The Fellsman

I had the option this past weekend of either attending our black tie running club dinner complete with award presentation for my stag success or a 61 mile trek across the toughest terrain that the Yorkshire Dales has to offer. Naturally I chose the latter.

So what of the Fellsman? Well where do I start... this was without doubt the toughest test I have encountered to date. The painful blister on my right foot is a testiment to this fact. The Fellsman is difficult to describe in a few or even many many words and nor can photos as I didnt take any (although my parents did who provided me with fantastic support out on course).

This is a course that includes 11,000ft of climbing cross 10 major peaks in the dales; a course that includes mile after mile of rough track, rocks, barren moorlands, peat bogs and very occasionally runnable flats. If you werent climbing up you were flying down at a speed that the terrain allowed, and on the flats (there were some) you could enjoy the light relief whilst not pushing too hard as you could be punished on the next inevitable climb. This event really did have everything including an astonishing array of food served up on the course by hundreds of checkpoint volunteers. We really were spoilt out there. The Americans refer to such events as 'linear picnics'. Not too far from the truth I suppose but it must be earnt and oh boy did you earn it on the Fellsman! Every baked bean, custard cream, sausage roll, cup of tea, soup, flap jack and rice pudding! All washed down with litres and litres of energy drink. Its a miracle I was able to move at all on that little lot.

So to the race. Well at 16 hours and 48 minutes it was a long one. My longest event (by time) by a considerable margin and my first experience of night running too. Things all kicked off in the picture perfect yorkshire village of Ingleton. The first leg was a real taste of what was to come for the next 17 hours. A gradual but steepening 3.5 mile climb up to the peak of ingleborough at 2375ft. It took 45 minutes to get to the top and I can truly say I thoroughly enjoyed every one of those minutes. The views on what was a perfect clear day were breathtaking but unfortunately i didnt hang around to take any photos as there was no time to waste. Afterall what would be the point of exerting yourself up the first climb of the day only to be passed by loads of other runners as i play the tourist. For this reason the camera stayed in the bottom of my bag.

The next part was simply insane. A serious decent of over 1300ft down the other side of ?Ingleborough. Things suddenly became very real indeed. There was a steep staircase zig zagging up but the preferred option from watching others was taking the direct route straight down the mountainside. A careful balance of speed and lightfootedness was required. And my prize for making it to checkpoint 2 was seeing and hearing my parents cheer me on. A great surprise and a nice boost. With my maps and directions still in my bag (as I thought I could count on following others very early on in the race) I got a surprise when I didnt immediately see which way I had to go - left or right. I chose left on a hunch and went off down the road quickly spotting other runners around the corner that turned into a farm yard before (yes you guessed it) the next climb. This went to the top of Whernside at 2419ft. Itwas a tough climb that whilst starting off gradually became a hands on knees job with several false summits to boot. The thing about this race so far was that much of it simply wasnt runnable and because of this it was less a race and more a test of stamina and determination. And this pattern continued checkpoint after checkpoint... Run wherever the terrain allowed, powerwalk the climbs with the arms pumping and blast down the decents.

The weather gods smiled on us with the much predicted rain clouds staying at bay and the only real test weather wise being the strong winds on the peaks.

My first navigational error occurred coming down the long gradual decent from checkpoint 3. With the maps still in my backpak I followed 5 or so runners ahead of me. But they (and I following) overshot the required right turn over a temporary stile which I didnt see and had to track back across a rough pasture with large tussocks to get to the next check point with my parents somewhat surprised asking why i had come from the opposite direction to the other runners. Oh well a 10-15 minute detour but the flapjack at checkpoint 4 was a great pick me up and much needed for the next 1000ft climb up from Kingsdale to Gragareth.

