Lakeland Trek

I have been asked by a few people to re-post my Lakeland Trek blog, so, here goes....

THE LAKELAND TREK

Photos here:http://picasaweb.google.com/runwild.runfree.uk/LakelandTrekAugust2010#

Day 1 Monday 23^rd August – Coniston to Wasdale

We left my mum’s at 0700 and arrived at Ambleside for breakfast just before 0900. It was a nice leisurely start to the day – coffee and teacakes to help provide energy for the trek ahead. I also wanted to go the ‘Climbers Shop’ to purchase some trek poles. My Raidlight lightweight poles had broken and from the previous recce I had already decided ‘poles’ were an essential item to help on the climbs and decent. It turned out that they didn’t have the poles i wanted; thank god! I ended up with a much better pair and poles that are much more specific for future events. The Leki ‘Traveller’ poles come with a run glove so that you can clip the pole in and out of the hand in a flash. They work brilliantly and I can’t recommend them enough. So, with my poles purchased we moved to Coniston, parked the car and started at about 1100am. This was our first mistake.... you need to start 0700 or 0800 at the latest. Why? Well, quite simply the terrain is so tough that moving quickly just is not possible, particularly when you have ‘full kit’ and 2 ltrs of water on you. Also the rain... oh the rain!

We jogged and speed walked to start with and then hit the first climb which lasted for a few K’s to a car park at Roadhead. Here we headed right to Walna Scar. The rain was coming down but temperatures were pretty mild. We crossed a bridge and then climbed a very stoney strenuous path to the summit of Walna Scar Pass (summit 2106m). We were above the cloud. Pretty darn impressive. We headed downhill, the terrain similar to the other side. Tough, gnarly, rocky and wet. We finally reached a road, turned left and arrived at Seathwaite Village Hall. This would be checkpoint 1 in the L100 with 6.4 miles covered. We looked at each other and both thought wow! This is one seriously tough race.

From the checkpoint we retraced to a small church, opposite was a pathway. We squeezed through the stile and then navigated through woodland, over a bridge and headed for Wallowbarrow. The rain was coming harder and the ground was just boggy. Our feet were permanently wet. Passing through a farmyard we turned right and headed through woods to go around Wallowbarrow Crag on a good path. We took a permissive path and then entered what turned out to be the real ‘low’ of the 4 day trek. A boggy, wet, miserable fell and plantation area signposted to Eskdale. This area was miserable. We had no clear path to follow, the rain was torrential and we were slowly going higher and higher into the cloud and colder temperatures. We finally moved out of the plantation to a rutted, rocky and extremely wet underfoot section. It was hard. So hard, it made Niandi cry (no joke). We were cold, wet and tired and only about 11 miles in to the day. We both look back now and laugh but it was a low point. We pushed on after a little pep talk and at the top we crossed a gulley and found some shelter from a tree. We donned waterproofs, hats and gloves. This worked. It refreshed us and gave us a reason to carry on. One main problem with this sort of trek is that we are carrying minimal kit. I mean minimal. We both had 2 tops, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of socks, over trousers, waterproof jacket and a pair of ‘skins’ compression tights to sleep in; that was it! One set of kit was now wet and I was thinking how on earth are we going to get this stuff dry.....

We now took a rocky trail and made our way down the other side of the hill. We started to warm up as the rain eased. The terrain was still ridiculously difficult to navigate. The trekking poles proved an invaluable purchase as they provided that extra help and support to help keep us both upright. We arrived at Penny Hill Farm, took a permissive path and rejoined the main path. We now headed to Boot and had the wonderful site of a Pub. I needed to refill my bottles so it seemed the perfect excuse to grab a coffee, get warm, refuel and then push on. We didn’t hang around, maybe 20 min. Just around the corner was checkpoint 2 for the L100, a small Corn Mill.

