Recovery week

After the exertions of last weekend, I had decided to give myself a couple of weeks recovery time, though I did not really know how much I would need them.

The two previous times I've run the Fling, I have kept things in check for much of the race, particularly when racing the West Highland Way only 7 or 8 weeks later. This time I gave myself more freedom to have a proper go, knowing that it is three months to the Lakeland 100, giving more time to recover and then build up to the big one. In 2010, I was training properly within 4 days of the Fling, however, that is not the case this year.

I feel that the recovery is going well and my legs feel fine; I just have a general tiredness and a desire to eat anything and everything. In some ways, it is quite useful having this tiredness as it is stopping me from kicking in with the training too soon and has reinforced my plan to take another week of easy jogging to, hopefully, complete the recovery.

Right on cue, Lorn Pearson posted an article on overtraining on her blog, which again reminded me to take things easy. At the moment, things are going in the right direction with regard to my Lakeland 100 preparation; confidence is up after the Fling, I've had a good four months of consistent training, the recces with John have gone really well and I still have the motivation to push on over the next three months. It would be a disaster to risk overtraining at this stage when recovery is obviously needed.

Today, Tracey and I had a drive out to Wasdale to make good use of the lovely weather, combining a run/jog/walk up to Blacksail Pass for me, a walk for Tracey and a picnic together after. Wasdale is gorgeous but what a pain to drive for 1:30 hours and end up only 11 miles from home!!

Looking up Wasdale Valley

My legs felt good on the long climb, though I made no effort to push the pace, simply taking in the stunning views. I had a good recce of the point where the main path crosses Gatherstone Beck as I have heard that this can be tricky in the dark and I estimate it will somewhere around here that I'll need to put on the headtorch in the Lakeland 100 race.

Heading towards Blacksail Pass

View from the pass

I have started to think about how I am going to make the slight shift towards a more Lakeland 100 specific training plan which I will share on another day, though needless to say, it is going to include more mountains than I did on the build-up to the Fling.

Finally, a quick congratulations to my stepfather, Paul, who became MV60 British Mountainbike Orienteering (long course) Champion last weekend. I'll be a happy man if I'm that fit at his age!

Highland Fling Race Video

I've put together some video clips of my race last Saturday which, I hope, gives some flavour of how things unfolded for me. Enjoy!

Highland Fling Race Report

14 months after my previous race, I was finally ready to stand on the start line again and, if you had to choose a race for your comeback, you could not pick a better one than the Highland Fling.

Tracey and I left Keswick on Friday evening, straight after I had had my pre-race haircut (it's the law!) and drove up to Milngavie, stopping of for a calorie filled meal on the way. Once at the hotel, we briefly met with Simon, a work colleague of mine doing his first ultra-marathon whilst his wife, Viv, and two children would spend the next day with Tracey and meet us at the finish in Tyndrum.

I found it difficult to sleep on Friday night, not because of nerves but more like simple excitement. Knowing how bad I can be in the early morning, we set three different alarms at least one of which was across the room so I would have to get out of bed to turn it off. I need not have worried as I was up like a shot on the first alarm and met Simon in the hotel reception at 6am ready to walk up to the start.

Registration was as smooth as always and we were soon ready for the off. I had a brief chat with Ian and Murdo, mainly about the psychology of injuries and they both wished me well for the race. We then found Adam (the guy I did my Bob Graham round with back in 2007) who was also doing his first ultra race. I remember thinking he looked really laid back and relaxed; no nervous energy being wasted there!

Pre-race in the station car park

Straight from the start I had a plan of not running faster than 8:30 min/mile pace at any point for the first 3 hours, thinking that this would stop me from going off like an idiot as I get caught up in the race atmosphere. I was really pleased with the way I stuck to the plan, especially as a large number of the Vet40's went off much faster than this.

The route has a lovely, easy introduction which can ease you into the race or lull you into too fast a pace. I've been on the route enough to know how to do the first option. It was great to get into the rhythm of a proper race again and get chatting to other like minded people. I ran with Dale for a while, chatting in part about the Bob Graham Round which is something he has on the radar. Dale went on to finish in 9:20 hours, so congratulations to him.

I reached Drymen in about 1:50 hours which was a few minutes quicker than I've done before, though it still felt comfortable. The marshals did a great job and soon had me on my way with a fresh bottle and I could finally see the devastation in the forest from the gales in the winter.

This used to be forest!

The climb up Conic Hill went really well, I was almost suprised when I got to the top, though I made sure I took things easy on the way down. The sight of the supporters in the car park at Balmaha was amazing. So much positive energy which was much appreciated. Murdo sorted my drink out for me and I was on my way within 90 seconds.

Within 5 minutes of leaving Balmaha, I was totally on my own which felt strange having spent 3 hours in the company of others. I found a lovely smooth rhythm on this section and made good time, singing Sade, "Smooth Operator" to myself. Hey, it works for me! I caught up Martin, who was aiming for around 10 hours and we ran together for a while (I think he finished in 9:59:55 - how is that for good pacing!?) I always enjoy this section and, for the first time, started to let myself run a bit harder when I felt like it. I caught another colleague, John (how many schools can boast three ultra runners on their staff list?) just before Rowardennan. He was working hard and running with a big smile on his face (or was that just for the camera?)

John Horne

Again, the support at Rowardennan was fantastic and this played no small part in the fact that I managed to run most of the long drag on the forest road up towards the single track. I was definitely starting to get caught up in the moment. It was great to catch up with John and Katrina so we could give each other some support. Katrina looked strong and in full control of the race situation and John was obviously having a great day out.

