RtRx7 The Aftermath - Or The Toll 7 Ultra Marathons Took On My Body 3 Months Later..

It’s just under 3 months after I ran 336 miles in one week, did 7 ultra marathons in 7 days and completed one of the most significant events in my life so far. Upon finishing the week my body broke down as soon as I crossed the finish line it felt, everything that had held together through the week suddenly sighed a sigh of relief and let go. I was limping on badly mangled toes and feet, with the skin of my feet after 3 days of finishing going really dry and blistering and all of my toenails bar one dropping off over the forthcoming weeks. But I did it! Rtrx7 was a success! After conceiving the idea a couple of years previously but being too scared to even utter the words out loud it was an amazing feeling to have attempted something original that no one else had done and said couldn’t be done and to have pulled it off.

 The challenge itself was to run 7 times around the island of Jersey in 7 days; 48 miles each day taking in coastal path, beach, road and cliffs which equated to about 4000ft of elevation each day. Someone I knew had already done 7 marathons in 7 days here in Jersey so this was the only way to up the ante. Little did I know what I was attempting! I knew it would be hard but I rationalised it that having done the Marathon Des Sables a year or so earlier I would have a lot of advantages compared to that; I would be able to be supported, I could fuel adequately, I could sleep in my own bed and it was going to be a lot cooler than the Sahara Desert.

So in the early part of 2014, plans came together and bit by bit the challenge became a reality, with the ultimate reality being when I lined up on the start of the 2014 Greenlight: Round The Rock ultra-marathon on Aug 2^nd. This was day one for me, and when everyone else had finished their stint, I would have to go home, recover and get up again and do it all over.

I won’t go into too much detail here about the challenge itself as I am hoping to sell the rights for the story to an award winning novelist or film maker and get Keanu Reeves to play me in the film. Suffice to say the week was hard, took me places I had never been in terms of despair and joy and is a definite cornerstone and reference point in my life.

The day after I had finished I woke up and was a little stiff and slightly hung over after a few glasses of champagne after a big do to celebrate completing it as well as the live televised lottery draw for the local charity I was raising money for – Jersey Hospice Care. It was a lovely feeling to know that I wouldn’t have to circumnavigate the island again that with the most testing thing I had to do being interviewed by a local radio station at 9am and to not say any swears inadvertently!

So what toll did the challenge take on me? My feet and toes were in a bad way, for about 3 weeks afterwards I had really bad dry skin on my feet and it was flaking off all over the show. I lost all my toenails bar one or two and had lots of callouses at various pressure points on my feet. Physically in an injury sense I was OK, going into the week I had a bit of a groin issue that I was a little worried about but this didn’t really become too much of a problem which I was thankful for. Injury was one of my biggest worries for the week as it was something that I couldn’t account for or foresee if it did occur but for 336 miles I came out of the week quite lightly.

3 months down the line I can now see that I was quite run down by the week after it was over. I took a couple of weeks off running after rtrx7 but was quite keen to get back into some form of exercise quite quickly as believe it or not I started to put weight on after the challenge quite quickly. I ran for 90 hours over the week and burnt and estimated 35,000 calories and was nowhere near replacing these but seemed to not have any adverse weight loss, which was good. During the MDS I lost a lot of weight quickly and people commented how emaciated I looked at the end of the week, so I expected something similar for RtRx7. I think my body was in shock to be honest and wasn’t sure what was going on, almost as if it went into survival mode and wanted to then hang on to any calories that I put into it. It is something that has continued over the last couple of months with my weight going up and normal training not being enough to sustain my usual running weight, which has been a little troublesome; being lighter = going faster and my initial goal after RtRx7 was to run the Jersey Marathon in early October. I started to speed train at the track and do shorter more intense runs a few weeks later, reasoning that shorter runs would be good for the body. The first track session I did was “interesting” to say the least and I struggled, on a superficial level I felt recovered I think but under the surface I was needing to rest or at least exercise at a much lower intensity.

Through September I built the training with Jersey as my goal. It was good to have a goal after the euphoria of completing RtRx7, it was a massive part of 2014 and as happens after these things there was a come down, which I expected to a degree having done things like this before. I was mostly pleased to have done it, but it was taking time to process the week. It was intense; 90 hours of running which when coupled with recovery, eating and sleeping didn’t leave much time for reflection or leisure time. For the first week or so afterwards I was dreaming I was running around the island and would wake up tired as if I had done the actual run! Processing the week was an ongoing thing and one I enjoyed, lots of photos were taken, lots of messages sent in support through the week and lots of positive take aways in general, I would say now I have processed it all and it is almost as if it never happened, just like being back in work on a Monday morning after being away in Barbados for 2 weeks previously and by lunch time it being as if you had never been away. The memories are there, but almost as if it was someone else living it.

