The week after a big race is always an important one. You need a particular type of rest but this normally involves exercise. Not for me this time as my knees presented a major problem. I had deep gouges in both knees, bruising, swelling and they were constantly leaking puss. Putting bandages on them meant pealing them off slowly but this usually removed the scab which wasn’t nice. I struggled to wear trousers so attended several client meetings in shorts as I tried to “air my knees”. The worst part was sleeping as any pressure from the covers on my knees kept me awake so I didn’t get the benefit of a good nights sleep. I was having a bath every night with Epsom salts and then my coach came up with a miracle cream which started to speed up the healing. All this because I lost concentration for seconds in an 11 hour race! Worth remembering for the Tahoe 200 over 4 days with sleep deprivation and greater elevation.
After the first day my quads began to feel normal which was encouraging and shows the training I had done had worked. I lost 6 lbs on race day so have been eating like a horse all week - constantly hungry. A massage on Thursday was well timed and apparently my legs were in good shape, if you ignored my knees.
I also had a meeting with my coach to analyse the race. She was always of the view I should have been under 11 hours and by a good margin. But my holiday before the race put paid to that happening. Whether or not that played in my mind during the race I’m not certain but it didn’t help. What we both agreed was that this was just “a bad day at the office” however there were positives to be taken from it. You need to comfortable being uncomfortable if you are going to take part in long distance endurance events - I was certainly uncomfortable, right from the start of the race. Not only that I kept going and pushed through the discomfort and pain. Something I am going to be doing over 4 days in September. Once the first goal wasn’t possible I refocused on the 2nd goal and achieved it - it would have been easier on the day to have given up and walk in. However had I done that I would have regretted it forever. Pain is temporary, failure is forever.
I was under orders of no running this week to allow the swelling to go down. Yesterday I went for a 2 mile walk and today a 5 mile walk. My legs feel great. I’ll still need to bandage my knees at night or if I’m wearing trousers but they should be fixed in a few days time. I’m praying that I’ll start back running tomorrow as I don’t like sitting around but I’m sure the last week has helped my recovery and my focus is now completely on September 13th for the Tahoe 200. 130 days to go to transform my body to be Tahoe Tough!
Sunday, 5 May 2019
Sunday, 28 April 2019
The Highland Fling - an extraordinary ultra
The Highland Fling is a 53 mile ultra starting at Milngavie and following the West Highland Way to Tyndrum with 2,300m of climbing. It’s a very special event that’s been going for 14 years and gaining a place out of the 1,000 available isn’t easy. Fortunately I did and it’s perfect training for me as I prepare for the Tahoe 200 (www.tahoe200.com).
Only 750 made the start line and the weather forecast had been for rain but none appeared for the first hour. I made the decision to go with my waterproof jacket and just as I was thinking of taking it off the rain started and was on for most of the run which made for treacherous conditions on tricky terrain.
The competitors gathered for the start and there was a great atmosphere at 6am, full of energy. We headed out of Milgavie and into the lovely countryside. It’s a relatively easy start and at CP1 Beechtree I had been running for an hour and 1 minute - was delighted to be cheered on by my friend Gill who’d got up early to encourage me - that’s always a welcome boost to your spirits. CP 2 was Drymen at 20km with 255m of climbing from the start. I was aiming to get under 11 hours and to do that I needed a fast start so I was delighted to complete that section in 47mins (1 hr 48 min total) considering I had another 64km ahead. My coach Genevieve and her husband Colin were there to cheer me on and telling me I was doing great but in reality I was feeling tired with heavy legs. Going on a 10 day cruise ending a week before this event wasn’t’t good preparation but my training had gone well up till then.
Drymen to Balmaha is, for me, a difficult section with 379m of climbing. The rain was steady and you are exposed climbing Conic Hill but even worse is the descent where you don’t want to trash your quads and the wet stones present a real danger of you’re not careful. Again Genevieve, Colin were waiting for me at Balmaha with my running pal Stuart. This is the last time for a while I’d see anyone and words of encouragement were given as I restocked with gels, drank some flat coke and
stuffed a handful of mixed nuts in my mouth before heading off. I still didn’t feel great, hadn’t found my running rhythm and couldn’t swallow the nuts - I ended up spitting them out after 5 minutes of trying to wash them down with water. I was now 3 hours 11 mins into the race and couldn’t believe this amount of time had passed. Normally my head is full of positive thoughts or no thoughts when running but for some unknown reason, possibly the though of my “holiday champagne training”, was causing doubts. My legs just didn’t feel as they should but despite that my pace so far was good.
The next section is 11km to Inversnaid with 373m of ascending. The tree lined route along the loch offers some shelter but you have to watch your step with all the rocks and the tree branches, not helped by them being wet. As you approach Inversnaid Hotel there is a bridge over the river with steep steps up to the bridge - this is where you start to recognise a few niggles. My right hip flexor was starting to grumble. 1 hr 34m for this section gives an idea how your running needs to slow down to allow for the terrain. When you get to Inversnaid there are almost no supporters but the marshalls go out of there way to make you feel welcome and help in any way they can. They send you off with some hope because they know what’s coming next. I didn’t manage any solid food but got half a bottle of fat coke into me - I was surviving on gels but my guts didn’t feel particularly good about any food.
