The Week - June 27th

Don't worry - no mention of Football here other than the fact that I won't mention football....

It has been a quiet week for me so the blog is going to be short and concise. The last two weeks left me jaded and in particular, 11,000 feet and 50k of trails in hot sun last weekend left me frazzled.

So, I had three days off. Ran a pacey 8 miles Wednesday, 8 miles Thursday and then had a BRUTAL massage on Friday. Boy oh boy did Mark nail my legs with some seriously painful trigger point massage.

Saturday I did a double day with another pacey 8 miles and then a steady 6 mile trail run in the evening. Sunday, today, I ran a half marathon at just under 8 min miles which felt pretty good. I went out early to avoid most of the heat... having said that, it was still hot!

For me, this week and this weekend was all about Western States 100 mile Trail Race. http://www.ws100.com/

This race is very much considered one of THE ultras to do in your lifetime. Of course, actually getting in the race is hard enough. Running it is torture. I had particular interest this year as Brit, Ian Sharman was taking part.

Ian is my 'hot tip' for an ultra star in the making. He has pace and a natural ability that many would die for.

Following on line he obviously started nice and steady. Two reasons I guess: respect for the race and also the field he was racing against. It was very much a 'who's who' of named ultra runners. In particular: Anton Krupicka, Kilian Jornet Burgada and Geoff Roes. As it turned out this was the top three but not in that order. Roes won in a ridiculous course record of 15:07 - YES, 15:07 for 100 fantastically tough trail miles..... my tip for the race, Krupicka came in 2nd and Burgada came in 3rd. I think many thought Burgada had a great overall chance but he had run 1000km just two weeks earlier.... not the ideal taper!! As it turned out, Ian Sharman came through the field and finished a superb 8th. H e has told me it was the HARDEST thing he has ever done and he said from mile 62 he felt awful.... that is a long way to feel awful!!

Race history:

In 1955, the late Wendell T. Robie with a party of five horsemen rode the Western States Trail from Squaw Valley to Auburn, proving that horses could still cover 100 miles in one day. Through his energy and vision, he subsequently founded the Western States Trail Foundation and organized the annual Western States Trail Ride, also known as the Tevis Cup "100 Miles - One Day" Ride.

Wendell Robie during an early Tevis Ride

In 1974, with the inspiration and encouragement of Drucilla Barner, 1st woman to win the Tevis Cup and Secretary of the WSTF, Tevis veteran Gordy Ainsleigh joined the horses of the Western States Trail Ride to see if he could complete the course on foot. Twenty-three hours and forty-two minutes later Gordy arrived in Auburn, proving that a runner could indeed traverse the rugged 100 miles in one day. Gordy's own account is HERE.

In 1975, a second runner, Ron Kelley, attempted the same feat, only to withdraw within two miles of the finish with ample time remaining. In 1976, Ken "Cowman" Shirk ran the 100 miles, finishing just 30 minutes over the 24-hour mark.

In 1977, 14 men from four states participated in the 1st official Western States Endurance Run, which was held in conjunction with the Tevis Cup Ride. Runners were monitored by Dr. Bob Lind at the three veterinary stops set up for the horses, and although the race organization transported the entrants gear, runners were responsible for producing all of their own supplies, except water. Three runners finished the course: Andy Gonzales, age 22, in the record-breaking time of 22:57, and Peter Mattei and Ralph Paffenbarger, ages 53 and 54, who tied in 28:36 (and the 30-hour award was born!).

Founding Runners, Gordy Ainsleigh and Cowman Shirk

In the fall of 1977, the Board of Directors for the Western States Endurance Run was formed as part of the Western States Trail Foundation. It was made up primarily of the handful of runners and riders who had helped monitor the progress of the 14 pioneers earlier that summer. The Run organization later became its own entity and is now known as the Western States Endurance Run Foundation.

