Is going long just an excuse for running slow? Discuss...
Of course us ultra runners all know the answer to this question, but trying convincing the rest of the running fraternity of this and you get a swift revoke. Those in my running club say what they say mainly just to wind me up, and not because of any deep beliefs but all the same they are still thinking it and I often find myself trying to defend the art of running long (and slower), rather than running a 3hr marathon which is what they all say I should be doing.
I could be quick to dismiss all this and just get on with what I enjoy and do best, but obviously something has triggered me to post this question and seek answers from other ultra and non-ultra runners alike.
Why should I need to defend what I do as not an excuse for running slow. Why isn't running long as respected as running fast (of course there are those special talents who mix running long with running fast) but on the whole I think we all agree that running long does mean 'appropriate pacing'. This is neccesary to cope with the changes in both the terrain and profile, as well as extra distance being attempted. Of course road runners seldom experience the type of terrain and descents and ascents that ultras races serve up. And perhaps because of this they simply can not relate to what ultras are about and thus don't get it.
So where am I going with this... I'm not sure I know myself. Perhaps I shouldn't feel the need that i need to justify running long to my running peers, or why my marathon times are so slow, but something inside me obviously seeks to do just this, rather than just let it lie and go enjoy myself.
Ultimately I think ultra-running should get the same recognition as something that demands just as much dedication in training and competing as other distances. But I'm certainly not after recognition from my peers but just a acknowledgement that I'm not selecting the easy option, that I chose to run ultras because that's what I do, not because I couldn't run a 3hr marathon if I decided I wanted to and train for it.
Perhaps most of this is in my head, and that this post is actually an internal wrangle I'm having with myself about whether what I'm doing is getting the very best out of me in terms of my abilities. There's no doubt that being a member of a running club the talk is all about times, and PBs, and because of this after a while you feel a need to prove yourself even if it's not your distance. And I don't mean proving something to them, but to yourself... So that I can feel that despite being an ultra runner I am still as capable as going as fast as you. And I think the recent XC season has proved to me that I do seek this comparison when racing my peers. No one likes to lose and I'm no different.
I will perhaps take time to reflect on the above, and see what you guys think about all this. Let me know if this strikes a cord with anybody. Because if it's just me then I'm the one with the issue not them, and I should stop the internal wrangle between running long or fast!
And if I read this post back and realise it's just total garbage then I won't be offended at a lack of responses! The most likely outcome I'm sure.....
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Mud glorious mud @ Wing XC - 12th Feb
Wing is our home XC fixture and also the last of the season. One more good performance from the LBAC team would see our club stay up in Division 1 which is the first time this would have happened in decades.
The whole club - Juniors (under 13s, 15s and 17s), and Seniors all competed. First up was the Juniors which gave us seniors an ideal opportunity to view the conditions under foot. It was seriously muddy!!! The kind of mud that sucks your shoes straight off. And unfortunately for the juniors they were the first to find this out as many fell victim including our own under 15s female Ali who had to run the entire race in bare feet after losing both her shoes in the opening minutes of the race. I promptly retied my spikes twice, practically cutting off the blood flow to my foot but ensuring that they WOULD stay on whatever!
The mens race consisted of 3 laps and was 9km in total. The start was a fast downhill section following by a right hander and short flat stretch before we hit the mud fest! I went for the outside edge of the swamp (still a ft deep in mud!) and my spikes stayed on!! Hooray I had survived! I'm not going to provide a blow by blow account of this race. It's enough to say that I felt ordinary on the first lap (although it was also my fastest - probably too fast) but survived. I started to find a steady rhythm to my running on lap 2 and slowed it down a tad. And on lap 3 as those around me tired, and despite my very heavy breathing (and heavy legs from a 90 mile week on the ElliptiGO) I had enough to pass quite a few runners, and hold off a very strong challenge from a Silsoe runner (green shirt - see pic below) for the last mile and a half all the way to the finish line. Interestingly I had exactly the same battle with this same Silsoe runner at the Luton XC fixture last month. I held him off then too :-) I definitely benefited from his challenge as I wouldn't have run as fast in the final mile without the motivation to stay up with him, and pass. So thanks Dan.
I didn't quite have enough on the day to beat Pete Mackrell though who I battled with for much of the 2nd and 3rd lap. We swapped positions a few times and I held him for quite a while, but he's a strong runner also, and found 10 yrds on me when I perhaps was concentrated enough, which I simply could not make up. Pete finished 13 seconds ahead of me (3rd from the club). Andy and Ian were 1st and 2nd.
My race stats were as follows:
I finished 66th out of 262 runners in total. My highest placing of the season (and 52nd place out of 160 Division one runners). 4th for the club. Finish time was 39:00 dead. Distance on Garmin 5.81 miles. Avg pace was 6:42.
