Ultra Running 2012

Well I don't really evaluate the 'past year' other than to say it was a craic and I learnt a lot about ultra running. 2013 will be a lot more serious for me, in the meantime here are some pics of 2012:

IAAF Honour for UltraRunning Ireland

Picture of Ireland's Dan Doherty in Trail World Championships

Footage of the 2011 Trail World Championships in Ireland was selected to be shown in the '100 Years of Athletics Excellence' video at the IAAF Centenary Gala in Barcelona.

Read more here

Irish Ultra Runner of the Year 2012

The team - which comprised John Byrne, Michael Collins, Dan Doherty, Thomas Maguire, John O'Regan and Keith Whyte - finished a fantastic 6th in the World 100km Championships in April 2012.

Furthermore, individual members of the team performed brilliantly in other ultra events throughout the year.

Find out more here

A Pat on the Back for the Donegal Mooathon

When asked to attend a marathon by Newline, I was a little apprehensive. My usual race involves running on trail or in the mountains over 50 to 100 miles. Recent training sessions and races include the Cornish coastal path, Glen Nevis, the Lake District, the Welsh mountains and the French Alps – You get the picture.

If I’m going to travel for a race I want to make sure it’s something that can push me physically as well as offering breath-taking scenery along the way. When you run as seriously as I do, you need to remind yourself that it’s about having fun and the experience. With hours of training each week, I sometimes forget that this is a hobby and not a job!

The Mooathon is entirely on road but take athletes up and around the Donegal mountains and then along the beautiful coastal line through Downings and up to Long Rock.

The start line was a mix of serious looking runners and cows. Yes, that’s right, cows! Many on the line had made great effort to dress in accordance with the rules, i.e. look like a cow. Pretending to be a serious looking athlete I simply opted for the white singlet and black shorts to avoid disqualification. Some went for the complete cow suit. Great! Athletes had the option of two distances, semi-skimmed (half marathon) or the full fat (marathon).

A bit of face painting with a cow patch on my face (“Moo!”) and I was ready to go. Looking at the competition on the line there were certainly some serious looking athletes amongst the cattle. I noticed some guy who seemed to have been inspired by the Tarahumara Indian barefoot tribe as he was standing on the line in some very flimsy flip flops. He had painted his toe nails in cow print; guessing what his feet probably looked like and will look like at the end of the race, it was probably for the best!

The route starts in the very sleepy village of Kilmacrenan just outside Letterkenny. The countdown began and I immediately broke off from the crowd at a fair pace just behind the leading semi-skimmed runner. Half a mile to warm up and then the hills kicked in. I never wear a HRM but I there were times my heart felt like it was trying to break through my rib cage. A couple of miles in, my lungs felt like they were going to explode. It was like this for a good 7-8 miles. I am conditioned to run hills and mountains, but not at this pace!

As they say, “no pain, no gain”. And there was a lot of gain to be had. I finally hit Lough Salt a beautiful lough shadowed by the Loughsalt Mountain, these were the views I was after and they were well worth the wait (climb).

Reaching the highest point in the race we were given a little respite (by that I mean running at marathon race pace on the flat) where we ran the length of the lough to be rewarded with a view that stretched for miles across Donegal. To the right I had a vast stretch of beautiful countryside and mountains in the distance and to the left I had Sheephaven Bay. This is why I run and more importantly, this is why ultra running and mountain running is the way forward!

Having spent the last 7 to 8 miles running at 6 minute miles to 10 minute miles, the next few miles would lead to the half marathon finish line at Downings and would provide a different challenge. Downhill and with pace. The long downhill road provided the opportunity to make up for the slow climbs. In fact, I remember looking at my GPS a couple of times and seeing 4.37 minute miles at times. I knew I would pay for that later in the race.

It wasn't long before we hit Downings. The guy in front passed the finish line and clocked a very respectable 1.22 half marathon. A great time for that course. I had hit the half-way point and after a quick refresh of my Elete electrolytes I was ready for the second half.

The second half follows the coast line and offers the same kind of climb as the first half but spread out in long undulations. The route had its own challenges mainly from its exposure to the winds coming in from the coast. Fighting a steep climb in the wind was tough and I was starting to pay for that downhill section several miles back. My mind however was elsewhere. I was taking in the huge cliff sections, rugged rocks and traditional Irish thatched cottages that were dotted along the coast line. I wondered what life would be like around here.

