Running hills with friends

I've been looking forward to this trip for weeks...my first visit to the Lakes since my failed Lakeland 100 attempt in July, and although I've run the course many times now, this would be the first training session where I would be running alongside friends.

The outing was to be focussed on covering the 50 miles from Ambleside to Keswick over 2 days with an overnight stop off at the Wasdale Head Inn on route. This turned out to be a fantastic arrangement. Running all day towards a cosy pub provided plenty of motivation, and focussing on the cider, pub grub and comfy bed that was waiting for me at the end of the day kept me moving forward with a very positive outlook.

Annie, Sarah and I ran at our own pace over the two days, so after the first few miles of the day I was running on my own chasing Annie who was much faster than me. This suits me well. It was nice to know I had good company at the end of the day, but I liked having someone to chase without the pressure of having to keep a pace I was not comfortable with.

Conditions were wet underfoot. Lots of slipping down hillsides and a couple of spectacular falls coming down from Black Sail pass ensured that I came home good and muddy!

We covered around 50 miles in 14 and a bit hours at a very comfortable pace for me. I'd not over planned my hydration/nutrition because there were limitations imposed by having to carry all our gear for the two days, and although my pack was by far the heaviest (!), packing light was the key. So I carried 1.5 litres of water and minimal food to carry me through day one. 

As it worked out, I had no issues with nutrition, foot care and dips in energy and I was significantly quicker in comparison to the last time I covered the same ground back in May (although I did do the whole 50 miles in 1 outing). I thoroughly enjoyed this recce and ran comfortably, well within my capabilities allowing me to enjoy the experience rather than focus on times and how my performance reflected my ability (or lack of!) to complete the 100.

Thanks to Sarah and Annie for their great company...I'm off now to plan stage 2 of our adventure - Keswick to Ambleside some time in the new year.

p.s. thanks to Annie for acting as official photographer on the trip!

Here we go again

With the UTLD 100 firmly behind me, the only thing left to do at the beginning of August was to pack up the camper van and head off with the family for our long awaited tour of France and Italy.

Quite by chance (!) our route took us through some of the best mountainous areas in Europe and we felt it would be rude not to run some of the trails we passed by. We travelled south to the Verdon Gorge, on to Antibes, then Tuscany, Rome, and back up to Courmeyer, Chamonix, Annecy and home. The knee held up and I took the opportunity to run in the hills, without a plan, without a target, just running, walking and enjoying.

At 9am on Saturday 1st September, I was back in Cardiff and poised ready to sign up for the UTLD 100, Round 2.

So I'm in again. Time for a second attempt and the training year starts here.

I've been busy planning out my year, booking in events and training sessions that will take me through the year and build me up in time for July 2013.  I've updated my events page with the new schedule.

My first organised event was this Saturday - The Brecon Mountain Trail Challenge.
32 miles over the Brecon Beacons with 6000 foot of ascent. A good test to get a feel for where I'm at.

I love my local events. They are relaxed and full of enthusiastic, interesting people. The Brecon Mountian Trail is mainly a walkers event, but there are always a handful of runners slogging it out at the front. It was great to spend time running and chatting with new friends. Al Davies and Tracey Edwards - it was fantastic running with you both. Thanks for your company and support.

I also ran the first few miles with a fellow UTLD 50 finisher, Nigel, who I think was Nigel 'Jonah' Jones - I've read his posts on the L100 facebook site...some photo's below.

The outcome of this first test?....thank god I've got another 10 months to train!

I managed to maintain an average of 4 mph, so completed in 8 hours which was what I was aiming for, but I found the course quite tough. Why does climbing hills not get easier for me? Old ladies with shopping trolleys passed me on the steep climb up Fan y Big, but I guess this gives me a focus.

Some photos of the day:

This is when I first spotted Al (white speck heading up the hill).....

Nigel & the gent (whose name I didn't get) who helped me through the bog...

Nigel disappears over the horizon...

Me & Al...

Al, Tracy and my cake...

Next up...I've got a training weekend planned in October that I am really looking forward to. I'll be joined by the wonderful Annie Garcia who I ran with for much of the first 60 miles of the UTLD, and my friend Sarah Warner who also completed the UTLD 50 this year too. We'll be running Ambleside to Wasdale Head on day 1, then on from Wasdale to Keswick on day 2. Can't wait!