From the Corn Mill we pushed uphill and headed over Eskdale Moor to Burnmoor Tarn. Again the ground was sodden and boggy with all the rain. Our feet were going to look like prunes. Heading NNE we followed a path to a wood. Wasdale was now in sight. We headed down the rutted, stoney path. Passed a climbers hut and arrived at Wasdale Campsite. It was now 1830. Our plan had been to reach Buttermere but this was another 6-7 miles away and with failing light, poor conditions we decided to call day 1 to an end. We were relieved. We were also relieved to find out that this campsite had a laundry room. Oh joy! We could get our clothes dry meaning that our following days were going to be far more comfortable.

The joys of trekking come when you have to pitch a tent in the rain, cook dehydrated food and hit the sleeping bag at 2100hrs.

Day 2 Tuesday 24^th August – Wasdale to Blencathra Centre (checkpoint 6)

We were so tired we slept like logs despite the wind and rain hitting the tent all night. We awoke at 0600 to make coffee and porridge. We packed up and was on the trail by 0700. Within 1 mile we had to cross a river. Our feet were soaked. We headed to Wasdale Head Inn (checkpoint 3) and proceeded for 200m, through a gate and then started to climb to Gatherstone Beck. We then joined Black Sail Pass and pushed on going constantly up.

The rain came and battered us. Needless to say the terrain was really tough and this was topped off at the top with hale stone. We tried to shelter but it was hopeless. It is so open. We headed down a rocky wet trail. You had to be real careful. Very technical and very wet. You could slip any minute. We finally reached the bottom and crossed the River Liza. We passed Black Sail YHA hut and then climbed again to Scarth Gap.

It wasn’t 0900am and we had already climbed 2437 feet. The sun came out and our trek down from the summit to Buttermere and the Lakeside path was a real treat. We arrived in Buttermere just in time for tea and toast and a refuel of our bottles.

Buttermere Village Hall was checkpoint 4 in the L100, from here we turned right past the Bridge Hotel and then right up Ghyll Wood. We now started to gain height again, the path here was much better under foot and it was far easier to keep a consistent pace. We continued to climb to the summit at Sail Pass. The sun was out and this section was really enjoyable. I made a slight navigational error which meant that we had to do a little rock climbing up a pretty much vertical wall to rejoin the appropriate path.

Niandi was not impressed. At the Col at Barrow Door we took a good path descending all the way down aiming for the right hand side of a small wood. We went through a gate, joined a tarmac road and followed until we arrived in the centre of Braithwaite. St Huthbert’s Church Hall was checkpoint no 5.

From Buttermere we had climbed another 2440ft so now a section of flat road was a welcome relief. I called in a camp site to fill my bottles on the edge of Braithwaite and then we ran along the A66 towards Keswick. It was funny to have cars and people around us. We followed the cycle path and then ran along an old railway track. Passing a Church we then negotiated a few road junctions to take a left up Spoony Green Lane and head towards Skiddaw. Now on the Cumbria Way we started to climb up once again and good paths. After 2km or so we reached a car park. We navigated left and then climbed up and around Whit Beck. The light started to fail even though it was late afternoon and the cloud started to come in. Rain?

We struggled along Lonsdale Crags, crossed a wooden bridge and then took the upper track heading to our end point for the day, Blencathra Centre (checkpoint 6). We had covered another 1548ft making the day total around 5500ft.

Our day didn’t end here though! The L100 route continues east towards Dalemain. I had already done this section and due to time constraints our plan was to head south and pick up the L100 route at Ambleside. I therefore navigated 2 or 3 miles to Burns farm Campsite, east of Keswick and directly south from the Blencathra Centre.

We arrived at the site, pitched the tent, showered and then settled to instant noodles, dried fruit and coffee. Bliss. Today had been quite a tough day. At some point in the morning I had either twisted or banged my left knee. Unfortunately the pain had just got worse during the day. I was a little worried of the implications. I put my ‘skins’ on, took some ibuprofen and hoped for the best.

