Thames Path 100

As it turned out it wasn’t a 100 mile run from Richmond to Oxford due to the Thames bursting its banks in some areas.  So in the end it was a run from Richmond to Cookham, back a bit, back again and then turn around for the finish in what was around 102 miles (bonus miles, that we wouldn’t even have to pay for, as they referred to them in the briefing).

The main aim was to complete the run, but truly I wanted to do it in under 24 hours.  There were many concerns going into the race.  The weather looked awful, and waking up seeing heavy snow and sleet – my heart sank.  However, as the start approached though the snow began to ease off.

The first 22 miles felt good.  It was a bit wet underfoot in places, but I was 45 minutes up on the plan and feeling fairly comfortable.  The next section was just 6 miles, and then a quarter of it was done – how hard could it be?

It was horrible.  Wet and skiddy, with the added benefit of a narrow section of not only jarring your legs as you skidded on the track, but also had a handy barbed wire fence next to it to catch your fall when you did go.  My exuberance started to wane a little.

The course was re-routed as the track got worse the further up you went, and we still had another 10 mile section out after we got through this horror show.  Also, as it was an out and back course, we would have to run this section again twice – and almost certainly in darkness.

Arriving at Windsor the water underfoot took a turn to the ridiculous.  However, the next section was practically some of the easiest track of the course, and the world seemed to get a little better again.

My trusty support was on hand on the return to Windsor as darkness descended (she had planned on surprising me in Oxford at the finish, only to find that the course had changed).  I think willingness to stand in a muddy field at night to see you for a few minutes is surely one of the highest forms of love.  This was the only check point I took my time at.  The lift in morale was incredible and I felt ready to attack the horror section again.

I changed into my trail shoes to get a better grip, and headed off.  It soon became apparent that the batteries in my head torch were dying.  With a quick check I also found my back up torch had completely given up.  My quick check of both before hand now seemed incredibly stupid.  I stuck as close to other runners for as much as I could to try and get some light, but it really felt that a couple of AAA batteries could be the reason I would be unable to finish.

Neither of the next 2 check points had any available.  Just when I was giving up hope and thinking if I could go on, a fellow runner got me some spares from his support crew.  With that little hiccup sorted, I felt on top of the world again.

At 80 miles I was feeling pretty incredible.  Knowing that I could crawl the rest and still finish, and that barring any disasters I should make it in under 24 hours.  I couldn’t believe how fresh I was feeling and thought I could skip the rest of it.

As is usual in any ultra event though, this didn't last.  Like being slapped in the face with a wet fish, the reality check was sudden and unpleasant.  My energy levels were dropping, my legs were starting to seize up, and the last 15 miles were arduous.  But now it was just a case of gritting my teeth and trudging forward until the finish.  These miles felt long and slow, but at least the sun was coming back up now.

My final finishing time was 22:39:30, in 29^th place.  I was delighted.

It was an incredible race, and although it would stretch the truth to say I loved every minute, it was a great to be back out there again.

The Final Countdown (dada da da...)

Picture by Teo

So, it is now less than 24 hours until the start the start of my first race back for over a year.  At 10 o’clock Saturday morning I will be on the start line of the Thames Path 100 in Richmond - 100 miles of running to be completed in less than 30 hours.  It is fair to say that I am a bit nervous. 

There is no time to change anything, and I am only left with the nagging doubts of – have I done enough?  Could I have trained more?  Could I have trained better?  With a busy time getting people ready for the London Marathon, there hasn’t been as much time to dedicate to my own training – especially the long runs.

I haven’t got a support crew following me the whole way this time either.  This will mean I will have to carry a bit more kit (especially given the weather forecasts) and also rely on what aid stations can provide a lot more.  The extra weight may only be an extra kilo or so, but after 24 hours in your rucksack it will feel like carrying an extra boulder.

