It seems my writer's block / general apathy has been in full bloom lately as it appears that I have not posted anything for over 2 months. If truth be told, there has been little of note to write about. Claire and I had a fantastic trip across Europe to Croatia and back at the end of May but that will eventually have its own write up so I'm not going to put anything down here.
Training has been plodding on without any fuss although nowhere near as much as I had planned due to a number of reasons. I managed to bang out a trail marathon - just like that - a couple of weeks ago but generally I'm not really getting above 20k at any one time and nowhere near consistently enough.
The result is that I have now withdrawn from the NDW100. If I had done a 100 miler before and had some idea what to expect then I probably would have gone along and toughed it out but I just don't feel prepared enough for that. I'm still confident that Ring Of Fire will go well and that should give me the confidence to push on and do Offa's Dyke. Following that though, I can't see myself entering anything other than local middle distance races and Beacons Ultra which I have entered in November simply because it's such a nice race.
My biggest and saddest realisation though is that it is now highly unlikely that I will enter 6633 Ultra. This immense race would require a level of training and commitment that I simply can't justify without compromising Claire, work, the kids or even all 3. I don't wish my life to be different but I do envy those who have enough of a balance in life to be able to do the things they do. Maybe they are just more selfish than me. Whatever it is they have, I haven't got it!!
I can look back on my running career and feel proud. I have run faster and further than a high percentage of the population and have made many new friends in the process. I'm not going to say it is all over but a chapter is coming to an end and it remains to be seen whether a new one will begin.
This is the real life, it isn't fantasy. I'm not caught in a landslide but there is no escape from reality.
Monday, 18 July 2016
Saturday, 7 May 2016
I Don't Like Run Days
Last week I wrote about the sanity of ultra runners and how they might not be such barking head cases after all. Since then I have thought about my own running journey and think that I might be a little nuttier than the rest. For here's the truth...
For the most part I am a fat, lazy slob inside a (slightly tubby) athlete's body. I like food and I love beer. When I gave up smoking 20+ years ago I started to put weight on very quickly, probably because of all the biscuits I was eating as cigarette substitutes. I was a 20 a day man as a smoker and a 20 a day man as a Hob Nob eater!! I decided the best way to counteract this was through exercise and I took up running. I hated it instantly. I had measured a route of 3.7 miles in the car and decided that was a good place to start. Half way round this loop, I was a blubbering wreck, my lungs and legs resenting every step.
A slightly more sane person may have decided at that moment that maybe this wasn't such a good idea and look for something else. However, either the desire not to be a fatty or the primeval instinct to run great distances kicked in. A matter of a few weeks later I had watched the London Marathon on TV and, rather than thinking that would be nice but there's no way I could do it, decided that was a challenge I could rise to and had submitted my postal entry. It seems that fate was on my side as I managed to get a place at my first attempt and another distance runner was born.
I ran my first marathon in London on April 2nd 1994 and forced myself across the line in 4:30. I was unable to walk for 2 days following the 'race' even having to phone in sick on the Monday as I couldn't get down stairs. I had achieved the challenge I had set myself and, having done it, vowed I would never do another one. It really had hurt that much and I couldn't see myself going through that pain again. In fact it was another 2 years before I did my second one and that was mainly due to the lure of Barcelona and the opportunity to run in the Olympic Stadium. I faired slightly better, getting round in 3:38, not experiencing the pain of 2 years ago and even managing a sprint finish over the last 200mtrs in true Olympic fashion. I have since covered the marathon distance or more 40 times.
Since that first short run of 3.7 miles, I estimate (using my MapMyRun stats as a base) that I have covered approximately 19,000 further miles. It's unfair to say that I have hated every single mile as, given the right set of circumstances, running is an absolute pleasure. When I'm on a trail, the sun is shining, there is little wind and the endorphins are flowing it's a great feeling to be out and about, especially if I record a good time. There are runs that are memorable - the aforementioned experience in Barcelona,flying down the Embankment and Birdcage walk like a Kenyan on the way to a marathon PB, the last 20 miles of the long stage and the marathon stage on MdS and a training run in the rain on Llanddwyn Beach when I worked out how I was going to ask Claire out on a date.
