I've recently seen that there is likely to be a third Commonwealth Mountain & Ultra Distance Championships. The organisers have invited countries to submit bids with a view to staging the races in 2015. The long term aim is still to have mountain races and ultra distance races at the 2018 Commonwealth Games (Gold Coast, Australia).
I represented England at both of the first two Commonwealth Championships (Keswick 2009 and Llandudno 2011) and they were extremely enjoyable events at which the camaraderie amongst the athletes of different countries and disciplines was second to none.
I will definitely be aiming for a place in the England team for 2015 and 2018 ...
... but reading the tender document put together by the Commonwealth Association of Mountain and Ultra Distance Running to help with prospective bids I see there is no mention at all of 24 hour races except on the final page. And that solitary mention is a bit ambiguous in that it could mean that the 24 hour race has been omitted from the document by mistake. Maybe. Hope so.
As you probably know I'm now running on two consecutive days (well, running and walking) and it seems to be going well. No problems at all although I sense that the walking bit is still necessary at the moment. Getting there though.
Keir finally arrived home on Sunday. He was due to arrive on Friday evening but his flight was cancelled until lunch time on Sunday. That flight took off OK and made it all the way to Yorkshire before circling over Leeds Bradford Airport for 30 mins or so. We did wonder about that but we were then even more shocked to learn that it was flying back to Manchester as there was too much snow to make a safe landing in Yorkshire. He finally arrived home at about 4.00pm on Sunday. Normally the journey from Ulster University to Otley would take him about 6 or 7 hours ... this one took an amazing 51 hours.
Hope the weather is better when he flies back at the end of next week.
Before I go, well done to Debbie M-C on her win at the Thames Path 100 mile race at the weekend. Apparently the weather was atrocious and the race was diverted from it's normal route. Personally, I wouldn't race 100 miles (161 km) only seven weeks before a 24 hour race but recovery rates vary enormously between runners and I'm sure she'll have a brilliant race in Steenbergen - and come away with another pb and Scottish record.
And finally ... all the best to those taking part in the Anglo Celtic Plate 100k in Perth [Scotland, not Australia] in a few days time. Hope the temperatures increase slightly.
Showing posts with label Commonwealth Championships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Commonwealth Championships. Show all posts
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Monday, 8 October 2012
more thoughts on planning for next year
Let me begin by thanking everyone who took the time to comment on my previous post - either on this blog or on Facebook or by email. Anything which may be helpful is much appreciated ... especially if it can be backed up by experiences and/or evidence.
OK ... unfortunately I won't be taking in the club handicap race this month Richard. If I'm allowed to run by that time it will only be alternating running with walking for a total of no more than 40 minutes. You know what that's like from your own experience ...
Until the last few days it had never occurred to me that over the past 40 years (yes, I did begin my running career in 1972) I must have built up a massive amount of endurance/stamina. So, when it comes to running long distances, my body knows how to do that now. What I need to work more on are strength and maintaining my cruising speed. In terms of running, the most recent training schedule - ending with September's race in Poland - was much better than the previous one which ended with the 2011 Commonwealth Championships. I felt that after many years of tweaking things and trying new ideas I had finally found what works for me.
That is: weekly back to back long runs up to 27 miles (43 km) in length three weeks out of four. An extra long run (up to 41 miles/65 km) on the fourth week. Hill reps, tempo runs, short races and short intervals ... the exact ratio of these depends upon how many weeks there are to my target race. My weekly volume peaked at 100 miles per week (161 km).
Because I found this to work well the changes will be quite small:
- back to back long runs up to 25 miles (40 km)
- extra long run no longer than 38 miles (60 km)
- volume to peak at 90 miles per week (145 km)
- this will mean that recovery will be slightly better for the tempo, speed and hill work which will be very similar to what I have done recently.
I know that the weekly volume is slightly more than some other runners recommend (sorry Flyer) but I have to take account of my medical history - as a small child I was diagnosed with a recurrent papilloma on my larynx. Dozens of operations later I was left with a narrower than usual windpipe. Much later I had two bouts of cancer ending with the removal of half of my right lung. One result of these illnesses is that my average resting heart-rate is probably higher than other elite runners (in Aug 2012 the average, on waking, was 44.9). Another result - although I haven't been tested - will probably be a low VO2 max.
Strength work ... most of the stuff I've dropped were exercises that worked a single muscle group, and I've replaced them with compound exercises which work more than one muscle group. As previously there will be three groups: legs, core, arms and shoulders. Core exercises will be little and often and I guess the others (mainly using dumbbells) will be three or four times a week on average for about 25 - 30 minutes at a time.
First of all though I need to fully recover from this ankle injury. If it's no better by the end of next week I'll be having more tests to try and find out what's been missed.
OK ... unfortunately I won't be taking in the club handicap race this month Richard. If I'm allowed to run by that time it will only be alternating running with walking for a total of no more than 40 minutes. You know what that's like from your own experience ...
Until the last few days it had never occurred to me that over the past 40 years (yes, I did begin my running career in 1972) I must have built up a massive amount of endurance/stamina. So, when it comes to running long distances, my body knows how to do that now. What I need to work more on are strength and maintaining my cruising speed. In terms of running, the most recent training schedule - ending with September's race in Poland - was much better than the previous one which ended with the 2011 Commonwealth Championships. I felt that after many years of tweaking things and trying new ideas I had finally found what works for me.
