A typical day in the Doherty household....
Trail, road & mountain ultra running
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Gloucester 50k - The 50k Debut
Where do I start. Well I suppose with my 'war story'. Gloucester 50k was a key race in my diary for this year. It was not only my 50k road race debut but also a good warm up to some 100k races I have planned for this year.
I put in some solid training over the December period taking advantage of the holiday season to put in some high mileage (and burn off those calories!). The 5 week period between 06/12 to w/c 03/01 I managed to log about 565 miles most of which were on road - this is a little unusual as I try and get in as much trail running as possible. I was just glad that I didn't get any niggles from the hours of stomping tarmac. I put in a taper reducing my mileage down to 70 miles 2 weeks before the race and then about 35 miles during race week.
Inevitably with such training under my belt the Saturday night before the event I came down with some kind of bug that I am sure was kindly passed onto me by my son (who has a skill in collecting illnesses from his nursery). I woke up Sunday morning, had some porridge, a smoothie and switched on cbeebies for my boy when my temperature suddenly had me in a sweating fit. That was it. No running for me today. I went up stairs took my kit off jumped back into bed and declared to my wife that I would not be running today!
It was not long before the guilt and "what ifs?" started to rattle around in my head, so I jumped out of bed threw my kit back on and headed for Gloucester. I was hoping that a couple of Combiflam (Ibuprofen) and a large skinny Cappuccino would do the trick. It did!
It was not long before we were taken for a leisurely walk by one of the volunteers to Sellars Road which is about 2 miles into the Marathon route. The start is a small country road where we were told to wait for the elite car to come into view. This was a sign that the marathon runners (who start some way behind us) were coming our way and we were to start running and mingle with these guys. 10.30ish we were off.
I was not feeling too bad at this stage and headed off at quite a hard pace of around 5.20 - 5.40mm the route takes us through Hardwicke and Quedgeley in a figure of eight shape leading us to Stonebench turn where we start to count laps. For the 50k runners we do 4 laps of about 7 miles with a 1 mile return to the finish.
The first couple of loops passed without much notice, I maintained a reasonable pace although again quite erratic, I remember looking at my Garmin and noticed that my pace was 4.50mm on the flat - I eased on the brakes a little but felt strong so tried to maintain a pace between 5.30mm to 5.45 hitting 20 miles in 1 hour 56. This was about the time when the battery in my watch died. Hmmm
The loop takes you through Elmore and Longney through quite country lanes and is very scenic. The support was great and really gave me a boost when I needed it.
The drink stations were perfectly located and offered both water and High Five so hydration was not too much of an issue. I had kept a Clift peanut biscuit to hand and munched on it from about an hour and a half in. I could have probably done with a bit more food but it kept me going until the end.
It was about 26-27 miles when things started to go wrong and my body began to shut down - I reckon it was a mix or erratic pacing and not feeling too well but I suddenly went from 5.40mm to something way over 6mm (if not 7+mm for about half a mile) before I got a grip of myself. Soon after English International 100k runner Julian Rendall came rushing past me looking very strong. He had amazingly picked up the 3 minute advantage I had gained over the race period and continued to push forward up to the finish line. A very good performance. Unfortunately, I did not have it in me that day to pick up the pace and push to the finish - perhaps next time. My priority was not to drop any more time and Allen Smalls was hot on my heels!
Top 3 Men:
1. Julian Rendall - 3:07:22
2. Daniel Doherty - 3:09: 05
3. Allen Smalls - 3: 09: 41
I put in some solid training over the December period taking advantage of the holiday season to put in some high mileage (and burn off those calories!). The 5 week period between 06/12 to w/c 03/01 I managed to log about 565 miles most of which were on road - this is a little unusual as I try and get in as much trail running as possible. I was just glad that I didn't get any niggles from the hours of stomping tarmac. I put in a taper reducing my mileage down to 70 miles 2 weeks before the race and then about 35 miles during race week.
Inevitably with such training under my belt the Saturday night before the event I came down with some kind of bug that I am sure was kindly passed onto me by my son (who has a skill in collecting illnesses from his nursery). I woke up Sunday morning, had some porridge, a smoothie and switched on cbeebies for my boy when my temperature suddenly had me in a sweating fit. That was it. No running for me today. I went up stairs took my kit off jumped back into bed and declared to my wife that I would not be running today!
It was not long before the guilt and "what ifs?" started to rattle around in my head, so I jumped out of bed threw my kit back on and headed for Gloucester. I was hoping that a couple of Combiflam (Ibuprofen) and a large skinny Cappuccino would do the trick. It did!
It was not long before we were taken for a leisurely walk by one of the volunteers to Sellars Road which is about 2 miles into the Marathon route. The start is a small country road where we were told to wait for the elite car to come into view. This was a sign that the marathon runners (who start some way behind us) were coming our way and we were to start running and mingle with these guys. 10.30ish we were off.
I was not feeling too bad at this stage and headed off at quite a hard pace of around 5.20 - 5.40mm the route takes us through Hardwicke and Quedgeley in a figure of eight shape leading us to Stonebench turn where we start to count laps. For the 50k runners we do 4 laps of about 7 miles with a 1 mile return to the finish.
The first couple of loops passed without much notice, I maintained a reasonable pace although again quite erratic, I remember looking at my Garmin and noticed that my pace was 4.50mm on the flat - I eased on the brakes a little but felt strong so tried to maintain a pace between 5.30mm to 5.45 hitting 20 miles in 1 hour 56. This was about the time when the battery in my watch died. Hmmm
The loop takes you through Elmore and Longney through quite country lanes and is very scenic. The support was great and really gave me a boost when I needed it.
The drink stations were perfectly located and offered both water and High Five so hydration was not too much of an issue. I had kept a Clift peanut biscuit to hand and munched on it from about an hour and a half in. I could have probably done with a bit more food but it kept me going until the end.