Katrina and I

On the two previous occasions when I have ran the Fling, I have kept something in reserve during the race, once as it was my first attempt and the second time as it was only 8 weeks to the full West highland Way Race. This time I allowed myself to have a bit more of a "go-for-it" attitude as it is a full 3 months to the Lakeland 100. I was obviously enjoying myself on this section along the loch as I had the 16th fastest split between Balmaha and Beinglas Farm. On a number of occasions, I tried to do the maths and work out what a realistic target time might be, however, I just could not seem to get my head around the complexity of adding times in hours and minutes. I knew I was well ahead of 10 hours but I wanted to give myself something to aim for over the final stages. In the end I gave up and just concentrated on each small section as it arrived.

My lowest point came as I tried to ride the roller coaster through the woods above Crianlarich. You will have seen from a previous post that I devised a fool-proof method to break down the hills in this section. If you did read the post - forget it!! What I encountered on my walk at Easter was in no way the same woodland trail that was laid before me on Saturday. I obviously ran some of the hills I identified as "walkers" and walked other "run hills".

On the positive side, as I hit the A82 again, I was at last able to cope with the maths and add together 1 mile and 2.5 miles, realising that I should get well under 9:30 hours. This thought kept me going and I was particularly pleased with the way I held it together over this section as I was dipping into the red at this point.

9:18:32

You know you have had a good run when you come round the final corner and hear your wife say "That can't be Dave already?" and Viv and the girls call back and tell her "It is! It is!"

Oh, yea of little faith.

After the trials and tribulations of the past year, to run a new PB by over 40 minutes was such a thrill, but more than that, it was just great to be back and part of the racing scene again. I made sure I had a lie down straight away and raised my legs to avoid the blood pressure drop I had after the WHW race back in 2010 - not particularly stylish.

Once I had recovered enough to stand up and convinced myself that my kneecaps were not going to explode out of the front of my legs, We had a walk back to the car for a change of clothes and copious amounts of salt and vinegar crisps. Then it was back to the finish to cheer on the runners and have a chat with a few friends. It was nice to meet Andy Cole, who writes a particularly thought provoking blog on all aspects of ultra running.

The rest of the Keswick School Ultra Squad bounded up to the finish. Simon had an excellent run in his first ultra, finishing in 11:58:16, way better than his pessimistic daughters predicted.

Simon looking pleased with his days work

Adopt the pose!

John came through a bad patch and finished really strongly in 12:47:10. For those that completed the Marcothon in December (run every day, at least 3 miles), John has followed that rule for the last THREE AND A HALF YEARS!!!

Tough guy!

Unfortunately, I missed Adam finishing, but we had a good chat after. He ran an excellent 10:16:25 in his first ultra marathon, saying that he felt as if he learnt a lot in those hours and I have the feeling he will be back.

Possibly the biggest cheer of the day met Katrina and John who came in, all smiles and whoops, with a time of 12:25:19. Pleasingly, Katrina beat John by 2 seconds, so I imagine John will fit in a few extra speed sessions before the next time.

Big smiles!

A big thank you to all the organising team and their countless helpers that make this, surely, one of the best races on the calender.

Race video footage is still with Mr Spielberg, though he assures me it should be ready later this week.

Good tired

Everything has gone to plan this week. I intended to make this one a fairly full-on week of training, my last before I start a two week taper for the Highland Fling Race. I'm just about to go out and put the finishing touches to the week with a nice steady 7 miles round the trails below Latrigg Fell which will take the week's total up to around 60 miles (all off road). Those that know me and my training routine will be well aware that this is a huge total for me but I have coped well enough and just have the "good tired" feeling in my legs, which the taper will sort out.

The stand-out sessions included, on Wednesday, catching the bus out to Buttermere valley (not a journey for those prone to travel sickness) and running the Lakeland 100 route back to Keswick. The last time I did this route was with John Kynaston back at the beginning of March in the snow. How different everything looks now.

On Friday I did a sustained tempo run on trails for 1:15 hours. Having done no speedwork of any description this year, it was great to turn up the revs and feel that there was something in the tank, a bit of the old magic is still there. Interestingly, having spent the last four months improving my running style, I was pleased with the way I could cover the trails at speed but remain smooth. Regardless of fitness levels, I know I am running with greater economy than I was this time last year.

Yesterday was a longer, steadier affair, with 15 miles round the west side of Derwentwater, down Borrowdale valley to Rossthwaite, climb over to Watendlath and back to Keswick below Walla Crag. I would normally run every step of this route, however, I decided that I would treat each climb as if it were part of an ultra and walk, working on my walk to run transition over the top. I always try to give each session a focus rather than just running and I felt this made the run far more race specific.

Tracey and I had a walk this morning round Gowbarrow Fell, partly because it is a great trail with wonderful views over Ullswater, and it would give me another opportunity to check out a part of the Lakeland 100 route I'll probably be running in the dark; just making sure I have got all of the small turns visualised properly. Perhaps someone could answer this question; why does walking make me so tired? If I hadn't got up off the sofa to write this, I would have gone to sleep for an hour or so!

On just about every run now, I am thinking about the Highland Fling Race, how I am going to approach it, pace, clothing, nutrition, etc, etc. I feel that I am ready now and can't wait to get on the start line. The one decision I have made is that I am not going to run and simply smell the roses along the way; I want to try and get a new PB (sub 10 hours). My next job is to sit down in front of a spreadsheet and put together a rough plan of attack to at least put me in a position to achieve this goal without going off like an idiot at the start.

The Cappuccino Tour

My legs felt fine after the long Lakeland 100 recce with John, which is always a good sign that things are going in the right direction. I had intended to do a longer report on our day out in the Lakeland sunshine but as Tracey and I were going away for the the week in our campervan, I thought I had better make some kind of contribution to the packing. The video summary from my previous post gives a good flavour of the day and for those that want a more detailed view, check out John's videos.

