THE NORTH FACE TRANSGRANCANARIA 2014
The Transgrancanaria is a 125km race starting in the small fishing village of Agaete on the northern coast of Gran Canaria, it traverses the volcanic mountains through the center of the island and finishes at the lighthouse in Faro Maspalomas on the southern coast line. It has a total elevation of 28,000 feet (8500 metres) and passes through ten or so checkpoints along the way. The terrain consists of mostly loose boulder and scree and is challenging underfoot to say the least.
We (Myself, Rachel and Ellie) arrived on the island on the Tuesday before the race which gave me time to acclimatise to the heat and get a couple of runs in before the race starts on Saturday morning at midnight. On the Thursday it was time to pick up my number and check out the gear at the trailzone convention. Just after picking up my number I noticed one of the elite athletes Seb Chagnieu and cheekily asked him for a photo, he agreed and had a little chat and was nothing but friendly. Seb had won the race the last two years and was probably the favourite for this year although the depth of competiton was a lot higher this year what with Timmy Olson, Scott Jurek, Julien Chorier and Ryan Sandes all towing the start line, it was going to be tough to get a third victory. As it turned out Seb collapsed from dehydration about 3/4 through the race after being in the lead for most of it. I truly hope he comes back next year and wins it.
The day of the race arrived and after a very nervous day I bid my wife and daughter goodbye and caught the coach from Faro to the start line in Agaete. The weather in the north of the Island was cooler and misty and there was a slight drizzle in the air which was actually a welcome relief from the humid hot heat of the south of the Island. However this would change by mid morning when the clouds cleared and it was between 25 and 30 degrees for the rest of the race.
We were treated to Spanish drums and trumpets before we set off and the crowd and announcer tried there best to lift us before the starting gun, and then finally after what seemed a lifetime all 550 of us were underway. After a short run through the village we were instantly greeted with a 1,300 metre climb to the summit over a mere 6km. This was to be a taster of things to come and as we all settled into single file along the narrow track to the summit I wished I had started a bit nearer the front as it was very difficult to overtake anybody here, although the stunning sight of hundreds of headtorches all winding up the mountain was spectacular. I arrived at the first checkpoint in 208th place and there was a small marquee at the top of the first climb called Tamadaba, there was plenty to eat and drink and we were greeted with loud music and cowbells. The next section was where the descending begun and the tracks were Knarly and technical with the odd section roped to help the competitor across or down a difficult section. We finally reached the 2nd checkpoint of Tirma at the 19km point where after refilling my water it was time to start climbing again. This time it was a 14km climb to Artenara a small town in the mountains. The going was tough and the terrain was unrelenting. However I felt reasonably strong and I noticed that I was overtaking more people steadily and on reaching checkpoint 3 I had moved up to 187th place.
As I left Artenara dawn started to appear and although the weather was still drizzly and misty the landscape became greener and the tracks slightly muddier with newly cut out steps for the race. This terrain remained similar for the next 23km with plenty of ups and downs although the worst was yet to come. Through this section we passed through small villages and hamlets dotted through the north of the island and ran through two more checkpoints Fontanles and Valleseco before reaching the bottom of the next huge climb from the checkpoint at Teror (56km). I had been running fairly well and was now in 134th place.
(Photo of Teror)
On leaving Teror there was now a 10km uphill section before a 5km descent into the small town of Tejeda. The uphill section was really beginning to tell on the legs but the descents what with their rock and loose scree was even more telling. The weather however had decided to clear and the temperatures were rising steadily. On the plus side the views around the area were phenomenal and I felt blessed to be able to run in such beautiful surrounding. On reaching Tejeda (71km) it was now midday and I had moved up to 122nd place.
(Photo above of Tejede)
After a short stop at Tejede where we were treated to live music and plenty to eat and drink, it was time to take on what was to be probably the hardest climb of all. This would take us on to the peak of Roque Nublo then further still to Garanon where we would be 2000 metres above where we had started from at the beginning of the race. Things were starting to get tough now and the legs weren't responding as well as they should of been but I knew that if I could make it to the top then the final 30km was mostly downhill. Well that was what I had told myself in my head and it was a good psychological trick for me at this stage. What I hadn't counted on however was that those down hills actually hurt me more than the up hills. The views were spectacular on the climb up and after finding hidden sources of energy and after almost 2 and a half hours of ascending I finally reached the stunning peak of Roque Nublo. I had ran out of fluid by this point and with another couple of kms until the checkpoint at Garanon I didn't stay long making my way quickly before dehydration became a big problem in the now 28-30 degree heat.
(Photo of Roque Nublo)
At Garanon I arrived feeling a bit dehydrated and slightly sunstroked so I gulped down plenty of Energy drink and Coke before ingesting a plateful of pasta and other goodies. My drop bag was here so I changed my T-shirt and socks and got myself psyched up for the final 45 kms. On leaving Garanon there was a very steep ascent before reaching the highest point of the race. I was here on top of the island and now it was time to descend back down to sea level. I was feeling surprisingly good and had got a second wind so I wanted to make the most of it down to the town of Tunte at the 95km mark. The descent was long and winding and quite technical to boot so I ran as quickly as I could and with a helicopter filming above I ran as quick as my legs would take me, without trying to burn out. The final few kms to Tunte were steep and sapped me of most of my energy, the relentless pounding of my quadriceps were causing stabbing pains with each step and I couldn't wait for an uphill section. The sun was beginning to go down now and although the pain in my legs was hurting it was manageable and the views with the reddish skies were worth the agony. I finally arrived at Tunte and again the welcome was humbling and before I knew it I was on the last couple of legs to the finish.
On the next section to Arteara the terrain was slightly better underfoot and although I had slowed down somewhat I was still shuffling along ok and with just a couple of small significant climbs to go I was confident that I could finish. I had been receiving messages of support from family and friends along the way which was a great boost and my wife and daughter would be waiting for me at the finish. Rachel had done a sterling job of letting my folks back home know how I was getting on and I felt truly honoured to have such great support. After a while I arrived at the top of the final big descent into the village of Arteara and boy what a descent it was. Talk about the sting in the tail, the loose scree and boulders played havoc with my quads and every step was excrutiating. I was now descending in the dark again and a slip here would almost certainly mean a huge fall and a nasty injury. But somehow I managed to stay upright and to my relief arrived at the checkpoint. I drank and ate what I could and shuffled out of the checkpoint with cheers from the aid staff and supporters. Now I knew I was homeward bound.
I knew the final 17kms was going to be a mental challenge more than a physical and although my body was pretty beat up and my legs could hardly manage more than a fast shuffle I continued onward singing and shouting along the way, playing echo games with the canyon walls. The final checkpoint arrived and the lights of Faro with the lighthouse in the distance were almost within touching distance. I drank a little and ate a little then thanked the aid staff and made my final journey home.
(Photo of Faro Maspalomas)
As I ran the last 6kms into Faro and through the aquaduct which seemed to go on forever I could feel my energy lift and picked up the pace slightly. As I ran past people they hollered and congratulated me in Spanish and although I struggled to understand I knew they were happy for me and keen to show their appreciation. Then I was running along the promenade towards the lighthouse. I could hear the music and announcer and knew I was almost there and as I turned the corner I was welcomed with the best sight ever, my wife and daughter. As I held my little girls hand and my wonderful wife videoed us cross the finish line together I was filled with a sense of real accomplishment and so happy to be able to share it with both of them. I had made it in a time of 24 hours and 13 minutes, 6 hours within the cut off time and had finished 128th overall. It truly was an awesome experience and one I will never forget. Thank you to all those who support me on these crazy adventures, especially my wife and daughter. I love you all x
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