Spotlight Chat: 2023 12hr Joust Champion, Rebecca Davey is Queen of the Mountain!
Rebecca is one of our long standing CMRC members and is part of husband and wife team often competing in events with partner in crime; Martin.
Both the Davey’s are super strong long distance runners with big batteries and a keen lust for adventure…..
We caught up with Beccy after she won The Joust 12 hour challenge this year. The target was 50 miles and is made up of a looped course. A fairly local event, taking place each September near Ombersley, Worcester. With the final closes of Summer winding down there was still some heat to tackle and a repetitive climb to beat, totalling in 1,890ft at the end of the event!
It is Achievable…
..If you are sensible and look after yourself”.
CMRC: Bec, we’re dying to know how it all went, how it felt, what it was like…. Would you mind sharing at bit with the Club and any tips you might have for budding longer distance runners??
R: Yeah no problem! Anyone that knows me will know I love long runs. I actually ran an ultra distance before I ran a marathon! I’m not very keen on the shorter distances but we are all different, and that’s ok.
CMRC: Yes we’ve noticed that gradually some runners do fall in love with those longer challenges that test the stamina and concentration. Evidently its a skill both you and Martin find comes naturally.
R: Myself and the hubby this year have had some great running adventures. In April I supported my Bestie Emma in Paris where she conquered her first marathon and it was my first abroad event, our hubbies were great supporters and looked after us well on the big day. We had a super weekend and got some site seeing in too.
CMRC: That looked wonderful. Have you got any pictures you’d like to share of that too? Supporting sometimes is just as much fun, especially if you’re running alongside someone, a team mate who’s a bestie to boot too! What a fab memory.
R: Also in April we did London marathon with some other CMRC members, again this was a great weekend. London marathon is my favourite race. I was over the the moon with another GFA time and the hubby smashed it getting a PB and also beating me (but he doesn’t mention it lol).
CMRC: Is there bit of competition between you do you think or does it depend on the event?
R: We love the experience of completing the big events together that’s the main thing! After the marathon we entered the Cotswolds way as a team with 2 other CMRC members who would do 100km (62 miles) but unfortunately they had to drop out leaving just me and the hubby.
CMRC: Maybe next year Jo and Matt! Never say never!
R: We had some good training in the legs and we started the challenge strong. We found the route was very challenging but it was also a hot, muggy day. To cut that story short we did not complete it, it was the right decision, but we couldn’t help but feel a little deflated.
CMRC: This summer we all had some unpredictable days and struggled with the fluctuating temperatures. You’ve simply got to look after your body at the end of the day right?
R: Exactly. We then attended the Wild One in Worcester as this was local and was an event that you could do solo or has a team. We both entered solo and we both did a marathon (this time I finished in front). I was awarded with first female and got a lovely plaque!
CMRC: Hey, see everything happens for a reason. The passion you guys have got for doing the ‘big stuff’ is inspiring! I can feel myself thinking, ‘and what next, and what next !’….
R: We then decided we would like to do an event called The Joust. As again it was a local event and I’d had my eye on it since spring….. I knew also that a couple of other CMRC members had done it in previous years.
CMRC: Not many have heard of this one really. How does it work? You’re not literally on horses with big poles surely….?!?! Though the name does create some intrigue.
R: Ha ha, noooooo. The Joust has a few entry options: Take on the full 24hr challenge, either as a Solo, Team of 2, Team of 3-5 or a Team of 6-8 or….Take on the 12 hour challenge where your target is to run 50 miles. As soon as you have the 50 mile completed you can relax.
CMRC: Relax! Ahh that sounds like the best bit….. ;)
R: The Joust 24hr (J24) and 12hr (J12) are off road races suitable for teams and solo runners. The race is run over a looped course circa 5.5 miles (due to the course being on private farm land the route changes slightly each year). The course is well marked and marshalled, easily navigable and relatively flat and is over 80% off road.
CMRC: Had you done many of these hour based or time centred ones before?
R: So, initially we thought we’d enter the 24hr challenge as last year I did a similar event and raised money for the Alzheimer’s charity in memory of my Nan. My target for this was to do 100 miles and I’m proud to say I smashed it in a time of 22hr 25min, I really was over the moon as this was by far the furthest distance I have ever run. The hubby had been a great support and did some of the night time running with me and my last 2 laps, he himself clocked up over 40 miles. I received my 100 mile club t-shirt in the post not long after the event and I’m very proud of my achievement.
CMRC: And so you should be, that’s just unreal. Persistence and discipline pays off.
R: So we were looking forward to The Joust then…..but the summer holidays happened and although we were both running good distances, I knew it was no where near enough to take on the full 24hrs. The week before I spoke to the hubby and we agreed we would enter the 12hr challenge (hubby seemed very pleased…!). Mid week prior to the big day the forecast was for clear skys with temperatures of 26 - 28 degrees during the day, the hubby said he didn’t want to take on a long event again in the heat so it was just myself that entered.
CMRC: That’s crazy. 28 degrees? Yeah I mean no matter your strength and training you can never gauge what race or event day will be like. What was your prep for The Joust? Did you do anything specific?
R: I slept very well the night before and we got to the venue an hour before. It was already very warm, I got my number, went to the loo and then listened to the brief. I felt calm, no nerves at all. With the longer events I feel more confident. The emphasis is on completing/going as far as you can, rather than what minute mile pace you are doing. You also have other issues like fuelling, blisters and injury etc to manage.
