ROAD RUNNING
continue through the Midlands of England , then traverse Scotland , for a total distance of 1390km . “ You can choose your own route , and I chose the shortest way , even though it is not the flattest option . Some people gave me advice to go the slightly longer , less hilly way , but running so slowly , it doesn ’ t really make that much difference ,” says Carla .
“ I also looked at the two ways to do it – I could either set a distance for each day , 110 to 120km , or I could start at 5am and run till 10pm . After three days , I ended up doing the 5 to 10 option and just see how far I could get in that time , then sleep for a few hours , either in our camper van , or if there was a hotel or
Carla and her faithful escort
B & B within a 15-minute drive of that day ’ s finish point . In the end , I spent three nights in the van and seven nights in hotels , but I barely slept throughout the challenge , as my muscles were so fired up from all the running , they wouldn ’ t relax . In fact , it was days after I finished the challenge before I was able to sleep properly again .”
Throughout the run , Carla had a support team with her , with a cyclist constantly alongside her for safety and navigation , and the rest of the team pushing ahead to meeting points , usually every 10km , for refreshments or gear changes , while also keeping her evidence of her run organised . “ I had a great team with me for the challenge and couldn ’ t have done it without them , including my siblings Mark and Andrea , and my boyfriend , Mike , who joined after day three . My brother was with us for the first four days , then had to go back for work , but I think he had such FOMO that he came back for the last three days in Scotland ,” says Carla .
“ I had Dave and Scouse cycling with me , one doing a morning shift , the other taking the afternoon , and then Dave and the other Mark – I called him ‘ Yoga Mark ’ – did sport massage for me . My sister took care of the aid stations , with Mark and Mike helping , and they had so much work to do , logging mileage , getting witnesses , taking photos . The two Marks and Elysia did the cooking and food preparation , and I also had Doctor Andy , who was originally going to do remote consults , but came out one day and just stayed with us . That proved to be a Godsend !” says Carla .
With the Help of Friends
Having Another aspect of the run that Carla said made all the difference was the extra support she received from family , friends and fellow runners . “ The nicest thing that happened was lots of old friends , including some that I hadn ’ t seen for over 10 years , from university or the army , came to run with me or cheer me on from the side of the road . My one friend , Fiona , drove for two hours just to give me a cupcake , and it was probably the best cupcake I have ever had .”
“ Sharon Gayter , who broke the record last year and has run for Great Britain in the 50km , 100km and 24- hour World Champs , also came to run with me for a
12 days of running caused a few painful moments …
Records are easier to run in the company of friends and family
bit , which was incredible . I was also joined by Angela White , the oldest woman to complete LEJOG , and it was wonderful to not only have them both there , but also running with me for a while , as they both knew exactly what I was going through . That ’ s one of the things I love about the ultra community , that everybody supports and helps each other out .”
However , it was another family visit that stood out most for Carla during her long run . “ It was lovely to have my mum , dad and other brother come to see me during the run . I tried to hold myself together , but cried as soon as I saw them . My mum and dad then came back on the last day to see me finish , and I couldn ’ t believe they had come that far just to see me touch a pole !”
Four Season in a Day
In typical fashion , the British weather lived up to it reputation of being predictably unpredictable , making the run still more challenging . “ I started each day in a woolly hat , and would be boiling by the afternoon , but then just as suddenly it would be raining again , and freezing cold . My favourite part of the route was the Pentlands in Scotland , and then the Highlands . It was so beautiful up there , and made running quite easy when you had incredible views to look at , but I even saw some snow on one of the hills , which is crazy for July !”
The last 24 hours proved the most challenging – or “ really not much fun ,” as Carla describes it – because a big storm had blown in over Scotland . “ I decided to run through the night , because I knew the record was on , but more because the weather was horrific . I simply didn ’ t want to have to wake up to another morning of cold and rain , so I decided to just keep going and get it done .” That saw Carla start the second-last day at
Images : Gordon Donnachie , Jon Suts & courtesy Carla Molinaro
14 ISSUE 133 SEPTEMBER 2020 / www . modernathlete . co . za