Bloody ballots

The UK is one of the most active ultra running scenes in the world.  We have so many different races you are spoiled for choice, if only you could get in them!  Last week I said we'd got the first half of our year planned.  That would have been the case if 2 out of the three of them didn't go to a ballot. The West Highland Way hasn't opened yet but I have lost out twice before so fingers crossed.  Beth & I applied for the Montane Lakeland 50.  She got in, I didn't.  Went for a charity place and 15 minutes after it opened I was number 751 in the queue, didn't get in.
The only race that is booked is The Lap (Lake Windemere) 43 mile Anti-clockwise in September next year and I'm glad to say, we're in.  I only found out about it last night from our pal Stu who has also entered - the race entries opened 2 hours ago and it's almost sold out!
I have a good for age for the Boston Marathon and entries open tomorrow so again, fingers crossed.  It's in April and 2 weeks after it is the Chiltern 50 miler which opens next weekend.
In the meantime my quads have some issues that are being worked on by my "medical team".  Running down even a slight decline is painful but running on the flat is fine.  I've also started work with a personal trainer to get stronger so hopefully that will help.
I'm investigating a "big race" in the next couple of years as I haven't succeeded in anything "big" since Tahoe in 2019.  Races in the heat are probably out due to my AF so it looks like I maybe going cold!  I'm excited about that but a my research is just starting.
With the Glasgow half marathon 3 weeks away, I ran 16/21&13km in the last fours days with my dodgy quads.  I have my fingers crossed that I can build up some speed work as I really want to "give it a go" and get a PB.  I also have to remember we have the Amsterdam Marathon two weeks after it so my mileage is going to increase.  I've enjoyed my training runs this week but need to lose the sharp pains in my quads.
There is a great deal of planning in advance required to put together a good race calendar for the year ahead and you success in getting into some races comes down to luck.  So plan well ahead and look into the application process as well as the race as you can get caught out.  As for the ballots, it's a sign of the success of ultra running in the UK and many of the entrants are from overseas as was demonstrated in the Montane Lakeland 50 (& 100) and every year in the West Highland Way.  I can only keep my fingers crossed for the WHY which would be amazing. 

Cramming

It's been a difficult month for me as far as training is concerned.  The two weeks in Romania involved one 4 km run.  However I did lose 3km with the manual labour of being a volunteer.  When I came back home my knees were aching from the constant bending down when putting the tents up or down and working 8 - 12 hours a day.  Now I'm back I've started training but my foot/calf injury came back and I took four days off training before I saw my wonderful sports therapist Pamela.  When I booked the meeting it was my right knee that was the problem - it kept collapsing.  But by the time my appointment arrived my foot was very uncomfortable and walking on it was difficult enough.
She focused on my foot/calf and finished off by spending some time on my right knee/quad.  I've got stretches' to do and hopefully it will start behaving.
In the meantime I have signed up with Beth's Personal Trainer to strengthen my body as for too long I have suffered injuries.  I'm not aiming for "beach muscles" but being stronger for my running.  First session is on Wednesday and Bart helped Beth in her prep for URR in 6 weeks so here's hoping.  He doesn't allow swearing and that will definitely be a f@@@@@g problem!
Today Beth and I headed to the "Arrochar Alps".  It was our intention to do 3 summits but when we got there it was all in cloud base.  We power walked to the top and my lack of training showed although one climber said she thought we were running so it was a decent pace.  Beth "threaded the needle" but there is no photographic evidence as you can hardly see the rock!  I did hold my breath while she did it as the rocks were slippy which meant she didn't get to the top of the rock (the Cobbler).  
We had a wonderful run down taking about 40 mins and I relied on my poles as my knees had a few weak moments - total distance up and down 11.7K.  We skipped the other two summits and agreed to get back home and run a lap of Chatelherault.  We arrived stiff from the drive but the sun had come out and again we had a fantastic, although tough lap (7.6k).  I was blowing out my arse but my heart  behaved itself although it did show up my lack of training.  It was interesting to watch Beth tackle, what in normal circumstances we'd call hills.  They didn't even feature for her having come back from the Romanian mountains. 
The reference to cramming is that in a month I have the Glasgow half marathon and two weeks later the Amsterdam Marathon.  This is not the recommended approach and it will be "reverse tapering".  I want to do well in both races but much will depend on how my knees/calf and foot hold up.  But I'm excited for the challenge and Beth will be racing both events.  I have the experience to run sensible races and also have the miles in the legs.  But I'll be pushing for PBs so lets see if the cramming works.
We've already got our races planned for the first half of next year, if we get in, and I'll provide those details in the coming weeks.  

