I ran the first two legs comfortably in 8 minute miling up to 15 miles and then hit the trails. This obviously slowed me down especially in the brooks but still comfortable. I was enjoying every second and the race was going well. 18 teams were running and all were chasing me down as I (the only soloist) started first. Others started based on their predicted finish time. The idea being all to finish at 13:30. I was fuelling well on nuun and gels and feeling good for the finish. After lots more mud, water and cow poo I made it first over the finish line in 4h37. A great training run and thoroughly enjoyable. Happy to get 30 miles (31.37m) under the belt and feeling ok today with no injuries.
The real suprise was the Brooks Green Silence. The longest I had run in them was a half marathon so this was quite a bit further. My feet felt like though and I definitely think my running style is improving thanks to all the miles I'm putting in in minimlist shoes. In fact the last 71 miles I've run were in the Merrells or Brooks. So is this the death for the conventional shoe... Its too early to say but I'm certainly enjoying my running in them. That said I have also just acquired some Salomon Crossmax which are a hybrid road/trail shoe with a chunky heel. Gonna wear them in two weeks time on the GUCR and will report back on how they are....
Monday, 21 May 2012
Round MK Relay race report
Training and race update...
I took a whole week off immediately following the Fellsman to fully recovery both from the exersions and niggle to my right heel. Just a little sore thats all. Then it was off to Hungary with the family for a week and a bit (I write this as we drive (not me) to Budapest airport). To save space in the luggage I could only bring one pair of trainers so it had to be the Merrell Trail Gloves. Small, light and perfect for a bit of low mileage running. I've been wanting to do a few more miles in them and the track around the local lake in Gyor offered the perfect opportunity. With so little consistent running (really since the TP100 in March) my goal was to get most days. And I managed this for 6 from 8 days. For the most part taking it nice and easy completing a 6m on 4 days, a 10m and a 7m.
The 7 mile was a bit different as I decided to run a single mile as hard as I could. Something I've never actually done before so I was keen to know what my fastest mile was. I jogged 2 miles around the track to warm up and then hit the GO button. 1 mile was pretty much exactly 3 laps of the lake. I wore the Garmin to measure distance and pace. I went out too hard on the 1st lap, died on the 2nd as I felt my legs fading badly, but held on in the 3rd. I really didn't have a clue about what pace I could run and was quite happy with 5:15. Had I paced it a little better I think I could have got quite close to a 5 minute mile. What this little experiment brought home to me was just how fast the Elite marathon runners are going! They go FASTER than this for all 26.2 miles! Unbelievable! We all know what pace they run but these are just numbers which most of the time mean very little. So I urge you to go out there and run a single mile as hard as you can to see what I'm getting at.
There is also a local oval track (abet concrete) at home so I'm gonna keep up these mile sessions now on... perhaps once every 2-3 weeks to see where I can get to. My first aim will be to break 5 minutes.
The second experiment I tried as part of this 7m session was to walk a mile as fast as I could. So after a mile recovery following my 5:15 effort I walked a mile and managed a 10:59. Not bad for walking! There was a reason for doing this partly just down to curiosity and also to start to establish what an optimimal race strategy might be for my next 100. I'm coming to realise that running Ultras is about completing the distance in the most efficient way possible, not neccesarily about the 'fastest' or 'just getting around' but to do so in a way that has you moving at optimum efficiency throughout. In all my previously 100s I have slowed down too much in the second 50 so my quest is to find the balance between slowing down my running (a little) in the first 50 but also speeding up my walking which together I think will reduce my overall time and get me closer to sub 20hrs which is my ambitous goal for 2012. Hence the reason for the mile walk experiment. I've always been a fast walker and seem to power hike hills quicker than those around me in races so this is where I think I can further improve. Furthermore following on from a chat with a chap post Fellsman we were talking about UTMB and the virtues of using poles. He was a big advocate of them and got me thinking about introducing them as part of my ultras to maximise my walking speed and to improve my overall efficiency on the move. Hence I've bought some out here in Hungary and am looking forward to seeing how I can incorporate them as part of my training and racing. I plan to use them for the SDW100 in June and if all goes well they may well become a key feature of future races.
Utimately my focus here and the use of poles is for UTMB2013 where I have a guaranteed entry. They are I'm led to believe not only absoluetly invaluable on the long and steep climbs but also assist on the descents as well building confidence and helping with footing. We shall see...
Next up is the MK Relay race this Sunday. This is a 4 leg relay on road and trail. 19 teams are competing over the 31 mile route including 4 teams from LBAC. I'm running it solo as a training run to build up the mileage. It will be at a very conservative pace so as not to over do it. Plus the following Sunday I just arranged to pace a new friend (chap I met on TP100) in the 145m GUCR. It passes through Leighton Buzzard at 95 miles so I've tenatively planned to run the 'final' 50 miles in support. Its a relaxed arrangement with no pressure on me to have to do the full 50, but I'm sure once I'm out there I will be there til the finish! The GUCR isnt a race that i've been too keen to enter myself but I figure that this small taster will provide an ideal opportunity on which to base any future decision to take part. I'm also going to try out the poles to see what assistance they can provide on the flat.