Soundtrack to the Lakeland 100

Over the last year I've been posting photos of my training runs and the events that I've taken part in, and I thought I'd tie these all together as a review of the year with the song that was my soundtrack during the Lakeland 100....Great Lake Swimmers, Rocky Spine....

A new year, a new plan

Normally, my new year starts in September when we all go back to School & work, but following the weekend's disappointing outcome I've brought the new year forward. It's taken a few days to lift myself off the floor and regroup but a visit to the physiotherapist helped me gain perspective and come to terms with the DNF. Stopping was the right thing to do. Continuing would have been the wrong decision.

The diagnosis is a medial ligament strain and a minor tear of the hamstring. Had I continued, it is likely that a full hamstring tear would have stopped me in my tracks before I reached Coniston. As it is, I can run easy as part of my recovery and I don't need to take any serious time out.

I remembered that in the forest above Grassguards I performed my first spectacular leap into a knee high bog. A misjudged hurdle where my landing leg was swallowed up by the gloopy, deep mud and on pulling it out, I experienced a cramping spasm in my hamstring. All quite normal. But I managed to repeat the same spectacular misjudged leap into another bog with the same leading leg, just minutes later on the first part of the decent into Boot. This time, pulling my leg out of the bog triggered a severe cramp and I writhed around on the floor using my hands to flex my foot as it voluntarily contorted towards my shin. I didn't realise it then, but at just 15 miles into the Lakeland 100, the race was over.

Now it's over an done with, and it's not like anyone died, but I need a plan to take me forward, and some reflection to take on all the lessons learnt.

So what would I do differently next year? 

• Training: 
  
  
  • Strength: My training to date has been very much focused on building endurance through long days on the hills, running long and training on rough terrain, and whilst this is all valuable and necessary and has made me a good descender, I need to focus on strength work a bit more.  I need to improve my uphill speed and stamina because this is what really slows me down.
    
    Throughout the L100, I ran with the same small group of people for the entire 60 miles. They would pass me on the uphill sections, and I would skip (in my mind!) past them on the downhills and the flats. And this would repeat, so any ground made was lost going uphill.
    
    In training for the Lakeland 50 this year, my Dad spent hours and hours in his garage with a 40 pound pack on his back doing step ups, and he was in great condition by race day. So it's this sort of thing that I think could benefit me, so I will be incorporating plenty strength work into my training going forward.
    
    
  • Long Runs: I've also decided to work around a more structured schedule, building in weekly speed sessions, hills, and longish runs (up to 20 miles), but then building in a monthly ultra event or big training session.
    
    Last year, every Friday I tried to get out on the Beacons, Black Mountains, Lakes and do a 25+ mile run. I am confident that I can cover 60 miles in one outing, so building distance endurance below this level is less of an issue and I don't think I need to do that any more. So I am thinking that a monthly 50+ miler or back to back session followed by an easy week would be more benefical to me, conditioning my body to the longer distances whilst allowing for good recovery.
    

•  Carry less weight:  

  •  Pack: I can easily cut the weight I carry in my pack during the L100. In the end my pack weighed nearly 9 pounds, 2 pound of this being food and water. I carried 750ml of water, which is about right for me over 7 to 10 miles, but I had a lot of food. Having trained using specific foods, I cautiously took the same stuff along intending to avoid untested checkpoint foods so as not to risk an upset stomach.
    
    As it happened, because the food available suited me and replicated what I had been training with, I ended up hardly touching the food I had carried in my pack and ate very well at the checkpoints. Of the 9 Nakd bars I carried with me during the leg up to Dalemain, I ate only 2 and a half bars. The pork pies and savory foods were untouched.
    
    
  •  Body Weight: I am significantly bigger that most ladies (and men!) who enter ultra events. I do carry a bit of spare weight, but I'm not overweight, it's because of my body type. Apparently, I am a mesomorph which means that I have naturally large muscles, hence my comparative bulkiness to other ultra runners.  It also means I gain fat easily.
    
    
    
    
    
    Having lived with myself for 40 years, I also know that I can hang onto weight and gain weight for Wales! I run around 50 miles per weeks and do another 30ish miles on the bike but I still have to keep a strict diet or I will gain weight. I'm not fortunate enough to be able to recover from a 50 miler with a big plate of pie and chips, I still have to chose the salad option. 
    