It was about 26-27 miles when things started to go wrong and my body began to shut down - I reckon it was a mix or erratic pacing and not feeling too well but I suddenly went from 5.40mm to something way over 6mm (if not 7+mm for about half a mile) before I got a grip of myself. Soon after English International 100k runner Julian Rendall came rushing past me looking very strong. He had amazingly picked up the 3 minute advantage I had gained over the race period and continued to push forward up to the finish line. A very good performance. Unfortunately, I did not have it in me that day to pick up the pace and push to the finish - perhaps next time. My priority was not to drop any more time and Allen Smalls was hot on my heels!
Top 3 Men:
1. Julian Rendall - 3:07:22
2. Daniel Doherty - 3:09: 05
3. Allen Smalls - 3: 09: 41
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
A Touch of Frost
I thought I would post a couple of pics of my afternoon run... That is frost not snow on the trees!!
Snellsmore Common, Newbury, UK:
Snellsmore Common, Newbury, UK:
Monday, 6 December 2010
Portland - Coastal Trail Series - Race Report
Saturday morning, was up at 5am, knocked out some coffee an egg and bacon sandwich and threw in some malt loaf into the kit bag. With the way the weather has been in the UK I didn't know whether to expect snow, ice, rain or a Tsunami. In the end we got a touch of mist and about 1 degree. Not too bad.
Throwing the kit in the car I picked up my fellow club runner Sam and we headed off to the latest stage of the EnduraceLife Coastal Trail Series 2010. I had already participated in the previous race (See Gower race report below) and today would see us head off to Portland on the South Coast in Dorset. As ultra distance was not an option on this course, I had opted in for the trail marathon instead.
The starting point and check-in was in Weymouth an outstanding place if you are mad about boats and the like -as it will soon be hosting the sailing part of the London Olympics 2012. The schedule for the day is slower marathon runners heading off first followed by the other marathon runners shortly after. The half marathon and 10k runners head off an our and half or so after we shoot off.
With a good turn out we all head off out of the hanger for a quick briefing a look around to idenitfy anyone wearing road trainers (for a good laugh) a few words of encouragement and we were off. The marathon runners hit 2 laps of the island (although I am not entirely sure why it is called an island) with a basic line following the coastal line around Portland.
Checking out a few forums and blogs I heard that this was a reasonably quick course so I shot off at a sub 6mm pace only to hit a very large hill within the first mile or so. I usually use the first few miles to warm up and get settled in so this hill was certainly most unwelcome at such an early part of the race. That said, it certainly woke me up. After a very short time to recover from the hill(s) we were presented with another hill which was impossible to run up and we were forced to the 'hands on knee' manoeuvre to get up, a quick pose for the camera at the top and away.
After a couple of miles I had a comfortable lead hitting the first checkpoint just over 17 minutes. Now, getting lost appears to be a common occurrence for me on the coastal series - shortly after a quick decent after the checkpoint I was presented with a path leading left and right of me. The problem was that 1 arrow pointed right and the other left! As with all these kinds of events there is always the risk of someone moving the arrows and it appears that someone found it funny to point the arrow in the opposite direction. It was a 50/50 so I took the left path only to be presented with a dead end half a mile or so down the track (i.e. the sea!). I must admit I was pleased to see the other runners following suite who had taken the left turn as well. It also meant that we all made the same mistake so it was an even field! There was a lot of time to make up -to put the diversion into perspective, the organisers estimate the mileage to be 26.9 miles - my Garmin recorded 28.17!
Anyway, after the little jolly we all dug in and got on with the race. The first lap went by quite quickly presenting some nice challenges, steep descents on wet rocks a few metres from the cliff edge and the sound of the sea smashing into the rocks and cliffs below. Some really beautiful scenes to be had. It wasn't long before the famous Portland Bill Lighthouse (do you remember the kid's cartoon!) came into sight which also indicated that checkpoint 2 was close by. A quick dab of the dabber and off for another long section across some grassland before hitting more cliff edge slowly bringing us down the the seafront.
It wasn't long before I went from tarmac to pebbles. Over a mile of pebbles in fact! I started the beach section quite promising with a sub 7.5mm on shingle / pebble beach but it wasn't long before the legs were struggling and I was down to 8.5mm for this section of the course. The worst bit is knowing that you have to do the section again another 13 or so miles later!
It wasn't long after the beach section that I was in the second lap of the route and about 10 mins behind the half marathoners. Up the hills again drop the pace to catch my breach and I was back into 6.5mm - I caught up with the half marathoners just before CP1 which was nice in a way that I had some company whist running but a little bit awkward when trying to run down the single lanes. Shouting "coming through" seemed to work in most cases but they were under no obligation to step aside if they didn't want to and some didn't - fair enough. This brought me down to a shuffle in some stages but it was probably a positive thing as it gave me time to recoup for a few seconds before hitting the coastal path again digging in and trying to complete the second lap.
Half way around the second lap the wind kicked in and it began to rain. The island is so exposed it wasn't long before I was soaked to the bone but I knew there was not far to go. A final MASSIVE slog across the pebble beach hit the final checkpoint and an attempt to push in a good time in the final section back to the HQ.
3 hours 23 minutes and 3323 calories later I passed the finish line.Job done. Although I was pleased with setting a new course record, this is by no means a quick time for a trail marathon - this is tough terrain and the pebbles make sure you know you have just completed a coastal trail run.
Top 3 men were:
1. Daniel Doherty - 3.23.01
2. David Spencer - 3.41.10
3. Mike Martin - 3.50.00
Full results for marathon, half and 10k can be found here.
