Trans Gran Canaria 28th Feb 2009
Click here to view all pics. Click on map to see larger image. Map and info courtesy of Sports Tracks and Google Earth

My brother Michael lives in Gran Canaria and as for as long as I can remember we talked about one day doing the trans Gran Canaria Ultra race. However I don't think either of us actually thought one day we really would be standing on the start line about to run 60 miles, from the beach in the south, climbing up to 2000 meters and finishing in Las Palmas.
For Annie and I, it would be great training and a marker as to how much we need to do to complete the MDS. Annie didn't really have much choice as I told what a great experience it would be and we could recover on the beach in the sun the next day! And so we found ourselves catching a flight from Gatwick......................

Michael had been doing lots of training on the island and had covered all the course in various stages, which hopefully meant we wouldn't get lost. He's pretty fit these days and I felt he needed the option to do it on his own, however he wanted to run with us and finish all together.

We rested as much as we could on the Friday which was difficult as I'm not used to sleeping in the day, but as it was a midnight start we needed to at least get some sleep. Full of pasta and feeling slightly groggy it was time to leave the flat and get the bus down South. Funnily enough I didn't feel tired quite excited really .....Annie was looking a bit worried by this stage. The bus ride was great 450 competitors all traveling together, a lovely atmosphere which continued for the whole of the event.Once at Playa Del Ingles we all piled out and found ourselves very surreally amongst the bars and restaurants listening to a Marachi band. With an hour to go we found a table ordered coffee and sat back and surveyed the scene.
Hundreds of headlights, lycra clad legs and buff wearing ultra runners standing a round waiting for the off...the atmosphere was really building. Michael kept bumping into other runners he knew from training runs, a real network of people. At last we were called to the beach..it was quite a moment, a count down an big cheer and we were off. It was beautiful, a clear sky, no moon and hundreds of red lights bobbing a long the sea shore for as far as you could see. It felt great to have started, we ran for about 3 miles on the beach where I had my one and only fall..flat on my face tripping over a sand castle! we then turned inland and followed the old river bed for what felt like a lifetime. Boulders and rocks slightly wet from a rain storm earlier. My feet were all over the place. Finally after about 8 miles we started to climb. We took out our sticks out and dug in. The trail of headlights disappeared into the sky, I had no perception of distance or elevation. My Garmin was giving me a good idea which sometimes was a surprise and also soul destroying when only a short distance had been covered. The first water station came after a welcome descent at 13 miles, we topped up took a gel and carried on up, and up and up. Some blokes had set up camp half way up a hill and were having a party handing out traditional Canarian potatoes on route!

The next stage was hard, there were three climbs each getting steeper, apparently the locals would carry coffins up the same route to bury their dead, there was even a stone table to rest the coffin on half way up. Fire had devastated the center of the island the last time I had visited but already the trees were recovering and growing again out of the volcanic rock. It was about 6.30am now and we finally reaching the top of this section and headed down to the first food station. So welcome! The chip timing mats were position at the entrance to the tents so you had to go in and get some food and drink. There were already some people wrapped in blankets suffering form exhaustion and mild hypothermia. Only another 40 miles to go.

The temperature dropped in the valley and we had to put gloves and jackets on. This was the steepest section, 10 miles to the center of the island and the highest point. The views a long the way and the sunrise were spectacular, the field had thinned out and the race had separated when the mad lot doing the extra 18 miles had gone down to the lakes. Michael had been busy reading Runners World and had made this amazing cake which he dished out to needy runners including ourselves. We all separated a little and made our own way up to the top. The air was so clear and the temperature although hot was perfect for running. A very tricky descent then followed through pine forests to 30 miles and the half way feed station. We just missed the start of the half island race which started there at 12. This was our longest stop and managed to eat quite a lot, pasta, cake, sports drinks, wonderful fresh Canarian oranges. My instinct was to walk for 5 min to let the food go down, Michael or Tigger as he shall now be known was champing at the bit to get on (mainly because he knew what was coming!) Tigger assured us that there was only one more hill/mountain to climb and the rest was all down hill (never believe anything Tiggers tell you, it's all lies!) To be fair there was only one more BIG hill/mountain to climb, but he omitted to tell us about the SLOPES.
I admit I was now a bit tetchy and best left a lone with a DO NOT APPROACH sign attached to my rucksack........The combination of a bouncy TIGGER and grumpy sister is not good, though only for a short while. Annie wondered what the hell she was doing running 60 miles with us! The descent was not easy and the surface rough under foot. I have to admit this part is a bit blurry and I may have had a senior moment. Wewere however, over taking people much to our surprise and still managing to run. Some of the leaders from the long race were passing us (amazing athletes) and we clapped them and they cheered us on..great support. Coming up to mile 40 and the next feed station at Teror. My Garmin finally gave up so the information only goes up to 40 miles (see map etc) However at that point we had used 3500 calories, (it gives you some idea of how important it is to refuel properly. Tiggers friend Mark was there to clap us in as well as half the town, who couldn't do enough for us. I dressed my blister (only one!) and we both necked some painkillers. A quick visit to the church to see the Virgin of The Pine Tree, say a prayer and we were off for the final 20 miles. The landscape was becoming more urban, roads and tracks heading down to the valley...I say down but inevitably there were some upward SLOPES. The worst was to come about 5 miles from the end.

An irrigation channel. Which was a wall, which was very narrow, which had a vertical drop on one side, which was NOT good. I had a vertigo moment, Tigger kept behind me offering support and taking some rather unflattering photos. At the end of the wall about 3/4 mile later there was a rope, this was attached to a wall of rock and track and you've guessed it, up we went. This wasn't that bad actually, maybe it was just a change from running up, but I quite enjoyed it. Up and over the ridge to a photo opportunity and the last refreshment stop. Several slices of orange and one last drink and we started the run down to the finish line except it wasn't (down I mean) Tigger pointed to the top of a village and promised faithfully that really was it, he ran round here all the time,apparently, definitely down from there on in. Up we went still over taking people, up to the apex of the village. Now according to A S Milne 'The wonderful thing about Tiggers is Tiggers are wonderful things' Not this Tigger, this Tigger suddenly remembered that it wasn't quite the last hil/slope/mountain........Grumpy sister put her hand on hips and yelled 'This just isn't funny!'

However just like Winney the Pooh it had a happy ending and the three of us headed to the finish line full of emotion and bounding energy, where it came from I'll never know. Tiggers partner Jero and friends were waiting at the finish line. I felt so proud and so emotional crossing the line..that feeling will never leave me.

 

Michael stayed in the race village chatting to friends and Annie and I hobbled back to the flat in disbelief with what we'd just done. Cava on ice and a meal waiting courtesy of Jero. We managed half a glass and passed out. Michael kept going a bit long then fell asleep in the middle of a text.

The next day we went back to the race village for paella and lager and to collect T shirts etc and discovered that Annie had won her vets category and I'd come second in mine. We had to get up on the podium and receive trophies. It was icing on the cake. Fantastic organisation and so friendly and supportive. Not next year but maybe 2011...............

THE END

PS Many thanks to Michael who despite my grumpy sister act I love dearly, and to Annie my running partner...
TWO STUBBORN WOMEN!

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