The distance between Inversnaid and Beinglass (373m of ascent) is 1km shorter than the previous section yet took 18 minutes longer. As anyone who has been done this section - it’s awful on a good day but with heavy rain it’s treacherous with loads of slippy tree routs and rocks that you are either scrambling over or carefully picking your spot to land your foot on. You have to lift yourself up and lower yourself down some very tricky rocks. There’s another “ladder” which is like a step machine on max elevation and there is no railing to hold onto. That’s when my hip flexor started failing so from there on in if I needed to step up it was with my left foot. My feet were soaking wet with the puddles and mud I had to go through and it was a thoroughly miserable section. To put this into context you’ve run further than a marathon with tired legs and your clambering over rocks trying not to slip. No wonder you are less than walking pace. If there was a relief from the rocks then I ran but you’re talking 10-20 metres then you’re walking again.
It was a relief to come through that section and see the Beinglas check point with my Genevieve & Colin shouting encouragement and telling me to get my “game face on” as I must of looked bust. My sub 11 hour target was touch and go at this stage and I knew it although they never said. However I had a secondary target in mind as I knew a few club mates had done a time around 11.08 previously so if I couldn’t make the first target then I’d aim for the second. My rationale was simple; without the targets I’d be as well walking in, as many people do, so I needed something to keep me moving faster than walking pace. At this check point spectators aren’t allowed in so a couple of 100 metres shy of the CP Genevieve told me to get some solid food in as I needed it. I managed some cheese and pork pie and soon I was on my way and I waved back to them knowing my wife and son were at the next check point and that lifted my spirits as the rain continue to tip down.
The track to Bogle Glen is undulating and easier underfoot than the previous section. I was trying to run as much as I could but the uphills were taking their toll. At one stage I tripped and fell bloodying both knees - this wasn’t helped by the fact I’d done that 3 days ago so the scab was taken off as it was my hand - ouch. It was miserable out there but I just wanted to get this finished. In my mind I was trying to remain positive. The “conversation” I was having was that this is where ultras come into their own. You can only feel this tired, battered and bruised if you’ve put in those miles before now so this was ideal training for me with the Tahoe 200 approaching. As I approach the check point I could here them screaming (abuse I think). They’d been there for an hour and looked like drowned rats but a welcome sight. I got a big hug for one of the marshalls, thanks Katie. It was now 9 hrs 41 mins into the race and I had just over 9km to go but the last section had the most climbing - 515m.
Heading up the hills you were met with water running down so your feet were completely soaked. Fortunately I have been treating my feet for months and was wearing compression toe socks and the combination meant no blisters. I’m sure there would have been some blister issues out there with all that water. My memory of this last section will be the downhills, not the uphills. My quads were “shot to bits” and I had to take it easy heading down the hills. With the water and the rocks you had to be careful as you could easily injure yourself badly here with your muscles being so tired.
The lead up to the finish line has a slight incline which seems like a mountain and then you have the long run down the red carpet. It’s a fantastic finish with music blaring out (YMCA), the commentator announcing your name, the cow bells ringing and your friends calling out your name. I saw my wife and son but kept my focus on 10 yards beyond the finish line. In 2014 I switched my mind off on the red carpet, my brain thought it had finished and my hamstring blew so I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. As I ran, well sort of ran, to the line I became aware of someone trying to pip me on the line so I force a few steps and beat him on the line to take 199th place. I was straight into the arms of a Marshall who realised I could no longer support myself and quickly taken into the warm tent by friends Paul, Beth and Ellie who were there to look after the runners. They got me warmed up and as it was too much faff to get my wounds seen to I got dressed and headed off. In the end my time was 11 hours 5 mins and 36 seconds (beating my club mates!) which I was very pleased with considering my last 3 weeks of training. I dug very deep to complete this race. The last 20km had been slow, slower than my recovery runs but when you have 64 km in your legs with all the climbing and ascending you just need to do what has to be done. Walking in would have been so disappointing although had I been injured it would have been the only option.
The Fling is my favourite ultra because it’s well organise, fantastic marshalling and a very tough course. Thank you Jonny “Fling” and your wonderful team.
Now it’s time to recover, I lost 5lbs of weight on the run, and will analyse the statistics with my coach as we prepare for the Tahoe 200. To put that challenge into context it’s like completing 4 Flings in a row with 40,000 ft of climbing in 4 days non stop. I’ve got my work cut out for me as there are 137 days to go.
Only 750 made the start line and the weather forecast had been for rain but none appeared for the first hour. I made the decision to go with my waterproof jacket and just as I was thinking of taking it off the rain started and was on for most of the run which made for treacherous conditions on tricky terrain.
The competitors gathered for the start and there was a great atmosphere at 6am, full of energy. We headed out of Milgavie and into the lovely countryside. It’s a relatively easy start and at CP1 Beechtree I had been running for an hour and 1 minute - was delighted to be cheered on by my friend Gill who’d got up early to encourage me - that’s always a welcome boost to your spirits. CP 2 was Drymen at 20km with 255m of climbing from the start. I was aiming to get under 11 hours and to do that I needed a fast start so I was delighted to complete that section in 47mins (1 hr 48 min total) considering I had another 64km ahead. My coach Genevieve and her husband Colin were there to cheer me on and telling me I was doing great but in reality I was feeling tired with heavy legs. Going on a 10 day cruise ending a week before this event wasn’t’t good preparation but my training had gone well up till then.
