Jerry, Bobban
I have had the green light from Mrs Immune to do this event if i so wish. Are either of you two interested? This will be my biggest run (if i enter) before Ridgeway, just need to look at logistics of getting there, staying etc as its a blimming long way to drive.
PB's
1mile: 5:36 - 20/06/2012 - Arethusa Mile (Bushy Park)
5K: 18:55 - 24/07/11 - Bushy Park
10K: 39:15 - 19/03/11 - 2nd 10k of below race
Half Mara: 1:26.50 - 19/03/11 - Dorney Lake 1:26.50)
Mara: 3:12.50 - 04/062012 - Kent Roadrunner
50k (Trail): 4:34.37 - 12/08/2012 - Salisbury 54321
50miles (Trail): 7:27.43 - 04/02/2012 - Thames Trot 50
100miles (Trail): 22:14.10 - 03/03/2012 - Thamespath 100 (102miles)
Hi Mr I
Chances are slim to zero at the moment as I am saving up BIG style to take the family to Canada in August
I am desperate to do one of the series as they look fantastic courses
Jerry A runners blog-updated daily
This is now booked, i was lucky as i had dithered a bit and when i went on last night there were only 2 spaces left.
Really looking forward to it, am going to try and do it as part of a normal week ie no taper, although my schedule does show i have an easy 36mile week the week before so should be good to go (i hope).
Have also found accommodation at White Sands Lodge for £21 a night, spoke to a very helpful guy called Joe, it's just 3 miles from the finish (where i need to be at 04:00am!!) to park up and get the bus to the start line for the 06:00am start.
This will be a good test of my fitness and show whether i have got the training right, South Downs Mara 2 weeks before will be a good workout as this is pretty hilly but i will run it easy, all being well the other weeks training after the Classic Qtr and a good taper will see me fit for Ridgeway.
I am really jealous of you for doing the Classic Quarter, it is such a beautiful part of the country and you have chosen well.
A nice tough course which will bode you well.
Cider IS carb loading
This event can be summed up as VERY HARD + STUNNING VIEWS .
I am nowhere near as good as Jerry at remembering the races and writing the race report afterwards (wish i was), but in short - 8968ft of ascent according to the Garmin, so a tad hilly!!
Day started at 3.00am, getting dressed realised id forgotten my Skins undershorts, so wasn't best pleased to be contemplating this race wearing my pants underneath my shorts! Anyway drove down to Lands End from Penzance which had an earie mist on the roads which needed foglights, and the moon looked like a giant headlight in the sky, very pretty. Parked up, jumped on the coach and saw the usual mixture of knarly vets and nervous looking new ultra runners with me somewhere in the middle. On arrival at The Lizard found the start area and asked if they had any clothing for sale, "Yes we have, sun hats, socks and our sports lycra shorts", you should have seen the smile on my face, now i know you should never wear anything new on an event like this but my nether regions would be safer in these than pants (the shorts worked well by the way).
So safety briefing and we were off, it soon became clear this was terrain the like i have never seen, or run along in my life, massively technical descents, with 'Fall off and you die' 100ft drops to your left and then leg killing climbs up the other side either zig zagging your way up or almost straight up using rock steps of a sort. It was with some worry that another runner said about an hour or so in that this was the easiest section, and the last 14 miles were in part 'stupidly hard', that really perked me up no end!!!!!
At about 10miles started running with a girl called Jo, this was her first Ultra, but had done the Exmoor Mara with this company last month which was the hardest course, so she knew the score. She asked quite a few questions en-route (hydration, ache, walls after 26.2 miles etc) and i answered as best as my experience allows, as it happens she was in great shape and i was left for dead on the later stages on the steps going up, she was bouncing along like on a 10K!!!!! The weather was taking a toll as at the 20.5mile CP we were told some runners had dropped out and a few who came in while we were there didn't look too great.
The later stages were in fact stupid, not runnable more rock climbing and scaling up what looked like almost impassable routes along the coast, 18min miles were good going!!! We went wrong near the end which meant scaling another load of steps, my thighs were not liking it by this stage, only to then run along for about 1/4mile and then realise we were in the wrong direction to the finish which we could now see once back on course. WIth the end in sight i clocked a runner up ahead and a little competitiveness kicked in, Jo was not keen to chase the lady runner down but i felt strong on this flatish section and wouldn't take no for an answer, So we pushed on and overtook the lady on the last hill and ran into Lands End to big support from the people there and ran up to the cliff edge to dip our dippers into the timing box, i obviously let Jo go first and she was 7th lady home, awesome achievement, she was very chuffed. A tough day out, followed by a drive straight home to Surrey 285 miles away, but did pick up a large chicken mayo meal with milkshake and cheeseburger from McD's along the way, which tasted great.
