I have a Footwear Problem.
I'm a late convert to running in lightweight shoes. Like Leon, I'm very keen on the Inov8 F-lite 230 as a road shoe, although I prefer the Nike Vaporfly. A preference that is currently of academic interest only as the Vaporfly has been discontinued and the F-lite 230 won't be available in my size until the new models go into production next year.
My F-lite 230s have done 300 miles.
My Vaporflys have done about 550 miles - more than double their allotted lifespan. I have another pair stashed away, but they won't last forever and I need an alternative shoe.
There has been much discussion on Fetch about the Adidas Adizero PRO, as modelled by one Mr Gebrselassie, and several people ordered them and declared them quite satisfactory. For a couple of weeks I dithered and swithered and put them in my cybertrolley and took them out again. They sounded perfect, but I've never worn Adidas below my ankles.
Last week I hit "spend", and they arrived on Monday. A pair for Leon and a pair for me.
They weigh virtually nothing. I put them on and was surprised by how big and baggy they felt. I went out for a run. Although thin, the soles were disappointingly rigid and unresponsive. I decided to reserve judgement until I'd taken them out a few more times.
The next day, I had a sore right shin. Not the fleeting niggle I've had a couple of times over the last few weeks. A proper sore shin.
I should have trusted my own judgement, shouldn't I?
If anyone knows where I might be able to buy Nike Vaporflys in UK size 5.5, please tell me. I did ask Nike if they'd give me some for the 10-in-10, but they sent me back a letter inviting me, in the most pleasantly-worded way imaginable, to go and boil my head.
Meanwhile ... [leafs through chapter on managing early shin splints].
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Weekend Warrioring Part 2
The First EDF Birmingham Half-Marathon
At last, a half-marathon in Birmingham!
When we sent off our entries, the plan was that Leon would race it, aiming for sub-1:25, and I would amble round with Catriona, my 17-year-old daughter. When Catriona's race plans were sabotaged by failure to train compounded by a nasty viral throat infection, I briefly considered racing, then the Snowdonia plan was formed and I offered to run with my friend Kim and try to support her to a PB in the 2:20s. We persuaded Beth to join us. Beth is a relatively new runner and had run her first half-marathon in 2:42 at Cardiff the week before. I was confident that she was capable of taking a chunk off that time.
The extra hour's sleep meant that getting up at 6am wasn't too much of a struggle. We'd decided to park the car at the finish and get the shuttle-bus back to the start, which proved to be a good strategy, even though the traffic in Perry Barr was heavier than the organisers had anticipated and we were given the opportunity to get off the bus early and walk to the Alexander Stadium. It was raining lightly. I kept my OMM Kamleika jacket on. By the time we finished, it was dry and sunny and I must have looked rather silly wearing a raincoat.
A quick pre-race loo-stop (plenty of Portaloos, shortish queues), then we went to the start to meet a group of Fetchies at the front of the "orange" section.. Don't you just hate slow runners who don't start at the back? "Everyone will overtake us," I warned Kim and Beth. "Just let them go." Leon went off to try to hook up with Neil, who was aiming for sub-1:40.
The start was delayed by about 15 minutes, and a couple of girls got up on the stage and tried to initiate one of those aerobics-class-type warm-ups to "Girls on Film". Given how tightly we were packed, I think that encouraging people to leap around and punch the air was irresponsible and would like this particular feature edited out of future events. Please. This is supposed to be a credible race, not a fun-run.
It took us about a minute to cross the start-line. The first few miles, across the overpasses along the A34, were more undulating than I'd expected, then we had a steady, shallow updulate into the city centre. The support in the city centre was fantastic. Lots of people, lots of cheering, no whistles. FLM take note!
Just before 6 miles, Beth had a loo-stop, I waited for her, and Kim, who was clearly having a Bad Patch, went on. We pelted down the next couple of hills and caught up with her, but she fell back again on the next gentle updulate and I had to make an executive decision. Kim's PB wasn't going to happen today, and I'd said I'd stay with her ... but Beth was running very well indeed, and if I stayed with Kim she'd hang back too and compromise her own excellent prospect of a PB. Besides, I know that Kim likes to be left to stomp out her Bad Patches by herself, and she would hate to hold anyone back.So Beth and I went on, feeling slightly guilty.
Beth really was running well, despite repeatedly predicting the imminent demise of various parts of her body in a totally matter-of-fact way. From 8 miles, I knew her PB was in the bag even if she slowed to 13.30mm pace - but she wasn't slowing. On the way, she notched up a 10-mile PB by 5 minutes (1:53:43). By 11 miles, sub-2:30 was looking like a very real prospect. Beth was clearly in a little more discomfort than she was at the start, but she was still giving it everything. Or so I thought ...
"So where's the finish?" she asked, as we ran down Broad Street bantering with the supporters.
"There," I replied, pointing to the flag. And she took off as if she'd been fired from a gun, leaving me chewing on a mouthful of dust. I pelted after her, but still finished a full 5 seconds behind.
2:27:58 for Beth, 2:28:03 for me. AND the first time I've ever run a negative split in a half-marathon!
We'd seen Kim coming up Hagley Road as we ran back towards town. She'd come through her Bad Patch and picked up her pace again. I'd shouted that I'd go back for her, intending to drop Beth off just before the finish, loop back and run in with Kim, but the way the route was fenced off made that impossible. She finished in a creditable 2:40:29 - not a PB, but a good display of mental toughness.
The finish was reasonably well-organised, with plenty of water and Powerade, a nice cotton goody-bag, a big blingy Brummie medal, decent t-shirts (they even had them in "XS", which is almost not too big for me) and sundry bits of tat. Traidcraft dried kiwi-fruit? [Rolls eyes] This is Birmingham. The Home of Chocolate.
Apart from a few teething-troubles, our inaugural half-marathon was a fabulous event and made me proud of my adopted city. The first few miles are unscenic, but the Edgbaston section is as attractive as you'll find in any big city race. There were pockets of support all around the course, which had obviously been carefully planned to allow for road closures to take place without disrupting the main shopping areas, bus routes and through traffic. Only a Brummie or a map-geek would have spotted just how convoluted miles 5-12 were!
The course is one that would suit me well for racing, and now I've done a recce, I can aim for sub-1:36 here next year :o)
At last, a half-marathon in Birmingham!
When we sent off our entries, the plan was that Leon would race it, aiming for sub-1:25, and I would amble round with Catriona, my 17-year-old daughter. When Catriona's race plans were sabotaged by failure to train compounded by a nasty viral throat infection, I briefly considered racing, then the Snowdonia plan was formed and I offered to run with my friend Kim and try to support her to a PB in the 2:20s. We persuaded Beth to join us. Beth is a relatively new runner and had run her first half-marathon in 2:42 at Cardiff the week before. I was confident that she was capable of taking a chunk off that time.
The extra hour's sleep meant that getting up at 6am wasn't too much of a struggle. We'd decided to park the car at the finish and get the shuttle-bus back to the start, which proved to be a good strategy, even though the traffic in Perry Barr was heavier than the organisers had anticipated and we were given the opportunity to get off the bus early and walk to the Alexander Stadium. It was raining lightly. I kept my OMM Kamleika jacket on. By the time we finished, it was dry and sunny and I must have looked rather silly wearing a raincoat.
A quick pre-race loo-stop (plenty of Portaloos, shortish queues), then we went to the start to meet a group of Fetchies at the front of the "orange" section.. Don't you just hate slow runners who don't start at the back? "Everyone will overtake us," I warned Kim and Beth. "Just let them go." Leon went off to try to hook up with Neil, who was aiming for sub-1:40.
The start was delayed by about 15 minutes, and a couple of girls got up on the stage and tried to initiate one of those aerobics-class-type warm-ups to "Girls on Film". Given how tightly we were packed, I think that encouraging people to leap around and punch the air was irresponsible and would like this particular feature edited out of future events. Please. This is supposed to be a credible race, not a fun-run.
It took us about a minute to cross the start-line. The first few miles, across the overpasses along the A34, were more undulating than I'd expected, then we had a steady, shallow updulate into the city centre. The support in the city centre was fantastic. Lots of people, lots of cheering, no whistles. FLM take note!
Just before 6 miles, Beth had a loo-stop, I waited for her, and Kim, who was clearly having a Bad Patch, went on. We pelted down the next couple of hills and caught up with her, but she fell back again on the next gentle updulate and I had to make an executive decision. Kim's PB wasn't going to happen today, and I'd said I'd stay with her ... but Beth was running very well indeed, and if I stayed with Kim she'd hang back too and compromise her own excellent prospect of a PB. Besides, I know that Kim likes to be left to stomp out her Bad Patches by herself, and she would hate to hold anyone back.So Beth and I went on, feeling slightly guilty.
Beth really was running well, despite repeatedly predicting the imminent demise of various parts of her body in a totally matter-of-fact way. From 8 miles, I knew her PB was in the bag even if she slowed to 13.30mm pace - but she wasn't slowing. On the way, she notched up a 10-mile PB by 5 minutes (1:53:43). By 11 miles, sub-2:30 was looking like a very real prospect. Beth was clearly in a little more discomfort than she was at the start, but she was still giving it everything. Or so I thought ...
"So where's the finish?" she asked, as we ran down Broad Street bantering with the supporters.
"There," I replied, pointing to the flag. And she took off as if she'd been fired from a gun, leaving me chewing on a mouthful of dust. I pelted after her, but still finished a full 5 seconds behind.
2:27:58 for Beth, 2:28:03 for me. AND the first time I've ever run a negative split in a half-marathon!
We'd seen Kim coming up Hagley Road as we ran back towards town. She'd come through her Bad Patch and picked up her pace again. I'd shouted that I'd go back for her, intending to drop Beth off just before the finish, loop back and run in with Kim, but the way the route was fenced off made that impossible. She finished in a creditable 2:40:29 - not a PB, but a good display of mental toughness.
The finish was reasonably well-organised, with plenty of water and Powerade, a nice cotton goody-bag, a big blingy Brummie medal, decent t-shirts (they even had them in "XS", which is almost not too big for me) and sundry bits of tat. Traidcraft dried kiwi-fruit? [Rolls eyes] This is Birmingham. The Home of Chocolate.
Apart from a few teething-troubles, our inaugural half-marathon was a fabulous event and made me proud of my adopted city. The first few miles are unscenic, but the Edgbaston section is as attractive as you'll find in any big city race. There were pockets of support all around the course, which had obviously been carefully planned to allow for road closures to take place without disrupting the main shopping areas, bus routes and through traffic. Only a Brummie or a map-geek would have spotted just how convoluted miles 5-12 were!
The course is one that would suit me well for racing, and now I've done a recce, I can aim for sub-1:36 here next year :o)
Weekend Warrioring Part 1
Snowdonia Marathon
"Whose stupid idea was this?" I said to Leon, as we huddled together behind a wall near the start-line in a rather ineffectual attempt to stay warm and dry.
"Yours," he replied. Sometimes my lovely husband is SO not a gentleman! He was right, though. The suggestion that we should try to scavenge some unwanted Snowdonia Marathon places barely a week before the race had been mine, and I'd done a lot of the active scavenging. The only reason we hadn't entered sooner and targeted the race was that we had decided we ought to support our home city's inaugural half-marathon the following day, but with the 10-in-10 to train for it seemed like a good idea to race twice in the same weekend and, for the first time ever, to run in the same marathon but not run together. I was hoping to be a bit faster than at Langdale, with 4:30 my aspirational time.
We'd set off from Birmingham at 5.30am. Until 20 miles from Llanberis, there had been no sign of rain or wind. A beautiful red sunrise had followed us in. Then the wind started to pick up, and by the time we had parked and set off to register it was obvious that the forecast rain wasn't far away.