Mile splits were:
1 - 6:14 (too quick);
2 - 6:37 (better);
3 - 6:53 (slowing);
4 - 6:47 (good effort);
5 - 7:04 (what I had left!).
But then I ran 6:41 pace for last 0.8m to keep ahead on Dan from Silsoe. So some slowing down during the race but kinda gotta expect that with the mud and the hills taking there toll.
My max heart rate was 186bpm, with an average of 177bpm so I was working hard. And the best number of all is 2! This is the number of shoes that I managed to keep on my feet :-)
LBAC finished 6th on the day (out of the 14 clubs in Division 1 ), and 9th place overall in the league so we stay up!! We naturally celebrated last night hence my sore head today after far too many pints of Tribute, Brains, and Black Sheep :-O
Some good photos were taken by Clive Daniels from the Leighton Fun Runners which captures the race conditions in all there muddy glory! Thanks to Clive for the superb photos and permission to use them.
The whole club - Juniors (under 13s, 15s and 17s), and Seniors all competed. First up was the Juniors which gave us seniors an ideal opportunity to view the conditions under foot. It was seriously muddy!!! The kind of mud that sucks your shoes straight off. And unfortunately for the juniors they were the first to find this out as many fell victim including our own under 15s female Ali who had to run the entire race in bare feet after losing both her shoes in the opening minutes of the race. I promptly retied my spikes twice, practically cutting off the blood flow to my foot but ensuring that they WOULD stay on whatever!
The mens race consisted of 3 laps and was 9km in total. The start was a fast downhill section following by a right hander and short flat stretch before we hit the mud fest! I went for the outside edge of the swamp (still a ft deep in mud!) and my spikes stayed on!! Hooray I had survived! I'm not going to provide a blow by blow account of this race. It's enough to say that I felt ordinary on the first lap (although it was also my fastest - probably too fast) but survived. I started to find a steady rhythm to my running on lap 2 and slowed it down a tad. And on lap 3 as those around me tired, and despite my very heavy breathing (and heavy legs from a 90 mile week on the ElliptiGO) I had enough to pass quite a few runners, and hold off a very strong challenge from a Silsoe runner (green shirt - see pic below) for the last mile and a half all the way to the finish line. Interestingly I had exactly the same battle with this same Silsoe runner at the Luton XC fixture last month. I held him off then too :-) I definitely benefited from his challenge as I wouldn't have run as fast in the final mile without the motivation to stay up with him, and pass. So thanks Dan.
I didn't quite have enough on the day to beat Pete Mackrell though who I battled with for much of the 2nd and 3rd lap. We swapped positions a few times and I held him for quite a while, but he's a strong runner also, and found 10 yrds on me when I perhaps was concentrated enough, which I simply could not make up. Pete finished 13 seconds ahead of me (3rd from the club). Andy and Ian were 1st and 2nd.
My race stats were as follows:
I finished 66th out of 262 runners in total. My highest placing of the season (and 52nd place out of 160 Division one runners). 4th for the club. Finish time was 39:00 dead. Distance on Garmin 5.81 miles. Avg pace was 6:42.
Mile splits were:
1 - 6:14 (too quick);
2 - 6:37 (better);
3 - 6:53 (slowing);
4 - 6:47 (good effort);
5 - 7:04 (what I had left!).
But then I ran 6:41 pace for last 0.8m to keep ahead on Dan from Silsoe. So some slowing down during the race but kinda gotta expect that with the mud and the hills taking there toll.
My max heart rate was 186bpm, with an average of 177bpm so I was working hard. And the best number of all is 2! This is the number of shoes that I managed to keep on my feet :-)
LBAC finished 6th on the day (out of the 14 clubs in Division 1 ), and 9th place overall in the league so we stay up!! We naturally celebrated last night hence my sore head today after far too many pints of Tribute, Brains, and Black Sheep :-O
Some good photos were taken by Clive Daniels from the Leighton Fun Runners which captures the race conditions in all there muddy glory! Thanks to Clive for the superb photos and permission to use them.
 |
| Pete Mackrell to my right as I go for the deepest puddle on the whole course! |
 |
| This one is courtesy of my mum |
 |
| Practicing my high knee action! |
 |
| And what happens when you don't tie your shoes tight enough! |
 |
| Andy Inchley (1st for LBAC) |
 |
| Ian (2nd for LBAC) |
 |
| Pete Mackrell (3rd for LBAC) |
Thursday, 10 February 2011
2011 race / life schedule
So it's already February but never to late to post my schedule and goals for 2011. It's certainly not going to be a major year of racing for me but it will be a major year in my life as our second baby (Jasper) is born. However through a carefully thought through training plan I still plan to be fitter going into each event then I have been in the past. As ever it's quality over quantity which I know will get results.