So thats me sorted for the next few weeks....
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Fellsman race report
This was an epic race of all proportions made even tougher by the worst conditions in the event's 50 year history. I say this on the grounds that this year was the first time they have ever had to abandon the race whilst many were still out on the course. More on this later....
I met up with Nick Ham (my Fellsman buddy!) on the Friday in Ingleton where we enjoyed two dinners! Fish and chip supper and pizza at the local italian restaurant with my parents who had driven up with me to support me out on the course. Fuelled to the brim and after a Black Sheep Ale to aid a good nights sleep we retired to our 17c guest house.
It was a very calm still evening. How that was to change! Half way through the night you could here the wind battering the windows of the bathroom. By the time we were standing on the start line at a low level the wind was unbelievably strong. And you knew that higher up it was gonna be a lot LOT worst. This made kit choice very easy though. I opted for my heavier weight TNF wind/water proof jacket which I wore from the start and left out my lightweight jacket that would offer less protection against the elements.
As always the race starts with very little fanfare. Just a nice warming speech from Suzanne Carter to get runners and hikers on their way as they enter the 'twilight zone'. My mum and dad were taken by surprise as they were still right in the middle of the pack as everyone got underway and were almost unwittingly swept along by the 500 strong pack.
For this race report I'm not going to recount every section and checkpoint as there were 24 of them! My 2010 goes into more detail if you are interested (although it is a long one nevertheless! :-) I set off at what I thought was an average pace but by the climb up to CP3 at the top of Whernside (2419') I realised that I was going a little faster than was probably wise. For company alongside me was Nicky Spinks who was last years female winner in 13hrs (and this years winner too). A time way beyond my capabilities. I had 15 hours in mind this year but that was before the true horror of the conditions were evident. The full on head and side winds were so strong that you were using half your energy just to stay upright and not be blown off the hillside! I'm not kidding. I can't overstate just how strong the wind was. The only other time I've experienced wind like it is in the Wind Tunnel at my company BRE which can blast you with up to 200mph winds! And as time went on it was more and more apparent that this was a matter of survival of the fittest over anything else. Time was quite frankly irrelevant.
Nicky Spinks and those she was running with were soon infront and moving a lot quicker than me. The 1000ft climb from Kingsdale up to CP5 (Gragareth 2058') was HUGE. You cover this ascent in just 1 mile which goes straight up! I remember it well from 2010 but this doesn't make it any easier. I nibbled on some flapjack and pushed on up taking a well earned breather every now and then.
From CP5 to CP7 (Flintergill 1150') the going was much better and flatter along the ridgeline but also much wetter too. The ground was marshy in places and the sealskinz socks were working very well at first in keeping the water out. This was however before the water and mud came above the sock line rendering them pretty much useless as the water got in and there was no escape. This section was a slog as my energy levels and speed dropped. I was paying for my early enhausaism, but I looked forward to and focused on getting to Dent (CP8) which was the first major food stop and lowest point on the route at 570'.
After the long stoney descent into Dent my mum and dad were there to cheer me in. I refuelled well on beans, sausage rolls, hot cheese rolls, tea and choc digestives. Yummy. I felt a hundred times better after that little lot and prepared for the longest section from Dent up to Blea Moor (1756'). I changed my water logged socks to the injinjis which would at least let the water out again. In 2010 this next section was a real slog in the heat but this time around it was far cooler and went very well without a hitch. There were also many more runners around this time which allowed me to follow and take a direct line to CP9 positioned at the top of Blea Moor. To get there however required a hike through ankle/calve deep water and marsh land. Once your feet are wet they're wet so it became less of an issue after a while. Get use to it and man up Blofeld!
The section down to Stonehouse (CP10) which is the next major food stop is beautiful and downhill! I thoroughly enjoyed it. The pasta and tea went down a treat and I was soon on my way. It was at this point with the sun out that the blue wig that I had been sporting since the start and had remarkably stayed on despite the gale force winds had to go in favour of a white cap to keep the sun off my face. Many spectators remarked on the wig which kept me smiling. Many thought I was running for charity (I wasn't) but to keep things amusing I made up a story about running to save the blue squirrel!
After Stonehouse (840') I put my powerhike to maximum effect to reach the top of Great Knountberry (2203') in good time. I was now pacing myself much better on both the uphills and the flats and had regained my confidence and was feeling strong. The food definitely played a major part in this. The section down to CP12 at Redshaw was swift and very enjoyable as were the ones that followed. I had found my groove and was moving well eating up the miles, and the food on offer.