Living in the present

I sometimes have to remind myself that I need to live in the present, meaning here and now.  We all make plans whether it be for a holiday or a race in the future, but somehow the actual event disappears before you know it.  Ultra Race Romania was just like that.  We spend a long time planning it and were excited as we sat in the departures lounge thinking about arriving in Romania where it was 15/20 degrees warmer.  Before we knew it, 2 weeks had past and the adventure was over.  Our memories of the people, the beautiful countryside, the mountains and the challenge are stored in our heads and constant reminders come up on FaceBook, but life has to return to normal.  That's not so easy but a transition we all have to make.  We can't live in the past - it's a reference library to dip into when required, not lived in.
I've been thinking this over since returning and gradually switching from adventure mode to business and normal life mode.  Last night I had friends Martin & Elizabeth Schwitter, from Grand 2 Grand (2017) visit me from Geneva and stay over.  We shared memories of the race and the people we had met and it took me right back there.  I helped them plan their tour of Scotland and again, when looking at locations to visit, my memories kicked in as though I was there.
But if I live my life in the past or thinking "one day....." then I am missing the most important part, today, right now.  It came to me this morning as I was walking Poppy around the Hamilton Race course.  Her nose was twitching as she picked up the scent of deer and started searching for them.  Nose to the ground she went back and forth.  They were hiding in the undergrowth fortunately or I'd have been pulled off my feet!  It's happened before.  But Poppy was living in the present, making the most of her early morning walk,  Not like me, I was on auto-pilot, walking Poppy before our breakfast and then off to work.  What I should have been doing is taking in my beautiful surroundings, the noise of the birds singing and the sight of the deer running for cover.  The morning dew makes the fragrances come alive and I remember my first run when I came back from Romania and I was overwhelmed with the fragrances of the flowers and the trees.  Something I rarely noticed because I'd become accustomed to them.

Living in the present means appreciating the here and now.  Take time today and discover what fragrances have been under your nose that you haven't noticed.  Look up when walking and take in the horizon.  Unplug your headphones and listen for the birds.  Feel alive because it's a privilege to be fit and healthy.  The simple pleasure in life can be the most precious and sharing a home cooked dinner with a friend who I hadn't seen in 6 years reminded me how quickly time passes. Go and enjoy today.

Ultra Race Romania - 2023 Reflections

This is the last of 3 blogs regarding URR and I think it's an important read for the athletes who took part, the volunteers and anyone who is considering signing up for this adventure of a lifetime.
The athletes and volunteers have returned home to their families and they will enjoy telling stories of bear foot prints, bear poo, wild dogs, the stunning scenery and all the experiences they went through in this adventure.  I call it an adventure because it's way more than a race. 
The athletes have completed an extremely tough 7 day adventure and during that time they were "stripped bare".  No luxuries, no showers, no fresh clothes, no make up or hair conditioner, eating freeze dried food and suffering from a calorie deficit every day which means you lose your muscle mass.  It's not for the faint hearted.  But you are treated like "movie stars" with cheering volunteers and photographers taking unlimited pictures of you and giving interviews about your experience to the wonderful Fisheye team.  Facebook receives these images and they go worldwide.  But when the race is over and you've enjoyed some downtime with your fellow competitors life returns to normal.  In my experience that can be a tough time making the adjustment to normal life and going back to work.
Most of us lead a risk free sedentary life.  That's part of the reason we put ourselves into an event like this, to stimulate the "animal" in us and to take risks (calculated) because it makes us feel alive.  But when we go back home it takes a period of adjustment and this is where an opportunity lies.
What did you learn about yourself during the 7 days?  How did you cope with the fear of being in the forest in the dark on your own knowing that there were wild animals about?  How did you handle sharing a tent with 3 strangers who spoke different languages and constantly being with other people with little time for yourself?  Personally speaking it had a profound affect on me after I came through the post race blues which really had me quite down two years ago.  Coming back as a volunteer wasn't as tough but it still required a period of adjustment and Facebook prolongs that experience with everyone sharing their stories.  And quite rightly too, you should be proud of what you have achieved even if you DNF, you still contributed to the adventure and got outside your comfort zone.
Some competitors have races coming up immediately afterwards so this will delay the come down but it will happen.  
This is your chance to see if you need to make changes in your life.  It may confirm you are perfectly happy but it may also confirm that you are not.  If it's the latter then start to analyse what makes you happy and follow that path.  It may be a change of jobs or making a commitment to a relationship or leaving a relationship.  When I was in URR two years ago it made me feel alive and appreciate "real" people more than ever.  As a volunteer it made me realise this is my "happy place" with likeminded individuals in an environment that excited me.  There's no room for posers or bullshit in this arena.  Taking part is too painful so you only get the gritty people who have a love of the out doors.  URR has changed my life significantly. The changes haven't been easy but I realised "we all know the end of this movie and nobody gets out alive" so you might as well enjoy yourself.  I've always said URR is more than a race, it's an adventure so pluck up the courage and follow in the foot steps of Legends who took on the challenge.  I leave you with one final thought - you have one life.  Live it.

