This afternoon I completed my last training session with the weights. Just three more runs now before the race ... fartlek on Monday and Tuesday with a final steady run on Wednesday.
Started drinking the beetroot juice yesterday. Half a litre per day every day until the race. I'm sure I've mentioned it before but it was Jim Rogers in May 2010 who introduced me to the delights of the red stuff. I used it with good results in early September of that year.
Heat training continues tomorrow for the last time and I've been asked, by Martin Fryer, to wear the Australian jacket he kindly gave me after winning the inaugural Commonwealth Championships in 2009. Of course I'll wear it ... and hope a bit of the magic will rub off.
ps ... I'll also be wearing 2 T shirts, a long sleeved top and 2 sweatshirts.
Showing posts with label beetroot juice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beetroot juice. Show all posts
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Friday, 17 June 2011
Aaarrrgh ... Keir has a bad cold. I hope he stays away from me, I definitely don't want a cold so close to a 100 mile race. Luckily for me he's a teenager which means he spends most of his time either in his bedroom or outside.
Heat training has been going well generally but causing lots of extra laundry. Running with lots of extra clothes is quite a bit harder sometimes and about a week ago I found a 6 mile tempo run to be extremely difficult when wearing 2 T shirts, a long sleeved top, a sweatshirt and also tracksters and tract suit bottoms.
Tomorrow, with only a week to go, I start on the beetroot juice. You may remember that I drank 500ml per day in the week before the Perth 24 hr race last September - with excellent results. It does taste better than expected and 500ml isn't too much really ...
All the best to those who are running the West Highland Way Race - I hope the weather holds out for you all, or at least that it doesn't rain solidly for the entire race.
And watch out for Richard Hamer - Otley AC member - who set off yesterday to walk the route. I hope he doesn't get in the way too much !!!
This morning I noticed the route changes for next week's race. Especially the major one involving the first 8 miles or so. Looking at the map (and being a former Race Director) I can understand the reasoning behind it but personally I would have preferred the original route as footpaths on the course of old railways tend not to be too inspiring - those I have used anyway.
So long as the overall distance is the same. That's the main thing I suppose, along with runner's safety.
Heat training has been going well generally but causing lots of extra laundry. Running with lots of extra clothes is quite a bit harder sometimes and about a week ago I found a 6 mile tempo run to be extremely difficult when wearing 2 T shirts, a long sleeved top, a sweatshirt and also tracksters and tract suit bottoms.
Tomorrow, with only a week to go, I start on the beetroot juice. You may remember that I drank 500ml per day in the week before the Perth 24 hr race last September - with excellent results. It does taste better than expected and 500ml isn't too much really ...
All the best to those who are running the West Highland Way Race - I hope the weather holds out for you all, or at least that it doesn't rain solidly for the entire race.
And watch out for Richard Hamer - Otley AC member - who set off yesterday to walk the route. I hope he doesn't get in the way too much !!!
This morning I noticed the route changes for next week's race. Especially the major one involving the first 8 miles or so. Looking at the map (and being a former Race Director) I can understand the reasoning behind it but personally I would have preferred the original route as footpaths on the course of old railways tend not to be too inspiring - those I have used anyway.
So long as the overall distance is the same. That's the main thing I suppose, along with runner's safety.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
strange days indeed ...
I'd like to begin this post by thanking everyone for their kind words about my report of the Perth Ultra Fest. Some people left comments and others sent me an email and I was happy to read your remarks however they got to me.
If you haven't yet read the race report detailing my first win in an England Vest ... you can see it here.
Training has been going well ... took a week off after Perth but last week I ran 30 miles. I know it's not much but as soon as I choose my next race I can begin training properly. Next week will be 40 miles and include some weight training.
The World Championships in Brugg, Switzerland (June 2011) is a distinct possibility - if I'm selected. After that there's the strong possibility of a Commonwealth Championships at the end of September. I'd also like to do a third long race, probably before Brugg. Which one though ... any ideas ?
On Tuesday, last week, I was contacted by a reporter from Associated Press who was doing a story about beetroot juice ... yes you did read that correctly ... beetroot juice (stop laughing !!!). On Wednesday she phoned me and we had a 10 - 15 minute chat about how the purple stuff had helped my performance in Perth. About an hour or so later a different reporter phoned and we had a similar conversation before he mentioned that he's doing a piece for TV and was wondering if he could send a crew to film me.
Than, a couple of hours later still, a photographer phoned from Associated Press Images to arrange a time when he could come and take some photos of me and the dreaded liquor.
On Friday morning the photographer chap came over from Liverpool and spent about 45 to 50 minutes taking hundreds of photos. Indoors, outdoors, drinking the stuff, not drinking the stuff, sitting this way, standing that way ...
