Well I have to say Sunday's long slow run was a slightly different and enjoyable affair. I rose at 4:30am as per usual woken by Jasper wanting his early morning feed. I had the usual hungarian coffee and bowl of porridge which always sets me up for a long ride or run. And off I set out my door and after a mile onto the Grand Union Canal towards Tring.
Two miles in I spot 3 runners in front of me on the canal path. It is most unusual for this time of day to see 1 runner let alone 3! They weren't so much running though as walking/hobbling/swaying along. I caught up with them and immediately noticed their race numbers. I had unknowingly been caught up in the middle of one of the longest Ultra races in the UK - the Grand Union Canal (Ultra) Run which is a 145 miles from Birmingham to London. I knew of the race and had even been on the website before but had no idea it was this weekend.
I felt quite privileged to suddenly be a part of it in this very small way. The funniest thing that many runners I stopped to talk to said to me is that I was moving very well at this stage in the race! Whilst it was tempting to go along with the suggestion that I was comfortably keeping a 10 mpm pace after 100 miles of running I couldnt do it to them... I explained that I was actually just on my normal Sunday morning run. I wished the 3 of them the best of luck and went about chasing down the next runner ahead of me.
And this became my motivation for the rest of my run which instead of being a long slow run was now in comparison to these guys a very short slow run! Its funny how context changes everything. I was planning to run 25 miles which I did do and normally I would think of this as a long run (and indeed it is being that it is only just shy of a marathon), however today it really felt short and because of the distraction of the GUCR, far easier than if I had been plodding down the canal alone.
The GUCR itself is in my opinion pretty brutal mentally! Not brutal in a Lakeland100 sense of continuous climbing and descending mashing the quads mountain after mountain, but simply because it is SO flat and SO long and quite frankly the terrain underfoot and scenery around you doesn't really change a great deal. Both races have the same 45 hour cut off, but I would have to say that I'm far more drawn to the L100 than the GUCR. Half of the 98 starters of the GUCR dropped out which is very high for a race whose only real challenge is the distance. I thought whilst I was running along if I would like to enter this race and perhaps I will, but I've said before that the reason I got into ultras in the first place was to run beautiful trails and witness amazing scenery. The GUC just doesn't offer this element! But it does offer a real challenge. My friend Dino was running the GUCR - a very good ultra runner (came 3rd in the Lightning12hr) and training for the L100 but he dropped at 108 miles. He'd had enough and simply couldnt face the prospect of putting even one more foot in front of the other. The distance and mundane route broke him, not the physical terrain, and mentally he had had enough. And said himself he didnt want it hard enough to keep going.
I'm a little surprised that the drop out rate is so high on the event. You surely know what you are getting yourself into when you sign up. Without passing too much judgement on the preparation and training of those that enter this race surely they are simply bitting off more than they can chew, and are under prepared. The very small field of 100 starters surely brings into question the entry requirements for such an event. Its over subscribed year after year so perhaps it makes sense to provide the opportunity to those that are truly prepared and stand a good chance of finishing... or perhaps I'm simply under-estimating the magnitude of this event and the challenge. Either way, if and when I enter the GUCR I will only do so knowing that I am fully prepared to take it on and will finish.
I met some other nice people out on this run - John was on the GUCR reserve list and only found out he was racing 6 weeks prior! His longest training run was 45 miles, but he seemed extremely determined to finish when I spoke to him at the 95 mile mark, and was raising money for cancer research having lost 2 friends to the illness last year.
I ran with a guy called Iveagh for a mile or so just before I turned around to head back. Iveagh was from Ireland and running a very good race. This would be his longest ultra and he finished in 38hrs having checked on the website. That's a long time on your feet down one canal and takes a lot of guts and determination to carry on.
And if Ultras teach you one thing its too never judge a book by its cover! I passed a v. senior lady called Debbie on my way back home who was moving slowly but still moving and looked quietly determined. Debbie finished in 43 hours! Amazing. It simply serves to show that running ultras and pushing ones limits is not about speed, or strength, or age, or ego but just about a complete single-mindedness to continue and push on to the very end. My favourite quote which I take with me to every event for when I may need it is 'pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever'.
For what it's worth I completed my measy 25 mile training run scraping just under a 10 mpm pace. An extremely enjoyable run. My left foot is grumbling ever so slightly due to the lack of running but hopfully as I fit it a knew more runs (not just the long ones) it will strengthen and see me good for the NDW100 in August.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Back in training...
It's been quite a while since my last post but this week has seen me get out there and log more miles than in a long while (and some actually on foot!) so thought I would fill those of you who are interested on my week so far...
... On Sunday morning I left the ElliptiGO at home and did something quite novel... a RUN! 4:30am start and out the door by 5. Its definitely the best time to run... Much cooler plus the sunrise plus no body about as I went on my way down the Grand Union Canal from Leighton Buzzard to Hemel Hempstead. It's a great route with open views and a quietness that one can just lose yourself in. Glorious! I feel so sorry for those still in bed at times like these.
Having not run properly (e.g. anything over 10 miles) for months this would be something of a test. I covered 22 miles in total. 20 down to hemel which was a very leisurely 10min mile pace then the train back which took just 14 minutes to cover the same distance that had just taken me 3h20! So fact of the day: trains are 13 times faster than running! But I still know what mode I would rather take.
The plan will be to increase the mileage in the build up to the NDW100 on 13th August. In a month or so I should be running back from Hemel too, and saving £7 on the train fare in the process, which I can spend on energy bars instead! :-)
So that was Sunday. Rest day monday.