1978 heralded a dramatic increase in both interest and participation in the Western States Run. Culminating a year-long effort by the inspired Gang of Four (Phil Gardner, Mo Livermore, Shannon Weil, and Curt Sproul) to create an independent event, the race took place in June, a month earlier than the Tevis Cup Ride. The event mushroomed to include 21 aid stations and six medical checks, thanks to an ever-growing corps of loyal volunteers and the support of the Placer County Sheriff 's Communications Reserve and the Search and Rescue Unit. 63 adventurers ran the race, and the first woman, Pat Smythe, finished in 29:34.

One hundred forty-three runners from 21 states and three foreign countries attempted the course in 1979.

BIKE for sale

Scott Jurek

Martin Yelling & Tom Williams contacted me a couple of weeks ago to tell me that finally they were going to do an 'ultra' special on Marathon Talk. Great news, obviously!

However they wanted some celeb interviews. I therefpre put my laptop and contact list to good use and although at this syage I can't disclose all the treat we have in store, I can confirm that the guys have just interviewed my hero: SCOTT JUREK.

I use the word 'hero' in a loose way as I know that Scott wouldn't feel comforatble with such 'devotion'. As you will hear in the podcast, Scott is not only one superb runner but he is a 'superb person'.

The MP3 can be downloaded here: http://cdn1.libsyn.com/marathontalk/Ep24b.mp3?nvb=20100623141644&nva=20100624142644&t=03010c5fceb477a8f1e8f

or here: http://www.marathontalk.com/

or go to iTunes and subscribe to the Podcast: Marathon Talk

Info on SCOTT:

Scott Jurek is a legend, here is a synopsis:

“You need to experience the low points to appreciate the high points” as Scott says. You need to get in that moment, something clicks and suddenly you become able to put one foot after the other. Inner strength, we all have it. Running for Scott is a way to express this.

Scott practices yoga and is a vegan. He says he is not flexible but he has often expressed his love for meditation and says that running also puts him in that state.

Did he loving running from an early age? No! He actually says he hated running. He ran in high school to get ready for Nordic Skiing.

Why become Vegan? He says that he has seen how food choices have affected other peoples lives. He therefore chose to become as simple as possible with his food choices. He has studied food and he makes significant diet changes to help performance and recovery. He is a spokes person for Vegan and plant based diets. He is extremely ecological and has no car. So his choices are life changing.

He featured prominently in the book ‘Born to Run’. The Copper Canyon is the backdrop to a story of Scott pitting himself against an indigenous tribe of ‘natural’ runners. Ever the human and ever the modest person, Scott raced and came second. It’s a book of fact, myth and legend. Read about Cabello Blanco and the story that has become very much a modern day bible for ‘runners’. The book has become certainly a vehicle for running ‘barefoot’ even though Scott does not run that way.

Scott talks of training and racing as a journey of exploration. Questioned on fame and publicity he responds “I run because I love it, it’s not about self promotion, it’s because I love it”. Quite simply he is a modest guy. “I do what I do, I follow my passions and I go for it. I grab onto life and I go for it”. Great words to run and train by.

Strip away the running and you are left with one ‘neat’ guy.

His mother had ‘MS’ and the passing away of his mother has had a major effect on his life. Running has not been a way to escape big questions but to find big answers. You have to continue learning and exploring. The moment you stop, you stop living.

He acknowledges that he is hypocritical. He has no car, he cycles, walks or uses public transport. However when travelling to races etc he needs to fly in many cases. This causes internal problems for him as he tries to balance his own ‘personal’ life balance.

He wants to inspire, he is connected to the sport, he will man a feed station at a race, he gives of his time generously.

Talking of the future he possibly plans to compete for another 3-4 years. He is currently writing a book and he has great ideas and plans for his future.

How does he take care of the people around him? He admits that the balance is difficult. He is crtical saying that he possibly gives too much. Sometimes he has to force himself to ‘unplug’. We only have one life, he has seen people leave life at a young age, so, don’t live life in the past, seize the moment and nurture relationships. He is proud that he hasn’t taken an easy path. Proud that he has survived the difficult moments. He takes experiences and he is proud that he has taken the path less travelled.

