A year to go...

So it was with bated breath I watched the 2012 Marathon Des Sables unfold. I was mainly watching the end of day videos on the Darbaroud website looking at the photos and keeping track of the results, particularly keeping an eye on the progress of Jen Salter and Rory Coleman who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Jurassic Coast challenge a few weeks ago. Jen finished 4th female overall in the end and 38th in the overall field which is a stunning result and Rory coming in 226th. I think between them they have run 14 or 15 MDS so I will be paying them a visit sometime this year to get tips on packing my rucksack the lightest and other essential info to aid my desert vacation! :)

The last few weeks my focus has switched to the Mont St Michel marathon on May 13th in France. I have been getting the miles in both on trail and road to mix it up and have one long run left before the taper down to the race. I feel the most prepared I have felt for a race to be honest and have been logging good road times so hope to finish in the sub 3 hour 30 mark, although you cant account for what goes on on the day! I have read up on the MSM marathon and it appears that it is a flat course with the only stumbling block being the potential for headwind, which if this occurs will be with you for the whole 26 miles! I am of course no stranger to the wind, as I am sure anyone who ran the whole winter will attest (is it me or has this winter/spring been particularly windy?) so am not too worried about running into a head wind, but a wind assisted marathon time would be nice.. So we will see on the day.

Training has been going well on an off road, with training runs along the cliff paths helping to build leg strength and building supporting muscles as well as endurance. My ultimate short term goal is the Round the Rock ultra here in Jersey in July which is 48 miles around the island here. I hope to improve on last years time of 9 hours 25 by making it within the 8 hour mark, I have a competent plan in place and hope that as long as I follow this I will be in a good position to achieve my goal.

Jurassic Coast Challenge 2012

Well..

What a race! 3 months of intense hill training, long runs and early nights culminated last weekend in me lining up at the start of the Jurassic coast challenge in Dorset. Billed as "The Mother of all hilly runs" it certainly lived up that rep. Within the first 3 miles of the first day we had climbed the highest peak in Dorset, and it didnt let up over the next 3 days..
I went out well on day one, and got a 4 hour 40 finish for my efforts.. I was surprised to see I had finished in 15th place which immediately put a bit of weight on my shoulders for the next day...
I found that the next day I hadnt replaced the calories burnt from the previous days efforts which meant I had little in the tank when the going got tough in the latter stages, the first 20 miles being a nice jaunt around the island of Portland, then some road running through Weymouth and then boom! 3 devastating hills at the end over Durdle Door and finishing at Lulworth Cove. The picture below sums up how I was feeling about the hills!

I managed to get a 5 hour 37 finish at the end of this day and came in 39th place overall. 

Day 3 was all about "getting through it" this was by far the hardest day with some brutal climbs and equally brutal descents which played havoc with my poor quads! I got to half way and started to flag really badly, I wandered like a lost soul for a few miles until I bumped into a generous lady who gave me some mega amazing Ibuprofen which cure all my ills! It was then onto the last checkpoint and the last climb of the day:

After this we thought it was going to be plain sailing however the organisers had a nice little surprise for us.. There was a nice stretch of beach for us to negotiate before the finish and it involved negotiating a nudist colony and just being able to see the finish in the distance. I made it to the finish line in 7 hours and clocked a distance of 28.3 miles for the day. Overall the total distance run over the 3 days was 82 miles and we climbed approx 10,000 ft of elevation gain according to my Garmin. I hated and loved this race in equal measure... It was well organised by VOTWO and everything went smoothly.

Lots of lesson learnt for a multi day stage race: More strength conditioning needed, more comfortable trail shoes for longer distance needed, better equipment needed! and more endurance runs to be able to sustain the multi day effort.. I came in 31st place overall which I was so pleased with in the end, although it did become about just enjoying it on the last day. I met some great people, some inspirational people and hopefully made some good friends from the race..

One weeks rest now and then straight back into training for the St Malo marathon on May 13th! :)

Knees, Gels and Bellyaches!

I am now on taper for next Fridays race, the Jurassic coast challenge in Dorset. I have been lucky enough to fall prey to the tummy bug that seems to have been going round and was unable to do a last long run before taper, however I feel mostly confident I have done enough work to prepare. We will see when I get to the start line on Friday. It is going to be the biggest challenge of my life ( not thought of it like that before I am now very nervous!) 3 marathons of road in 3 days is massive..