Ultra Race Romania 2023 - the race

This is the second of a three part blog.  The first was about the wonderful volunteers that make the race happen.  This one is my observations of the race as a volunteer supporting the runners.
When you sign up for a 6 day multi-stage, self supporting race with 250 km over 6 stages and 7 days, you probably don't know what you are in for, unless you have done one before.  But URR is so tough with 11,000m of ascent and descent, 38 degree gradient climbs and rough terrain under foot that many experienced runners were surprised. 
When you describe it to friends they start asking questions, do they feed you? are there showers? do they put you up in a hotel between stages?  Your friends begin to question your sanity when they find out the answer was no to those three questions, because who in their right mind would sign up for that?  So why do we do it?  Each runner has their own story which brought them to this particular start line and as long as their WHY is strong they will be successful in their race.  But success is measured differently for each athlete ranging from winning to completing the race.
There were 15 athletes on the start line from, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Hong Kong, Romania, France, Great Britain, Japan, Brazil, and Luxemburg.  The age range was from the youngster in his early 30's to the mature gentleman in his 60s and the split was 9 women & 6 men.  When they met on the first day I observed those that were excited and happy to talk and those that were there to win who were more reserved and had their "game face" on.  At the first meal one athlete at our table finished their food almost without speaking to anyone and then retired to bed.
The next day the athletes traveled to the base camp and they weren't really mixing.  In fact in one tent they didn't speak to each other at all that night.  This however is normal as they are all contemplating in their heads how the next 7 days will go.  Camping with strangers & living out a rucksack for 7 days while running in the mountains isn't easy and so difficult to contemplate what it's like, even if you have ran an ultra before.  There is constant chattering in your head; did I train enough, have I got the right food, will we meet bears or wild dogs?  This tends to make you retreat into yourself as you don't want to show any signs of weakness to strangers you are competing with.
In previous races I have observed that the group normally breaks into three.  The top third are those who are out to win.  They are hardened competitors and winning a prestigious race like URR will be good for their CV.  The next third are out to get as good a time as is physically possible but they are also there to enjoy the experience and take in the surroundings.  The last third are athletes who are likely to power walk more than run and are there to complete the race rather than compete in the race but enjoy the scenery along the way.  The fast ones push themselves to the limit but get it over and done with quickly.  The rest are out much longer and suffer more in the heat so it's a challenge for all the athletes.
In day 1 Reinhold Hugo from Switzerland completed the stage in a record breaking 3:37.  He came across the line dripping in sweat but hardly out of breath.  The tail ender that day took 8:31 but enjoyed her day out - sadly she DNF'd the next day but continued to be involved in different parts of the race.  There were two other DNF's and they also stayed in camp and worked as volunteers just to remain part of what was becoming, a tight group. Already one of them has signed up for 2024 - that's the spirit Tun and Alessandro hopes to be back in 2025.
Reinhold won every stage and smashed the course record with a winning time of 29:39.  During the race he was humble, polite and encouraged all the athletes no matter what their time was.  
2 & 3rd place went to Noemi Hagg of Switzerland & Michaela Punz-Raml of Austria.  After 2 stages they decided to run together which they enjoyed and obviously was safer with bears in the area.  