That is: weekly back to back long runs up to 27 miles (43 km) in length three weeks out of four. An extra long run (up to 41 miles/65 km) on the fourth week. Hill reps, tempo runs, short races and short intervals ... the exact ratio of these depends upon how many weeks there are to my target race. My weekly volume peaked at 100 miles per week (161 km).
Because I found this to work well the changes will be quite small:
- back to back long runs up to 25 miles (40 km)
- extra long run no longer than 38 miles (60 km)
- volume to peak at 90 miles per week (145 km)
- this will mean that recovery will be slightly better for the tempo, speed and hill work which will be very similar to what I have done recently.
I know that the weekly volume is slightly more than some other runners recommend (sorry Flyer) but I have to take account of my medical history - as a small child I was diagnosed with a recurrent papilloma on my larynx. Dozens of operations later I was left with a narrower than usual windpipe. Much later I had two bouts of cancer ending with the removal of half of my right lung. One result of these illnesses is that my average resting heart-rate is probably higher than other elite runners (in Aug 2012 the average, on waking, was 44.9). Another result - although I haven't been tested - will probably be a low VO2 max.
Strength work ... most of the stuff I've dropped were exercises that worked a single muscle group, and I've replaced them with compound exercises which work more than one muscle group. As previously there will be three groups: legs, core, arms and shoulders. Core exercises will be little and often and I guess the others (mainly using dumbbells) will be three or four times a week on average for about 25 - 30 minutes at a time.
First of all though I need to fully recover from this ankle injury. If it's no better by the end of next week I'll be having more tests to try and find out what's been missed.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Otley 10
Spent much of yesterday helping out at the annual 10 mile road race organised by my club (Otley AC). OK, OK the club doesn't belong to me but you know what I mean.
This year was the 28th staging of the popular evening race which, strangely enough, seemed to enjoy much better weather when it was held in mid May. The course itself winds it's way through beautiful countryside to the north of Otley and is well known across northern England for the two rather large hills - see the course profile here. I don't believe this course was particularly designed to be difficult, it's just that it wasn't easy for the club at that time to find a suitable route locally for a road race without incorporating some hills. I now think it's quite rare for such a long standing race to have a course record which is over 50 minutes.
The course records are: 50:56 (Colin Moore - 1989) and 57:40 (Veronique Marot - 1989)
This year's winner was Matt John (Otley AC) who finished in just over 56 minutes.
Colin Best deserves much credit for organising the race this year (and last year too). Hopefully he can continue for many years to come and also hopefully I can be of more help than I was this year as the race has always been a bit special for me. I was race director from 2000 to 2008/9 but had to resign when the pressures of Running to London and trying to secure selection for the 2009 Commonwealth Championships began to take their toll.
I'm sure Colin would want to join me in saying 'thank you' to all the marshals and other helpers who make this race possible. I think that many people not involved in organising a race fail to appreciate the manpower needed to stage an event like this.
This year was the 28th staging of the popular evening race which, strangely enough, seemed to enjoy much better weather when it was held in mid May. The course itself winds it's way through beautiful countryside to the north of Otley and is well known across northern England for the two rather large hills - see the course profile here. I don't believe this course was particularly designed to be difficult, it's just that it wasn't easy for the club at that time to find a suitable route locally for a road race without incorporating some hills. I now think it's quite rare for such a long standing race to have a course record which is over 50 minutes.
The course records are: 50:56 (Colin Moore - 1989) and 57:40 (Veronique Marot - 1989)
This year's winner was Matt John (Otley AC) who finished in just over 56 minutes.
Colin Best deserves much credit for organising the race this year (and last year too). Hopefully he can continue for many years to come and also hopefully I can be of more help than I was this year as the race has always been a bit special for me. I was race director from 2000 to 2008/9 but had to resign when the pressures of Running to London and trying to secure selection for the 2009 Commonwealth Championships began to take their toll.
I'm sure Colin would want to join me in saying 'thank you' to all the marshals and other helpers who make this race possible. I think that many people not involved in organising a race fail to appreciate the manpower needed to stage an event like this.
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
injury updates ... stats ... other stuff
Quite a bit to get through today so ... here goes ...
My rehab from the calcaneous stress fracture and achilles tendon injury seems to be progressing very well at the moment. Until Sunday evening I was a little unsure as to whether the ankle was actually getting any better. But then, from Monday morning, things seemed to click into place and I'm now confident that my rehab is going to plan.
It appears that the many hours spent massaging, icing, stretching, etc are finally paying dividends and that got me round to thinking about 2011 ... and then 2012.
Last year began with a knee injury which limited training during the whole of January but after that things went exceptionally well apart from the two important races. In the first of those it was a momentary lapse of concentration that cost me the winner's trophy (and the course record by almost an hour). That's something that needs to be corrected in the next year or two. You can read that story on this page.
The second (and most important) race was a different story entirely. I was in very good shape for that one but, stupidly, I stuck to my pre race plans and almost everyone else was adjusting theirs to take account of the very windy weather in Llandudno. Having said that, if a very bad run produces 220km (136.7 miles) what would a very good have produced ? There's something for me to think about.
So ... two big races completed and two important lessons learned.
Now, for everyone who's interested in the numbers, here are a few from 2011:
running
over 2444 miles (3933 km) in the year ... 46.9 miles per week (75.4 km per week) ... very nearly an hour per day
cycling
almost 18 minutes per day on average
stretching
almost 14 minutes per day on average
strength training
over 25 minutes per day on average
rehab stuff
over 18 minutes per day on average (not including ice)
In total my training and rehab took over 830 hours last year ... that's over 2 hours 16 per day which doesn't include changing clothes, showering, etc.