 I know doing this will give me a good feel for what a multi day endurance race is like, and will no doubt provide valuable lessons for MDS next year. I am looking forward however to getting back to running more normal distances after this, I am running the Mont St Michel marathon in France in May which should be a nice opportunity to get a marathon PB hopefully! I will post results here of the Jurassic coast race once I am back. Wish me luck!

Jurassic Coast Challenge 2012 Training

So I have just over two weeks til the Jurassic Coast Challenge 2012, which is in Dorset GB. It's a 3 day ultra race along the Jurassic Coast taking in 26 miles per day point to point over trail and track. Since January I have been training intensively for this race, having done a trail marathon in the same area back in December I know the terrain and what to expect and dont want to go into this unprepared! It been a tough few months and my mileage has increased alot, for example last week I ran 60 miles of which 45 were back to back over 3 days to try and replicate the 3 days of running with fatigue. We are fortunate here in Jersey to have some beautiful cliff path trails which are great to run on and have plenty of elevation gain, so I have spent alot of early mornings on these!

 I recently joined a website called www.dailymile.com which has been a great aid in motivation to get out there and do the hard yards. Its a great community of runners/athletes from all around the world and it also provides useful stats on the workouts you upload. You can choose to sync with your Garmin Connect account or Nike Plus Account and it pulls all the workout data from it. Like I said I have found it really useful, plus I have been able to see how other people are training and getting feedback from other runners on my workouts.. The other runners are really friendly and inclusive and I have made a few buddies quite quickly. So training... Below is an example of the training I have done over the last few months:

I have been trying out various fueling options whilst training, Hammer Gels which are carbohydrate based (http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/hammer-gel.hg.html) have been useful as they are not so heavy on the stomach as the sugary gels I was using before. For some ready energy I have been using the Powerbar Shots which I have used over a long period of time and I really like. I have also started to use the Clif Shot Blocks as well, these are tasty and provide a quick hit. For recovery particularly after the back to back sessions I have been using the SIS Rego Recovery Shake, which aids recovery in my opinion so well, it really set me up each day to get up running again.

Equipment wise I have been using my Inov-8 Roclite 295's on the trails which have served me well, I have been utilising an OMM I-Drate 12L rucksack, its a useful sack which I have tailored with a Raidlight bottle holder on the front strap, it has useful side pockets and is good for ultra races and days out on the trails. When training on the Road I have been trying out a variety of different road shoes: The Asics Gel Hyperspeed 5, The Saucony Fastwitch 5 and The Puma Concinnity 4 trainer. I wont go into much detail on each, The Saucony being my favourite overall as it has mild stability and is very light. I have used this to log most of my miles over the last 6 months or so and it has aided my transition to a more minimalist shoe, and hopefully encouraging a more mid foot strike. The Puma Concinnity 4 is a realtively new trainer which I have used on some longer (15 miles +) road runs and have benefitted from the increased cushioning I believe. The Hyperspeed 5 are very light and feel fast, I really like them and have used them on my shorter tempo runs and a couple of mid distance runs, I am not sure about there durability however as after only a few miles the soles are wearing down!

I have one more big week of training which I am half way through, I will then begin to taper and let my body recover from the battering it has had over the last few months... And then in 2 weeks I face my biggest challenge so far. Watch this space for a race report in a couple of weeks.

Been a while..

Its been a few months since my last post.

Since that time I have been training and running, training and running.. I had such a great 2011 in terms of running in the end. I completed 3 marathons, 1 Ultra Marathon and 2 Half Marathons, which if you had told me at the start of the year I was going to do I would have been blown away.
After Round the Rock Ultra in Aug I entered the Jersey marathon here, and completed that in 3 hours 48 on a very hot day. I believe temperatures were in the high 20's and it was felt! I started off well and looked good for my target time of 3 hours 30, however as is the case with these races (I am now discovering!) things started to unravel at mile 16 and I had to walk for a bit as I was struggling.. I made it the end however and came in at 3 hours 48, which was a new PB.

I then took part in the Endurance Life Coastal Trail Series Dorset Trail Marathon in December 2011. This was another kettle of fish altogether! It was a brutal course taking in about 5000 feet of elevation, and to be honest by the time December had come around mentally I had taken my foot off the gas a little as far as training and motivation. See the GPS Data Here:

I came in just under 5 and a half hours and had added alot more experience to my running arsenal believe me!

So whats next in 2012? Well in just under 2 months I will be taking part in the Jurassic Coast Challenge which is a 3 day race taking in the beautiful Dorset Coast once again doing 3 marathons in 3 days. I am currently in serious training for this. I have upped my mileage and am now averaging between 30 and 40 miles per week, and am training on cliff paths, hills and trails as my main terrain. Training is going well, I am introducing back to back sessions currently to get used to the feeling of getting up and running after having run high mileage the previous day. I just need to do the miles to get me to the race so I know I will have prepared and deserve to be there.