Throwing the kit in the car I picked up my fellow club runner Sam and we headed off to the latest stage of the EnduraceLife Coastal Trail Series 2010. I had already participated in the previous race (See Gower race report below) and today would see us head off to Portland on the South Coast in Dorset. As ultra distance was not an option on this course, I had opted in for the trail marathon instead.
The starting point and check-in was in Weymouth an outstanding place if you are mad about boats and the like -as it will soon be hosting the sailing part of the London Olympics 2012. The schedule for the day is slower marathon runners heading off first followed by the other marathon runners shortly after. The half marathon and 10k runners head off an our and half or so after we shoot off.
With a good turn out we all head off out of the hanger for a quick briefing a look around to idenitfy anyone wearing road trainers (for a good laugh) a few words of encouragement and we were off. The marathon runners hit 2 laps of the island (although I am not entirely sure why it is called an island) with a basic line following the coastal line around Portland.
Checking out a few forums and blogs I heard that this was a reasonably quick course so I shot off at a sub 6mm pace only to hit a very large hill within the first mile or so. I usually use the first few miles to warm up and get settled in so this hill was certainly most unwelcome at such an early part of the race. That said, it certainly woke me up. After a very short time to recover from the hill(s) we were presented with another hill which was impossible to run up and we were forced to the 'hands on knee' manoeuvre to get up, a quick pose for the camera at the top and away.
After a couple of miles I had a comfortable lead hitting the first checkpoint just over 17 minutes. Now, getting lost appears to be a common occurrence for me on the coastal series - shortly after a quick decent after the checkpoint I was presented with a path leading left and right of me. The problem was that 1 arrow pointed right and the other left! As with all these kinds of events there is always the risk of someone moving the arrows and it appears that someone found it funny to point the arrow in the opposite direction. It was a 50/50 so I took the left path only to be presented with a dead end half a mile or so down the track (i.e. the sea!). I must admit I was pleased to see the other runners following suite who had taken the left turn as well. It also meant that we all made the same mistake so it was an even field! There was a lot of time to make up -to put the diversion into perspective, the organisers estimate the mileage to be 26.9 miles - my Garmin recorded 28.17!
Anyway, after the little jolly we all dug in and got on with the race. The first lap went by quite quickly presenting some nice challenges, steep descents on wet rocks a few metres from the cliff edge and the sound of the sea smashing into the rocks and cliffs below. Some really beautiful scenes to be had. It wasn't long before the famous Portland Bill Lighthouse (do you remember the kid's cartoon!) came into sight which also indicated that checkpoint 2 was close by. A quick dab of the dabber and off for another long section across some grassland before hitting more cliff edge slowly bringing us down the the seafront.
 |
It wasn't long before I went from tarmac to pebbles. Over a mile of pebbles in fact! I started the beach section quite promising with a sub 7.5mm on shingle / pebble beach but it wasn't long before the legs were struggling and I was down to 8.5mm for this section of the course. The worst bit is knowing that you have to do the section again another 13 or so miles later!
It wasn't long after the beach section that I was in the second lap of the route and about 10 mins behind the half marathoners. Up the hills again drop the pace to catch my breach and I was back into 6.5mm - I caught up with the half marathoners just before CP1 which was nice in a way that I had some company whist running but a little bit awkward when trying to run down the single lanes. Shouting "coming through" seemed to work in most cases but they were under no obligation to step aside if they didn't want to and some didn't - fair enough. This brought me down to a shuffle in some stages but it was probably a positive thing as it gave me time to recoup for a few seconds before hitting the coastal path again digging in and trying to complete the second lap.
Half way around the second lap the wind kicked in and it began to rain. The island is so exposed it wasn't long before I was soaked to the bone but I knew there was not far to go. A final MASSIVE slog across the pebble beach hit the final checkpoint and an attempt to push in a good time in the final section back to the HQ.
3 hours 23 minutes and 3323 calories later I passed the finish line.Job done. Although I was pleased with setting a new course record, this is by no means a quick time for a trail marathon - this is tough terrain and the pebbles make sure you know you have just completed a coastal trail run.
Top 3 men were:
1. Daniel Doherty - 3.23.01
2. David Spencer - 3.41.10
3. Mike Martin - 3.50.00
Full results for marathon, half and 10k can be found here.
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Gower - Coastal Trail Series - Race Report
With a week of extreme weather - torrential rain, floods and wind that would knock you off your feet, I was expecting the worst driving to Wales on Saturday. Gower CTS is essentially a coastal run along sandy beaches and cliff edges in extremely exposed areas on the Welsh peninsula. Poor weather would seem extreme in this area making any kind of long distance run a real challenge. Thankfully, the morning turned out beautifully and it was not long before the sun was up and runners were ready to go. I could not have asked for better weather!
Standing at the start line I was wearing my Inov-8 talons (first time I had worn Talons for this kind of distance / terrain) a new Salomon XT Wings 5 running pack (I had only managed to get in 10 training miles wearing this) and 2 packs of Blocks (a bit like gels but more solid, edible and less sickly). I would be the first to say never try something new on race day, however all three worked out perfectly for me.
With a short briefing, a cup of tea and a quick laugh at the chap who decided to turn up wearing road trainers, we were off. The event was organised with ultra and slower marathon runners leaving first thing in the morning followed by the marathon runners, 1/2 marathon and finally 10k at various intervals (in the hope that we all turn up at the same time ish). As soon as I dabbed my dabber (an electronic device to provide more accurate timing) I decided to push off reasonably hard at just over 6 minute miles for the first few miles. Not really knowing the terrain or properly reviewing the elevation this can always be a risky move.