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And then to Tuesday where I clocked up 92 miles on the ElliptiGO. 22 miles to work in the morning for a half day, tand then a 70 mile Chiltern100 training ride in the afternoon. This time I had some company on the ride in the form of my mate Dave who was on his high performance Alu-Carbon road bike. The difference in performance was very noticable on the very first climb of the day as Dave stormed ahead with me left in his wake. I'm getting more use to climbing now with all the training miles clocked up in recent months, and there is a very noticable improvement in my performance and fitness.
It was great afternoon of me just trying to keep up with Dave! The highlight was actually overtaking Dave on a mega long and steep downhill section into Chinnor, where in his own words he 'lost his bottle', whilst I clenched my butt cheeks and just went for it, holding on tight and putting all my trust in the bike as I zoomed down reaching 38 mph. What a rush!
This out and back ride is a real test knowing that every downhill would have to be repeated going up the other way. The return leg was a real killer. My legs were screaming out for mercy on the 10% + inclines. Painful yes but so rewarding when you finally reach the top even if Dave had been waiting for 5 minutes already. Unbelievably Dave stayed in the large chain ring on the front for the entire ride! Awesome effort mate.
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Wednesday rest day with the family (although 'rest' with a 3yr old and 5 week old baby perhaps isn't the most fitting description!)
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And today (Thursday) I repeated pretty much the same 70 miler with my mate Idai from MK who works for ElliptiGO. This ride was a far more leisurely affair than Tuesday's frantic energy zapping pace. Including a well planned and timed pub stop for lunch. Jacket potatoe and chilli went down very well indeed :-) plus we avoided the first of several downpours of the day. On leaving the pub however it didn't last and we were soon pretty soggy including one downpour which was so heavy all you could do was laugh. If it wasn't for the cycle helmets the rain and hail would have been pretty harsh. However none of this could put a dampener on what was a great ride across the toughest part of the Chiltern100 route. Another 69 miles logged too which makes the week's total 161 miles.
The fall out of this ride is two broken spokes (one was already broken before), but luckily the GO was already booked in for a service tomorrow where it will be restored to new, including a new puncture proof rear tyre which will ensure there are no annoying hold ups on race day. Brakes have also taken a battering on the steep downhills so they should come back far better with more response and stopping ability.
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To wrap up... my training is most definitely ramping up now and I hope to get the balance right on foot and on the GO in the build up to the NDW100 where I should be as fit, if not the fittest I've ever been. Lets see as family life must also be balanced which is never easy. Pictures of the Blofeld family and today ride below.
... On Sunday morning I left the ElliptiGO at home and did something quite novel... a RUN! 4:30am start and out the door by 5. Its definitely the best time to run... Much cooler plus the sunrise plus no body about as I went on my way down the Grand Union Canal from Leighton Buzzard to Hemel Hempstead. It's a great route with open views and a quietness that one can just lose yourself in. Glorious! I feel so sorry for those still in bed at times like these.
Having not run properly (e.g. anything over 10 miles) for months this would be something of a test. I covered 22 miles in total. 20 down to hemel which was a very leisurely 10min mile pace then the train back which took just 14 minutes to cover the same distance that had just taken me 3h20! So fact of the day: trains are 13 times faster than running! But I still know what mode I would rather take.
The plan will be to increase the mileage in the build up to the NDW100 on 13th August. In a month or so I should be running back from Hemel too, and saving £7 on the train fare in the process, which I can spend on energy bars instead! :-)
So that was Sunday. Rest day monday.
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And then to Tuesday where I clocked up 92 miles on the ElliptiGO. 22 miles to work in the morning for a half day, tand then a 70 mile Chiltern100 training ride in the afternoon. This time I had some company on the ride in the form of my mate Dave who was on his high performance Alu-Carbon road bike. The difference in performance was very noticable on the very first climb of the day as Dave stormed ahead with me left in his wake. I'm getting more use to climbing now with all the training miles clocked up in recent months, and there is a very noticable improvement in my performance and fitness.
It was great afternoon of me just trying to keep up with Dave! The highlight was actually overtaking Dave on a mega long and steep downhill section into Chinnor, where in his own words he 'lost his bottle', whilst I clenched my butt cheeks and just went for it, holding on tight and putting all my trust in the bike as I zoomed down reaching 38 mph. What a rush!
This out and back ride is a real test knowing that every downhill would have to be repeated going up the other way. The return leg was a real killer. My legs were screaming out for mercy on the 10% + inclines. Painful yes but so rewarding when you finally reach the top even if Dave had been waiting for 5 minutes already. Unbelievably Dave stayed in the large chain ring on the front for the entire ride! Awesome effort mate.
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Wednesday rest day with the family (although 'rest' with a 3yr old and 5 week old baby perhaps isn't the most fitting description!)
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And today (Thursday) I repeated pretty much the same 70 miler with my mate Idai from MK who works for ElliptiGO. This ride was a far more leisurely affair than Tuesday's frantic energy zapping pace. Including a well planned and timed pub stop for lunch. Jacket potatoe and chilli went down very well indeed :-) plus we avoided the first of several downpours of the day. On leaving the pub however it didn't last and we were soon pretty soggy including one downpour which was so heavy all you could do was laugh. If it wasn't for the cycle helmets the rain and hail would have been pretty harsh. However none of this could put a dampener on what was a great ride across the toughest part of the Chiltern100 route. Another 69 miles logged too which makes the week's total 161 miles.
The fall out of this ride is two broken spokes (one was already broken before), but luckily the GO was already booked in for a service tomorrow where it will be restored to new, including a new puncture proof rear tyre which will ensure there are no annoying hold ups on race day. Brakes have also taken a battering on the steep downhills so they should come back far better with more response and stopping ability.
