Glasshouse 50 - May 20th 2007

Just a short account of the Glasshouse 50 last month.

I've run a few half marathons in the past (none since 2003 despite running the B2B for the last four years) and was at the beginning of the year, looking for a similar - local - event to train up to as motivation to get running again and get into reasonable shape.I have never been motivated to run a marathon let alone an Ultra, but while looking for a suitable run, I came across the Glasshouse Trails site and discovered the world of Trail and Ultra running and was bitten.

I determined that I was going to run the Glasshouse 50 in May and through the ensuing months, read as much as I could about the event, similar event and many accounts of events with lots of mentions of some of you guys (AB, Ladies Man(?), Undercover Brother) along with looking at lots of pictures of past Glasshouse events.

Most inspiring of all have been Sean Greenhill's detailed accounts and imagery of people like Roger Guard and the Waugh's. The Waugh's, what can I say. Rachael passed me on her way to finishing the 80k (on the single track with about 7-8 to go) and passed on her encouragement. David passed me about 15 minutes later on his bike, asked how I was going and checked to see if I needed anything (water, etc.) and passed on his encouragement.

Roger Guard is unbelieveable? I was lucky enough to run with Roger through the power lines until we got back to the fire road when he left me! I caught up with him on the single track on 8a (he greeted me with "a bit demoralising this section, isn't it?"! To which I agreed). He left me again at the foot of the climb back up to 8 and that was the last I saw of him during the run. There's nothing you can say about this man other than he's awesome! The word is used lightly so often but it fits here.

Last, but by no means least, though he wasn't there, Mr Greenhill. Not sure why other than he appears to be of similar build to me and obviously was on a mission to finish the 100. Those two DNF's a few years ago must have planted such doubts but he just kept at it, revised his strategy and got on with it.

Suffice to say, I had a fantastic experience and finished the fifty in reasonable shape and I don't think I could have done much more to prepare myself in the time I had. The satisfaction I had just in training was immense (regularly running distances much further than I ever had prior to undertaking this challenge really humbled me to think of how you guys who run the big ones must prepare)

The obvious thanks go to the support on the day but to Ian Javes and the many volunteers who make it happen, you don't realise how big a job it is to put one of these events on until you take part in one.

I intend to run one of the shorter events in July and one of the events in September barring injury. This should take me nicely into summer and then to prepare for the 80 next may.