    But all that said, I would do myself a massive favour if I could lose a stone or so, so a major aim is to drop some weight fairly quickly to aid both training and performance.
    

...and will I try again? 

Absolutely! My year will follow a similar pattern to last year using 50+ mile events as training events from January through to June, and on 1st September 2012, my name will go back on the Lakeland 100 entry list for July 2013.

Here we go again....!

UTLD: DNF

It's difficult to put into words how disappointed I am following my DNF at the Lakeland 100 this weekend. For 10 months, every training session, every run I have completed has been undertaken with this event in mind.

I meticulously planned for every eventuality, planning and rehearsing nutrition, hydration, foot care, killer ascents and descents, night running, long days on the hills, tiredness, how to bring myself through bad patches...the list goes on. But, in the 3 years of training for ultras since my illness, I have been fortunate enough to be injury free, so the one scenario I had not rehearsed and planned for was how I would deal with an injury on the day, and my luck would have it that this was how this event panned out.

This is the only photo I have of me on the day,
taken just before the start - not the most flattering!

I passed through the first three checkpoints without incident, everything was going well. Then at around 19 miles into the race, as I started the unforgiving climb up Black Sail pass, my knee twinged. It made me wince and stopped me in my tracks. SHIT! What was that!! I gave the painful area a quick massage and continued on swearing under my breath. I couldn't believe this could be anything more than a twinge.

Ahead of me a fellow competitor was vomiting at the side of the path and as I approached his head torch was shining towards me as he headed back toward the Wasdale CP. We exchanged some words, tough luck I told him, and I reassured myself that I was lucky in comparison - I was in a good state of mind, I was feeling strong, everything had gone well so far and I was achieving the time targets I had set myself. The twinge in my knee was a temporary discomfort that would be gone before I knew it.

The rest of the climb was uncomfortable, but I made it to the top and descended comfortably, ran the path passed Black Sail hut and started the next ascent. The niggle was there, but it wasn't slowing me down until the next sharp, steep and rocky descent into Buttermere. I took it easy and avoided running hard down the very steep sections so as not to aggravate the niggle, and I ran comfortably into Buttermere checkpoint.

The next section through to Braithewait was slow going. In training, in the day light, I'd covered this section in under 2 hours, but in the dark, in the rain and wind with the ground churned up from the hundreds of runners ahead of me it was a walk out of Buttermere and I didn't run again for 2 hours until I started the decent into Braithewaite. Return of the niggle, multiplied by 10.

I decided to take a long break at the Braithewaite CP to take care of any other minor issues, allowing myself to keep the knee issue in perspective and avoiding getting it confused with other things. I texted Martin and told him I was afraid this would spell the end for me, but he wisely told me to keep going and take it one checkpoint at a time. I took his advice on board and took time to retape my feet, put on some dry socks - hat - top, had a couple of bowls of pasta, drank some coffee, and made myself feel generally more comfortable.

I spent 45 minutes at the CP but I felt it was worthwhile and I left in daylight feeling reinvigorated and ran comfortably into Blencathra. The niggle was there, but it was not bothering me so much. A quick in and out of the CP and off I went in good spirits. The next section to the Dockray CP starts with a section along a disused railway track. I ran and walked this comfortably making good progress against my target time, and then I hit the moderate climb up to the old coach road.

A soon as I started the uphill section severe pain shot around my knee and brought tears to my eyes. I hobbled on for a bit but the pain was nasty, so I sat half way up the hill and cried. I was stuck in limbo. I upgraded the 'issue' to a 'problem' and I was unable to decide whether I should go up or down the hill. I was distraught as it hit me that this was probably the beginning of the end. I rang Martin and cried as I tried to convey the discomfort I was experiencing and how I feared that this would mean I wouldn't finish, but he encouraged me on again and I decided to get to the CP and reassess - it didn't matter how slow I had to go, I would still be moving forward and I was on track time wise - just about.

At Dockray CP I was greeted by a chap who I had run with during the UTSW. This lifted my spirits again and I left feeling confident and resolving that continuing through to Ambleside was manageable and achievable. But during the gentle uphill alongside Ullswater I had to sit down twice to allow the pain to subside, and running along the tarmac sections into Dalemain the niggle came into it's own and I was reduced to a walk.