Registration in the Community Centre was quick and simple. We met Steve Edwards (who holds the 10-in-10 world record), and several people from Fetch. I had a wander round and resolved to return after the race with my purse to buy some of the lovely offerings from the hand-made jewellery stall and Dilys the Sheep, as well as a souvenir hoodie. Leon had already descended with glee upon the Snowdonia Marathon buffs.
The race starts in a lay-by a couple of miles out of Llanberis and buses are laid on. We got on the first bus. Elementary error. The first bus got us there more than an hour before the race was due to begin, and the start area consists of a gantry and a few Portaloos. It was cold, it was windy, and it was starting to rain. Not only that, there was a sign warning us that there were perygls in the vicinity. Leon had told me some scary tales of perygl encounters from his days as an Outward Bound tutor. I was secretly a little worried about these tough little Welsh gremlins.
I was wearing tights, a merino wool baselayer, gloves, my JW Ultra buff and my yellow windproof gilet, having decided that my Montane windproofs would be distractingly rustly in the wind. We had forgotten to bring bin-liners to wear at the start.
We weren't planning to race hard, so we started well back. Starting off a race with numb feet and all the toes of my right foot raynauded-out was a new experience but I'd warmed up within a mile.
For the first few miles I felt a little sluggish, but still appeared to be passing people, even going uphill, without working particularly hard. Once we'd got to the top of the Pass at 4 miles, I was ready for the downhill ... wheeeeeeee! I coasted out four consecutive miles at sub-8mm pace. After that, the route undulated gently to Beddgelert. I was still running strongly - just under 9mm pace. "I'll regret this later," I started to tell myself, then remembered the Brain Training. "I'm nearly half-way, I'm about to go through the half-marathon split at Snowdonia in two hours flat, and I am showing no signs of weakening." That's better!
The two-mile drag uphill from Beddgelert was vigorously wind-assisted. I was soaking wet from top to toe, I was a bit chilly, the lovely views that we'd had at the start had been obscured by a falling cloud-base, and I was telling everyone I passed that I loved tail-winds. Trying to run downhill with the wind blowing me to a standstill was just as entertaining, in a perverse sort of way.
I must add that, in my part of the field at least, the atmosphere was calm and uncomplaining, even in the squalliest weather. That was good. What's not so good is that I have never seen so much litter dropped by runners during a race. And don't try to tell me that it was the grockles. Grockles don't eat gels.
Up to Mile 22, I'd have said that the course was easier than either Windermere or Langdale. There had only been two big updulates, both were runnable, and the gradual downhills were fantastic for banking saved time. Had the course continued to undulate in a civilised manner for the last five miles I'd have cracked 4 hours, even with a brief loo-stop, because I didn't hit The Wall or fade away and continued to overtake people almost till the end. The Waunfaur climb, however, put an end to my running-all-the-way intentions. I ran some of it, and was pleased with a 13.33-minute mile in Mile 23.
When the slope became gentler, the road underfoot became a muddy, puddly trail. The wind at that point was vicious, and swirled round in such a way that it was impossible to brace yourself against it properly. The slippery, uneven conditions underfoot added to the hazard. Several people were blown over and for once I was glad of my low centre of gravity.
The sharp descent into Llanberis starts with a bit of fell-running. Fell-running descents are not my strongest point, especially in Vaporflys, and I was overtaken mightily at this point. I did manage to claw a few places back once we were on the road again. Nothing - NOTHING - at either Langdale or Windermere comes close to this evil little sting in Snowdonia's tail.
The last mile is a relatively tedious drag around the roads into Llanberis. When I got to the Mile 26 marker, I noted that I had to do the wee pennies in well under 2 minutes if I was going to crack 4:10. I was ready to stop running, not to pick up the pace.
Sod it, the worst I can do is puke on the finish-line, and nobody knows who I am. I gave it everything. Didn't even look to see if Leon was among the few bedraggled spectators by the finish.
4:09:54, 495th overall, and if I had been running officially I'd have been 11th FV40. Not bad for a race I'd run at the last minute with a pacing strategy of "set off easy and see how you go" :o)
Leon, bless him, wasn't expecting me for another 20 minutes or more, so by the time he'd got changed and brought my clothes to the finish I was colder than I've ever been after a race despite having wrapped myself around a cup of hot tea. The hall was heaving with space-blanketed runners and supporters and all thoughts of buying handknits and hoodies were gone - we just wanted to get into the car, put on the air-conditioning, and go home.
There was a lot more water coming off the hills than there had been in the morning, but by the time we'd reached the border we had left all trace of the weather behind. And I didn't see a single perygl. I wonder if the rain kept them away?
"Whose stupid idea was this?" I said to Leon, as we huddled together behind a wall near the start-line in a rather ineffectual attempt to stay warm and dry.
"Yours," he replied. Sometimes my lovely husband is SO not a gentleman! He was right, though. The suggestion that we should try to scavenge some unwanted Snowdonia Marathon places barely a week before the race had been mine, and I'd done a lot of the active scavenging. The only reason we hadn't entered sooner and targeted the race was that we had decided we ought to support our home city's inaugural half-marathon the following day, but with the 10-in-10 to train for it seemed like a good idea to race twice in the same weekend and, for the first time ever, to run in the same marathon but not run together. I was hoping to be a bit faster than at Langdale, with 4:30 my aspirational time.
We'd set off from Birmingham at 5.30am. Until 20 miles from Llanberis, there had been no sign of rain or wind. A beautiful red sunrise had followed us in. Then the wind started to pick up, and by the time we had parked and set off to register it was obvious that the forecast rain wasn't far away.
Registration in the Community Centre was quick and simple. We met Steve Edwards (who holds the 10-in-10 world record), and several people from Fetch. I had a wander round and resolved to return after the race with my purse to buy some of the lovely offerings from the hand-made jewellery stall and Dilys the Sheep, as well as a souvenir hoodie. Leon had already descended with glee upon the Snowdonia Marathon buffs.
The race starts in a lay-by a couple of miles out of Llanberis and buses are laid on. We got on the first bus. Elementary error. The first bus got us there more than an hour before the race was due to begin, and the start area consists of a gantry and a few Portaloos. It was cold, it was windy, and it was starting to rain. Not only that, there was a sign warning us that there were perygls in the vicinity. Leon had told me some scary tales of perygl encounters from his days as an Outward Bound tutor. I was secretly a little worried about these tough little Welsh gremlins.
I was wearing tights, a merino wool baselayer, gloves, my JW Ultra buff and my yellow windproof gilet, having decided that my Montane windproofs would be distractingly rustly in the wind. We had forgotten to bring bin-liners to wear at the start.
We weren't planning to race hard, so we started well back. Starting off a race with numb feet and all the toes of my right foot raynauded-out was a new experience but I'd warmed up within a mile.
For the first few miles I felt a little sluggish, but still appeared to be passing people, even going uphill, without working particularly hard. Once we'd got to the top of the Pass at 4 miles, I was ready for the downhill ... wheeeeeeee! I coasted out four consecutive miles at sub-8mm pace. After that, the route undulated gently to Beddgelert. I was still running strongly - just under 9mm pace. "I'll regret this later," I started to tell myself, then remembered the Brain Training. "I'm nearly half-way, I'm about to go through the half-marathon split at Snowdonia in two hours flat, and I am showing no signs of weakening." That's better!
The two-mile drag uphill from Beddgelert was vigorously wind-assisted. I was soaking wet from top to toe, I was a bit chilly, the lovely views that we'd had at the start had been obscured by a falling cloud-base, and I was telling everyone I passed that I loved tail-winds. Trying to run downhill with the wind blowing me to a standstill was just as entertaining, in a perverse sort of way.
I must add that, in my part of the field at least, the atmosphere was calm and uncomplaining, even in the squalliest weather. That was good. What's not so good is that I have never seen so much litter dropped by runners during a race. And don't try to tell me that it was the grockles. Grockles don't eat gels.
Up to Mile 22, I'd have said that the course was easier than either Windermere or Langdale. There had only been two big updulates, both were runnable, and the gradual downhills were fantastic for banking saved time. Had the course continued to undulate in a civilised manner for the last five miles I'd have cracked 4 hours, even with a brief loo-stop, because I didn't hit The Wall or fade away and continued to overtake people almost till the end. The Waunfaur climb, however, put an end to my running-all-the-way intentions. I ran some of it, and was pleased with a 13.33-minute mile in Mile 23.
When the slope became gentler, the road underfoot became a muddy, puddly trail. The wind at that point was vicious, and swirled round in such a way that it was impossible to brace yourself against it properly. The slippery, uneven conditions underfoot added to the hazard. Several people were blown over and for once I was glad of my low centre of gravity.
The sharp descent into Llanberis starts with a bit of fell-running. Fell-running descents are not my strongest point, especially in Vaporflys, and I was overtaken mightily at this point. I did manage to claw a few places back once we were on the road again. Nothing - NOTHING - at either Langdale or Windermere comes close to this evil little sting in Snowdonia's tail.
The last mile is a relatively tedious drag around the roads into Llanberis. When I got to the Mile 26 marker, I noted that I had to do the wee pennies in well under 2 minutes if I was going to crack 4:10. I was ready to stop running, not to pick up the pace.
Sod it, the worst I can do is puke on the finish-line, and nobody knows who I am. I gave it everything. Didn't even look to see if Leon was among the few bedraggled spectators by the finish.
4:09:54, 495th overall, and if I had been running officially I'd have been 11th FV40. Not bad for a race I'd run at the last minute with a pacing strategy of "set off easy and see how you go" :o)
Leon, bless him, wasn't expecting me for another 20 minutes or more, so by the time he'd got changed and brought my clothes to the finish I was colder than I've ever been after a race despite having wrapped myself around a cup of hot tea. The hall was heaving with space-blanketed runners and supporters and all thoughts of buying handknits and hoodies were gone - we just wanted to get into the car, put on the air-conditioning, and go home.
There was a lot more water coming off the hills than there had been in the morning, but by the time we'd reached the border we had left all trace of the weather behind. And I didn't see a single perygl. I wonder if the rain kept them away?
Last week's statistics
Weekly mileage: 69.64 miles
Profile: 43.5% steady road running, average pace 9.10mm
37.5% Snowdonia Marathon, average pace 9.32mm
19% Birmingham Half-Marathon, average pace 11.18mm
Longest run: 26.2 miles, Snowdonia Marathon.
Niggles: I'm watching a little twinge in my right shin, having had a tibial stress fracture on the left a few years ago.
Sofa-spud days: Friday, which was a mini-taper and carbo-load day.
Note that I am not obsessed enough to go and run round the block to bring the mileage up to a nice round 70.
A very pleasing week indeed, with far more confident training runs, a good marathon, and a great day out in Birmingham. Of which, more to follow :o)
Profile: 43.5% steady road running, average pace 9.10mm
37.5% Snowdonia Marathon, average pace 9.32mm
19% Birmingham Half-Marathon, average pace 11.18mm
Longest run: 26.2 miles, Snowdonia Marathon.
Niggles: I'm watching a little twinge in my right shin, having had a tibial stress fracture on the left a few years ago.
Sofa-spud days: Friday, which was a mini-taper and carbo-load day.
Note that I am not obsessed enough to go and run round the block to bring the mileage up to a nice round 70.
A very pleasing week indeed, with far more confident training runs, a good marathon, and a great day out in Birmingham. Of which, more to follow :o)
Monday, 27 October 2008
Snowdonia Marathon and Birmingham Half Marathon
Lorna and I have had a busy weekend!
The Snowdonia marathon was one that had been on our Must Do list for quite some time. With the inaugural running of our local city half marathon falling on the same weekend, we'd felt that supporting the local event had to take precedence this year.
That was until we were accepted for the 10 in 10, of course!!
So very late in the day, we were able to procure numbers for the Snowdonia event with a plan to run it at our own paces and then just see how we felt in terms of a goal on Sunday.