A big issue for me over the 3 months since has been tiredness: I remember googling how to recover from something like this and there weren’t many search results that gave any meaningful advice as there are few documented precedents. There are the usual rules of one days recovery for every mile you have ran, which would have meant me not running til the following July, by which time had the weight gain continued I would have been a wallowing blob sitting there unable to see my feet and having to be lifted to the loo by a crane! I was back in work a week later and I was going to bed at 10pm most nights and getting up at 8am to try and recuperate, I became obsessed with sleep; how much I could get, how to make it up if I couldn’t get my ten hours that night and when I could snooze over the weekend. I have always like sleep to be fair but it took on an extra sense of urgency and at the time I didn’t realise how much toll the challenge had taken me, only now with the benefit of hindsight can I see it. I met a friend of mine Graeme a few weeks ago who had completed the Grand Union Canal Race back at the start of the summer, which is a 145 mile race along the Grand Union Canal. He was in a similar boat to me and said that it took him 3 months to get over it fully, likening running during that time to having an elastic band attached and someone holding on to it whilst trying to run, a feeling I completely empathised with.

I think it is natural for us runners to want to do what we do best and to be in full training and not to be tapering or recovering. I for one only paid lip service to recovery runs, recovery periods, periodization and proper tapering, taking them only when I started to feel jaded rather than being proactive. In the last couple of weeks however I have started to read a book about the 80/20 training principle which in short is a training method where 80 % of training done is performed at sub lactic thresholds and the other 20% is done above as this is the optimal ratio to get the benefits of training, the result being that when an athlete comes to do the 20% aspect they are more rested to hit it hard. The 80% enables the athlete to increase volume of training and therefore strength without stressing the body. I have enjoyed this book immensely and have adopted the principle wholeheartedly, having worked out my optimal zones and now training within them. It is early days but I feel more rested and relaxed after the sub lactic runs and have been burning off a lot of the weight from RtRx7 as a consequence of the training zones I have been working in. I think that had I been aware of this method I would have definitely adopted this post RtRx7 as it would have enabled me to train at a low intensity and maintain fitness but not push too hard in the initial stages of getting back to full training.

Next for me is the XNRG Druids Challenge this weekend; average of 29 miles per day for 3 days this will be a great test to see just how far down the recovery road I am. The goal is to get out and enjoy the weekend primarily and hopefully get a good solid performance in as well. Training in earnest will begin soon for the 2015 Marathon Des Sables in April, and I have secured a place for the race of all races The Dragons Back which takes place in June 2015. Lots to train for and lots to look forward to over the coming year!

The fundraising and challenge is completed for RtRx7 for those of you who missed it I put together a little video of the week to show what went into it, available here:

The challenge would not have happened without the support of the following companies: Marks and Spencer Jersey, Clink Hostels, BNP Paribas Jersey and Mymemory.co.uk.

The people who helped me with the organisation of both the fundraising and through the week were many: big thanks to Karl Moss, Ben Garland, David Stokes, Bruno Francisco, Rod Bryans, Euros Williams, Steve Hayes, Peter Wright, Simon Lester, Shane Hugill, Simon Mackenzie, Robbie Campbell, James Hope, Dave Double, Will Evans, Anna Goncalves, Shaun Maloret, Sam Horsfall, Neil Ginnis, Trisha and Darren from Yoga Matters, Piers De Gruchy, Bryce Alford, Cameron Purcell, Brendan Roberts, Sam Wade, Mark Nicol, Lee De St Croix, Jemma Jelley, Neil Walker, Thomas Robertson, John McGovern and the one person who held the whole operation together Nicola Gott – without her I could not have got through the week, she was there to take me to the start every morning at 6:30am and to drop me home every night, sometimes at 10:15pm, some might say she had a harder week than me and I would be inclined to agree!! I have tried to name everyone there so hopefully I have got everyone..

Finally I would like to say that I hit the target of £15,000.00 raised for Jersey Hospice Care due to the massive generosity of everyone who donated and big donations from Clink Hostels who gave £2000.00 to the cause and my place of work BNP Paribas who donated £2,200.00. I would like to thank them both as well as everyone else who donated and showed their support.