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To wrap up... my training is most definitely ramping up now and I hope to get the balance right on foot and on the GO in the build up to the NDW100 where I should be as fit, if not the fittest I've ever been. Lets see as family life must also be balanced which is never easy. Pictures of the Blofeld family and today ride below.
Monday, 16 May 2011
Baby business sorted... Hello ElliptiGO...
It's been a long while since my last post mainly because time has demanded other things of me than telling the world about my non-descript running and ElliptIGO'ing exploits. The birth of Jasper 4 weeks yesterday has of course meant a change in priorities with running taking a back step. But actually I stopped logging any significant milage off the back of the Lightning12hr qnd didn't want to run too much since then, not with any real focus anyway.
In April I recorded just one 5 mile run but more than made up for it on the ElliptiGO with over 300 miles logged. It's such a blast to ride and have been upping the mileage on the GO in the build upto the Chiltern100 cycle sportie which is on 5th June. It's actually 111 miles and climbs 21peaks across the Chilterns. This past Sunday saw me get in my longest training ride to date. I'd previously got up to 50 miles in training using the Chiltern100 route as my training ground to get use to the mega steep climbs. I covered 71 miles on Sunday morning setting off at ridiculous-o'clock (5am) so as to get back by 10 ish and not eat into Sunday family time. The route itself is great mainly on nice long winding country roads which are not too beat up (the ElliptiGO hates rutts and poor roads as do I as it sends uncomfortable vibrations up the steerig column and had he foot plates jumping around).
I've covered the 50 mile route four or so times now so have become very ascustomed to the route and each climb and what gear I would need for each and even when I need to change up and down in the climb. A cycling/ElliptiGOing/hill climbing machine of sorts! The climbs are steep, and some long too. The steepest at 14% incline but most averaging 8-10% + I would say. Early on it's not bad at all and the ElliptiGO climbs so well and with ease (all things considered) that you think you could go all day. But of course fatigue changes all that and on this 71mile out and back route the hills on the return leg started to test me. I was fuel depleted too as my schedule bottle change in Chinnor village didn't happen as the village was COMPLETELY closed for business. Ok it was 7:30am on a Sunday morning but I had at least expected a sleepy village newsagent to be open. No luck there which meant that I had to survive (it turned out) 52 miles on about 500 ml of enegy drink plus my energy bar. On a flat course no problem but the hills... Did I tell you about the hills!! Oh yes I think I did ;-)
So all in all a very good training ride. 71 miles covered in 5hrs5mins averaging 14mph. On a conventional bike this will sound truly pedestrian but believe me when I say that the ElliptiGO is far from conventional. And did I mention the hills.
Ok that's it from me tonight. When I get on a real computer (typing this on iPod) I will try and upload a few pics of little Jasper and the family. He's doing really great and a marathon runner for sure!! And why am I so certain of this... He was born on the day of the London Marathon!! :-D
In April I recorded just one 5 mile run but more than made up for it on the ElliptiGO with over 300 miles logged. It's such a blast to ride and have been upping the mileage on the GO in the build upto the Chiltern100 cycle sportie which is on 5th June. It's actually 111 miles and climbs 21peaks across the Chilterns. This past Sunday saw me get in my longest training ride to date. I'd previously got up to 50 miles in training using the Chiltern100 route as my training ground to get use to the mega steep climbs. I covered 71 miles on Sunday morning setting off at ridiculous-o'clock (5am) so as to get back by 10 ish and not eat into Sunday family time. The route itself is great mainly on nice long winding country roads which are not too beat up (the ElliptiGO hates rutts and poor roads as do I as it sends uncomfortable vibrations up the steerig column and had he foot plates jumping around).
I've covered the 50 mile route four or so times now so have become very ascustomed to the route and each climb and what gear I would need for each and even when I need to change up and down in the climb. A cycling/ElliptiGOing/hill climbing machine of sorts! The climbs are steep, and some long too. The steepest at 14% incline but most averaging 8-10% + I would say. Early on it's not bad at all and the ElliptiGO climbs so well and with ease (all things considered) that you think you could go all day. But of course fatigue changes all that and on this 71mile out and back route the hills on the return leg started to test me. I was fuel depleted too as my schedule bottle change in Chinnor village didn't happen as the village was COMPLETELY closed for business. Ok it was 7:30am on a Sunday morning but I had at least expected a sleepy village newsagent to be open. No luck there which meant that I had to survive (it turned out) 52 miles on about 500 ml of enegy drink plus my energy bar. On a flat course no problem but the hills... Did I tell you about the hills!! Oh yes I think I did ;-)
So all in all a very good training ride. 71 miles covered in 5hrs5mins averaging 14mph. On a conventional bike this will sound truly pedestrian but believe me when I say that the ElliptiGO is far from conventional. And did I mention the hills.
Ok that's it from me tonight. When I get on a real computer (typing this on iPod) I will try and upload a few pics of little Jasper and the family. He's doing really great and a marathon runner for sure!! And why am I so certain of this... He was born on the day of the London Marathon!! :-D
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Chiltern 100 reccie
I took some time off work on Thursday before our baby son Jasper is born (due Friday) to enjoy the weather and go for a long ride on the ElliptiGO. The plan was to join onto the Chiltern 100 route which passes close to where I live and long it out along the Chilterns as far as Whiteleaf Hill.