The Gower CTS course provides a good challenge for the trail runner with a variety of terrain to tackle. One minute I am running on slippery trail of mud and wet leaves, next on a sandy beach, followed by wet grassy fields, bogs, marsh, road, woodland, rock and anything else you can find on the Welsh coast. The ultra route takes the standard marathon course around the National Trust coastal trail (c. 27+ miles) with an added 7 or so miles at the end forming part of the 10k and half marathon route. For those of you that know the area, the CPs require you to run through:
It was kind for the organisers to mention that the ultra runners had the option of calling it a day at 27 miles and completing the marathon instead. It was probably a very tempting compromise for most runners on the day with the “finish” sign pointing towards home and the “ultra” sign leading them around the route for another 7+ miles of mixed terrain. Great stuff and good for moral fibre!
Remaining upright was a challenge and I ended up on my arse and face several times along the course. At one point coming down an extremely large hill, I fell on my backside and slid down uncontrollable until I hit a large clump only to stand up and do it again. That said, I can't complain, I got down the hill a lot quicker and was neatly delivered to CP1 with a smiley volunteer handing out water and food.
With the organisers only providing 'estimated' mileage (the marathon is about 27+ miles) I was not sure whether I was going to be running 33 or 37 miles. This always proves to be a mental challenge when running the last few miles. I wanted to keep my running bag light so kept to the minimum compulsory kit (first aid kit, space blanket, waterproof jacket, whistle, hat, phone, water and food) and using my new Salomon 3D water bottle I filled half a bottle with water and the other with a Nuun tablet diluted in water. I made sure that each bottle was half full at each CP and made the most of the nutrition that was available - usually sugary sweets, Blocks or cookies.
Despite taking in electrolytes and using the Nuun tablets I managed to get cramp in my left hamstring from about 16 miles and it lasted all the way to the finish line. I managed to prevent the cramp from turning the run into a living nightmare by static stretches each time I had a couple of seconds to open a gate or actively stretching it by lengthening my stride on the down hills. But you can’t complain too much when you have such stunning scenery to take in and extremely difficult terrain to focus on.
I was feeling quite strong to about 27 miles passing the marathon route “finish” sign at about 3.32ish (in fact the sign is about 5 minutes away from the finish line). My pace had dropped a little with the cramp now in both hamstrings (I was having a little difficulty with my hamstrings in training) but decided not to take the easier option and push on with the ultra course. It is at this stage its very easy to forget about hydration and nutrition when you think you are so close to the end, but with 7+ miles to go its vital that you maintain the discipline to follow my 30 minute top-up routine.
Disaster struck when I was about half a mile before the penultimate checkpoint (which was originally CP 1 during the beginning of the ultra and as we loop back around would also serve as a CP for the later stages). The signage pointed the 10k runners to the path leading off to the right and the ultra and marathon runners to continue straight ahead. I stood there staring at the sign for some time, I knew that we were to join the 10k route at some point but was this it? If I took the ultra sign could I actually be doing the original route again and end up doing another 27 miles? I was confused. In the end I decided to take the 10k route and charged down a large hill to a watering station. It wasn’t long before I found out that I needed to dab my dabber in what was CP 1 again. SHIT! Due to my own stupidity in not following the clearly marked signage properly I had added a reasonable large hill into my run which worked out to be an additional 7 to 8 minutes on to my final finish time! I must stress that this was due to me trying to be clever and thinking too much rather than following the sign which clearly said” ultra”. I have learnt my lesson the hard way.
After running down another large hill (the one which I uncontrollably slid/rolled/dived down a couple of hours earlier) I looped back round to catch the 10k and half marathon runners finishing the last few miles of their run. This was a welcome sight as I used these runners to pick up my pace always trying to catch up with the next person in front. Ultras can be lonely affairs because of their distance and it was nice to see people again! I must point out that one guy was carrying his compulsory kit in a record / messenger bag which is a first for me! He did look a little awkward / uncomfortable though.
With a short road section through a local village I pushed up a large hill not too far from Worms Head watching the half marathon runners and 10k runners feeling the pain of getting up this large hill – little did they know that this would be the second time the ultra runners would run up this hill in one day! Running through an extremely muddy field towards Rhossili the sound of local support nearby indicated I was close. With one final push and the thought of a cup of tea I let rip with one final burst of energy to take me past the finish line. Job done.
In the end, the route for me (with my own added mileage) turned out to be just over 36 miles with the results as follows:
1st Daniel Doherty 5hr 01min
2nd Oliver Sinclair 5hr 38 mins
3rd Neil Bryant 5hr 56 mins
Although it does appear that Oliver is running an ultra nearly every weekend. Not sure how he does that!
The CTS is a really well organised event with some dedicated runners organising each of the events which form part of the series. Like most ultra trail running events you really wouldn’t get around to seeing some of the county’s most beautiful spots unless you entered. If you ever wondered why ultra runners run these kind of events you only really need experience the routes and atmosphere at events like this one to get your answer. Check out the upcoming events in the series here.
Standing at the start line I was wearing my Inov-8 talons (first time I had worn Talons for this kind of distance / terrain) a new Salomon XT Wings 5 running pack (I had only managed to get in 10 training miles wearing this) and 2 packs of Blocks (a bit like gels but more solid, edible and less sickly). I would be the first to say never try something new on race day, however all three worked out perfectly for me.
With a short briefing, a cup of tea and a quick laugh at the chap who decided to turn up wearing road trainers, we were off. The event was organised with ultra and slower marathon runners leaving first thing in the morning followed by the marathon runners, 1/2 marathon and finally 10k at various intervals (in the hope that we all turn up at the same time ish). As soon as I dabbed my dabber (an electronic device to provide more accurate timing) I decided to push off reasonably hard at just over 6 minute miles for the first few miles. Not really knowing the terrain or properly reviewing the elevation this can always be a risky move.