For the last week, Tracey and I have been doing some walking, based around Tyndrum and Glencoe. Over the years, Tracey has seen snippets of the West Highland Way, basically any part where she has dropped me off or picked me up, so we thought we would check out a few sections together.

The weather did not live up to the previous week's high standards and, in fact, threw us back into winter with a drop of snow, but it did make for some amazing views.

We arrived at Tyndrum on Monday evening and awoke on Tuesday to snow. The low-lying layer melted quite quickly, but up on the hills it was a different story. We caught the bus to Drover's Inn and walked back to Tyndrum and it was quite simply a stunning day - impossible to take a bad photo! My mind is never far from racing mode, so I thought I would try and get my head around the ups and downs of the woods above Crianlarich. Whenever I have raced through the woods, I have never managed to visualise the route correctly, so we came up with a system to split up this section; 4 climbs, long descent, 5 climbs, long descent, 3 climbs, long descent. So the mantra during the Highland Fling will be "4:5:3".

On Wednesday, we walked from Tyndrum to just past Bridge of Orchy and again caught the bus back to Tyndrum. The vote for best cappuccino of the tour went to the Bridge of Orchy Hotel. I wasn't really sure whether I would do some training on this trip or not, but after a day out walking, I figured a run on tired legs would be good training and get the blood flowing, so I did an easy hour in the evening and felt surprisingly good.

We left Tyndrum on Thursday morning, parking at the Glencoe Ski Centre so I could give Tracey a small taste of Rannoch Moor. The temperature was a bit warmer today and the low cloud made for some dramatic views. In the evening, we booked onto Invercoe campsite in Glencoe village, which had wonderful views down the loch. I went out for a run to check out a path that "might" take a route to Kinlochleven for Friday's walk. As I discovered, not a path for a nice relaxing walk; steep, rocky, muddy, etc. I did, however, come across Glencoe Locharn in the woods just above the village.

On Good Friday, after a much warmer night, we had a walk down to Kinlochleven and a look in at The Ice Factor climbing centre, The Aluminium Experience (a small museum attached to the post office; obviously) and a small bit of the WHW as it drops into the village. Surprisingly good cappuccinos in The Ice Factor, just for interest. Another run in the evening, followed by a SPECTACULAR sunset! This is why we got the van!

New screen saver on PC at home!

After a great week away, I feel like I have put many more hours into my legs without punishing them. I'm well recovered from last week's long run and ready to put in one more hard week of training before starting a two week taper for the Highland Fling 53 mile race. The thought of standing on the start line of a race again (14 months since my previous race!!) is just so exciting. Still haven't really formulated a battle plan yet. Do I just go out and smell the roses or do I push for a sub 10 hour PB? I know which way I am erring towards!

Lakeland 100 Recce

Just a quick update as I have a campervan to pack.

Yesterday, John and I had a fantastic day out on the Lakeland 100 course. John and Katrina came down on Saturday afternoon and the four of us had an evening of eating and putting the world to rights. Then, next morning, an early start from Dalemain, running through to Ambleside, where the ladies met us.

After the exploits in the snow last time, it came as no surprise to find the car covered in frost and a starting temperature of -1. I gave in to peer pressure and kept my jacket in the rucksack, though I did put my gloves on, much to the disgust of John.

This route is not one I know, so it was great to spend time working out the actual course, trying to build a mental picture of the trails and I'll be spending some time looking at the video clips we both took.

To cut a 7:30 hour story short, the weather just got better and better, the Lake District was looking her Sunday best, we chatted the whole way round but really concentrated on the route and I don't think there was any point during the day that we didn't have a big grin on our faces.

We skipped into Ambleside after 7:23 hours and 30.5 miles, met up with Tracey and Katrina and made a quick move to the nearest ice-cream shop. What a way to spend a day!

My Golden Mile

With the recent publicity regarding the Sport Relief Mile, it got me thinking what my favourite mile of running might be. This could be anywhere; road, trails, fells, track, parkland, undulating, flat, downhill, uphill, thick mud, soft grass, part of a race route, a regular training route, anything! If you could only run 1 special mile for the rest of your life, where would it be?

I gave this some thought but fairly quickly came to my decision. My Golden Mile would be the section of path forming a terrace above the River Greta on the way back into Keswick at the foot of Latrigg Fell.

This is a lovely singletrack with lots of tight corners, short uphills and descents. It is great for working on your running gait, trying to be smooth, adding in little accelerations. You can run it as a tempo effort or simply cruise along enjoying the view over the river. I always look forward to running it and often plan a run to finish with this mile section. I finished my run tonight along the terrace and filmed the route so you can get an idea of the terrain. (The video is speeded up - It is a shame I can't run that fast!)

I thought some of you out there might give this idea some thought and share your favourite mile run with us all via your blogs; it doesn't matter where in the world you are or what standard of runner you are, which mile puts a smile on your face? I think the "Golden Mile" you choose says much about the kind of runner you are; psychoanalysts get ready!

One year ago

I completed an excellent week of training yesterday with a 20 miler, essentially out to Dockray along the Old Coach Road, returning via St John's in the Vale. Another wonderful day, though I ran out of water for the last half an hour, having only planned to do about 17 miles. Unfortunately, the drought came on as I ran through farm land back towards Keswick and there were no suitable streams; to say I was a bit thirsty when I got home would be quite an understatement!

Again, the hills looked beautiful and I made every effort to take in the view and appreciate the fact that I can train in this landscape every day.