With a run of this distance there is always the concern of injury.  Sadly the friend I signed up with and have run with before has had to pull out with an Achilles injury.  This was a bit of a blow – his incessant cheeriness and unshakable optimism really help the time and miles go by.  It may be because of this that I am now icing my ankles and feeling hyper aware of all the slight tensions and aches throughout my body.

The weather doesn’t seem to be on my side either.  Due to torrential rain there has been a dramatic course change which makes it a series of out and back loops rather than a point to point race.  This will also add an extra 2 or 3 miles on, which is not ideal on top of the first 100.  The weather also appears to be deteriorating by the minute and it looks like the night leg will probably be running through snow.

It seems an endless series of “what if’s ...” and mounting issues running through my head at the moment.  If I stopped for too long to think about it I am sure I would convince myself that it is doomed to failure and I could just have a nice sleep in, in a warm cosy bed.

But these nerves are just a natural part of the build up to any race.  Whether I succeed beyond my wildest hopes or fail to complete it, next week I will begin afresh looking to be better than I am today.  Ultimately I will go out and try and enjoy the whole thing and run it as best I can.

So the nerves mount, but I take comfort from the fact that I won’t be alone.  As the great Alberto Salazar once said:

“I had as many doubts as anyone else. Standing on the start line we’re all cowards”

So I will head off to join the throng of cowards in Richmond on Saturday morning, and can’t wait to be back amongst them again.

Lazy Days

Picture by Kátia :)

For me, the time has come to put my feet up, kick back and eat.  Welcome to the wonderful world of tapering!

It is now less than a week before my race, so training that was in full flow a week or two ago has reduced to just a trickle.  It can feel a little frustrating, and sometimes slightly counter intuitive, however in terms of performance, this time is invaluable.

This is the time pre-event when your main focus is on recovery.  Your muscles repair, carb stores in your muscles get fully loaded, and any niggle is given time to fully heal.  The aim is to be at your best come race day.

There will be the little voice inside your head telling you to get out and do one more run.  That one more training session will make all the difference, or that all of your hard work will wither away if you stop moving.  Don’t listen to the voices!  Start to look on this lazing around as part of your training – which it is!

The good work that you have put in over the past months won’t disappear over a week or two.  The extra blood capillaries won’t suddenly close up, your muscles won’t waste away over night and you aren’t going to balloon in weight if you eat sensibly.

Every time you train you are damaging muscles, causing micro-tears in the muscles fibres.  Your body responds by making the muscle bigger to withstand higher demands in future.  During your training you use rest day to make sure the damage doesn’t get too much and become an injury, but that’s all.  During a taper the focus is on recovering as completely as possible.

This is the time that all of your training comes together.  Recovery will help you far more than one extra session could possibly do.

Personally, I take 2 weeks to taper.  The first week is a gradual decrease, keeping up some of the short sessions, but not training too long or too intensely.  The second week is some active recovery (gentle jogging), but the 3 days before a race will be complete rest with as little activity as possible.

During this time I will live in compression tights, eating lots of wholesome food.  Stay away from junk food, take aways and sugary snacks.  I base my diet at this time around fruit and veg, pasta and potatoes and unprocessed meat, fish and pulses. 

Massages, long soaks in a hot bath, all variety of decadence can be enjoyed at this time.  Don’t worry though – you will be back out training again before you know it.

Marathon Eating Sessions

Picture by Citymama

I love eating.  It is one of the greatest perks of running that you can stuff your face at times without worrying about gaining a few pounds.  In fact, if you want to get out training regularly it is essential that you eat enough to avoid the effects of over training.

One of the often asked questions though is what to eat when training and racing.

If you are training for shorter durations (up to 60 or 90 min or so) and particularly if you are aiming to lose weight, water should be all you need when training. 

Your body holds supplies of energy as carbohydrates (glycogen) in the muscles and liver, and that pesky fat.  You will readily use the stored carbs and will also start to burn fat, although this is less readily used.

