Change of Site

I'm now Blogging on Wordpress (http://runningattheback.wordpress.com/) rather than here.

Short and Fast, Long and Slow

Stanwick Lakes. 10km. Sunday

Woke up on Sunday to the sound of wind and rain so really wasn't hopefully of a good day, however as the day progressed the wind dropped a little, along with the temperature, but more importantly the rain cleared and by afternoon the sky was blue and the sun out.

The course was a flat, with two laps around the lake and although billed a trail was actually on a very well maintained cycle track, so with a field of only about 200 it was going to be a fast run. The plan was for Louise and me to start at a sensible pace and then push on for about 52 mins. However after a mid-week run where I could not keep anywhere close to the pace that Louise was setting I was not at all hopefully. I planned to try and stay with Louise until about 6km, let here know the pace timing and then drop off the pace. However, as always the plan and reality never seem to match up. Straight off the line we set a slightly fast than expected face and ever a problem with Louise's stop watch didn't slow us down. I managed to find myself just ahead of Louise and as I was feeling OK tried to keep a fast pace, which was probably a little too fast as by about 4km I had dropped Louise but was still feeling strong and continued to push. The back loop was tough was this was into the wind but I didn't drop too much time and managed to catch it back on the next section where the wind was behind me. The last 2km were very tough with both the sun (now very low) and the wind right in our faces but I managed to hold the pace to finish unexpected fast in 51:28 with Louise coming in at 51:54.

Icknield Way. 50km, 1800ft – Night Run. Monday.

The Icknield Way passes very close to our house but other than small sections had never run much of it so as my new OMM Last Drop rucksack was delivered last week I decided to take a long run out towards Royston, pick up an extended loop around the Hertfordshire Way and Therfield Heath and then back on the Icknield Way again. As it was going to be dark right through the run navigation was going to be a problem so I didn't really bother about the time.

First few km were fine, the path is easy to follow and mainly on grass once Baldock is left behind so I kept up a good pace for quite a while. The pace dropped going through Wallington and Roe Green mainly due to problems navigating and finding the styles to get out of the fields. However beyond Stanton the ground was firm and the path good and the pace picked up through to Therfield Heath.

As soon as I got to the Heath (daytime picture) the light drizzle suddenly turned into a downpour and it felt like the temperature dropped a few degrees. The going got very tough with a lot of mud that just clung to my shoes and made the going very slow, finally I managed to find the way of the Heath and had a long climb back up onto the Hertfordshire Way to head back to the Icknield Way and home.

Things were going well but soon the path became hard to follow, mainly as it went across the middle of fields which was probably OK in summer but in winter, in the dark, in the rain, it was too heavy and muddy to even try and run so pace dropped badly for the next 8 km or so until I hit the Icknield Way. Once I got back on the main path I did pick up the pace but the mud had taken a lot out of my legs so I dropped the pace and started to walk the steeper (and by the end most) hills to converse energy.

Overall a very tough run, route finding and the mud kept the pace low but I still felt very tired at the end. However by keeping the pace down I did manage to concentrate a lot more on getting nutrition right and was able to eat a lot more the normal so didn't feel sick at all. The new rucksack really worked well and was perfectly stable but the pockets for the bottles were not very easy to get to and would be a really problem if moving quickly – that might be because the bottles I were using are a little bigger than the OMM ones so I'll wait for the OMM bottles I have on order to see if that helps.

Monsoon Trek, Tada Falls, Chennai, India

Day One

Tada Falls are about 50-60km North West of Chennai, the plan was to join up with the Chennai Trekking Club and spend a couple of days in the area. When we arrived at about 8:00am the weather was humid and very heavy, the temperature wasn’t too bad but with little wind and low cloud it felt as if we were in for a wet day. This was confirmed a few minutes later when, during a breakfast of Idli and Samba we heard the distant sound of thunder. Slowly and surely the thunder go closer and louder and we were soon were sheltering in a hut from the monsoon.

The rain abated as we set of on the path to the Falls and were soon motoring along a wide path alongside the river but received a call that the rest of the team were taking a different route so we quickly backtracked and soon met up and continued upwards along a much smaller path. In the humidity and rain we pushed upwards and quickly gain altitude walking along a path created to move cattle around the forest. Most of this was in damp, enclosed scrub, which blocked the light, the view and any breeze but kept the humidity high. Eventually we broke off this path and took a more direct route upwards to attain the first ridge of the day. Here there was some wind and some amazing views over the surrounding peaks. Underfoot the terrain was very rough, with a lot of loose rock and large boulders and the gaps between covered with grass, thorns or runners that often seemed intent on snagging the feet. We moved a way along the ridge and stopped for lunch at a view point.