Towards the end of the session, my legs started to get that ache/tiredness associated with hard training. Up to this point, I have not really been doing enough training to get that feeling as I have had more to worry about with the heel/tendon. In many ways, it is nice to get that "You're an athlete" feeling again and is another sign that I'm no longer recovering but am definitely back in full training. This is also a nice little prompt to remind me to take a much easier week over the next seven days, something I had planned as I have a particularly busy week at work.

The title of the post refers to the fact that it was exactly one year ago that my heel finally gave up the ghost after 10 years struggle. At the time I was devastated, especially as I had had such a good winter and was confident of breaking 20 hours for the West Highland Way Race. As we all do, I tried to carry on, telling myself that things would clear up, take a few weeks off and everything will be fine. It doesn't always work like that but hindsight is a wonderful thing. If I am honest, I think I am now in better shape than I was this time last year and I have very much started the countdown to the Highland Fling Race. Just talking about racing again gives a small buzz even though it is still six weeks away.

Must quickly add congratulations to two of my athletes. Simon and Adam both ran in the Lakeland Trails series race at Cartmel at the weekend in ground conditions described as "like the Somme". Both were trying new race tactics; Adam went for a faster start and knocked 8 minutes off his PB in a race of only 11 miles, while Simon just tried to hold things back a little to even out his effort during the race, finishing strongly instead of hanging on for dear life over the last couple of miles. Well done boys!

This is why we do it!

What a fantastic morning! There are times when you are out on the trails that stick in your mind. This morning will be one of them.

I had planned to do about 10 miles around Derwentwater which is picturesque even when the weather is bad, but today was a stunner. I'm putting together a really good week's training and, so far, have coped well, even to the point of holding back a bit. I did my first tempo run since the operation on Thursday evening along the old railway and really enjoyed running a bit faster. My legs felt a bit tired after that so I had a relatively easy run last night before going to a talk by a mate who cycled John O'Groats to Land's End last summer. A great evening.

This morning, things just fell into place. My legs felt much fresher again, the trails had dried out after the rain last night, did not feel the need to carry a jacket in a bumbag, the sun was out, the Lake District looking her best and me bouncing along, trying to stop myself from running too fast. I love it!!

Hoka Bondi B shoe review

A friend of mine who suffered a stress fracture in his femur bought a pair of Hoka ComboXT shoes back in November 2011. Qiute simply, he needed something to give maximum cushioning as he got back into running and is, in fact, running the Highland Fling Race in April. He raved about the shoes so much, it got me thinking; could these shoes help me in some way, either in training, racing or both? I am now 150 miles into the shoes and I thought I’d pass on my thoughts.

You basically have a choice of three shoes in the range. The Mafate is the full trail shoe, with a more aggressive grip pattern but I found these much too wide across the toe box area. The ComboXT was my preferred choice, being the intermediate shoe (recently superseded by the Stinson), unfortunately, I was not able to get a pair in my size. This left me with the Bondi B road shoe, which at least came in a more conservative colour scheme.

Out of the box, there is no denying that these shoes are unorthodox but don’t be put off. When I initially tried on the Mafate trail shoes I was a little concerned with the lacing system that uses small webbing loops for eyelets. I am sure they are strong enough to cope with the rigours of ultra-racing, but I much prefer the more standard lacing system on the Bondi B and ComboXT/Stinson models. There is a loop on the tongue to thread the laces through, something I always use in my running shoes, just to help keep everything in place.

The uppers have a number of reinforced areas, including the toe box, main flexion points and the sides, linked to the lacing system. Despite the fact that these are designated the “road” shoe in the range, they have proved to be very resilient. Apart from the mud, the uppers show no sign of wear and tear, even after two particularly long runs on the West Highland Way and the Lakeland 100.

The top of the shoe is literally only the tip of the iceberg; it is what happens below this that makes these shoes special. The mid-sole is up to 2.5 times thicker than most trail shoes with the aim of dissipating up to 80% of the shock associated with foot strike. This is what jumped out at me when I first started to look at the shoes. Recovering from an operation to both the heel bone and Achilles tendon, anything that might ease the pounding was worth a shot.

The first real surprise is just how light the shoes are. These shoes are no heavier than most of my other running shoes (Yes, I’ve got quite a few pairs) and when they are on your feet they certainly don’t feel clumpy in any way. In fact, with some of the other attributes, you actually feel lighter out on the trail – go figure!?

Despite the size of the mid-sole, you don’t sit 6cm off the ground; you are partially sunk within the shoe which, I feel, is rather clever. What this does is hold your foot in a really stable position so that when out on the trail, even along technical single track, you never feel that that you are running on soft sponges and the shoes feel surprisingly responsive. You do not feel as in touch with the trail as you would in a minimalist shoe but that was never the aim of these.

When you first run, you assume that you will be forced to heel strike but nothing could be further from the truth. The shoe has a very small drop from heel to toe (4mm), this means that you run with a natural mid-foot strike but still get all the benefits of the cushioning – win:win?!

I have noticed that the shoe has “loosened up” as the miles have been clocked, particularly in the flexibility of the mid-sole; further adding to the comfort.

My main worry when buying the road shoe was the grip; would a road shoe give enough traction to run with confidence on the trails? I spent some time in the shop comparing the grips from all three shoes in the range and, whilst the Mafate do have a more aggressive grip, I thought that at the speed I move at in an ultra race, I could live with the Bondi B grip. Out on the trails, I’ve had no real problems apart from the adventures in the snow, though I doubt even my old faithful Salomon Speedcross’ would have coped with that. The footprint of the shoe is huge and this certainly helps with the grip and the stability, installing confidence on all surfaces.

When you first put the shoes on and start to run, they feel  different, as I’m sure you would expect. I started with small strides and concentrated on a smooth mid-foot strike and within just a few miles I felt very much at home with them. After a long day at work, I find the comfort of the shoes quite refreshing and the thought of training on tired legs is less daunting.

