Canalathon 75km

I spotted this race some time ago but decided not to enter as it looked to be a bit of a faff - drive up the day before, stay in a hotel somewhere, drive to register at silly o'clock in the morning then get a bus to the start run then back to the finish.  I have bad night vision so cant really drive in the dark unless I know the roads and was not sure if I would be finished in time to drive the 2 hours home afterwards. 

Last month I did the Millenium Way which was fairly close to home and also required a bus to the start.  I really enjoyed that and the canal running (which I used to do a lot of) and the bus was not that bad after all.  In addition my time from that race and the Railway ultra the previous week suggested I would be finished in time to drive home in daylight  so canalathon was back on my radar.  I dithered a bit and kept changing my mind between waiting out in case a place for Ashby 20 came up before finally entering on the closing day about a week before the event!

Registration was at Sowerby Bridge leisure centre were we picked up our number, dibber (which we dibbed into a machine at each check point) T shirt (and medal if you had ordered one - I didn't as I have enough and didn't want to pay £6!).  At 7.20 the double decker bus left for Manchester with the 50km and 75km runners.  The 100km runners started from Sowerby Bridge ran to Manchester then back.  I would have liked to have done the 100km but there was no way I would be able to get home after and as the race was Sunday stopping over was not an option.

I was treating it as a fairly steady training run.  I did have a rest day on Saturday and had cut caffeine the week before so was taking it a bit more seriously than a training run but was not racing.  If completed the course I would have done over 100 miles for the week and with 42 miles completed the previous weekend  I was not exactly tapered!

There was a compulsory kit list including waterproof trousers and spare top layer so I had to use my biggest raidlight waistpack which I just about crammed everything in including cuddly top (spot) who has become a bit of a mascot! I don't like running with this as it feels so heavy but my other option was my Salomon rucksack which whilst a bit more comfortable it is harder to get the bottles out so I would probably not drink enough.

The start of the race involved running around a car park to spread the field out a bit before a few narrow bits!! The first few miles had some steps and bridges so pace was a bit slow but then I settled into just below 9mm which is about how my long training runs start.  The canal path was nice and dry and there was a lot of tarmac but I somehow managed to fall over after about 5 miles.  Another runner kindly stopped to make sure I was OK and we ran along together for a while.  He was doing the 50km, it was his first ultra.  I let him go as he was running a bit faster than I wanted to this early on.  

The route had been marked with spray paint so there had been no need to look at the instructions and most the time I could see the runner ahead.  First check point was at 11 miles where the usual checkpoint items could be found - Jaffa cakes; bananas; coke; jelly babies; flapjack and some meaty things which I ignored as a veggie!  I hadn't eaten up to this point and had only drunk half my 500ml bottle which was not good as I have found if I don't drink much early on I get really thirsty later.  Luckily the checkpoints were closer together later in the race.

I had a couple of cups of coke, some Jaffa cakes and a banana and was on my way.  To the next checkpoint at 21 miles it was fairly uneventful.  I did have a walk and a 9bar after about half way through this section even though I was not really hungry but I knew I had not had enough.  It was in this section where I saw the 100km runners coming from the other direction which was nice.  Same again at the next checkpoint.



After a couple of miles I passed a lady, the first I had seen since the first few miles - the race attracted far more men the women as is often the case with ultras.  Next checkpoint was at about 26 miles.  I was a bit quicker here as I didn't fill my bottle knowing I had enough to get me to the 31 mile checkpoint.  I did top up on coke and Jaffa cakes though.  I was told here that I was 2nd lady although he was not sure if the lady ahead was doing the 50km or 75km.

My pace had been gradually slowing and I had been finding it a bit of a slog but once I got past 27 miles I felt a lot better as it was now less than 20 to go! I was picking off a few of the 50km runners now as they were struggling at the end - for a lot this was their first ultra.

At the 31 mile CP/finish of the 50km I was told that I was 1st lady in the 75km and that I was 4th overall which I was surprised by.  Some people said that they would find it hard to run past the finish of the 50km to go on to do the 75km but it was not that bad although looking at my splits I did linger here a bit longer than at other checkpoints; perhaps because it was a bit hard to get going with all the finishers around and spectators waiting for friends to finish!

The final section was an out and back along a different bit of canal with a checkpoint at the turnaround point.

Until now I hadn't been too concerned about time.  I had thought that I ought to be done in about 8 hours if I didn't get lost or if it wasn't boggy but was not really targeting a specific time I just wanted to enjoy the day.  Time does obviously come into it at some point to help motivate yourself.  So, as I got going again I worked out that even with a stop at the final check point as long as I kept under 10mm I would be done in under 7.30.  I was easily hitting under 10mm so provided I didn't get tempted to walk too much or slow massively I would hit that without really having to push.

As the route had been well marked at any turns or places where we left the canal I had put my instructions away.  I had put the route on my garmin but had mapped that myself.  It was only fairly rough so was not always the right side of the canal for example but at least I knew if I was roughly in the right direction.  Quite often it had told me I was off course when I knew I wasn't but that was due to my plotting error.

After a few miles there were two ways to go.  As there was no marking I went straight ahead.  After not too long my garmin was saying I was off course but I kept going a bit until I could tell from the bread crumb that I really was properly off course rather than it being a plotting inaccuracy.  I got my instructions out - they told me I should have gone right so I had to retrace my steps. 

Shortly after this there was another more major issue.  There was talk of a tunnel in the instructions and there were arrows to follow.  The instructions didn't match the arrows eg it said to turn right after the bus stop but there was an arrow turning left before the bus stop.  I thought that maybe the directions had been mixed up and those must have been for the way back so I decided to follow the arrows but then all of a sudden the arrows stopped before I was back on the canal.  I guessed which way to go but it was wrong as I came to a dead end.  I spent what felt like ages just going round in circles trying to get back on the canal in the right direction.  I don't remember how it happened but I did finally get back on track! 