You can read the full results on the URR website but what it doesn't tell you is how this group of athletes became like a family during the course of the race. 
The 4, all different nationalities, in the tent that didn't speak on the first night became like "party central".  The laughter that came from the tent showed they were having a good time in the toughest of conditions.  With no showers, everyone smells and usually has only one running top and shorts with them with two pairs of socks.  But in the end you don't notice the smell and everyone is in the same position.  Also the women wore no make up which didn't bother anyone as the race went on.
Everyone had their breakfast & dinner together and offered encouragement and sometimes a word of advice or even a massage for those aching traps from carrying the rucksack.  They tried learning Romanian, they told jokes and occasionally played tricks on each other.  The transformation I witnessed from day 1 was incredible.  They also got to know the volunteers so the family expanded.
The day after the "long day" (68km) the athletes rested in hammocks, slept, washed their clothes, ate their food and socialised.  This was helped by a surprise from the organisers which I won't go into detail about, as I don't want to ruin the surprise for future competitors.  Needless to say, every competitor was delighted with the surprise and it lifted their spirits as they rested before 42 km the next day which they considered to be "just a marathon"!
There spirits were lifted further when one of the volunteers, John, borrowed my kilt and ran up and down the campsite waving a machete like a madman while the sound of AC/DC played Thunderstruck!  John's past shoulder length grey hair made him look like the leading man from Braveheart and now he's known as The Highlander.
On the final day we witnessed 12 athletes become URR Legends.  The finish line had a carnival atmosphere and family and friends were there waiting to greet them.  The volunteers also had family along which made it a very special celebration.  We had beer at the finish line and once the last athlete was home safely we greeted the sweepers with a standing ovation.  We retired to the local restaurant for some wonderful Romanian cuisine and more beer!
All good things come to an end and when the meal was finished, the athletes said goodbye to the volunteers who had looked after them over the last 7 days.  A few tears were shed as we parted and I know the athletes and volunteers will stay lifelong friends.  This is so much more than a race and that message has been repeated by the athletes in their FB posts following the race.  
The athletes then had 2 days of sight seeing and again the bonds became even tighter between them.  After that first shower back at the hotel and a change of clothes, we all enjoyed real food and the tours that had been organised.
The friendships that have come out of this race are amazing.  I know because 2 years ago I was in the race and DNF'd but have stayed in touch with athletes who took part.  There were three athletes from previous years who came to visit the race and stay in the tents - one even brought his lovely family and another volunteered for 2 days.  That I think sums up the ethos of this race.  It doesn't matter if you are 1st, last or DNF'd - you are part of the URR family and on returning will be greeted with open arms as I was.  I watched 15 strangers from 11 different countries and 40 volunteers evolve into a family within a week - in today's fast paced world driven by greed and material things, this is something very special.
Again I'd like to thank the organisers for coming up with this amazing race that even the top athlete's said is harder than MdS and Grand 2 Grand.  But it's the total experience of genuinely feeling part of a family that is the "prize" you take home.  A lifetime of memories and a special group of likeminded friends.

 

Ultra Race Romania 2023 - volunteers rock!

