The medical crew too, all too aware of what Geoff has been trying to achieve are monitoring from a distance, but seemed happy he is in good hands. We will still put the time forward for ratification, as we believe it is the first time an 80 year old has run 100 miles in a continuous effort. At the 24hour hooter everyone stops and drops the little marker they have been carrying the last few minutes so the final part lap can be recorded.
Tejvan recalls his journey to becoming a national cycling champion
- I have never run a 24 Hour race but I have helped at many over the years and each time the race draws to an end, I feel such happiness and pride in the runners.
- My goal was to try and achieve the GB team qualifying distance for the World 24 hr champs next year 210 km (131 miles), but just didn’t expect I could run over 140 miles.”
- With the understanding that a 24 hour race is all about distance over time, they all know, that they can push their mileage up some way, in those last 2 hours.
- So focused were we on keeping John moving that I miscounted the last few laps and we very happy to finish with 219km and a fourth position.
- The icing on the cake was the fourth place finish, I believe that John secretly hoped for a top 10 finish, but was still more interested in getting the distance.
- Shyamala has worked out he will probably be less than a lap short of the 100 mile mark, so why don’t we let him keep going so he has at least recorded a 100mile time.
I was pacing myself on 14 miles per hour on the bike, so finally I finished the bike just before the cut off time in 10 hours 24 minutes. Total swim distance is 2.4 miles followed with bike ride of 112 miles and finished with a 26.2 mile marathon run. With 2 hours to go Ross is just short of 133 miles (214 km 535 laps) 5 laps short of her 2013 distance, and a new PB beckons. I was fortunate that the group contained some experienced ultra-runners who had already covered this kind of distance (and much longer) many times. My body was fine but I started feeling dizzy from heat and lack of water. The disaster struck in the second lap – there was no water at the aid stations – my mind was in a state of complete panic.
Previous races
All the time, you are just dealing with all manner of thoughts and feelings that are trying to pierce your concentration, and convince you to ease back or take a wee break. She is slightly slower than her 100mile split of last year (15h.58min) but this is all part of her plan to eventually achieve a better overall 24hour distance. It is a long haul, when your body is often by habit trying to convince you, you should be asleep. Competent 24 hour runners often talk of the long hours, usually mainly in darkness, between 12 hours and reaching the 100mile point. The 12 hour leader board showed Ross with 122.4km (76.06mls) Ankers, 120.4 km (74.8mls), with Wykes in third 114.8km (71.33ml) just a lap ahead of Heffron 114.4km (71.08 mls).
For those unfamiliar with a 24hour race, the idea is to cover a fixed loop that has been accurately measured, in this case a 400 metre track, and see how many laps you can complete in the 24 hours. He duly broke, or set, completely new marks for all the recognized ultra distances from 30 miles up to 24 hours, with the exception of 100 miles, which he fell some 5 miles short of. But, after an eventful few weeks, Vilas was able to complete the full distance finishing in Sydney. I’ll admit that miles 15 to 20 were tough, but once I knew I only had two laps to go it was all joy.
- In 1981, he was appointed to the military government in Upper Volta, but his outspoken support for the liberation of ordinary people in his country and outside eventually led to his arrest.
- On 25th August I completed the Self Transcendence Marathon.
- Ross, and the other runners were no doubt having similar feelings, but relentlessly she, Wykes and Heffron were circling the track, edging closer to that 100mile mark.
- I had no idea if I would be able to do it or what I would experience.
- I changed slowly , realising that my legs and arms were completely sunburnt.
- Was it too early to hope for a finish position like that?
- Karen (GB 24 hour international Karen Hathaway) was just outstanding and I was so grateful for all her experience”
Cycle Ride across Australia – Vilas Silverton
Instead of being one of the faster runners on the course I was now one of the slowest. I was laughing because the idea of running 47 miles when I was already struggling in the first few miles felt crazy. The idea kept gnawing away at me until I felt that I should, in Sri Chinmoy’s words, “dare to try” – for the experience if nothing else! However, I met a few other people who also wanted to run this race and somehow I got caught up in the inspiration. After running a marathon in one of my best times, I was talking to an ultra-running friend.
The route crossed the wide uninhabited plains of Western Australia before passing through the cities of Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. Vilas from Bristol, England started in Perth on 17 March and finished in Sydney nearly four weeks later. Like this, eventually we covered 7 miles and for periods I was jogging fairly comfortably, albeit slowly.
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However, after completing both races my body was depleted and was horrendously stiff. An experienced multi-day and 3100-mile runner, Ushika, invited me to join him on a 7-mile run. My main obstacle to finishing the race was not my physical suffering or even the energy crash. It was this difference that meant that he would finish the race while I would give up.
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LAter on Sean in the bike shop told me that the cable probably got stuck. I would need to pedal for five or six more hours in 40 degrees heat without water. My hair, glasses, jersey, bike, Sankra Casino everything was sticky. I poured so called water on my head – it was an energy drink.
Training tips
Three weeks later he attempted his first Channel swim, and achieved an incredible twelve hours in his first experience of swimming in open water, before his inexperience and relative lack of training led to an end of that try. Vilas Silverton of the Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team recently completed a 5,474km cycle ride across Australia – as part of the Indian Pacific Wheel Race. Ushika had such belief that he would complete the distance that problems were just temporary setbacks and not insurmountable obstacles. After a few miles in this sorry state I bumped into my friend Karteek (an experienced multi-day runner and English Channel swimmer) who was also running the race. Many people were passing me – even some old, non-runners. I almost forgot to mention the real miracle of the day; although just about every part of my body screamed with pain at some point, my old hip injury remained completely silent.