Following a quick break it was on with much of the same, a quick descent down a steep route followed by another steep climb to attain another ridge and then down the river bed at the end of the falls to complete the first day. Throughout the afternoon the weather had started to get worst, with lower cloud and increasing rain, but even as the rain increased many of the team took a well deserved rest swimming in the river and falls.

The Night.

After a while, and as the rain continued to increase in intensity and the hills echoed with thunder it was decided to pitch the bivy for the night and get some food. The rain was now heavy and I must admit even though the camp was some way back from the river I did wonder if this was going to be the right place for a long night but nonetheless we were soon under cover, although a little uncomfortable and wet. However things went down hill quickly, by now it was dark and the river grew in size from a gently stream to a torrent and was soon at the edges of the camp and within minutes in the camp so a fast evacuation was called for. We quickly bundled everything together and regrouped about 20M or so up the ravine where we waited for the next couple of hours for the rain to slow. At this point I did realise I had lost my phone and Blackberry, only to find I had been sitting on them, and although the bag they were in a wet they seemed to survive with just a wipe down, my MP3 played fared less well (but after a couple of days of drying out it has come back to life as well).

At about 8:00pm we moved higher to some flat group and set up camp once again. Thankfully I had brought my small tarp with me so was able to find some space, and rock for a pillow and made myself comfortable (or as comfortable as anybody could be in the pouring wet with everything soaked). The tarp however worked well and I was able to spend a fairly comfortable night and got some sleep, although waking in the morning damp, cold and lying in a puddle of water was not the best start to the day.

Day Two.

It was quickly decided to change the route and return to base rather than push own due to the weather. As we moved off everybody was looking stiff and damp but ready for the next few hours. The rain held off for a while affording some fantastic views of the nearby peaks above the clouds it but slowly increased once again as we retraced our steps. This time as everybody knew the rough direction time seemed to pass more quickly and we were back on the cattle path fairly quickly. By now the rain was heavy and the path with its smooth rocks and wet leaves had turned slippery and more than on person had problems keeping balance.

Once we got back down we caught and auto-rickshaw back to the local town and the suburban train back to Chennai and some well needed food in Chennai station.

Overall.

I’m luck that I was well equipped, some of my fellow treks we less equipment but I did marvel and their skill and ability to find exactly the right place to place their feet. My equipment made up for a lack of experience in the very rough terrain. I was wearing my new Inov-8 Roclite running shoes which have an amazing grip on most surfaces but performed slightly less well on wet rock, however they remained comfortable for the entire two days even when soaked through. As always the Raidlight Rucksack proved to be perfect and resisted the rocks and thorns without any issues. For the first time I was wearing my Raidlight trekking tights, this was a perfect choice as there was no restriction in movement even when scrambling and they remained comfortable through both days even when soaking wet. However the real winner was the tarp, it was perfectly waterproof, very lightweight (only about 550g) and flexible, it was worth all the £8 I spend on it!

Overall a great two days, the night was uncomfortable but the views and experience more than made up for it. Certainly a big THANK YOU must go to my good friend Ram for organising the adventure, and the the Chennai Trekking Club for letting us tag along. Hopefully I’ll be back in Chennai outside of the monsoon season and it’ll be interesting to see the difference.

an easy week

This was supposed to be an easy week and I was going to concentrate on cross-training to take the load off. However for some reason it didn't really work out and I ended the weeking running 15 miles on Thursday, 12 on Friday and 16 today. To get back before work both of the weekday runs meant a very early start which is tough but it is always great to see the sun rise.

Considering the mileage I've done this month (I've already beaten by previous best) I've very pleased with the way my legs have held up. My ankles are sore and there is a little pain in my right knee but nothing too severe.

. . . next week will be a lighter week

Summer Holidays

Since June I've been hard pushed to find time for running, work, study - and of course the family.

Work had me travelling to LA, Italy and Malta and doing a lot of work in the UK both on projects and pre-sales - without a doubt busy is good at the moment so not complaining. MBA work is progressing, but very very slowly. Splitting time between looking at how culture (both organisational and geographic) impacts creativity and innovation and working on the last two assignment of the core modules.

I managed a good few days down in Cornwall. Although it rained most days, and on some days all day, we managed some good surfing. Rather than a nice swell it was just walls of white water with a very tough cross tide, this made it hard work but as almost every wave could be ridden we had a great time. I managed to break a board taking a big wave and got rolled more times than I can remember.