Drymen to Balmaha is, for me, a difficult section with 379m of climbing. The rain was steady and you are exposed climbing Conic Hill but even worse is the descent where you don’t want to trash your quads and the wet stones present a real danger of you’re not careful. Again Genevieve, Colin were waiting for me at Balmaha with my running pal Stuart. This is the last time for a while I’d see anyone and words of encouragement were given as I restocked with gels, drank some flat coke and
stuffed a handful of mixed nuts in my mouth before heading off. I still didn’t feel great, hadn’t found my running rhythm and couldn’t swallow the nuts - I ended up spitting them out after 5 minutes of trying to wash them down with water. I was now 3 hours 11 mins into the race and couldn’t believe this amount of time had passed. Normally my head is full of positive thoughts or no thoughts when running but for some unknown reason, possibly the though of my “holiday champagne training”, was causing doubts. My legs just didn’t feel as they should but despite that my pace so far was good.
The next section is 11km to Inversnaid with 373m of ascending. The tree lined route along the loch offers some shelter but you have to watch your step with all the rocks and the tree branches, not helped by them being wet. As you approach Inversnaid Hotel there is a bridge over the river with steep steps up to the bridge - this is where you start to recognise a few niggles. My right hip flexor was starting to grumble. 1 hr 34m for this section gives an idea how your running needs to slow down to allow for the terrain. When you get to Inversnaid there are almost no supporters but the marshalls go out of there way to make you feel welcome and help in any way they can. They send you off with some hope because they know what’s coming next. I didn’t manage any solid food but got half a bottle of fat coke into me - I was surviving on gels but my guts didn’t feel particularly good about any food.
The distance between Inversnaid and Beinglass (373m of ascent) is 1km shorter than the previous section yet took 18 minutes longer. As anyone who has been done this section - it’s awful on a good day but with heavy rain it’s treacherous with loads of slippy tree routs and rocks that you are either scrambling over or carefully picking your spot to land your foot on. You have to lift yourself up and lower yourself down some very tricky rocks. There’s another “ladder” which is like a step machine on max elevation and there is no railing to hold onto. That’s when my hip flexor started failing so from there on in if I needed to step up it was with my left foot. My feet were soaking wet with the puddles and mud I had to go through and it was a thoroughly miserable section. To put this into context you’ve run further than a marathon with tired legs and your clambering over rocks trying not to slip. No wonder you are less than walking pace. If there was a relief from the rocks then I ran but you’re talking 10-20 metres then you’re walking again.
It was a relief to come through that section and see the Beinglas check point with my Genevieve & Colin shouting encouragement and telling me to get my “game face on” as I must of looked bust. My sub 11 hour target was touch and go at this stage and I knew it although they never said. However I had a secondary target in mind as I knew a few club mates had done a time around 11.08 previously so if I couldn’t make the first target then I’d aim for the second. My rationale was simple; without the targets I’d be as well walking in, as many people do, so I needed something to keep me moving faster than walking pace. At this check point spectators aren’t allowed in so a couple of 100 metres shy of the CP Genevieve told me to get some solid food in as I needed it. I managed some cheese and pork pie and soon I was on my way and I waved back to them knowing my wife and son were at the next check point and that lifted my spirits as the rain continue to tip down.
The track to Bogle Glen is undulating and easier underfoot than the previous section. I was trying to run as much as I could but the uphills were taking their toll. At one stage I tripped and fell bloodying both knees - this wasn’t helped by the fact I’d done that 3 days ago so the scab was taken off as it was my hand - ouch. It was miserable out there but I just wanted to get this finished. In my mind I was trying to remain positive. The “conversation” I was having was that this is where ultras come into their own. You can only feel this tired, battered and bruised if you’ve put in those miles before now so this was ideal training for me with the Tahoe 200 approaching. As I approach the check point I could here them screaming (abuse I think). They’d been there for an hour and looked like drowned rats but a welcome sight. I got a big hug for one of the marshalls, thanks Katie. It was now 9 hrs 41 mins into the race and I had just over 9km to go but the last section had the most climbing - 515m.
Heading up the hills you were met with water running down so your feet were completely soaked. Fortunately I have been treating my feet for months and was wearing compression toe socks and the combination meant no blisters. I’m sure there would have been some blister issues out there with all that water. My memory of this last section will be the downhills, not the uphills. My quads were “shot to bits” and I had to take it easy heading down the hills. With the water and the rocks you had to be careful as you could easily injure yourself badly here with your muscles being so tired.