After this mishap I was really fed up.  I assumed that whilst I had been lost I would have lost my position and knew that sub 7.30 was now out the window so I kind of gave up trying and stopped to have little walks when I didn't need to just because I was fed up!

A mile or so before the turnaround I saw another runner who was the winner.  He said he had been lost 3 times so I felt a bit better about my getting lost now!  It seemed to take ages to get to the checkpoint and I was running out of fluids so when I did get there I was very pleased.  I was told that I was in 2nd place overall!! How did that happen? I had moved from 4th to 2nd without passing anyone! That means others must have been even more lost than me! I stayed a bit longer at this checkpoint as I really had had enough and was also hot, hungry and thirsty; it was nice to have a chat with the chap at the aid station after being on my own so long.

I expected to see other runners quite soon after turning back but it was over a mile before I saw the next runners.  It was quite nice to then see others every so often for the first part of the return leg.  By now I was having quite a few mini walk breaks to have a read of the instructions.  All was going well until I got to the tunnel part again.  I made a right dogs dinner of it.  I followed the arrows thinking they might work going the other way but again they were OK to start with then once I went over the bridge they stopped and didn't tell me where to go.  Now was the time to take on some coconut mushrooms as I thought the sugar hit might improve my mood! I am so bad with directions I couldn't remember where I had come from so struggled to retrace my steps.  Bits looked familiar from the way out but I couldn't remember which was the right direction.  After trying different ways and not bring convinced  I saw the tunnel so instead of following the arrows I went with the instructions and got back on track again.

From here it was all OK back to the finish but I knew there was a bit through town across a car park first so was paranoid about missing where to leave the canal and the instructions didn't say where to leave.  There had been arrows when we did that bit earlier so I was just looking out for the arrows.  As I had done extra distance I wasn't sure from the garmin where to expect these.  The last bit seemed to go on forever and I kept thinking I had missed the turn off.  Eventually I got to a place where a lady was standing with a dipper machine - this was the finish; we did not need to do the town and carpark bit!

Finished in 7.44 for 48 miles so an extra mile and a bit.  1st lady and 2nd overall so was happy with that result especially given the getting lost which as well as adding on distance adds on time whilst you are standing there scratching your head trying to work out what is going on.

This was a great race which I would defiantly recommend.  Its ideal as a 1st ultra as there is no navigation required for the 50km and the 75km tunnel bit will be improved next year!

Groundhog track marathon and Wrexham marathon

It's been just over 2 years since I did 2 marathons on the same weekend although I have done quite a few training weekends lately of 20+ miles both Saturday and Sunday.  In the past I have tended to run easy if doing two but this time was different as Saturday was a track marathon so I wanted to run that quite hard.

I didn't taper for this but I did have a rest day on Friday and cut caffeine for a week which is what I tend to do for races which are a bit more than training runs.   If they are serious full out effort races then I will have a bit more of a taper and would not run a 38 mile ultra the previous weekend!

I wasn't sure what to expect on Saturday as I have taken some time to recovery from last years 24 hour race and my pace on speed sessions has been off so I was just going to go by effort rather than worry about pace but I hoped to come in under 3.30.

I had woken several times in the night (normal before a marathon) feeling sick (not normal).  When I woke in the morning I had to dash to the bathroom a couple of times - cue request on face book for some emergency immodium - thanks Jo!

I set off at what felt fairly comfortable and about right.  I was pretty sure that I would not hold this though as it was at the fast end of where I thought I was and in the back of my mind I knew I had another marathon to run tomorrow so was not going to be digging really deep at the end to hold the pace (although had I been on for a PB - which I wasn't - that would have been a different matter).

I love track races as the are so much more sociable and you get to see people you wouldn't normally see because they are either way ahead or behind.  I also like that you don't need to carry anything and are never far from water/food/toilets.

So the first 5 or so miles were nice and consistent then my shoe lace came undone!!! After that I gradually slowed.  Not sure if this was a coincidence or I got out of my stride.  A similar thing has happened at other races recently where I have stopped at a check point then once I got going again was slower.    On the track the garmin always measures a bit long so I knew I needed to allow for that.  As my pace was slowing I just tried to focus on keeping the garmin pace below 8mm until halfway as then I might have a chance of sub 3.30 if I didn't fade too much.   Mile 14 was 7.59mm then after that everything else was 8+!

The marathon is 105.5 laps.  We were occasionally being told how many we had done.  I was told at 50 so counted up to half way to see what my time was and also the garmin distance.  I cant remember what it was but remember thinking that 3.30 was maybe still on and that my new garmin was not measuring as long as my old one.   Anyway, it turned out that they were telling us the laps in a different way to normal - 50 meant 49.5 not 50.5 - I worked this out when someone was told they had done 100 laps and had 6 to go!

Not long after halfway I knew from my lap times that I had dropped off a lot and was not going to get sub 3.30 so think I gave up trying a bit and settled into a comfortably hard pace rather than pushing it pace.  I had not taken my first gel until 14 miles as my stomach has been feeling a bit off so that may have hindered me a little. The wind had also picked up a lot which made it much harder going. 

Finished in 3.34.01.   1st lady - won a nice salomon belt.

I have not been using my HRM long so it was interesting to see that I did run quite well to effort - my HR stayed pretty much the same throughout.  Av was 169.

Showered then stayed around for a while to see others finish before driving an hour to Wrexham ready for Sundays marathon.  This was a new event sponsored by 9bar so it would have been rude not to take part! I was not sure what to expect after running quite hard the day before but luckily when I woke up my legs felt OK although I fully expected them to feel tired/heavy once I started running.

There were about 200 running the marathon and I think 800 doing the half which started 1.30 hours later. The two joined at around 17 miles.  I had decided to just set off and see how I feel with no real time targets in mind although I did hope to sneak under 4 hours! My normal marathon shoes are gorun3.  I thought I probably ought to have more cushioning on day 2 so was going to wear my rides instead but then went back to the gorun3 as I feel faster in those and that makes a difference!

