Team Tea take on an Ultra!!

Team Tea (Cliffy!) has written a report on the ultra, read in awe below - awesome effort!
Em :)
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​January 28th 2017 
Hobo pace, Waterways 30.5 miles Ultra.

An early start again for Team Tea leaving home at 3.30 for the four hour drive to the Hobo Pace Waterways Ultra near Retford.

On arrival the base was great, next to the village hall in a lovely clean car park.
The weather looked good , the rain had stopped !! Always a bonus.

The main field of runners went off at 9 am and the Canicross runners then lined up.
The small sleepy village was woken by Stanley and Vinnie exercising their vocal chords!!

The rest of the canicrossers were from Midlands Canicross club, running for charity.

When given the off the hounds didn't understand this was a distance run and we did the first 10km in a PB of 40 mins, not how to set the pace for over 30 miles.
Yes this was going to make me pay later !!

At mile seven the shooting started and poor Vinnie had a meltdown, no matter how much cheese or mini sausages I tempted him with he wasn't going to move.
I then ended up running carrying poor Vinnie until I bumped into the Midland support crew, two ladies I'd never met Olwyn and Petra were trying to dog nap my poor Vinnie!!!

They then saw my NATB shirt and K9TT logo and I realised I could trust them.
Vinnie was safe and away from the noise, Stanley then set the pace for his first run all on his own.

We bumped into the Midland support crew at mile 14 and Vinnie came out to run again, big mistake !!!!
One mile on the shooting started again and that was it, I then had to run Vinnie back a mile and just caught the support crew as they were driving off!
Vinnie was now retired for the day.
I then ran that mile again!! 
The course was really dog friendly underfoot mainly on grass towpaths or river banks, great for the dogs but boy it was hard work, slipping sliding and trying not to turn your ankle.

Around mile 20 the dreaded stiles appeared and Stanley was amazing just bouncing over 5' stiles as if they weren't there!!
 
At around mile 28 I started to pay for my early speed, I felt like crap and running was a real effort, a few cups of coke and shotbloks at the last aid station put some fuel back in the tanks for the final drive home.

I could soon see the village where we started and we just kept pushing on, and wow the finish line was closer than I thought!!!

Team Tea support crew Sally was there waiting for me, I'd been tracked on track my husband app!!
We were then reunited with baby beagle who was so pleased to see us.

A great event very well organised, great marshalls and aid stations.
We completed the 31.5 miles in 5.45 hours but I had another 2 miles to add on!!

It was an experience definitely ... completed thanks to the guys from Midlands help .... I think I enjoyed it!