The story of Snowdonia
...was one of wind rain - and wind, and more rain - and not wearing enough clothes to keep my legs warm!
The first climb up the Llanberis Pass was brilliant. A slight head/side wind that was swirling about and a fair bit of precipitation - but I made steady progress through the bit of the field I was in.
Over the top of the Pass and the wind was in our backs. What fun it was hopping off the ground and being blown along approaching 6min/miles on occasion down the first section of descent!
Turned the corner and the head wind down hill was fabulous - strong enough to stop you running too fast - not too strong to slow you up. This was good!
And running nicely.
reaching the bottom of the valley where the route gently undulated was also nice.
Sheltered initially.
Then we came to Beddgelert and the 2 mile Updulate.
Fabulous - really enjoyed this bit - did start to notice that as the terrain became more exposed to the elements, and the breeze was in our backs, that my legs were getting a little cold.
I was REALLY looking forward to the climb at Waunfawr, but as the exposed miles ticked past, I felt the ominous signs of my calves turning to stone. Not an "I've been working too hard" threatened cramp - an "I've got so cold that no matter what you do, I'm just going to hurt more and more" pain.
And because I had to stop and couple of times to stretch them out, I cooled off even more
Come Waunfawr, come the climb. And I *couldn't* run. Gutted
So I walked up much of it with someone I knew from the Fetch Forum, and once it started to even off on the gravel track, I cautiously started running again. Was OK, not great and the pace was turgidly slow.....
Until we went over the top of the hill.
It was quite breezy here, and a few people were getting knocked about by the unpredictability of the wind. But it was Off-Road
So I put on my Fell-running head...
Relaxed...
and flew!
I LOVED this bit
The rough ground was just what I needed, and I started to pick of countless runners who found this bit "tough on tired legs"
For me it was just the tonic my legs needed.
Picking the flat grassy bits to run on (because it's easier!!!!!)
Splashing through the muddy bits and the puddles while people tippy-toed around them,
And hammering down the descent, everything well with the world again
It was AWESOME
Warmed me back up again too, so the last slightly contrived mile around the back of Llanberis wasn't so bad!
And in the last 0.2 mile has a great duel with a young fella who showed a decent turn of pace - but not quite decent enough!!!!
It wasn't the race I had planned and as a result of a Schoolboy error I missed out on the section of the race I was most looking forward to.
Finished in 3:50 which was quite a bit slower than I wanted - but given the conditions and the mistakes I made, I was very happy with having made it across to North Wales to do this!!
We had friends coming to to stay with us to run the Birmingham Half the next day, so we had to shoot off after the end of the race to get back in time to greet them, and as a result missed out on what was certainly an excellent social gathering afterwards.
The story of the Birmingham Half Marathon
...necessitated another early start on Sunday morning
The race began at 9:30, and we had to get the car parked at the finish to catch a Shuttle Bus to the start by 8:15.
The rain was just stopping as we arrived at the start.....
Being - as I was - not entirely sure how I was going to run the Birmingham Half Marathon, and having seen on a thread on Fetch that 'N' (who I'd not met before) looking to run about 1:40, I thought
I know... I'll see if we can meet up and run together for as long as my legs last.
So I dis-robed as far as my "I'm a Fetchie" kit -
which included long X-socks - I was taking no chances with cold calves today - and ambled about a bit slightly nearer the front than where Lorna and the group that she was going to be running with were congregated...
And sure enough I was rewarded with a tap on the shoulder from 'N'
RESULT!
We introduced ourselves properly and had a chat, and we agreed that we'd run together for as long as we could, and see how it went!
Brilliant. It gave me a specific target to aim for AND someone to run with!!!
I was glad that it was a nice early start too, because my legs were still asleep, and hadn't had time to complain about having run around North Wales yesterday
I was really pleased to find that I was suffering no ill-effects from yesterday, and we were bounding along at slightly under the 7:30 target pace that had been set.
I liked this course.
It undulated.
The updulates were soft enough not to have to work too hard at, and the downdulates were that perfect angle to let gravity do the work and speed down without having to apply the brakes
Ideal!
At some point I said "I'm REALLY enjoying this"
'N' replied with "Ask me if I am after 13 miles...!!!"
The only mile split that was disappointing was mile 9 where I think we relaxed a bit too much.
Having reached mile 10, however, 'N' had done some maths, and realised that he was actually on for a really decent time and was going to be pretty close to a pb, and "Wouldn't forgive myself for not at least trying for it"
So at the turn on Hagley Road with the fast slightly downhill 2-and-some-small-pennies mile run in, we kicked for home
HARD!
Mile 10 7:38 Fine - but here the thoughts of a decent time kicked in
And from mile 10¾ the ¼ mile splits went like this:
7:16
7:04
6:55
6:40
6:48
6:44
6:45
6:43
Then we could see the Finish gantry about 500m away
6:01
5:38
It was phenomenal.
I'd be lying if I said it was an easy run - it wasn't! But it was a run that I was able to churn out comfortably at a decent pace that was very pleasing after the rigours of Saturday.
And it was very pleasing to realise that I had more in the tank to pick the pace up over the last 2 miles to that extent.
And 'N'...??
PB by 6 seconds.
Now THAT was priceless!!!!
The Snowdonia marathon was one that had been on our Must Do list for quite some time. With the inaugural running of our local city half marathon falling on the same weekend, we'd felt that supporting the local event had to take precedence this year.
That was until we were accepted for the 10 in 10, of course!!
So very late in the day, we were able to procure numbers for the Snowdonia event with a plan to run it at our own paces and then just see how we felt in terms of a goal on Sunday.
The story of Snowdonia
...was one of wind rain - and wind, and more rain - and not wearing enough clothes to keep my legs warm!
The first climb up the Llanberis Pass was brilliant. A slight head/side wind that was swirling about and a fair bit of precipitation - but I made steady progress through the bit of the field I was in.
Over the top of the Pass and the wind was in our backs. What fun it was hopping off the ground and being blown along approaching 6min/miles on occasion down the first section of descent!
Turned the corner and the head wind down hill was fabulous - strong enough to stop you running too fast - not too strong to slow you up. This was good!
And running nicely.
reaching the bottom of the valley where the route gently undulated was also nice.
Sheltered initially.
Then we came to Beddgelert and the 2 mile Updulate.
Fabulous - really enjoyed this bit - did start to notice that as the terrain became more exposed to the elements, and the breeze was in our backs, that my legs were getting a little cold.
I was REALLY looking forward to the climb at Waunfawr, but as the exposed miles ticked past, I felt the ominous signs of my calves turning to stone. Not an "I've been working too hard" threatened cramp - an "I've got so cold that no matter what you do, I'm just going to hurt more and more" pain.
And because I had to stop and couple of times to stretch them out, I cooled off even more
Come Waunfawr, come the climb. And I *couldn't* run. Gutted
So I walked up much of it with someone I knew from the Fetch Forum, and once it started to even off on the gravel track, I cautiously started running again. Was OK, not great and the pace was turgidly slow.....
Until we went over the top of the hill.
It was quite breezy here, and a few people were getting knocked about by the unpredictability of the wind. But it was Off-Road
So I put on my Fell-running head...
Relaxed...
and flew!
I LOVED this bit
The rough ground was just what I needed, and I started to pick of countless runners who found this bit "tough on tired legs"
For me it was just the tonic my legs needed.
Picking the flat grassy bits to run on (because it's easier!!!!!)
Splashing through the muddy bits and the puddles while people tippy-toed around them,
And hammering down the descent, everything well with the world again
It was AWESOME
Warmed me back up again too, so the last slightly contrived mile around the back of Llanberis wasn't so bad!
And in the last 0.2 mile has a great duel with a young fella who showed a decent turn of pace - but not quite decent enough!!!!
It wasn't the race I had planned and as a result of a Schoolboy error I missed out on the section of the race I was most looking forward to.
Finished in 3:50 which was quite a bit slower than I wanted - but given the conditions and the mistakes I made, I was very happy with having made it across to North Wales to do this!!
We had friends coming to to stay with us to run the Birmingham Half the next day, so we had to shoot off after the end of the race to get back in time to greet them, and as a result missed out on what was certainly an excellent social gathering afterwards.
The story of the Birmingham Half Marathon
...necessitated another early start on Sunday morning
The race began at 9:30, and we had to get the car parked at the finish to catch a Shuttle Bus to the start by 8:15.
The rain was just stopping as we arrived at the start.....
Being - as I was - not entirely sure how I was going to run the Birmingham Half Marathon, and having seen on a thread on Fetch that 'N' (who I'd not met before) looking to run about 1:40, I thought
I know... I'll see if we can meet up and run together for as long as my legs last.
So I dis-robed as far as my "I'm a Fetchie" kit -
which included long X-socks - I was taking no chances with cold calves today - and ambled about a bit slightly nearer the front than where Lorna and the group that she was going to be running with were congregated...
And sure enough I was rewarded with a tap on the shoulder from 'N'
RESULT!
We introduced ourselves properly and had a chat, and we agreed that we'd run together for as long as we could, and see how it went!
Brilliant. It gave me a specific target to aim for AND someone to run with!!!
I was glad that it was a nice early start too, because my legs were still asleep, and hadn't had time to complain about having run around North Wales yesterday
I was really pleased to find that I was suffering no ill-effects from yesterday, and we were bounding along at slightly under the 7:30 target pace that had been set.
I liked this course.
It undulated.
The updulates were soft enough not to have to work too hard at, and the downdulates were that perfect angle to let gravity do the work and speed down without having to apply the brakes
Ideal!
At some point I said "I'm REALLY enjoying this"
'N' replied with "Ask me if I am after 13 miles...!!!"
The only mile split that was disappointing was mile 9 where I think we relaxed a bit too much.
Having reached mile 10, however, 'N' had done some maths, and realised that he was actually on for a really decent time and was going to be pretty close to a pb, and "Wouldn't forgive myself for not at least trying for it"
So at the turn on Hagley Road with the fast slightly downhill 2-and-some-small-pennies mile run in, we kicked for home
HARD!
Mile 10 7:38 Fine - but here the thoughts of a decent time kicked in
And from mile 10¾ the ¼ mile splits went like this:
7:16
7:04
6:55
6:40
6:48
6:44
6:45
6:43
Then we could see the Finish gantry about 500m away
6:01
5:38
It was phenomenal.
I'd be lying if I said it was an easy run - it wasn't! But it was a run that I was able to churn out comfortably at a decent pace that was very pleasing after the rigours of Saturday.
And it was very pleasing to realise that I had more in the tank to pick the pace up over the last 2 miles to that extent.
And 'N'...??
PB by 6 seconds.
Now THAT was priceless!!!!
Thursday, 23 October 2008
It's the little things!!!!
Today Lorna and I went out for a little 5 mile 'leg-turner'. It was lovely running weather: cool enough to be comfortable; breezy enough in the right direction to make the route we ran a real pleasure; cloudy enough to suggest that some proper weather might be on the way.
And we cracked on at a decent pace. 3 of the 5 miles started with 8:** and that included the last one, which has a stiff little hill and is nett uphill!!!!
So the legs were certainly working very nicely.
While we were running I was thinking a bit about my shoes.
These are they:
Actually - this WAS them the day they got used for the first time! On a lovely sunny evening in Skye with just enough breeze to keep the midges away!!
It was something of an experiment really. Shoes that weight 230 grammes and are pared right down to a minimum might not be some people's idea of an ideal road running shoe. Especially one that is aimed at the Trail Racing fraternity. I bought a pair for Lorna too..... "because they are Blue!"
Actually, that's not entirely true! We both tromp about the hills both running and walking in lightweight fell shoes, and have done for a number of years, and we knew that this shoe was likely to be very comfortable..... even if we couldn't use it as a road shoe.