I was a bit surprised by the pace of the first mile but more surprised by the fact that my legs felt normal and that my quads did not hurt on the downhill.  I put the fast first mile down to it being a net downhill.  However the following miles were all hovering around 8mm which was somewhat surprising.  Another runner said he had looked at the course profile and it was mainly downhill for the first 17 miles.  I find it hard to work out on hilly courses whether I have had more up or down at any point in time so I just figured there must have been a lot more down.

I spent the first 4-5 miles expecting my legs to say no and suddenly slow down at any moment.  I realised that what my head was saying was probably not going to help so I decided that I needed to forget about yesterday and just run today as if it were a stand alone marathon without worrying about the consequences of what might or might not happen in a few miles!

It had started drizzling early on and it was quite windy I places.  By about mile 16 I was quite cold and was finding it hard to move forward as fast as I wanted to as I was so cold.  My pace dropped off a fair bit here, maybe the cold, maybe it would have done anyway. 

At around mile 17 I started overtaking the back of the half marathon.  Whilst it was nice that there were more people around now it made it quite tricky as in places we were running on the pavement.   A lot of the half runners were running two abreast or wearing headphones (which were banned) and were running significantly slower than me so I kept getting held up and frustrated especially by those I said 'excuse me' to but they didn't hear due to headphones.

With a couple of miles to go I was feeling low on energy and wanted fuel.  I tried to get some coconut mushrooms out the front pocket of my belt but couldn't get hold of them and thought other things would end up on the road.  Then I tried to get a gel from the back pocket but all I could get hold of was a powerbar which was no good with 2 miles to go as I needed the sugar in my system now.  My phone was in the same pocket as my gel so I didn't want to mess around fumbling too long as I didn't want that falling out! This has never been a problem before but my hands were so cold.  In the end I just had to make do with high5!

Was very pleased to finish in 3.35.47 5th lady 1st V40  so won a nice technical t shirt (which was the same as the cotton one we got on finishing) and a box of 9bars.  Despite  the course being hilly and harder than Saturday my HR was lower at 163 which is a bit odd!!

The course was OK, nothing soecial.  There were quite a few out and backs or little loops where you could see the people ahead/behind you.  I like that as you can look out for friends.  I would probably do it again but would hope that for next year they adjust the starting time of the half marathon so there is less congestion. 

Skechers Gorun Ride 4 review

II have been seeing pictures online of these shoes for a few months now; finally they have made it over to the UK.  I have to confess that reading reviews I had mixed feelings about some of the changes which had been made but I did love the new look of the new shoe.


I have put about 70 miles on these including a couple of 23 milers, some treadmill running and a speed session (I would normally use the Gorun3 for speed work but these arrived just before my speed session and I couldn't wait to try them!)

First impressions out the box was they looked really nice - just like the pictures!  The material of the upper is different with a nice two tone kind of pattern at the front then round the back there are several colours - very pretty - the sort of shoe which attracts a lot of admiring glances because they are a little bit different.

They come with two sets of laces, some flat two coloured ones (in the picture) like in the gorun ultra and some bright pink ones like in the gorun ride3 - a nice touch to have the choice. 

left -ride3 right -ride4

The most obvious difference was the hole in the back of the shoe - I had seen this on photos and was not sure I liked it as I  wondered if it might be a bit annoying/ cause chaffing issues. I have found it is OK and actually quite helpful when pulling the shoes on and off - the purpose was to enable triathletes to have a quick transition.  Whilst on the topic of the heel the fit is a bit more snug and the shoe comes higher up.  A few times On my long run I found it a little annoying but it has not caused problems, if it does I will just attack it with some scissors!!

The shoes come with removable insoles so you can wear without if you want a more minimal/lighter feel. I have only worn the shoes with the insoles; if I want a lighter shoe then I wear the Gorun3. I tried them on without insoles; they felt comfortable.

My size 7 weigh 224g with insoles which is 10g more than the Gorunride3.  Like the previous versions they are very comfortable to run in with a smooth ride.  The flexibility remains good  and for the weight there is a surprising amount of cushioning (I use the rides for 24 hour races).  This new version feels a little firmer and perhaps a little more supportive than previous models - I am not talking over pronation support here they are still a neutral shoe.  I know some people who like the rides but don't feel they offer quite enough support for running as they are very light but they like to use them for walking or the gym.  This new version does seem to offer a little more, without taking away the good qualities of the previous versions so will probably appeal to a slightly bigger audience.

Like all Skechers running shoes these have the M strike technology which encouraged (but doesn't force) a mid foot landing. Since wearing Skechers I have transitioned from being someone who had a very prounouced heel strike on race photos to mostly midfoot landing.

Details from the Skechers website

It is probably too early to say as I have only had these about a week but at this point in time I would say on looks I love them and the funky colour scheme they are the best so far - the new gorun4 and gorunultra2 are out soon and they also look fab.  In terms of feel/performance I think that I prefer the earlier models but only very marginally due to 1. The heel being a bit higher (which I will probably get used to in time) and 2. The extra support/firmness which is not a bad thing and which for some will be a positive; again it is probably more a case of being used to the earlier models so the new one feels slightly strange. 

I don't think the changes are so massive that if you are in love with the ride3 you feel you have to stock up on the 3's before they run out.  However,  the changes are subtle enough to be an improvement for those who didn't feel the 3 was quite supportive enough to run in.  Even if you don't like the 4's as much to run in they are the best looking shoe so will look good at the gym!

Newcastle Racecourse 50km

When I entered this is was going to be a key race but following my 24 hour race in November I was unwell then we went on holiday then there was snow/ice so it took a while to get back into proper training again. 

Since I had only managed a couple of decent hard weeks I didn't really have much to taper from so just had an easier Friday than usual and a rest day Saturday because although I wasn't going for a specific time now I still wanted to have a hard run.  I still managed to clock 86miles for the week!