My end of year 24 hr ranking is correspondingly a bit disappointing and the stats read:
World ... 72 (down from 37)
Europe ... 49 (down from 26)
UK ... 5 (down from 4)
England ... 4 ? (last year 3)
Full details and year by year comparisons can be found over on this page.
OK ... on to other stuff now.
I was saddened to learn yesterday of the recent death of the great coach Frank Horwill. I'm sure I've talked about him in previous posts but his wisdom and writings have been a large source of information about all thing training related. I highly recommend that all runners read the articles on his club's website - here.
Local athlete Racheal Bamford (who lives about 200m from me) recently represented the North of England in the Nos Galan 5k in Wales recently. She finished first woman on the uphill course with a time of 16:44. Fantastic ... well done to her ... and she's going to get quicker.
My rehab from the calcaneous stress fracture and achilles tendon injury seems to be progressing very well at the moment. Until Sunday evening I was a little unsure as to whether the ankle was actually getting any better. But then, from Monday morning, things seemed to click into place and I'm now confident that my rehab is going to plan.
It appears that the many hours spent massaging, icing, stretching, etc are finally paying dividends and that got me round to thinking about 2011 ... and then 2012.
Last year began with a knee injury which limited training during the whole of January but after that things went exceptionally well apart from the two important races. In the first of those it was a momentary lapse of concentration that cost me the winner's trophy (and the course record by almost an hour). That's something that needs to be corrected in the next year or two. You can read that story on this page.
The second (and most important) race was a different story entirely. I was in very good shape for that one but, stupidly, I stuck to my pre race plans and almost everyone else was adjusting theirs to take account of the very windy weather in Llandudno. Having said that, if a very bad run produces 220km (136.7 miles) what would a very good have produced ? There's something for me to think about.
So ... two big races completed and two important lessons learned.
Now, for everyone who's interested in the numbers, here are a few from 2011:
running
over 2444 miles (3933 km) in the year ... 46.9 miles per week (75.4 km per week) ... very nearly an hour per day
cycling
almost 18 minutes per day on average
stretching
almost 14 minutes per day on average
strength training
over 25 minutes per day on average
rehab stuff
over 18 minutes per day on average (not including ice)
In total my training and rehab took over 830 hours last year ... that's over 2 hours 16 per day which doesn't include changing clothes, showering, etc.
My end of year 24 hr ranking is correspondingly a bit disappointing and the stats read:
World ... 72 (down from 37)
Europe ... 49 (down from 26)
UK ... 5 (down from 4)
England ... 4 ? (last year 3)
Full details and year by year comparisons can be found over on this page.
OK ... on to other stuff now.
I was saddened to learn yesterday of the recent death of the great coach Frank Horwill. I'm sure I've talked about him in previous posts but his wisdom and writings have been a large source of information about all thing training related. I highly recommend that all runners read the articles on his club's website - here.
Local athlete Racheal Bamford (who lives about 200m from me) recently represented the North of England in the Nos Galan 5k in Wales recently. She finished first woman on the uphill course with a time of 16:44. Fantastic ... well done to her ... and she's going to get quicker.
Monday, 31 October 2011
TV ... carbs ... injury
Hope you all watched the program on Channel 4 (UK) on Saturday morning at 7.00am. It was almost an hours worth of coverage from the second Commonwealth Mountain & Ultra Running Championships which took place in Llandudno a few weeks ago (as if you didn't know).
A very good program showing about 20 minutes from each of the three races. If you haven't seen it yet you can find it here. I believe it's available for another four weeks or so and it's well worth watching.
A few days ago there was a brilliant piece on the Sweat Science website about carbohydrate intake during exercise. In a nutshell we used to believe that humans could metabolise a maximum of 60g carbs per hour when running but recent studies have founds that 90g per hour can be achieved if we use 60g glucose and 30g fructose.
I know this isn't such a new idea (it was mentioned in Lore Of Running by Tim Noakes) but this piece reinforces, with me at least, the need to try a mixture of glucose and fructose in my future training and racing.
This afternoon I was at the physio again and the good news is that my ankle injury is much less serious than originally thought. It turns out to be Achilles Tendinopathy and the course of action is a further weeks rest followed by four or five weeks gradually returning to full training. All the while I'll be cycling lots and building up strength and flexibility in both ankles with weights, stretching and eccentric contractions.
A very good program showing about 20 minutes from each of the three races. If you haven't seen it yet you can find it here. I believe it's available for another four weeks or so and it's well worth watching.
A few days ago there was a brilliant piece on the Sweat Science website about carbohydrate intake during exercise. In a nutshell we used to believe that humans could metabolise a maximum of 60g carbs per hour when running but recent studies have founds that 90g per hour can be achieved if we use 60g glucose and 30g fructose.
I know this isn't such a new idea (it was mentioned in Lore Of Running by Tim Noakes) but this piece reinforces, with me at least, the need to try a mixture of glucose and fructose in my future training and racing.
This afternoon I was at the physio again and the good news is that my ankle injury is much less serious than originally thought. It turns out to be Achilles Tendinopathy and the course of action is a further weeks rest followed by four or five weeks gradually returning to full training. All the while I'll be cycling lots and building up strength and flexibility in both ankles with weights, stretching and eccentric contractions.
Monday, 10 October 2011
Race Report
OK ... I know it's late but here it is.
My race report for last months Commonwealth Championships ... read it on http://llandudno2011.blogspot.com/
My race report for last months Commonwealth Championships ... read it on http://llandudno2011.blogspot.com/
Friday, 7 October 2011
I'm still here ... a bit busy though
I know I'm supposed to be writing a race report following the Commonwealth Championships but I've been a bit busy the past week or so.
