Page 159 - Mind, Body & Spirit Number 104 2020/21

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boots full of glass, because that’s the kind of inspiration I get from racing against an invisible competitor. If virtual races are the future, I’m going to take up tiddlywinks or marbles.
There was a brief return to racing in August and September and I managed a PB and a race win over 5km, it’s too short for me but you’ve got to get your fix where you can these days.
Back into lockdown 2.0 and no more races, so I went looking for something to keep me entertained and began running in the Mourne mountains, they’re not the Alps but they make for some great views and lung-busting runs. To put all the training to good use, I completed the Denis Rankin round which is 90km over 39 peaks with around 6500 metres of ups and downs, it’s like the Bob Graham of Ireland that no one has heard of.
Let’s hope 2021 is filled with a return to racing and sweaty finish line hugs, after relieving the nerves in a dodgy start area porter loo!
SSgt (SSI) R Davies RAPTC
Preferred discipline: 1500m – 5000m
“One man and his Garmin”.
2020 got off to a great start, specifically the XC season. Plenty of XC races, a few shiny medals to add to the pain cave, culminating in the Regiment becoming the 2019/20 Major Unit champions at the UK(S) XC League. A week later, Boris is telling us that we can only exercise for 60 mins a day, from your front door and within the local area. The way I saw it, the government had just issued its first virtual challenge to the whole of the UK - how far can you run in an hour from door-to-door? The next few weeks weren’t pretty - my Garmin, HRM and I had a love–hate relationship.
Cue the start of the Army virtual races - 5k, 2k and 1500m. I was hooked immediately and craved the competitive environment it was creating. Where one race is cancelled, another was born in a virtual format. However, while they scratched an itch for a few months, I was still missing the social side of running and racing. Enter Zwift – a game changer. I had turned to the dark side and purchased a treadmill after seeing Mo Farah on the telebox running as a cartoon character. A bit weird at first, but it soon became ludicrously addictive, highly sociable and provided a great way to get in some additional training and race simulation.
In August the restrictions eased a little and I managed to get out into mountains for a few miles with fellow RAPTCI, WO2 Liam Mills, during his epic Paddy Buckley Round (PBR) attempt in Snowdonia. Conditions were questionable! Racing wise, I managed to get a 5k done in Hereford and came away with a decent PB in less than ideal conditions. More importantly, it felt great to toe the line again.
I love everything about racing – the pre-race nerves, the social interaction with likeminded people, the physical and mental barriers faced with putting yourself deep into zone 5 – and most importantly the post-race beers with friends. Let’s hope 2021 sees a return to, and more of this.
SSgt (SSI) L Mills RAPTC
Preferred discipline: Ultra Trail Marathon
Ending 2019 in injury, the aim for 2020 was to return to action and compete in the UK & Ireland Skyrunning series which started off well in Connemara, Ireland. I managed a 7th place finish on the wet weather route due to the gale force wind and rain in the rightly so named Gaelforce Skyline. From here all plans of racing went to pot with the remainder of the Skyrunning series cancelled and the world in Lockdown, so what next??
With no races planned and the fact I am slow as a sloth and can’t compete with the whippets on the Army Virtual series distances
WO2 (QMSI) L Mills at the end of a hard day in the hills
SSgt Rob Davies on his way to winning another virtual race
I started focussing on an Ultra Challenge of my own. Learning my trade as an ATI and starting my Ultra journey in N.Wales, it was only right to have a look at the infamous Paddy Buckley Round. The route requires you to take in 47peaks in Snowdonia accumulating 100km in distance and approximately 28,000ft of elevation, this route is regarded as the toughest of the 3 UK rounds. After a first failed attempt in July where I DNF’d at 43miles due to stomach issues, I returned in August in what can only be described as diabolical weather. Constant rain, gain forces winds and no visibility I knew this was going to be a challenge but with the assistance of SSgt (SSI) R Davies RAPTC dragging me around the final 2 legs I made it, albeit 42mins over the 24hrs target, mission accomplished.
The year ended with another virtual race, this time the Warrington Way Ultra Marathon. A 40mile loop around the outskirts and canal around Warrington. Completing the route in 6hrs 2mins, I managed to finish the route in 2nd place.
The planning has started for 2021 races with the backup of some amazing Ultra adventures on home soil.
RAPTC Female Team Coach update
SSgt (SSI) L Bowen RAPTC says that 2020 was challenging, we were lucky enough to get out to South Africa for a two-week training camp where we trained twice a day some ninjas more, then on to the cross-country champs in February with a fit team off the back of South Africa, who knew that would be our last race we compete with a crowd before we all went virtual!
2021 will also be a challenging year but hopeful we will get back racing again, there has been some outstanding results for some of our female runners.
Capt (MMA) K Haniver RAPTC entering pretty much every virtual event and continuing to fly the corps flag and Sgt (SI) L Barrigan RAPTC smashing the 5k virtual race! I feel proud to be among some truly inspirational female runners.
Unfortunately, we say goodbye to SSgt (SSI) S Mansfield RAPTC and WO2 (QMSI) I Menzies RAPTC I will miss seeing the soles of their trainers at races! Both ladies have always inspired me to keep running. We also look forward to welcoming new talent into the corps team later this year, Megan Paynter-Hetherington.
Here’s to a brighter 2021 more team races and future tours.
COVID-19 situation dependant, 2021 sees SSgt (SSI) C Morton RAPTC plan the overseas RAPTC running trip to Cyprus and WO2(QMSI) L Mills RAPTC organise the first RAPTC Ultra distance running race in Sep 2021.