The Gower CTS course provides a good challenge for the trail runner with a variety of terrain to tackle. One minute I am running on slippery trail of mud and wet leaves, next on a sandy beach, followed by wet grassy fields, bogs, marsh, road, woodland, rock and anything else you can find on the Welsh coast. The ultra route takes the standard marathon course around the National Trust coastal trail (c. 27+ miles) with an added 7 or so miles at the end forming part of the 10k and half marathon route. For those of you that know the area, the CPs require you to run through:
1. CP1 Hillend
2. CP2 Cheriston Wood
3. CP3 Nicholaston
4. CP4 Horton
5. CP5 Seatown
6. CP6 Middleton Rhosilli (start and finish)
It was kind for the organisers to mention that the ultra runners had the option of calling it a day at 27 miles and completing the marathon instead. It was probably a very tempting compromise for most runners on the day with the “finish” sign pointing towards home and the “ultra” sign leading them around the route for another 7+ miles of mixed terrain. Great stuff and good for moral fibre!
Remaining upright was a challenge and I ended up on my arse and face several times along the course. At one point coming down an extremely large hill, I fell on my backside and slid down uncontrollable until I hit a large clump only to stand up and do it again. That said, I can't complain, I got down the hill a lot quicker and was neatly delivered to CP1 with a smiley volunteer handing out water and food.
With the organisers only providing 'estimated' mileage (the marathon is about 27+ miles) I was not sure whether I was going to be running 33 or 37 miles. This always proves to be a mental challenge when running the last few miles. I wanted to keep my running bag light so kept to the minimum compulsory kit (first aid kit, space blanket, waterproof jacket, whistle, hat, phone, water and food) and using my new Salomon 3D water bottle I filled half a bottle with water and the other with a Nuun tablet diluted in water. I made sure that each bottle was half full at each CP and made the most of the nutrition that was available - usually sugary sweets, Blocks or cookies.
Despite taking in electrolytes and using the Nuun tablets I managed to get cramp in my left hamstring from about 16 miles and it lasted all the way to the finish line. I managed to prevent the cramp from turning the run into a living nightmare by static stretches each time I had a couple of seconds to open a gate or actively stretching it by lengthening my stride on the down hills. But you can’t complain too much when you have such stunning scenery to take in and extremely difficult terrain to focus on.
I was feeling quite strong to about 27 miles passing the marathon route “finish” sign at about 3.32ish (in fact the sign is about 5 minutes away from the finish line). My pace had dropped a little with the cramp now in both hamstrings (I was having a little difficulty with my hamstrings in training) but decided not to take the easier option and push on with the ultra course. It is at this stage its very easy to forget about hydration and nutrition when you think you are so close to the end, but with 7+ miles to go its vital that you maintain the discipline to follow my 30 minute top-up routine.
Disaster struck when I was about half a mile before the penultimate checkpoint (which was originally CP 1 during the beginning of the ultra and as we loop back around would also serve as a CP for the later stages). The signage pointed the 10k runners to the path leading off to the right and the ultra and marathon runners to continue straight ahead. I stood there staring at the sign for some time, I knew that we were to join the 10k route at some point but was this it? If I took the ultra sign could I actually be doing the original route again and end up doing another 27 miles? I was confused. In the end I decided to take the 10k route and charged down a large hill to a watering station. It wasn’t long before I found out that I needed to dab my dabber in what was CP 1 again. SHIT! Due to my own stupidity in not following the clearly marked signage properly I had added a reasonable large hill into my run which worked out to be an additional 7 to 8 minutes on to my final finish time! I must stress that this was due to me trying to be clever and thinking too much rather than following the sign which clearly said” ultra”. I have learnt my lesson the hard way.
After running down another large hill (the one which I uncontrollably slid/rolled/dived down a couple of hours earlier) I looped back round to catch the 10k and half marathon runners finishing the last few miles of their run. This was a welcome sight as I used these runners to pick up my pace always trying to catch up with the next person in front. Ultras can be lonely affairs because of their distance and it was nice to see people again! I must point out that one guy was carrying his compulsory kit in a record / messenger bag which is a first for me! He did look a little awkward / uncomfortable though.
With a short road section through a local village I pushed up a large hill not too far from Worms Head watching the half marathon runners and 10k runners feeling the pain of getting up this large hill – little did they know that this would be the second time the ultra runners would run up this hill in one day! Running through an extremely muddy field towards Rhossili the sound of local support nearby indicated I was close. With one final push and the thought of a cup of tea I let rip with one final burst of energy to take me past the finish line. Job done.
In the end, the route for me (with my own added mileage) turned out to be just over 36 miles with the results as follows:
1st Daniel Doherty 5hr 01min
2nd Oliver Sinclair 5hr 38 mins
3rd Neil Bryant 5hr 56 mins
Although it does appear that Oliver is running an ultra nearly every weekend. Not sure how he does that!
The CTS is a really well organised event with some dedicated runners organising each of the events which form part of the series. Like most ultra trail running events you really wouldn’t get around to seeing some of the county’s most beautiful spots unless you entered. If you ever wondered why ultra runners run these kind of events you only really need experience the routes and atmosphere at events like this one to get your answer. Check out the upcoming events in the series here.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Coastal Trail Series - Gower Ultra Training Plan
I have entered the ultra running event forming part of the Coastal Trail Series. If you have not heard of this series it is definitely worth taking a look here.
So, I have just finished a 10 mile road race today and have until 13 November to train for a coastal ultra of around 32+ miles (the organiser does not say how many miles it will actually be). I thought it may be worth posting my daily training leading up to this event to hopefully get some feedback on suggestions, experiences and see how you may have tackled this. Please note that most of my runs during the working week are in the dark using a head torch so what I mean by "tempo", "recovery" etc are slightly different to what I would mean if I was running during daylight hours...
Please do drop me a post and let me know what you think....