Post Round The Rock x 7

Its just over 2 months ago I set off to run 7 times around the island of Jersey in 7 days - 48 miles per day, 336 miles in a week. I initially dreamed up this challenge because 7 marathons in 7 days had been done here and I wanted to up the ante.

It was a crazy crazy week, with some real ups and downs taking me to the limits of my endurance and what I thought I was capable of. 2 months later the overwhelming feeling I have from the week is the way it brought so many of us together, people came to support me, crew for me, run with me and it really fed into a massive positive experience for me and I hope for all involved.

I remember setting off on the Saturday on the first day which was the actual Greenlight: Round the Rock Ultra which is in its 4th year here in Jersey, I had 7 days ahead of me but it just hadn't really registered with me at that point how much work I had ahead of me. I think part of my way of coping with the challenge was to not register how much lay ahead of me and to just take it bit by bit, which was a strategy I seemed to employ for most of the week and served me well. By day 3 things got hard, I was tired by the Monday and just under a 100 miles of running had started to take its toll on me. I had 236 miles to go was feeling like I still had a mountain to climb, but I got through that day by just putting one foot in front of the other and 24 hours later I was nearly half way through the challenge and looking at the week through a completely different filter.

The big take away for me from the week was the lesson of sticking at something, things do get better, bad times do pass and if you persist you will succeed, a lesson for life perhaps as well as ultra running?

I did a little video of the week here which sums up a lot of what went on that week and the experiences of such a massive life event for me.

I am currently trying to get the whole thing down on paper as I would like to document this challenge fully so watch this space!

At the moment I am recovering, I misjudged the effect the challenge would have on me, 336 miles in a week is a long way and I thought I could come back to training after 2 weeks off running and get back into the groove quickly. I am due to be running a marathon on Sunday which I am in 2 minds whether to do as I am not fully recovered and I know this in my heart of hearts.

I was trying to find precedents for this type of challenge and the effect it has on the body and how much recovery is needed and it seems there is not a lot out there unfortunately. I am listening to my body though and trying to rest and address any issues as they arise, having had a hip flexor problem for a while I have been strengthening my flutes which has been a revelation, I feel more balanced in my stride and other issues that stemmed from the hip flexor problem seem to have subsided which is great news.

So next up for me is the Marathon Des Sables in April 2015. I have entered the XNRG Druids challenge in November this year to get ready and I am working towards this as a nice finish to the year. I know that I have endurance in my legs so my goal now is to make sure I am fresh for the race and that I can enjoy it. I also had the amazing news that I have been accepted to compete in the Dragons Back race in June next year, this race is an iconic legendary race that has only been held twice before. It is 200 miles across the mountainous spine of Wales and being Welsh myself I cannot wait to take part! I know there is a lot of preparation to do between now and then but I am up for the challenge 100% and look forward to standing on the start line in June.

Lots to look forward to, lots to be happy with hopefully 2014 has been as good for you and 2015 looks as exciting!

In The Swing.

Beautiful Jersey In The Spring.. Bring It On!

It’s a great time of the winter when the six nations rugby has started, the nights start to get a little lighter and getting out to do those runs seems to get that little bit easier.. It’s been an epic winter weather wise, even here in sunny Jersey, with gale force winds, flooded streets, cold mornings and muddy trails. Of course the allure for me to trail running in the winter is precisely the muddy trails and cold mornings, the feeling of being out in all weathers running, welcoming the rising sun when most people are tucked up in their warm beds is a good one, and whilst January was certainly not a record mileage month there has been some nice runs.

I remember this time last year being so motivated as I had the Marathon des Sables on the horizon in April and so I was training hard and with a focus that I have struggled to find so far this year. I might even venture to say I “have lost my mojo…” somewhat!

But this isn’t another post about soul searching, navel gazing or self-pity. This is a post about hope, the arrival of a new time, the phoenix rising from the ashes!

I am glad to say that fitness and motivation are coming back in equal measures, I had a quiet January building mileage slowly and doing plenty of Kettle bell training to complement the running. After last year there were few red flags; Lower back pain, shoulders slumping forward in the latter part of races and also problems with my hip flexors as well as the long standing issue with my knee/VMO. So at the start this year I decided I wanted to do more to condition my body correctly so as to build a solid base to be able to handle the races and challenges I have ahead of me this year.