The main thing has been Keir. He's wanted help with university applications and with research for his A level History coursework - 'The Causes of the General Strike of 1926'. He's doing the work of course but my role has been to look for (and buy, of course) relevant books and other source material.
There's also been a couple of meetings to attend, at school and for the local scouts.
I have been working on my report between this and my paid work and training and I'm pleased to see that it's very close to completion so you won't have to wait too long now.
In the meantime Matt Bixley from New Zealand has written a good report.
The main thing has been Keir. He's wanted help with university applications and with research for his A level History coursework - 'The Causes of the General Strike of 1926'. He's doing the work of course but my role has been to look for (and buy, of course) relevant books and other source material.
There's also been a couple of meetings to attend, at school and for the local scouts.
I have been working on my report between this and my paid work and training and I'm pleased to see that it's very close to completion so you won't have to wait too long now.
In the meantime Matt Bixley from New Zealand has written a good report.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
one week after
Went for an 11 mile run this morning in glorious sunshine. Left home at 7.30am and the temperature was already 13.25 Celsius (55.85 Fahrenheit). Amazing for October. The run itself went very well with no major problems ... recovering well it seems.
My shoulders are still painful though, especially the left one. I guess I now know my weak spot ... and now I've got to learn what to do about it.
I found earlier today (thanks to John Pares) that footage from the recent Commonwealth Championships will be shown on British TV as follows:
Channel S4C on Sunday 9 October at 5.00pm
Channel 4 on Saturday 29 October at 7.00am
Should be good viewing. The cameramen must have had far more footage than they could possibly hope to use. I hope it's been edited and put together well.
My shoulders are still painful though, especially the left one. I guess I now know my weak spot ... and now I've got to learn what to do about it.
I found earlier today (thanks to John Pares) that footage from the recent Commonwealth Championships will be shown on British TV as follows:
Channel S4C on Sunday 9 October at 5.00pm
Channel 4 on Saturday 29 October at 7.00am
Should be good viewing. The cameramen must have had far more footage than they could possibly hope to use. I hope it's been edited and put together well.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
recent race
Over the past few days there has been lots written about the Commonwealth Championships in various places and here I attempt to bring them all together.
- lots of stuff on the IAU website
- this appeared on the IAAF website
- UK Athletics put something on their website after being prompted by me
- England Athletics has some stuff too
- Welsh Athletics has something here
- the news from Scottish Athletics is here
- Multidays.com has a piece that also includes a short video clip
- blogs which have some good stuff include William Sichel and John Kynaston (with two excellent videos)
- finally there's some stuff on the two official Commonwealth Championships websites ... here and here
As for me ... well I'm recovering nicely at the moment despite my left shoulder being still painful at times. Today I've started looking around for a race or two in the first half of next year before the World Championships in Poland (if I'm selected of course).
- lots of stuff on the IAU website
- this appeared on the IAAF website
- UK Athletics put something on their website after being prompted by me
- England Athletics has some stuff too
- Welsh Athletics has something here
- the news from Scottish Athletics is here
- Multidays.com has a piece that also includes a short video clip
- blogs which have some good stuff include William Sichel and John Kynaston (with two excellent videos)
- finally there's some stuff on the two official Commonwealth Championships websites ... here and here
As for me ... well I'm recovering nicely at the moment despite my left shoulder being still painful at times. Today I've started looking around for a race or two in the first half of next year before the World Championships in Poland (if I'm selected of course).
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Yes, I had a bad run.
Actually everyone except the debutants had bad runs. The people who came closest to their pre race targets were those who revised their targets downwards because of the gale force winds - unfortunately I didn't (and paid the price).
Talking to other runners, doctors, etc after the race I slowly put together the pieces of the jigsaw - and it appears that this is what happens when the body cannot maintain core temperature effectively any longer. The temperature in the headwind was about three or four degrees cooler than when running with the tailwind and after 50 odd miles my body was struggling to cope with the constant changing.
Again, talking to people later I learned that the tension in my shoulders and neck had most likely caused the arteries to constrict meaning that my brain was slowly being starved of oxygen and nutrition ... I was close to passing out completely.
About twenty or so minutes later, after lots of massage and other treatment, I was pushed onto the circuit again where I continued for five or six hours before having the confidence to gradually pick up the pace again. Had to stop twice more for massage on my painful shoulders (16 hrs and 22 hrs) before eventually finishing in 7th position (6th man) with 220.719 km.
Although I had a bad run for medical reasons (?) I am particularly pleased that I was able to dig deep and get out there to help the team to a Gold medal. Also pleased that I was running strongly at the end, even passing John Pares just before the end. Should have been a 30 hour race !!!
Actually everyone except the debutants had bad runs. The people who came closest to their pre race targets were those who revised their targets downwards because of the gale force winds - unfortunately I didn't (and paid the price).
The weather was exceptionally windy for about 20 hours and the 1026.7m loop was such that it was a headwind for
about 500m and a tailwind for about 500m.
I ran exceptionally well for about seven and a half hours but then I suddenly began to overheat. After a few cold drinks and a bottle of
cold water over the head I continued but about an hour later I began to have hot
flushes !!!
Talking to other runners, doctors, etc after the race I slowly put together the pieces of the jigsaw - and it appears that this is what happens when the body cannot maintain core temperature effectively any longer. The temperature in the headwind was about three or four degrees cooler than when running with the tailwind and after 50 odd miles my body was struggling to cope with the constant changing.