13 Jan - Winter Tanners 30. Completed.
27 Feb - Chiltern Kanter 26
13 Mar - Milton Keynes 60. On the ElliptiGO
20 Mar - SIS Lightning 12hr (defending my crown!)
8 Apr - Baby Jasper due!
5 Jun - Chiltern Hundred. On the ElliptiGO
27 Aug - Ridgeway Challenge 87
29 Oct - Snowdonia Marathon
Perhaps a modest line-up but with family life to juggle this little lot will keep me more than busy! So my goals for the year are:
- to successfully integrate my ElliptiGO riding I to my training (something that so far is working well)
- run less but work harder
- get the family balance right (something I am yet to do successfully)
- become the first European to finish a 100m event on an ElliptiGO, and thus make it into the ElliptiGO Century Club (and set a fast time to boot!)
- Set a pb on the Ridgeway Challenge (last year was 19:38 I think)
- 10km pb (target sub 36mins)
- Set a marathon pb at Snowdonia! Faster than pancake flat London. DEFINITELY my toughest goal of the year but something I am prepared to work hard for to achieve. Having done my research on this marathon and speaking to past runners at the club the course profile adds around 20 minutes onto a 'normal' marathon time so I need to prepare myself and train as if to go sub 3:10, to achieve sub 3:30 at Snowdonia!
Quite a year and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it :-)
13 Jan - Winter Tanners 30. Completed.
27 Feb - Chiltern Kanter 26
13 Mar - Milton Keynes 60. On the ElliptiGO
20 Mar - SIS Lightning 12hr (defending my crown!)
8 Apr - Baby Jasper due!
5 Jun - Chiltern Hundred. On the ElliptiGO
27 Aug - Ridgeway Challenge 87
29 Oct - Snowdonia Marathon
Perhaps a modest line-up but with family life to juggle this little lot will keep me more than busy! So my goals for the year are:
- to successfully integrate my ElliptiGO riding I to my training (something that so far is working well)
- run less but work harder
- get the family balance right (something I am yet to do successfully)
- become the first European to finish a 100m event on an ElliptiGO, and thus make it into the ElliptiGO Century Club (and set a fast time to boot!)
- Set a pb on the Ridgeway Challenge (last year was 19:38 I think)
- 10km pb (target sub 36mins)
- Set a marathon pb at Snowdonia! Faster than pancake flat London. DEFINITELY my toughest goal of the year but something I am prepared to work hard for to achieve. Having done my research on this marathon and speaking to past runners at the club the course profile adds around 20 minutes onto a 'normal' marathon time so I need to prepare myself and train as if to go sub 3:10, to achieve sub 3:30 at Snowdonia!
Quite a year and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it :-)
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Snowdonia Marathon...
here I come!!! Registered today for this epic event. Have being looking for a marathon in 2011 to sustain my appetite for this distance, but was looking for something quite different to the usual road marathon and I think Snowdonia meets that criteria.
I will also go in search of the STILL ellusive sub 3:30 time which I first set as my marathon target back in 2006. I was out by just 6 seconds in London last year so to have a go in Snowdonia will be epic. Let the training commence!
I can't wait :-D
I will also go in search of the STILL ellusive sub 3:30 time which I first set as my marathon target back in 2006. I was out by just 6 seconds in London last year so to have a go in Snowdonia will be epic. Let the training commence!
I can't wait :-D
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Parliament Hill fields XC race report
This weekend saw me swap the long run (although i havent done one of those for a while!) for the infamous Parliament Hill Fields cross country. This XC race is the South of England Cross Country Championships which is always staged at Parliament Hill. It's 15km in length through an extremely undulating and muddy Hampstead Park in London. All clubs in the South take part sending the best they have. Leighton Buzzard AC sent me! Oh dear... Luckily they sent one or two faster runners too! It was an awesome race but it didn't quite start like that...
The mens race kicked off at 2:50pm. I warmed up and picked up a pair of XC spikes from a friend. We had all been warned that anything other than 15mm spikes would see you going backwards not forwards on the climbs in the mud. These weren't just any pair of spikes either, but were kindly lent by my colleague Glenn Watts who runs for Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers and was gunning for a top 10 finish!!! Note that there were 885 finishers in this race which tells you the pedigree of this runner. I was therefore hoping that his old spikes would work their magic :-)
So all warmed up and spikes on I headed down to the start with 10 minutes to go. The start line is well over 50 metres in length with different number pens all the way down and hundreds of runners stetched out. We were in pen 31. However I had to get there first. And inbetween me and the start was a mass of runners all being made to filter through a tiny white tent where 3 people were checking that you had your number fastened, club vest on, and timing chip around ankle. There was well over half the field still trying to get in and through the tent as the start time approached. But they weren't of course going to start the race whilst half the field was still being hurded through. Surely not! And as I joked with a guy next to me that it was now 2:50 the air horn sounded and the race started!! Unbelievable! There was mild panic and shock all round at what had just happened, but now was not the time to ask why. I and hundreds of others vaulted the fence and joined into the back of the pack that had made the start line in time. Hilarious.