With 24 checkpoints on the course I'm going to fast forward to the most memorable moments from here on in (He says). And most of these revolve around the checkpoint food! The first major hot food was served up at Dent (CP8) - warm sausage rolls and beans and a chance to use my collapsable mug :-) It tasted so good and whilst I probably spent far longer at this checkpoint than I normally would it was heaven so I didnt care.
Dent was 20 miles into the race (1/3 complete) so there was still a lot to do. The next leg required me to use my compass for the first time as there were a few bearings to keep on track to successfully make it across, down and up and over a large open trackless moorland. I did it with military precision (by my standards) and made it to Blea Moor. Hooray. From here it was a steady 3 mile decent including a forest which was a nice change of scenery and down to Stonehouse for lunch!

But first was a secret kit check to ensure runners had everything on the mandatory kit list. Gulp! I passed the check and was soon tucking into pasta and sauce which my parents joined me for too.
The climb up from stonehouse was long and grinding and not before i had to return to the stonehouse checkpoint, 5 minutes after leaving to pick up my water bottle which i had forgotten... Doh. I was still feeling strong though and my powerwalk up to the top of Great Knountberry (CP11 - 2203ft) allowed me to pass a few runners\hikers onroute. This was roughly half way into the event with still just over 31 miles to go.

The decent down to CP12 was a blast where my parents met me once again. The tea was very nice (despite the residue of baked beans) and was warming as it was getting ever colder by now. I actually turned down the hot dogs here as the pasta had given me my fill (although I could have done with the hotdogs at Cray - note to organisers!).

I going to fast forward now to CP15 and Fleetmoss. This part of the route was on the paper at least, the tricky bit, as it spans across a large open peat bog however the prolonged dry spell meant that whereas in previous years runners would be up to their knees waded through the stuff we were able to bound through with a spring in the stride merely skimming across the surface. Glorious. The navigational element again went very well with a perfect series of lines across this 4.7 mile stretch. This part was also made even better with good company from another runner. Richard was an experienced runner and chatting about all things 'ultra' makes the time fly by.

Unfortunately my new found nav skills soon deserted me as I suggested another direct line towards the next CP in the hope of picking up a 4x4 track (apparently marked by posts). This wasnt to be found though and the tough terrain led to a slightly annoying slog to get back on track. Fast forward to Cray (CP18 and 45 miles in) and things were getting dark. This is where we were grouped into at least fours whom we were to stay together with for the rest of the race (for safety reasons). Breaking up a group on route would lead to disqualification. So after a feast of cocktail sausages, cheese, jam sandwiches and tea, Richard and I together with 5 others were grouped together. We made our way in the rapidly disappearing daylight up Buckden Pike with our headtorches shining in the star lit night. A 1000ft climb to the top which was a slow but steady slog. We had a really good group for company which really helps in the night stage and makes the miles go a lot faster than they otherwise might.

The dark meant that navigation would play an even bigger part than during the day. Whilst we didnt have the luxury of any seasoned fellsman vets in our group we did have my rather comprehensive route notes provided by a good ultra friend Nick Ham who has previously run the fellsman 5 times. Due to injury he couldnt compete this year but Nick could may as well been leading the group, such was the detail and preciseness of his notes. Thanks Nick! Still I had a bit of pressure on me to get it right, and translate the description onto the 6ft of land that I could see around me lit by the headtorch. But it went well very without error and time went very quickly during the night for me. It was now just a case of what time we could complete the fellsman in.

I had always had it in the back of my mind that i wanted to do it in under 17hrs but the speed of the group meant that this was looking quite unlikely although i had no precise way of knowing as i wasnt paying that close attention to the time. As it was though we came down the final trail element of the course and on to a track that led up to some beacons that had been put out by the organisers. These led all the way to the last checkpoint which was just 2 miles from the finish. Still feeling suprisingly fresh after 57+ miles in the legs i urged the group to pick up the pace as i knew 17 hrs was close. We did so and made CP24 with around 16hrs30 on the clock. The group was allowed to degroup at this stage. So all feelings aside I wanted to really go for it in the final 2 mile dash along and down into Grassington and up to the school at Thresfield for the finish.