Day 3 Wednesday 25^th August – Burns Farm (Keswick) to Ambleside

Wow, last night was chilly. Niandi slept with the following clothing on inside the sleeping bag: thermal long sleeve North Face top, Gore long sleeve run top, Gore Tex jacket, fleece hat, socks and skins tights. She still said it was cold..... Me, I just got cold..... Of course it rained in the night too.

We were up at 0600 again to porridge and coffee and then left at 0700. Today I was navigating to Ambleside. I had decided that if we got a good start and pushed on we could be in Grasmere for early afternoon and have a treat. A cream tea!

Leaving Burns arm we had a small section of road before following the path signs leading to Low Rigg. It was a lovely morning. Chilly but sunny. We got into climbing straight away and reached the summit pretty quickly. We descended and then took the path climbing up to High Rigg. Terrain underfoot was pretty good. Of course it was wet, boggy, rocky and muddy but we were now used to this. We expected no less.

The sun came over Staybarrow Dodd to the east and the light was fantastic. It illuminated the mountain ranges and showed us the beauty that is the English Lakes. Sheep kept popping up everywhere. They just wanted to be photographed.

From the summit we followed good paths to the south east corner. When we arrived at the road we had a small section to navigate before joining the pathway that goes around Thirlmere. This was a great section.

Good paths, great views and the sun on our backs. It felt like we were in Canada or the Alps.

Pine trees and Lakeland views. Halfway on the path we moved east, crossed the road and then picked up the forest path that runs parallel to the lake. A great section. We had thick forest to navigate through. Apparently this is a Red Squirrel reserve but we didn’t see any.

We now followed the trail that run parallel to the A591 crossing the main road to take the path on the west side of the road. Somehow I missed the official path and navigated south through boggy fields. It wasn’t a problem as we had the clear objective of Grasmere in-front of us. The main issue was the terrain. It was very very boggy. I decided with the help of my gps to move up the fells and rejoin the path.

It was at this point that Niandi stepped forward with her left leg and sunk straight to her waist. My initial laugh was soon stopped as I ran over to stop Niandi singing any further. Her shoe was starting to come off and I could see the panic. Walking poles stuck in the ground, Niandi took my hands and I pulled her out.... I was waiting for the outburst but it didn’t come.

It was actually about 10 mins later when I made her climb over another stone wall to reach the ‘official’ footpath. Back on track we arrived in Grasmere within 20 mins and as promised Niandi and myself had a fantastic cram tea. I can’t tell you how good a cream tea is when you have really earned it.

The break was welcome and we took the western path around Grasmere taking the lake path leading to the climb of Red Bank. This is a really steep climb but over good path and when reaching Loughrigg we had superb views over the whole of the Lakeland range.

We descended down and spent the night at a small campsite near Loughrigg Tarn. It was a simple site and unfortunately had no shower facilities. Thank goodness for ‘wet wipes’. No shower was compensated for with a pub less than 0.5 mile away. Oh the joys of some great pub food and a glass of wine.

Day 4 26^th August – Ambleside to Coniston

The coldest night of the week made for very broken sleep. Never good when you have to put clothes on to go to bed. We had no rain but we almost had a frost.

Our tent was covered in so much condensation and dew that it actually appeared as though it had rained. The sun was up and the day was obviously going to be the hottest so far. Porridge for brekkie again.

We started our day with a jacket on, over-trousers, hat and gloves. We walked on roads to the Skelwith Bridge Hotel and then joined the Cumbria Way footpath to Elterwater Village. This pathway was good underfoot and flat. It was easy to make a good pace and in comparison to the previous 3 days it was a walk in the park.

At the village we turned left and took the quarry road eventually joining a footpath on the right. We followed the path and arrived at Chapel Stile and checkpoint 13. It was now pretty warm. Finally we were able to strip down to shorts and top. Summer was here!

We re joined the Cumbria Way and headed through the Langdale Valley. This valley for many IS the Lake District. It is stunning landscape and on a day when god shines his light it looks fantastic. The path is good all the way to the Dungeon Ghyll campsite.