Up to this point I still had no reason to consult my maps or route description penned masterfully by Nick Ham. This was invaluable in getting me around in 2010, but a mix of following those in front and knowing the route this time around meant that navigation was not an issue. This was however until Fleet Moss (CP15) where I took too long to refuel and missed the opportunity to head off with others that I had been running with prior. My first and only big mistake on the whole event. Once ready I preceeded on my own from Fleet Moss to Middle Tongue. A long 4.5m section. I didn't give it a second thought and ran along the fence line up and over the peat hags. It was slow going. I made several navigational errors on this section where I ended up heading too far left and climbed higher than I needed to, when I should of stayed to the right and lower down to pick up a quad bike track which would have taken me straight towards the next CP. Instead I had to contend with some horrible terrain that was tough mentally and physically. I reckon I added a good 1/2hr to my time on this section from mincing around eating jam sandwiches instead of getting out and sticking with others who knew the way. Of course if I had also consulted my map and route description far earlier than I did on this section then this would have also helped. Note to self: unless you KNOW the way don't guess cos its unlikely to be the right way or save you time.
I finally found the new Middle Tongue CP which had been shifted slightly further South due to land owner permissions not being granted across the original route. The next section was equally tough to navigate made worst by the continuing stupidly strong winds and the first of two snow bizzards that were horozontal. THAT's how cold it was getting by this stage with the wind chill factor sending it below freezing. Conditions were definitely deterioating so all I could think was to keep moving as fast as I could which would help to stay warm and keep spirits high.
I stumbled across CP17 (Hell Gap) through better navigation (although tough terrain) and from there it was a short downhill section to Cray which was the next major refuelling point and also Grouping point for the night stage. Basically beyond this point you HAD to stick with those in your group (4 minimum) to CP24 at Yarnbury. If you didn't you were in danger of being disqualified. The condition of many runners at Cray wasn't good with many going no further due to exposure and illness. It resembled a scene from a war film with bodies wrapped in body bags! In this case foil body bags shivering vigourously. After some warm spaggetti hoops and warm creamed rice pudding (both tasted SO good!) I got changed into my night gear adding an extra long sleeve base layer and wind/water proof bottoms to go over the tights. On with the head torch too as night descended and our group of 6 was off into the dark windy cold night and straight up Buckden Pike. A climb just shy of 1000ft! But we were use to this by now .
It was soon apparent however that all was not well in the camp. One member of the group Mark was not moving well and feeling sick. In hindsight he should have headed back down to Cray and bailed (something he was quite keen to do) but the group convinced him to battle on to the next CP with road access at Park Rash which was another 4 miles. This doesn't sound far but on this terrain and with the worsening conditions this was definitely the wrong decision putting Mark at more risk whilst slowing the group down considerably. On a plus point though Michael - another member of the group, had run the Fellsman 6 times before and was faultless on the navigational side which makes the night section far easier and more enjoyable as you're able to relax and run instead of worrying about what way to go.
We made it to Park Rash (CP21 of 24) with just over 10 miles left to go. Mark did well to make it this far and bailed here. At the same time several others from other teams all fighting for warmth in the small tent were also worst for wear and called it a day. Subsequently the 5 remaining in our group were grouped with 3 others as they couldn't leave without making up the minimum 4. So we headed out of CP21 as 8 strong and set off to into the fog and started the notorious ascent up Great Whernside (2310'). We were all I think feeling strong and no one was holding up the group as we ran where we could still fighting THAT WIND and hiked the uphills. The 2 volunteer marshalls at the top of Great Whernside were holed up in a tent squeezed between two giant boulders offering a little more protection. We heard later that one competitor had a bad fall up here and broke a foot requiring rescue by air ambulance. Flying in these conditions requires some insane commitment to the job so hats off to them for that.
Descending Great Whernside felt for the first time like the end was in sight. I could visualise what remained and thoroughly enjoyed the last eight miles with the wind on our backs and a 1000ft descent which made the going far easier.
Before long we were heading into Yarnbury. The mood in the camp was high and we had all made light work of the night section all things considered. What remained was whether I could get a PB but to do so I would have to sprint the final section to Grassington. All down hill and on road i thought it would be easy but those final two miles were very hard on the feet. Nevertheless I didn't give up and made it to the school with just one minute to spare. finishing in 16h:47m.
:-)
what a race! I be back next year for more....
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Oakley 20 race report
My training for this race has been nil. Since theTP100 I have ran just 5 times in 3 weeks not because of any injuries but because of self-enforced time off to properly recover. However I've still managed some good runs since the TP100 including a new 10k pb and fastest stag time for over a year so the speed is there. But would it be there over 20 miles? That was the big question...
I've never raced 20. Some may appproach it as a marathon but I wanted to ignore the distance and run sensibly hard but pace it well from beginning to end. So the plan was to maintain 7 mpm pace from start to finish. This is just over 3hr marathon pace so if I could hold this pace it would be considerably faster than I've done before even at 15 mile distance.
I had company for this race. Pete Mackrell from LBAC is running really well at the moment in the lead up to London. He even won the MK park run the day before the Oakley 20! Pete's plan was to run 7s for the first half with me then go for it. I was glad of the company as we ambled along this very undulating but beautiful course. We started right at the front but ignored the pace of others around us and set about our game plan.