The lead up to the finish line has a slight incline which seems like a mountain and then you have the long run down the red carpet. It’s a fantastic finish with music blaring out (YMCA), the commentator announcing your name, the cow bells ringing and your friends calling out your name. I saw my wife and son but kept my focus on 10 yards beyond the finish line. In 2014 I switched my mind off on the red carpet, my brain thought it had finished and my hamstring blew so I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. As I ran, well sort of ran, to the line I became aware of someone trying to pip me on the line so I force a few steps and beat him on the line to take 199th place. I was straight into the arms of a Marshall who realised I could no longer support myself and quickly taken into the warm tent by friends Paul, Beth and Ellie who were there to look after the runners. They got me warmed up and as it was too much faff to get my wounds seen to I got dressed and headed off. In the end my time was 11 hours 5 mins and 36 seconds (beating my club mates!) which I was very pleased with considering my last 3 weeks of training. I dug very deep to complete this race. The last 20km had been slow, slower than my recovery runs but when you have 64 km in your legs with all the climbing and ascending you just need to do what has to be done. Walking in would have been so disappointing although had I been injured it would have been the only option.
The Fling is my favourite ultra because it’s well organise, fantastic marshalling and a very tough course. Thank you Jonny “Fling” and your wonderful team.
Now it’s time to recover, I lost 5lbs of weight on the run, and will analyse the statistics with my coach as we prepare for the Tahoe 200. To put that challenge into context it’s like completing 4 Flings in a row with 40,000 ft of climbing in 4 days non stop. I’ve got my work cut out for me as there are 137 days to go.
Sunday, 21 April 2019
Champagne - the alternative tapering method
You may have wondered where I’ve been as I missed my blog last Sunday but I’ve been away on a special training camp. One that involved lots of heat, humidity and .....champagne. It was all part of a master plan which had my coaches finger prints all over it....maybe not the quantity of champagne though.
In previous blogs I’ve mentioned balancing training with life and it’s important that as I’m not a full time athlete who makes a living from my adventures (yet), that life gets priority 99% of the time. And this was such an occasion - a 3 day trip to Miami followed by a week’s Caribbean Cruise. This meant I missed a week of normal training and my tapering period started while in the middle of the ocean. But my coach knew this and we planned the training for this period. I’m currently sitting in Miami airport supping my last champagne before boarding the flight - cheers.
The previous three weeks leading up to the holiday we’d been building up the miles. We’d had to ramp them up in anticipation of the holiday but my body was showing signs of fatigue especially from having raced the 50km Kielder Ultra a few weeks ago. I had to build in a few rest days in a row and was looking forward to a real rest on holiday while allowing the training to tick over.
We arrived in Miami and our hotel was on the boardwalk that gave me a four mile run down to South Beach and the same back. I did this every day and made sure I was out before 7am because by the time I’d finished I was a sweaty mess with the temperature at 29c and humidity at 80%. I’d step straight in a cold shower with my running gear on so I could wash it to reduce the smell - 10 days training gear in my case. Can you imagine the smell? These were very different training conditions and I had to work hard to maintain a reasonable pace. It was -3 the day we left home. I ate like a king and enjoyed the wine, champagne and beer. My philosophy was to wake up feeling slightly hungover and going out an 8 mile run. This would then feel like a 53 mile run so perfect training for my next race on Saturday next week. That’s what I call dedication. Miami was fantastic but when I wasn’t eating and drinking I was resting and after 3 days felt as though I was getting stronger.
It was also good to have time to talk and not worry about deadlines or work and visit art shops - all things we don’t find time for at home. This was a great holiday.
We headed off to the cruise ship and that’s when the “endurance” really starts. It’s an all inclusive top class party. Every morning after my run the hardest decision was should I have fruit, smoked salmon, poached eggs washed down with coffee and a chocolate croissant again!
Training on a cruise ship isn’t easy. If running on the treadmill you have to take account of the ships movement. One day I failed and got spat out the back of the treadmill like all those videos you’ve seen on FB. A nice bloodied knee to go with it. I mixed it up with a step machine, cross trainer and running round the deck but with the exception of one days rest, I was training. My wife also took me through a yoga session most days which was great for stretching out the muscles and relaxing.
We visited Key West which was probably our favourite destination, Grand Cayman was OK and the two stops in Mexico were excellent helped by the fact we had befriended two lovely American’s, Mike and Mugette, who knew their way around. Wall to wall fantastic food and I’m hoping I’ve put a few pounds on as I was at minimal weight before setting off.
Saturday will be a tough test. 53 miles with 7,500ft of climbing and the forecast is 10 degrees with sunshine and rain. It’s not the ideal preparation although my body will definitely have benefitted from all the rest and sleep I enjoyed. My legs have the miles in them that’s required, I just need to make sure my mind is focused in a positive manner to defeat the “dark moments” that always happen in a race of this length. The Highland Fling is a wonderful event with amazing runners, volunteers and organisers and takes place in a beautiful part of Scotland. I’ll take in as much of the scenery as I can through the blood, sweat, tears and snotters so that when I cross the finish line I can get back on the champagne.....at least for a day! See you on the other side.
In previous blogs I’ve mentioned balancing training with life and it’s important that as I’m not a full time athlete who makes a living from my adventures (yet), that life gets priority 99% of the time. And this was such an occasion - a 3 day trip to Miami followed by a week’s Caribbean Cruise. This meant I missed a week of normal training and my tapering period started while in the middle of the ocean. But my coach knew this and we planned the training for this period. I’m currently sitting in Miami airport supping my last champagne before boarding the flight - cheers.