It was a great ride and I now know in no uncertain terms how tough the Chiltern100 is going to be. The whole route has 21 climbs (see profile below) and looks pretty scary stuff. I tackled 5 of them on Thursday (Aston Hill to Whiteleaf Hill) on a 26 mile out and back route from my home. And even those 4 really hy home how hard he climbing on this event will be. But I love climbing and think it is one of my strengths so perhaps I've found the perfect event.
The steepest climb I ascended was a 14% gradient so pretty STEEP! They are generally not short either as once in to the Chilterns you are generally climbing up and over the ridge line to get back down the other side and then repeat this 21 times! It was actually the descents that were the scariest on the GO! The high riding position jut makes me more nervous wh flying down the backside of a steep hill. 14% gradients look even steeper when you are going down them!!
Getting to half way having scaled Whiteleaf Hill was a real treat. I came across the local pub where I pulled up and enjoyed and nice pint of full fat coke and a jacket potatoe and chilli. I sat out in the sun and soaked up the moment. So much the better as the alternative was sitting in front on the computer at work.
The return leg home felt half the distance which is always nice. This is also ominous though as the anti-clockwise direction of the C100 route is obviously the tougher route! Back home I had clocked up exactly a double marathon which made for a extremely satisifying and enjoying Thursday jaunt. I should do this more often!
It was a great ride and I now know in no uncertain terms how tough the Chiltern100 is going to be. The whole route has 21 climbs (see profile below) and looks pretty scary stuff. I tackled 5 of them on Thursday (Aston Hill to Whiteleaf Hill) on a 26 mile out and back route from my home. And even those 4 really hy home how hard he climbing on this event will be. But I love climbing and think it is one of my strengths so perhaps I've found the perfect event.
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| Chiltern 100 elavation profile - 111 miles in total - 2,600m of ascent |
Getting to half way having scaled Whiteleaf Hill was a real treat. I came across the local pub where I pulled up and enjoyed and nice pint of full fat coke and a jacket potatoe and chilli. I sat out in the sun and soaked up the moment. So much the better as the alternative was sitting in front on the computer at work.
The return leg home felt half the distance which is always nice. This is also ominous though as the anti-clockwise direction of the C100 route is obviously the tougher route! Back home I had clocked up exactly a double marathon which made for a extremely satisifying and enjoying Thursday jaunt. I should do this more often!
Monday, 21 March 2011
SIS Lightning 12 race report
It's the day after the Lightning12 and I can categorically say that that was the hardest fought race I have had to endure to date. Well it was due to happen sooner rather than later right...
Rewind to race morning (I had arrived the night before in the beautiful Malvern Hills - although quite not so beautiful if you find your running up and down them for 12 hours!). It was a cold night and my tent offered little protection from this. I cacooned myself in my sleeping bag and did as best I could to sleep. I probably didn't manage more than 3 hrs of sleep max.
My iPod alarm was set for 4:30am (race start was 6) but didn't wake me or didn't go off at all. I couldn't work out which. I rose at 5am and had just an hour to prepare. Normally this would be plenty but confined to a tent makes everything a little bit more tricky. Porridge and banana for breakfast with a strong coffee set me up for the run ahead. The clock was ticking and it was getting closer and closer to 6. I was still fumbling around getting my kit together, filling my water bottle up etc when I hear... 5... 4.... 3... 2..... 1! And the claxon sound. Oh crap I've missed the start!! I grabbed my gear and rushed to the start line which luckily was all but 50 metres away. I joined the back of the pack and had a good laugh to myself about it. If anything that small mishap helped me relax a little. For a description of the course itself see my account from last year here - http://ultradiscostu.blogspot.com/2010/03/wiggle-lightening-12hr-race-report.html?m=0
Shortly into the first lap it became apparent that my innov8s had seen better days. The wear on the back of the tread meant that they were falling inwards and backwards with every step. Plus I had opted to wear my sealskinz socks for added protection from the trail however I quickly learnt that they do not perform in the dry as well as they do in the wet. My feet were on fire and massively overheating. Defintely a shoe and sock change at the end of lap 1.
I had good speed (who doesn't on the first lap of a 12 hour race!) but didn't think I was overdoing it. My race strategy was simple (he says) each lap had to average under an hour so that on completing my 12 lap I could go out and run a 13th. But I also wanted to run a more consistent race too. To give what I was asking of myself some context I only ran my first 3 laps last year under 1hr. The rest were between 1h5m -1h20m. I therefore knewn this wasn't going to be easy.
And easy it wasn't!!! With my new Montrail Mountain Masochists and Injini socks on I was feeling far more comfortable. Lap 1 was 52mins (each lap measures 9.3k - coming up short of the advertised 10k mark). Add the 800ft of ascent PER lap and you get an idea of how tough this course is. I kept the pace steady and ran laps 2, 3, and 4 in 52, 54 and 58 minutes. Good consistency, on track and I was happy. I stopped by my tent at the end of each lap to refill my bottle and take on some food but avoided the temptation to sit in my chair.
Then it was all change.... From lap 5 onwards it all went horribly wrong. Clearly the pace I was running wasn't sustainble. I had hit the wall no question and continued scaling up it for lap after lap after lap. This wasn't just a small low point in the race which I would soon get over. I was deteroiating fast and I was powerless to stop the rot. Lap 5 was a 67 and lap 6 a 79. I had fallen off a cliff! The reality of knowing I hadn't even completed half of the alloted 12 hours also bared down heavily on me. Instead of breaking this up in to chunks and focusing only on each lap, all I could think about was the total distance/time/number of laps I would still be out there for.