After much pondering I decided to wear my Gorun3 which are more usual marathon shoes.  They are very light but I have not worn them for more than a marathon before and as I was going to be a bit slower than normal I was slightly worried they might not offer enough cushion for the duration.  They were great, I love these shoes as they are so light but they feel slipper like and still do have some cushion but the soft type not firm like some lightweight shoes.

I was staying overnight with Ian who was marking out the starts (their was half, full and 50km starting in different places) so we were there in good time.  I helped with registration and have to apologise to anyone who I didn't understand, I had to ask people to repeat their names several times as the Geordie accent is so hard - I remember it from teaching practice!!

I didn't really have any time goals as such, I just wanted to run quite hard but also comfortable and not to fade off too much.  I had hoped to be under 4.30 but it was more important to run a well paced race and feel good.

The 50km was 18 full laps and 1 nearly full lap around the race course.  It was tarmac with a few uneven bits and some stony bits that I had to be careful on due to not having much cushioning on my shoes but overall it was a good fast route.   There were a few inclines and for the first half I was actually thinking there were more downs than ups (obviously this was not the case but it felt that way).  Later in the race I did start to notice the ups!!  What made this course hard was the wind which picked up a lot in the second half.  It was so bad that I couldn't hear the podcasts I was listening to on my shuffle even when they were at full volume.

So now to the race.  Pretty much from the off I found myself running with Chris, it was nice to have a gossip and put the world to rights! The pace felt fairly comfortable.  I wondered if it might be a bit easy as in marathons I cant normally chat that much  but I did have another 5miles to do and was not race fit so stuck with it.  It was quite a decent pace and one I would have been happy to have stuck with to the end so didn't bother trying to speed up.  After about 6 miles Chris wanted to stop for water so I was on my own for a few laps.  I noticed the average pace gradually picked up, I think this goes to show you use more energy when chatting as I was still putting in the same effort!!

Chris caught up with me a few laps later, we had a few more laps together then I lost him at the water station again.  After 14 miles I realised I hadn't had a gel.  I had been fed very well on Saturday evening, so well that I struggled to get my porridge down in the morning so I suppose I was well carbed up.  Although I didn't feel I needed it I took one anyway  - my favourite - shotz vanilla bean with caffeine - as I know I can sometimes go from not at all hungry to starving and need to eat everything I can get my hands on in just a few minutes.

I was running to effort rather than pace although obviously looking at pace because that's what I do.  I was gradually getting slower but not drastically.  I could have put in more effort to maintain the pace but I was still on schedule for 4.30 so didn't I just kept running at what felt a maintainable effort/pace.

From halfway it was getting quieter as the half marathon runners were finishing then the marathon runners but it was never lonely there were still plenty of people out on the course and as it was a short lap there was never anyone far away.   

Started to feel quite hungry around 22 miles and realised I was due for another gel; this time it was a strawberry and kiwi flavour and was quite nasty - won't be buying those again.  Took my 3rd and final gel with 2 laps to go, that was a nice vanilla one.

I hadn't been drinking much so had to stop for a walk to take on a couple of full cups of water near the end as I was getting really thirsty - I had been carrying high5 in a waist bottle belt and had spare bottles of high5 but when I get thirsty it has to be water and the only way I can drink from cups is to walk.  I wasn't too bothered about losing time though as by now I was well under my 4.30 target but the next milestone up - 4.15 - which had not been on my radar - was too far away so I might as well have a walk to take on water.

I was happy to finish in 4.21.13 which was 3rd lady and 1st in my age category. Also, 5th overall in the results but the print out says 8th!  In hind sight I probably could have pushed a bit harder in the second half as I wasn't running at full capacity but it is so long since I have raced a marathon and I was not sure what shape I was in so wasn't going to risk it.  At least by running within myself my legs were not especially sore the next day so I could train as normal.  I have recently started wearing a HRM again since getting a new garmin.  I didn't look at it but afterwards could see that I had done a good job of keeping the effort consistent as there was no HR drift - after the first few miles the HR just fluctuated up and down by a few beats rather than a gradual up.  If I had tried to maintain my pace then I am sure it would have shot right up!

The race was really well organised and very good value, I think it was £24.  For that we got chip timing, a medal, buff and sweets at the water station.  Once we had finished there was a warm pavilion with help yourself hot drinks, crisps and chocolate.

Equinox24

Those who know me will wonder why I entered this when I have said I don't like off road and certainly not in the dark!  In preparation for my next 24 hour race I needed a long race as I can only manage 40 miles on my own in training.  I was going to do ladybower50 this weekend then thought I could enter Equinox24 and stop when I have done enough.  This option would be more fun as there are more entries (including 3 teams from my club) and as it is laps you get to see others a lot.  Lady bower requires navigation which I am not very good at.

With the race starting at noon and proper dark setting in just after 7.30 I knew that the best i could hope for was 7 full laps in daylight (10km per lap) if the course was not too tricky.  I did not want to risk injury by running off-road and falling over in the dark so would see what the course was like before deciding whether i would risk a dark lap to make 50 miles.  A number of people had said that I would get to 50 miles and not stop as I would be winning!! Well I didn't take my Garmin charger so couldn't keep going for 24 hours as I can't run without my Garmin!! 

I arrived around 10am and set up my tent, I was on my own (normally phil comes to crew) so had to make sure everything was organised.  Although I wasn't  racing I wanted to minimise faffing time between laps as the more I faffed the more I would have to run in the dark.  There was a massive field with loads of space so my tent was not far from the course, i put a couple of bottles right on the edge so that I could just grab them without going to my tent for a couple of lap. 

 I was wearing an inov8 waist pack as I wanted to carry a waterproof, bars and water.  I recently bought this pack as I wanted something with a bit more space to carry things.  The space is good and it is comfortable but I did end up with a lot of chaffing and I still prefer my raidlight one but that is smaller.  I wore skechers Gorun ultra shoes which were perfect for this course giving grip on the grass and plenty of cushion for the Tarmac.