My internal thermostat doesn't work properly anyway
- a side effect of chemotherapy back in the 1990s.
Running into the gale force wind was also badly effecting my running form and my shoulders were becoming very tense and painful (my right shoulder is still painful - 74 hours after the end of the race). At about ten hours I decided a
shoulder/neck massage would help so when I approached the English handlers I
slowed down - and almost collapsed. The rules are such that
handlers are allowed to help the athletes ONLY in their allotted segment ...
well I still had about 5m to go. I remember someone shouting "four more steps
Chris, four more steps ..." and then I was caught and led to a
chair.
Again, talking to people later I learned that the tension in my shoulders and neck had most likely caused the arteries to constrict meaning that my brain was slowly being starved of oxygen and nutrition ... I was close to passing out completely.
About twenty or so minutes later, after lots of massage and other treatment, I was pushed onto the circuit again where I continued for five or six hours before having the confidence to gradually pick up the pace again. Had to stop twice more for massage on my painful shoulders (16 hrs and 22 hrs) before eventually finishing in 7th position (6th man) with 220.719 km.
Although I had a bad run for medical reasons (?) I am particularly pleased that I was able to dig deep and get out there to help the team to a Gold medal. Also pleased that I was running strongly at the end, even passing John Pares just before the end. Should have been a 30 hour race !!!
220km isn't too bad in the circumstances
either.
A proper report will appear later ... after I've recovered properly.
A big thanks you to everyone who showed their support - particularly John Kynaston who cheered me on relentlessly from the Scottish zone.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
training finished
A couple of hours ago I did my very last training session before the weekend's race. Just a short steady run in the morning sunshine ... a bit breezy but not too bad. I hope it's not too windy during the race on Friday and Saturday.
The remainder of today will be spent packing, eating, relaxing, snacking, sleeping and nibbling. Must remember the beetroot juice.
England Athletics have now officially announced the teams for the weekend's races - see their website for details.
Just seen the official start list for the 24 hr race and as well as old acquaintances from Australia, Canada, India, Scotland, Wales there are also three runners from Sierra Leone and one from Gambia.
The question is ... will they actually be on the start line ? A Kenyan runner was entered for the 24 hr race in Keswick two years ago but I believe he pulled out just before the start when it finally dawned on him what the race entails. I guess that when his name was entered it had not been explained to him properly - lost in translation perhaps.
I cannot find any information about the African runners so I presume they are fairly new to the sport of ultra running. I hope they do start and I hope they enjoy themselves and want to do more.
Travelling tomorrow morning and due to arrive in Llandudno just after 1.00pm. Hope to see a few of you there ... please come along to support the runners if you can - the 24 hour race starts at noon on Friday.
The remainder of today will be spent packing, eating, relaxing, snacking, sleeping and nibbling. Must remember the beetroot juice.
England Athletics have now officially announced the teams for the weekend's races - see their website for details.
Just seen the official start list for the 24 hr race and as well as old acquaintances from Australia, Canada, India, Scotland, Wales there are also three runners from Sierra Leone and one from Gambia.
The question is ... will they actually be on the start line ? A Kenyan runner was entered for the 24 hr race in Keswick two years ago but I believe he pulled out just before the start when it finally dawned on him what the race entails. I guess that when his name was entered it had not been explained to him properly - lost in translation perhaps.
I cannot find any information about the African runners so I presume they are fairly new to the sport of ultra running. I hope they do start and I hope they enjoy themselves and want to do more.
Travelling tomorrow morning and due to arrive in Llandudno just after 1.00pm. Hope to see a few of you there ... please come along to support the runners if you can - the 24 hour race starts at noon on Friday.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
almost there ...
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.
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.
Friday, 16 September 2011
One week to go
With only a week to go before the Commonwealth Championships my official England kit finally arrived. Still got to run in it to make sure it's up to scratch and then wash it before the race next Friday.
Today's training was a four mile tempo run ... with an excessive amount of clothing. I did this first thing in the morning to avoid the heavy rain that was forecast between 10am and 4pm. I need not have bothered as the rain didn't arrive until 6pm.
Good training though as fast running is more difficult at breakfast time.
I'm glad the wind seems to have eased towards the end of this week ... I hope it doesn't return next weekend.
Today's training was a four mile tempo run ... with an excessive amount of clothing. I did this first thing in the morning to avoid the heavy rain that was forecast between 10am and 4pm. I need not have bothered as the rain didn't arrive until 6pm.
Good training though as fast running is more difficult at breakfast time.
I'm glad the wind seems to have eased towards the end of this week ... I hope it doesn't return next weekend.
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Continuing my preparation for the Commonwealth Championships I've just begun the second week of tapering (out of three). Last week the mileage was 30 miles, this week it will be 40 and for the final week 20 [not including the race].
If that seems a little strange it's because the final week before tapering was my crash training period and to help recovery after that intense seven day period I half my normal weekly mileage.
Also in the final three weeks I try to include some heat training sessions, ie training with lots of clothes.
Yesterday afternoon I took part in another relay for Otley AC. This time it was the Yorkshire Road Relay Championships at Headingley, Leeds. I completed the windy 4 miles (6.4 km) in 24:20 which I'm very pleased about as that's the equivalent of about 18:50 for 5k.
Fifteen teams started. The A team finished third and the B team (for which I ran the first stage) finished ninth.
Also, for the first time ever, Otley AC had a women's team taking part. In my time as secretary (1999 to 2009) I tried incessantly to get a women's team together for various road relays. Always without success for one reason or another. It didn't help that some senior women seemed to have the attitude that in general the club's women were not up to the required standard.