Neither of us run with a heel-striking gait, which was clear from the wear pattern of out 'other' running shoes, so theoretically, there was no reason why this particular shoe shouldn't suit.
Any doubts that either of us may have had were dispelled in that first 4.17 mile run.
Here is what I said about them at the time....
"...Just taken the his 'n hers Inov-8 F-Lite 230's out for a spin
Initial Impressions.......
I could use this as a road shoe.
Comfortable in a - So Light You Hardly Know It's There - way.
Stealth Running just 'happens'
It helped that this run was on a quiet minor road on Skye..... but even so....!!
I like!!!!!!!!!..."
Incredible comfort for a shoe with such a thin sole, and you really don't know you are wearing them!!
That was 505 miles ago!!
I'll be wearing them to potter around a hilly marathon on Saturday, and our local Half marathon on Sunday.
This is ALSO something that has raised a few eyebrows among some of my fellow runners. Using effectively a racing flat for longer distance races.
But it's really not that surprising!
I have worked on my running style over a fairly long period, and I'm now at a point where I don't 'clatter' the ground with each footfall. I run the same without shoes as I do with them, and THAT is highly protective of your feet, ankles, knees hips and so on. The dynamic impact forces of running are reduced to a bare minimum, and the feedback that your brain gets from a very light shoe is instantaneous - and allows you to make tiny adjustments to keep the way you run 'light'
You simply don't get that in a very cushioned shoe!
As an aside, a significant thing that I've noticed is that the balls of my feet don't hurt after a long run any more - and neither do the fronts of my ankles! And I was the most comfortable I've ever been at the end of the Langdale marathon 6 weeks ago.
And my shoes are as great to run in now - 500+ miles later - as they were when I first tried them!
Now THAT is a quality bit of kit.
Considering the fact that I now almost exclusively use Inov-8 shoes for all my running and outdoor activity, I wrote to them to ask if they would consider supporting us in our training, and for the 10-in-10.
I was really pleased to get a response to my email with the news that Inov-8 would, in fact, be happy to support us. There was certainly something of a sharp intake of breath when I expressed my intention to run ALL 10 marathons in the f-lite 230's.
But that IS my intention.
We will get through a few pairs of shoes before May - but as I have have said before, any help is very gratefully received
And we cracked on at a decent pace. 3 of the 5 miles started with 8:** and that included the last one, which has a stiff little hill and is nett uphill!!!!
So the legs were certainly working very nicely.
While we were running I was thinking a bit about my shoes.
These are they:
Actually - this WAS them the day they got used for the first time! On a lovely sunny evening in Skye with just enough breeze to keep the midges away!!
It was something of an experiment really. Shoes that weight 230 grammes and are pared right down to a minimum might not be some people's idea of an ideal road running shoe. Especially one that is aimed at the Trail Racing fraternity. I bought a pair for Lorna too..... "because they are Blue!"
Actually, that's not entirely true! We both tromp about the hills both running and walking in lightweight fell shoes, and have done for a number of years, and we knew that this shoe was likely to be very comfortable..... even if we couldn't use it as a road shoe.
Neither of us run with a heel-striking gait, which was clear from the wear pattern of out 'other' running shoes, so theoretically, there was no reason why this particular shoe shouldn't suit.
Any doubts that either of us may have had were dispelled in that first 4.17 mile run.
Here is what I said about them at the time....
"...Just taken the his 'n hers Inov-8 F-Lite 230's out for a spin
Initial Impressions.......
I could use this as a road shoe.
Comfortable in a - So Light You Hardly Know It's There - way.
Stealth Running just 'happens'
It helped that this run was on a quiet minor road on Skye..... but even so....!!
I like!!!!!!!!!
..."Incredible comfort for a shoe with such a thin sole, and you really don't know you are wearing them!!
That was 505 miles ago!!
I'll be wearing them to potter around a hilly marathon on Saturday, and our local Half marathon on Sunday.
This is ALSO something that has raised a few eyebrows among some of my fellow runners. Using effectively a racing flat for longer distance races.
But it's really not that surprising!
I have worked on my running style over a fairly long period, and I'm now at a point where I don't 'clatter' the ground with each footfall. I run the same without shoes as I do with them, and THAT is highly protective of your feet, ankles, knees hips and so on. The dynamic impact forces of running are reduced to a bare minimum, and the feedback that your brain gets from a very light shoe is instantaneous - and allows you to make tiny adjustments to keep the way you run 'light'
You simply don't get that in a very cushioned shoe!
As an aside, a significant thing that I've noticed is that the balls of my feet don't hurt after a long run any more - and neither do the fronts of my ankles! And I was the most comfortable I've ever been at the end of the Langdale marathon 6 weeks ago.
And my shoes are as great to run in now - 500+ miles later - as they were when I first tried them!
Now THAT is a quality bit of kit.
Considering the fact that I now almost exclusively use Inov-8 shoes for all my running and outdoor activity, I wrote to them to ask if they would consider supporting us in our training, and for the 10-in-10.
I was really pleased to get a response to my email with the news that Inov-8 would, in fact, be happy to support us. There was certainly something of a sharp intake of breath when I expressed my intention to run ALL 10 marathons in the f-lite 230's.
But that IS my intention.
We will get through a few pairs of shoes before May - but as I have have said before, any help is very gratefully received
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Leon's Secret Speed Formula?
We have two elderly boy-cats called Tizzy and Tinka. They sometimes pee in Leon's trainers, but not in mine. We thought it might be an alpha-male thing, but the vet said it's probably because cats always pee on the smelliest thing they can find.
As you may have spotted, Leon runs a lot faster than I do.
Today I planned to do a gentle 4 or 5 mile run, work permitting, and a suitable opportunity arose in the early afternoon.
I unpacked my kit-bag, and opened the plastic bag with my F-lite 230s in.
The smell of cat-pee almost knocked me over! I should have put the shoes through the washing-machine after they had a dog-poo encounter a few runs ago. The vet was right.
I wore them anyway. It was that or run in my work shoes. And, with little effort, I rolled out 5.32 miles at an average pace of 8.43mm, which is 30s/mile faster than my recent good-legs runs and 60s/mile faster than some of my more ploddy runs. That's despite over 12 miles at a respectable pace yesterday. The only thing I'd done differently was to wear daps that the cat had peed in.
From now on I'm going to store my trainers in the cat-litter tray, then once I've won a few races I'll bottle and sell my "secret". Only through Leon's company, of course. It'll go down a treat - runners are suckers for magic go-faster potions :o)
As you may have spotted, Leon runs a lot faster than I do.
Today I planned to do a gentle 4 or 5 mile run, work permitting, and a suitable opportunity arose in the early afternoon.
I unpacked my kit-bag, and opened the plastic bag with my F-lite 230s in.
The smell of cat-pee almost knocked me over! I should have put the shoes through the washing-machine after they had a dog-poo encounter a few runs ago. The vet was right.
I wore them anyway. It was that or run in my work shoes. And, with little effort, I rolled out 5.32 miles at an average pace of 8.43mm, which is 30s/mile faster than my recent good-legs runs and 60s/mile faster than some of my more ploddy runs. That's despite over 12 miles at a respectable pace yesterday. The only thing I'd done differently was to wear daps that the cat had peed in.
From now on I'm going to store my trainers in the cat-litter tray, then once I've won a few races I'll bottle and sell my "secret". Only through Leon's company, of course. It'll go down a treat - runners are suckers for magic go-faster potions :o)
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Good Call, me!!!
Sometimes the extra days rest, to make sure that you are completely over a viral thing, is definitely worth it!
I woke up this morning with no hint of a sore throat and all glands were back to their rightful size.
So after the School run this morning I thought it would be a good opportunity for a decent, but not too long, 'leg-turner'. There was a chance that I'd be able to meet Lorna for a lengthier run later on, so I didn't want to go too mad!! And the weather was perfect, sunny but cool, and a slight breeze.
Fantastic.
My left calf had inexplicably cramped twice in the night and was a little stiff, but didn't stop me from running - and running quite nicely.
5 miles at an average of 7:23 min/mile. It was relaxed and comfortable. 7:30's are a Good Pace for me!
And a little later had a fantastic run with Lorna in between her work sessions.
12 miles at 9:12 min/mile.
Brilliant aerobic conditioning for me - and a stunning run for Lorna who is running better than I think I've ever seen her run.
And news hot off the press..... it looks like I'll be able to run a marathon this weekend. One off my 'Must-Do' list. So I'm really pleased about that :o)
Monday, 20 October 2008
Final Day Off
I have been sensible today.
The last fragments of sore throatedness have been disappearing today. And so despite straining at the leash, and WANTING to get out and run..... I didn't.
I will tomorrow, though.
Twice, probably!!
Sunday, 19 October 2008
A Short week for me
I'd planned a fairly robust training week after the Langdale Fell race to give my legs and brain something to think about rather than just pottering about in the same old same old pattern.
It was a plan that I had to review on Thursday as I was developing a sore throat and a swollen gland in my neck.
It's a symptom that I watch out for and treat with caution - and this approach has served me well over the years.
In normal circumstances by pulling back and resting for 24 hours, it sorts itself out... but this has hung around until today!
Monday - I rested. Legs were still feeling the effects of racing and walking - and I'd planned to rest anyway
Tuesday - 6 miles Tempo. Cracked this out at 6:55min/mile, and it felt good! Legs were a little heavy, and 6 miles was my limit for the day. But my legs were much happier for the blast than they were before. There's nothing like a good 'blow away the cobwebs' run for that :o)
Wednesday - 10½ miles Aerobic running. This was a fantastic run. Really enjoyable!
Thursday - Intially planned an easy run and a Tempo run - but I was starting to feel slightly below par, and my Early Warning System was alarming at me - so doubled up with 2 Aerobic runs at 9:16 and 9:42min/mile.
Friday - driving all day and definitely not feeling well enough to run
Saturday - Worst day with a high temperature and very sore throat. In hindsight, I was right to not run on Friday
Today - Have obviously seen the back of it. Feeling MUCH better, but decided to rest again having driven for 6 hours - have a decent nights sleep, and see how things are tomorrow
So - good training in the early part of the week - and being sensible in the latter part of the week means a mileage of just 29.4 miles.
But I'm in good shape, I have no niggles, and I'm really pleased with the way I'm running at the moment.
It was a plan that I had to review on Thursday as I was developing a sore throat and a swollen gland in my neck.
It's a symptom that I watch out for and treat with caution - and this approach has served me well over the years.
In normal circumstances by pulling back and resting for 24 hours, it sorts itself out... but this has hung around until today!
Monday - I rested. Legs were still feeling the effects of racing and walking - and I'd planned to rest anyway
Tuesday - 6 miles Tempo. Cracked this out at 6:55min/mile, and it felt good! Legs were a little heavy, and 6 miles was my limit for the day. But my legs were much happier for the blast than they were before. There's nothing like a good 'blow away the cobwebs' run for that :o)
Wednesday - 10½ miles Aerobic running. This was a fantastic run. Really enjoyable!
Thursday - Intially planned an easy run and a Tempo run - but I was starting to feel slightly below par, and my Early Warning System was alarming at me - so doubled up with 2 Aerobic runs at 9:16 and 9:42min/mile.
Friday - driving all day and definitely not feeling well enough to run
Saturday - Worst day with a high temperature and very sore throat. In hindsight, I was right to not run on Friday
Today - Have obviously seen the back of it. Feeling MUCH better, but decided to rest again having driven for 6 hours - have a decent nights sleep, and see how things are tomorrow
So - good training in the early part of the week - and being sensible in the latter part of the week means a mileage of just 29.4 miles.
But I'm in good shape, I have no niggles, and I'm really pleased with the way I'm running at the moment.
Weekly Summary
Weekly mileage: 67.47 miles
Profile: 100% steady road-running, average pace 9.31mm
Longest run: 15.15 miles at 9.25mm pace. And it felt quite long enough!