WEEK 4 (Race Week / TAPER) Monday 08th November to Sunday 14th November
Total Mileage: 28.62
Total Runs: 4
Monday 08th
AM - Rest
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 7.12 miles - steady - (48.27) - very muddy and wet forest trail
Tuesday 09th
AM - 6 miles - steady - (38.43) - road
Lunch - Rest
PM - 6 miles - steady - (39.46) - road
Wednesday 10th
AM - Rest
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 9.5 miles - easy / steady - (1hr 02) - Road
Thursday 11th
AM - Rest
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - Rest
Friday 12th
Rest All day.
WEEK 3: (FIRST WEEK TAPER) Monday 01st November to Sunday 7th November
Total Mileage: 88.86
Total Runs: 12
Summary: I managed to drop my mileage down by 40 miles or so to 89 miles this week. Lots of easy / steady 6-8 milers during the week. A mid distance 16 miler on the Saturday to keep the legs working but I am happy I maintained the discipline to taper down a little. Race week coming up next week so I will keep my daily routine to 1 run and 1 gym session (where possible) with perhaps a light 5k on the Thursday to keep the blood circulation going and a rest day on Friday.
Monday 01st
AM - 6 miles - recovery - (45.25) - road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 6 miles - struggle - (43.19) - road
Wow - struggled a little but tonight. Legs were not having any of it. I will focus on the foam roller and early night tonight!
Tuesday 02nd
AM - 6 miles - recovery (43.15) - road
Feeling a little better this morning. Nice to see the sun comes up half way around the run so not in complete darkness. Treated to some beautiful sun rises in the morning at the end of the runs.
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 6.5 miles - steady (43) - trail
Tried out a new Inov8 waist pack for the race today. Not too bad as it didn't rub although I am not sure whether I prefer the weight distributed over the hydration pack or on the waist. The buckle did dig into my side after a while so will need to work out how to pad that out.
Wednesday 03rd
AM - 6 miles - recovery (41) - road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 7.5 miles - steady (? watch died) - trail
Thursday 04th
AM - 6 miles - recovery (41.59) - road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 6 miles - steady (38.54) - road
Friday 05th
AM - 6 miles - steady (36.21) - road
PM - 8.51 miles - steady (58.19) - multi terrain
Saturday 06th
Lunch - 16 miles - steady (1hr 52) - v muddy trail
Sunday 07th
PM - 8.35 miles - steady - (54.50) - multi terrain
WEEK 2: Monday 25th October to Sunday 31st October
Total mileage: 124.23
Total runs: 13
Summary: Not too displeased with this week's mileage. Although most runs were carried out at a 'steady' pace I have managed to get in some good mileage especially over the weekend and still feeling strong at the end of it. I have managed to rack-up 250.08 miles in 14 days which is not bad with 4 weeks training between events. I aim to do the same kind of working weekday mileage next week and ease off the big weekend mileage as part of a taper down hitting just under the 100 mile mark.
Monday 25th
AM: 6 miles slow / recovery (43.37) - Road
A new week! Crisp early morning run... clocks go back this week so can't remember if that will afford me a little more light in the morning. I think it is the other way around :(
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 6 miles steady / mixed (37.46) - Road
Tuesday 26th
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery (43.58) - Road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 8.44 miles steady (1hr 03) - Trail
Very muddy ground slipping around a little. Raining quite hard this evening making visibility quite difficult with the head torch
Wednesday 27th
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery (41.51) - Road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 10.11 - mixed pace (1hr 10) - Trail
Very muddy and wet trail around Bramley and Pamber Forest.
Thursday 28th
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery (41.17) - Road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 12.17 miles mixed pace (NA) - Road and Trail
Good night run around the Vyne at various pace.
Friday 29th
AM - 6 miles - steady (36.51) - Road (daylight run)
PM- Rest
Saturday 30th
AM - 29 miles - steady (3hr 48) - trail
Lovely trail run through Basingstoke
PM - 6.01 miles - steady (38.28) - Road
Sunday 31st
Lunch - 12.5 miles - mix (no watch) - Trail
Could not find my Garmin so ran without a watch. Was quite a nice experience not to rely on time and focus on breathing and generally enjoying the run.
PM - 10 miles - steady (1hr 04) - Road
Nice steady road run to finish off the weekly mileage. Feeling quite strong even though had a tough week.
WEEK 1: Monday 18th October to Sunday 24th October
Total mileage: 125.85
Total runs: 14
Summary: Not a bad week of running. Although my calves are a little sore, I am feeling quite strong. I am not running as fast as I like due to 80% of my running being in the dark and I am trying to avoid twisted ankles and broken legs! I am not too concerned about speed at this stage as this is training for an ultra which has quite difficult terrain where endurance will be more important (sand, rock etc). I will drop my mileage down a little next week (c. 100) and then ease into a taper week on race week.
Monday 18th
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery run (43.04) - Road
Bramley Country Roads - Starting to get a bit chilly! Gloves and hat out
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 7 miles Slow / Steady (49.03) - Trail
Pamber forest - looks a lot different in the dark and have to keep stopping to avoid taking the wrong turn!
Tuesday 19th
AM - 6.58 miles steady (43.47) - Undulating trail
Nice crisp morning around Snellsmore Common
Lunch - core work - Gym
PM - 14.48 miles (NA) - Steady / Brisk Circuit training - Road and Trail
3Mile road warm up, circuit training at The Vyne at a reasonable pace, followed by 3 miles road warm down
Wednesday 20th
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery (44.11) - Road
Now it really is getting chilly in the morning. My lips were frozen solid this morning. Thankfully I didn't have to smile at anyone!
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 11.03 miles Steady / Hill Reps - Road and Trail
3 miles road warm up, hill reps at The Vyne, followed by 3 miles road warm down
Thursday 21st
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery (45.03) - Road
-2 in October. What is that about? Gore gloves were struggling to keep the hands warm this morning. Wanted to go for a pee but thought something may drop off in this temp!