And with that 3 of the 7 made a break including me and went for it. On route one guy had a change of heart and decided to hang back for the others which left me and Richard steaming ahead. It felt great and after 60 miles to be doing sub 8 minute miling was a nice vote of confidence on the fitness. And so it was that Richard and I made it with 16h.48m on the clock (1.45am approx on Sunday morning). There was no fanfare. Just an extreme sense of satisfaction and accomplishment at what we had achieved. And with that it was a nice hot shower, cup of tea, a bowl of cornflakes and time for bed.

LBAC Club Stag run... make or break..

So it was that I lined up for the final club stag run of the season needing 11th place or better to lift the stag trophy (I haven't actually ascertained if a trophy exists? - Andy?) I've explained the stag format many times now so I wont go there again. (Stag Rules). Suffice to say that there were two ways I could approach this final run: 1 - go all out and lay down another PB; or 2 - take it (relatively) easy and make sure of the points needed to lift the trophy. It wasn't really ever a decision I needed to consciously make. As I toed the start line for the 5th and final time this season there was only one thing on my mind which was to record my 5th successive PB and cap a great first season with LBAC.

There was another big turn out of 25 + runners which makes scoring points that ever bit more difficult. I started about 4th from last and chased down my next opponent (Nick) who started 5 secs ahead of me. I put in a solid 1st lap but didn't feel that I was pushing as hard as the previous stag race April. On the second lap it again felt solid but I was tiring a little, and was overtaken by Joby (although my 2nd lap was not as bad as last time in terms of slow down). And the third was much more of the same. It felt comfortable and that's the stag for you really. nothing too inspiring to get the creative juices flowing but a solid 2.5 miler nevertheless at near maximum effort.

And for my efforts as I sprinted up the final straight and crossed the line gasping for breath - a 5th successive PB of 14:19. So all in all I'm really pleased with what i've achieved in terms of my improvement over the season. My five stag times below translate to a 1min 11sec improvement from my 1st stag run in November to the 5th today. Of course the gains won't be anywhere near as impressive next year! And that's the stag trophy for you. Beginners like myself seem to have the best chance of winning with their first attempt. Coming back next year and doing the same will be the real test. And for an ultra-runner I really shouldn't be recording fastest times over a 2.5m circuit!

Stag race 1 - 15:29
Stag race 2 - 15:04
Stag race 3 - 14:54
Stag race 4 - 14:31
Stag race 5 - 14:19


Official stag report - http://www.leightonbuzzardac.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=180&Itemid=32

who ever said running was a cheap...

... hadn't obviously read the Fellsman kit list!!

And with less than a week to go now I'm still buying bits and pieces to ensure I have everything I need to run the Fellsman. So far I have bought the following (mostly)mandatory items:

OS OL02 map - £8.99
OS OL30 map - £8.99
Waterproof trousers (Roclite mistpants) - £21
Plasters (Extreme from Boots) - £2.69
Batteries (Duracell Plus) - £2.99
collapsable mug - £8.99 (pure genius!!)
Sorren malt loaf (300g emergency rations) - £1
3 x SIS Go bars - £3.75
Survival Bag - £9.99
Waterproof jacket (North Face) - £59 (bargain reduced from £90!)
Inov-8 Roclite 295s - £72

Quite a list wouldn't you agree! the grand total £199.39 :-O (although I did get my roclites free with Wiggle 12hr prize :-)

So I think I have just about everything I need!! Just got to fit it all into my relatively compact backpak now!! Will post again to let you know how that goes!!

Fellsman race - NSPCC Fundraiser

Just a quick post regarding my Fellsman race in a couple of weeks time. I've decided to use this as a fantastic opportunity to raise some money for the NSPCC which I'm sure you will agree is a very worthy cause. My company supports the NSPCC every year as part of our entry into the UK Challenge in June, and staff help to raise money by doing all sort of things like baking cakes, washing cars, or jumping out of planes. I decided to run the Fellsman! naturally....