The shoes are especially good on rough, rocky terrain where you would normally suffer with the pounding, feeling every rock and bump. With the Hoka’s you tend to run over this type of terrain worrying less about where you place your feet. On my two 30+ mile runs, it has been  the cumulative effect of this  stress free running that I think has made all the difference. At the end of these runs, my legs have definitely felt less pounded, with a little more life in them. Now, I am quite happy to acknowledge that all this could just as easily be psychological, rather than physiological, but I will take any benefit I can, especially after 80+ miles!

Downhill is a dream. I would not consider doing a fell race in them but that is not what they are designed for. The type of descents we get in ultra races suit this shoe down to the ground. Again, you don’t have to worry too much about where you put your feet, the shoes simply take the sting out of the trail, meaning your quads take less of the strain. Think; how will your legs feel towards the end of your ultra? Think; how would you like them to feel?

That final thought is the one you have to keep in your head. These shoes are not for everyone; if you are a minimalist runner, walk away from these. If you are really that bothered about how your shoes look, perhaps you should walk away. If you are on a budget, walk away. If you are looking at running fast 10kms or half marathons, walk away. I am a runner recovering from surgery who wanted a shoe to allow me to race and train ultra distances. I asked myself what is most important to me and the answer kept coming back to “enjoyment of my running”, these shoes give me that.

I now have a dilemma. When I did the West Highland Way Race, putting fresh  shoes and socks on at the halfway point was one of the best decisions I made. I am definitely going to wear the Hoka’s for the Highland Fling 53 mile race in April, but what to do for the Lakeland 100 in the summer? Do I wear the Hoka’s for the full race and forego the magical shoe swop at Dalemain? Do I wear my Speedcross’ for the first half and then change into the Hoka’s? Do I get hold of another pair of Hoka’s (I still like the look of the Stinson B combination shoe)? What’s a boy supposed to do?

Lakeland 100 recce and recovery

It has just been one of those busy weeks. After last Sunday's run with John Kynaston, I managed to get a video done on the Sunday evening and have been meaning to get the write-up done all week, however, as usual, things conspired against me. So here we are.

John and Katrina arrived on Saturday evening and we had a lovely meal, partially credited to me by John in his report, though I had better come clean and admit that the lasagne was Tracey's work, not mine! Within minutes of finishing the meal, the table was cleared and the maps were out; just how every good evening should be spent. It is strange how a familiar route (as most of this section is to me) takes on a different perspective with new company and a whole new reason for running it.

As I looked out of the window on Sunday morning, I was pleased to see no rain and assumed we would be in for a reasonable day, weather-wise. An hour later as we drove over Newlands pass towards Buttermere, I was thinking that just some rain would be fine. Thick snow, with more dropping and laying, would make this an interesting day.

Although I have run over the fells along the section from Buttermere to Braithwaite, I have not taken the lower path, following Sail Beck, so it was nice to run something new. We were both mindful of the fact that this section will be in the dark during the Lakeland 100 and were keen to spot landmarks along the way and especially at the significant path junctions. I'm sure I would have been less careful if I had been running on my own, assuming that I would remember the route. Looking back, having John with me really helped concentrate my mind on the route and I'm sure will have made this a more productive day.

We went through a patch of almost complete white-out but were soon at the highpoint of the section at Sail Pass, followed by the long descent into Braithwaite. Somehow, we both only slipped over once each during the run through the snow; fortunately (unfortunately?) we did not have the video cameras filming at the time. Part way down, someone switched the TV from black and white to colour, or at least that is how it seemed to us. It transpired that we took a slight wrong turn through the small paths and roads into Braithwaite, I have since had a walk out there again, filmed the correct route and will send this to John so he can familiarise himself with the route from his armchair in Glasgow. (Is that still training?)

There follows a flat road section to link Braithwaite with the other side of the valley. Neither of us particularly enjoyed this but after 35 miles of racing over rough ground in the summer, would probably like not having to pick up our feet for a short time.

During the long walk up around the back of Latrigg, we took time to eat; me with my gels and John with his magic mash potato. I am fairly particular with regard to what I carry (read "kit nerd"), every gram counts, so you can imagine my reaction as John asked me to get his mash out of his rucksack and I pulled out a Tupperware box and spoon. I had a good rummage around for the tartan rug, pork pies and baguettes but assume John forgot to pack them. In his defence, John did say that during the race the mash would be in a small food bag which made me feel better.

I enjoyed showing John the next section along Glenderaterra, returning on the Blencathra side of the valley to the Blencathra Centre. This is one of my often used training routes and offers a bit of everything, running-wise.

As the next section drops down into the valley again, we took off our jackets, which I never dreamed was possible two hours earlier. Having built John up for the quagmire that is the climb from Newsham farm to the Old Coach Road (Bob Graham runners know what I mean), it was almost a disappiontment as it was only soggy and not the usual shoe eating monster. The Old Coach Road was equally kind to us and we made good progress towards the next checkpoint near Dockray. John was having his first run in a pair of Hoka shoes whilst I have been living with them for a while now. It is along sections like this that they really come into their own. In most shoes, these rough, rocky tracks give the soles of your feet a real pounding but we both commented on how comfortable we felt and I could sense John was being rapidly won over.

The highlight of the day for me personally came during the next section, contouring round the south side of Gowbarrow Fell. This is not an area I have been in before, though I will certainly be going back. It is quite simply trail running heaven; technical single track, twists, turns, short climbs, drops and a view to die for over Ullswater. If we hadn't got more to recce, I would have turned round and ran it again.