Palmares:

PB’s:

100m Trail – 15:36

100k road – 7:28

50 mile trail – 6:21

50 mile road – 5:50

50k Trail – 3:04

Road Marathon – 2:38

Half Marathon – 1:16:39

Career Highlights:

Western Sates 100 – legendary race. He holds the course record in 15:36!!! Yes – 15:36 for 100 very very difficult trail miles. He has won the race 7 times.

Badwater winner - 135 miles through Death Valley

Spartathlon – 153 miles from Athens to Sparta. 2006, 2007 and 2008 winner. Second fastest runner on the course behind the legendary Yannis Kouros.

Lakeland 50/100 recce

This last week has been a really funny week. After last weekend’s hard marathon I have done no training. I have been out for a few runs but they have been purely to tick over and try to loosen up. I did a ridiculously slow and painful 2.5 miles on Monday, 3.5 miles on Tuesday, 6 miles on Wednesday, 3.8 miles on Thursday and then I had a rest on Friday. I always find it is better to run for consecutive days and then rest as this helps to shift the lactic.

After a long day on Friday I had to drive up from the South for an overnight stop at my Mums and then I was up at 0600 to travel to Ambleside to recce part of the Lakeland 50/100 route.

Plan was to meet at Ambleside, leave our cars and then a coach took myself and 60 other runners to Dalemain and the 50 mile point for the 100 route or the ‘start’ of the 50 route. The plan for the day was to make our way back to Ambleside in a self sufficient manner. This is a really important aspect of the ‘Lakeland’ route as navigation is key. When you also bear in mind that some of the race will be in the dark, familiarity will be extremely useful.

The course

Well, in simple words it is tough. Very tough. Worryingly the second half of the 100 route is easier than the first 50, so, if you are doing the 100, be prepared. This will be one serious undertaking. The race in the previous two editions has over a 70% failure rate. Having been on the course that is completely understandable. The ‘50’ however with a 24 hour cut off is much more manageable. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a really tough day out. But and this is an important ‘but’, it is possible to walk briskly or jog/walk and complete within the 24hr time limit. This is not so for the 100. The 100 has a 40hr cut off and therefore you will spend one complete night on the course.

You will see from the photographs the difficulty of the terrain underfoot. However, the photographs do not help with the profile and the severity. Simply, you batter your calf’s going up, you batter your quads coming down and between going up and down you batter your whole body. Your feet are twisted, pulled and angled all over the place. Blisters are potentially a real problem if you don’t have the right shoes or fit. Do not try road shoes. They will just not be up to the task.

Equipment wise you will without doubt need the following: Jacket, over-trousers, hat, gloves, compass, phone, maps, route book, gps (optional), whistle, food and a 2ltr bladder. The terrain is tough, exposed and dangerous. In good bright conditions the course is just magnificent, we had superb weather. In wind, rain and the dark it is without doubt brutal and frightening. At certain points on the course, mostly the high point, we were in 35mph winds. In bright skies and sun it was cold – add rain and night temperatures this potentially is light threatening. It is important to emphasize that this route/race should not be underestimated.

The recce

We had approximately 6 guides, me being one of them. We left Dalemain with a walk which then progressed to jog. The key element of the day was pace and finding your way. Navigation is not a strong point for me so this was a great learning curve for me. Marc and the Lakeland team really have put together a great package to help everyone, novices included, to navigate the route. We had a great ‘step by step’ road-book. This alone is perfect for navigation. In conjunction with a GPS this is the perfect way to navigate the route. In regard to GPS, waypoints are provided via download from the ‘Lakeland 100’ site, so, all you need to do is upload them and off you go....

The course is quite simply stunning. The initial miles in comparison to the rest of the course are easy. Rolling green fields and then a nice trail path around the River Eamont.