The climbs were constant which I had not bargained for. My 7mpm pace was based on a flat course! But it was certainly still very runnable and the downhills were fun. The course consisted of a 12m first lap and shorter 8m second. All on very quiet country roads. It was a lovely course and this made the miles fly by. Pete and I reached the 10 mile mark in good form and spot on pace (6.54 avg. I was certainly feeling the pace, whilst Pete was fresh as a dasiy and eager to push on. I wouldn't see him again until the finish and he flew off at 6:30-6 mpm pace!
I settled back into the same pace and carried on. I was very glad of my bottle of nuun water as it was a warm clear day. Perfect racing conditions. At 12 miles you came back over the start line and started the shorter second lap which is on many of the same roads as the first lap. The incline at the start which I didn't notice on lap 1 could certainly be felt now. I was flagging a little as 7mpm became increasingly more difficult, but of course it would! That was the point. It wasn't a surprise to me and I pushed on. I had an energy gel as I could feel my energy levels dropping. It helped.
There was no drama on the second lap as I continued to keep my eyes on the garmin. This was one race where I didn't follow my normal rule of ignoring it. My eyes were firmly fixed on the average pace all the way away and my mile splits. Without doubt the most pleasing thing about this race was the consistency of my pace. I didn't fall off the pace at any point. The only flutuations were dictated by the undulating course so where you lost some time on the up hills you would try and make it up on the downs.
The final mile was tough. You once again came across the start line but still had just under a mile to run which looped around narrow lanes between houses left right left and right again. It was unbarable but finally an opening into the school playing field emerged and there was the finish line but not before you had to do a full loop around the field! Argh. I sprinted around overtaking a few runners and knocking every second off I could.
I saw the clock ahead which read 2:19:30... and crossed the finish line 4 seconds later. I had held on and managed to run sub 7 mpm pace for 20 miles! It was a lesson in perfect pacing and something that I'm getting much better at. Gone are the days where I would fall off a cliff in the second half of a race because of going out too hard. My mile splits for this race as follows: 6:53 6:55 7:07 6:27 7:03 7:10 7:01 6:58 6:55 6:34 6:46 6:58 7:02 7:05 7:07 7:05 6:52 7:02 6:43 6:56.
I finished 60th out of 870 or so finishers. Pete who stormed round the second half of the route finished 14th in 2:10! Making up 46 places in the process. Awesome running and a dead cert for a 2:45ish marathon time in London on that form!
What I want to touch on now is where the hell has my recent good form come from because I'm at a loss to explain it... When I entered the MK marathon at the beginning of Jan my goal was a sub 3hr but I didn't think I was anywhere near that and haven't done any marathon training since then that would according to most marathon training plans get me anywhere near the sort of shape needed to achieve such a feat. Instead I put in the slow long runs in the build up the the TP100 but still averaged only 3 runs per week. A sub 3hr marathon schedule from RW would have you running 5/6 times per week covering between 40-60 miles per week. I'm no where near these figures. And since TP100 as I said above I have run just 5 times.
I've always said that its quality runs not quantity that matters and after the Oakley 20 I've never been more certain of this fact in all my life. The majority of advice and training schedules that have you out most days racking up the miles are in my opinion severely flawed and a recipe for disaster leading to injury. Rest is by far the best medicine to run faster. I'm so certain of that. The problem is that what happens with most runners is that they don't see the improvement they think they deserve from the amount of training they have done so ramp up the training even more rather than doing the complete opposite and resting. And so extreme fatigue and ineveitably injury then occurs as a result.
I'm still at a loss to explain my form but less is most definitely more. Have conviction in yourself and your training. Don't be fooled into beliefing that because others around you are running big mileage that this is what you should be doing. Half the time I think runners (and I include myself in this) only run big mileage to impress our peers with the mileage.... Look at me I've ran 60 miles this week and ran every day... Aren't I amazing.... What you only ran 3 times and did 20 miles... Oh well.
Its such an ego thing that we all have to change. Furthermore we also only do it to impress ourselves with the big numbers. We find comfort in the fact that we have done everything possible to get faster and fitter by adding up the miles ran and sitting around in self-admiration at how wonderful we are. Forget all that bollox. Instead:
1 - Listen to your body and stop listening to others (that includes listening to me!)
2 - run less not more
3 - run with real purpose
4 - mix it up. Run short. Run long. Run flat. Run hills
5 - don't be a slave to the numbers
6 - race short and race long
7 - pace evenly and stick to it
8 - sleep more
9 - eat well
10 - fuel your runs
... and watch as the times tumble!
Sorry for the rambling post but I'm really starting to believe that the misinformation to runners from RW and other sources especially around this time of year when everyone is training for the spring marathon and religiously following the training plan is misguided.... Ok I'm done....
Monday, 19 March 2012
Post recovery training (and racing)
The wednesday after the Leighton 10k race (see previous blog post) was the Club's Stag handicap race. A lung busting 2.5 miles around 3 laps of a local park and industrial estate. I haven't run well in the stag for well over a year now not getting anyway near my PB set way back - 14.04.