The first 500m goes straight up on a wide open field. It needed to be this wide to cope with the 900 or so starters. Despite the calamity of the start line I just laughed this minor inconvenience off and went about getting up the hill without overdoing it in an attempt to make up lost time.
I settled into my stride and tested the spikes for the first time. They are no where near as comfortable as my trail shoes (innov8s) but I wasn't wearing them for comfort but to get me through the thick mud and up the steep ascents. And that they did. Although with a very low heel cup I had to clench my foot a little to keep them from being sucked off by the mud. This course was relentless! 3 x 5km laps with nothing but undulating mud and grassy slopes. It was actually (so I'm told) in the best condition it had been in for years.
On the first lap I wasn't feeling amazing (you never do in XC - nor should you) but went about my business and tried to pace it so that I held enough back. This is the longest XC race in the calendar by far. I caught LBAC club captain Tom May on the 1st lap as he and I chop and changed our position with each other a few times. At the end of the lap there was a nice long descent which I released the brakes on and let gravity do the work. I passed Tom and several others on this section, rounded the corner and geared up for lap 2 heading back up the hill.
Checking my Garmin for my lap 1 pace I had a blank screen staring back at me. The battery had died on me. So stupid not to make sure I had charged it before hand. Oh well no splits for this one. To be honest though this didn't bother me during the race. I very rarely check the garmin during the actual XC race itself, as I much prefer to run to what my body is telling me I'm capable of. The data afterwards is useful to look back on though.
On lap 2 I felt much the same as in lap 1. I was putting in the effort and feeling every step for what it was. Tough going. I was slowing a little but was not being passed by many, and think I made up more places than I lost. However the head was down so it's always difficult to recollect exactly what was going on around you.
The lap was routed in a way that allowed you to see those out in front as it doubled back around half way with tape separating us mid packers from the front runners, and then on our out and back return to the back of the packers. This allowed me to catch a glimpse of Glenn (my colleague) who was in the front pack of around 10 runners. Way to go! The speed they were running was unbelieveable. Even on flat road it would be impressive, but on this course to be hitting 5:30 mpm pace is unreal! Anyway I had to stop dreaming and get back to my race.
During lap 2 and knowing how I was feeling I wondered if I had gone out too fast and not left enough in the tank for lap 3. Only time would tell. I do like the multi lap format as you start to love the course and learn what is coming next. This definitely helped me to visualise the next section and decide whether to hold back, or push on.
By lap 3 I was starting to really enjoy myself for the first time. And by this I mean the type of enjoyment that comes from knowing you are having a good race. In lap 1 you can not know as it's too early too tell, and in lap 2 you are just hurting so nothing feels right or like it's going your way even if it is. There is something about hitting Lap 3 though that brings it all into perspective. You can see for the first time how your race is really going. Where as I thought I would be on my last legs by now and really struggling, it was actually quite the opposite and I swear (although i don't have the data to prove it) that I was running my fastest miles during my last lap. Everything clicked and I felt more relaxed, and was able to flow much better with the course undulations rather than against them. By now I was pulling in many runners ahead of me. I have to be careful as the mind can do strange things. Perhaps it was just everyone else slowing and me just sustaining the same pace that enabled me to pass, but I defintely felt like I was running faster. In reality I think it was a bit of both.
There were not too many senior male LBAC runners at this race so I had far fewer known faces that I could spot on course and compare my performance with. I had only seen Tom up to now. But there in the distance was Pete Mackral. Pete is definitely no slouch (2:54 marathon time) so to be even near him let alone catching him was a real boost. He was about 100m metres ahead, and we were one or two km into the lap. I used this external factor as a signal to the brain to press the engage button and go for it. It's weird how at times you already think you are giving it everything but then some thing happens and suddenly you find a bit more.
This is exactly what happened and I was feeling the best I had all race. I could even ignore the discomfort that the spikes were now causing as I didn't care. I was flying (comparatively speaking of course as I was still mid pack). I passed runner after runner and closed in on Pete. This had happened at another XC Race in Stowe when I passed Pete in the final stretch of the final lap, thought I had passed only for him to respond and blast past me. I half expected the same to happen again. There was 1 or 2 km remaining. I didn't look back and continued pushing. Though more mud of course. Up and down more hills and around to the final down hill section where I left everything I had out there on the course. Turn the left hander and sprint the final 200m to the big red inflatable arch. Job done.
The only stat I have is my official chip time - 62:24. I finished in 321 place out of 885 finishers. I'm happy with that but what makes me happiest of all is not my time, or placing or even that I passed Pete :-) but of my all round race and how strong I felt in that final lap. It was that same feeling that I felt in the final 6 miles of London marathon last year - the feeling that nothing can stop you at that moment as your race strategy plays out exactly as you had planned. Perfect.