I also have a number of other challenges for this year planned: I am crewing a record attempt for the course record for the Oxfam Trailwalker Challenge across the South Downs so have been lucky enough to be training with those guys. Very excited to be involved and see how they prepare for that. Also I will be doing the St Malo Marathon in May, Round The rock Ultra here in Jersey in July, Berlin Marathon in October and Jersey Marathon also in October. At the end of the year I will look at doing some more Endurance Life Coastal Trail Events as I believe these will give me good prep for the ultimate goal in 2013 the MDS! :)

Post Ultra Recovery

Its now just over a week after my first ultra event. Recovery was quick, my legs were back to normal within 2 days, which was alot quicker than my first marathon. I couldnt walk down any stairs for a week after that!
I am now contemplating my next moves as to races for next year (2012). I am planning to run the Jersey marathon in October, and I have entered the Dorset trail marathon in December to keep things ticking along. I plan to do the Jurassic coast challenge (http://www.votwo.co.uk/_webapp_1205242/Jurassic_Coast_Challenge_2012)
in March which is a 3 day event with 26 miles on each day. I figure this will be a good introduction to multi day racing as well as a good challenge. I am thinking about then doing the Cardiff Ultra (50 miles in May) as well as hoping to get a ballot place in the London marathon in April. I was trying to negotiate a place in a race called the Dragon's Back, which is a great 6 days race from North Wales to South Wales through the mountains. Places are limited however and they felt I didnt have the necessary experience to take part. So its back to the drawing board for my mid summer race..
By the middle of next summer i hope to be significantly fitter, and stronger than I am now. I am moving in the right direction and achieving the goals I am setting, which is a great feeling.
I plan to commence marathon training from tomorrow. I have worked out my programme for Octobers marathon here, and I have set myself the goal of a 3 and half hour time. I plan to do hill reps as well as to continue trail running as I feel this complements my road running. It will be good to be running again after a week of inactivity, I feel ready to go and hope for a good few weeks of productive sessions.
I will also be making my transition to a more minimalist training shoe during this phase of my training; I recently purchased a pair of Saucony Kinvara running shoes so am looking forward to adjusting to using them. I have read good things about them promoting more of a mid foot strike and hope it will assist my persistent calf issues. Having done more trail running and using the Inov8 Roclite 295 has definitely helped, so I am looking to these to do the job on the road.
Heres a picture of me during the last Ultra, doing a great job of looking like I was loving it! (I really did!)

Round The Rock Ultra Marathon Event Jersey

Yesterday I completed my first Ultra marathon

. 48 miles around Jersey in the Greenlight: Round the rock Ultra Marathon, over 1000 metres of ascent.
I finished in 9 hours 27 mins which was completely beyond my expectations to be honest. It was a hard day although felt good for the first 2 thirds of the race, which was a pleasant surprise My friend Steve and I went out cautiously as the longest either of us have run in one go is 26 miles, so we started with run 7 mins walk one minute as the first 10 miles are on road. We then switched to walking the uphills and running flats/downhills as soon as we hit the cliffpaths. It seemed an effective srategy and we passed alot of people on the paths which was encouraging. I remember feeling so good that I was waiting for the crash! I tried to keep eating and drinking and this seemed to sustain my energy and definitely between that and Steve and I just chatting for the whole thing to keep us in good spirits were the reasons a) I completed it and b) managed to complete in under 10 hours and gain the Silver Medal standard.
The cutoff time was 12 hours and the standards split into Bronze for completion under 12 hours, Silver for under 10 hours and Gold for under 8 hours. The winner came in at 6 hours 15 and was Daniel Doherty from Ireland. The great thing about the day was there was 115 runners, which was great for this inaugural event here in Jersey and over half the field were from abroad; The UK, Finland even a lady from Korea and a 76 year old lady from Welwyn Garden City which was truly inspirational to see!
A great day, especially to do my first ultra at home, friends coming to run with me at certain parts of the course as well as being at aid stations, and I dont feel too bad this morning to be honest.. I just got out of bed and can actually do an impression of walking which is great! I have however lost 4 toenails but who needs these?
For the run I used Inov8 Roclite 295's which I can heartily recommend, great traction, lightweight shoe. But the real success stroy for me for the day was some Nike Drifit Anti Blister socks I purchased from JD sports one day when I forgot to bring socks with me to go running. They were £12.95 for a pack of 2 and I took them off at the end and I did not have a single blister, which was amazing for me. I usually suffer from blisters on 10km runs so was expecting something resembling a crime scene at the end of yesterday!
I heartily recommend entering next years event if you want to do an ultra with stunning scenery and great camaraderie.