We crossed a bridge and through the village of Pooley Bridge and then a climb to Roehead. From here the terrain became harder.

Running past Barton Park we then ran across Barton Fell on a stunning trail with fabulous views of the lake to our right. Our first checkpoint came at Howton.

We had the long climb through Fusedale Beck to Gowk Hill.

We than ran across open windy fells at High Kop and then descended via Brampton Common to Haweswater Reservoir.

The trail around the reservoir was tough under foot but extremely beautiful.

Crossing the Rigg and then Dudderwick we had our second checkpoint at Mardale Head. Distance covered to this point was 19 miles and my quads were now feeling the previous week’s marathon. I knew from this point on that I was going to ease back and save my legs as best as I could.

The climb up Gatescarth Pass from Mardale is just tough. No other word for it. Steep, tough terrain and just hard. Your calf’s scream. The top provides no real relief as the ‘down’ on the other side is equally hard. It batters your feet and quads.

Sadgill at the bottom was a welcome sight before we then had to re climb through Tom’s Howe to Kentmere and the third check point.

At this point we were thinking not far to go to Ambleside – wrong! We had covered 25 miles and had 7 to go. The cups of coke and a good flapjack would hopefully help fuel the coming work. Out of Kentmere we hit Garburn Pass. With 25 miles in the legs this was tough. As per the previous Gatescarth Pass, the terrain was steep and harsh underfoot.

Finally at the top we jog/walked the decent to The Howe, crossed the road and then had a short hilly road section to Troubeck

Right at the Post Office and then some really nice forest trail through Skelghyll Wood.

We passed ‘Waterhead’ and with a look left we saw our parked cars.....

Within a mile or so we arrived at ‘Lakes Runner’ and the end of our recce – 32 miles covered.

Conclusion

I did this on sore legs – NOT RECOMMENDED! You need fresh quads and calf’s for this terrain, no doubt. Pace is crucial. Mentally you need to be focussed. Navigation is not difficult but you do need to be attentive at all times. The ‘road book’ is brilliant and should be referred to at all time. This in conjunction with the reassurance of a GPS is ideal. I used both and apart from one mistake I had no problems. You need to train on mixed, hard, rocky and tough terrain. Get your quads and your calf’s strong. Make sure you have good trail shoes that fit. Your feet get battered. The ‘50’ is a challenge that is achievable for everyone. The ‘100’ is a real challenge and should only be attempted if you are experienced. The 75% failure rate is significant in the ‘100’ – physically and mentally it is just a brute. I haven’t yet looked at the first 50 miles but Marc assures me that it is harder than the second 50, so, be warned. If possible I recommend a ‘recce’ of the whole route. If you don’t have time for that, I would try to work out where you think you will be for the ‘night section’ and recce that. To run in the dark on unknown terrain will be real difficult.

If you have entered the ‘50’ or the ‘100’ – good luck! It will be a tough day or two days out. You will be rewarded with stunning terrain, stunning scenery, brilliant organization and an experience to cherish. If it was easy, everyone would do it.....

Images : http://picasaweb.google.com/runwild.runfree.uk/Lakeland50100Recce#

Marne et Gondoire Marathon 2010

Marne et Gondoire Marathon is one of those marathons that should be experienced. I took part last year on a last minute decision... I had been booked to coach on a workshop in London and I therefore had decided that running a marathon on the outskirts of Paris the next day was not a good idea. However, liking a challenge, I finished the workshop, drove to the coast, crossed on Eurotunnel, arrived in Paris at 0100am and then toed the line at 0900am for the 2009 Marne et Gondoire Marathon. Good idea? Mmmmm well difficult to say. As it turned out the course is really tough and we had the hottest day of the year. It was 30+ deg and I cooked. However, despite all this and an awful last few miles I managed to pull off a top 10 with a time of 3:20 ‘ish’.