Now back to Glenn's race. This guy is on another planet, and I honestly can not comprehend his ability to run this course in the way that he did. Glenn finished in 6th place (49:24). Truly word class!! Way to go buddy! And thanks for the spikes - they did indeed work their magic :-D
Official results here - http://mcs.open.ac.uk/mkac/11seaaxc.htm
The mens race kicked off at 2:50pm. I warmed up and picked up a pair of XC spikes from a friend. We had all been warned that anything other than 15mm spikes would see you going backwards not forwards on the climbs in the mud. These weren't just any pair of spikes either, but were kindly lent by my colleague Glenn Watts who runs for Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers and was gunning for a top 10 finish!!! Note that there were 885 finishers in this race which tells you the pedigree of this runner. I was therefore hoping that his old spikes would work their magic :-)
So all warmed up and spikes on I headed down to the start with 10 minutes to go. The start line is well over 50 metres in length with different number pens all the way down and hundreds of runners stetched out. We were in pen 31. However I had to get there first. And inbetween me and the start was a mass of runners all being made to filter through a tiny white tent where 3 people were checking that you had your number fastened, club vest on, and timing chip around ankle. There was well over half the field still trying to get in and through the tent as the start time approached. But they weren't of course going to start the race whilst half the field was still being hurded through. Surely not! And as I joked with a guy next to me that it was now 2:50 the air horn sounded and the race started!! Unbelievable! There was mild panic and shock all round at what had just happened, but now was not the time to ask why. I and hundreds of others vaulted the fence and joined into the back of the pack that had made the start line in time. Hilarious.
The first 500m goes straight up on a wide open field. It needed to be this wide to cope with the 900 or so starters. Despite the calamity of the start line I just laughed this minor inconvenience off and went about getting up the hill without overdoing it in an attempt to make up lost time.
I settled into my stride and tested the spikes for the first time. They are no where near as comfortable as my trail shoes (innov8s) but I wasn't wearing them for comfort but to get me through the thick mud and up the steep ascents. And that they did. Although with a very low heel cup I had to clench my foot a little to keep them from being sucked off by the mud. This course was relentless! 3 x 5km laps with nothing but undulating mud and grassy slopes. It was actually (so I'm told) in the best condition it had been in for years.
On the first lap I wasn't feeling amazing (you never do in XC - nor should you) but went about my business and tried to pace it so that I held enough back. This is the longest XC race in the calendar by far. I caught LBAC club captain Tom May on the 1st lap as he and I chop and changed our position with each other a few times. At the end of the lap there was a nice long descent which I released the brakes on and let gravity do the work. I passed Tom and several others on this section, rounded the corner and geared up for lap 2 heading back up the hill.
Checking my Garmin for my lap 1 pace I had a blank screen staring back at me. The battery had died on me. So stupid not to make sure I had charged it before hand. Oh well no splits for this one. To be honest though this didn't bother me during the race. I very rarely check the garmin during the actual XC race itself, as I much prefer to run to what my body is telling me I'm capable of. The data afterwards is useful to look back on though.
On lap 2 I felt much the same as in lap 1. I was putting in the effort and feeling every step for what it was. Tough going. I was slowing a little but was not being passed by many, and think I made up more places than I lost. However the head was down so it's always difficult to recollect exactly what was going on around you.
The lap was routed in a way that allowed you to see those out in front as it doubled back around half way with tape separating us mid packers from the front runners, and then on our out and back return to the back of the packers. This allowed me to catch a glimpse of Glenn (my colleague) who was in the front pack of around 10 runners. Way to go! The speed they were running was unbelieveable. Even on flat road it would be impressive, but on this course to be hitting 5:30 mpm pace is unreal! Anyway I had to stop dreaming and get back to my race.
During lap 2 and knowing how I was feeling I wondered if I had gone out too fast and not left enough in the tank for lap 3. Only time would tell. I do like the multi lap format as you start to love the course and learn what is coming next. This definitely helped me to visualise the next section and decide whether to hold back, or push on.
By lap 3 I was starting to really enjoy myself for the first time. And by this I mean the type of enjoyment that comes from knowing you are having a good race. In lap 1 you can not know as it's too early too tell, and in lap 2 you are just hurting so nothing feels right or like it's going your way even if it is. There is something about hitting Lap 3 though that brings it all into perspective. You can see for the first time how your race is really going. Where as I thought I would be on my last legs by now and really struggling, it was actually quite the opposite and I swear (although i don't have the data to prove it) that I was running my fastest miles during my last lap. Everything clicked and I felt more relaxed, and was able to flow much better with the course undulations rather than against them. By now I was pulling in many runners ahead of me. I have to be careful as the mind can do strange things. Perhaps it was just everyone else slowing and me just sustaining the same pace that enabled me to pass, but I defintely felt like I was running faster. In reality I think it was a bit of both.