I seriously (I think) considered throwing in the towel at the end of lap 6 such was my physical and mental distress. I slumped down in my chair and ate some pizza and coke. This relived the senses a little and I simply got up and went back out for another lap. There wasn't any major change in me, I was still on a low but perhaps a little more accepting of my fate. Yes I was hurting, and yes it will continue to hurt, no question, and no I wouldn't be getting any faster, only slower, but I'm still in this race and so I plodded on and out for another lap.
Laps 7, 8 and 9 were a little more consistent. Consistently slow maybe but still consistent. 77, 75 and 75. Wow perhaps I was getting the knack for this pacing thing after all. There is little else to report or describe about what occured during these laps other than to say that my mood did improve a little. This is in part because of all the other great people out on the course. Many knew me as the guy who won it last year (to my real surprise as I was really trying to keep that one quiet - card marked and all that). The number 1 race number didn't help either but is a very nice momento to keep. Anyway where I was going with this is that some would comment as they passed me (and on the rare occasion that I actually passed them). One guy's response when I told him I was throwing in the towel was "you can't, you're our inspiration for being out here" (I'm not making that up!) That was nice to hear and perhaps a clever ploy to keep me out there but it kinda worked and perked me up a little. The other thoughts that ran through my head when I thought about quiting were primarily who would I be letting down if I did call it a day - would my family think less of me if I did - the answer of course is no, but at the time the thought of going home and telling them I quit after 6 laps was not one I could contempate, and after that guy's comment on the course it made me think that I had a kind of duty to stay out there as the course record holder and keep going til I dropped. The last thing I wanted was to be thought of as a bad loser - someone who when its not quite going their way, and things got a bit tough quits. And what stick would I get from the guys down the club - Answer: Plenty!! And perhaps rightly so... Because as ultra runners we measure and pride ourselves on NOT how fast we run but on how FAR we run and how LONG we can endure it for. Therefore quiting in an ultra race perhaps has far more consequence and significance than in a 'normal' shorter or distance event. Of course anyone, 'ultra runner' or otherwise, can have a bad day and I was definitely having a bad day (at least by the standards I had set myself).
There is one particular quote by Lance Armstrong that went through my head as I was out there and which defintely kept me going - "Pain is temporary. Quiting lasts forever". Too true! And the simple reality of the situation was that I either stopped or kept going. End of. As I sit here now on Monday evening the pain has indeed subsided (unless tackling stairs!) but had I quit yesterday and not carried on then I would indeed be feeling very very sorry for myself and doubting my ability as an ultra runner at all.
Anyway back to the race and I had finished lap 9. Incidently back on lap 7 or 8 when speaking to my wife on the phone I talked about setting some goals that would keep me going. If I completed 9 laps that would take me over 50 miles which would be a job well done, if I managed 10 laps then that was over a double marathon and a nice round number. Completing 11 laps would go over the 100k mark which would be a very worthy milestone to achieve. Annoyingly, 10 laps wasn't 100k because of the 'short' lap. I set these goals to provide some meaning to each subsequent lap and it worked.
So back (again) to end of lap 9 (sorry we shall get to the end soon I promise) and I was all but finished mentally and physically. Instead of going to my tent to refill my water bottle I had planned to cross the finish line first to record my time, then go and have a sit down and a cup of tea in the catering tent. As I did this and crossed the line the announcer who hadn't once told me my position says and here's Stuart last years winner in 5th place. It was almost an exact reoccurence of last year when the same announcer told me I was in first place, and I couldn't believe it. For me it had been a terrible race (post lap 4) and I had slogged my way through another 5 laps of misery, but somehow I was in 5th place. My exact thoughts were not though, "Wow that's fantastic" instead they were "damn that really does mean I will have to go back out there and run another lap". I still went for my cup of tea to ponder this new information. I sat down with a guy who was running in a pair and who was also comtempating his final lap. He wasn't looking forward to it either but the crucial difference between pairs and soloists is that you really can't let down your partner. Yourself maybe, but not someone else on the team. Anyway he just said very matter of fact whilst I explained how my race had fallen apart, that I had better go do that extra lap. And as he said that it was clear I had no choice but to. What decision was there to make. None. Get up Blofeld and get your slow arse back out there for one last lap! So that's what I did. Lap 10 was no slower than my previous 3 laps, if not a little faster actually when you take into account my cup of tea in the nice warm tent. Amazing what a good old cuppa can do for morale!
I had long decided that I wouldn't even attempt an 11th lap, even though I would finish the 10th lap well inside the 12 hour time window. Running an 11th lap would have seen me out there for 12 1/2 hours plus, which was not something that filled me with any joy, plus logistically I had a tent to pack away, warm down after the event, supper and a 3hr drive home to contemplate. These aren't excuses for not running another lap, merely the reality that I faced.
So there you go that was my Lightning 12. No fairy tale ending but an ending nevertheless. I held onto 5th place in the solo category covering 57 miles in 11 hours 15 minutes. My fastest mile was a 7:27 and my slowest a 14:57. Almost certainly one involved going down hill whilst the other involved climbing up, but this was defintely a tale of two halves which I will no doubt learn a lot from in terms of pacing my first 'proper' 100 mile race in August (24hr events apparently don't count as real 100 milers even if you cover this distance).
I will try and keep the blog coming in the next few months but don't expect many races reports. My next non-running challenge is to complete the Chiltern 100 in June on my ElliptiGO. That will be positively easy compared with yesterday I can tell you, but I'm not going to take it lightly I promise!
Rewind to race morning (I had arrived the night before in the beautiful Malvern Hills - although quite not so beautiful if you find your running up and down them for 12 hours!). It was a cold night and my tent offered little protection from this. I cacooned myself in my sleeping bag and did as best I could to sleep. I probably didn't manage more than 3 hrs of sleep max.