The previous three weeks leading up to the holiday we’d been building up the miles. We’d had to ramp them up in anticipation of the holiday but my body was showing signs of fatigue especially from having raced the 50km Kielder Ultra a few weeks ago. I had to build in a few rest days in a row and was looking forward to a real rest on holiday while allowing the training to tick over.
We arrived in Miami and our hotel was on the boardwalk that gave me a four mile run down to South Beach and the same back. I did this every day and made sure I was out before 7am because by the time I’d finished I was a sweaty mess with the temperature at 29c and humidity at 80%. I’d step straight in a cold shower with my running gear on so I could wash it to reduce the smell - 10 days training gear in my case. Can you imagine the smell? These were very different training conditions and I had to work hard to maintain a reasonable pace. It was -3 the day we left home. I ate like a king and enjoyed the wine, champagne and beer. My philosophy was to wake up feeling slightly hungover and going out an 8 mile run. This would then feel like a 53 mile run so perfect training for my next race on Saturday next week. That’s what I call dedication. Miami was fantastic but when I wasn’t eating and drinking I was resting and after 3 days felt as though I was getting stronger.
It was also good to have time to talk and not worry about deadlines or work and visit art shops - all things we don’t find time for at home. This was a great holiday.
We headed off to the cruise ship and that’s when the “endurance” really starts. It’s an all inclusive top class party. Every morning after my run the hardest decision was should I have fruit, smoked salmon, poached eggs washed down with coffee and a chocolate croissant again!
Training on a cruise ship isn’t easy. If running on the treadmill you have to take account of the ships movement. One day I failed and got spat out the back of the treadmill like all those videos you’ve seen on FB. A nice bloodied knee to go with it. I mixed it up with a step machine, cross trainer and running round the deck but with the exception of one days rest, I was training. My wife also took me through a yoga session most days which was great for stretching out the muscles and relaxing.
We visited Key West which was probably our favourite destination, Grand Cayman was OK and the two stops in Mexico were excellent helped by the fact we had befriended two lovely American’s, Mike and Mugette, who knew their way around. Wall to wall fantastic food and I’m hoping I’ve put a few pounds on as I was at minimal weight before setting off.
Saturday will be a tough test. 53 miles with 7,500ft of climbing and the forecast is 10 degrees with sunshine and rain. It’s not the ideal preparation although my body will definitely have benefitted from all the rest and sleep I enjoyed. My legs have the miles in them that’s required, I just need to make sure my mind is focused in a positive manner to defeat the “dark moments” that always happen in a race of this length. The Highland Fling is a wonderful event with amazing runners, volunteers and organisers and takes place in a beautiful part of Scotland. I’ll take in as much of the scenery as I can through the blood, sweat, tears and snotters so that when I cross the finish line I can get back on the champagne.....at least for a day! See you on the other side.
Sunday, 7 April 2019
Race day psychology
As you know I follow a very strict training plan which my coach sets taking into account my seasons goals, my health, fitness and work schedule. Every training session has an objective which keeps me focused. The objective could be distance, speed, heart rate so I’ve always got something to aim at which motivates me through every session. But is it different from race day?
This week I got to put it to the test. My pal Stuart was running the Kielder 50 km Ultra on Saturday and Beth & I were going along to support him. The idea was for us to run ahead of the race, cheer him on and then run back to see him finish. That way we could get our training run in but the problem was how could we carry enough water for such a long run? The answer; why not enter the race! We were later joined by Gavin so Stuart had three supporters - well at least at the start line. And that’s the problem when my toe stands at the start of a race.
I’d got a pass for the race from my coach on the basis it was a “training run” - didn’t want to upset her carefully balanced plan. She set me a target of 5hrs 30 mins and looking at previous events I thought this was OK but I wasn’t going to be able to hang around. I felt good in the run up to the race so when the hooter went off I headed out confidently. After 3 km I was slightly ahead of my pals and pressed on thinking they might catch up later and I was comfortable with the pace I was running at and knew I’d slow down as the race went on.
The course was fantastic with the vast majority of it is truly trails and very little tarmac. Some of the downhills through the forrest were technical as the ground was soft mud with hard rocks underneath and I had to catch myself a few times with a few ankle turns. There was 995m of climbing and this is one of the differences I think with a training run. Where ever possible I ran/shuffled the hills which was quicker than power walking. If there was someone ahead of me then I “painted a target” on their back and hunted them down. I made sure when I passed them I did so at pace and you could almost here them give up when they saw “the auld yin” pass them.
I ran the race on my own which is a good practice because you need to be happy with your own company but I learned a valuable lesson. At one point there was a fork in the trail but there was no marker. I didn’t know which way to go so followed the organisers instructions and ran back the direction I came from. Fortunately I bumped into Ali who had downloaded the route onto her Garmin. With her help we took the right direction so thank you Ali. I will definitely be learning how to do that before my next race. Me and technology have a difficult relationship!
I’m glad I had the race profile in my head as it allowed me to pace myself and know what was coming up. At the 34km checkpoint I had a dropbag and my long awaited custard, mini pork pie and washed down with flat coke. This was a real lift to my spirits and the fuel to get me up the remaining hills. Still no sign of my pals so once I was over the last hill I picked up the pace - I didn’t want to leave anything out on the course, this wasn’t a training run.