There were not too many senior male LBAC runners at this race so I had far fewer known faces that I could spot on course and compare my performance with. I had only seen Tom up to now. But there in the distance was Pete Mackral. Pete is definitely no slouch (2:54 marathon time) so to be even near him let alone catching him was a real boost. He was about 100m metres ahead, and we were one or two km into the lap. I used this external factor as a signal to the brain to press the engage button and go for it. It's weird how at times you already think you are giving it everything but then some thing happens and suddenly you find a bit more.
This is exactly what happened and I was feeling the best I had all race. I could even ignore the discomfort that the spikes were now causing as I didn't care. I was flying (comparatively speaking of course as I was still mid pack). I passed runner after runner and closed in on Pete. This had happened at another XC Race in Stowe when I passed Pete in the final stretch of the final lap, thought I had passed only for him to respond and blast past me. I half expected the same to happen again. There was 1 or 2 km remaining. I didn't look back and continued pushing. Though more mud of course. Up and down more hills and around to the final down hill section where I left everything I had out there on the course. Turn the left hander and sprint the final 200m to the big red inflatable arch. Job done.
The only stat I have is my official chip time - 62:24. I finished in 321 place out of 885 finishers. I'm happy with that but what makes me happiest of all is not my time, or placing or even that I passed Pete :-) but of my all round race and how strong I felt in that final lap. It was that same feeling that I felt in the final 6 miles of London marathon last year - the feeling that nothing can stop you at that moment as your race strategy plays out exactly as you had planned. Perfect.
Now back to Glenn's race. This guy is on another planet, and I honestly can not comprehend his ability to run this course in the way that he did. Glenn finished in 6th place (49:24). Truly word class!! Way to go buddy! And thanks for the spikes - they did indeed work their magic :-D
Official results here - http://mcs.open.ac.uk/mkac/11seaaxc.htm
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Sunday is GO GO GO
On Sunday I swapped the usual long run for an even longer ride with my buddy Idai on our ElliptiGOs. First off was a brand new shiny replacement ElliptiGO that Idai had sorted out for me. I can't say enough good things about this company in terms of their customer-centred approach. It's so refreshing in this day and age of big business who tend to say all the right things but all they are really after is your £££.
So off we went on a 30 miler around the outer villages South West of Leighton Buzzard before doing a large loop heading back East and North (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4246368). Idai was riding my old ElliptiGO to test the hub and shifting issues that I had been experiencing. My new GO was riding smoother from the start with noticable less drag from the hub and bike generally.
30 miles would be my longest ride to date and I had also thrown in a good few hills to test the GOs climbing ability. But before we reached the hills we had a fair few miles to put down first.
There are two very distinct ways that you can approach riding the GO. Both revolve around the cadence (the speed that you pedal - or in the case of the GO the time it takes to complete one stride). With eight gears on the GO there is the tendency to find a higher gear quickly like you would on a conventional bike, thus the resistence is greater and you go faster but pedal (stride) rate is slower. And in my first few weeks of riding the GO this is exactly what I have been doing, seldom riding in anything less than in 7th or 8th gear. This is a classic beginner approach to riding the GO apparently.
However instead one should select a lower gear (less resistence) so that your stride is far quicker and increases your cadence. It then feels far MORE like you are running and LESS like you are riding a bike. There are also far greater training benefits from this quicker turn over including a far better cardio workout and the firing of those fast twitch fibre muscles. This should hopefully all help when I actually do find time to run!
I could see first hand on Sunday that Idai tended to be in 1 or 2 gears lower than me on the flats, whilst going at the same speed hence he was putting in far greater effort to cover the same distance. It really requires a new mind set to want to make things harder for yourself rather than easier. But the GO is designed as a cross-trainer after all and I've bought it specifically to train smarter and improve my running endurance and speed. Therefore I should be looking to get maximum reward for my efforts and get out of the mind set of looking for the easy gear, and increase the work rate instead. Hence get greater bang for buck!
So back to the ride. It was a great morning and the route I mapped out found us enjoying some nice long smooth roads (some recently resurfaced too!) Bumpy, rutted roads are definitely the GOs worst enemy as the smaller wheels and standing position mean that you feel every one! The scenery through many of the areas we rode also fitted perfectly with my vision of how a Sunday morning ride in the country should be.
There were many others enjoying the scenery too with a lot of touring cyclists out and about. Idai and I got a fair few looks from passing cyclists where you couldn't help but wonder what they were thinking as we passed. I still do feel very self-concious on the GO (at least for now anyway). I think general puzzlement is the common reaction.