My iPod alarm was set for 4:30am (race start was 6) but didn't wake me or didn't go off at all. I couldn't work out which. I rose at 5am and had just an hour to prepare. Normally this would be plenty but confined to a tent makes everything a little bit more tricky. Porridge and banana for breakfast with a strong coffee set me up for the run ahead. The clock was ticking and it was getting closer and closer to 6. I was still fumbling around getting my kit together, filling my water bottle up etc when I hear... 5... 4.... 3... 2..... 1! And the claxon sound. Oh crap I've missed the start!! I grabbed my gear and rushed to the start line which luckily was all but 50 metres away. I joined the back of the pack and had a good laugh to myself about it. If anything that small mishap helped me relax a little. For a description of the course itself see my account from last year here - http://ultradiscostu.blogspot.com/2010/03/wiggle-lightening-12hr-race-report.html?m=0
Shortly into the first lap it became apparent that my innov8s had seen better days. The wear on the back of the tread meant that they were falling inwards and backwards with every step. Plus I had opted to wear my sealskinz socks for added protection from the trail however I quickly learnt that they do not perform in the dry as well as they do in the wet. My feet were on fire and massively overheating. Defintely a shoe and sock change at the end of lap 1.
I had good speed (who doesn't on the first lap of a 12 hour race!) but didn't think I was overdoing it. My race strategy was simple (he says) each lap had to average under an hour so that on completing my 12 lap I could go out and run a 13th. But I also wanted to run a more consistent race too. To give what I was asking of myself some context I only ran my first 3 laps last year under 1hr. The rest were between 1h5m -1h20m. I therefore knewn this wasn't going to be easy.
And easy it wasn't!!! With my new Montrail Mountain Masochists and Injini socks on I was feeling far more comfortable. Lap 1 was 52mins (each lap measures 9.3k - coming up short of the advertised 10k mark). Add the 800ft of ascent PER lap and you get an idea of how tough this course is. I kept the pace steady and ran laps 2, 3, and 4 in 52, 54 and 58 minutes. Good consistency, on track and I was happy. I stopped by my tent at the end of each lap to refill my bottle and take on some food but avoided the temptation to sit in my chair.
Then it was all change.... From lap 5 onwards it all went horribly wrong. Clearly the pace I was running wasn't sustainble. I had hit the wall no question and continued scaling up it for lap after lap after lap. This wasn't just a small low point in the race which I would soon get over. I was deteroiating fast and I was powerless to stop the rot. Lap 5 was a 67 and lap 6 a 79. I had fallen off a cliff! The reality of knowing I hadn't even completed half of the alloted 12 hours also bared down heavily on me. Instead of breaking this up in to chunks and focusing only on each lap, all I could think about was the total distance/time/number of laps I would still be out there for.
I seriously (I think) considered throwing in the towel at the end of lap 6 such was my physical and mental distress. I slumped down in my chair and ate some pizza and coke. This relived the senses a little and I simply got up and went back out for another lap. There wasn't any major change in me, I was still on a low but perhaps a little more accepting of my fate. Yes I was hurting, and yes it will continue to hurt, no question, and no I wouldn't be getting any faster, only slower, but I'm still in this race and so I plodded on and out for another lap.
Laps 7, 8 and 9 were a little more consistent. Consistently slow maybe but still consistent. 77, 75 and 75. Wow perhaps I was getting the knack for this pacing thing after all. There is little else to report or describe about what occured during these laps other than to say that my mood did improve a little. This is in part because of all the other great people out on the course. Many knew me as the guy who won it last year (to my real surprise as I was really trying to keep that one quiet - card marked and all that). The number 1 race number didn't help either but is a very nice momento to keep. Anyway where I was going with this is that some would comment as they passed me (and on the rare occasion that I actually passed them). One guy's response when I told him I was throwing in the towel was "you can't, you're our inspiration for being out here" (I'm not making that up!) That was nice to hear and perhaps a clever ploy to keep me out there but it kinda worked and perked me up a little. The other thoughts that ran through my head when I thought about quiting were primarily who would I be letting down if I did call it a day - would my family think less of me if I did - the answer of course is no, but at the time the thought of going home and telling them I quit after 6 laps was not one I could contempate, and after that guy's comment on the course it made me think that I had a kind of duty to stay out there as the course record holder and keep going til I dropped. The last thing I wanted was to be thought of as a bad loser - someone who when its not quite going their way, and things got a bit tough quits. And what stick would I get from the guys down the club - Answer: Plenty!! And perhaps rightly so... Because as ultra runners we measure and pride ourselves on NOT how fast we run but on how FAR we run and how LONG we can endure it for. Therefore quiting in an ultra race perhaps has far more consequence and significance than in a 'normal' shorter or distance event. Of course anyone, 'ultra runner' or otherwise, can have a bad day and I was definitely having a bad day (at least by the standards I had set myself).
There is one particular quote by Lance Armstrong that went through my head as I was out there and which defintely kept me going - "Pain is temporary. Quiting lasts forever". Too true! And the simple reality of the situation was that I either stopped or kept going. End of. As I sit here now on Monday evening the pain has indeed subsided (unless tackling stairs!) but had I quit yesterday and not carried on then I would indeed be feeling very very sorry for myself and doubting my ability as an ultra runner at all.
Anyway back to the race and I had finished lap 9. Incidently back on lap 7 or 8 when speaking to my wife on the phone I talked about setting some goals that would keep me going. If I completed 9 laps that would take me over 50 miles which would be a job well done, if I managed 10 laps then that was over a double marathon and a nice round number. Completing 11 laps would go over the 100k mark which would be a very worthy milestone to achieve. Annoyingly, 10 laps wasn't 100k because of the 'short' lap. I set these goals to provide some meaning to each subsequent lap and it worked.