Much of the last 5 miles to Dalemain are on country lanes and again the Hoka's did their job, bouncing us along to the finish. We spent a bit of time getting the correct route through a few fields just before Bennethead; we miscounted the number of stiles we had crossed and the position of the footpath on the OS map was slightly different to the actual stiles on the ground, but we got there. The Lake District had one more thing to throw at us with a hail storm about 1 mile from the finish, not long enough to require jackets, just a slight zipping up of the man suits.

What a wonderful way to spend a day! Great company, awesome scenery, new running routes, bouncey shoes and every possible weather condition.

I said in a previous post that I hoped to recover more quickly from this run as it took quite some time to get over my February run on the WHW. I am happy to report that it is mission accomplished. I took the early part of the week really easily, partly enforced by football training sessions, fixtures and a parent's evening, but since then I have been enjoying my running and have had a couple of cracking runs over the weekend, 13 miles yesterday and 10 miles today with no ill effects. This has given me great heart for the build up to our next Lakeland 100 outing in three weeks time when we go from Dalemain to Ambleside. Can't wait!

Lakeland 100 Recce video

Had a fantastic day out with John yesterday. Full report to follow but here is a taste of the day.

Training/Recovery balance

After my confidence boosting day on the West Highland Way during the half term holidays, I have been caught in limbo. I definitely suffered in the few days after the long run, which suggests that I did really push myself, perhaps a bit too hard. As I have thought about the run over the last week or so, I have come to the conclusion that the psychological benefits I gained, outweigh the physiological negatives I have suffered since. Knowing I can cover the big distances at a reasonable pace again is really important and, as I stated previously, it takes some pressure off me.

This week, for the first time since the operation, I have been torn between waiting to fully recover from the long run and wanting to get back into full training. In previous years, a couple of easy days would have been enough, however, after my training runs this week, it is obvious that I currently need longer.

After some easy runs during the week, I planned to have a tougher weekend. On Saturday, the weather looked quite nice so I decided I would have a run up Skiddaw with a view to doing some quad conditioning on the descent. Despite being a nice day, I thought I would just pop an extra jacket, gloves and buff into the bumbag; well you never know!? Turns out this was one of the best moves I will make this year. Just as I reached the summit ridge, the weather changed dramatically. Gale force winds, snow, hail and sleet!! All the layers went on and I toughed it out along the ridge to the summit, running at a gravity defying angle just to stay upright. I wanted to take some video footage but it would have been impossible to stop, take off the glaves and work the camera. It was simply a case of touching the trig point and getting the hell out of there. On the way down, I met another runner going up and told him the conditions on the summit were brutal. He thought I was joking as we were bathed in sunshine at the time. Whilst up there, I could here a helicopter (visibility was too short to see it), I wonder if it was involved in a mountain rescue?

The long climb has obviously put some extra strain on the tendon and for the last 36 hours my calfs have been screaming. I had planned to do a cpoule of hours today but decided to rest up, having one eye on my long Lakeland 100 recce next week with John Kynaston.

My short term targets have changed radically in the space of less than two weeks. After the long run on the WHW, I thought I could start to gently increase the tempo of training and add in more hill work. After this last week, I realise I don't need to trun up the gas yet, in fact, I can afford to turn the gas down for the time being and just gently build on the base I have got now. So, this next week I am going to stay off the hills and just tick over in the hope of being in a better state to make the most of next weekend.

During the recce run I want to try and carry the full set of kit that you have to carry in the race later in the year. I spent an hour this afternoon trying out different bits of my mountain marathon kit, deciding which combinations would work and fit into my favorite trail running rucksack.

I will need to have the extra small pack attached to the waist band and I think I will add some webbing to the main rucksack to give the option of carrying jacket, gloves, etc on the outside. Overall, I was pleased with the system and it weighs much less than a typical mountain marathon rucksack.

Gels, energy powder to mix with water, electrolyte tablets, compass, whistle, 1st aid kit, spare drink and food, hat, gloves, headtorch, foil blanket, phone, base layer trousers and top, waterproof jacket and trousers, extra pertex jacket.

The extra webbing will make life easier on the run to access the most likely gear and leave things less cramped in the sack. Big test next week for the kit system and an even bigger test for John and I. All we need now is some better weather!

West Highland Way training run

This has been a really important week for me. Those that have viewed the video in my previous post will understand why, but it goes deeper than just being able to call myself an ultra distance runner again.

On Monday, Tracey and I travelled up to Arrochar at the tip of Loch Long where we had booked 5 days in a self catering apartment. It turned out to be a superb little base, immaculately presented with every mod-con you could need and we had a lovely week. (Check it out here)

For me personally, Tuesday was the big day. I decided that I would run from Balmaha to Tyndrum, along the West Highland Way. This particular run was my first experience of the WHW back in 2009 when I ran with a friend who was training for the WHW race. Back then, I had such a fantastic day out that I entered the Highland Fling Race as soon as I got back and have been concentrating on ultra running since. I have done this route for the previous 3 years during the February half term holiday, getting a little faster and more confident each time, though last year I knocked something like 35 minutes off my previous year's time.

1st training run on WHW - Feb 2009



This year, I didn't really know what to expect. Most parameters seemed to be against me; double the longest run since the operation, 7 month lay-off during the injury, normally done 2 1/2 months training at this point (only 1 1/2 this time), blah, blah, blah. On the plus side, I was just so excited to be out there again, I thought that might help me through.

I set off from Balmaha feeling so much better than I had just before Christmas when I dragged my self to Rowardennan kicking and screaming. I knew straight away that this was going to be a much nicer experience. I took lots of video clips along the way as I have done on many of my outings, including some where I place the camera on the trail side and run past so I get some footage of myself running. Not only does this look good on the video but it also gives me some insight into how I am running mechanically; something I think more runners should try and do.