Niggles: [Takes a deep breath.]
Monday - Woke at 3am to pee warm beetroot juice. Found some Cefaclor, expiry date August 2006. Took three-day course properly. It worked.
Wednesday - strange crampy pain around my left heel, mostly laterally. Came on about a mile into a run, was quite uncomfortable for a mile or two, then eased off. Was still there on Thursday morning but disappeared as soon as I started Thursday afternoon's run and hasn't come back.
Wednesday, after run - nail from third toe on my left foot came off in my hand. Nailbed fine, with healthy new nail growing in.
Thursday evening - tripped over a speck of dust in the dark and measured my length on the pavement. Took skin off right knee and left elbow, and still haven't retrieved the last piece of grit from my left hand.
Saturday - Slight tenderness at the front of both ankles.
(I'm OK, really I am!)
Sofa-spud days: None, but Monday and Saturday were "easy" days.
A good week. Lots of comfortable miles at target pace, and an increase in the length of my longest run. Although doing races as training is an enjoyable strategy, the mental toughness that comes from doing those solitary long training runs is important if I'm going to be prepared to run marathon after marathon mostly on my own.
I'm also planning to do my long training runs at planned marathon pace rather than plodding them out more slowly. Or, more accurately, I'm planning to do the 10-in-10 at a long-training-run effort-level. I may twiddle around with the pace on some of my other runs, but those long runs will remain around 9.30mm.
Next weekend will involve training by running must-do races. So I plan to cut back in the early part of the week, a process likely to be helped by the fact that for the next fortnight I won't be working on my doorstep with a long break between sessions.
Profile: 100% steady road-running, average pace 9.31mm
Longest run: 15.15 miles at 9.25mm pace. And it felt quite long enough!
Niggles: [Takes a deep breath.]
Monday - Woke at 3am to pee warm beetroot juice. Found some Cefaclor, expiry date August 2006. Took three-day course properly. It worked.
Wednesday - strange crampy pain around my left heel, mostly laterally. Came on about a mile into a run, was quite uncomfortable for a mile or two, then eased off. Was still there on Thursday morning but disappeared as soon as I started Thursday afternoon's run and hasn't come back.
Wednesday, after run - nail from third toe on my left foot came off in my hand. Nailbed fine, with healthy new nail growing in.
Thursday evening - tripped over a speck of dust in the dark and measured my length on the pavement. Took skin off right knee and left elbow, and still haven't retrieved the last piece of grit from my left hand.
Saturday - Slight tenderness at the front of both ankles.
(I'm OK, really I am!)
Sofa-spud days: None, but Monday and Saturday were "easy" days.
A good week. Lots of comfortable miles at target pace, and an increase in the length of my longest run. Although doing races as training is an enjoyable strategy, the mental toughness that comes from doing those solitary long training runs is important if I'm going to be prepared to run marathon after marathon mostly on my own.
I'm also planning to do my long training runs at planned marathon pace rather than plodding them out more slowly. Or, more accurately, I'm planning to do the 10-in-10 at a long-training-run effort-level. I may twiddle around with the pace on some of my other runs, but those long runs will remain around 9.30mm.
Next weekend will involve training by running must-do races. So I plan to cut back in the early part of the week, a process likely to be helped by the fact that for the next fortnight I won't be working on my doorstep with a long break between sessions.
Saturday, 18 October 2008
Abingdon Marathon :o)
We won't be there this weekend, although lots of our friends are running or supporting. Maybe it's just as well, because Leon has been bitten by a Martcrag Moor mosquito and has malaria. Or maybe it's just man-flu and an over-imaginative doctor in the house. Whatever it is, if his temperature doesn't come down overnight I'll be cooking a full English breakfast on his chest in the morning.
When the Abingdon Marathon was last run, in 2006, we were there. Leon had a place. I didn't. An autumn marathon wasn't on my agenda. I'd restarted training in June after a long gap enforced by domestic upheavals, and my target race was the Windsor half-marathon. Which is why, about six weeks before the race, I heard myself offering to relieve someone of an Abingdon race number that they didn't want.
My training went well. I got up to 50mpw for the first time ever, and didn't break down. I did everything right for Windsor, didn't have a particularly good race on the day, and still brought my PB down from a frustrating 2:00:47 to 1:47:54. Two weeks later, I did the Kenilworth half-marathon as a training run without any taper, and finished comfortably in 1:42:24. A few days later I did my only pre-Abingdon long training run - a 19-miler.
I was running faster and more consistently than I ever had before, and Leon offered to give up his chance of sub-3:15 to help me aim for sub-4. This would be an even bigger leap than I'd made at the half-marathon distance, since my marathon PB was 4:41:21.
We had company for the race. Valerie, also looking for sub-4, ran with us for the first 17 miles but then had to drop back a little. And early on, we were joined by a V70 gentleman who was aiming for the 5 hours he needed to qualify for Boston. "I'll stay with you for as long as I can keep up," he said. He stayed back with Valerie, then caught us up again a few miles later and went on to leave us to eat his dust. Respect :o)
I saw The Wall. I gently ploughed through it and, for the first time ever in a marathon, came out the other side running strongly again. That was an enduring lesson.
We finished in 3:54:49. I was delighted - and, physically, absolutely fine.
Next lesson. We went out for a late lunch with a group from Runner's World and Fetch, to which we'd just been introduced the previous evening. We found ourselves sitting beside the MV45 winner and another very fast male runner. This gave us an opportunity to observe what champion distance-runners regard as recovery-food. We were very pleased to note that instead of a protein shake and a handful of pills, they each had half a farmyard, fried, with chips, and washed down with a pint of beer. Anything green and leafy was left on the side of the plate.
If I could turn in that sort of marathon performance off half-marathon training, what could I achieve if I actually targeted a marathon? After five consecutive ballot rejections, I had a guaranteed FLM place for 2007 ... sub-3:45? Sub-3:30?
Pride goes before a fall, and that's a story for another time. But that Abingdon performance showed me that I could take control of a marathon instead of letting it happen to me :o)
When the Abingdon Marathon was last run, in 2006, we were there. Leon had a place. I didn't. An autumn marathon wasn't on my agenda. I'd restarted training in June after a long gap enforced by domestic upheavals, and my target race was the Windsor half-marathon. Which is why, about six weeks before the race, I heard myself offering to relieve someone of an Abingdon race number that they didn't want.
My training went well. I got up to 50mpw for the first time ever, and didn't break down. I did everything right for Windsor, didn't have a particularly good race on the day, and still brought my PB down from a frustrating 2:00:47 to 1:47:54. Two weeks later, I did the Kenilworth half-marathon as a training run without any taper, and finished comfortably in 1:42:24. A few days later I did my only pre-Abingdon long training run - a 19-miler.
I was running faster and more consistently than I ever had before, and Leon offered to give up his chance of sub-3:15 to help me aim for sub-4. This would be an even bigger leap than I'd made at the half-marathon distance, since my marathon PB was 4:41:21.
We had company for the race. Valerie, also looking for sub-4, ran with us for the first 17 miles but then had to drop back a little. And early on, we were joined by a V70 gentleman who was aiming for the 5 hours he needed to qualify for Boston. "I'll stay with you for as long as I can keep up," he said. He stayed back with Valerie, then caught us up again a few miles later and went on to leave us to eat his dust. Respect :o)
I saw The Wall. I gently ploughed through it and, for the first time ever in a marathon, came out the other side running strongly again. That was an enduring lesson.
We finished in 3:54:49. I was delighted - and, physically, absolutely fine.
Next lesson. We went out for a late lunch with a group from Runner's World and Fetch, to which we'd just been introduced the previous evening. We found ourselves sitting beside the MV45 winner and another very fast male runner. This gave us an opportunity to observe what champion distance-runners regard as recovery-food. We were very pleased to note that instead of a protein shake and a handful of pills, they each had half a farmyard, fried, with chips, and washed down with a pint of beer. Anything green and leafy was left on the side of the plate.
If I could turn in that sort of marathon performance off half-marathon training, what could I achieve if I actually targeted a marathon? After five consecutive ballot rejections, I had a guaranteed FLM place for 2007 ... sub-3:45? Sub-3:30?
Pride goes before a fall, and that's a story for another time. But that Abingdon performance showed me that I could take control of a marathon instead of letting it happen to me :o)
Friday, 17 October 2008
Life
Sometimes gets in the way!!!
Helping my step-son with a job this morning, and 6 hours driving put paid to any training thoughts I might have had.
It's probably a blessing in disguise. A slightly sore throat is hanging about, so a day resting from training isn't going to hurt!!
Helping my step-son with a job this morning, and 6 hours driving put paid to any training thoughts I might have had.
It's probably a blessing in disguise. A slightly sore throat is hanging about, so a day resting from training isn't going to hurt!!
Thursday, 16 October 2008
A huge "Thank You" to socksfox
When we started out on our little journey towards May of next year - there were a couple of "Stare you in the Face" priorities:
Training - lots of it - and geared towards the ultimate goal of successfully completing the 10 marathons is good shape;
Sponsorship - it is a fantastic thing that Brathay do for disadvantaged children - and work that I have had a very personal investment in in the past, so supporting it as well as we can is really important to us.
And Kit..!!
For Small companies, financial investment in charitable causes can be really complicated, and a bit of an accounting nightmare. With this in mind, we asked socksfox - the only retailer that we could find who could supply us with Falke SK1 Ski socks a couple of years ago - if they would consider supplying us with the Falke RU4 Socks that are our running foot-covering of choice.
Well -
Not only did they agree to assist us in this regard, the personalised service and interest that we have subsequently received has been outstanding!
And it is very much appreciated!!
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Every training run should have an objective ...
... and the objective of my run today was to do 10 miles at my aspirational 10-in-10 pace on slightly sluggish and over-used legs. Running on legs that would prefer to be resting is something I expect to be doing rather a lot in May.
Leon blogged earlier about adaptation. Well, adaptation is my favourite physiological process too. It's taken me from being barely able to move for days after my first marathon to being able to complete two marathons on consecutive days then spend the next day hill-walking and scrambling. It's made me such a fuel-efficient runner that I can maintain my weight easily even at 70mpw without blowing the food-budget. It's made running 10 marathons in 10 days look feasible.
What would you expect to happen to a recreational athlete if they ran a marathon every day for 10 days? Conventional wisdom suggests that they'd develop progressive muscle glycogen depletion, accumulate microscopic muscle damage, and produce increasing amounts of cortisol and other stress hormones. A more holistic assessment would consider the complex neuromuscular, psychological, immunological and endocrine changes that take place with intense prolonged exercise. Either way, the conclusion would be that the athlete's performance would decline and they would succumb to physical and mental fatigue, illness or injury.
What actually happens?
http://www.brathaychallenge.co.uk/brathay-10-in-10-marathon-times-2008.asp
Those are last year's participants' times. Everyone finished apart from Susan Adams, who fractured her foot in the 6th race (and whom I'm delighted to see will be back in 2009). Most of the runners ran remarkably consistently over the 10 days, without the progressive fading-out that might be predicted. Some got faster as the days went on. One man ran a PB - that's a career PB, not just a 10-in-10 PB - on the seventh marathon.
There are no short-cuts to that sort of performance, and you can't do it on bloody-mindedness alone. It's the result of years of running experience.
Back to today. My legs were feeling the effects of the run I did yesterday - 9 miles at 9.30mm pace, then a fast quarter-mile to finish - and my calves hadn't forgotten the 20 miles of hill-walking at the weekend. Leon and I had decided yesterday that we'd do 10 miles together this afternoon between my work sessions, and there was no reason to abandon that plan.
I was very pleased with an average pace of 9.45mm for 10.5 miles on an undulating route, and could have gone on longer had I not needed to go back to work.