I finished in 5hrs 6mins which I was very happy with as I’d definitely pushed it, the thought of a training run had been binned on the start line. I was also delighted to find out I was the first over 50 male and received a lovely trophy from the organisers - chuffed to bits. I was there to see my pals come in and between us team ATHelite rocked the event. My coach was pleased and gave me today off to recover, because tomorrow I have a 2hr 8min run! I’m using the time to eat my body weight in food, rest and study my next race which is the Highland Fling, a 53 mile hilly ultra on Saturday 27th April. My fast time yesterday will mean I need to reprogramme my head about what time is possible. Exciting times, excuse the pun!
This week I got to put it to the test. My pal Stuart was running the Kielder 50 km Ultra on Saturday and Beth & I were going along to support him. The idea was for us to run ahead of the race, cheer him on and then run back to see him finish. That way we could get our training run in but the problem was how could we carry enough water for such a long run? The answer; why not enter the race! We were later joined by Gavin so Stuart had three supporters - well at least at the start line. And that’s the problem when my toe stands at the start of a race.
I’d got a pass for the race from my coach on the basis it was a “training run” - didn’t want to upset her carefully balanced plan. She set me a target of 5hrs 30 mins and looking at previous events I thought this was OK but I wasn’t going to be able to hang around. I felt good in the run up to the race so when the hooter went off I headed out confidently. After 3 km I was slightly ahead of my pals and pressed on thinking they might catch up later and I was comfortable with the pace I was running at and knew I’d slow down as the race went on.
The course was fantastic with the vast majority of it is truly trails and very little tarmac. Some of the downhills through the forrest were technical as the ground was soft mud with hard rocks underneath and I had to catch myself a few times with a few ankle turns. There was 995m of climbing and this is one of the differences I think with a training run. Where ever possible I ran/shuffled the hills which was quicker than power walking. If there was someone ahead of me then I “painted a target” on their back and hunted them down. I made sure when I passed them I did so at pace and you could almost here them give up when they saw “the auld yin” pass them.
I ran the race on my own which is a good practice because you need to be happy with your own company but I learned a valuable lesson. At one point there was a fork in the trail but there was no marker. I didn’t know which way to go so followed the organisers instructions and ran back the direction I came from. Fortunately I bumped into Ali who had downloaded the route onto her Garmin. With her help we took the right direction so thank you Ali. I will definitely be learning how to do that before my next race. Me and technology have a difficult relationship!
I’m glad I had the race profile in my head as it allowed me to pace myself and know what was coming up. At the 34km checkpoint I had a dropbag and my long awaited custard, mini pork pie and washed down with flat coke. This was a real lift to my spirits and the fuel to get me up the remaining hills. Still no sign of my pals so once I was over the last hill I picked up the pace - I didn’t want to leave anything out on the course, this wasn’t a training run.
I finished in 5hrs 6mins which I was very happy with as I’d definitely pushed it, the thought of a training run had been binned on the start line. I was also delighted to find out I was the first over 50 male and received a lovely trophy from the organisers - chuffed to bits. I was there to see my pals come in and between us team ATHelite rocked the event. My coach was pleased and gave me today off to recover, because tomorrow I have a 2hr 8min run! I’m using the time to eat my body weight in food, rest and study my next race which is the Highland Fling, a 53 mile hilly ultra on Saturday 27th April. My fast time yesterday will mean I need to reprogramme my head about what time is possible. Exciting times, excuse the pun!
Sunday, 31 March 2019
Digging deep
In last weeks blog I left you wondering how my 2 hour run on the Monday would go following my quad thrashing of a weekend. I smashed it with a fast, for me, 5:09 kmpm pace and felt great - how did that happen? I think it come down to two things; a well designed training plan and plenty of rest and food in between. I see athlete’s over train all the time and then wonder how they can’t reach their targets. Rest is just another discipline involved in training and one I make sure I get plenty of.
This week once again was building my training round my work and I was in London on Thur/Fri with two long days and some client socialising! Thursday was a much later night than intended which meant getting up at 6.30 for a run along the Thames was an effort. My legs felt heavy but I slogged it out. Another long day and another delayed flight home so not ideal preparation for my 4hr run on Saturday.
Fortunately I had company. Beth met us already having run an hour which she needed to do to fit in with her plans. Stuart is tapering for his ultra next week end so he was joining us for an hour and would then head back with Beth. Gavin joined us having run 5km to get to us and to my delight stayed the full distance with me. It’s funny how your perspective of distance and time change as your training builds ups. A month ago 4 hours would have seemed like a very long run, and it is. But because I’m steadily building up the distance I don’t seem to mind so much. While it’s physical it’s more mental. And in a months time I’ll be thinking 4 hours is nothing because for 53 miles I’ll probably be running for 12 hours!
3 hours into the run my Garmin ran out of juice and Gavin very kindly stayed with me although the distance was a big jump up for him. This allowed me to get accurate stats on my run because my Strava feed would only show 3 hours and as my pals (annoyingly) say “if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen”. So than’s Gav for digging deeper that you thought you’d have to.