As this was a training run I had not tapered.  I had done normal training in the week but just dropped one of my Friday runs so I had more time for packing / making flapjack!  The idea was to do this run on tired legs as I will be running a large amount of my 24 hour race on tired legs so this would be good practice.  I was not going to run hard either just easy effort and within myself as I didnt want to be suffering too much after and then waste a weeks training by having to recover - another reason for not continuing beyond 50 miles.

Although the course had more off road than I would have liked it was nice the way there were little loops and switchbacks so you often saw people ahead/behind you.  I knew there was a long hill but was expecting it to be more gradual so after the first lap I walked up - it stated just after the 3km marker and ended just before the 4km marker.  I used this as a time to take on food - this meant that on some laps I grabbed a packet of crisps and had to carry them for 3km before opening!! Bars were easy to put in my waist pack.  The hill was tarmac which I felt was a bit of a waste of nice Tarmac.  After the 4km marker there was a little uphill which I ran.  

At 5km there was a water station and toilet then we turned onto some grass.  As a tarmac lover I found the grassy sections hard work as it was not nice and smooth like on grass track but very bumpy underneath so I kept rolling over on my ankle and was slowed down a lot.  To say I was grumpy on that first lap was an understatement; I kept longing to be back on Tarmac! At around 6km there was a really nasty uphill on grass which was new this year, I walked that part as well but otherwise I ran everything else.  At 9km we come back to the field and do a lap round the outside.  That part was nice from the point of view of getting support but was very uneven and I managed to fall over on the first lap.  My running club had 3 teams and a massive tent so I got loads of support each time I ran past their tent which was great.

After finishing the first lap slowly and finding it harder than expected I was trying to think of an excuse to stop but couldn't find one.  My achilles were hurting (I think from all the twisting) but not enough to stop and my glute was sore.  I adjusted my goals thinking there was no way I could do 8 laps and that 7 laps in daylight was going to be ambitious.  Having now seen the course I was not confident about running it in the dark so was thinking maybe I would do 6 laps then some more in the morning to make it worth the trip! The original plan had been to do 2 laps to make it 100km for the weekend and just over 100 miles for the week ( had already done 45 miles in the week).

The second lap seemed a whole lot better, perhaps because I knew what to expect and by the end of the third lap i was feeling OK and starting to enjoy it a bit more.  I wasn't taking a great deal of notice of my lap times but knew I was slowing down gradually (as I would expect) from looking at my average pace on the Garmin.  After the first couple of laps where I just grabbed a bottle I was stopping at my tent to pick up food/ new bottle or to drink a bottle of coke (didn't want to carry it with me) and have a chat with support crew of a runnner camping near me so I think a lot of my slowing was due to stopping rather than running slower. 

I was quite surprised to compete 5 laps in around 5 hours as I thought I was well over.  I realised that as long as I didn't dilly dally i could easily get two more daylight laps in then would probably only need the headtorch for the second half of the last lap as a lot of the first half was tarmac.  

The next few laps were fairly uneventful, I was pleased that I was soon going to be finishing although I felt I could have done more there was no need.  I must have been going reasonably well as when I was going through the start/ finish on my last few laps I heard a few comment to others in a surprised way that I was a solo runner - by this stage a lot of the solos had slowed down and were walking a lot. 

Picked up my headtorch for lap 8 but delayed using it as long as possible.  I put it on briefly on the tarmac uphill when there were potholes but then didn't put it on permanently until we turned off the tarmac at the water station at 5km.  I did not like this last 5km.  I have a good headtorch but was scared of twisting my ankle so was running very slowly, would probably have been better off walking!! There was a brief Tarmac bit whcih I enjoyed before getting to the field for the last km.  in the dark this seemed to go on forever.  Because I had fallen over on this bit I was being super careful.  Finished lap 8 (80km/50miles) in 8.13, the last lap took around 1.10 due to being slow off road in the dark!

I signed out then thought I would check my position.  I was quite surprised to be 4th overall and 1st lady.  After I showered I got a jacket potato then went to the Barrow runners tent for a while.  I was asked if I was tempted to go back out so that I could win but I had no interest in going around in the dark.

Didn't get much sleep in my tent as there was too much talking going on nearby and I couldn't get comfortable.  Got up about 7 for the tiolet and a hot chocolate /9bar breakfast bar/banana then went back to bed and managed to sleep a bit waking up around 9am feeling a bit better.  I still didn't really want to go out but my tent was wet so I couldn't pack up and go home. Shortly after 10 i set off for a couple more laps in the hope that my tent would be dry by the time I was finished.  It was now nice and sunny.

I felt a bit of a fraud as all the relay runners were clapping me and saying well done (my number had solo on it) but I had just had a 14 hour break so was didn't feel I was deserving of all the praise.  Called at my tent after the first lap for some food and a new bottle then it was just a lap to go which was over quite quickly.  The last 2 laps took 2.05 so were probably at a similar pace to my last lap before dark.  My quads were quite sore and my glute was not happy (that had been complained for most of saturday too) but otherwise everything else was OK.

So job done, I did what I set out to do which was 80km saturday 20km Sunday (total time 10.18). I am not really an off road runner so was happy with that.

 This is a really good event, very well organised and great atmosphere.  It was possible to arrive on Friday night and camp so when I arrived Saturday registration was quick.  We got a Glo in the dark T shirt and wrist band when we registered and a medal at the end.  There was loads of space to camp and park the car by the tent whcih was handy as I tend to pack a lot.  Toilets were proper ones without too many queues and showers were warm.  They had some trade stalls including skechers the headline sponsor, a bouncy castle and food stalls.  The prices seemed quite reasonable too -£3.50 for my jacket potato.  I would defiantly recommend this event if you are looking for a 24 hour race or an alternative to thunder run. 