On Wednesday I ambled up to the start not expecting much but always willing to give it 100%. I paced the first lap well using fellow club member and speedster Pete Mackrell to good effect. Pete (despite having run a 2:02 20 miler on the Sunday!) was too quick for me in the 2 lap as he pulled away. But Andy Inchley (another speed freak) caught up with me having started behind me (due to the handicap start). I latched on to him and upped my pace for the second lap trying staying with him for lap 2 and then just hung on for lap 3.
My lungs were bursting as I stuggled up the final small incline through the park to the finish. Time on my watch was 14:16 (official 14:18). A very rare return to form in the Stag. What was most pleasing was the even splits which I rarely manage to ger right. Mile 1: 5.36, Mile 2: 5.40, Mile 3 (half) 5.39 pace.
I followed this with another fast session on Sunday morning. 14 miles on the roads. Out 2 miles from home to the Leighton Tough 10 course start (undulating 10 miles on quiet country roads), and 2 miles home. I wanted to run it in 7 mpm pace and just managed this finishing in 1h37m. It was tough going though and to maintain this same pace in 2 weeks time for the Oakley 20 race (Bedford Harriers) which is my target is going to require a consistent and tough period of speed training between now and then.
I'm confident I can do it (you have to be otherwise it won't happen), and I'm enjoying a slight refocus away from long and slow training runs before I get back into it in preparation for the Fellsman. For now though I have a 20 mile PB to focus my energies....
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Leighton 10k race report
Smiling in a 10k! only cos it was the first 1km ;-)
This was my recovery run having not stepped foot outside in trainers since the TP100 last Saturday/Sunday. And what better way to see how the body is recovering than to run your local 10k race right! :-)
It was entry on the day so I jogged the 2 miles to the start to warm up, registered, picked up my number and timing chip and was good to go. I ran a PB in this race last year finishing 5th in a time of 36:56. I was quite sure I wouldn't be repeating that performance today but would attack from the get go nevertheless.
It really is just a case of running as hard as you can from the gun and hanging on in there really as there's very little to be gained from being conservative in the early stages. So that's what I did. Hooter went, Hard out, Sharp left (almost taking out the cameraman who thought standing right in the middle of the school exit was a good idea) and quickly took up position in 7th place.
The course is gently undulating along quiet country roads in one big loop. I was going hard and wondered if I had in it me to hold on for 10k at 6 mpm pace. My 1st mile was actually a 5:46 but that was the flattest part of the whole course. The proceeding miles were between 5:55 and 6:24 on the hardest climb at the 5km mark. I had caught and passed 6th place at 3km and was edging closer to 5th all the time whilst looking behind me to see what danger was lurking but there was a comfortable gap between me and those behind.
I worked hard up the longest hill at 5km and down the other side taking the shortest line possible on the corners and caught and passed the 5th place guy. I didn't look back now and just kept going. The final bite is a tough climb in the final 2km up Shenley Hill. I was being caught slowly (see pic) as I approached the hill but if I could hold it together then 5th place could perhaps be mine for a 2nd year in a row! Most unexpected considering last weekend's antics.
Tough climb up Shenley Hill at 8km
I crested the hill and blasted down the other side and into the final km. This part of the course is always unexpectedly hard cos despite being flat the road just seems to stretch on forever as you look out for the school and the finish. I kept checking behind to ensure I didn't let it slip now but 6th place guy was a good distance away.
A final sprint in the last 100m just to make sure of 5th place and I crossed the finish line in 37:49 (6:03 mpm avg pace). I was chuffed to bits with that result. Whilst it was 50 seconds slower than last year the circumstances were quite different this time around. Last year I actually trained for the 10k and had a taper of sorts. This year it was a case of turn up and see if my legs could cope a week after the TP100.
The winner run it in an amazing 33:13. I'm actually surprised that there weren't more runners of this calibre in the race and some faster times. But hey you gotta be in it to win it so I'm not giving away my 5th place. There were 12 other runners from LBAC too out there all of whom ran well and did the club proud. Myself, Chris Norman and Gary Stratford actually took 1st place in the Male Team category for our troubles which was a very nice surprise. And Jo Breslin took second female in 42 minutes and first female in V35. Top running!
Full race results are here - http://www.racetimingsystems.com/public/results.aspx?raceid=2178
So it seems my recovery from the TP100 has gone very well. I really wasn't expecting a run like that today so can now ease myself back in full training again this week after a solid week off. And if all goes well with that then perhaps I should make this part of my new recovery plan and seek out some more 10k's to do the week after SDW100 and NDW100!
Next up though is the Fellsman at the end of April! So let the hill training begin...
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Thames Path 100 race report
My longest training run for this race was just 21 miles (3hrs 30m on my feet). And my longest run since last August when I completed the NDW100 was SNOD marathon in October. This was therefore somewhat of an experiment to see whether my body and mind could handle the distance and time on my feet. In short would I survive? The weather forecast for the weekend was not good. Rain showers were forecast on Saturday with the worst to come on the Sunday. The temperature was also due to drop to 3 degrees at night so warm clothing was a must. With a 30hr cut off and a 10am start on the Saturday folks could be out until up to 4pm on Sunday. Ouch!