I'm hoping that the rhubarb crumble and custard we had for dinner tonight will have worked its magic by tomorrow :o)
Leon blogged earlier about adaptation. Well, adaptation is my favourite physiological process too. It's taken me from being barely able to move for days after my first marathon to being able to complete two marathons on consecutive days then spend the next day hill-walking and scrambling. It's made me such a fuel-efficient runner that I can maintain my weight easily even at 70mpw without blowing the food-budget. It's made running 10 marathons in 10 days look feasible.
What would you expect to happen to a recreational athlete if they ran a marathon every day for 10 days? Conventional wisdom suggests that they'd develop progressive muscle glycogen depletion, accumulate microscopic muscle damage, and produce increasing amounts of cortisol and other stress hormones. A more holistic assessment would consider the complex neuromuscular, psychological, immunological and endocrine changes that take place with intense prolonged exercise. Either way, the conclusion would be that the athlete's performance would decline and they would succumb to physical and mental fatigue, illness or injury.
What actually happens?
http://www.brathaychallenge.co.uk/brathay-10-in-10-marathon-times-2008.asp
Those are last year's participants' times. Everyone finished apart from Susan Adams, who fractured her foot in the 6th race (and whom I'm delighted to see will be back in 2009). Most of the runners ran remarkably consistently over the 10 days, without the progressive fading-out that might be predicted. Some got faster as the days went on. One man ran a PB - that's a career PB, not just a 10-in-10 PB - on the seventh marathon.
There are no short-cuts to that sort of performance, and you can't do it on bloody-mindedness alone. It's the result of years of running experience.
Back to today. My legs were feeling the effects of the run I did yesterday - 9 miles at 9.30mm pace, then a fast quarter-mile to finish - and my calves hadn't forgotten the 20 miles of hill-walking at the weekend. Leon and I had decided yesterday that we'd do 10 miles together this afternoon between my work sessions, and there was no reason to abandon that plan.
I was very pleased with an average pace of 9.45mm for 10.5 miles on an undulating route, and could have gone on longer had I not needed to go back to work.
I'm hoping that the rhubarb crumble and custard we had for dinner tonight will have worked its magic by tomorrow :o)
Adaptation - Some thoughts
Yesterday Lorna and I ran at different times. I had to shoot off to a meeting when she was at home at lunchtime, so we didn't run together.
I was still feeling the remnants of the effects of a hard run race on Saturday and a longish day on the hill on Sunday, but fancied turning my legs over with a bit of pace. So I chose one of our standard training routes and decided to make 6 miles of it a Tempo run
Aim for 6:50 - 7:10 and see how it goes, I thought!
There was a degree of sluggishness to my legs that I could still feel - but not too bad, and the undulating route is one that I know very well. And it was passing at a slightly higher effort level than the last time I'd done it as a Tempo, but not overly so. I started to tire a little in the last mile, but maintained the pace nicely.
I had half a mile to complete after the 6 miles to get home - so used that as a gentle Cool Down.
The interesting thing was that my legs felt better after the run, than they had before! Looser and with fewer aches! Is it the effect of training consistently, or is it the cumulative effect of a running 'history'.... or perhaps a bit of both.
We had a bit of a chat about a Fell series AND a Trail Series that look very enticing for after the 10-in-10, and what kind of recovery would be needed after the event. It's a bit of an unknown, but our training is going to be focused on making sure that we are in the kind of condition that WILL allow us to do multiple back-to-back hard days... and then look forward to the next challenge without too much of a pause!
It IS noticeable for both of us, though, that we are recovering more quickly, and able to train at relatively high volume since having a relatively long break earlier in the year!
Monday, 13 October 2008
Langdale Horseshoe Fell Race Report
I was really nervous about this. More than I have been for all but a couple of races in the past, and they were significant 'target' races. So in a way I suppose that illustrated the importance with which I was viewing it.
For a Fell race, it's big!
There were around 500 runners..... all milling about at the start. And that was intimidating enough as it was. Because there were some hardy looking wiry, strip o' wind, proper fell running types who I doubted I'd see again once we were off!
On Thursday and Friday there had been "End-Of-The-World" weather according to my very good friend and 'confidence' booster, Stu!!!!! And the evidence was there to be seen with the amount of wet stuff coming off the hill!
"Martcrag Moor is going to EAT people," I wryly observed to Lorna on the way up!!!
Having no idea how I was going to do, and no idea who the characters around me were and what THEY might do, I stuck myself right in the middle of the crowd for the start. I didn't fancy being too far in front - being knocked down by a tidal wave of rampaging Fast Folk Fell Runners, and then being ceremoniously trampled into the path by 500 pairs of be-studded feet.....
and yet I knew that from previous years' results, that it was unlikely that I'd be last.
It worked out OK!
The first section from Old Dungeon Ghyll is along a footpath - quite narrow, but with a few places for passing people with "Stomp Me Into The Mud" 'written' on their backs
(That SO could've been me!)
It wasn't a path though - it was a river! It made for interesting foot-fall experiences as there was no way of telling what was under the water - Flat stony path, ankle-turning rocks, Sucking Mud, novice who'd started too near the front, perhaps ........
By looking for the often easier alternatives to the main path, I made up quite a few places in that first section.
Then the first climb started. Already there were loads of folk breathing much harder than me I noted.
That's got to be good, I thought!
The first mile 'beeped' just under Pike Howe on a very narrow little bit of traversing path.
From here up to Stickle Tarn I kept thinking "I can run this" but there was no way that I could with the volume of people around me... so I accepted that for the most part this was a fact-finding mission.
Yes - I can Run up hills
Yes - I can run down hills (though not as well as I go UP them!)
Yes - I can do THIS route
Yes - I COULD be going faster
But......
I'd never put all the bits together at the same time before!
There are types of ground that I'm confident on - big rocks is one of them, so while loads of people were tentatively crossing Stickle Ghyll, I saw the big stepping stones that I knew were there from a previous visit - and hammered across them - and in so doing passed about 20 people!
Excellent!!
Lorna, and our friends Jim and Agi had set off earlier to be up at the Tarn before the runners arrived - I looked for them as I ran around it, but didn't see them. I wondered if they might have gone up higher as I knew the route they were planning to take, so I hoped that I hadn't just missed them, and I'd see them later.
I was quickly learning that making up time on other people was more about making really good route decisions than simply being 'quick'!
And making decisions that play to your strengths too!!
I was really surprised, even at this early stage how quickly I had to think... and adjust... and re-plan
No chance to get bored!!!
Checkpoint 1 came up at 1.8 miles - a couple of folk with clipboards noting down the numbers as people went past.
Mile 2 'pinged' half way up the climb towards Thunacar Knott. Lorna and I have been up this route a couple of times before, and it seemed to go by pretty quickly this time. Thunacar Knott and Checkpoint 2 hovered into view. Which meant the really nice descent on soft ground to Martcrag Moor was to follow!!
Lorna, Jim and Agi saw me go past - the JW Ultra Buff was 'distinctive', apparently!
HA HA Mr Bog - I WIN!!!
And just as that thought went through my head......
....I plunged to belly button depth into the Quick-Mud. I was carrying quite a bit of forward momentum, so as my legs stopped, my body carried on moving forwards - and in went the chest, arms and head!
For a brief moment I must have looked like a turtle!
But I was enjoying myself so much that I just chuckled quietly to myself - and extricated myself as quickly as I could. I wasn't the only person eaten by the Moor that day..!!
Down into Langdale Combe, and I was overtaken by two runners - I definitely need to work on my descending!
I could see the line of runners on the ascending traverse up through Black Crags, but looking at it, they were intially losing height to gain it again, so I decided to head to the first grassy ledge above the trod, and hammer along that. Good decision! I climbed quickly and was running again at pace, rejoining the trod about halfway up. And I'd passed 15-20 people!!! Nice!!
Over the col and onto the boggy section towards Angle Tarn. Another micro-bog-swallowing moment along here but otherwise relatively easy running and was able to pick off another few runners!
Angle Tarn was at 4.8 miles and 1:08 from the start. I enjoyed this bit - running up the main path (well, mostly on the grass at the side) picking off a few more people and not getting passed until I got to the third checkpoint at Esk Hause shelter.
5.5 miles in and 1:20
970m of ascent to this point!!
I was hoping to get here in 1:30 - so I was quite chuffed at being there a little earlier than that.
Decision time - Over Esk Pike - or follow the race line on the traverse
There was a gap ahead of me - so Traverse it was.
This section is quite difficult, the ground is really rough and steep - there are soapy rocks everywhere - and BIG holes of thigh-deep Sucking Mud, and the 'path' is small, clinging as it does to the North-East slopes of Esk Pike
I LOVED it
About half way along the traverse I caught the 3 blokes ahead of me which slowed me up a little - but that was fine, I kept reminding myself - you've still got 3 climbs and 2 long descents to come!!!!!
As the traverse ended and widened at the Ore Gap -
(1:33, 6.3 miles) - I went past 2 of the 3 chaps. And on to the grassy trod which I KNEW I could find on my way up to Bowfell.
Couldn't have done that better! I saw lots of people who'd gone the longer way, over to my left, and I got to Bowfell summit and Checkpoint 4
1:42 (6.9 miles).
Into unknown territory for me now.
There was no-one ahead of me that I could see when I reached 3 tarns having come off Bowfell - and I knew the race line traversed around the right side of the crags at the 730m contour. I needn't have worried, it was REALLY obvious where I needed to go - and the 'path' was really nice to run on too.
I rounded a corner and there were 3 other runners going the same way as me. It was nice to have confirmation that I was in the right place - but I was relying on my own hill-craft to get me where I wanted to go. I really enjoyed this section. SO much nicer than following the 'safe' cairned route some 60 metres above!
The ground steepened a little but as still runnable until the last little scramble onto Crinkle Crags and Checkpoint 5
2:03 (8.2 miles)
Again I was at the front of the group heading to the Bad Step - No queue - Excellent. No question as to which route to take then!!!!
As I started on the descent to the Step, I did my ankle-turning thing. The ligaments on my left ankle are very 'loose' and occasionally I'll turn my ankle - It always looks worse than it is, as my foot turns through a whole 90 degrees so that the sole faces where my right foot would be if I were standing still - but there was a collective [GASP] from a group of lads sat eating their Butties.
I just carried on running
When I got there there was a walker struggling their way up the Step..
"OK if I come down, mate?"
"Not while I'm on it"
So I gave him enough space to continue and lowered myself down, pushed off, turned and started running again.
Here I made a tiny error
I was looking for the path that skirted the right hand side of the ridge path - though I saw it at the col, and dropped 10 metres in height - only to realise that I had to then traverse back up to it on an easy grassy path. I was a bit annoyed with myself about that, but I didn't really lose much because of it.
Then came a reasonably grassy (if you chose your route carefully) descent towards Red Tarn and the final little climb to Pike of Blisco. When I started to ascend, I realised that I was getting a little tired, and the middle of my right quad started to suggest that it might like to cramp.
I dropped to a fast walk (still ascending at 20m/minute though) and part way up it started to ease.
It was both a relief and with a degree of dread that I touched the cairn on Pike o'Blisco
2:27 (10 miles)
Climbing done, 1495m of it - just 600m of descent over the next 4km to come...
[GULP]
I was able to follow an Ambleside runner onto the grassy line - which luckily just served to confirm that I was going where I thought I should have been, and then the trod over Wrynose Fell and down to the final checkpoint at the cattle grid by Side Pike was really obvious.
Actually - It's a nicer way off the hill than the main footpath - by SOME margin!!!!
I was really tiring now though and 4 runners went past me over the course of the descent. My running-on-the-flat legs were working pretty well though, and once we reached the last 0.3 mile flat section to the finish, I was reeling in a couple of the runners who had previously passed me.
I didn't catch them - but I didn't mind. I'd worked as hard as I could on the day.
