Lakeland 100 recce video

Sorry this is late but it has just been a busy week.

Running-wise, I have taken things very easy, with only three sessions (plus some swimming and cycling) which was exactly what I needed after the monster run last weekend with John. I now feel recovered and ready to get on with some proper training.

Enjoy the video.

A long day at the office

With all the logistics in place, John arrived early evening on Saturday, which gave us plenty of time to eat, begin a recording for the West Highland Way Race podcasts and watch the football. What could make a better evening? Oh yea, I know; don't embarrass yourself doing a podcast. It all sounds so easy, though I found it quite a surreal experience. You are effectively talking to someone, talking to no one and talking to anyone all at the same time. Weird!

Tracey had agreed to take-one-for-the-team and dragged herself out of bed on Sunday morning to take us down to Ambleside for the start of the recce run, continuing on from the point where we finished last time.

Ready for the off.

The weather had finally decided to abandon winter and jumped straight to summer. Those grins on the photo remained there for many hours to come, not all the time but most of it!

One of the things I have really enjoyed about these recces is that I have discovered new trails on my doorstep. The route out of Ambleside is a prime example. There is a nice climb over Loughrigg Fell towards Elter Water and then a wonderful run along the river from Skelwith Bridge to Elterwater village and then on to Chapel Stile. We just couldn't resist taking pictures every couple of minutes, skipping along like a couple of Cheshire cats. We did not have the exact location of the checkpoint so took a few photos of the various options and have since bossed it.

The River Brathay

We then continued into Great Langdale, skirting round the foot of Lingmoor Fell. Here the underfoot conditions became rockier and the ankles started to take the pounding they would take for many more hours. This early in our run it was difficult to comprehend how this same route will feel in the race with 90 miles already in our legs; the only thing I can say for sure is that I will be happy if I can muster any kind of run at all at this point.

Little Langdale is far quieter than it's bigger brother, but no less beautiful, with a more intimate feel. At this point, we were trying to work out where the 100 mile point would be, finally selecting a footpath sign as our marker - who knows how accurate we are but who cares? At this point in the race each step is going to be a significant marker.

John in Little Langdale

We arrived at Tibberthwaite, the final checkpoint before the finish, took one look up the hill and started the plod. When looking at the splits from the race, you wonder why runners take so long - now we know. It's a long slog up on to the beautiful Yewdale Fells followed be a knee popping descent into Coniston and the finish. If you are able to run a single step of this descent at the end of 100 miles, you are having a good day.

The drop to Coniston

We talked a lot about how we might feel at this point and ran into the finish as if it was the real thing; I nearly started high-fiving the tourists. Although it was a fun game, imagining what it will feel like, this turned out to be a mistake as we both seemed to think of this point as the end of our run, whereas, we actually had the best part of five hours left.

Looking rather supple in the start/finish area

The initial climb back out of Coniston went well as we continued our podcast interview, but once we got onto the Walna Scar Road which would take us over into the Duddon Valley, the conversation dried up somewhat. This might not sound too significant, however, we have spent about 23 hours running this route together and this was the first time we stopped chatting. I think it was a combination of the mind and body targeting the finish in Coniston and us falling behind our split time expectations for the first time. Lesson to be learnt -  with these events, you run half with your legs and the other half with your mind!!

The climb out of Seathwaite up to Grassguards and on towards Harter Fell was exactly what you don't want when you are having a tough time. It is rough, boggy and long. On the plus side, once we came out of the plantation below Harter Fell, we were both so pleased to be able to run again that our spirits started to lift and we "got it back together" again, running more smoothly down into the Eskdale valley. I even managed a skip just to prove I could!

Born to dance

We met a lady in Eskdale who helps with the checkpoint there during the race and she kindly refilled our water bottles for the final push over into Wasdale. This was generally a more inviting climb, more runnable and less rocky than many of the previous plods. By this point, we were both quite pleased with how we had turned round from the tough section and really started to run more strongly. As soon as we crested the final col, I could see where the car was parked and before too long we were shaking hands and congratulating each other on a grand day out.