Turning left we took the steep zig zag path leading to the summit at Side Pike Pass. We crossed the road and then took the good trails around Blea Tarn to the south west corner. We were making good time and as I have said previously today was turning out to be easy.

From the tarn we had to navigate across a rough fell with no clear path. As per usual it was bogy. More wet feet ! On arriving at the top corner of the fell we joined the road and ran downhill to Fell Foot Farm. After a small section of road we navigated towards a small white cottage. This was an idyllic scene. The property is owned by the National Trust and is picture postcard material.

Taking the path we climbed up and I took the wrong path..... doh! I took the first right path instead of following the main path to the right. Gps once again proved a real help as this provided me with an exact location and confirmed my error. Having said that, it turned out to be a bonus. It added 2 miles to the day and we got to see a disused mine.

Back on track we moved along good paths to Tiberthwaite car park and checkpoint 14.

We now had approximately 4 miles left and today’s ‘easy’ day showed the kick in the tail. At this point in the L100 you will have now covered ironically 100 miles... yes I know. It’s a 100 mile race BUT it is actually 104. The climb up Tiberthwaite is tough, steep and technical. At this point in the race it must be so demoralising.

Onwards and upwards you cross a stream at the top and then have to navigate across open boggy fell with no clear path. If you were doing this at night it would be very confusing. By taking a SSW direction and just keeping going I finally picked up the main path to then take the tough rocky and technical descent back down Milners Bridge before taking easy roads back to Coniston.

Job done.

Conclusion

Firstly, the 100 mile Lakeland loop is a classic in the making. It is without doubt the toughest course I have ever encountered. Trekking it was a real challenge and very rewarding. To try and run/walk it within 40 hours is a completely different challenge. You have so much to take in to consideration. The course, navigation, weather and basically just having the strength and determination to just keep soldiering on is a challenge in itself. If you plan on doing the 50 or the 100 mile race without doubt take time to recce the route. It will prove invaluable. The road book provided for the race is superb but it is still easy to go wrong. I made a few mistakes, nothing drastic but better to do it in training and then on race day you can just keep moving forward on the correct path. It is also important to remember that you will be on the course at night. If you get the cold and wet weather we had with mist and darkness it could very well be terrifying without a sense of direction.

If you don’t fancy racing, split the course as we did and do it over 4/5 days or why not make the course 4 or 5 separate day trips. It’s a challenge that will prove extremely rewarding.

Kit Recommendations

I am going to recommend kit here that applies to a multi-day trek as I feel that you can edit the list so that you can exclude items that will not be needed for a race.

Rucksac – I chose a waterproof salomon XA running sac with a salomon chest pack. This was absolutely perfect. The waterproof main compartment kept all my kit dry. I didn’t use a camel back but chose to carry 3 x 500ml bottles in the chest pack. This helped balance the weight front and back and made me more comfortable. Also the front pack gave instant access to maps, gps and any other essential items.

Tent – Vaude Ultralite. This was brilliant. I looked at all options and tested many before making a purchase. This tent goes up in 2 mins and is free standing. It pitches with the ‘inner’ already attached and therefore in bad weather you stand a good chance to keep the living area dry. It packs small, is light (but not the lightest) and has plenty of room for two.

GPS – I used a Garmin Oregon with Lake District in 1:25,000 detail. The gps is perfect for finding out your exact location. Also, the race directors provide the full route as waypoints, so, if need be you can navigate the whole race via a handheld device/

Poles – I used Leki ‘Traveller’ poles. I consider these essential.

Sleeping Bag – It needs to pack small, be light and warm. Not an easy combination. I chose a model that did 2 of the 3. Unfortunately warm it wasn’t.... a change required.

Sleep Matt – I didn’t take a sleep matt due to weight but I would recommend one. I found the cold struck through the tent and this added to my cold nights. Thermalite do a range. They are not cheap (ppx £80) but I will get one for next time.

Cooker – Jetboil. The ultimate boiling facility. It packs small, all folds up to a neat package and gives you piping hot water in 2-3 mins.