When we were chatting we got onto the subject of what do you think about when running? Your mind can wander and you can think through problems or whatever but the best bit is when you are on “auto pilot” and thinking about absolutely nothing. It’s sheer bliss when you are in this “state”. But there is also the time when you are running with someone and neither is speaking. It’s usually when you are digging into your reserves, thinking of the pain and trying to deflect it either by looking at the scenery or thinking about what you are going to eat when you finish. We went through that period of silence and I think it’s out of respect you don’t start talking negatively because that will impact on your running partner as well as yourself. It’s a real privilege to run with people who’s company you enjoy knowing that they are working hard to reach their own goals.
Part of the run was in Chatelherault and we bumped into Scott Cunningham who was walking with his guide dog. I can’t begin to imagine what goes on in his mind while he takes on the challenge of the uneven ground of Chatelherault. Unfortunately his guide runner is in hospital and he’s looking for some runners to train with as he prepares to the Great North Run - he finished the Manchester marathon in 4 hrs 10 mins so he doesn’t hang around. I hope to be able to accompany him on some runs in the coming months - he’s such an inspiration!
This morning was a short run - only 2hrs and 8 mins (see what I mean about changing perspective!) but on tired heavy legs. I was on my own so I went out with some music to distract my mind but it’s not the same as having company. It was a tough shift made tougher with the knowledge I was following it with a gym session. The leg burn in the gym was tough but I know I need to improve my core and leg strength for all of my races.
Just to finish off the tired legs training, tomorrow I am heading off very early with Michael to head up and run down a nearby mountain to continue with the quad shredding as part of my essential preparation for the Fling on 27th April. The journey continues and I’m loving it.
This week once again was building my training round my work and I was in London on Thur/Fri with two long days and some client socialising! Thursday was a much later night than intended which meant getting up at 6.30 for a run along the Thames was an effort. My legs felt heavy but I slogged it out. Another long day and another delayed flight home so not ideal preparation for my 4hr run on Saturday.
Fortunately I had company. Beth met us already having run an hour which she needed to do to fit in with her plans. Stuart is tapering for his ultra next week end so he was joining us for an hour and would then head back with Beth. Gavin joined us having run 5km to get to us and to my delight stayed the full distance with me. It’s funny how your perspective of distance and time change as your training builds ups. A month ago 4 hours would have seemed like a very long run, and it is. But because I’m steadily building up the distance I don’t seem to mind so much. While it’s physical it’s more mental. And in a months time I’ll be thinking 4 hours is nothing because for 53 miles I’ll probably be running for 12 hours!
3 hours into the run my Garmin ran out of juice and Gavin very kindly stayed with me although the distance was a big jump up for him. This allowed me to get accurate stats on my run because my Strava feed would only show 3 hours and as my pals (annoyingly) say “if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen”. So than’s Gav for digging deeper that you thought you’d have to.
When we were chatting we got onto the subject of what do you think about when running? Your mind can wander and you can think through problems or whatever but the best bit is when you are on “auto pilot” and thinking about absolutely nothing. It’s sheer bliss when you are in this “state”. But there is also the time when you are running with someone and neither is speaking. It’s usually when you are digging into your reserves, thinking of the pain and trying to deflect it either by looking at the scenery or thinking about what you are going to eat when you finish. We went through that period of silence and I think it’s out of respect you don’t start talking negatively because that will impact on your running partner as well as yourself. It’s a real privilege to run with people who’s company you enjoy knowing that they are working hard to reach their own goals.
Part of the run was in Chatelherault and we bumped into Scott Cunningham who was walking with his guide dog. I can’t begin to imagine what goes on in his mind while he takes on the challenge of the uneven ground of Chatelherault. Unfortunately his guide runner is in hospital and he’s looking for some runners to train with as he prepares to the Great North Run - he finished the Manchester marathon in 4 hrs 10 mins so he doesn’t hang around. I hope to be able to accompany him on some runs in the coming months - he’s such an inspiration!
This morning was a short run - only 2hrs and 8 mins (see what I mean about changing perspective!) but on tired heavy legs. I was on my own so I went out with some music to distract my mind but it’s not the same as having company. It was a tough shift made tougher with the knowledge I was following it with a gym session. The leg burn in the gym was tough but I know I need to improve my core and leg strength for all of my races.
Just to finish off the tired legs training, tomorrow I am heading off very early with Michael to head up and run down a nearby mountain to continue with the quad shredding as part of my essential preparation for the Fling on 27th April. The journey continues and I’m loving it.
Sunday, 24 March 2019
Double Conic!
My 53 mile ultra is approaching rapidly and I need to prepare my body and more importantly my mind for this event. I could probably do with another 3 or 4 weeks to prepare, but that’s no available so a bit of cramming is required. A tough week at work and a tough weeks training, especially this weekend.
Saturday was a 31km run on a section of the race. It involved going up over Conic Hill, down to Balmaha and along the side of Loch Lomond before retracing my steps. Fortunately my pal Stuart was running with me because as we started the climb I didn’t feel “I had it in me” but he encouraged me. The rain started and I was all for chucking it at the top and heading back down but we stopped for a couple of photos of the breath taking views and spoke to a young couple from Wales. That break did me the world of good. My spirits lifted as I headed down the hill but at the back of my mind I knew I’d have to be coming back up this hill.