I always thought that was irrelevant and that it was the taking part that was most important. If the team came last then at the very least they would have learned from the experience. So, well done to Tamara Weatherhead, Liz Ashton, Liz Fawcett and Caron Ralph.
If that seems a little strange it's because the final week before tapering was my crash training period and to help recovery after that intense seven day period I half my normal weekly mileage.
Also in the final three weeks I try to include some heat training sessions, ie training with lots of clothes.
Yesterday afternoon I took part in another relay for Otley AC. This time it was the Yorkshire Road Relay Championships at Headingley, Leeds. I completed the windy 4 miles (6.4 km) in 24:20 which I'm very pleased about as that's the equivalent of about 18:50 for 5k.
Fifteen teams started. The A team finished third and the B team (for which I ran the first stage) finished ninth.
Also, for the first time ever, Otley AC had a women's team taking part. In my time as secretary (1999 to 2009) I tried incessantly to get a women's team together for various road relays. Always without success for one reason or another. It didn't help that some senior women seemed to have the attitude that in general the club's women were not up to the required standard.
I always thought that was irrelevant and that it was the taking part that was most important. If the team came last then at the very least they would have learned from the experience. So, well done to Tamara Weatherhead, Liz Ashton, Liz Fawcett and Caron Ralph.
Thursday, 25 August 2011
another good week
On Monday I went for another long run in the afternoon. Fartlek style again but this time the fast sections were 7:40 in length with 3:55 recovery. In total I ran 26 miles in about 3h 25
No running (or any other training) on Tuesday but I spent the day relaxing and buying kit, food, drink, etc needed for next month's Commonwealth Championships.
Wednesday morning was a straight forward long run of 28.6 miles using a section of the Leeds Liverpool Canal between Shipley and Kirkstall. Completed in about 4 hours.
This morning was a 7 mile tempo run along the route of the Otley 10. Completed in 48:54 - a bit slower per mile than recent tempo runs but I'm happy with that because morning runs do tend to be slightly slower than afternoon runs and I did run 28.6 miles less than 24 hours earlier.
Also cycled yesterday and today and did some strength work and stretching every day. No running tomorrow - resting before a week of crash training. In general I won't be able to post much but I will try to provide daily details of exactly what I've been doing. It all begins with a 5k race on Saturday morning - and does now include a 3k race on Thursday because the scouts meeting has been postponed.
No running (or any other training) on Tuesday but I spent the day relaxing and buying kit, food, drink, etc needed for next month's Commonwealth Championships.
Wednesday morning was a straight forward long run of 28.6 miles using a section of the Leeds Liverpool Canal between Shipley and Kirkstall. Completed in about 4 hours.
This morning was a 7 mile tempo run along the route of the Otley 10. Completed in 48:54 - a bit slower per mile than recent tempo runs but I'm happy with that because morning runs do tend to be slightly slower than afternoon runs and I did run 28.6 miles less than 24 hours earlier.
Also cycled yesterday and today and did some strength work and stretching every day. No running tomorrow - resting before a week of crash training. In general I won't be able to post much but I will try to provide daily details of exactly what I've been doing. It all begins with a 5k race on Saturday morning - and does now include a 3k race on Thursday because the scouts meeting has been postponed.
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Nutrition planning
Spent the last few days planning my nutrition for the race in Llandudno. I'm sure I've explained before how I go about doing this but for newer followers I'll go through it again ...
First of all I consider the hydration aspect. I've been weighing myself before and after every training run for a number of years now and combined with my training speed and the temperature/humidity I now have a very good idea of how much I will sweat at any given speed, temperature, humidity. That liquid needs replacing but in a long ultra it's impossible to replace all of it ... the digestive system couldn't cope with that volume over a long time period whilst running. Trial and error have shown that I can cope with 40%.
With a bit of research it's easy nowadays to find out what the mean temperature and humidity is for almost any location in the world (the data for my next race can be found here). So, with that knowledge, I know how much liquid to take on board.
Secondly, that liquid, if not water, will contain calories, carbohydrates, etc. I know that I can take on board about 250 calories per hour during a race but most of that needs to be carbohydrates and the rest mainly proteins. I know that running uses a lot more than 250 calories per hour but the human body finds it difficult to digest food and run at the same time so, for me, about 250 calories per hour is the limit. I know that other runners struggle with that amount and can only manage less than 200 whereas a lucky few can get away with 300. Trial and error again.
Thirdly, the food has to be palatable because the most nutritionally perfect food in the world is useless if it tastes rubbish. We all like different stuff and it's just a case of trying things out in less important races and long training runs. Be aware though that eating near the end of a 4 or 5 hour training run is not the same as eating after 20 hours of racing. Somehow things taste different and may be less easy to chew or swallow. It's down to trial and error again.
Lastly, but possibly more important, are the electrolytes. Particularly sodium and potassium but also calcium and magnesium. These are lost through sweat and urine and need to be replaced but, again, too much all at once can cause the body distress. As with the liquids I aim for 40%.
I learned quite a bit from my last race - ULTRArace 100 - about what works for me (and when) and now I aim to use all the knowledge gained over the past five years or so to put together a sound nutrition plan for 24 hours.
I like to have a plan so that I know in advance what food and drink I'm having and when. I also know in advance that I'm getting all the correct amounts of liquid, carbohydrates, proteins, electrolytes, etc. All the crew has to do is hand me the stuff at the correct time ... although sometimes a bit of preparation is needed. I feel that this means that I don't have to think about what to eat and /or drink so I can just concentrate on running. I don't carry a copy of the plan with me - I just let the crew follow the written instructions.