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 10 miles mixed pace (1hr.05) - road
Warm up, steady and tempo mixed around Bramley countryside roads.
Friday 22nd
AM - 6 miles steady (37.46) - Road
Steady run today as have long mileage at weekend
PM - 6 miles slow (40.23) - Road
Had far too much to eat at lunch and felt very heavy and bloated.
Saturday 23rd
AM - 6 miles steady (42.26) - Road
PM 23.53 miles - mixed pace (2hr 56) - mixed terrain
Ran with a heavy Camelback today - heavier than its going to be on race day but wanted to get some endurance in those legs. Mixed terrain running through Pamber Forest, road then The Vyne. Legs really felt the added weight today.
Sunday 24th
AM - 11.22 miles (NA) - run with club - Trail
Nice early morning run with the Club this morning around various trail routes through Bramley.
PM - 6.01 miles (40.54) - Steady - Road
So, I have just finished a 10 mile road race today and have until 13 November to train for a coastal ultra of around 32+ miles (the organiser does not say how many miles it will actually be). I thought it may be worth posting my daily training leading up to this event to hopefully get some feedback on suggestions, experiences and see how you may have tackled this. Please note that most of my runs during the working week are in the dark using a head torch so what I mean by "tempo", "recovery" etc are slightly different to what I would mean if I was running during daylight hours...
Please do drop me a post and let me know what you think....
WEEK 4 (Race Week / TAPER) Monday 08th November to Sunday 14th November
Total Mileage: 28.62
Total Runs: 4
Monday 08th
AM - Rest
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 7.12 miles - steady - (48.27) - very muddy and wet forest trail
Tuesday 09th
AM - 6 miles - steady - (38.43) - road
Lunch - Rest
PM - 6 miles - steady - (39.46) - road
Wednesday 10th
AM - Rest
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 9.5 miles - easy / steady - (1hr 02) - Road
Thursday 11th
AM - Rest
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - Rest
Friday 12th
Rest All day.
WEEK 3: (FIRST WEEK TAPER) Monday 01st November to Sunday 7th November
Total Mileage: 88.86
Total Runs: 12
Summary: I managed to drop my mileage down by 40 miles or so to 89 miles this week. Lots of easy / steady 6-8 milers during the week. A mid distance 16 miler on the Saturday to keep the legs working but I am happy I maintained the discipline to taper down a little. Race week coming up next week so I will keep my daily routine to 1 run and 1 gym session (where possible) with perhaps a light 5k on the Thursday to keep the blood circulation going and a rest day on Friday.
Monday 01st
AM - 6 miles - recovery - (45.25) - road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 6 miles - struggle - (43.19) - road
Wow - struggled a little but tonight. Legs were not having any of it. I will focus on the foam roller and early night tonight!
Tuesday 02nd
AM - 6 miles - recovery (43.15) - road
Feeling a little better this morning. Nice to see the sun comes up half way around the run so not in complete darkness. Treated to some beautiful sun rises in the morning at the end of the runs.
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 6.5 miles - steady (43) - trail
Tried out a new Inov8 waist pack for the race today. Not too bad as it didn't rub although I am not sure whether I prefer the weight distributed over the hydration pack or on the waist. The buckle did dig into my side after a while so will need to work out how to pad that out.
Wednesday 03rd
AM - 6 miles - recovery (41) - road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 7.5 miles - steady (? watch died) - trail
Thursday 04th
AM - 6 miles - recovery (41.59) - road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 6 miles - steady (38.54) - road
Friday 05th
AM - 6 miles - steady (36.21) - road
PM - 8.51 miles - steady (58.19) - multi terrain
Saturday 06th
Lunch - 16 miles - steady (1hr 52) - v muddy trail
Sunday 07th
PM - 8.35 miles - steady - (54.50) - multi terrain
WEEK 2: Monday 25th October to Sunday 31st October
Total mileage: 124.23
Total runs: 13
Summary: Not too displeased with this week's mileage. Although most runs were carried out at a 'steady' pace I have managed to get in some good mileage especially over the weekend and still feeling strong at the end of it. I have managed to rack-up 250.08 miles in 14 days which is not bad with 4 weeks training between events. I aim to do the same kind of working weekday mileage next week and ease off the big weekend mileage as part of a taper down hitting just under the 100 mile mark.
Monday 25th
AM: 6 miles slow / recovery (43.37) - Road
A new week! Crisp early morning run... clocks go back this week so can't remember if that will afford me a little more light in the morning. I think it is the other way around :(
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 6 miles steady / mixed (37.46) - Road
Tuesday 26th
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery (43.58) - Road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 8.44 miles steady (1hr 03) - Trail
Very muddy ground slipping around a little. Raining quite hard this evening making visibility quite difficult with the head torch
Wednesday 27th
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery (41.51) - Road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 10.11 - mixed pace (1hr 10) - Trail
Very muddy and wet trail around Bramley and Pamber Forest.
Thursday 28th
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery (41.17) - Road
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym.
PM - 12.17 miles mixed pace (NA) - Road and Trail
Good night run around the Vyne at various pace.
Friday 29th
AM - 6 miles - steady (36.51) - Road (daylight run)
PM- Rest
Saturday 30th
AM - 29 miles - steady (3hr 48) - trail
Lovely trail run through Basingstoke
PM - 6.01 miles - steady (38.28) - Road
Sunday 31st
Lunch - 12.5 miles - mix (no watch) - Trail
Could not find my Garmin so ran without a watch. Was quite a nice experience not to rely on time and focus on breathing and generally enjoying the run.
PM - 10 miles - steady (1hr 04) - Road
Nice steady road run to finish off the weekly mileage. Feeling quite strong even though had a tough week.