Jersey Trail Race Series

This morning I took part in a 10km trail race along some of Jersey's most picturesque and steep trails. Not only was it an early start (8am race start, early for me on a Sunday anyway!) but I also played a gig last night with the band I play with til 1am, so by the time I got home, calmed down and actually got to sleep, I managed about 3 and a half hours rest til I had to get up and get motivated for the race. When the alarm went off this morning at 6.30 I very nearly rolled over and went back to sleep, but luckily I talked myself into getting up and getting out the door...
It was a lovely sunny morning, and when we converged in Les Platons car park on the North Coast of Jersey there were about 40 to 50 people taking part in the race. The course was cliff paths, with alot of very steep climbs, narrow paths with lots of rocks and steps and debris and then quick down hill sections.
I decided the key to the race was to get a good start so set off at a quick pace and quickly fell in with the front pack, however about a few hundred yards in I regretted this decision as I started to blow! I maintained my composure and trusted that my body would catch up with the demands placed on it and kept plugging away.. The climbs were hard work and it was hot and in places I had to walk as I couldnt see the value of running when I could make up time on the downhill... 10kms later (actually a little less but felt like 10km!) I ran up the final hill and came in at 44 mins and in 11th place overall..
It was a great morning, and the camaraderie afterwards was great, the Jersey running scene is so inclusive and friendly which is one of the things that I really love about it..

Ebay Bargains

So one of my character "traits" is that I cannot resist a bargain. I am an Ebay addict and consequently cannot resist buying things that "I need" on a regular basis from there. The other day I saw a pair of Inov8 Roclite 295's on there, there was 20 mins left on them, they were brand new never worn and I thought I would bid on them. I was lucky enough to get them for £35 including p&p which for a pair of trail running shoes worth £85 is a good deal in my opinion.
I wore them last Friday on my usual Friday night trail run with my colleague Spencer and found them to be really nice to run in. Compared to the Roclite 315's they were lighter, better fitting and seemed even grippier. We set a fair pace, covering 6 miles on undulating paths and tracks ranging from little ups and downs to steep gradient hills. I recommend getting a pair of these trainers as I found in road shoes running downhill on the tracks to be a risky affair with the likelihood of slipping or turning your ankle quite high. Whilst wearing the 295's I had the confidence to run freely down the tracks knowing that my feet would find grip and that they would support me.
I have noticed that trail running as a whole has really affected my running in a positive way, I am stronger, able to accelerate quicker up hills and have built up more stamina. I ran 10km's on the flat last Wednesday and felt considerably faster. I heartily recommend trail running for all the above reasons as well as the fact that it is fun..
Round the Rock training is going well, I have managed to recce alot of the route so far, I am out on Weds night to cover another 8 miles of it. The whole course is split into 13 miles of road section to start, 25 miles of cliffpaths and some more flat to finish off.. It is going to be a challenge, and whilst I am looking forward to pushing my limits once more, I wonder if I have done sufficient training to really give this a good go and to complete it within the 12 hour cutoff? I guess the next few weeks are critical and as long as I can get some good long run/walks in I will be fine..

Round The Rock Jersey Ultra Marathon

I have finally bitten the bullet and entered my first Ultra Marathon event.. I was umming and aahing about it for a few weeks because I didn't genuinely believe I would be ready for it. It is on Aug 6th and is 48 miles around this beautiful island of Jersey. It is demanding terrain, covering mostly cliffpaths. Yesterday I did a training run with some of the guys taking part, and we ran from Greve De Lecq to St Aubins which totalled just under 17 miles.. Was hard going but it was actually enjoyable, the scenery was amazing, dramatic cliff drops, beautiful green/blue sea, challenging trails and the general free feeling of being out in nature. So I kind of got coerced into entering, and so I capitulated and did it last night.

Yesterdays run was a testament that the ultra will not be easy.. I had vague ideas of running a bit walking a bit but no real concept of how hard it actually will be.. We did the 17 miles in 3 hours and I probably could have carried on had I had extra food and electrolyte etc etc, but the legs were definitely starting to hurt by then. I was pleased with the pace though, on certain stretches even towards the end we were averaging 8-8:30 min miles, which for me is great.. I now know that I have alot more training between now and then just to be psychologically ready to do it.. I have planned my long runs to take in the hardest sections of the route so that I can really prepare as well as I can.