Also managed a few days in Suffolk and got some excellent trail running in around Sandringham. The weather was a buit drier so most paths were not too muddy. Last weekend we had a couple of days around Graftham Water. I had done a 22 mile run on the Thursday so was a bit tired and 5 miles on Saturday and then a very tough and hot 8 miles on Sunday finished me off. I think I'll spend this week in the gym cross-training to rest.

With everything else I done next to nothing on the house, even the garden has suffered this year. We do have a water leak somewhere under the floor downstairs which is taking a lot of time to track down. It now seems easier to re-route all the pipes than find the leak so hopefully the house will at least stop getting damper. Of course we could just dig the floor up and build a swimming pool instead.

Now looking for something to do on the Bank Holiday!

3 weeks later . . .

Its now just over three weeks since I completed the Ridgeway, the blisters have almost totally healed up, and most of the numbness in my toes has gone. I've hiked/camped the last couple of weekends and got a few short runs and rides in just to keep some level of fitness but now need to start concentrating on getting back into the flow.

While I was focusing on long distance endurance Louise had been working on speed, we went out mid-week for about 5 miles and I had to struggle to keep up. She's now in training for the Royal Parks Half and I've still to pick my next race/challenge although I think we'll both run the Letchworth Standalone 10K which is just a week after her 1/2M (which should give me the edge).

Depending on the weather I think I plan a long run or ride tomorrow and then get down to some sensible training next week.

Firstly I must thank everybody who donated money to Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital. I really appreciate your support.

Well I'm slowly getting back to normal. I spent a lot of yesterday asleep or semi-awake and resting some very sore muscles. Today I feel better and more awake, the muscles are still stiff and the blisters are going to be giving me problems for a few days but overall my legs, knees, ankles and back held together better than expected. The toes on both my feet feel swollen and sore but as I was foot rather then heal striking that is to be expected.

I didn't quite manage to get to Ivinghoe. The timing of logistics was fairly difficult and I only had a small window to get back home, I could of pushed on and bivouaced overnight but the weather was too bad for that. Still I managed 83 miles in about 35 hours and estimate I ran for about 40-45 miles. A combination of a late train, and delayed bus and then spending some time walking around Avebury to see the Neolithic sites caused me to start late.

First day was very hot with little wind but got cold overnight, second day dawn fairly promising but soon clouded over and was followed by rain, then more rain, then heavy rain and then REALLY HEAVY rain. I'll post photos and more news etc later.

THANKS!!!

Only a couple of days left now. Thanks to everybody who has sponsored me, I do really appreciate it - it isn't to late to sponsor me, you can either do it on-line or stuff used notes in my hand!!

The cold is still with me, but little more than a bit of a cough and a running nose. I also seem to of picked up a bit of an ear infection but that just means I'm a little deaf in one ear so nothing to stop me.

I managed a 100km bike ride on Saturday, really as the final fitness test. I was a bit tired at the end, although that was more down to poor nutrition that the distance but soon recovered and was please my legs were not at all sore on Sunday morning.

All that is left to do now is make sure everything is packed and ready to go - get plenty of sleep and eat loads of pasta - ie (bar finishing) the best bit.

set backs . . .

I woke up Friday with a slight sore throat, and by Saturday morning it had developed into a full cold. I did go out for a couple of hours walk to go through some steep climbs and while I was pleased with my aerobic performance on the slopes recovery was slow and I had a thumping headache so training is on hold.

I don't think this is much of a problem, as long as I well by next weekend there should be nothing to stop me going ahead. I'm in my taper phase anyway so focusing more on resting than training anyway as nothing is really going to help, either way, this close to the 4th.

Book of the week is 'Fixing Your Feet' by John Vonhof. Its aimed at athletes, walkers and anybody who spends a lot of time on their feet - and I do agree, anybody who thinks a book about blisters is good is really taking things far too seriously.

16 days to go

With only 16 days to go most of the heavy training is behind me and I'm resting more to let my body recover and restore itself. The blisters are still very bad but should be much better after another week or so.

So now it is all about checking the kit, making sure I've got everything and that I'll have enough food/water etc.

I'd like to thank everybody who has sponsored me. I know there are so many demands to everybody from so many different directions and your generosity is fantastic. Thanks.

I'm reading . . .

Fantastic book about a challenge far more extreme than a few miles along the Ridgeway.

The Marathon Des Sables. Seven Days in the Sahara by Mark Hines.

It isn't a great work of literature but gives a really insight into one of the toughest races in the world.