I arrived nice and early and caught up with a few familiar faces – Dino Ilari and Jerry aka Ultra Kent. A bit of chat passed the time with the hot topic being shoe selection! I still couldn’t decide what shoes to opt for – roadies or trails, and had brought both. With the gloomy weather forecast and prospect of slippery muddy trails I went with the Montrails in the end. I think this turned out to be the right decision. A quick race briefing from James Elson (Race Director) and we were all set.
A count down from 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 ….. 1 …go and we were on our way. I unintentionally positioned myself near the front of the start (see video clip – I’m centre shot in the fluorescent yellow T). I didn’t get carried away however and set off at a very conservative pace as I let many overtake me in the early miles. The forecast rain arrived on cue literately less than a mile after the start and I got ready for a very wet next 24hrs. However the showers only lasted an hour or two as things soon brightened up very nicely. The first section between Richmond and Walton upon Thames was the longest of the entire route at 12 miles, and thankfully so. Anything this length later on would have been a real killer.
I arrived at CP1 at exactly midday. The maths was easy – 12 miles in 2 hours… erm… yes an average pace of 10mpm! Oops quite quick but it was impossible to run any slower than this without walking especially on such a flat course. There was a good crowd at the aid station all cheering and clapping the runners in (this continued at every aid station throughout). I grabbed a few handfuls of nuts, dried fruit, crisps and some mars bar, filled my hand held water bottle popping in a nuun tablet for electrolyte replacement, removed my long sleeved top from underneath my T and set off on the next 10 mile section to Wraysbury.
The 10 mpm pace felt very comfortable so I didn’t consciously try to slow down. I really don’t remember much of this next section as they were all a bit undistinguishable from one another. The terrain on the Thames Path generally consisted of a variety of either; gravel/concrete paths, hard packed trails, open fields, and farm tracks. There were some but very few technical woodland trails and some road sections too. I think it was in this section that a few runners went the wrong way deciding to stick to the Thames when the race route and arrows actually took us off the river and along a main road. Me and another chap checked that the arrow wasn’t tampered with (it hadn’t been) and we continued on eventually coming to CP2 (Wraysbury) still on 10 mpm pace. Bottled filled, nuun tablet in and off I went. No drama and very early days in the grand scheme of things even though at 22 miles it was already my longest run since August 2011 (barring SNOD).
I can’t recall any detail of the next section between Wraysbury and Windsor as the marathon distance came and went uneventfully. What I can remember though (and seems to be the highlights of my race is what I ate at the next checkpoint). I reached CP3 Windsor (28 miles) in good spirits which was the first drop bag point on the route. I had a chocolate ‘For Goodness Shakes’, pizza and flapjack from my drop bag, plus a nice cuppa and some coke! Perfect fuel for the next 10 mile section up to the 38 mile point.
The next section to Cookham included a major diversion off the Thames Path and around Dorney Lake which is an Olympic venue so I’m led to believe. There was much confusion here amongst a group of us who had all slowed and come together to agree what was the right way. The problem was that the diversion arrows we had started follow off the Thames Path had disappeared and no one was sure on what was the right way. Dorney Lake was frigging massive and we really didn’t fancy the prospect of running around it and adding unnecessary mileage which can be very demoralising. The closed Thames Path was to our left with an 8ft high security fence and low barbed wire fence beyond that. I spotted a gap in the security fence ahead and suggested that the easiest and shortest course of action (and least likely to get us lost!) would be to get back on the Thames Path ASAP (it was closed but from what we could tell later only for minor resurfacing works). A few of the others followed as I went through the gap in the security fence hopped over the barbed wire fence and continued on my way. For the next 2-3 miles or so though I was never certain whether the gamble was the right one due to the lack of Centurion Running arrows or red/white striped tape that marked the route from start to finish.
Was I even on the Thames? The rowing teams training on the river was a hint but I doubted everything. Eventually though the glorious sight of red/white tape returned. My gamble had well and truly paid off and I saved myself a good mile or two detour around the rowing lake.
My dad was waiting at CP4 Cookham which was a nice surprise. I told him how well it seemed to be going, and whilst the 10mpm pace had now slipped I was still in control and moving strong. I had a cup of tea checked in with my wife, said my goodbyes and was off. I had a good next section to CP5 (44 miles) maintaining an 10:30 mpm average pace. I got chatting to a guy Nick Lewis who I knew I recognised from somewhere. Turns out we both ran the Wiggle 12hr race in 2010. Nick was good company and we ran together for some of this section. At CP5 where my dad was again in support I didn’t stick around too long said goodbye and set off with Nick who I could tell had a good pace which would keep me going strong. The first 44 miles of this race had absolutely flown by and I was feeling good, and actually looking forward to the night section which would be twice as long as the day!