My drinks will be an isotonic sports drink and For Goodness Shakes sports recovery drinks. The food will include jaffa cakes, protein bars, energy gels, Turkish Delight, grapes, dried apricots, breadsticks and baby food.
Of course sometimes things come unstuck, for example in Brive last year the temperature was about 10 C (18 F) lower than usual for the time of year. That wasn't the main reason for my bad race that day but it did require some quick thinking and this is another area where a good crew can help.
Hope there's something here that you can use in your own racing. Whenever I'm doing this planning I'm always reminded of a quote from ChristopherMcDougall's book (Born to Run) in which Sunny Blende describes an ultramarathon as “an eating and drinking contest, with a little exercise and scenery thrown in.”
PS thanks to Matt for posting details of the New Zealand runners at the upcoming Commonwealth Championships - see the comments after my last post. See you all there. Of course it'll be fun.
First of all I consider the hydration aspect. I've been weighing myself before and after every training run for a number of years now and combined with my training speed and the temperature/humidity I now have a very good idea of how much I will sweat at any given speed, temperature, humidity. That liquid needs replacing but in a long ultra it's impossible to replace all of it ... the digestive system couldn't cope with that volume over a long time period whilst running. Trial and error have shown that I can cope with 40%.
With a bit of research it's easy nowadays to find out what the mean temperature and humidity is for almost any location in the world (the data for my next race can be found here). So, with that knowledge, I know how much liquid to take on board.
Secondly, that liquid, if not water, will contain calories, carbohydrates, etc. I know that I can take on board about 250 calories per hour during a race but most of that needs to be carbohydrates and the rest mainly proteins. I know that running uses a lot more than 250 calories per hour but the human body finds it difficult to digest food and run at the same time so, for me, about 250 calories per hour is the limit. I know that other runners struggle with that amount and can only manage less than 200 whereas a lucky few can get away with 300. Trial and error again.
Thirdly, the food has to be palatable because the most nutritionally perfect food in the world is useless if it tastes rubbish. We all like different stuff and it's just a case of trying things out in less important races and long training runs. Be aware though that eating near the end of a 4 or 5 hour training run is not the same as eating after 20 hours of racing. Somehow things taste different and may be less easy to chew or swallow. It's down to trial and error again.
Lastly, but possibly more important, are the electrolytes. Particularly sodium and potassium but also calcium and magnesium. These are lost through sweat and urine and need to be replaced but, again, too much all at once can cause the body distress. As with the liquids I aim for 40%.
I learned quite a bit from my last race - ULTRArace 100 - about what works for me (and when) and now I aim to use all the knowledge gained over the past five years or so to put together a sound nutrition plan for 24 hours.
I like to have a plan so that I know in advance what food and drink I'm having and when. I also know in advance that I'm getting all the correct amounts of liquid, carbohydrates, proteins, electrolytes, etc. All the crew has to do is hand me the stuff at the correct time ... although sometimes a bit of preparation is needed. I feel that this means that I don't have to think about what to eat and /or drink so I can just concentrate on running. I don't carry a copy of the plan with me - I just let the crew follow the written instructions.
My drinks will be an isotonic sports drink and For Goodness Shakes sports recovery drinks. The food will include jaffa cakes, protein bars, energy gels, Turkish Delight, grapes, dried apricots, breadsticks and baby food.
Of course sometimes things come unstuck, for example in Brive last year the temperature was about 10 C (18 F) lower than usual for the time of year. That wasn't the main reason for my bad race that day but it did require some quick thinking and this is another area where a good crew can help.
Hope there's something here that you can use in your own racing. Whenever I'm doing this planning I'm always reminded of a quote from ChristopherMcDougall's book (Born to Run) in which Sunny Blende describes an ultramarathon as “an eating and drinking contest, with a little exercise and scenery thrown in.”
PS thanks to Matt for posting details of the New Zealand runners at the upcoming Commonwealth Championships - see the comments after my last post. See you all there. Of course it'll be fun.
Monday, 18 July 2011
Selection news
Just noticed on the very good Australian Ultra Runners Association website that they have selected nine runners for the Commonwealth Championships 24 hr race.
Congratulations to Jo Blake, John Pearson, Anth Courtney, Dave Kennedy, Rick Cooke, Sharon Scholz, Susannah Harvey-Jamieson, Meredith Quinlan and Allison Lilley. I immediately noticed that the men's defending champion, Martin Fryer, is not on that list ... but that's probably because he seems to be moving up to longer distances in recent times.
I believe, though, that Anth has injured himself in Koln recently ... I hope it's not too bad.
Strangely, the England team has not been officially announced yet but I do know that Jim Rogers, Pat Robbins, Vicky Skelton and myself have been selected. But Vicky has recently injured her knee ...
Get well soon Vicky.
Chris Finill won't be there because he'll be half way across America with Stephen Pope ... running.
From the other English athletes I expect Sharon Gayter and Richard Quennell have also been selected. And John Pares for Wales. Stephen Mason and William Sichel for Scotland too although there's no news from their respective websites yet.
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Recent training
Recent training has been going well and I've now started including more speedwork as it's only 10 weeks before the Commonwealth Championships. The organising committee have set up a new website at http://www.cmudc2011.org/en/ Well worth a look.
A couple of long runs last Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning showed that I've recovered from the 100 miler. The Monday run especially as that was my first long fartlek since 31 May.
