short update

Just a quick post to mention that a few videos of the recent World 24 hour Championships can be found here.

There are also a few race reports that I enjoyed reading - Dan Rose, Scott Jurek and GB crew member Fiona Rennie.  Don't forget that my report can be read here.

There are also a couple of newspaper articles in the Bradford Telegraph & Argus and the Wharfedale & Airedale Observer.

Then there's this one from last month which I've just come across in the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Post Brive I began running again on Thursday 20 May with a five miler and since then I've been out on Saturday (6 miles), yesterday (7 miles) and plan to run again tomorrow (8 miles) and Friday (9 miles) and after that - well it depends on my left hamstring.  It seems to ache a bit at the moment, only when running though and it does improve slightly as the run progresses.

I expect to have a proper training schedule in place before the weekend though.  I feel I need to do well in Perth to put the recent bad run behind well and truly behind me.  It's a bit strange still though in some ways because only two years ago I would have been well pleased with 222 km.

full race report uploaded

Sorry it's taken a while but my race report from the World 24 hr Championships has now been written, edited and uploaded with photos.

It can be read here.

Over the course of the next few days one or two other pages/items on this site will need changing slightly.  So please, do come back.

My first run after that 24 hr race was the second Harrogate League race at Temple Newsam, Leeds.  It was a pleasant parkland circuit of five miles which I was please to complete in about 42 minutes without trying too hard at all.  Thanks to all those who commented on my recent race.  I truly am amazed at how many people read this blog and are interested in what I have to say about ultra running.

In the meantime my next race will be the third Harrogate League race on Thursday 3 June.  I know I'll see some of you there.

initial thoughts and questions

At least eleven national records from the 229 competitors shows what a high quality field it was.  Generally, 100 miles is seen as a good performance and at Tooting Bec the organisers try to have 25% above that distance, in Brive it was over 75%.

Eight runners over 250k, 43 over 225k, 100 over 200k.

Twenty one runners over 150 miles, 98 over 125 miles, 173 over 100 miles.

A true World Championship.

For my part there are a few questions:

- the temperature was consistently about 9 degrees Celsius (16 degrees F) below average. Did my heat training therefore have an adverse affect on my performance ?

- my plan was to start at about 7:45 per mile and gradually slow down to about 9:45 per mile at the end. Would I have done better if those figures had been 8:00 and 9:30 ?

- did I take my caffeine tablets at the most appropriate times, would they be better used when I feel a bad patch coming on ?

- cramp, why ?

Other thoughts/memories:

- the American woman, Amy Palmiero-Winters ran with a prosthetic leg but every few hours had to have the dressing on her stump changed.  She ran very close to 200km.  My hero for the race.

- Jim Rogers had been drinking beetroot juice for a week before the race. He ran a very good pb.

- my hydration plan worked exceptionally well.

- six portaloos for over 200 runners wasn't enough.

- the meals provided by the organisers before and after the race were excellent.

- the crowd support was absolutely amazing.  Hundreds of people lining the course, especially near the feed stations, made for a very special atmosphere.

I feel much more myself today, not running yet though - I'll save that for Thursday.  Hopefully the full race report will make an appearance in the next few days.

happy ... and a bit disappointed

Just a short update - I've basically spent today catching up with news and family stuff.  I'll post more stuff tomorrow.

The World Championships in Brive was a fantastic event.  Thirty two countries and well over 200 runners.

I passed 100k with a pb but at 99.8 miles it began to slowly fall apart.  Passed 100 miles in 15h 22 (a pb by 18 mins) but cramp, nausea, etc made things very difficult for the last 7 - 8 hours.

Still managed over 222k and a team bronze medal in the concurrent European Championships.

leaving soon ...

Well, this will be the last post on my blog before the World Championships.

The last couple of weeks have gone extremely well.  Tapering hard with no long runs but plenty of speedwork and a much reduced overall weekly mileage. Eating more food than usual too ... and losing a bit of weight [not that he had much to lose - Fay].

On a slightly different, rather sad note, it has just been announced that the race director for Brive has recently died.  See the IAU website for more details.

Also on the IAU website is the news that they will be offering live updates throughout the race, along with interviews and other items of interest.

The race website is likely to have live coverage throughout the event for those that are interested.  The race starts at 10.00am local time on Thursday (9.00am UK time).

I've also just found out that England Athletics have posted qualification details for the Perth Ultra 24 Hour Six Nations Home International Team Race which should be read in conjunction with the word document, a link to which can be found on the right of the England Athletics page - beneath the logo.  At the moment I know I have the qualification so I'm not thinking about that one.  Just the one in a few days time - if the Icelandic volcano is kind to us.

a couple of things ...

Getting a bit worried again by the volcano in Iceland whose name I cannot pronounce !!!  I can spell it though - Eyjafjallajokull.  Airports in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland were closed yesterday and this morning because of a fresh cloud of volcanic ash from that volcano.  I hope that isn't extended south to Heathrow over the next few days.

Also in the news is this item about an Indian man who claims to have spent the last 70 years without food and water.  But why would he want to do that when almost everything I eat is nutritious, provides me with the energy I need ... and tastes good.