It has been an eventful 2 weeks and on Sunday I returned from Romania where I was a volunteer in the Ultra Race Romania (URR).  Originally I was going to be running but a health issue ruled that out and my partner ran the race in my place - she smashed it.  I have so much to share with you about this unbelievable adventure that I am going to write 3 blogs this week covering different aspects.  This is the first one about being a volunteer which was a real "eye opener".  
URR had 15 runners and 40 volunteers.  No race can operate without volunteers and I have always thanked them when I was racing but never appreciate the amount that takes place behind the scenes.  This is multiplied considerably when the event is spread over 250km in mountains that have bears, wolves and wild dogs present. There are many aspects of the organisation that I didn't see, such as shopping for food for the volunteers, marking the track and checking it the day before the race passes through, setting up the technology at the new camp every day, handling the press / website / social media /  videos / photographs / allocating roles to everyone / medical support.  It was done with military precision and I have to thank the hard working team of Andrei, Daniel, Eddie & Roxana. I shared a tent with Andrei but he was rarely in bed before 12pm and up at 4.30am the next day, so effectively I never saw him.
Sadly I can't mention all the volunteers by name but a few will get a mention.  But you are all my friends on FB and know how much you mean to me.  Thank you for looking after me.
I was part of a team of volunteers that; set up the campsite for the runners and the volunteers every day, then dismantled it the next morning and repeating the exercise before the runners got to the next camp.  Setting up the portable toilets and dismantling them and getting rid of the waste (Mainly done by Ionel Andone who deserves a medal, or at least an air freshener as he wouldn't let me do it!).  I did end up with the specific role of "water bitch" which I created myself as I could see this was a concern of the runners. When they woke up in the morning they needed hot and cold water for their food and bottles and they needed toilets that worked i.e. not blocked.  After those requirements were taken care of they could have their breakfast, relax and prepare their rucksack for the day ahead.  Unfortunately the hot water required a kettle to be boiled, maximum 2 at a time and that doesn't satisfy 15 runners so there was a lot of running back an forth between the "kitchen" and the runners eating area.  Sometime instructions/requests from the runners could be a bit blunt, but this was usually down to their use of the English language and no offence was meant although there were a few times I had to bite my tongue as tired runners can be demanding and selfish - human nature.
I had to be careful not to spend too much time in their "space" as they were beginning to gel as a group and I was an outsider. But at the same time I wanted to hear how Beth was getting on so I helped with shoulder massages so I could hear their stories.  I had to remember I was a volunteer and not a runner.
Language was a problem with the volunteers but those that did speak some English, wanted to have conversations so they could practice and they were very good - puts us Brits to shame. 
After the runners had received a noisy welcome home from the volunteers who formed a "guard of honour" when the runners were approaching the camp, they headed to the "kitchen" where the chefs had been working hard to provide a hearty meal - one for veggies and the other for the meat eaters.  I'd sit and try and work out from the body language and facial expressions what they were talking about and sometimes someone would interpret.  On day 1 of arriving at the camp Laurentiu Fratila took me under his wing and helped show me what to do and find food for me when I needed it.  He also introduced me to "Palinca", a home made plum brandy or "moonshine" would be a more accurate description in my opinion.  A number of the volunteers had made their own and it was like a competition to whose was the best.  It certainly created a party atmosphere in the evening and why not.  They'd worked bloody hard all day.
This group of people could not have been kinder.  One of the volunteers who had not been well was facetimed and they all sang happy birthday to her.  She been ill and they all supported her through her illness.  Very special people.
This amazing group all loved running with some accomplished runners.  I found out that some had run 24 hours on sand before, they did a lot of mountain runners and half marathon runners.  They had taken more than a weeks holiday in order to be a volunteers which is a hard, physical 8-12 hour day.  Not being used to manual work I was in pain the first three days and would estimate all the bending down and standing up when assembling and dissembling the tents was the equivalent of 180 squats a day.  My lower back and knees suffered but I got through it.
After day 3 I was allocated to check points but that still meant disassembling tents before leaving for the CP.  It usually involved waiting around for a few hours and the difference between the first runner and the last could be 4-6 hours.  After the last runner went through we then became sweepers.  We walked to the next checkpoint and collected all the blue ribbons hanging from the trees guiding the runners - 25,000 over the 250km.  Once we go to the next checkpoint we got in a car and onto the next camp.  There was usually 4 of us and always a local who tested the "bear poo" to see if it was recent and also explain the various paw marks.
Part of the security was 3 scrambler riders and a quadbike rider who drove up and down the course to create noise to keep the bears away.  One rider did see a bear but other than getting a fright, he was fine.
There are other aspects of the race that I will write about this week but I wanted to start with the volunteers who I regard as my friends.  No race can be run without them and we should remember they took holidays and left families behind to work 8-12 hours a day to ensure the runners had a wonderful experience.  My eyes were opened to how much is required to run such an event smoothly and safely and I have nothing but respect for every one of them.  They also slept under canvas for 9 days and had no showers, but they still chose to do it and always had a smile on their face.  It just leaves me to say volunteers, you rock. Thank you.