I finished in 2:48 which I was really pleased with
In 82nd place on the very provisional Sticky-Label-On-A-Board results at the finish.
So what were my impressions of my first Fell Race...??
▬ It was tough! My legs haven't worked that hard in a long time
▬ I'm glad that I can read a map and that I did some planning - it made life a lot easier!
▬ I'm not a great descender - I need to work on it!
▬ X-talons are a very good racing shoe - I only had one loss-of-traction fall and that was on the final descent
▬ Fully weighting a foot against the sharp edge of a rock causes bruising (did this on the Esk Pike Traverse)
▬ Peat bog doesn't taste great!
▬ Plastic buckets filled with water to scoop into your own self-service paper cup (Pint ones - none of this 330ml rubbish!!) and add Orange squash to - is the drink of the Gods when you are thirsty after a hard run on the Fell
▬ Doing an AL as your first one is probably a bit silly - but this one ROCKED!!!!
If you are at all tempted to have a go at running on Trails and Fells, then do it!!!
It is awesome in the extreme..!!
Elevation profile
For a Fell race, it's big!
There were around 500 runners..... all milling about at the start. And that was intimidating enough as it was. Because there were some hardy looking wiry, strip o' wind, proper fell running types who I doubted I'd see again once we were off!
On Thursday and Friday there had been "End-Of-The-World" weather according to my very good friend and 'confidence' booster, Stu!!!!! And the evidence was there to be seen with the amount of wet stuff coming off the hill!
"Martcrag Moor is going to EAT people," I wryly observed to Lorna on the way up!!!
Having no idea how I was going to do, and no idea who the characters around me were and what THEY might do, I stuck myself right in the middle of the crowd for the start. I didn't fancy being too far in front - being knocked down by a tidal wave of rampaging Fast Folk Fell Runners, and then being ceremoniously trampled into the path by 500 pairs of be-studded feet.....
and yet I knew that from previous years' results, that it was unlikely that I'd be last.It worked out OK!
The first section from Old Dungeon Ghyll is along a footpath - quite narrow, but with a few places for passing people with "Stomp Me Into The Mud" 'written' on their backs
(That SO could've been me!)
It wasn't a path though - it was a river! It made for interesting foot-fall experiences as there was no way of telling what was under the water - Flat stony path, ankle-turning rocks, Sucking Mud, novice who'd started too near the front, perhaps ........
By looking for the often easier alternatives to the main path, I made up quite a few places in that first section.
Then the first climb started. Already there were loads of folk breathing much harder than me I noted.
That's got to be good, I thought!
The first mile 'beeped' just under Pike Howe on a very narrow little bit of traversing path.
From here up to Stickle Tarn I kept thinking "I can run this" but there was no way that I could with the volume of people around me... so I accepted that for the most part this was a fact-finding mission.
Yes - I can Run up hills
Yes - I can run down hills (though not as well as I go UP them!)
Yes - I can do THIS route
Yes - I COULD be going faster
But......
I'd never put all the bits together at the same time before!
There are types of ground that I'm confident on - big rocks is one of them, so while loads of people were tentatively crossing Stickle Ghyll, I saw the big stepping stones that I knew were there from a previous visit - and hammered across them - and in so doing passed about 20 people!
Excellent!!
Lorna, and our friends Jim and Agi had set off earlier to be up at the Tarn before the runners arrived - I looked for them as I ran around it, but didn't see them. I wondered if they might have gone up higher as I knew the route they were planning to take, so I hoped that I hadn't just missed them, and I'd see them later.
I was quickly learning that making up time on other people was more about making really good route decisions than simply being 'quick'!
And making decisions that play to your strengths too!!
I was really surprised, even at this early stage how quickly I had to think... and adjust... and re-plan
No chance to get bored!!!
Checkpoint 1 came up at 1.8 miles - a couple of folk with clipboards noting down the numbers as people went past.
Mile 2 'pinged' half way up the climb towards Thunacar Knott. Lorna and I have been up this route a couple of times before, and it seemed to go by pretty quickly this time. Thunacar Knott and Checkpoint 2 hovered into view. Which meant the really nice descent on soft ground to Martcrag Moor was to follow!!
Lorna, Jim and Agi saw me go past - the JW Ultra Buff was 'distinctive', apparently!
Runners heading to their doom on Martcarg Moor
Centrally in the cloud is Crinkle Crags,
the col to the right is Three Tarns
The visibility was perfect and route-finding was simple. As I came to the flatter wetter part of the Moor, I saw the bit of bog that had swallowed me the last time I was here, and went to the side that HAD been more solid last time. Didn't slow down at all....Centrally in the cloud is Crinkle Crags,
the col to the right is Three Tarns
HA HA Mr Bog - I WIN!!!
And just as that thought went through my head......
....I plunged to belly button depth into the Quick-Mud. I was carrying quite a bit of forward momentum, so as my legs stopped, my body carried on moving forwards - and in went the chest, arms and head!
For a brief moment I must have looked like a turtle!
But I was enjoying myself so much that I just chuckled quietly to myself - and extricated myself as quickly as I could. I wasn't the only person eaten by the Moor that day..!!
Down into Langdale Combe, and I was overtaken by two runners - I definitely need to work on my descending!
I could see the line of runners on the ascending traverse up through Black Crags, but looking at it, they were intially losing height to gain it again, so I decided to head to the first grassy ledge above the trod, and hammer along that. Good decision! I climbed quickly and was running again at pace, rejoining the trod about halfway up. And I'd passed 15-20 people!!! Nice!!
Over the col and onto the boggy section towards Angle Tarn. Another micro-bog-swallowing moment along here but otherwise relatively easy running and was able to pick off another few runners!
Angle Tarn was at 4.8 miles and 1:08 from the start. I enjoyed this bit - running up the main path (well, mostly on the grass at the side) picking off a few more people and not getting passed until I got to the third checkpoint at Esk Hause shelter.
5.5 miles in and 1:20
970m of ascent to this point!!
I was hoping to get here in 1:30 - so I was quite chuffed at being there a little earlier than that.
Decision time - Over Esk Pike - or follow the race line on the traverse
There was a gap ahead of me - so Traverse it was.
This section is quite difficult, the ground is really rough and steep - there are soapy rocks everywhere - and BIG holes of thigh-deep Sucking Mud, and the 'path' is small, clinging as it does to the North-East slopes of Esk Pike
I LOVED it
About half way along the traverse I caught the 3 blokes ahead of me which slowed me up a little - but that was fine, I kept reminding myself - you've still got 3 climbs and 2 long descents to come!!!!!
As the traverse ended and widened at the Ore Gap -
(1:33, 6.3 miles) - I went past 2 of the 3 chaps. And on to the grassy trod which I KNEW I could find on my way up to Bowfell.
Couldn't have done that better! I saw lots of people who'd gone the longer way, over to my left, and I got to Bowfell summit and Checkpoint 4
1:42 (6.9 miles).
Into unknown territory for me now.
There was no-one ahead of me that I could see when I reached 3 tarns having come off Bowfell - and I knew the race line traversed around the right side of the crags at the 730m contour. I needn't have worried, it was REALLY obvious where I needed to go - and the 'path' was really nice to run on too.
I rounded a corner and there were 3 other runners going the same way as me. It was nice to have confirmation that I was in the right place - but I was relying on my own hill-craft to get me where I wanted to go. I really enjoyed this section. SO much nicer than following the 'safe' cairned route some 60 metres above!
The ground steepened a little but as still runnable until the last little scramble onto Crinkle Crags and Checkpoint 5
2:03 (8.2 miles)
Again I was at the front of the group heading to the Bad Step - No queue - Excellent. No question as to which route to take then!!!!
As I started on the descent to the Step, I did my ankle-turning thing. The ligaments on my left ankle are very 'loose' and occasionally I'll turn my ankle - It always looks worse than it is, as my foot turns through a whole 90 degrees so that the sole faces where my right foot would be if I were standing still - but there was a collective [GASP] from a group of lads sat eating their Butties.
I just carried on running
When I got there there was a walker struggling their way up the Step..
"OK if I come down, mate?"
"Not while I'm on it"
So I gave him enough space to continue and lowered myself down, pushed off, turned and started running again.
Here I made a tiny error
I was looking for the path that skirted the right hand side of the ridge path - though I saw it at the col, and dropped 10 metres in height - only to realise that I had to then traverse back up to it on an easy grassy path. I was a bit annoyed with myself about that, but I didn't really lose much because of it.
Then came a reasonably grassy (if you chose your route carefully) descent towards Red Tarn and the final little climb to Pike of Blisco. When I started to ascend, I realised that I was getting a little tired, and the middle of my right quad started to suggest that it might like to cramp.
I dropped to a fast walk (still ascending at 20m/minute though) and part way up it started to ease.
It was both a relief and with a degree of dread that I touched the cairn on Pike o'Blisco
2:27 (10 miles)
Climbing done, 1495m of it - just 600m of descent over the next 4km to come...
[GULP]
I was able to follow an Ambleside runner onto the grassy line - which luckily just served to confirm that I was going where I thought I should have been, and then the trod over Wrynose Fell and down to the final checkpoint at the cattle grid by Side Pike was really obvious.
Actually - It's a nicer way off the hill than the main footpath - by SOME margin!!!!
I was really tiring now though and 4 runners went past me over the course of the descent. My running-on-the-flat legs were working pretty well though, and once we reached the last 0.3 mile flat section to the finish, I was reeling in a couple of the runners who had previously passed me.
I didn't catch them - but I didn't mind. I'd worked as hard as I could on the day.
I finished in 2:48 which I was really pleased with
In 82nd place on the very provisional Sticky-Label-On-A-Board results at the finish.
So what were my impressions of my first Fell Race...??
▬ It was tough! My legs haven't worked that hard in a long time
▬ I'm glad that I can read a map and that I did some planning - it made life a lot easier!
▬ I'm not a great descender - I need to work on it!
▬ X-talons are a very good racing shoe - I only had one loss-of-traction fall and that was on the final descent
▬ Fully weighting a foot against the sharp edge of a rock causes bruising (did this on the Esk Pike Traverse)
▬ Peat bog doesn't taste great!
▬ Plastic buckets filled with water to scoop into your own self-service paper cup (Pint ones - none of this 330ml rubbish!!) and add Orange squash to - is the drink of the Gods when you are thirsty after a hard run on the Fell
▬ Doing an AL as your first one is probably a bit silly - but this one ROCKED!!!!
If you are at all tempted to have a go at running on Trails and Fells, then do it!!!
It is awesome in the extreme..!!
Elevation profileSunday, 12 October 2008
Weekly summary
Weekly mileage: 58.67 miles
Profile: 65.5% road-running, average pace 9.20mm
34.5% hill-walking, average pace 29.55mm
Longest run: 12.1 miles at 9.27mm pace
Niggles: Blister developed on left big toe on Tuesday. Didn't affect training. Now painfree.
Sofa-spud days: Monday.
Leon and I had a great weekend in the Lake District. Despite Martcrag Moor attempting to swallow him whole, Leon performed not too badly for a first-time fell-racer in the Langdale Horseshoe Fell Race (and I still can't help thinking I *might* have been able to make that Esk Hause cut-off).
Unlike Leon, I'm not a fell-runner. On rough terrain, I'm a feeble ascender and a cowardly descender. Mostly, I'm a road runner. When I go out on the hills, I'm a hill-walker who wears fell-shoes and sometimes runs the easy bits. It has been suggested to me that it's misleading to log my hill-walking trips as training mileage and that they shouldn't feature in my training log at all. To which I say, firstly, it's bad manners to be disrespectful about anyone's training apart from your own, and, secondly, stomping over hills with a 5-6kg rucksack is resistance-training by stealth, and is a great deal more sustainable than doing leg-presses in the gym.