Yesterday evening I took part, again, in the Otley AC organised Washburn Valley Relay for the club's B team. Sadly I'm not quick enough any more for the A team although someone mentioned that for a club to have an international runner in their B team ...
I ran the first leg (of three) and covered the 3.02 undulating miles in about 20:30. Pleased with that as it improves my course best by about 50 seconds. An excellent event at which there appeared to be a record number of teams taking part - the large car park was overflowing. Official results are not available yet but check the club's website in a few days and I'm sure they'll be there. Thanks to Nick Hodgkinson, John Dade, Andrew Robertshaw and Julian Mawson for their work in organising this relay in, what regular readers will know, is my favourite local running location.
This morning, bright and early [well it was when I left home !!!] I ventured out for a session of hill reps up and down Newall Carr Bank on the northern outskirts of Otley. After about 20 minutes it began raining and progressively got worse over then next hour or so. I just smiled to myself as I remembered the ULTRArace.100 in the Cotswolds when it rained continually for 12 hours or so.
After that deluge I'm sure I'll never be put off by rain ever again.
A couple of long runs last Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning showed that I've recovered from the 100 miler. The Monday run especially as that was my first long fartlek since 31 May.
Yesterday evening I took part, again, in the Otley AC organised Washburn Valley Relay for the club's B team. Sadly I'm not quick enough any more for the A team although someone mentioned that for a club to have an international runner in their B team ...
I ran the first leg (of three) and covered the 3.02 undulating miles in about 20:30. Pleased with that as it improves my course best by about 50 seconds. An excellent event at which there appeared to be a record number of teams taking part - the large car park was overflowing. Official results are not available yet but check the club's website in a few days and I'm sure they'll be there. Thanks to Nick Hodgkinson, John Dade, Andrew Robertshaw and Julian Mawson for their work in organising this relay in, what regular readers will know, is my favourite local running location.
This morning, bright and early [well it was when I left home !!!] I ventured out for a session of hill reps up and down Newall Carr Bank on the northern outskirts of Otley. After about 20 minutes it began raining and progressively got worse over then next hour or so. I just smiled to myself as I remembered the ULTRArace.100 in the Cotswolds when it rained continually for 12 hours or so.
After that deluge I'm sure I'll never be put off by rain ever again.
Friday, 8 July 2011
planning and training
This week I have just started planning my race in Llandudno. This mainly involves pacing and nutrition. I now have quite a lot of data from previous races so I am beginning to learn what works for me and what doesn't.
Although I'm always keen to try new things which may work better there is a dilemma. Because my next race is the Commonwealth Championships (which means it's important) do I stick with what works and aim for what I know I can achieve or do I take a risk and try something a bit radical which, if it comes off, could add quite a big distance to my pb.
I know my pb is 238 km and I know I can run further than that. The nutrition aspect seems OK although I am still learning what my body can cope with and what it rejects. This also changes with the length of time I've been running. I have tried something new in every race.
For me it's the pacing where the real choices are - and where the risks are - and the rewards if it comes off.
Recent training has been good and, although I'm quite out of the woods yet, I appear to not have any lingering injuries or pains after the recent 100 miler. Last week included hill reps, a long run, cycling and a fair amount of strength work.
Next week will include two long runs, fartlek, cycling, strength work, plyometrics and, hopefully, a race in the wonderful Washburn Valley.
Although I'm always keen to try new things which may work better there is a dilemma. Because my next race is the Commonwealth Championships (which means it's important) do I stick with what works and aim for what I know I can achieve or do I take a risk and try something a bit radical which, if it comes off, could add quite a big distance to my pb.
I know my pb is 238 km and I know I can run further than that. The nutrition aspect seems OK although I am still learning what my body can cope with and what it rejects. This also changes with the length of time I've been running. I have tried something new in every race.
For me it's the pacing where the real choices are - and where the risks are - and the rewards if it comes off.
Recent training has been good and, although I'm quite out of the woods yet, I appear to not have any lingering injuries or pains after the recent 100 miler. Last week included hill reps, a long run, cycling and a fair amount of strength work.
Next week will include two long runs, fartlek, cycling, strength work, plyometrics and, hopefully, a race in the wonderful Washburn Valley.
Thursday, 30 June 2011
first run
Last night I ran for the first time since ... well, you know ... THAT race.
Anyway it was a local 5 mile race as part of the Harrogate & District Summer Road Race League. I got all the usual jokes which I sort of expected. None of them made me feel any better but I guess the other runners had to get it out of their system.
Fay said: "Let them try run 99.5 miles in 17h 45 ... or even 24 hours." The big hug that accompanied that made me feel better.
I know they'll be something in this week's Wharfedale & Aireborough Observer as my club (Otley AC) always have something in about recent races, etc. Haven't seen it yet - I will tomorrow - and then PLEASE let that be an end to it.
Training continues in preparation for the Commonwealth Championships which is by far the most important race for me this year.
Anyway it was a local 5 mile race as part of the Harrogate & District Summer Road Race League. I got all the usual jokes which I sort of expected. None of them made me feel any better but I guess the other runners had to get it out of their system.
Fay said: "Let them try run 99.5 miles in 17h 45 ... or even 24 hours." The big hug that accompanied that made me feel better.
I know they'll be something in this week's Wharfedale & Aireborough Observer as my club (Otley AC) always have something in about recent races, etc. Haven't seen it yet - I will tomorrow - and then PLEASE let that be an end to it.
Training continues in preparation for the Commonwealth Championships which is by far the most important race for me this year.
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