I have really grown to love Kettle bell training and now see it as an important corner stone of my training regime. I think the amount of different exercises that can be done with such a simple piece of equipment is amazing and the amount of technique it takes to master the exercises is a big draw, particularly the dynamic exercises. I particularly like the fact that in a 30 minute session I can cover 20 or so different exercise and work on strength, work every muscle in the body and also work on an aerobic level as well. So for me it really ticks the boxes and I am starting to see real gains in my running, particularly in running form, running up hills and general endurance. I am excited to see how much this can help me and will be reporting through the year on this.

I recently went to see a specialist about my dodgy knee as I had been carrying it for a few months and felt the off season a good time to try and address it. The specialist examined it and referred me for an MRI scan to see what was going on inside. Once done and the results were in I went back to see him and initially he gave me the sobering news that I would need to rest and do no impact related activity for the rest of 2014 due to bone bruising and some cartilage damage on the inside section of my knee. I was absolutely blindsided by this to be honest. We talked a little and I told him of my plans for 2014 and he decided to re-examine the knee. He said that the symptoms had receded since the last time he had seen me and that he would still recommend that I take 3 months instead of a year..

I had some serious thinking to do.. At the start of this year I had set myself definite goals; Transvulcania in May, South Downs Way 100 in June and then I was planning to do the grand challenge of 7 x Round the Rock in 7 Days – totalling 336 miles in a week running around the island of Jersey, as well as a few other things here and there. All of a sudden this was all in jeopardy and I had to really think about what was important. Could I take 3 months off and maintain fitness? Could I take 3 months off and be motivated enough to then return to running? (My biggest fear!) When could I take 3 months off?? So I met with Coach Bruno and we discussed the forthcoming year; luckily my knee isn’t dehabilitating and I really want to do transvulcania so I decided to pull out from the SDW100 and carry on with the other plans.

Once I had decided this the emphasis had to be on trying to protect the knee as much as possible to enable some kind of recovery whilst also training. A fine line to walk and initially in early Jan a difficult balance to get, it seemed as soon as it was confirmed that there was something wrong with the knee that it hurt more and I seemed to get all sorts of niggles alongside it. It seemed to get worse and I was pretty despondent about the year ahead but I think that now I have turned a corner, fitness is coming back, strength work is kicking in which should enhance my running form and take strain off my knee, and I am using orthotics to try and alter my gait slightly as I have a fallen arch on the injured side (a strong contender for why I have a dodgy knee I believe!)

So on to February and it is time to start the hard work for Transvulcania, I am sure most of you who read this are aware of this race and the amount of climbing involved so I won’t go into the detail, needless to say I will be doing a lot of hill training over the forthcoming months. It is nice to have that booked and ready to go and I am looking forward to being part of another iconic race. After the uncertainty, lack of motivation and direction in January it is great to be feeling that pull towards a race and a goal again – good for the mind and soul!

After Transvulcania, in August I will be doing 7 round the rocks in 7 days (RtRx7) around my home island of Jersey. The first day (2^nd August) is the day of the 48 mile Round The Rock Ultra here and then when everyone else will be sat in the bar contemplating a job well done, I will be recovering and getting ready to go out the next day and run it the next day, and then the next etc etc in alternating directions around the island to keep it interesting. I am attempting to this challenge on behalf of Jersey Hospice Care and hope to raise some good money for an amazing local charity that has a profound reach within our community. I have plenty of fundraising events planned on the back of this also so should be a good money spinner all in all!

I will be posting more about RtRx7 as it draws closer.. I will be looking for people to accompany me on the route for parts of it or a full day, so if a holiday to Jersey is on the agenda, hit me up! I have already secured a key sponsor, Marks and Spencer here in Jersey who have always been so supportive with my charity events are helping me to publicise the event through the week I will be running. I will be running instore on a treadmill about 3 weeks before and I believe even some plucky members of staff from the store want to come and join me for parts of the route!

So after a slow January and a slightly quicker February I anticipate a focussed March, with lighter nights, more volume in training and more fitness reclaimed. Just over 2 months til Transvulcania and I am really looking forward to being part of the race and having got over the logistical nightmare of booking flights and accommodation I now look forward to lining up on the start line with some of the world’s best ultra-runners (Timothy Olson already confirmed to be racing!) and around 1,500 of us mere mortals who do it just for fun.

Feedback: How have you been keeping motivation up during this winter? Are you a winter or summer runner? What trail shoes have you been using to keep upright in the slippy conditions? Any other adverse weather tips you wish to share? Get involved!!