So please dig deep and give whatever you can. DONATE HERE - http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=BRE

London Marathon 2010

I sit here on the train returning home from completing my 3rd london marathon and my best yet. I say this for a number of reasons and will get straight to the point. I got a PB by 12mins over my 2009 time but more pleasing than this I ran my most even pace for a marathon. In fact I went one better than that by getting a negative spilt. But this only tells half the story of a race which whilst not full of incident there were a few significant points to note.

Firstly it was the hardest race and at the same time the easiest race I have run. This sounds weird and I cant really explain it other than to say that i felt i gave it absolutely everything i had whilst at the same time I felt (quite) comfortable throughout. I say 'comfortable' which should be qualified... meaning full on constant effort and at times moderate pain but nothing major. The ultra running paying off there then!

The first 15 miles were certainly nothing to write home about. The first couple of miles from the blue start were very slow mainly because it was so congested. You just couldnt move freely. One a half minutes lost in just 2 miles. It felt ordinary and was off the planned 8 minute miling pace (i had hoped for even quicker but it soon became apparent that this wasnt going to be possible). The miles wore on and i maintained the pace along with my friend and colleague Chris Scott. We worked together well but I was still not feeling particularly great. By halfway we were just off the pace for a 3:30 finish but this relied on maintaining the same pace for a further 13 miles and it was only going to get harder (all but impossible then).

But at around 16 miles I came alive and felt the best I had all day. Hooray finally the race had started for me. Time to crack on and claw back some time I thought. I pushed on and passed runner after runner after runner. This felt great and only motivated me to push more. Perhaps a 3.30 finish was still on. But toilet issues came into play and perhaps ruin my day. I was hydrating well, but perhaps too well! At this point i was on the Isle of Dogs around canary wharf which is very built up with no convenient places to stop for and quick pee (e.g. a tree!). I finally got to an official loo stop. A big relief. A minute lost and back on the course. I continued to pass more runners. Some i had passed before. I continued to take on water as well as energy gels provided on course and lucozade sport. All Pretty sickly stuff but they do the trick. Whilst i had no real idea of my pace or time (I wasnt wearing a watch) it felt good so I continued to rack up the miles at a sub 8 pace. Then a real blow to my plans - stomach issues... if u know what i mean :-( I wasnt feeling great all race but could ignore the signs as it wasnt too much of an issue early on... It was now! And not a loo in site. Oh s*** (almost literally)...sorry about that. Eventually i saw a sign [TOILETS <-- ] in the distance. This was at 23 miles. However it was off course and I had to take a detour around the back of a building. Another 3 minutes lost at least! Argh :-( I was starting to make a habit of this now.

I continued to chase still with no idea of my actual time. I gave it everything and enjoyed every bit of those last few miles blasting along... 'bring on the pain' and it almost felt effortless. Without a watch I had no way of knowing if i could do it. Tick tock, tick tock... Soon I was at Big Ben and then around the corner onto birdcage walk. My wife, daughter and parents cheered on from the sidelines of St James park as I steamed past. Then around the next corner and another and the finishing line was in sight. Glorious. I pushed on and crossed the line. The time on the clock was 3:31:XX so it was very close (The delay in crossing the start line meant that the finish clock was 1 or 2 minutes out). Would it be enough?... It turns out that it was and it wasnt depending on how you look at it. I found out in the pub later that my chip time was 3:30:06!! So just 7 seconds outside going under 3:30 but still 3:30 nevertheless. I can't grumble and my 5 km splits below tell the full story. Even pacing throughout and a negative split to boot which I never thought possible so well chuffed with that. If only I didnt have that Big Mac the day before!! :-)

           Time            Splits
5K      00:26:11      00:26:11
10K    00:50:59      00:24:48
15K    01:15:48      00:24:49
20K    01:40:28      00:24:40
HALF 01:45:49
25K    02:05:03      00:24:35
30K    02:29:23      00:24:20
35K    02:54:49      00:25:26
40K    03:20:30      00:25:41
Finish  03:30:06

2nd Half (01:44:17)

That's it for road running for a while. Back to what i really enjoy on the trails starting with the Fellsman 60miler in just 2 weeks time :-) bring it on!

