Coast to Coast a Pacers view
Running on Old Legs.
Well what can I say, my first double marathon, plus a little, and I can still stand and walk.
I took this opportunity to pace my good friend and running buddy, Dave Spence, for two sections of his epic Coast to Coast adventure. It was the perfect timing for me as I would not only be supporting a mate but coming just two weeks before my Back 2 Endurance event it was the perfect LSD, very L and perfectly S.
On my way from home to my starting point I made sure I was at CP2, Simpang Pulai, to see him arrive, in the lead, and pick up his pacer to take him to CP3 where I would take over the duty. I know he was surprised to see me and I think he was pleased I brought the roving bed.
Dave arrived at CP3, after the mammoth climb up to the Moon River Lodge, near Kampong Raja in the Cameron’s having bee helped along by his tireless support crew of Elsa and Rudhra and his pacers, Rudhra, Awei Awei, En Lin and Joon Bing. After a well-deserved shower, massage, meal and a couple of hours of sleep we were off.
Dave had asked that I set him a moving pace of eight-minutes per kilometre, a pace I had never knowingly run at but after a click or two we settled into a groove that, given the time we would lose on the eleven-hundred metres of climbing, should be about right.
The whole experience of running with a support crew was not just new to me but an experience that wants to make you repeat it, that is if your support crew are as good as Elsa and Rudhra are, they were amazing, hotel staff on wheels.
Dave and I resolutely stuck to my strategy of 7:30ish downhill, 7:45ish on the flat and power walk the inclines. There were many interjected stories and jokes to pass the time and there was always the five-kilometre breaks to pick up hydration, gels, soup, coffee or cakes or the odd change of socks, shoes, buffs and head-lamps. Pit-stops were generally very short, under a minute, with the occasional longer stop for a proper feed, change of kit when the heavens opened and closed, and our two-hour sleep break just after CP4, where I for one did not get a single moment of sleep, there were the chickens, the bloody barking dog, the meow cat that parked it’s bum under my truck and of course the joyful snoring of Dave.
This attempt at helping a friend achieve has taught me something about myself as well as reinforcing my admiration for Dave.
There were a few bad moments. A period early on, from about nine to sixteen-kilometres, when GI Joe came to call and I suffered with stomach cramps and having to relieve myself at very short notice. And the last three or four-kilometres where I just suddenly ran out of energy to the extent that Dave had to take over the pacing and I just clung on the best I could.
But what I learnt is that; had I been running this alone I think that either of these two things would have stopped me but I was there for someone else so it never crossed my mind to stop, or even slow. I am sure that I can now call on this experience in the future to get me through some of the difficult moments that lay ahead.
Well the actual outcome of ‘my’ two sections was that at CP5 Dave was still in the lead, in fact we increased his lead by around seven-kilometres, and our average running pace was 8:04 mpk, by my timing, 8:09 mpk by Dave’s. I’ll accept Dave’s calculations and say I dropped ten-minutes or so over the ninety-six kilometres, sorry Dave.
I can only thank Dave for allowing me to be part of his epic adventure and winning run, and also to thank his great tam of Elsa and Rudhra without whom the whole thing would have been so, so much harder.
This short run has reinforced my belief that we should burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion.
Today is a special occasion because we are alive, we are with our loved ones and we are able to run.
Happy Running.