I seemed to get a second wind and as the run went on I seemed to get stronger. We finished strong and I was relieved to be finished but felt completely drained. We headed off to get something to eat as there was nothing left in the tank. So glad I didn’t allow my mind to talk me out the run - it almost did.
Today was going to be tough. A 2 hour run up Ben Ledi. Again I was lucky to have a couple of pals with me, Michael & Beth. However the weather conditions didn’t look favourable. 50 mph winds predicted and that was at ground level. When we were head into wind we were almost at a standstill but worst of all was the cross wind. It almost blew us off our feet and when we got to the summit we didn’t hang around. Our descent was fast as the wind blew us down hill but when we reached the bottom we had to refluel as the tank was empty. We took a chance on the weather and got away with it. The scenery was stunning and it certainly blew away any cobweb we may have had. We are so lucky to have this scenery on our doorstep.
Back to back runs are what gets me ready for long races and tomorrow I have a 2 hour run on tired legs. It should be interesting but I’m looking forward to it as it takes me 1 step closer to my goal.
Saturday was a 31km run on a section of the race. It involved going up over Conic Hill, down to Balmaha and along the side of Loch Lomond before retracing my steps. Fortunately my pal Stuart was running with me because as we started the climb I didn’t feel “I had it in me” but he encouraged me. The rain started and I was all for chucking it at the top and heading back down but we stopped for a couple of photos of the breath taking views and spoke to a young couple from Wales. That break did me the world of good. My spirits lifted as I headed down the hill but at the back of my mind I knew I’d have to be coming back up this hill.
I seemed to get a second wind and as the run went on I seemed to get stronger. We finished strong and I was relieved to be finished but felt completely drained. We headed off to get something to eat as there was nothing left in the tank. So glad I didn’t allow my mind to talk me out the run - it almost did.
Today was going to be tough. A 2 hour run up Ben Ledi. Again I was lucky to have a couple of pals with me, Michael & Beth. However the weather conditions didn’t look favourable. 50 mph winds predicted and that was at ground level. When we were head into wind we were almost at a standstill but worst of all was the cross wind. It almost blew us off our feet and when we got to the summit we didn’t hang around. Our descent was fast as the wind blew us down hill but when we reached the bottom we had to refluel as the tank was empty. We took a chance on the weather and got away with it. The scenery was stunning and it certainly blew away any cobweb we may have had. We are so lucky to have this scenery on our doorstep.
Back to back runs are what gets me ready for long races and tomorrow I have a 2 hour run on tired legs. It should be interesting but I’m looking forward to it as it takes me 1 step closer to my goal.
Sunday, 17 March 2019
How bad do you want it?
When setting goals in life, this is the “killer question”. Everything else takes second place. Whether it be climbing the career ladder, planning your retirement or running your first 5/10/21/42 km race this is the key question because if you don’t “want it bad” then when the going gets tough you will struggle.
The Kms are starting to build with my first race of the season approaching in 5 weeks time. It’s a tough 53 mile / 85km ultra on the West Highland Way with 7,500 ft / 2,300m of climbing. This weekend has been unusual as I’ve been concentrating on shorter 1 hour runs but with pace. The fact that they’re shorter doesn’t mean they are easy as the increase in speed feels alien but these are important sessions. The next two weeks involve some of my longest runs to date and mountain runs where I shred my quads on the way down to replicate what the conditions will be like on the ultra. I’ve also to fit this around a couple of London trips but it has to be done because “I want it bad”!
After today’s run I met with my coach to go over my schedule between now and the race. We made a few alterations to the plan but all the statistics are pointing in the right direction which is encouraging. More planning is required to make sure I fuel properly during the race because it’s easy to get this wrong and all the training in the world won’t get you through running “on empty”.
I’ll be talking to a group of Vistage CEOs next week about this subject. They are “corporate athlete’s” and their approach should be no different from training for an ultra. After all, running a successful business isn’t a sprint. It’s far more like an extreme ultra in my own personal experience.
So when thinking about your goals remember and ask yourself, how bad do you want it?
The Kms are starting to build with my first race of the season approaching in 5 weeks time. It’s a tough 53 mile / 85km ultra on the West Highland Way with 7,500 ft / 2,300m of climbing. This weekend has been unusual as I’ve been concentrating on shorter 1 hour runs but with pace. The fact that they’re shorter doesn’t mean they are easy as the increase in speed feels alien but these are important sessions. The next two weeks involve some of my longest runs to date and mountain runs where I shred my quads on the way down to replicate what the conditions will be like on the ultra. I’ve also to fit this around a couple of London trips but it has to be done because “I want it bad”!
After today’s run I met with my coach to go over my schedule between now and the race. We made a few alterations to the plan but all the statistics are pointing in the right direction which is encouraging. More planning is required to make sure I fuel properly during the race because it’s easy to get this wrong and all the training in the world won’t get you through running “on empty”.
I’ll be talking to a group of Vistage CEOs next week about this subject. They are “corporate athlete’s” and their approach should be no different from training for an ultra. After all, running a successful business isn’t a sprint. It’s far more like an extreme ultra in my own personal experience.
So when thinking about your goals remember and ask yourself, how bad do you want it?
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