I think i underestimated this event due to the last 2 Mara's being fairly comfortable to complete in a normal training week with no tapering, So did this off the back of an easy week and 2 days rest before, which if i was to do it agin it definitely needs more respect and a mini taper at the least. However the training i have been doing is definitely working as i am not too trashed to-day and only have a smallish blister on the ball of each foot, but will use this week as a recovery week and have given myself a crazy 3 days off to recover.
Awesome David, I was thinking of you this weekend, I found it hard enough doing 18 miles but 44 miles over that terrain is something spectacular.
Let us hope that it is a tad easier in August.
Very well done to you.
Congrats on completing this, definitely looks like one for the future wish list.
Love the McDonalds recovery meal. I still love those milkshakes. Shame they won't be open after the Grimsthorpe ultra!
Btw - Given that you are very much attached to the "Skins" lycra shorts do you feel they add anything to performance? Was contemplating getting a pair.
Thanks Rich, was very tough course, but really enjoyed it.
The shorts i bought worked well but as they are nowehere near as tight as the skins i felt this was the reason my thighs felt a little crampy near the end (or it may have been the 100's of steep steps!!). I also wear them when i go for a leg weights session at the gym (now quite a rare occurence), as again the support is very good and lets me push on that bit harder. The skins are expensive in comparison to other brands of lycra shorts but in my opinion the compression properties do work and i have never had any rubbing or chafing issues with them upto 12+hrs on the go (London 2 Brighton 2009), and comfort in Ultras is a big thing.
But, like most things it comes down to personal preference, i rate them but others may not. I may look to invest in a pair of the full length tights at some stage to wear in the colder months or as a recovery aid post long runs.
Hope your training is going well for Grimsthorpe 70.
Thanks for the info on the Skins. Will look into I think.
Training has been good the last 4 weeks including two 80+km week, one 100km+ week and and an easier week of 45k. This week will hopefully be another 100km+ and the next 10-12 days will be the last big mileage before the event.
Just simply cannot wait. Still deciding what to do before the end of the year as well.
Richard, your training seems to have gone well since we met up, there is something nice about getting in a 100 km.
I had a strange thing happen when foundnd it really hard to get past 80km per week, it was like a glass ceiling, now I find it a strain to get past 100km. I think this is just down to the amount of time I have and can easily do it if I add another run to the week.
I am really quite jealous of Dave's Classic Quarter, I just love the idea of races/challenges which involve scrabbling and climbing up things, it takes me back to my run up Snowdon last year when I climbed up a rough section and on the way back bounced down it...brilliant
thanks Jerry.
I must admit it more a mental game then a physical one for sure when it comes to breaking down things like this.
Got some new Inov-8's yesterday and will be out for a nice 17 miler tonight before topping off the week with a 4 hour session tomorrow morning (day off work) before driving to Norfolk with family.
Getting excited about Grimsthorpe now but have my eyes on booking something else up.
Dave you are a Legend! The CQ sounds like nuts. Just the sort of thing I would like to do next year. Wedding this weekend followed by england vs australia at old trafford but next year it might well be in the calendar.
I see what you mean about the compression wear. I have skins arm and leg bands (erm...sounding like a novice swimmer!) but have not really used them other than at the C2C 45. You know that I swear by the compression socks and I do have a pair of Salomon exo II that I might give a go to on a run......perhaps sartorially as a cheeky midnight wardrobe change.
Hats off to you for what seems like a mental day. Is that a 2 pointer for the UTMB? If so, well done. As the DU is only 1 pt, I might be doing Caesars camp (ooh err) in october
Cheers Rob, yes, tough day out, 10hrs42mins and 32nd of 100 starters, yes 2 points for UTMB, so as long as i survive Ridgeway that will be 5points for next years UTMB!!!!!!!!
Looking to do Chichester Challenge Mara next Sunday (11th July), only £12, are you interested?