If I'm deluding myself, well, it's worth it :o)
Today, we talked about how essential it is that we build as much functional physical strength and endurance as we can for the 10-in-10. The characteristics we'll need to be able to run 10 marathons at a reasonably consistent pace are not the same as those we'd need to target one marathon for a fast time.
Incidentally, our blog picture was taken one year ago today, when, with Leon at my side, I ran my fastest marathon to date - 3:44:10 by the clock, on an undulating course at Leicester. The objective was to get a qualifying time for both London and Boston in 2009 - something Leon had achieved two weeks earlier with a 3:11:12 marathon in Berlin. We subsequently decided that we didn't fancy London (great event though it undoubtedly is) and couldn't afford to go to Boston.
Profile: 65.5% road-running, average pace 9.20mm
34.5% hill-walking, average pace 29.55mm
Longest run: 12.1 miles at 9.27mm pace
Niggles: Blister developed on left big toe on Tuesday. Didn't affect training. Now painfree.
Sofa-spud days: Monday.
Leon and I had a great weekend in the Lake District. Despite Martcrag Moor attempting to swallow him whole, Leon performed not too badly for a first-time fell-racer in the Langdale Horseshoe Fell Race (and I still can't help thinking I *might* have been able to make that Esk Hause cut-off).
Unlike Leon, I'm not a fell-runner. On rough terrain, I'm a feeble ascender and a cowardly descender. Mostly, I'm a road runner. When I go out on the hills, I'm a hill-walker who wears fell-shoes and sometimes runs the easy bits. It has been suggested to me that it's misleading to log my hill-walking trips as training mileage and that they shouldn't feature in my training log at all. To which I say, firstly, it's bad manners to be disrespectful about anyone's training apart from your own, and, secondly, stomping over hills with a 5-6kg rucksack is resistance-training by stealth, and is a great deal more sustainable than doing leg-presses in the gym.
If I'm deluding myself, well, it's worth it :o)
Today, we talked about how essential it is that we build as much functional physical strength and endurance as we can for the 10-in-10. The characteristics we'll need to be able to run 10 marathons at a reasonably consistent pace are not the same as those we'd need to target one marathon for a fast time.
Incidentally, our blog picture was taken one year ago today, when, with Leon at my side, I ran my fastest marathon to date - 3:44:10 by the clock, on an undulating course at Leicester. The objective was to get a qualifying time for both London and Boston in 2009 - something Leon had achieved two weeks earlier with a 3:11:12 marathon in Berlin. We subsequently decided that we didn't fancy London (great event though it undoubtedly is) and couldn't afford to go to Boston.
Friday, 10 October 2008
Final Preparations for Langdale..!!
Mountain Weather says this for Saturday 11th October
| WIND: | Westerly 15-20mph with gusts to 30mph (on the hills ). Buffeting possible on higher slopes at times |
| RAIN: | Isolated showers. Showers very isolated and mainly confined to the western fells, elsewhere dry. |
| CLOUDS: | Clouds likely to cover higher slopes above 800-900m in any showers, otherwise clear hills. |
| SUN: | Very localised hill fog in showers, otherwise very good visibility and sunny periods. |
| TEMP: | At 750m: 8 to 10C. |
Knowing what Cloud-Magnets that Bowfell and Crinkle Crags are in reality, I suspect that the ability to interpret the squiggles and splodges on a paper representation of the ground, and knowing which way the 'red' bit on a compass points is still going to come in useful!!
And the outlook for Sunday is for even better weather.
So Lorna and I will be plotting some gentle trotting about the Lakeland Fells for then!!
And the outlook for Sunday is for even better weather.
So Lorna and I will be plotting some gentle trotting about the Lakeland Fells for then!!
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
THANKS, MUM AND DAD!
[Blows a big sloppy kiss northwards.]
Only, I know that supporting this silly hobby of mine isn't something that comes instinctively to you, and for some very understandable reasons.
So I really appreciate your donation :o)
And the plod-all-day gene is coming in useful too!
Only, I know that supporting this silly hobby of mine isn't something that comes instinctively to you, and for some very understandable reasons.
So I really appreciate your donation :o)
And the plod-all-day gene is coming in useful too!
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Preparations for Langdale
I had a little peek at the forecast for the weekend, and that along with a helpful post by a good friend on the Fetch Everyone forum who posted..
"..Looks like the Fetchies at Langdale are going to have perfect conditions on Saturday - quagmire, rain, wind, low visibility...
Think the rest of us might just support from inside the pub!!!..."
..I made some very visible directional and navigational 'adjustments' to my map of the course.
It's useful to know - slightly in advance - what compass bearing that you 'll need to be following from certain points. And which contour to follow when you can't see your hand in front of your face.
A little play with the laminating machine, and it was sorted..!!
Sounds like it's going to be a proper challenge on Saturday. Excellent
"..Looks like the Fetchies at Langdale are going to have perfect conditions on Saturday - quagmire, rain, wind, low visibility...
Think the rest of us might just support from inside the pub!!!
..."..I made some very visible directional and navigational 'adjustments' to my map of the course.
It's useful to know - slightly in advance - what compass bearing that you 'll need to be following from certain points. And which contour to follow when you can't see your hand in front of your face.
A little play with the laminating machine, and it was sorted..!!
Sounds like it's going to be a proper challenge on Saturday. Excellent
Some Trail Shoes are also excellent Road Shoes!
Click on the Image to see it Full-Size
Running in these shoes was an experiment!
I knew they would suit my running style, but I also wanted to keep a record of how they wore over time and miles.
Considering the fact that the rubber is a 'soft' 'sticky' rubber, I'm quite pleased with the way they have stood up to the pure tarmac mileage that I have subjected them to. It is also a good indicator to me that I am in fact running the way that I perceive that I am.
Running in these shoes was an experiment!
I knew they would suit my running style, but I also wanted to keep a record of how they wore over time and miles.
Considering the fact that the rubber is a 'soft' 'sticky' rubber, I'm quite pleased with the way they have stood up to the pure tarmac mileage that I have subjected them to. It is also a good indicator to me that I am in fact running the way that I perceive that I am.
How can a Rest Day be so tiring..???
A nice easy week for me ahead of the Langdale Horseshoe, which will be my first foray into actually racing on the Fells.
Not one to do things half-heartedly, I'm jumping in with an 'AL' with pretty tough cut-offs.
For anyone who doesn't know about the classifications in fell races.....
Ascent Categories
Category A:- at least 250 ft (76.2 m) of ascent per mile (1.6 km); should not have more than 20% of the race distance on road; should be at least one mile in length.
Category B:- at least 125 ft (38.1 m) of ascent per mile (1.6 km); should not have more than 30% of the race distance on road
Category C:- at least 100 ft (30.5 m) of ascent per mile (1.6 km): should not have more than 40% of the race distance on road: should contain some genuine fell terrain
Distance Categories
Category L - for Long - over 12 miles (19.3 km)
Category M - for Medium - over 6 miles (9.6 km)
Category S - for Short - less than 6 miles (9.6 km)
Having been to the area a few times, I'm under no illusions about how difficult it will be!
So yesterday was a Rest Day - from running!
But by the time tea-time came around I was really tired.
I'm in the process of setting up a small business, the details of which I'll elaborate upon in due course. It is something I have not done before, and there is SO much to do.
So yesterday was spent on the PC, making phone calls, emailing people who have offered their help.
It's all well and good having an idea that you are pretty sure is going to work.... but putting in place the structure to actually make it happen is really quite involved. So I got to the end of the day yesterday feeling like I'd been wading through treacle, and with my head so full of 'stuff' that it had reached exploding point!
An early night was needed - and had!
And it all starts again today!!
Monday, 6 October 2008
Weekly Summary
Not a bad week from a training perspective last week.
Five General runs
One Recovery Paced run
And two tempo runs.
I covered a total distance of 62.5 miles
at an average of 8:08 min/mile.
Next week I'll cut back a little and give it some real 'thripe' at the Langdale Horseshoe Fell race.
I'm intrigued to see how I'll do there. And then Lorna and I will have a day on the hill together on the Sunday.
Now THAT I'm looking forward to!!
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Weekly Summary.
I'm not going to write about all my bread-and-butter training runs. That would make for a very boring blog. You'll just have to assume that I'm doing them.
I'll try to post a short summary of each week. Like this, using the past week as an illustration.
Weekly mileage: 56.54 miles
Profile: 100% base mileage on roads, average pace 9.35mm
Longest run: 13.19 miles at 9.07mm pace
Niggles: none
Sofa-spud days: none
I'm not much into analysing and ruminating. Once a run is in the bag I move on and start thinking about the next one, which reflects my attitude to most other things in life. My brief foray into HRM training about 18 months ago was something of a farce. I like being able to log my runs online at http://www.fetchveryone.com/ and have all the sums done for me and all the statistics at my fingertips, but I really don't use the facility to its full potential.
Having said that, I wonder how I ever managed to run at all without a SDM!
I'll try to post a short summary of each week. Like this, using the past week as an illustration.
Weekly mileage: 56.54 miles
Profile: 100% base mileage on roads, average pace 9.35mm
Longest run: 13.19 miles at 9.07mm pace
Niggles: none
Sofa-spud days: none
I'm not much into analysing and ruminating. Once a run is in the bag I move on and start thinking about the next one, which reflects my attitude to most other things in life. My brief foray into HRM training about 18 months ago was something of a farce. I like being able to log my runs online at http://www.fetchveryone.com/ and have all the sums done for me and all the statistics at my fingertips, but I really don't use the facility to its full potential.
Having said that, I wonder how I ever managed to run at all without a SDM!
Saturday, 4 October 2008
A Fabulous Run
I wasn't expecting much from the run I did tonight. I had a little over an hour, and it was raining lightly and 'Winding' less lightly.
OK........ a lot!
So I planned to just do an hour at a really easy pace. Relaxed, and breathing like I was asleep.
And the Running Gods looked down on me, shook their heads in the manner of a patient parent, smiled, and did something to my legs that was extraordinary.
Occasionally, as runners, we have the kind of run where EVERYTHING works. And it's easy. Really easy.
I clipped along at an average pace of 7:46 minutes/mile...... and it was effortless. Relaxed.
I'll happily have a couple of those a week..!!
Friday, 3 October 2008
Reasons to be grateful
The final pieces of my Mum's estate were finally sorted out today. I had to pick up some documents from the solicitor and drop one final thing in to them which they will deal with for me.
It was a sunny and cool day.
Mid Wales looked magnificent. Mum would have loved it!
It felt a little strange ringing the doorbell of the house that had represented 'home' for half my life. I had a key - that was why I was there.
The new owners weren't in, but evidence of their presence, was.
I felt a bit like I was intruding!
So I posted the keys through the letter-box. I hope they don't think that was rude.
And I popped over to see my Dad.
Dad was engrossed (as is his way) in watching the tennis on the TV, and it gave me a chance to just have a quiet few minutes while I drank a cup of his tea.
My parents had enthused me about all things Outdoor from a young age.
Walking and camping trips were a large part of my early childhood. Mum insisted that I join the sailing club at school, something for which I will always be thankful.
I have never been happier than when I'm doing something in the outdoors.
It is the most natural thing in the world to me to made the most of opportunities that are offered - and get out and enjoy being able to enjoy our planet .
Well.... tiny bits of it, at least.
Running is an extension of that really.
That I can even contemplated running 10 marathons in 10 days is something that is rooted deep in the past.
"I can, and I will!" was something of a battle-cry that Mum instilled in Julia (my sister) and I for any challenges that we faced, be they a spelling test, or a music exam, or being able to walk to the top of The Great Rhos (a veritable MOUNTAIN when we were small!!).
Mum was a little person - tiny in fact - with the heart and persona of a Giant.
She also had absolute confidence and belief in her kids.
10 in 10....????
I can!
And I will.
Thanks Mum
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