Wednesday club run ruins marathon hopes....

haha now I've got your attention I thought I would fire off a quick post before Sunday's London Marathon. In actual fact the title of this post has some truth in it as someone made the decision to go offroad for the club run on wednesday across very dodgy uneven terrain and freshly ploughed fields!!! this was certainly NOT what my ankles needed just 4 days before the marathon. to add to this I also ended up running over 8 miles as its a 3 miles round trip to get from home to the sports centre where the club meets, so all in all not a great taper run. But don't think its done any damage.

So to Sunday... well I can say that I'm definitely looking forward to it and it certainly looks like being another hot one! ouch :-O so I will have to be a lot more sensible than last year with regard to better and hopefully more even pacing and taking on a lot for fluids and lucozade throughout the race. one other change from last year and in 2006 is that I'm at home on Saturday night and travelling up Sunday morning which does mean a VERY EARLY start... about 4:30am (5 hrs before race start!!) which isn't brilliant but then you never sleep too well the night before anyway so perhaps shouldn't matter too much.

anyway thats enough ramblings from me... hopefully my next post will start by saying I BROKE 3:30!!! :-)

Aldbury Cross Country 5 race report

It was a spare of the moment decision this morning to run the Aldbury cross country 5 (I was reading Runners World race directory as I sat on the loo :-) but I’m glad that I did as it was a glorious day and a great race.

The route is hilly with part of it on the well known Ridgeway trail.
The first 1\2 mile is a steep climb from Aldbury village up to Ashridge monument. I put myself near the front of the 200 or so runners starting as I knew from 2008 that this first climb is somewhat of a bottleneck if not cleared quickly. Once at the top having passed a few on the way up I found myself quite surprisingly in 2nd place. The guy in front (a Tring AC runner) was pushing the pace about 20 or so yards ahead but not so much that I didn’t think I could match it so I just tucked in behind from afar and settled into my stride.

I half expected those behind to soon be on my tail but as the hills rolled on up so did my confidence. The views from the Ridgeway over looking the Chilterns are fantastic and certainly take your mind off the exertion as did the great support from the many ramblers and Sunday walkers out and about. The Tring runner in 1st place was pulling out a comfortable lead by half way not that I ever thought I could catch him as he seemed so at ease in his stride whilst I was giving it everything I had.

Once onto some tighter twisting trails at around 3-4miles into the race I heard 3rd place behind me as the stile gate banged. I wasn’t surprised... I'm not a 'proper' XC runner and really shouldn't be so high up the field. It was only a matter of time before they all passed me and punished my early enthusiasm. However, 3rd place was alone (great :-) so I told myself just to stick with him for as long as I could. My knowledge of the course told me by this point that there was only about a mile and half to go so I just hung on. The pace was quick but what goes up must come down so we were enjoying the long decent back to the start\finish area after the climbs through out. I could see the 4th place guy by now and kept an eye on the gap but it didn’t seem to be closing :-)

I was so happy with 3rd position as this stage that I didn’t have the will or the legs to try challenging for 2nd. One right turn later and there was the finish line with my wife and daughter waiting for me. What a nice feeling. I was pretty chuffed with 3rd spot :-) I wasn’t wearing a watch so didn’t know my time either. I had run 40 minutes in 2008. The times were posted on the club house; 34:34 for me. A nice boost for next week in London and a podium spot for the 2nd race in succession :-) However something tells me this run of podium finishes may come to an end in London!...but I can always dream ;-)