As I said eariler I made sure that I incorporated some nice hills into the ride, the main one of which was Bison Hill which is about a mile long and a 10% gradient. When we reached the hill it seemed many tourers had had the same idea as we rode in convoy up the steep incline. Being the competitive soul that I am and wanting to test the GOs climbing ability I gave it what I could and reeled in those infront of me passing two cyclists on the way up to the summit. 1-0 to the ElliptiGO :-) haha.
It climbs well especially considering it has only 8 gears to select from which is an area I'm especially interested in because I've been recently looking at a number of 100m cycle event to really aim at. And one of these is the Devil's Ride in the Breacon Beacons which boasts a 25% incline on one climb. Sounds like fun and very tempting.
Monday saw me and two colleagues take on some hill reps at lunchtime. I thought this would be ideal training for this Saturdays Parliament Hill fields XC race, whilst also seeing what effect the previous days 30m ride had on my legs. The answer is 'worn'! I could certainly feel those 30 miles as I tried in earness to attack each hill rep with the same intensity that I had the last and keep each I consistent time wise. My splits slipped after 4 reps. The first 3 were all around 65 secs. My 6th was the slowest at 85 secs, but I finished with a flurry and managed to break 60 secs with my last (8th) rep. A great session and bloody hard work. I should really do more of these (note to self).
The rest of the week will see me rest today (Tuesday), ride to and from work tomorrow on the GO (probably in the rain! UPDATE: now not riding in due to work commitments and time :-( Then it's two days recovery before Sarurdays XC race. This is a Southern Counties championship race and promises to be a lot of fun (he says). Over a 1,000 runners will start the race with climbs throughout and the mud, bogs and water notoriously deep with zero grip - I can't wait :-) just need to find a pair of spikes from somewhere first though.
Race report to follow...
So off we went on a 30 miler around the outer villages South West of Leighton Buzzard before doing a large loop heading back East and North (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4246368). Idai was riding my old ElliptiGO to test the hub and shifting issues that I had been experiencing. My new GO was riding smoother from the start with noticable less drag from the hub and bike generally.
30 miles would be my longest ride to date and I had also thrown in a good few hills to test the GOs climbing ability. But before we reached the hills we had a fair few miles to put down first.
There are two very distinct ways that you can approach riding the GO. Both revolve around the cadence (the speed that you pedal - or in the case of the GO the time it takes to complete one stride). With eight gears on the GO there is the tendency to find a higher gear quickly like you would on a conventional bike, thus the resistence is greater and you go faster but pedal (stride) rate is slower. And in my first few weeks of riding the GO this is exactly what I have been doing, seldom riding in anything less than in 7th or 8th gear. This is a classic beginner approach to riding the GO apparently.
However instead one should select a lower gear (less resistence) so that your stride is far quicker and increases your cadence. It then feels far MORE like you are running and LESS like you are riding a bike. There are also far greater training benefits from this quicker turn over including a far better cardio workout and the firing of those fast twitch fibre muscles. This should hopefully all help when I actually do find time to run!
I could see first hand on Sunday that Idai tended to be in 1 or 2 gears lower than me on the flats, whilst going at the same speed hence he was putting in far greater effort to cover the same distance. It really requires a new mind set to want to make things harder for yourself rather than easier. But the GO is designed as a cross-trainer after all and I've bought it specifically to train smarter and improve my running endurance and speed. Therefore I should be looking to get maximum reward for my efforts and get out of the mind set of looking for the easy gear, and increase the work rate instead. Hence get greater bang for buck!
So back to the ride. It was a great morning and the route I mapped out found us enjoying some nice long smooth roads (some recently resurfaced too!) Bumpy, rutted roads are definitely the GOs worst enemy as the smaller wheels and standing position mean that you feel every one! The scenery through many of the areas we rode also fitted perfectly with my vision of how a Sunday morning ride in the country should be.
 |
| Idai - Top of Bison Hill |
As I said eariler I made sure that I incorporated some nice hills into the ride, the main one of which was Bison Hill which is about a mile long and a 10% gradient. When we reached the hill it seemed many tourers had had the same idea as we rode in convoy up the steep incline. Being the competitive soul that I am and wanting to test the GOs climbing ability I gave it what I could and reeled in those infront of me passing two cyclists on the way up to the summit. 1-0 to the ElliptiGO :-) haha.
 |
| Top of Bison Hill |
Monday saw me and two colleagues take on some hill reps at lunchtime. I thought this would be ideal training for this Saturdays Parliament Hill fields XC race, whilst also seeing what effect the previous days 30m ride had on my legs. The answer is 'worn'! I could certainly feel those 30 miles as I tried in earness to attack each hill rep with the same intensity that I had the last and keep each I consistent time wise. My splits slipped after 4 reps. The first 3 were all around 65 secs. My 6th was the slowest at 85 secs, but I finished with a flurry and managed to break 60 secs with my last (8th) rep. A great session and bloody hard work. I should really do more of these (note to self).