I completed the full loop of the coast line which naturally brought me back into Downings. Only a couple of miles to go. I can see the finish line but I’m not there yet, I have to do a wee detour around a church and then try and find some speed in my legs for the final two miles into the finish. These final two miles or so was in headwind and my legs felt like lead. The pace felt like I was walking but taking a cheeky gander at my watch I was still running at a respectable pace.

Before I knew it I had a few hundred metres into the sports centre. A hot shower awaits. A final push and I was being greeted by the smiling organisers at Irishfit.com (the race organisers) and a post recovery carton of milk. Job done!

This really is an amazing course. If you want a half marathon or marathon PB then this is probably not the one for you. However, if you like dressing up as a cow, or you are looking for a true challenge with the rewards of one of the most beautiful places in Ireland, then the Mooathon is one to add to your diary!

See you on the start line! Enter online here: http://www.mooathon.com/

Irish Team Mate Byrne Comes 5th in World 50km Champs!!

Irish 100km team mate John Byrne finished in 5th place at the World 50km Championships in Italy, despite temperatures soaring making conditions really tough!

You can read more of this on Ultra Running Ireland's website here

Time to Re-Classify Ultra Running?

When is a run, no longer a run? I believe that ultra running truly brings this point into question.

Now, before I start, this is not a blog about what is the 'better' distance or which discipline is truly ultra or tougher but it's to ask the question: at what point does the race in itself become a different sport altogether and in itself comparable to adventure racing, triathlons and the like?

Personally, when it comes to ultra running I am a multi-tasker, I love to run the 100k roads as well as the mountains. 

Each event holds its own challenges:

the 100k, 24hr, 50k being more prescriptive and comparable to track style running. Road ultras require constant pounding of the tarmac or track which adds to the toughness of the run with the repetitive running cycle, harshness on the joints (with little give) and usually ran at a faster pace. Personally, I have found that nutrition and hydration is tougher at these events as you are running that much faster with little time to stop and recoup.

Trail and mountains offer a truly unique experience and in most cases (for me) offer a more 'enjoyable' run with a truly unique experience each time you put the trainers on and hit the trail. Of course, the obvious challenges for mountain and trail running being the terrain, harsh ascents and descents and the frequently changeable and unpredictable weather (saying that the past few 100k World Champs have been bloody hot). That said, I don't think anyone can put a plausible argument across as to whether road or mountain running is the tougher sport. They each have their own challenges.

With that point in mind, I'd like to pose the question when is a run no longer a run? Presumably when its a walk. Right? Or a scramble, climb,  abseil or whatever? But we are actively encouraged to walk ultras in places and taught that it forms part of the race. So surely walking is fundamental to ultra running?

Sure, I think this is a simply concept to grasp. Anyone who has run a tough ultra (whether on road or mountain) will have spent some time walking or standing at an aid station. 

However, (posing an extreme example) what if the majority of competitors in a competition walked, scrambled, or hiked say 90% of the race course - would this still be an ultra run? Presumably not. It would most likely be deemed as a pedestrianism event. So on this basis there must be a stage where the run no longer qualifies as a run. So are we talking stats here to re-classify an event? If so, are we talking about distance walked and percentage of those walking that distance?

Let's take an example,

if over 50% of competitors walk, hike or scramble over (let's say) 30% of the course, can it still be defined as an ultra run? or should it be re-classed as an ultra race? Does it matter? Will it matter in the future when ultra running becomes more mainstream?

let's take another example that may not be unimaginable, 95% of competitors walk, hike or scramble over 20% of the course. Should this race still be deemed as a run or something else? Again, does it really matter?

I think we can drop the term "ultra marathon" as to me a marathon is a determined distance and ultra marathon simply doesn't make sense. So what should we call it? Perhaps there should be several disciplines:

ultra mountain race
ultra mountain running (but how much should be ran)
ultra run (where the event is run by over 95%?)
ultra road running
ultra race (other races not an ultra run)

I dunno, just chewing the cud. What are your thoughts?

Dan

Keith Whyte Wins Anglo Celtic Plate!

Wow. 


Irish team mate Keith Whyte won the Anglo Celtic Plate on Sunday in very tough conditions to become the first Irishman to win the race.


The race is 100k road and involves Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England competing against each other. Unfortunately, Ireland was unable to field a complete team but Keith did Ireland proud by bringing it home in 7 hrs 16 mins, followed by Allen Smalls (Eng) 7hrs 25 and Craig Holgate (Eng).


You can check out Keith's blog here. I am sure a race report will follow!