There are other times, however, when I really just cannot be arsed. I don't want to go through the hassle of getting changed, I don't want to go out when it's windy and I resent the smell of sweaty running clothes, especially when I have to put them on the following day. This week, for instance, I overdid it on the ascent of Snowdon and had very sore quads for the rest of the week. The reason being I had to get 82.25km, including 1640mtrs of ascent in to complete the latest G2G Challenge.
And that pretty much sums me up. If there is no challenge, I won't bother myself to train and will turn to the default setting of beer and junk food. This is why I enter what some people call 'mad events' and why I am very grateful for the guys who dreamt up the G2G series of challenges. There's no obligation for me to do them but they save me from myself.
So there it is. I don't like running but can't resist a challenge. So long may they keep coming, I'll keep taking them on and avoid having to buy trousers with elasticated waistbands!
Time for a beer...
...or a run!!
I DON'T LIKE RUNNING!!
For the most part I am a fat, lazy slob inside a (slightly tubby) athlete's body. I like food and I love beer. When I gave up smoking 20+ years ago I started to put weight on very quickly, probably because of all the biscuits I was eating as cigarette substitutes. I was a 20 a day man as a smoker and a 20 a day man as a Hob Nob eater!! I decided the best way to counteract this was through exercise and I took up running. I hated it instantly. I had measured a route of 3.7 miles in the car and decided that was a good place to start. Half way round this loop, I was a blubbering wreck, my lungs and legs resenting every step.
A slightly more sane person may have decided at that moment that maybe this wasn't such a good idea and look for something else. However, either the desire not to be a fatty or the primeval instinct to run great distances kicked in. A matter of a few weeks later I had watched the London Marathon on TV and, rather than thinking that would be nice but there's no way I could do it, decided that was a challenge I could rise to and had submitted my postal entry. It seems that fate was on my side as I managed to get a place at my first attempt and another distance runner was born.
I ran my first marathon in London on April 2nd 1994 and forced myself across the line in 4:30. I was unable to walk for 2 days following the 'race' even having to phone in sick on the Monday as I couldn't get down stairs. I had achieved the challenge I had set myself and, having done it, vowed I would never do another one. It really had hurt that much and I couldn't see myself going through that pain again. In fact it was another 2 years before I did my second one and that was mainly due to the lure of Barcelona and the opportunity to run in the Olympic Stadium. I faired slightly better, getting round in 3:38, not experiencing the pain of 2 years ago and even managing a sprint finish over the last 200mtrs in true Olympic fashion. I have since covered the marathon distance or more 40 times.
Since that first short run of 3.7 miles, I estimate (using my MapMyRun stats as a base) that I have covered approximately 19,000 further miles. It's unfair to say that I have hated every single mile as, given the right set of circumstances, running is an absolute pleasure. When I'm on a trail, the sun is shining, there is little wind and the endorphins are flowing it's a great feeling to be out and about, especially if I record a good time. There are runs that are memorable - the aforementioned experience in Barcelona,flying down the Embankment and Birdcage walk like a Kenyan on the way to a marathon PB, the last 20 miles of the long stage and the marathon stage on MdS and a training run in the rain on Llanddwyn Beach when I worked out how I was going to ask Claire out on a date.
There are other times, however, when I really just cannot be arsed. I don't want to go through the hassle of getting changed, I don't want to go out when it's windy and I resent the smell of sweaty running clothes, especially when I have to put them on the following day. This week, for instance, I overdid it on the ascent of Snowdon and had very sore quads for the rest of the week. The reason being I had to get 82.25km, including 1640mtrs of ascent in to complete the latest G2G Challenge.
And that pretty much sums me up. If there is no challenge, I won't bother myself to train and will turn to the default setting of beer and junk food. This is why I enter what some people call 'mad events' and why I am very grateful for the guys who dreamt up the G2G series of challenges. There's no obligation for me to do them but they save me from myself.
So there it is. I don't like running but can't resist a challenge. So long may they keep coming, I'll keep taking them on and avoid having to buy trousers with elasticated waistbands!
Time for a beer...
...or a run!!