Nick, David (aka Mr Immune) and a German bloke Andreas who had travelled over just for the race and was good company, plus a couple of others ran together in the next 7 mile section to the half way point at Henley (51 miles). Having company definitely makes the miles go faster. As it got darker the head lights came out. I relied just on the Exposure Spark hand torch for this section as I didn’t want to bother getting out the Petzl head torch from my bag which would waste precious minutes. The final few miles into Henley was along a very straight hard surfaced section besides the river. Our pace now would have further slowed to 11 mpm probably [it will be interesting to see the race splits which aren’t out on the website yet but will be soon to see if my perceived pace was accurate!?].
CP6 at Henley (51 miles) was the main night aid station (at least on our pace) where we would gear up for the night, but not before refuelling first! They were serving up hot beans and hot dogs :-D I had two portions of that, plus a recovery shake, rice pudding, coke and two cups of tea. This right here is why I love Ultras!! I feel really sorry for the faster guys and girls who don’t even have the time to pig out properly. It’s all part of it and very necessary to keep the energy levels up. I got the hydration and nutrition spot on for this race which was something I was very pleased about. No repeats of that ‘running on empty’ feeling that I had at NDW for the entire night section and puking up on iron-bru and ham and jam sandwiches!
Night gear on (long sleeved top, Montane water & wind proof lite jacket and gloves) and I was set. Earlier on Nick had asked me whether I wanted to buddy up for the night section. I heartedly accepted and was very grateful of such an offer as I wasn’t too keen to tackle the night section alone. Nick and I set off in what felt like the deep dark night even though it was only about 7:30pm. 51 miles down and because of some dodgy maths by James Elson ;-) there was easily still 51 miles to go if not more! So this was only half way…. it was gonna be a long night. My memory of the night section is even worst than the day. I’m sure that when the body goes into survival mode that it shuts down all non-critical functions like memory! At least for me anyway.
The sections between Henley to Reading (CP7 - 58 miles) and Whitchurch (CP8 – 67 miles) were a mix of open fields, urban life and woodland trails as we continued to chip away at the miles. Good conversation makes a huge difference and whilst I was of course fatigued by now with our pace slowed to 12 mpm my body and mind continued to do everything that I asked of it. CP8 was a flying visit with Nick sticking to strict in and out quick policy. I would have stayed longer had a cup of tea and wasted time. But as the saying goes if you aren’t moving forward you aren’t getting closer to the finish. The next section was only 4 miles to Streatley but it was the hilliest section of the entire route with some very short but steep sharp climbs and descents. This worked the quads well but we took it easy and power hiked them.
CP9 at Streatley (71 miles) was a hot food stop and drop bag point and inside a nice warm hall. SO LUSH! All the ingredients for a longer than planned stop but well earned. We took our time as we were entering the toughest part of the race now. It was around midnight and there was still another 6 hours of darkness and many slow miles ahead. More beans, hot dogs, pizza, creamed rice and recovery shake later and I was set How I didn’t puke I don’t know but I could run (slowly) on a full stomach without any issues. The next section to Benson was advertised as 8 miles (71 to 79 miles) but thanks to a soul destroying diversion off the TP and along a main road it was nearer 10 in my opinion. It went on forever! Nick was still running strong and opened a gap as I slumped to a slow plod cursing the road ahead. I walked the final mile or so into the aid station (CP10 Benson). Seeing Nick had already left the CP when I arrived though gave me a massive kick up the arse and was exactly what I needed. I refilled the handheld and flew outta there to catch Nick.
I caught him after less than a mile or so as well as passing a few another runner on route. Nick said that we should run how we feel at this point in the race rather than adjusting our pace to suit somebody else. I was in two minds though whether there was any benefit in me shooting off in front, but my adrenaline was firing now from my new found speed (this is all relative of course!) so I promptly carried on at the same pace that I had done to catch him. At this moment I distinctly remember thinking and feeling that I could maintain this pace to the finish (what the hell was I thinking!). I felt fresh and passed another 4 people on route to the next CP, but this feeling was short lived. Looking back I think (actually I know) that I made a big mistake in blasting this section which affected the rest of my race.
Upon getting to CP11 at Little Wittenham (83 miles) Nick wasn’t actually far behind me. This came as a bit of a surprise because for the effort I put in I thought I had opened up a much bigger gap. The next mistake I made was to spend too little time at this aid station and not refuel properly. I even left my handheld water bottle behind in my rush to keep going with just a cup of tea in hand. Anthony Low (volunteer marshall) and from local town Dunstable ran after me and reunited me with my bottle. Phew… thanks Anthony.