I considered the hills that were ahead of me; Fusedale, the climb out of Mardale Head, Kentmere and all the other smaller hills in between, and it was clear that the task ahead was doomed. If the last 40 miles had been along gentle, undulating tracks I could power walk the remainder of the course and make it just ahead of the cut offs, but knowing the challenging hills and the conditions underfoot that were still to come, I accepted that Dalemain would mark the end of my outing.

I walked into Dalemain feeling pretty broken and distraught, and my family and friends tried to encourage me to continue, but it was pointless and so I dibbed out. It was over.

It became apparent to my family whilst I was running

that my dibber was not working. It turns out that my

dibber had been assigned to an L50 runner, and I had

been given an unassigned dibber. Hence, I show only

as Runner 1000.

I'd managed to travel an additional 40 miles from the point where the problem first appeared. I'd lost track of the number of ibuprofen caps I'd taken, and I felt I'd done everything I could to manage the issue, but sometimes you have to accept that failure is an option.

Endurancelife: Ultra Trail South West (60)

This weekend, 23 June, I successfully completed the UTSW (60). I don't usually write race reports, but there are aspects of the UTSW organisation that I think merits some comment.

But before I go there, I have to note that I thoroughly enjoyed the personal achievement I experienced from the event. I ran further than I ever have before, kept my pace consistent throughout, recovered very well from an early down period, managed my own nutrition throughout and was self sufficient, apart from water, for the full 61.61 miles I travelled.

I think I've nailed my nutrition, my foot care, and my emotional coping strategies. I know my limits and work within them in order to reach the finish line and I am ready to take on what is, in my opinion, the REAL toughest footrace in the UK...the Lakeland 100.

The Endurancelife brand feels like a bit of a monster to me. It self proclaims the UTSW to be "The UK's toughest footrace" and the company Director @GaryJolliffe stated in the race briefing that it is their aim to become the UKs UTMB equivalent.

Endurancelife has a slick web site and their logo is distinct. People are drawn into the brand through the coastal trail series which is very popular, and this year they ran the first UTSW event, offering 100 or 60 mile courses. Having taken part in the 60 mile event this weekend, I am left questioning whether the organisers have focussed too heavily on setting out their stall as a brand leader as stated in their mission statement, and forgotten to ask the most basic question...

from a competitor's perspective, what makes a good event a great event?

By nailing this they will achieve repeat custom and a loyal following but it is my experience as a professional and in life that "talk does not cook rice", you need actions to back up your claims.

Without question, the UTSW benefits from the stunning setting travelling along the North Cornish coastline, over headlands, across dunes and beaches, through picturesque seaside villages and race HQ is located at the stunning Watergate Bay.But having a great national trail at your disposal is not enough. Value needs to be added.

I paid a £90 entry fee for this event, and then a further £20 for transport to the start line. For this I was promised via the event handbook:

- 60 miles and 4279m (14,039ft) of vertical ascent
- 6 checkpoints offering: Flapjacks, Malt loaf, Bananas, Apples,Nuts, Crisps, Dried Fruit
- A signed and marked course requiring no navigation (so no map on the mandatory kit list)

So, using the basic information above as measure of success, the event does not fair well.

The distance was pretty much spot on. I got lost so added an extra mile or so to the balance, but this highlights the issue of poor and inconsistent signage along the way. At crucial points on the course - when in sand dunes and in an urban area - the signage ran out and competitors got lost. I have no problems with this and for most events it is par for the course, but you need to be prepared for this and carry a map. I never leave the house without my GPS (it's on my iphone) so once I realised I was lost I could quickly navigate my way back onto the route, but I know that for many others who were reliant on the word of the organisers, this became a bigger issue and for some it contributed to early retirements. Putting a map on the mandatory kit list would resolve this and help manage competitors' expectations.

One of the main criticisms I had of this event was that the published approximate elevations (14,000ft for the 60 mile course and 21,385ft for the 100 mile course) seemed to be way off the mark according to the data I collected. I recorded my entire journey on my Garmin 305 and the total elevation for the 60 mile course (with diversions due to getting lost) amounted to 6909 ft. But I've rewritten this paragraph since first publishing the post a few hours ago, because I've since been advised that the Garmin 305 can be unreliable when recording elevation gain and loss. Andy Cole sums up the issue is his blog post - thanks to Tom H, aka @TrailDragon, for drawing my attention to this. His blog is also of interest as he investigates and tests the Garmin on it's accuracy. I had no idea this was an issue.