Boston 12 hour race

It's been a while since my last running blog because the problem foot which forced me to walk the last several hours of the 24 hour race was damage to some ligaments.  Ice, rest and shock wave therapy at the Physio meant I was running again after 3 very long weeks off.

 

I had a couple of weeks building up them miles then 4 solid weeks of training with a longest run of 36 miles and last long run of 30 miles 10 days out.  My pace has been slower than similar runs leading up to the 24 hour race but not too far off.  As this was not an A race I wasn't going to have a proper taper but did take it easy during the week and have a rest day on Saturday.

The course is a 1 mile loop around a country park, mostly Tarmac with about 200m around a field at the start / end of each lap. There is one small hill; a few shallow inclines; a couple of sharp turns and a lot of dog walkers with dogs off leads which would block the path as it was quite narrow in places.

support crew
 

My goal for the race was not to set any records but to take it steady and finish feeling comfortable/ like I had more left in the the tank.  I wanted it to be a practice for 24 hours so would have walk breaks as I would in a 24 hour race (5 min per hour then 5 min per 45 min using the break to take on food) and treat this as the first 12 hours of a 24 hour run rather than a 12 hour race.  Had I been racing I would have run for as long as possible before walking like I do in 100km races - this usually means running until just over 40 miles then having short walks every few miles.

Having been on school holidays for the last 5 weeks I have been getting up late so a 7.30am start and 6am porridge was a struggle, I felt quite sick after the porridge and it was repeating on my for the first half hour or so!

The first few hours felt a bit of a slog, I think perhaps because for the last month I have been in bed at that time! After about 30 minutes I was needing a wee but wanted to hold on as long as possible as I hadn't had a no 2 pre race so knew I would have to stop for that too.  After about 50minutes I needed both so stopped  (proper toilet).  Next lap I was due to have a walk and some food but as I had just stopped I decided to wait until the following lap for my walk break.

Running a few laps with Kevin early on

I walked for 5 mins and noted where this took me to so that on future walk breaks I would just start walking at the same point rather than timing it.  Unfortunately I had to start running again just before the hill!  On my 4 hours break I was drinking a bottle of coke so needed bit longer to get it down and let it settle before running so walked to the top of the hill.  From then I always started my walk at the top of the hill so that was probably about 6mins walk. 

Although I was running at an easy pace I just didn't feel like things were flowing well; I felt quite sluggish and was seriously thinking about stopping after 6 hours (there was also a 6 hour race).  I was gradually slowing down and thought at this rate the last 4 hours were going to be a death march and what was the point in that, I would be better off stopping at 6 hours, bagging a decent distance long run and recovering more quickly.

I think that the problem with long ultras is that when we look at the whole picture it just feels too big. I had done 3 hours and was thinking I have to do that 3 more times this is too big.  Once I got to over 6 hours I felt a whole lot better.  I had covered more miles so would have been more tired yet I felt better which just goes to show how much of running is mental.  Knowing I was past half way was a big boost.  39 laps covered in 6 hours.  I suddenly needed the toilet again and couldn't wait for the proper one.  I found a discrete spot then remembered that when squatting after 40 odd miles some kind of support is needed to hold to stop wobbling over and then to help you up!!



a brief run with Sunny



After around 7 hours my left hip flexor started to get really sore.  I started thinking that if it didn't get any better I would stop at 50 miles, that was a respectable distance, the race was not worth risking long term injury/time out for.  After a few laps of quite bad pain I stopped to do some supported squats with Phil.  This tends to help stretch/loosen off some tightness.  I got a few funny looks and questions but it was worth it as it did ease off a lot.

Next issue was my left glute suddenly tightened up, almost going into spasm then my left quad and knee.  This was really bad, a bit like sciatica.  After a lap all those issues totally disappeared!  I had no pains so no excuse to stop early now!!

I was now feeling OK and just ticking off the miles.  I was ahead of target and although getting a bit slower the fade off was not that bad.  Each walk break I was having some food and often something else between walk breaks.  I was drinking regularly too as I was quite thirsty (it was a warm day); at times I would have liked to drink more but I had fluids sloshing in my stomach and stich a few times.

I was still having walks approximately every hour as I was ahead of schedule so decided to treat myself with a few more walks. I worked out that if I walked at 9.45 then every 45 mins that would give me one extra walk break for the rest of the race and having the break a bit sooner broke things down into smaller segments.  I would always start my walk at the start/finish area so the 45 mins was approximate. 

support on the course - thanks for the cold coke

With about 3 hours to go I got a really desperate urge for another no2, this was not good, it couldn't wait until I got to the proper toilet.  At least this time I found something to hold on to to help me up again!

Its with a few hours to go that I start thinking about my position.   There was one lady (Sunny) ahead of me by almost a lap.  We had spoken earlier as with my walks she would often pass me (to lap me) then I would run and catch back and pass her (but she was always a lap ahead).  She said she was getting tired and would walk the last couple of hours.  Although today was not about winning its hard not to think about it when you are close.  However the priority was to have a good solid run and restore my confidence following the 24 hour race. 

I could have picked the pace up/reduced the walk breaks but I wasn't that bothered and kind of hoped she would come back to me without me needing to do any extra work (she had said she was tired).  With about an hour to go Sunny was still going strong so I gave up any thoughts of catching as although she was coming back to me it was not enough for me to catch her with out picking up the pace which I didn't want to do.

My last walk had been 10.50.  I wondered if I could go for the rest of the race without a walk and thought no, there is no need to deny myself the last walk as looking at the time I would hopefully make a nice round 75 laps so what was the point in soldiering on when I could have a little walk! My last walk was on the 3rd last lap.   As I was finishing that lap the race director said 'just one more lap' I said I should have time to do two, he said we will see when you finish this lap. 