The Chateau and grounds

This year I decided that with my Comrades plans compromised I would return to Marne and run hard. My last race was London’ at the end of April, so, after some recovery and a re-build I arrived in ‘Bussy Saint Martin’ with the prospect of a tough day ahead.

This race starts and finishes in the Parc de Rentilly approximately 10-15 minutes from Eurodisney, so, if you ever fancy a family weekend that includes a race, this is the one to choose. Organised by Michel Bach and his wife Sylvie they put on a day of activities like no other race. It is about experiences, catering for everyone and providing a whole day and night of entertainment.

Luckily the weather was perfect after two previous days of wet and stormy weather. Registration was from 0700 and the race started at 0900. The main event is the individual marathon but in addition you have relay races and a multitude of kid’s races. The course is tough. Starting and finishing in the Parc de Rentilly we ran in a clockwise direction taking in the regions of ‘ Marne’ and ‘Gondoire’. In total we run through 16 villages, each provide entertainment and compete against each other for the best ‘spectacle’. The course is a combination of parc, trails, stones, road, villages, climbing, tunnels and bridleways. In parts beautiful and in other areas quite desolate.

To run a race with the intention of trying to win provides a whole different level of pre-race stress. My form was good, 2:53 at Paris and 2:58 at London on tired legs confirmed this. In the last 4 weeks of training I had worked on speed, hills and less on endurance as I felt that I already had that in the bag.

Herve a local runner and friend of Niandi had arrived to race. He holds the course record in 2:55 so I knew that I was going to have a tough day. Having run over 3:20 last year and knowing the course I was seriously impresses with a sub 3 time.

A blind runner and guide

A minute before 0900 three sets on blind runners were released on to the course with guides. One of them, Didier, is a good friend. I have mentioned him before in previous posts: he is quite an inspiration.

relay team runners

At 0900 we were off. It is really important to get the pace sorted at the beginning as we had relay runners starting at the same time, so, it was fair to assume that anyone who flew off at 10k pace was actually running a 10k! I watched Herve and decided that he was the guy to judge my effort on. He accelerated very early and pulled away. Not too far but in sight. I stook with an obvious group who were judging and pacing quite well. I knew at this stage I was top 10 but it wasn’t possible to know exactly. We were 6:30 milling so I was a little concerned. Had I been ‘just’ running I would have eased off. This is when it dawned on me that ‘racing’ in a marathon is a completely different ball game. I was either on the pace or off it. So, I decided to be ‘on it’.

Going through 10k in 39 min was a little shock as we had taken in some big hills, we had been off road and we had been constantly going left and right. At this stage I was running with the 4^th, 5^th, 6^th and 7^th placed runners. I was feeling pretty good and looking at the other runners you could tell that they had more concerns about me than I had about them. They all knew each other so couldn’t understand who and where this ‘dark horse’ had come from....

One unusual aspect of this race is that the front runners are allowed ‘seconds’. These seconds help the runner while on the course. They are on bicycles and carry gels, food and bottles. No such help for me. I had 6 gels on me and I had to rely on the feed stations for liquid. No complaints on the ‘feed’ points. They were regular and very well stocked.

The morning chill had gone and the ambient temperature was hotting up, just like the race. We went through half in 1:36. The course between 10k and 20k was very tough and this reflected in the pace. Still feeling good I pushed on. I had a guy with me called Eric Michaud, I didn’t know him but he knew the course and he was a good runner. At 15 miles he attacked and I went. Suddenly Cyrille Bachelard and one runner from the ‘Torcy’ run club could no longer keep up.

As we ran to ‘Lesches’ this gave us an opportunity to view who was racing and the gaps. Herve was about 3 miutes ahead being chased by Eric and then me. I was told I was 4^th place so obviously we had a runner who was way out in front... it turns out this guy ran 2:45!!! I can’t believe that time on that course.