Saturday, 30 April 2016
I Am Legion, For We Are Many
The most common opening remark for most people when they see me in passing is "Have you got any mad events lined up?" If people know that I've got something in the pipeline and I describe it to them the standard response, again, is that I am a bit unhinged. There seems to be something about ultra running that a large number of people can't get their heads around. Their experience of distance running of any distance is watching the London Marathon once a year and making a comment that they would love to do it but there's no way they'd ever be able to and, just like that, the dream dies.
What people (who haven't read Born To Run) fail to understand is that distance running, especially ultras, is totally natural. It is what humans were designed to do so they would be able to run down and kill far faster but less endurable animals and they could then feed their family. Over time the need to catch and kill has lessened and running distances has become a long forgotten ability only remaining as a primeval instinct that is all too quickly shaken off. There are now easier ways of travelling great distances so why would anyone want to run them?
What is it that drives those who choose to do these so called mad endeavours? I think the answer is best analogised by an incentive set up on the Grand to Grand Ultra Facebook page. A challenge is set each month, with the intention of giving those who accept some training benefit. The key word there is 'CHALLENGE'; some people want challenges and rise to them and these are the ones who are most capable of becoming an ultra runner. I believe that most people could train their bodies to regain a long lost skill but very few of those have the mentality to accomplish it. People who accept the challenge are the ones who will say "how can I accomplish that?" as opposed to "I can't do that"
A prime example is the challenge that finishes today. This was to run and ascend 30% of the G2G course over 7 days or less, which meant 82.25km of distance and 1640mtrs of ascent. Having not yet fully recovered from a training accident involving a collision with a cyclist (a blog post in itself) I realised last Saturday that I was coming close to the latest challenge cut off date. It never occurred to me that maybe I should sit this one out with a sicknote from my Mum. So I sat down and worked out a programme for the week. The thought that I had to cover the distance and elevation having had over 2 weeks out also didn't occur to me, only that I needed to complete the challenge. Taking on Wales' highest mountain and covering almost 1000mtrs of ascent on day 1 probably wasn't the best idea and left me with stiff quads for the remainder of the week but I did it all nonetheless.
I did think, as I was running this morning's final leg around Newborough Forest, that performance on these challenges would be quite easy to fake and who would ever find out. I would never take that option as the effort is no longer a challenge but a failure and I don't believe there's a single person in the group who would consider it.
With all that in mind it seems that the ultra runner is not mad at all but is a searcher, constantly looking for ways to test themselves, like Bodhi in Point Break looking for the ultimate ride. Ultra runners find a challenge and then, in the words of the great Patches O'Hoolihan "Grab it by the horns and hump it into submission". In my mind, the mad ones are those who don't take the opportunity to do what they are genetically made up to do, especially when there are so many beautiful places to do it. There are more and more people moving up the distances now so maybe one day we'll tip the balance back towards our roots.
I am Ultra Runner and we are many
What people (who haven't read Born To Run) fail to understand is that distance running, especially ultras, is totally natural. It is what humans were designed to do so they would be able to run down and kill far faster but less endurable animals and they could then feed their family. Over time the need to catch and kill has lessened and running distances has become a long forgotten ability only remaining as a primeval instinct that is all too quickly shaken off. There are now easier ways of travelling great distances so why would anyone want to run them?
What is it that drives those who choose to do these so called mad endeavours? I think the answer is best analogised by an incentive set up on the Grand to Grand Ultra Facebook page. A challenge is set each month, with the intention of giving those who accept some training benefit. The key word there is 'CHALLENGE'; some people want challenges and rise to them and these are the ones who are most capable of becoming an ultra runner. I believe that most people could train their bodies to regain a long lost skill but very few of those have the mentality to accomplish it. People who accept the challenge are the ones who will say "how can I accomplish that?" as opposed to "I can't do that"
A prime example is the challenge that finishes today. This was to run and ascend 30% of the G2G course over 7 days or less, which meant 82.25km of distance and 1640mtrs of ascent. Having not yet fully recovered from a training accident involving a collision with a cyclist (a blog post in itself) I realised last Saturday that I was coming close to the latest challenge cut off date. It never occurred to me that maybe I should sit this one out with a sicknote from my Mum. So I sat down and worked out a programme for the week. The thought that I had to cover the distance and elevation having had over 2 weeks out also didn't occur to me, only that I needed to complete the challenge. Taking on Wales' highest mountain and covering almost 1000mtrs of ascent on day 1 probably wasn't the best idea and left me with stiff quads for the remainder of the week but I did it all nonetheless.