It's about the people

What an adventure this weekend has been.  The Highlander, Backyard, Last One Standing was an incredible experience.  The rules are simple - 6.7km loop with 146m of elevation and you have an hour to do it.  Then repeat until you drop out.  On average I completed my laps in 49 mins and in the remainder of the time you can rest, eat, stretch and then be back at the start line to repeat on the hour.  If not you're a DNF.  It started on Saturday at 12 noon and I came out of the race after completing the 11th hour, in the dark - 73.4km total.  As I type there are two guys slugging it out and they have completed 32 laps!!!  Can you imagine that?  It doesn't matter how fast you are as long as you complete the lap in an hour and are ready to start again.  The Scottish record is 39.  The world record completed in Austria this year is 103 - yes over 4 days!
Stu only managed 6 laps and was timed out on the 7th lap but his stomach wasn't good - last year he completed 10 and timed out on 11 so it just wasn't his day.
We were both supported by Beth, and Poppy her beautiful springer spaniel, who made sure we had all the food, hydration and anything we needed when we came in - it was a quick turnaround and I don't know how some people did it without support - one of the current leaders has no support and is averaging 40 min laps!
We were delighted to be joined by the legend Rosie Bell who hadn't had a good run up to the race having been injured.  Rosie managed 20 laps and when I went to bed in the campervan at midnight, I felt guilty that she would be self supporting during the night.  The night is very tough as not only is it cold but all you can see is what your headlamp captures and it's easy to become disorientated as to where you are especially in the woods where it's difficult under foot.  When I woke in the morning and opened the van door Rosie was coming in.  She managed 1 more lap but was injured and decided to call it a day or it would set her back for future races - wise call.  But 20 laps!  Almost double what I did.
How do you keep going.  My approach was breaking the loop down.  Run for 2 mins to a speed bump, walk the hill for next 5 mins, turn the corner and run 2k trying to complete each km in 6 mins.  Get to the corner that turns uphill at 18 mins - walk the hill for 16 mins, take it easy through the forest 4 mins, then down hill for 2km to the start.  I was very consisted but in the middle my heart rate started climbing to 190.  My cardiologist had said if that happened take 2 pills.  I did and my heart settled into a better rhythm at a lower rate for the rest of the race - good to know that tactic works otherwise I'd have pulled out.
I met loads of runners, particularly on the long walk up the hill.  Two Polish guys were lovely, one managed 32 laps.  I met Stuart Ritchie a PT who trains people for Everest and other expeditions - check out www.trekandclimbfitness.com.  Everyone had an interesting story.  There was a father (about my age who did 13 laps) with his son & daughter running.  The runners were so friendly but that's ultra running for you.  Everyone employed different tactics whether it be walking the hills and running the downhills or the other way round.
I passed Alan (who I only found out at the end I'd been calling Andy) on the steep downhills as he saved his legs and on my last lap he offered to do the next one with me at my pace to get me round (and over 50 miles).  It was a lovely offer but I had made my mind up on lap 9 that I was only going to do 11.
Was I too tired, no.  Was I injured, no.  Then why stop?  I was bored and didn't have a WHY?  This was an experiment to try a different format.  If you want a mind f@ck, then this race is perfect for that.  If you can be so focused on the plan and not deviate then you'll do well but I didn't have a good enough WHY so decided not to hurt myself anymore than you do running almost 74km.  I have the Amsterdam Marathon in October and I will be pouring everything into that as I have a WHY which I'll share nearer the time.
Beth got to know the other supporters and thoroughly enjoyed their stories.  She put in a hell of a shift looking after Stu, Rosie and me.  Beth has her big race in less than two weeks time in Romania and it was great for her hearing from other experienced athletes like Lynsie and share tips.
For me this event was about trying something different.  What it taught me, if I didn't know it already, was the importance of mental strength because in the end that determines whether you succeed of fail and in this race, only one person succeeds.  Everyone else is disqualified.  I've talked about this many times before but you must have a WHY and the critical question is - How bad do you want it?  That's all that matters, just ask the last two competitors who are going round that 6.7km lap praying that the other guy will drop out so they can stop and claim the well earned title of Scottish Last one Standing. 
I'd like to thank the amazing organisers and volunteers who are there throughout and were always cheering and smiling as we past.  They don't finish till the race is over so it's a long event for them - well done guys.  As I said, it's all about the people and that's what makes ultra running so special.