WEEK 1: Monday 18th October to Sunday 24th October
Total mileage: 125.85
Total runs: 14
Summary: Not a bad week of running. Although my calves are a little sore, I am feeling quite strong. I am not running as fast as I like due to 80% of my running being in the dark and I am trying to avoid twisted ankles and broken legs! I am not too concerned about speed at this stage as this is training for an ultra which has quite difficult terrain where endurance will be more important (sand, rock etc). I will drop my mileage down a little next week (c. 100) and then ease into a taper week on race week.
Monday 18th
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery run (43.04) - Road
Bramley Country Roads - Starting to get a bit chilly! Gloves and hat out
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 7 miles Slow / Steady (49.03) - Trail
Pamber forest - looks a lot different in the dark and have to keep stopping to avoid taking the wrong turn!
Tuesday 19th
AM - 6.58 miles steady (43.47) - Undulating trail
Nice crisp morning around Snellsmore Common
Lunch - core work - Gym
PM - 14.48 miles (NA) - Steady / Brisk Circuit training - Road and Trail
3Mile road warm up, circuit training at The Vyne at a reasonable pace, followed by 3 miles road warm down
Wednesday 20th
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery (44.11) - Road
Now it really is getting chilly in the morning. My lips were frozen solid this morning. Thankfully I didn't have to smile at anyone!
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 11.03 miles Steady / Hill Reps - Road and Trail
3 miles road warm up, hill reps at The Vyne, followed by 3 miles road warm down
Thursday 21st
AM - 6 miles slow / recovery (45.03) - Road
-2 in October. What is that about? Gore gloves were struggling to keep the hands warm this morning. Wanted to go for a pee but thought something may drop off in this temp!
Lunch - X trainer / balance and joint strengthening / core work - Gym
PM - 10 miles mixed pace (1hr.05) - road
Warm up, steady and tempo mixed around Bramley countryside roads.
Friday 22nd
AM - 6 miles steady (37.46) - Road
Steady run today as have long mileage at weekend
PM - 6 miles slow (40.23) - Road
Had far too much to eat at lunch and felt very heavy and bloated.
Saturday 23rd
AM - 6 miles steady (42.26) - Road
PM 23.53 miles - mixed pace (2hr 56) - mixed terrain
Ran with a heavy Camelback today - heavier than its going to be on race day but wanted to get some endurance in those legs. Mixed terrain running through Pamber Forest, road then The Vyne. Legs really felt the added weight today.
Sunday 24th
AM - 11.22 miles (NA) - run with club - Trail
Nice early morning run with the Club this morning around various trail routes through Bramley.
PM - 6.01 miles (40.54) - Steady - Road
Monday, 1 November 2010
To Eat or Not to Eat?
One of the things I am a little obsessive about at the moment is my weight and ensuring it is acceptable for racing. I am about 5.10' and seem to swing between 69-71kg depending on the kind of mileage I am doing. I still need to lose a bit of weight as I would ideally like to be around the 67kg mark but one other thing I suffer from is constantly feeling hungry. I also tend to put a bit too much weight on when I am tapering (forgetting that I am not burning as many calories).
I have just purchased Matt Fitzgerald's book Racing Weight in the hope to get some tips on by diet. But before I read the book in detail I thought I would detail a couple of days of my diet so that I can review what I am eating and drinking and hopefully identify where it can be improved. Please feel free to let me know what you think...
So...
Monday
Breakfast:
2 x Sweet Cinnamon Porridge with a handful of raisins, dry blueberries, banana, coconut etc. Honey
1 x 500ml Pomegranate, Blueberries and Acai Smoothie
1 x Large Skinny Latte (Costa)
1 x 1.5L Volvic bottled water (consumed throughout the day)
Snack:
1 x Banana
1 x apple
1 x Jordans Frusli (Raisin & Hazelnut)
Lunch:
1 x Banana
1 x 1.5 handful of mixed nuts and raisins
1 x tuna and baked beans jacket potato
1 x raisin and sultana slice of bread with Flora margarine
1 x Tutti Frutti mixed fresh fruit (300g) (pineapple, orange, blueberries, kiwi and grapes)
Snack:
2 x large handful of mixed nuts and raising (didn't really need this but can't keep off the nuts!)
2 x fruit loaf with peanut butter
Dinner:
5 x Roti
1 x bowl of dahl
1 x large portion of mixed fresh fruit, low fat yogurt and granola
1 x grapefruit
I have just purchased Matt Fitzgerald's book Racing Weight in the hope to get some tips on by diet. But before I read the book in detail I thought I would detail a couple of days of my diet so that I can review what I am eating and drinking and hopefully identify where it can be improved. Please feel free to let me know what you think...
So...
Monday
Breakfast:
2 x Sweet Cinnamon Porridge with a handful of raisins, dry blueberries, banana, coconut etc. Honey
1 x 500ml Pomegranate, Blueberries and Acai Smoothie
1 x Large Skinny Latte (Costa)
1 x 1.5L Volvic bottled water (consumed throughout the day)
Snack:
1 x Banana
1 x apple
1 x Jordans Frusli (Raisin & Hazelnut)
Lunch:
1 x Banana
1 x 1.5 handful of mixed nuts and raisins
1 x tuna and baked beans jacket potato
1 x raisin and sultana slice of bread with Flora margarine
1 x Tutti Frutti mixed fresh fruit (300g) (pineapple, orange, blueberries, kiwi and grapes)
Snack:
2 x large handful of mixed nuts and raising (didn't really need this but can't keep off the nuts!)
2 x fruit loaf with peanut butter
Dinner:
5 x Roti
1 x bowl of dahl
1 x large portion of mixed fresh fruit, low fat yogurt and granola
1 x grapefruit
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