Everything that you have read up to this point is where I consider my race had gone perfectly to plan. We were maintaining a 12 mpm average pace and had 83 miles in the bag. And I still thought we could possibly finish around the 20 hour mark (6am finish… perhaps 21hrs). How wrong was I!! From this point on my ‘run’ was over and in the next 8 mile section the wheels completely fell off. Nick soon caught up with me out of CP11 and I didn’t hang on to him for very long. This section should only have taken around 2 hours max to complete. It took me over 3 FRIGGIN’ HOURS!! 20 mpm pace on a pancake flat straight trail!! How on God’s earth it took me that long remains a mystery. All I know is that I couldn’t focus or run/walk in a straight line. I weaved from one side of the trail to the other like a drunken reveller on a Saturday night. It was a crash of immense proportions and all I could do was hang on for the ride and carry on and get to CP12 in whatever time it would take me. I was a mess…
I arrived at CP12 Abingdon (91 miles) as it was getting light. In just one section my race had gone from perfect to disaster. Of course this wasn’t actually the case but in my mind at that point it had. It was just one bad section. I slumped down in the nearest chair in Abingdon Cricket Club Pavilion and licked my wounds. More beans, hot dog, and another recovery shake from my drop bag perked me up a little. David (Mr Immune) walked in shortly after I did and will testify how crap and miserable I must have looked! I wish I could have been that happy person always full of joy and smiles and celebrating the last 91 miles however I wasn’t. The last 91 miles were irreverent at that point. All I could think about was the last 9 miles. How long would it take me? After the last section anything was possible. 4 hours… perhaps even 5!! Who knows…
I did however leave Abingdon with renewed vigour and whilst the spring in my step wasn’t back it wasn’t completely uncoiled. The sun was rising and I felt better about things. Perhaps it was the hot dogs! The footing in the next 4 mile section was awful though. The rain had now been steadily falling for the past few hours and it was extremely slippery. Even the Montrails weren’t finding any grip. By this point I had done the maths though and barring absolute catastrophe I would finish in sub 24 hours, and I actually had a good shot at a 100 mile PB.
I slipped and slided my way to the final checkpoint at 95 miles (Lower Radley) which was a very brisk affair. No need to refuel now just a quick refill and I was off to the generous applause of the volunteers. The reaction of all the volunteers at every aid station was the same and made for such an uplifting experience. It was now just a matter of not if, but when would I finish. My mood had improved but not my speed, however I set off with one goal in mind which was to earn my second 100 miles one day Centurion Running belt buckle! That was why I was here and nothing was going to stop me now especially not a measly 5 miles. Accept this final 5 mile section turned out to be another one of James’ mathematical mysterys of distance and time. Where was the frigging finish!? With 5 miles gone Oxford was no where in sight as green fields lined both sides of the Thames with the rowing clubs out for their Sunday morning training sessions on the river. They too got wind of what we were doing and where we had run from as we were greeted with nods and smiles of approval and a few cheers and ‘well done keeping going’ (I certainly intended to thank you). I caught two runners in front of me who had stopped as they too didn’t think it could be any further (so it wasn’t just me) and thought we might have missed a turn off. A local soon confirmed however that Oxford was indeed a few miles ahead.
Eventually though after another 20 or so minutes of plodding and walking up stream the pub ‘Head of the River’ that marked the final mile came into sight. I usually finish any race with a good spurt at the finish no matter what the distance but this time was different. The last 15 miles had really ground me down, it was still raining hard and my feelings were only of utter relief as I plodding up to the finish line. Glyn Rayman from Leighton Fun Runners (local club) was the first to greet and congratulate me. Glyn had volunteered to man the finish aid station and was running around making cups of tea for cold tired runners all day which he remarked was harder than running 100 miles. Thanks Glyn!
James Elson (the ‘Man’!) was there sheltering in the tiny finish tent with the 100 Miles One Day belt buckle in hand which I gratefully accepted. He acknowledged and recognised just how hard this had been for me, reflected in my slower than anticipated finish time that he (and I) thought I might be capable of. Nevertheless 22hrs and 41mins was still a PB (finishing in 42nd place out of 126 finishers from the 191 runners that started. I am extremely pleased with this result, especially on the lack of specific training I had done for this race which amounted to just 3 weeks of back to back weekend long runs with the longest single run being just 21 miles.
James also commented that I had earned my second one day buckle in a row with a nod towards the challenge ahead in 2012 which is to compete in and complete a further three Centurion 100 mile events between now and November (SDW100, NDW100, & Winter 100) and in doing so complete the Grand Slam. This is my goal for the year and this was just the first step towards that goal.
I’m looking forward to putting together a consistent period of training between now and June to get to the start line of the South Down Way 100 tip top and more able to compete in and ‘run’ 100 miles from start to finish. As apposed to running 80 miles and imploding!! I have more to reflect on in this race, lessoned learned, and how and why it panned out the way it did which I will post separately to this report once I have had a little more time for reflection.
A final note on this race is that things took a turn for the worst by mid morning on Sunday weather wise as the rain got harder, with sleet and snow, winds picked up and temps fell to below freezing. As a consequence James had to make the impossibly hard decision to pull everyone still out on the course to safety and abandon the race after 26 hours. James’ own blog post with a full account of what unfolded is here. And as a final final note I would like to say thanks to all the volunteers whom without, races like this just wouldn’t be possible. A special thanks to Nick Lewis too for the company and superb pacing throughout the night. It was a real pleasure mate.