Wish me luck over the coming weeks! :)

As an aside to this, I used SIS Rego Electrolyte on the run yesterday for the first time. I have really struggled using gels in the past and am intending to use the runs in the future to find the best way for me to refuel. I found the lime tasting electrolyte/energy drink to taste nice, and definitely gave me the energy I needed. I also discovered the Power Bar Shots, which somebody had with them. I needed a kick at the end and I took 2 of these, I will definitely be including these in my run kit next time. They taste of cola and also contain caffeine.

The website for round the rock is www.roundtherock.co.uk

Inov8 Roclite 315′s

Last night I went out for another cliffpath run, and tested out my new Inov8 Roclite 315 Trail Running Trainers. I did a quick 5.5 miles from Greve De Lecq to Devils hole and back, and it was rainy, windy and pretty bleak.

Initially I set out on tarmac, the shoes felt a little less cushioned than I was used to, and dare I say it a little slippy on the slicker tarmac. However as soon as I hit the trails I noticed a significant improvement in traction and stability compared to my Asics road trainers that I had been using. I was able to take the downhill bits with alot more confidence, and the shoe felt very light so consequently felt like i was flying up the hills. The shoes are not at all waterproof, but I dont envisage this being a problem, although I am due to do a 17 mile run tomorrow in them, and with the way the weather is currently could be the catalyst for lots of blisters. We will see.

I have also under good advice started to use the SIS REGO Recovery shakes, which as the blurb says “The re-energizing fuel with a protein-carbohydrate complex to assist your adaptation to exercise.” I thought that due to running both Thurs and Fri this week and with a 17 miler tomorrow I could do with the legs being in tip top shape. I have woken up today and have felt no aches and pains or tiredeness in the legs at all, which is hopefully down to the shake. I will monitor the use of this shake and report back.

Round The Rock Ultra Marathon Training

So I’ve got about 1 and 3/4 years til the MDS so right now I am in the process of identifying suitable events to compete in over that period of time to prepare for the MDS. On August 6th I hope to take part in the Round The Rock Ultra Marathon here in Jersey (website www.roundtherock.co.uk) I am just getting into the zone with my training, having done the London Marathon in April then resting for 3 weeks after that, and then taking part in the Jersey half marathon in May, my focus is now on intensive cliff path running to prepare for the ultra marathon around the island, taking in various off-road terrain, sweeping cliff paths, golden sands and long flat sections.. This is my first foray into the Ultra world and a considerable step up from marathon distance. I have decided to employ a walk run strategy for this particular race. There is a 12 hour cut-off so haste is required, however I am pretty confident in finishing within that time if all goes ok..

Last Sunday I took part in a 5km Race, which is the first in a series of trail races here in Jersey. The weather was atrocious but still there was a good turn out of 60 or so people.. The course was hard with lots of uphill, but was very enjoyable, and I came in a credible 14th, which I was pleased with. I then did an 8 mile cliff path run, with lots of lactic acid in my legs and in driving rain and wind. It was a hard day but I am pleased that i got through the 8 miler, a definite confidence booster..

Next up is a 17 mile training run on Sunday, again taking in cliff-paths and flat. This will be a true test and if I complete this satisfactorily I will know I am in good shape for August. This is Jersey’s first ultra marathon so will be a great event to be part of.

Race Day Tomorrow

So tomorrow morning I am off to do a 5km race. I have to get up at 6.30 and the race is at 8am. Its the first of a series of cross country races and I thought it would be good to get involved as the distances increase through the series..

After the race I am then off to do a 10 mile run across the beautiful cliffpaths of Jersey in training for the Around the Rock Ultra marathon here in Jersey on August 6th. (website: www.RoundTheRock.co.uk) The 48 mile Ultra will be my first foray into the world of running longer than marathon distance.. And to be honest I havent prepared as well as I could have. I have recently started to run the cliff paths, which is a whole new discipline, and one which I really enjoy.. It is physically demanding, and also mentally engaging as you are constantly looking where to place youre feet on the uneven surfaces.

So I think I have about 2 months or so til the 48 mile event. I am hoping that the training I did for the London marathon will stand me in good stead, and the fact I rested thoroughly after that will contribute to a fitness spike (or so I have heard??).. Tomorrow will be a good test, although gale force winds and rain is the predicted order of the day tomorrow.