Food – Light and dehydrated food is the best choice. It’s not cheap but works well for treks of this nature. I took fresh coffee in sealed bags and I had a nifty little device to provide filter coffee. We had instant oats in individual bags for breakfast. Just add hot water and away you go. For snacks I had energy bars, nuts, mixed fruit, cereal bars and other little treats to take while on the route and in the evening. I also had a tube of ‘electrolyte tablets’ to make sure I was hydrated all the time.

Clothing – Make sure you have a waterproof jacket and over trousers with taped seams. If you can afford Gore Tex – get them! I used lightweight long sleeve tops by North face (flight series) as they are a warm, light and extremely functional. I had normal run shorts and long tights made by ‘skins’ for the evening to help my legs recover. I had 2 pairs of socks. Would I take more clothes? Possibly yes. If you get soaking wet or cold you have little option with minimal kit. It is a balancing act.

Shoes – I used Brooks Cascadia Trail shoes. I have tried all the shoes on the market and for me these offered the best compromise. Good on the road, good on the trails and importantly comfortable all day.

Extras – I used a Garmin 310 gps to measure my runs and provide data. I had a Blackberry phone with me as this was ideal for emergency calls or any important emails. I had 2 luxury items – a wind up radio and a ‘power monkey’ solar charger. The solar charger gave my Garmin 310 autonomy over the 4 days and it also allowed me to re-charge my phone.

I could go on with all the other little bits such as folding bowls, cups, ‘sporks’ and all the other little nicks and nacks one can find in camping shops but I feel that finding these items yourself is all part of the fun.

Notes from the edge

It's October and I am tired. It has been a long season and I am currently trying to re-focus the mind and body for Venice Marathon on the 24th.

Last week I was recovering from the 100km in Millau. I have to say, I have never felt so good after a 100k. I recovered very quickly and just 48hrs afterwards I was back to running twice a day. Of course I kept the distance down and the intensity easy, however, I did lengthen my runs at the weekend to 8 miles. In total I covered just over 40 miles.

This week I have put 'one more' endurance week in with 3 speed sessions. Again I have tried twice a day but I can feel my body is craving that 2 week rest.

I am very concious that although I have raced all year, Venice is really where I am going to put myself on the line and really push the pace. I have repeatedly said that for me Venice will be glory, a dnf or a time that goes beyond 3 hours!

Why one of the three options? Well, I have to push to see what I can achieve. I plan to be on the edge and when you are on the edge you can fall off. With luck over the next two weeks I can ease back, taper, rest and get mentally focused for the challenge that lies in Italy.

This challenge is not just mine. Niandi will be running after a tiring Millau. Since the race we have looked into several factors that would or could have affected Niandi's performance and we have conclusive results; low Iron! Niandi's levels are ridiculously low, so, we are looking at a series of treatments to get these levels at a required level for running. Richard Fluck is once again toeing the line and is desperate for that 'sub 4' after missing the target by seconds in Paris. Max Bonzo and his wife will also be joining us. Max lives in Spain but is Italian, so, we will be relying on him for all translations.

Future Targets

Apologies if I now get a little emotional. I often wonder how much I should include in a blog. For me, it is a form of therapy but also a way to discuss training, races and the implications they all have on my life.

It is important to remember though, that it is 'only running'. However, running is a massive part of my life and without it I don't think I would be the person I am. I have met so many friends, I met Niandi running, I have my coaching clients and all that they achieve and I also have the wonderful holidays and the locations that running takes me.

Earlier this year I should have gone to Comrades in South Africa. It was an important race for many reasons. It is Niandi's home race and one that she has done 12 times, her father loves the race and watches it but also her sister was running this year. If I haven't already mentioned, Manya (Niandi's Sister) ran this years Comrades in remission from breast cancer. Obviously Niandi wanted to run the race to support her. For me, I wanted to support Niandi but I also wanted to meet Manya and her family, also, I wanted to run the iconic ultra.