So back (again) to end of lap 9 (sorry we shall get to the end soon I promise) and I was all but finished mentally and physically. Instead of going to my tent to refill my water bottle I had planned to cross the finish line first to record my time, then go and have a sit down and a cup of tea in the catering tent. As I did this and crossed the line the announcer who hadn't once told me my position says and here's Stuart last years winner in 5th place. It was almost an exact reoccurence of last year when the same announcer told me I was in first place, and I couldn't believe it. For me it had been a terrible race (post lap 4) and I had slogged my way through another 5 laps of misery, but somehow I was in 5th place. My exact thoughts were not though, "Wow that's fantastic" instead they were "damn that really does mean I will have to go back out there and run another lap". I still went for my cup of tea to ponder this new information. I sat down with a guy who was running in a pair and who was also comtempating his final lap. He wasn't looking forward to it either but the crucial difference between pairs and soloists is that you really can't let down your partner. Yourself maybe, but not someone else on the team. Anyway he just said very matter of fact whilst I explained how my race had fallen apart, that I had better go do that extra lap. And as he said that it was clear I had no choice but to. What decision was there to make. None. Get up Blofeld and get your slow arse back out there for one last lap! So that's what I did. Lap 10 was no slower than my previous 3 laps, if not a little faster actually when you take into account my cup of tea in the nice warm tent. Amazing what a good old cuppa can do for morale!
I had long decided that I wouldn't even attempt an 11th lap, even though I would finish the 10th lap well inside the 12 hour time window. Running an 11th lap would have seen me out there for 12 1/2 hours plus, which was not something that filled me with any joy, plus logistically I had a tent to pack away, warm down after the event, supper and a 3hr drive home to contemplate. These aren't excuses for not running another lap, merely the reality that I faced.
So there you go that was my Lightning 12. No fairy tale ending but an ending nevertheless. I held onto 5th place in the solo category covering 57 miles in 11 hours 15 minutes. My fastest mile was a 7:27 and my slowest a 14:57. Almost certainly one involved going down hill whilst the other involved climbing up, but this was defintely a tale of two halves which I will no doubt learn a lot from in terms of pacing my first 'proper' 100 mile race in August (24hr events apparently don't count as real 100 milers even if you cover this distance).
I will try and keep the blog coming in the next few months but don't expect many races reports. My next non-running challenge is to complete the Chiltern 100 in June on my ElliptiGO. That will be positively easy compared with yesterday I can tell you, but I'm not going to take it lightly I promise!
Friday, 18 March 2011
DOMS
What a week... Since last Sundays 60 miler on the ElliptiGO things have gone a bit off track. Monday was a slow recovery ru. And whilst heavy legged I didn't feel too bad. Tuesday I rested and on Wednesday came the BIG mistake! An innocent lunchtime aerobics session at work left me seriously aching that evening and come Thursday my legs were feeling the full and very real effects of DOMS brought on by the aerobics session which I think triggered the very sore legs. Until then I felt I was recovering extremely well from Sunday and was looking good for this weekend. Now I'm wondering how an hour of exercise could have such a profound effect on how I'm now feeling. It's Friday evening now and my legs and still weary and sore. Not ideal preparation for a 12hr race this weekend.
However i've learnt an awful lot from what has happened. For one - the ElliptiGO IS a serious workout and I'm only now beginning to realise just how much it pushing the muscle groups whilst training on it. It's weird though because of the low/zero I
pact nature of it you really don't feel the effect ls of the workout whilst training and because of this it's possible to push yourself much further than when running. But beware DOMS may bite you on the arse days later!!
Sorry for the rambling post and this reflects just how I'm feeling ahead of Sunday. This mornig I was really cursing my luck and wondering how I'm gonna get through Sundays 12hr but now it's like a switch had flicked in my head and now all I'm thinking is how I'm gonna lay it ALL on the line on Sunday. Sometimes you need to go into a race knowing it gonna hurt like hell and if I'm gonna achieve what I have set out to do which is to improve on last years 12 laps then I'm goig to have to give it everything the double it, suck it up and spit it out and drive my body and mind into the ground!! Man I'm SO ready for some serious(good)damage!
I went out and stocked up the cool box today that will store my fuel for this race. Weight watchers look away now - this includes a Hawaiian pizza, tub of flapjacks, variety funsize pack, chocolate covered coffee beans, and 'I'mBuzzing' banana energy bars!! That little lo should keep me going.
Race starts 6am Sunday. I will be posting Facebook updates as the race progresses (if there is reception). The 'ProVelo Support' facebook and Twitter pages will also be posting live updates on the course.
My wildest and most optimistic prediction is to complete 13 laps (120k) in 13 hours. I would be more than happy to equal the 12 laps I ran last year in a faster time (12h48m). We shall see....
However i've learnt an awful lot from what has happened. For one - the ElliptiGO IS a serious workout and I'm only now beginning to realise just how much it pushing the muscle groups whilst training on it. It's weird though because of the low/zero I
pact nature of it you really don't feel the effect ls of the workout whilst training and because of this it's possible to push yourself much further than when running. But beware DOMS may bite you on the arse days later!!