I did think, as I was running this morning's final leg around Newborough Forest, that performance on these challenges would be quite easy to fake and who would ever find out. I would never take that option as the effort is no longer a challenge but a failure and I don't believe there's a single person in the group who would consider it.
With all that in mind it seems that the ultra runner is not mad at all but is a searcher, constantly looking for ways to test themselves, like Bodhi in Point Break looking for the ultimate ride. Ultra runners find a challenge and then, in the words of the great Patches O'Hoolihan "Grab it by the horns and hump it into submission". In my mind, the mad ones are those who don't take the opportunity to do what they are genetically made up to do, especially when there are so many beautiful places to do it. There are more and more people moving up the distances now so maybe one day we'll tip the balance back towards our roots.
I am Ultra Runner and we are many
Saturday, 26 March 2016
Mr Motivator
With only 6 days left in March I thought it would be a good thing to start the latest G2G challenge. Getting 42.5 miles in over the next few days is no problem but getting those to include 4000+ft would be a bit trickier. Fortunately I have the ups and downs of the Anglesey Coastal Path on my doorstep so I set of aiming to get 8 of those 42.5 ticked off. The weather wasn't great but I didn't think it would be too taxing.
After only 2 and a bit miles, I was forced into shelter as a severe wind whipped up coupled with a good deal of horizontal rain. As I changed into my Montane rainproof smock and pants I decided that I would not risk going my full distance in this wind and would shuffle down to a turning point that would offer some shelter and head back to the car. This would get 5 miles in the bank which I didn't think was that bad and would make up the rest at a later date.
This does sound a bit wussy but, in all honesty, the trail is actually quite dangerous in places. One unexpected gust or a stumble on a rock could have me plummeting 100ft into the Irish Sea, bouncing off the rock face on my descent. Fortunately, accidents are rare on the Path as people tend to stay away when the wind gets up. This is what makes the source of my motivation to go my full intended distance all the more remarkable.
As I neared my intended turning point, I spotted a group of young 'uns waiting at the top of a very steep staircase, which is one of many built in to the sides of slopes along the coastal path. As I got to the group I spotted who they were waiting for. An old gentleman was ascending the staircase, pushing himself up each step with a walking stick in each hand, the effort in each step speaking volumes. I raised an eyebrow at one of his (presumably) relatives who offered the explanation that it was the gentleman's 90th birthday tomorrow and he wanted to come out for a walk on the Coastal Path.
Suddenly using the weather as an excuse to turn back seemed massively inadequate so, after congratulating the gentleman for his efforts and wishing him a happy birthday, I re-established my intended path and trundled on. As it turned out it wasn't too bad a journey and I even put in an additional mile. Apart from about 5 minutes when the wind and hail returned, threatening to rip the skin from my face, the weather remained reasonably fair.
So, with thanks to this gentleman, old in years but very,very young in spirit, training continues feeling a tad more motivated and, tomorrow, it's a return to the hills of Snowdonia for a couple of legs with an overnighter in a remote bothy in between, which promises to be fun.
Conscious that this blog has been lacking in pictorial content so here's a couple showing that it really wasn't such a bad day!
After only 2 and a bit miles, I was forced into shelter as a severe wind whipped up coupled with a good deal of horizontal rain. As I changed into my Montane rainproof smock and pants I decided that I would not risk going my full distance in this wind and would shuffle down to a turning point that would offer some shelter and head back to the car. This would get 5 miles in the bank which I didn't think was that bad and would make up the rest at a later date.
This does sound a bit wussy but, in all honesty, the trail is actually quite dangerous in places. One unexpected gust or a stumble on a rock could have me plummeting 100ft into the Irish Sea, bouncing off the rock face on my descent. Fortunately, accidents are rare on the Path as people tend to stay away when the wind gets up. This is what makes the source of my motivation to go my full intended distance all the more remarkable.
