on the 24 hour racers and we learned that Brenda had indeed completed the most laps and had won the race. Check out todays photos for a few more shots.
Despite the pain and suffering, it was a fun event for a great cause and we're both glad we did it. Maybe we'll do it again someday, but I'm in no hurry for the moment.
I'm so proud of Brenda's accomplishment. There were a lot of younger runners, male and female, that were unable to match her effort. In fact, Benda completed 14 laps only 40 seconds longer than it took the second place finisher to go around 13 times. I am impressed.
Baby, you were born to run.
- comments
Vanessa Félicitation à vous deux! Nous sommes très fiers de vous!! Xxx
Dena and Ed We're very proud of you, too, and IMPRESSED!! Congratulations from a minus-one and plus one-kilometre champs.
jess Again awesome guys..so thrilled to be able be on board with your travels (vicariously of course!) Feels great none the less..so proud of you both and so happy!!! Gooooo R&B !!! Zoom zoom
mabel UH-mazing, both of you!!! I can't imagine…..and in that heat!!! Way to go!! Run, Forrest, Run!!!!