Sorry for the rambling post and this reflects just how I'm feeling ahead of Sunday. This mornig I was really cursing my luck and wondering how I'm gonna get through Sundays 12hr but now it's like a switch had flicked in my head and now all I'm thinking is how I'm gonna lay it ALL on the line on Sunday. Sometimes you need to go into a race knowing it gonna hurt like hell and if I'm gonna achieve what I have set out to do which is to improve on last years 12 laps then I'm goig to have to give it everything the double it, suck it up and spit it out and drive my body and mind into the ground!! Man I'm SO ready for some serious(good)damage!
I went out and stocked up the cool box today that will store my fuel for this race. Weight watchers look away now - this includes a Hawaiian pizza, tub of flapjacks, variety funsize pack, chocolate covered coffee beans, and 'I'mBuzzing' banana energy bars!! That little lo should keep me going.
Race starts 6am Sunday. I will be posting Facebook updates as the race progresses (if there is reception). The 'ProVelo Support' facebook and Twitter pages will also be posting live updates on the course.
My wildest and most optimistic prediction is to complete 13 laps (120k) in 13 hours. I would be more than happy to equal the 12 laps I ran last year in a faster time (12h48m). We shall see....
Monday, 14 March 2011
Evans Ride It 60 mile report
Just a quick report on Sundays 60 mile ride on the ElliptiGO. Organised by Evans Bikes the Ride It events are great value for a choice of distances; either 30, 60 or 90 miles. 60 would be the furthest I had ridden on the GO. I arrived early and registered with much interest being show by other riders in what I would be riding. Most couldnt believe that Idai and I were attempting that distance.
Anyhow we were ready and I was thoroughly looking forward to it. The route was waymarked through out with pink arrows at every junction. The route itself kept to nice quite country roads for the most part which on a Sunday were clear of any traffic. Evans had rated the route a 2 difficulty rating out of max of 4. So neither easy nor difficult but somewhere inbetween. We assumed 2 = few climbs so were suprised to find a mile long climb in the first 3 miles up to the top of Great Brickhill. We were rewarded though with a long descent back down the otherside. To be honest though I love hills and like to attack them. The GO performs very well when climbing and I found throughout the ride that we would always reel in those in front on the hills. Normal bikes would of course be far quicker on the flats and downhills.
The plan was to take it easy as this was a final training run/ride before next weekends Lightning12. We reckoned on about a 13mph average speed. And we pretty much stuff to it. Flats were faster but climbs slower so all evens out. The weather wasnt too favourable as we were pelted with rain for the first 1-2 hours but it dried out and was soon forgotten about. Idai and I were both testing Gore jackets and gloves offered for free by Evans as part of the Ride It deal. Both offered good protection from the elements. I felt strong throughout the ride and didnt feel any drain as the miles mounted up. The highlight scenery wise was cycling through Woburn Park where we were greeted with an amazing sight of between 20-30 very large deer in a herd. I was tempted to stop and capture the moment on film but we were ascending a steep hill at the time and wasnt too keen to lose momentum as I also caught and passed cyclists in front.
All in all a fantastic ride which was very well organised. At just £12.50 great value too. We completed the 61 miles (a minor detour in my home town of all places!) in 4h45mins. This was spot on what we aimed for so very pleasing. Now just a week of very light running in preparation for Sundays next challenge where i'm hoping (optimistically so) to go one lap further than last year which will be around 130km. Failing that I would more than settle for 12 laps in a faster time than last year. The weather will be a factor in this!
The provelosupport (the Lightning 12 event organiser) will be posting live updates from their Facebook page and twitter account if you want to follow progress. I will also try to send a few FB status updates on my page too. Always fun texting and running at the same time and helps to take mind of things and connect with the world outside....
Anyhow we were ready and I was thoroughly looking forward to it. The route was waymarked through out with pink arrows at every junction. The route itself kept to nice quite country roads for the most part which on a Sunday were clear of any traffic. Evans had rated the route a 2 difficulty rating out of max of 4. So neither easy nor difficult but somewhere inbetween. We assumed 2 = few climbs so were suprised to find a mile long climb in the first 3 miles up to the top of Great Brickhill. We were rewarded though with a long descent back down the otherside. To be honest though I love hills and like to attack them. The GO performs very well when climbing and I found throughout the ride that we would always reel in those in front on the hills. Normal bikes would of course be far quicker on the flats and downhills.
The plan was to take it easy as this was a final training run/ride before next weekends Lightning12. We reckoned on about a 13mph average speed. And we pretty much stuff to it. Flats were faster but climbs slower so all evens out. The weather wasnt too favourable as we were pelted with rain for the first 1-2 hours but it dried out and was soon forgotten about. Idai and I were both testing Gore jackets and gloves offered for free by Evans as part of the Ride It deal. Both offered good protection from the elements. I felt strong throughout the ride and didnt feel any drain as the miles mounted up. The highlight scenery wise was cycling through Woburn Park where we were greeted with an amazing sight of between 20-30 very large deer in a herd. I was tempted to stop and capture the moment on film but we were ascending a steep hill at the time and wasnt too keen to lose momentum as I also caught and passed cyclists in front.
All in all a fantastic ride which was very well organised. At just £12.50 great value too. We completed the 61 miles (a minor detour in my home town of all places!) in 4h45mins. This was spot on what we aimed for so very pleasing. Now just a week of very light running in preparation for Sundays next challenge where i'm hoping (optimistically so) to go one lap further than last year which will be around 130km. Failing that I would more than settle for 12 laps in a faster time than last year. The weather will be a factor in this!
The provelosupport (the Lightning 12 event organiser) will be posting live updates from their Facebook page and twitter account if you want to follow progress. I will also try to send a few FB status updates on my page too. Always fun texting and running at the same time and helps to take mind of things and connect with the world outside....
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