As I neared my intended turning point, I spotted a group of young 'uns waiting at the top of a very steep staircase, which is one of many built in to the sides of slopes along the coastal path. As I got to the group I spotted who they were waiting for. An old gentleman was ascending the staircase, pushing himself up each step with a walking stick in each hand, the effort in each step speaking volumes. I raised an eyebrow at one of his (presumably) relatives who offered the explanation that it was the gentleman's 90th birthday tomorrow and he wanted to come out for a walk on the Coastal Path.
Suddenly using the weather as an excuse to turn back seemed massively inadequate so, after congratulating the gentleman for his efforts and wishing him a happy birthday, I re-established my intended path and trundled on. As it turned out it wasn't too bad a journey and I even put in an additional mile. Apart from about 5 minutes when the wind and hail returned, threatening to rip the skin from my face, the weather remained reasonably fair.
So, with thanks to this gentleman, old in years but very,very young in spirit, training continues feeling a tad more motivated and, tomorrow, it's a return to the hills of Snowdonia for a couple of legs with an overnighter in a remote bothy in between, which promises to be fun.
Conscious that this blog has been lacking in pictorial content so here's a couple showing that it really wasn't such a bad day!
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Above - Porthwen Brickworks
Left - a pretty steep up and down!
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Sunday, 21 February 2016
Construction Time Again
I knew it had been a while since I had posted anything on this blog but didn't realise until I just looked back that it has been over 2 months!! Since then I have completed the aforementioned Beacons Ultra and will say a thing or two about that shortly, I have celebrated (!) my 50th birthday, planned 2016 holiday to Croatia by car, somehow got through Christmas unscathed and spent a relaxing 3 days in the Lake District for New Year.
Because of all that, training has taken a bit of a back seat! The Croatia trip has led to reshuffling dates with the kids and, conseqently, the Terrible 10 I wrote about last October has (with a nod to Tarantinio) become the Hateful Eight! The 2 events to bite the dust are Cemmaes to Cemaes and the 4 x Welsh 1000 routes. I'm quite relieved about the second one as that would been a beast!!
Fast forward...
Today is 21st Feb and I started to write this post on 11th Jan. I did mention at the start of the blog that I had been a bit indifferent on my G2G one and hoped that I could recapture the inspiration I got when writing my MdS blog. I suppose I must've had a lot more time on my hands then as the days seem to fly by without any recollection of idleness. Anyhoo, I have a slightly free Sunday so I'm taking time for a bit of a catch up.
Having just returned from a week's road trip to Interlaken, Switzerland (where Claire and I got engaged by the way) I thought I should get down to the business of completing the latest of the G2G Facebook group challenges. These have been building up in their intensity with the latest being quite ominous and requiring more than a touch of planning. The challenge is to run on 3 consecutive days - 12 miles with 500 feet of ascent, 6 miles with 1500 feet of ascent and finally a one hour steady run. Oh, and the small matter of only being allowed 1500 KCals per day!!
I decided that the weekend would be ideal to knock this off and, I sit here typing om Sunday afternoon having just completed the one hour steady on the treadmill. As I said, the challenge proved to be harder to plan than to execute, especially the eating!! Finding 1500' of ascent inside 6 miles is not easy either but Snowdonia only an hour's drive from home, there was an option.
I feel compelled to expand on this part of the challenge as it was both brutal and beautiful in equal measures. Somebody had posted a straw poll on Facebook a few days ago asking people to choose between Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons. In my mind there is no contest and as I ploughed my way up the Pyg Track in driving wind and rain that felt like a million tiny needles stabbing my face, I smiled and wondered why I didn't get up here more often! It truly is one of the most harshly beautiful places on Earth. Some places are stunningly beautiful but lose something in poor weather however, in the case of Snowdonia, the beauty is only enhanced. Streams and rivulets become torrents and add their own palate to the landscape and the sight of sheets of rain below you sweeping across valleys threatening to drench anything and everything that stands in its path is awe inspiring!
Once again I am guilty of not having any pictures worthy of backing up my words so you will have to use your imagination.