I knew I was making good time, though it wasn't until I reached my first marker after 35 minutes or so, that I realised just how fast I was going. Not long after this, I met John and Katrina Kynaston as they drove past on the way to Rowardennan to walk up Ben Lomond. We had a short chat about our future training plans for the Lakeland 100 and our first outing together in a couple of weeks time. As ever, John was straight out with the camera and kindly sent me a copy of the photograph.

I carried on, still with a lovely bounce in my step, reaching Rowardennan in around 1:18 hours, 12 minutes quicker than in December. From that point I knew one of two things would happen. Either I would have a storming day out and finish in a better than expected time or the wheels would fall off and I would have to dig deep to get to Tyndrum, leaving Tracey to pick up the pieces.

There is a long climb out of Rowardennan, so I used this time to walk a little. I tried to visualise where I would attempt to run or walk during the Fling race in April, trying to break the long climb into smaller sections which make the whole thing easier to cope with, both physically and psychologically. Once I reached the single track section, I let things fly a little. This is a really nice trail with lots of short ups and downs, requiring smooth running and quick transitions from a walk to a run; really interesting stuff. I reached Inversnaid in just over 2:30 hours.

The next 3 miles are the "Marmite" section of the WHW, you either love it or hate it! Fortunately, I love it. It is really technical with lots of rocks, short climbs, longer climbs, tree roots and just about anything else that could throw you off your stride. I find the key is not to fight the trail but relax and be smooth - easier said than done. Not long after, you pass Dario's post and have to take in the view - it's the law!!!

View from Dario's Post

It is always a relief when you reach Beinglas Farm and can put the loch behind you. I still felt pretty good at this point, well as good as you can be after running for 4 hours, though I did begin to think that I might be able to hold this pace together to the finish. The next few miles do allow you to get more of a rhythm and the miles seem to go that little bit quicker.

The most important point of the whole day came after crossing the main road and railway, just before Cow-poo corner. I kept a close eye on the GPS and stopped when the distance ticked over to 26.3 miles which officially made me an ultra distance runner again. Yippeee!!

From this point on, I suddenly became interested in what time I could do for the whole route. My quick calculations suggested I could better last year's time which would be some kind of small miracle and a huge confidence boost. So I set about being smooth and running as much as I could, picturing how I would do this in the Fling. It was pleasing how I was able to respond despite the growing tightness in my calfs and I simply ground out a steady pace through the rollercoaster woods and on to Tyndrum.

I finished in 6:08 hours for the 33.5 miles and, to be honest wasn't in too bad a shape, certainly good enough for a quick change and drive back to Arrochar.

My confidence has taken a wonderful boost from this and, in many ways, it has taken some pressure off as I know I am getting back to my pre-operation levels of fitness. What I am still doing well is to listen to my body. I have done things very easy since the long run, despite the programme asking for more, I have missed some sessions to allow myself to recover properly and am going to have another easy week next week. That is perhaps the next target; to be able to complete the mega long runs and then recover more quickly to resume normal training. We'll see how I cope after the first Lakeland 100 training route in a couple of weeks time.

A happy boy, signing off!

I'm back!

I'm an ultra runner again!

Felt like a runner

I started last week's training with a really positive attitude, trying to think of myself as a runner in training rather than a runner on the recovery trail. I have no idea whether the positive attitude helped or I am simply getting fitter but this week was my best effort so far with everything going to plan, clocking up around 45 miles of trails. The most pleasing part was that I seemed to cope with the week far easier than the last "medium" week I did, which I finished rather drained, requiring a full recovery week after. This time I feel I am ready to jump into a "hard" week, including a long WHW section.

It was nice to get some variety into the week, with each session having a different tone, making things fun and easy to cope with mentally. I started with a common session of mine; round the small singletrack paths in the woods below Latrigg Fell. It's only a 5 mile loop but is very technical, great for working on a smooth running style and includes my favourite 1 mile of running anywhere (for those that know the area; the river terrace path towards The Forge.)

Tuesday, I did a full hill rep session (note the singular) which was a 40 minute run up Skiddaw, nearly reaching the top of Jenkin's Hill, and a blast down. This was my first sustained uphill run, which obviously puts some extra strain on the tendon, though it seemed to hang-on in there and wasn't too sore later on. This was an important session, psychologically, as it should now give me the confidence to spend a little more time in the mountains knowing that the tendon can cope.

I had a good run on the old railway line on Thursday. I found I was running a little too quickly at times and had to hold back which is always a nice feeling. This session is often used to improve running style and efficiency as the surface is uniform, allowing for a nice rhythm.

Tracey and I were attending a wedding in Yarm on Saturday (congratulations Iain and Karen), staying at Tracey's sisters house, so I did a new run out along the River Tees. This was, without doubt, the most enjoyable run I have had since the operation. Freezing cold, no wind, no mud (as it was all frozen) and some picturesque views I've not seen before. The 10 miles flew by and I was bouncing at the end.

Derwentwater from Ashness Wood

Today, I rounded off the week with a 16 mile loop, basically round the lake, going down the west shore first, right down to Rossthwaite, climbing over to Watendlath and back via Ashness Bridge and Great Wood. Despite a late night, I felt pretty good as I set off and, again, had to easy back the pace every now and then as I dipped under the 8 min/mile barrier. It was one of those days that remind you why we do this sport, you soon get lost in your own thoughts or the beauty of the landscape, simply feeling good about the moment, thinking back or planning ahead.

Running through Brandelhow Park Woods

I did struggle a bit on the climb over into Watendlath, though managed to just about run the full climb. The ankle was starting to stiffen up a little towards the end but that could just as easily be due to the harder training week or being at the tail-end of a long run. Either way, I had a nice second wind over the last few miles and finished quite strongly.