CMRC: So the much longer distances are a test of stamina, strength, focus, mindset rather than firing up the fast-twitch muscles for speed work and shorter bursts. I guess this could be refreshing for runners who focus on the shorter distances for a PB course or time. Its so interesting that there are lots of little ways and types of events to give you that confidence.
“I felt calm, no nerves at all”.
R: So the event started, the 24hr solo runners and the 24hr team runners started their first loop and the 12hr solo runners were told to do 4 loops of a field prior to starting their first loop to make the total distance after lap 9 to 50miles.
CMRC: The burning question….was it hilly!? Did you go in with any tactics or just waited to see how it unfolded?
R: ….ish….!! I started running around the field and by the time I left it and started my first loop I was in 3rd position. A male was leading and it felt like he had left us for dust. It was already feeling very warm and I became sweaty quickly. In the week prior to the event the organisers had sent out a warning to all runners informing them of keeping well and safe in the heat and checking for signs of heat stroke and exhaustion. I had decided that I would carry a bottle in my hand rather that wear a backpack or bottle waist carrier that could potentially make me feel even warmer.
CMRC: Good shout. Sometimes those big hydra-vests are functionally just extra layers.
R: My hubby had a bottle ready for me on each loop with a little more electrolytes than recommended, as I filled the bottle up twice more on route with only water. Each time I filled the bottle up myself, half would be for drinking and the other half for tipping over my head! This appeared to work well for me. Throughout the event I also wore my HR monitor and made sure it wasn’t elevated for me. For the first couple of hours my pulse was maintaining at 144bpm and I was pacing at around 9-10 min per mile. As the heat peaked I slowed down to around 11 min mile/mile and the HR was averaging at about 135bpm, so I know my body was coping ok.
CMRC: If ever theres a hot day in Worcestershire to listen to your body, this was it I guess!
R: My hubby found a fridge freezer in the large marquee that was at base and was taking my cap after each loop, swilling it in water and then putting it in the freezer, I’d taken two caps so we were exchanging my sweaty cap for a frozen one, it was a little difficult to put on initially but it felt super.
CMRC: Now that’s some teamwork, that’s brilliant!!! Also well done to the person who took a fridge ! ;)
So what was the course like?
R: So the loop started in a field and then took a small steep hill down into farm land, the route then went through further fields some of which had farmers in them working on their crops for around 2 miles. It then came out on a small section of road before turning into another network of fields. This was where the check point was and a water station. After leaving here there was another small down section where there was a pool on the left hand side, after leaving a couple more fields you turned on to a very dusty track and started running up an incline towards race hq…... Going past the Top Barn farm shop there was a small turning to the right and then a sharp turn to the left to go past Top Barn factory. The route then goes past some fishing lakes, and then stones paths where another water stop was positioned. The track then slowly slowed up towards a trail route before hitting a single track road and then finished with a steep up back to base.
CMRC: Blimey. Plenty to see and plenty of variation then!! So what about fueling or gels during all of this going round and round? What a way to get Deja-Vu in the heat of the day!
R: During the event I didn’t feel hungry but I know that fuel is extremely important in these events. I didn’t use any energy gels as I don’t get on with them. I do get on with protein bars, I can’t eat them very quickly but they go down fairly well and do not irritate my tummy so I had a couple of these while running.
CMRC: Ah okay that’s pretty interesting. I guess you can eat something like that in small chunks and some have got sugars in them too. Do you have an absolute ‘Go To’ for fuels, something you’d pick every time?
R: I love a protein milkshake on longer runs too and these do go straight down. Other things I like on ultras are bananas and any other fruits, salty things that nuts and crisps and chocolate goes down really well but it was too hot for chocolate at this event. Jelly’s are also good. At the end of lap 7 out of 9 I felt one of my toes had become very sore so after this loop I stopped and had a look, the toe was looking very red and I had the start of a blister. I changed my socks, applied a plaster and off I went again. The toe felt a bit better and I was able to continue to run the last 2 laps.
CMRC: The battle of the Toes is right of passage as an Ultra or longer distance runner sometimes….
R: On route I had seen some people vomiting, walking/stretching their their legs etc and I always asked if they were ok, luckily they were. The event was tough in that heat but if you are sensible and look after yourself then it is achievable. At the end of the last lap I was awarded with my medal and a lovely metal trainer with The Joust 12hr champion engraved on it - I had come in not only first female but first male as well. I found out the man who had left us for dust clocked a marathon and then stopped and the man who was in second position was over taken by me on lap 5.
CMRC: Oh my god! Quite literally survival of the fittest then! That’s fantastic!!!! Did you realise your position or had you ‘switched off’ from it per say?
R: I was extremely pleased. Not only with winning the event, but with how the race had gone and how I felt. I have lost 3 toe nails since…… this does seem to be the thing with ultras.
CMRC: Amazing, (less the toes thing…..!!) Can you give us some final words for your experience?
R: I would definitely recommend this event, I think if you aren’t someone who is into ultra distances then the team approach is defiantly something you should consider.
CMRC: Bec thank you so much for sharing your experience with us and your tips. Its really appreciated!
Have you got something big planned, or are you tackling an unusual event for Winter 2023/24, Spring/Summer 2024 - we’d love to know!
Want to be featured in Spotlight Chat? Drop us an email or message to share what adventures you’re up to!
As ever folks thanks for your continued support and happy running!