The Hateful Eight that I mention above has now actually become the Severe Seven as I had neglected to account for the loss of 5 marathons in 5 days, which I simply wasn't up to at the time. The 7 metric marathons in 7 days became 7 half marathons ultimately became 4 half marathons. I'm not disappointed by this and don't consider it to be a setback, it was merely all I was capable of at the time without flooring myself. Training is moving on and, with the concept of eating to a plan now established, I can begin to shed some unwanted poundage, which is slowing me down.
Next up on the challenge front is whatever the G2G Challenge Chairman schemes up and, on a personal challenge note, on Easter weekend I will be looking to run the Welsh 1000 course out and back in a day. This is a distance of 64km with 5000mtrs of ascent. My PB for one way is 6:50 so it looks like I'll be finishing in the dark. A report on this and the latest G2G challenge will likely form the next post as I doubt I'll have much to write about before then.
Now it's time for 676KCals of Sunday dinner!!
Because of all that, training has taken a bit of a back seat! The Croatia trip has led to reshuffling dates with the kids and, conseqently, the Terrible 10 I wrote about last October has (with a nod to Tarantinio) become the Hateful Eight! The 2 events to bite the dust are Cemmaes to Cemaes and the 4 x Welsh 1000 routes. I'm quite relieved about the second one as that would been a beast!!
Fast forward...
Today is 21st Feb and I started to write this post on 11th Jan. I did mention at the start of the blog that I had been a bit indifferent on my G2G one and hoped that I could recapture the inspiration I got when writing my MdS blog. I suppose I must've had a lot more time on my hands then as the days seem to fly by without any recollection of idleness. Anyhoo, I have a slightly free Sunday so I'm taking time for a bit of a catch up.
Having just returned from a week's road trip to Interlaken, Switzerland (where Claire and I got engaged by the way) I thought I should get down to the business of completing the latest of the G2G Facebook group challenges. These have been building up in their intensity with the latest being quite ominous and requiring more than a touch of planning. The challenge is to run on 3 consecutive days - 12 miles with 500 feet of ascent, 6 miles with 1500 feet of ascent and finally a one hour steady run. Oh, and the small matter of only being allowed 1500 KCals per day!!
I decided that the weekend would be ideal to knock this off and, I sit here typing om Sunday afternoon having just completed the one hour steady on the treadmill. As I said, the challenge proved to be harder to plan than to execute, especially the eating!! Finding 1500' of ascent inside 6 miles is not easy either but Snowdonia only an hour's drive from home, there was an option.
I feel compelled to expand on this part of the challenge as it was both brutal and beautiful in equal measures. Somebody had posted a straw poll on Facebook a few days ago asking people to choose between Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons. In my mind there is no contest and as I ploughed my way up the Pyg Track in driving wind and rain that felt like a million tiny needles stabbing my face, I smiled and wondered why I didn't get up here more often! It truly is one of the most harshly beautiful places on Earth. Some places are stunningly beautiful but lose something in poor weather however, in the case of Snowdonia, the beauty is only enhanced. Streams and rivulets become torrents and add their own palate to the landscape and the sight of sheets of rain below you sweeping across valleys threatening to drench anything and everything that stands in its path is awe inspiring!
Once again I am guilty of not having any pictures worthy of backing up my words so you will have to use your imagination.
The Hateful Eight that I mention above has now actually become the Severe Seven as I had neglected to account for the loss of 5 marathons in 5 days, which I simply wasn't up to at the time. The 7 metric marathons in 7 days became 7 half marathons ultimately became 4 half marathons. I'm not disappointed by this and don't consider it to be a setback, it was merely all I was capable of at the time without flooring myself. Training is moving on and, with the concept of eating to a plan now established, I can begin to shed some unwanted poundage, which is slowing me down.
Next up on the challenge front is whatever the G2G Challenge Chairman schemes up and, on a personal challenge note, on Easter weekend I will be looking to run the Welsh 1000 course out and back in a day. This is a distance of 64km with 5000mtrs of ascent. My PB for one way is 6:50 so it looks like I'll be finishing in the dark. A report on this and the latest G2G challenge will likely form the next post as I doubt I'll have much to write about before then.
Now it's time for 676KCals of Sunday dinner!!
Good, better, best; never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best
St Jerome
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