Top of the climb to Watendlath

So, a very positive week, my highest mileage so far, my highest weekly hours so far, all done with the minimum of fuss. Now for the really big test next week - I'm going to try and become an ultra runner again as I run from Balmaha to Tyndrum. I am sure I can complete the run, what is more important is that I complete the run in one piece and am able to recover quickly enough to continue with the training rhythm I have established. If all goes to plan, I've got three weeks until the first of my long Lakeland 100 recces with John Kynaston and I obviously want to be in a position to make the most of that outing. (Note to self; I need to be fit enough to run and have a 7 or 8 hour conversation!!)

A state of mind

During the last week, I had a simple conversation with a colleague, but then spent a great deal of time mulling over my responses. As ever, my friend asked how my heel was feeling and how the running was going. Simple enough questions. It was later in the day, as I was training, I realised that my stock responses to those frequent questions reveal a great deal about my current state of mind. I always say things like "I'm slowly getting there", "Good days and bad" and "It's going to be a while yet". The thought in my head as I ran along was when would I change this attitude? At some point I have to draw a line and describe myself as an ultrarunner again. That is easy to do in black and white, within these blog pages, as soon as I complete a run longer than 26.2 miles, hopefully in about 10 or 11 days when I plan to have an outing on the WHW. In reality, it's a bit more complex than that.

Attitudes, once formed, are enduring and work at a sub-conscious level. In order to re-shape the attitude that has formed over the last six months, I need to break one element of that cycle that makes the attitude so dominant. I feel that breaking the 26.2 mile barrier will be a significant part of this process but I need more. I'm going to try a different response to general enquiries. Phrases like "Training is going well", "I can feel myself getting fitter" and "Had another solid week of training". These statements are all true, but I never use them at present; at some point I have to stop hiding behind the recovery from the operation, when standing on the start line there is no special category for me, nowhere to hide, no special asterisk next to your name on the results, you are only assessed on the result of the race.

So, to start the ball rolling, I had a really good, solid week of training. Completing a normal easy week, exactly as planned, though I definitely coped better with the sessions than the previous easy weeks. The recovery week I slotted in has made a real difference and I'm going to make sure I repeat that at times when I feel sluggish, tired or even just a bit demotivated. I found that I had to hold myself back at times during the week, looking down at the GPS and seeing that I was faster than 8 minutes/mile. The first two months of the training programme, whether recovering after a lay-off or not, are kept at a comfortable pace and I force myself to keep to the rule (8 min/mile max pace).

This next week is classified as a medium week, where I intend to run 5 sessions, with a total of about 45 miles, which I hope will set me up for the following week, where I'm going to attempt to run from Balmaha to Tyndrum and call myself an ultra distance runner again. I'm really looking forward to this run as it is the exact route that got me hooked on the WHW after I ran with a friend who was training for the race in 2009.

Children of the Revolution

Not a great deal to talk about with regard to my training this last week. Having started the year with three solid training weeks, I decided I needed to spend a week recovering and repairing, which is exactly what I have done. Simply running three times, all around 4 miles, at a nice easy pace. I feel much refreshed and ready to start the next three week cycle of training which will be an easy week, a medium week and finally, in the half term holidays, a hard week to include the biggest test so far; running from Balmaha to Tyndrum. Last year I did this run in about 6:15 hours but will be happy with something in the region of 7:00 hours, with the number one priority of being in one piece at the finish.

I thought  would take a little time to tell you about my growing stable of athletes I am advising/coaching. The names of the innocent have been protected!

Everone has their own special needs, each a particular characteristic and each sits on a different step of the running ladder. Take S, she started running simply for the health benefits but after a while the lure of a proper race proved too great. She needed a simple plan to gradually increase her distances but also build some confidence. P is the adrenaline runner; he used to just hammer every run, which got him into good shape and made him competitive in lots of races but he really wanted to get that little bit more and focus on a few specific races. We have now got him having a purpose for each run, more variety in his training and some time to recover and regroup. He is a very experienced runner and really just needs someone to suggest what he already knows!

Now we come to the dynamic duo. These guys have ended up training together but, again, approach things from very different angles. Firstly, A is methodical planner. He has been training well, with a correctly structured week, the problem being that he did the same basic stuff, week after week. What we have done is build a plan for the year (on a spreadsheet, of course), targeting a number of races, peaking for his main target of an off-road marathon later in the year. This is the first time he has had a periodised training plan and, interestingly, he is finding that he may be getting too fit too soon, I think due to the built-in recovery periods which he has not used before. We are going to leave the plan as it is for the next month and then review things. Then finally, there is S. He is relatively new to running, like a puppy with a toy. His enthusiasm is catching but, again, he needs to be warned about hammering training too often. He is following the same basic plan as A, simply because they do most of their training together. S is at the point where he is making rapid gains in his performances, which is obviously great for his confidence, but his area for improvement is pacing, in both training and racing. I am sure that he will boss this as he gains more experience. On the plus side, this guy knows how to push himself; open the hurt box and climb inside!

I'm really enjoying giving advice to these runners and, in fact, nudge a number of others in the right direction, whether it be training, racing, kit, shoes, nutrition, etc. It probably benefits my training and racing too as it makes you spend a little more time analysing things which you may otherwise take for granted.

Finished off the week with a visit to The Revolution cycling event at Manchester Velodrome. What a fantastic evening. Three hours of non-stop entertainment, including some of the world's top ranked cyclists, like Sir Chris Hoy. They look fast on the TV, but it is a sight to behold in the actual stadium with 17,000 spectators cheering on. I have put together a short video of the races, however, you'll have to forgive the quality of the shots as it was done with my phone and they just move too bloody fast.