What happens is that when they think you don't have enough time to do another full mile lap you have to go round and round a grass track which is about 150m and very tedious!! I really didn't want to be running around this track any longer than I had to so I put my foot down for the next lap so that the RD would let me go out for a final lap.  I was surprised at how I was able to pick up the pace so much finishing that lap in well under 9 mins.  I was then allowed 1 more lap so I kept up the faster pace and did that one in well under 9 mins too!

I now had just over 6mins to go round this track so moved up to the final gear and was able to run around at 7mm pace!!  I finished on 75miles and one thousand and something metres.  I was 400m behind Sunny who was 1st lady and outright winner.  The next person was over 10 miles behind!!

Could I have won??  Phil says I shouldn't have had that last walk break as I lost time on that lap but I say if I hadn't had that walk break would I have been able to pick the pace up as much?? I wonder if I had picked up the pace with 3 laps to go and not had the walk break would I have been able to keep it up? I don't know, possibly, that would have been enough to gain those 400m BUT if I had caught up Sunny would she have found that little bit extra and put up a fight?

medal presentation

Its hard to know how much you have left, the race was not about winning, the only reason I picked up the pace at the end was so that I could avoid going around the small grass track for ages.  It was nice to know that I did still have something left and I do wonder if I should, with about an hour to go just thrown everything at it to see what I could have done .  BUT if I had done that I might have finished myself off before the finish and then been crawling.  The aim of the race was to finish strong which is what I did.  I may have left something out there but at this point in time, for me, that is better then finishing with a crawl even if it meant I did a mile less than I could have done.

Looking at my splits for how far I ran each hour. The first hour was the fastest then the next joint fastest were the 2nd and last hour (the first hour didn't have a walk break in it)

Am I happy with my race and how I ran? Yes I am, the distance I achieved is nothing spectacular - my 12 hour split in a 24 hour race was 74.5 miles so it was only a mile further than in a longer race but I wasn't properly tapered and have had an injury recently and the course was harder with dog walkers in the way so I am pleased with the final result.  Sitting here now part of me thinks I should have raced in the last hour rather than plodding along until 25mins to go but I am saying this knowing that I did had something left.  I was good to know that even though I was fading gradually throughout the race with a bit of extra effort I could pick it up quite a lot.

Fluids consumed

High5 zero with caffeine
SIS / powerbar electrolyte drinks
Water

 

Calories consumed

3 x 9bars
2x powerbar protein bars
3 x bananas
Scampi and lemon nik naks
3 Jaffa cakes
1 funsize crunchie
approx. 1 litre coke
3 x 250ml cartons choc soya milk.

Shoes

Skechers Gorun ultra - I normally wear the lighter gorun ride for ultras but have been having a bit of trouble with my Achilles so decided to go with the more cushioned and high heel drop (8mm compared to 4mm) of the ultras which was a good decision as my Achilles was more or less OK.

Running for 24 hours

I often get asked for tips so with HOTH coming up next weekend and Equinox not far away thought I would get around to writing this blog post I have been drafting for ages.  I have done 5 x 24 hour races with my best distance being 132miles/213km at Basel.  All my races have been on a 400m track or 1km loop so I have not needed to carry anything. 

Before the race 

1. Plan your race schedule several months in advance; try to do a longer ultra - I like to do between 50 miles and 12 hours a couple of months before if possible.  Long runs in events are often easier than on your own so make use of local races.

2.  The long run is the most important.  Everyone is different in what they do; I like to do a few 40 mile training runs and some back to back weekends eg 30 miles Saturday 20 miles Sunday (races are handy for this) as training on tired legs is good for getting used to how the race will feel.

3.  The long runs are not just for getting in the miles but also for testing kit/ shoes.  Think about how you will be carrying things (if you need to carry anything) and test the backpack/ waistpack / water bottle to make sure you are comfortable with it.  Consider the terrain then decide which sort of shoes you need.  I usually test my shoes on a few long runs then put them away until the race so I know they still have plenty of cushion.  They will be the shoes I start with but I tend to take a couple of spares in case of rain/ blisters.  I have used Skechers Gorunride for my last few races.

4.  Try lots of different food/ drink.  Whilst you might know what you like and what works for a marathon, at 3am you might not fancy it but might not want to risk something new so try lots of things to make sure they don't upset you.  After experimenting I have found I can't have dried fruit; oats or anything with a lot of dairy so that rules a lot of race foods out.  I would never eat crisps in a marathon but in 24 hour races I get through lots.

5.  I do laps for my long training runs and set up a 'checkpoint' at home with lots of nice foods so I can have something nice to look forward to and don't have to carry too much.  There is the temptation to stop when you end a loop but I have never done that yet.
 

6. Training on tired legs doesn't mean you have to do hundreds of miles.  A way of doing this is to run to the gym, batter your legs in a body pump or spin class then run home.  This is quite hard to begin with but gets easier.  

7.  It is likely you will be walking quite a lot.  Some people walk very fast; if you are slow like me you could do some walk training to get faster and gain a few extra km over the 24 hours. 

8. Multi task on runs! A lot of people say they don't have time to do many miles so run to jobs eg run to the bank / town do shopping and run home.  Or if you have kids and need to drop them off for something and pick them up a hour or so later instead of going home stay there and go for a run.

9.  Hills/ speed / core - all of these will make you stronger but they tend to get neglected.

The race

1.  Only the elites run the whole lot.  Unless you are experienced then you are better to start your walks early on as that will delay the fatigue and the time before you get to the point where you can't run any more.  I walk 5 mins per hour ( use this time to take on solid food) for about 4 hours then drop to 5 min every 45 minutes as I am then needing to eat more often and feel the need for a break sooner.  I will keep this going as long as possible then drop to a walk every half hour and so on.  If you are new then 25/5 is quite popular or if the course is hilly walk the hills but in an approx ratio of 25 mins run 5 mins walk.