However when you increase the duration you are training you will eventually run out of immediately available energy – more commonly known as “hitting the wall” to marathon runners.  Runners typically burn between 700 – 1200 calories per hour, so can use well in excess of the usual recommended daily calorie requirement during the course of a marathon.  Imagine not eating for a day and then trying to jump up and run for a few miles!

So, you need to get calories on board when running - but what and when?  One of the common strategies used is that a runner waits until they start to feel tired and will then start eating, as if their magic sports drink or bar will put sugars directly into their muscles, by-passing the whole digestion thing.

Start eating early.  There is a limit to how much carbohydrate you can digest per hour, and so little and often throughout the entire race will give you the best energy supply.  Personally I like to snack just before the start and will be eating again within the first half an hour of a race.

A good breakfast of slow-release carbs (ie, porridge) an hour or two before the race will also help to keep energy available for your muscles for longer periods into the race.

So what to eat?  Simply, whatever you can.  Usually a mix of simple (sugary carbs) and slightly more complex, slow release (maltodetrine is the usual choice in off-the-shelf sports drinks) carbs is a good to maintain energy levels.  However, too many sugary snacks can get quite sickly and can cause you to dehydrate which is also going to slow you down.  Also, carbs aren’t the only source of energy - fat or protein can both be used for energy by your body.  Find out what works for you.

Personally I usually have an isotonic (sugar solution approximately equal to the sugar concentration in your body) or weaker solution drink, and various snacks – chocolate, cake, flapjacks, and Nutella sandwiches are all pretty staple if I am going for 3-5 hours.  I also find that orange juice is a great choice for slower release carbs.  I also always avoid things that are very dry or require excess chewing, which I am sure is as unpleasant for other people to witness as it is for me to try to eat.

So, make experimenting with food and drink part of your training.  Try to get around 50g of carbohydrate (about a standard sized chocolate bar) for each hour you are out and, most importantly, never try something for the first time during a race!

What are your favourite race snacks?

Hello & welcome

Picture by Eryn Vorn

Hello, and welcome to my new health and fitness blog! I'll be offering training tips, giving my take on news coverage and logging a diary of my running story so far.

After years of running slowly taking over my life, I decided to trade the office job for a life outdoors as a full time personal fitness instructor.  I am now on a mission to gain entry into one of the toughest mountain races in Europe. But life hasn't always been this way. There was a time when I could barely mount an escalator. So whatever level you are at, hopefully I can help.

I'm returning to racing after a year out following a skiing accident that left me with a plate on my tibia and my insurance company with a rather large bill (I cannot emphasise enough how important insurance and an E111 are if you are going skiing! But that is for another day).  So following a nine-month break from running I am back and loving it more than ever.  I managed to hobble round a first run in October and am in the final stages of preparation for the Thames Path 100 in a few weeks time (100 miles from Richmond to Oxford).  The first of three ultras this year if all goes to plan, on the way to get enough entry points for Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc 2014 - a 166km trek across the Alps and my toughest challenge to date.

I haven’t always been an avid runner, and spent a number of years leading a very unhealthy life avoiding any form of physical exertion.  I turned my back on all things sporty at around the age of 16 in favour of a life of smoking, drinking and eating junk in front of the TV.

It was an unpleasant surprise when eight years later I found I couldn’t walk up an escalator, was told I had high blood pressure and that my resting heart rate was sky-high.  My GP wanted to put me on beta blockers to deal with the problem.  I always assumed these were things that happened when you were old – not to someone in their mid-twenties. 

Something needed to change, so I decided to start doing something about it.  I found some old trainers, dug out some shorts and a T-shirt and went for a run around the block.  Sticking with it was tough to start, and there have been some stumbles along the way, but my love of running has only grown over the years.  I have also benefited from the help and advice of others.

So, I thought I would start to share what I know and have learnt along the way.  Thank you for joining me, feel free to say hello and let me know if there are any burning issues you would like me to look at.