Blisters

Four weeks or so to go . . . .

Training continues although much more slowly. I'm still suffering from blisters on both feet so I'm keeping the mileage down to let the recover. I feels like the last couple of years of running has built up the skin on my feet - which was perfect for running but in all the wrong places for walking. So I've spent the last week investigating blister (and black toe) treatments.

don't read on if you've just eaten

After two long walks I had black toe nails, which is basically a blister under the nail. Where a blister on the heal can grow and the burst there is no where for the pressure to go and they begin to get really paindfully. So following some advice on various sites I tried the following (you've been warned). Heat a paper clip until it is red hot and melt a hold through the nail. It sounds painful but actual didn't hurt at all and gave somewhere for all the blister to drain. The relief was immediate! All I'm left with is a hole in the nail of each foot - but as the nails are likley to drop off is of no real consequence.

For other blisters Fryers Balsm is great. However - if you get it into a blister you know about it. The pain is amazing but quickly goes. When it is left to dry it leaves a surface that plasters stick to and stay in place all day.

I was going to wear my trail running shoes, but as these were causing blisters when I walked I decided to wear walking boots instead. So now I'm the proud owners of a nice clean pair of Salomon Elios Mid GTX boots (http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/productdetail/id_product/31092). They claim these are so comfortable they can be worn straight out of the box - I've not done too many miles in them but so far that seems to be true.

Suddenly there are only 32 days to go. As I've got the opportunity for another long walk on the 13th and 14th June I decided to bring this forward a few days.

The long-range weather forecast is starting to look good so hopefully it will be dry, but not too warm. The 12/13th was going to be ideal as it was a full moon so if it was clear there would be enough light to walk by, but a few days earlier shouldn't make too much of a difference.



Training is going OK but due to work pressures it has been a very light week this week but hopefully I'll get some miles in some time over the long weekend. The training of the last few weeks has left me with some fairly black toes and blisters. For some reason I can run 20+ miles with no blisters but if I walk the same distance, in the same shoes, my feet are really sore. I went along to a local chiropodist this week to see what was going on - it seems that my walking gait is not too efficient but when I start to run most of the issues seem to go away. I think this explains the blisters, black toes and why it some times feels easier to run than it does to walk.

Less than 50 days to go . . .

It seems like forever but there are now less that 50 days of training and preparation to go. As I'm not planning to train right up to the day there are now under 40 training days left.


I had a day off work this week and did my first pacing walk. It wasn't as long as I would of liked (just under 20 miles) but long enough to get an idea of the real pace I'll be able to maintain. Things like taking off a fleece, looking at the map, getting lost, taking a photo etc all take time. Event action doesn't add much but added together they do impact the pacing. However my original estimates were not to far off so my stage plans are holding together.


Hopefully over the weekend I'll get in another long walk (hopefully longer than the last one) and a good run.

Planning

So far it looks as if the logistics might the the hardest bit to organise. Everything is dictated by the time I need to get to the end of the walk. If I get there too late then getting a lift home is going to be difficult, but I'm limited by the time I can get to the start and then by how fast (or slowly) I get from there to the end. The end time depends on pace - but I've never done anything like this before so I've not got an got idea of the pace I'll be able to maintain. Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to try and get a few longer walks (30 to 40 miles) in to firm up an estimation of my pace.

Now that was the easy bit. Along the routes are a few villages, I'm planning to get some food and water from these - but there is no point getting there at 2am when everything is closed. So I end up pushing some sections hard to get there before closing time (and hoping nobody has decided to close early) or end up waiting around until the shops open.

Of course it might just be easier to start when I get there and see what happens.

Good training run last night. Did a hard 6 miles around some of the Greenway with a few hills. With the exception of running in India it was the warmest run for a number of months.

The Challenge

So, time to come clean and go public.

In June I'm planning to challenge myself to the limit and complete the Ridgeway Long Distance path.

The Ridgeway National Trail is a 87 miles (139km) route through ancient landscapes from Averbury to Ivenhoe. It crosses rolling, open downland to the west of the River Thames and through secluded valleys and woods in the Chilterns to the east, following the same route used since prehistoric times by travellers, herdsmen and soldiers.

Just to make things a little harder I'm going to do it non-stop and might even run some of it. I've run a few fairly long distance runs in training (28 miles is my longest) so I know I should be able to do it - but I've never done anything so long and in one go so I have a real feeling of the unknown.

So now I've gone public there is not backing out. I'll update this blog on my training and kit and maybe if I can find a way actually provide live updates on the day.

Wish me luck!