2.   Number belt - as you will probably be changing or adding layers a number belt (or some elastic) is a good idea.
 

number belt made from elastic

3. Getting the food/ drink / electrolytes right has been my biggest challenge.  For my first one I took on board advise to eat regularly and ate too much so then it was just sitting in my stomach not absorbing and making me feel sick.  During another race it was not taking on enough electrolytes so my body was not able to properly absorb my food and again I felt sick.  Everyone is different but out bodies can only absorb a certain amount per hour (200-300 calories on average) so any extra is just going to sit there, be of no use and maybe make you feel sick.  Similar with fluid.  If you drink too much it will slosh in your stomach.  These are things to try out in training but what works in a marathon will not necessary work for longer races eg in a marathon I might drink about 500ml and have a couple of gels; if I do that for the first 26 miles of a 24 hour race whilst I might be OK up to that point beyond about 30 miles I think I would suffer for dehydration and not having enough fuel. This is why longer races are useful.  

4. Struggling to eat.  There is likely to come a time when you really do not want to eat.  Either you feel sick or you are just bored with eating.  But your body needs the fuel if you want to keep going.  This is where things which don't require chewing come in.  I have found chocolate soya milk is really good -it goes down easily and has a good amount of protein.  Pouches of baby food/ fruit puree are also easy to eat as are gels (it's best to save the gels until later in the race as if you have had them early on you might be sick of them). A lot of people have rice pudding but I can't have that much diary.  Marzipan melts in the mouth and you can just have a small amount at a time.   Sweets are also good (my favourite are coconut mushrooms).  When I was struggling with food I was able to get one down every few laps which isn't much but better than nothing.  Finally, when feeling rough and sorry for yourself and not able to get in foot hot chocolate is comforting!

vegan bars made of seeds so slow energy

5.  Variety - another food/ drink point! I always take far more food than I will need as I never know what I will fancy.  I rarely have gels in ultras but in a recent 100km had 2 and would have had more if I had brought them.  When it's hot I eat more crisps/savory.  It's best to take more than you will need and have a choice.  I tend to start off alternating with 9bars; powerbar protein bars; bananas.  I keep that up for as long as possible (usually around 35-40 miles) as these foods have good nutritional value.  Some events will offer a hot meal of pasta or rice which I have.  I then start to feel the need for more treat type foods or variety so will have Jaffa cakes; funsize crunchie/bounty; crisps; chocolate soya milk with the occasional 9bar or banana.  Then when I find food hard it will be the baby food, even more choc soya milk, sports drinks and sweets/marzipan.  Often the aid station will have cake/ biscuits/ pretzels/ ritz crackers so I will have those sometimes.  

'Traviss box'

6.  It can get cold.  Even if the forecast is good and doesn't look cold as you slow down your body will struggle to keep you warm.  My first one was in May, there was a thermometer so I could see the temperature.  At night I put a jacket on and come morning despite it being 20 degrees I was not warm enough to take it off.  This is not always the case.  In my last race I wore a vest throughout with no jacket / long sleeve needed even thought I had slowed a lot.  So take plenty of clothes.  

7. Be organised.  A lot of time can be wasted finding jacket/ clean t shirt etc as whatever you need is bound to be at the bottom of your bag.  If you are able to pitch a tent then have things laid out or at least in several bags like all tops together etc.  For my bits and bobs (first aid, wet wipes, etc) I have found a 'Traviss box' really good for keeping organised and finding them quickly. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stanley-197483-Stackable-Sortmaster-Organiser/dp/B003PZHYLK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407509554&sr=8-2&keywords=stanley+sortmaster+toolbox 
Filling up bottles can take time so if possible have lots ready filled.

 

8.  Targets.  These are good to keep you motivated but you need to be flexible and have higher/ lower goals too in case things are going better/ worse than expected.  For my first one I had 100 miles as my goal.  When I got to 90 miles with enough to finish even if I crawled I sat down and cried as I was overcome with emotion and so tired.  I eventually got up and dilly dallied around for a few more laps (1km laps) then had another sit down and another.  I was going to hit my target so didn't really make any effort.  When I got to 100 miles I stopped even though I had several hours left.  I was fine with that at the time but a few days later regretted it and thought what if I hadn't sat down, hadn't wasted time in the last 10 miles and had used the whole 24 hours????  I should have had another higher target such as 105 miles (4 marathons) then 110 miles .  Similarly, if things are not going so well it is easy to give up and just walk / sit down for long rests so lower targets are needed to keep you motivated and moving purposefully.

9. Get a decent head torch.  If your run is off road then it is worth spending the money on a good headtorch (and spare batteries).  I have this one, you can alter the brightness so have it really bright on the darker parts.   The higher the lumens the brighter the light 
http://www.uktoolcentre.co.uk/Shop/p~81525~SEO7~R-Rechargeable-Head-Torch.html?Refid=GoogleShopping&gclid=Cj0KEQjw6pGfBRD09M-TmYTBzqIBEiQAcRzH5yrcJEHTUyIcUAXfy7YqNpKNM6dftMzTbVkKKKN4qMIaAmL28P8HAQ

10.  Its going to hurt but company of others can help.  In my last race I got injured; running hurt too much so I walked a lot.  Time passed so much quicker walking and chatting with others, there were so many amazing people doing my last race it was great to chat to them.

11. Drugs etc.  

Ibuprofen - if you are thinking of taking this make sure you read up on the risks of taking it whilst running before you do.  Voltorol/ibuprofen gel might be a better option.

Immodium - this is essential!

caffeine - I usually have coke, sometimes pro plus tablets. I cut my caffeine right back for the week before the race so that it has more effect and try to wait as long as possible before having it

Ginger - this is an anti inflammatory and is supposed to help with nausea.  I took tablets during my last race; it was the first time I didn't have any stomach issues.  

Tumeric - another anti inflammatory which I took before the race

Electrolytes - these can be in the form of tablets such as high5 zero which you add to drinks or as tablets.