The rest of the week will see me rest today (Tuesday), ride to and from work tomorrow on the GO (probably in the rain! UPDATE: now not riding in due to work commitments and time :-( Then it's two days recovery before Sarurdays XC race. This is a Southern Counties championship race and promises to be a lot of fun (he says). Over a 1,000 runners will start the race with climbs throughout and the mud, bogs and water notoriously deep with zero grip - I can't wait :-) just need to find a pair of spikes from somewhere first though.
Race report to follow...
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Training smarter
If last week and this week is anything to go by then my running mileage in 2011 is going to be far lower than 2010, but I'm hoping that by training smarter this won't matter and in fact could even improve my race results.
Now I have my new toy (see pics and youtube video courtesy of Nick Ham - Brit Nick) I'm going to be doing many of my training miles on the ElliptiGO. Both on my commute to work and weekend long rides.
On Tuesday I did my first out and back commute to work on the GO. A 45 mile round trip, which I plan to make a regular weekly occurrence perhaps cycling twice weekly once the days get longer. For the most part it is a reasonable route with smooth fast roads, if a little hairy due to the volume of traffic using the same stretch of road and short days making it a little daunting in the dark. Potholes are not easy to spot either until you ride straight into one! There are also some sections of road which are in a dreadful condition and where I feel every crack, bump and hole. Argh. I've cursed on more than one occasion over one particular stretch where my rear light flew off the GO and only narrowly avoided being crushed under the wheels of the cars behind! Nevertheless a super way to get to work that keeps me on a high for the rest of the day.
The GO itself is a great bit of kit from a fitness perspective and I like the fact that it's a little quirky and looks a bit different. My colleague who saw me on the way to work as I passed her stationary car said I looked like a stick insect on wheels. Very flattering indeed!
If you are looking for speed it's not for you though. I've ridden to work on my normal mountain bike in 1h10m, and a performance road bike could do it in an hour. On the GO it took me 1h37 on the first ride in last week, which I managed to shave 6 minutes off on Tuesday. I reckon once I get fitter, faster and the days get longer that I could perhaps get it down to 1h20m.
When I ran the same route to work last year it took me 4h30m so the benefits of the GO for me is that I can 'run' to work in a sense and get all the training benefits without invested much more time than if I drove! And its no impact. It's also fun as long as you don't mind being pointed at and heckled by children on their way to school. I'm getting use to it!
The GO isn't without its issues though. I'm in regular contact at the moment with the main ElliptiGO chap in the UK - Idai, on some teething issues I'm experiencing. The hub gear still isn't shifting quite right and I need to sort this. There's a few other niggles too. The reason I am slightly accepting of these issues is that the GO is a first of it's kind - a prototype of sorts so it perhaps isn't going to be perfect. Idai at ElliptiGO who only lives 10 miles away from me is great and has arranged to come over this Sunday morning to check it out and go for a long ride together.
So keep watching this space if you are interested in the GO and outcomes to the above. And if anybody is curious and wants to come over to test ride the GO you are more than welcome! That's a genuine offer.
So a weeks smarter training in 2011 may look something like this:
Sat or Sun - Long Run (15m+) or Long ElliptiGO ride (25m+). Rest other day
Mon - Steady Run (5m)
Tues - Commute to work (45m)
Wed - 1hr Aerobics lunchtime / Club Run evening (Steady 7-10m)
Thurs - Recovery run
Fri - Rest Day
You may have noticed the inclusion of aerobics on Wednesday. I have started doing this since the new year and despite how it sounds (I know what you are thinking!!) it's not just for girls and it's hardcore! Seriously, I work harder in that 1hr than I do on a 4hr long run! It's a great workout focusing on all aspects of the body, especially the core. My core was killing me on Wedesday! And a strong core means better running form for longer = more miles :-)
So moving forward it's going to be an interesting year to see how I perform in future events. My next ultra is in March - the Lightning 12hr, where I will be looking to improve on last years 67 mile total which I ran in around 12:45.
Sat or Sun - Long Run (15m+) or Long ElliptiGO ride (25m+). Rest other day
Mon - Steady Run (5m)
Tues - Commute to work (45m)
Wed - 1hr Aerobics lunchtime / Club Run evening (Steady 7-10m)
Thurs - Recovery run
Fri - Rest Day
You may have noticed the inclusion of aerobics on Wednesday. I have started doing this since the new year and despite how it sounds (I know what you are thinking!!) it's not just for girls and it's hardcore! Seriously, I work harder in that 1hr than I do on a 4hr long run! It's a great workout focusing on all aspects of the body, especially the core. My core was killing me on Wedesday! And a strong core means better running form for longer = more miles :-)
So moving forward it's going to be an interesting year to see how I perform in future events. My next ultra is in March - the Lightning 12hr, where I will be looking to improve on last years 67 mile total which I ran in around 12:45.
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