At the finish in Wasdale

We covered just over 35 miles in 9 hours but, more importantly, this reminded us just how tough this race is going to be. The previous two recce runs have been fairly straight forward and had perhaps lulled us into thinking we were going to boss this race. This weekend's outing showed just how much respect we need to have for the course and this will be at the forefront of my mind when I start to plan my race strategy.

The Lake District was stunning, the weather was superb, the Hoka's were bouncy and the smiles were BIG! Thanks for the company, John.

Lakeland 100 Recce

Just a quick note to let you know that John and I completed our third recce of the Lakeland 100 route today in glorious sunshine, 35 miles in 9 hours. We came through a tough patch (more psychological than anything else) and finished strongly, if rather weathered.

At the finish in Wasdale

Ambleside to Coniston to Wasdale again showed the tough nature of this course and reminded us of how much respect we have to show this race.

The usual full report and video will have to be done another night as I can hear my bath calling me!

Three valleys

Just about got everything in place for the next Lakeland 100 recce run tomorrow. This one has taken a bit more logistical juggling involving various car trips, a campervan, co-driver, running over fells and a bus journey. Only two things remain to be slotted into place; John needs to arrive here in time to watch the football and we need to run 30 odd miles. Simples!!

Managed to take in (the view into) three valleys today. Wasdale, Ennerdale and Buttermere. Rather windy on the tops today (the weather, not me!) but still enjoyable. I made sure I took the climbs nice and easy with tomorrow in mind and am looking forward to seeing another chunk of the Lakeland 100 route. This will actually complete my trip round the route, though I need to spend more time on the Wasdale to Keswick section which needs care, especially in the dark. That will be the final recce for John and myself in four weeks time.

Wasdale

Ennerdale

Buttermere

Quad trashing

I wanted to make a positive start in the final build-up towards the Lakeland 100. That meant only one thing, HILLS.

Today, I went up Jenkins Hill (the steep bit of Skiddaw), cut off round to Sale How, dropped down to Skiddaw House YHA, took in Great Calva and enjoyed the long drop back down into Keswick.

The difference in the weather compared to yesterday was rather dramatic. Calm and sunny yesterday, howling cold wind today. I walked more of the hills than I would if training for fell racing as I wanted to make it more specific to the ultra-marathon and, to hopefully, keep the pressure off the Achilles tendon.

The boggy climb to Calva

I think I still ran too much, as my tendon has been a bit sore during the afternoon. I need to have more discipline on these long hill days if I am going to avoid any injuries. On the plus side, it felt like a good workout for the quads, which is the main point of the exercise. More days like that will reap rewards during the big race.

As I returned along the Glenderaterra path, I met a number of the runners on the official Lakeland 100 recce, running from Buttermere to Dalemain. They all looked to be enjoying the day out but I was glad I only had to drop down into Keswick and did not have another 20 miles to do.

Back in the land of training

It has now been two weeks since the Highland Fling race and I have completed my prescribed recovery period. Even last weekend, I felt that I could have done some more serious training sessions but I have stuck to my original plan of just doing a few very easy jogs over these two weeks and my legs feel better for it.

Today, it was time to get back into training mode and I spent a lovely hour and a half out on the hills, feeling good and running smoothly. The route along Glenderaterra is one of my favourites and part of the Lakeland 100 course so I feel like a frequent flier.

Tomorrow, I hope to get out and include some more substantial hills, particularly working on the conditioning of my quads for the big race (only 11 weeks away.) I have been giving some thought as to how I need to slightly tweek my training over these remaining weeks. On the build up to the Fling, I have done relatively little mountain running, however, this needs to change if my training is to be more Lakeland 100 specific.

The big building blocks are in place; two more long recce runs with John Kynaston and the Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon. What I hope to do in the course of normal weekly training is to include a tempo run (60 - 80 minutes), a hill run (one climb/descent, 60 - 80 minutes) and a mountain run (multiple hills, 2 - 4 hours). The fact that I have decades of fell running in my legs means I don't have to go stupid at this but psychologically, knowing I have put in the hill work will help me come the end of July.

"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary", Vince Lombardi

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!