Before he left he told me that a small selection of the photos would appear on the Associated Press Images website. I haven't found them yet but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. If you want to try and find them I'm wearing the GB kit I was given for the World Championships earlier this year.
The latest news about this beetroot juice saga is that the TV people are taking longer than anticipated to get everything they need so the original reporter has decided to hold back for a week or two so that it can all be released together. Further details when I get it.
The day after the Perth Ultra Fest, before I caught the train back to Yorkshire, I went to The Bean Shop. I came across this little piece of heaven on the afternoon before the race and I was determined to buy something whilst in the town. The staff were amazingly friendly and knowledgeable ... and tolerant of my with a very large bag and bruised feet, sore legs, etc. I came away with 250g of a Cuban coffee named Turquino.
That really is a grade rather than a district or area of the country. Many experts reckon though that the best Cuban coffees are graded Turquino or Extra Turquino - so I knew I was in for a treat. Especially when the assistant explained that it had been roasted on the premises. The coffee, of which I had the last cup only a few days ago, was full bodied with a slight smoky flavour and mild acidity.
Although I'd never tasted Cuban coffee, I found the spiciness and long aftertaste very enjoyable and put me in mind of Cuban bars and cafes with the mixed aroma of coffee and cigars.
I'd definitely like some more of their wonderful coffee. Especially as there isn't anywhere similar within 30 miles of where I live. Or do you know different ?
If you haven't yet read the race report detailing my first win in an England Vest ... you can see it here.
Training has been going well ... took a week off after Perth but last week I ran 30 miles. I know it's not much but as soon as I choose my next race I can begin training properly. Next week will be 40 miles and include some weight training.
The World Championships in Brugg, Switzerland (June 2011) is a distinct possibility - if I'm selected. After that there's the strong possibility of a Commonwealth Championships at the end of September. I'd also like to do a third long race, probably before Brugg. Which one though ... any ideas ?
On Tuesday, last week, I was contacted by a reporter from Associated Press who was doing a story about beetroot juice ... yes you did read that correctly ... beetroot juice (stop laughing !!!). On Wednesday she phoned me and we had a 10 - 15 minute chat about how the purple stuff had helped my performance in Perth. About an hour or so later a different reporter phoned and we had a similar conversation before he mentioned that he's doing a piece for TV and was wondering if he could send a crew to film me.
Than, a couple of hours later still, a photographer phoned from Associated Press Images to arrange a time when he could come and take some photos of me and the dreaded liquor.
On Friday morning the photographer chap came over from Liverpool and spent about 45 to 50 minutes taking hundreds of photos. Indoors, outdoors, drinking the stuff, not drinking the stuff, sitting this way, standing that way ...
Before he left he told me that a small selection of the photos would appear on the Associated Press Images website. I haven't found them yet but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. If you want to try and find them I'm wearing the GB kit I was given for the World Championships earlier this year.
(photo by Jim Rogers)
The latest news about this beetroot juice saga is that the TV people are taking longer than anticipated to get everything they need so the original reporter has decided to hold back for a week or two so that it can all be released together. Further details when I get it.
The day after the Perth Ultra Fest, before I caught the train back to Yorkshire, I went to The Bean Shop. I came across this little piece of heaven on the afternoon before the race and I was determined to buy something whilst in the town. The staff were amazingly friendly and knowledgeable ... and tolerant of my with a very large bag and bruised feet, sore legs, etc. I came away with 250g of a Cuban coffee named Turquino.
That really is a grade rather than a district or area of the country. Many experts reckon though that the best Cuban coffees are graded Turquino or Extra Turquino - so I knew I was in for a treat. Especially when the assistant explained that it had been roasted on the premises. The coffee, of which I had the last cup only a few days ago, was full bodied with a slight smoky flavour and mild acidity.
Although I'd never tasted Cuban coffee, I found the spiciness and long aftertaste very enjoyable and put me in mind of Cuban bars and cafes with the mixed aroma of coffee and cigars.
I'd definitely like some more of their wonderful coffee. Especially as there isn't anywhere similar within 30 miles of where I live. Or do you know different ?
Monday, 30 August 2010
a little extra help
When the UK team met at Heathrow Airport on the way to the World Championships earlier this year Jim Rogers mentioned that he had read about a study promoting the benefits of beetroot juice for improving stamina in endurance running. I remember a few of us not taking him particularly seriously as he began drinking from a large bottle of the red stuff.
However, a couple of days later he ran a very good personal best and I began to take notice and find out for myself about this mysterious elixir.
The best report of the benefits of beetroot juice is on the NHS website and I'm now into my third day of my own trial. Obviously I won't know whether it worked until next week but it'll be in my report.
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
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.
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