So, the race was on. I was keeping pace but Eric was pulling away a little. Not much I could do, I was running as hard as my legs would let me. At 40k I went of course... bloody nightmare. I missed a marker on the trail and ran up a hill instead of going right. I realized relatively quickly but I had lost 1-2 mins. When back on track I knew that 3^rd was no longer possible so I pushed on for 4^th crossing the line in 3:01. I was over the moon with the time and the place. I could not have run any harder and I am convinced if that effort had been at London or Paris Marathon I would have PB’d. I was wrecked! When the results came it turned out that me going ‘of course’ allowed another guy to slip in front of me and thus pushing me back to 5^th. He beat me by an annoying 17 seconds. Had that had been for 3^rd place I would have been gutted, as it happens, 4^th or 5^th was no real consequence.

Niandi running two weeks after a great run at Comrades had felt good over the first 20k but said she faded over the latter stages. She came in for 84^th place but importantly had 3^rd lady, so, a great result.

It is important to remember that so many entrants take part in this marathon for fun. I was going to say 'just for fun' but I think we all take part just for fun. What I mean to say is for the enjoyment and not for competition. Michel and Sylvie each year create a theme. This year it was 'Tropical'.

Post race is when the 'real' fun starts.

Live bands on stage.

Entertainment.

A picnic.

Chatting and meeting with friends.

The awards.

And then everyone drinks and parties into the night.

Michel and Sylvie put on a fantastic race. A race that is a real joy, a race with no compromise; great running, great fun, great friends, great atmosphere and entertainment for all. It has the planning and a location worthy of a major event.

Think about this race for 2011, you will not be disappointed.

The Week 6th June

This last week has been fun! It was half term for the schools so I had a wonderful week with my son. Three days were spent in the English Lakes with my mum. We had the most perfect weather... I have spent many a day, weekend or week in this magical place with very cold and wet conditions, so, to get three stunning days was a real treat. We stayed in Grasmere. Ideal for getting around, tea shops and basically chilling out. Running was superb. I had some superb runs on trails around Grasmere Lake, Rydal Water and Ambleside. Perfect!

Training for me was my last week of my adaptation phase. After London Marathon I had some rest, tweaked my training and then re targeted towards some new targets. Next week, the 13th, I run the Marne et Gondoire Marathon. This is organized by a friend and it really is a superb race. A tough marathon as it is a mix of terrain, hills, flat and multiple villages.

The weekend after, the 19th & 20th I have a marathon both days. I am covering the second half of the Lakeland 100 route as a 'reccie'. So, Saturday we will start from the 50 mile checkpoint and run to the 75 mile checkpoint. Sunday we will start at 75 and run to the finish in Coniston and the 100mile checkpoint. Both days will be tough as the terrain in this part of the world is very hilly, rough and potentially dangerous.

One key point of the Lakeland 100 and 50 mile events is navigation. I have therefore been learning how to use memory map, plot routes, load waypoints and use a Garmin for navigation. It has been a real test but I am pleased to say that I have worked my way through it all. It has actually been very rewarding. Using this software and learning the functions of GPS navigation is something that I have wanted to do for a while but I have struggled to find the time. Nothing like an 'event' to get ones head in gear. So I now have an Oregon 450 to guide me on my way and Memory Map software on my PC to view, plot and print maps.

On bank holiday Monday James Watkins ran Chester Marathon and ran a superb race to PB with a 3:04. Super motivated, James has already entered for a late season marathon and a crack at that sub 4 target he desperately wants. Also, we are looking at entering and training for an ultra in the build up to a new marathon PB. Maybe Boddington 50 on July 31st.

One person worth a mention is Jennie Muston. Jennie joined our Lanza training camp and has recently been coached by Liz Yelling. Jennie also ran Chester and won the Ladies race outright with a new PB time of a few seconds just over 3 hours. Great run !!

So a short but fulfilled week. Next week I will have a race report and hopefully some interesting pictures from the Marne et Gondoire Marathon. I am also hoping to interview a French ultra runner called 'Didier'. He is a good friend of Niandi's and a real inspiration, not merely because of his running exploits but because he is also blind.