But I do hope that the Garmin is at fault for 2 reasons: 1) the main attraction of this event for me was the tough course and challenging elevation. I thought it would be an ideal final step along the road to the L100 as the distance and elevation, mile for mile, were comparable; 2) The Garmin goes in the bin and Suunto Ambit rises firmly to the top of the Christmas list! However, if the Garmin is not far wrong then the claim of the UTSW being 'the UKs toughest footrace' needs to be rethought / withdrawn.

In my opinion, and using comparisons with other events such as the L50/100 which has the same price tag (but 20 quid cheaper because transport is included - and camping etc etc) and the Might Contain Nuts (MCN) events which are cheaper, the organistaion of the checkpoints has really highlighted the lack of thought that went into the organisation of this event. For me this aspect of the organisation set out the Brand as being a money making enterprise that had lost sight of the endurance athletes it is seeking to inspire (as set out in their mission statement).

My experience was that the published array of food and drink was not available, but the supplies runners usually carry themselves - gels & Clif bars - were available in abundance! This misses the point doesn't it? In terms of service, assistance and support at the checkpoints, at 4 of the 6 CPs my arrival and departure was hardly acknowledged apart from the mandatory dib in. Support and encouragement were completely lacking, I was not offered food or drink and after dibbing in, CP staff would turn away from me to continue their personal conversations, so I got on with topping up my water bottle and just getting back on the road. I don't really want a big fuss, but I do appreciate it when CP staff celebrate your arrival, acknowledge your achievement so far and make an attempt to look after your nutrition requirements.

At the MCN events, it is clear from the outset that CPs provide only water, but the support and encouragement received from the crews is invaluable. They celebrate your arrival and load you up with lots of positive words of praise and encouragement, buoying you up for the next section. The same goes in spades for the L50/100 team along with good hot and cold nutrition options at every stop. As organiser Mark Laithwaite has said about the Recce weekend they run, "If Carlsberg ran checkpoints..."

On balance. I have to mention that the lady at the St Ives CP, and the chap manning the Porthtowan CP who referred to me by my name were excellent and their support and encouragement were very much appreciated. Thanks also to the young boy at Porthtowan who was attentive and offered me food, drink and rushed off to retrieve my drop bag.

On a very personal note, when I comepleted the L50 the organisers were there to clap me across the line at 6am in the morning. I was escorted into the hall, someone took my shoes off, I was clapped again, weighed and generally looked after and congratulated. When I crossed the line this weekend, I stood around for a bit, asked where the dibber was and was acknowledged with a comment 'oh, are you a finisher?' then a delayed clap. It didn't have the same emotional impact!

Along the way, I spoke to many 100 athletes and without exception they had all found the poor signage and poor CP supplies an additional challenge they had not prepared for. It is my view that this related to the position I took in the field - the middle/back of the pack. I would bet that the elite athletes at the front of the pack had a better experience. But the success of events like the L50/100 which is oversubscribed and growing year by year, is that they balance the need to attract top level athletes with the requirements of the middle and back of the pack runners. Everyone is made to feel that their achievement is equally valued/valuable on the day.

All that said, it was a great opportunity to run all day with limited CP support in a beautiful area, meet some great people and be part of the excitement and anticipation that bigger events always create. But there is lots of room for improvement. I may try an Endurancelife event again, but for the moment, give me an LDWA event any day of the week!

A weakness for hills

There's just 6 weeks to go until the Lakeland 100 and I feel that I've successfully built a solid base of fitness and endurance, so I've been trying to focus on my areas of weakness over the last few weeks - uphills and speed!

It's been 3 weeks since I last ran over 25 miles, and I feel like I've been slacking, but I'm hoping that the faster running sessions and hill work I've been doing will stand me in good stead. Next Saturday will be a good test when I do the UTSW 60 mile coastal trail run.

Today, I chose to brave the weather warnings of giant hail and gale force winds and went up to Storey Arms for some hill repeats. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The weather was wild, but I managed 2 repeats of the trail below very comfortably - up one hill, down the other side, then back up and down to return to my start point.

Only 14 miles, but 5100 feet of ascent.