I remember watching the live feed for 12 hours and posting updates on Facebook. I was following other friends who were in the race, I was relieved when Niandi finished and then I was glued waiting for Manya. As it happened, Manya finished well inside the 12 hour cut off with over 30 mins to spare. Boy was it emotional.

For me, this is what running is about. It is about making decisions that not only make your life but define your life. For me, Manya was a star.

Post Comrades Manya complained of fatigue which is obviously understandable. We knew the race would fatigue her and we knew she would need to be careful with recovery. It turns out that Manya was increasingly having problems with breathing. Doctors assured her it was okay. Then we were informed in August it was fluid on the lung.

It turns out that the cancer has returned and unfortunately it has returned to the lungs.

I don't need to say more BUT I will be at Comrades in 2011. I may not be able to afford going but I will get to 'SA' one way or the other. I may even make it for the weekend but I will run the race and I will run it for Manya and for Breast Cancer. I may even run it dressed in a full pink outfit if somebody really wants to tempt me with a really generous donation. I have set up a donation page with Virgin. Your help would be more than appreciated:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=iancorless

Julie Deadman another 'PB'

Really enjoyed the Royal Parks today - London did us proud. 12,500 runners but the starting funnels worked well and it seemed most people stuck to where they had been allocated (apart from the one person from the plus 2 hours start that was walking at mile one!!).

Some parts are a bit tight through the parks but there were signs warning that the course was narrowing so time to think ahead and work out a route. Support was amazing all the way round and it does make a difference. The course does undulate a fair bit and there are a few changes of terrain. Felt really dodgy at about 4 miles when I had just taken my first gel and I think I swallowed too much water too quickly!!! I carried on and thankfully it passed, but I didn't have another gel then until 9 miles and only had a few more sips of water.Things started to get tough between miles 10 and 11, but I was expecting it and just a case of hanging on. Nothing like the sight of the Albert Hall coming into view in the autumn sunshine to give you a bit of inspiration!!! Plus, at that stage, I was starting to pass a lot of people, which is great in terms of motivation.

Really pleased to get the PB but I'm more satisfied with the even pacing right the way through the race, having had 2 "bad patches".

Have done the ice bath since I've come home to try and help recovery and my knee seems OK. It was a great sight watching everyone trying to get down the broken escalator at Knightsbridge tube station on the way back!!!!

All good stuff for Nice-Cannes in 5 weeks, just hoping the endurance will be there.........

Hope you are enjoying the sunshine,

Best wishes, Julie

SEIZE THE DAY

We all need to pay the bills, we all need to look after our families and one thing is for sure, we will all one day be gone..... I don't want to be morbid but having spent the last 2 years dealing with my Fathers early passing away and now Manya's illness, I want to make sure that we all live for today.... don't wait to do things. Don't get to a point in your life and say 'I wish I had.....? DO IT and do it as soon as you can; carpe diem

100km de Millau

When you have an opportunity to sit back, relax and chill you realize how lucky you are.... I had this happen this weekend.

Niandi and myself were fortunate to be in Provence for the 100km de Millau. This is very much ‘the’ 100km race to do in France. 2010 was the 39^th edition, so, not only is it the race to do it is also the one with a history.

Millau is situated appx 70km inland from Montpellier and so therefore very easy to get to for a weekend. I flew Ryanair and the flight cost me just £30. However, I did get stung on baggage, my fault, but ironically the extras I had to pay cost more than the flight; c’est la vie!

I had booked a hire car for the journey to Millau. Although only 70k, public transport to and from Millau is limited and when you consider the ease of travel, a £70 hire car is well worth the investment.

Kit for the race

Millau is in the ‘Aveyron’ and nestled in a valley. In September the temperatures vary considerably and I therefore say ‘be prepared’ if you travel here. Niandi had warned me that it can get chilly but typically I told her not to be silly.... it was Provence after all! Lesson learnt. It can get chilly. Our initial logic. A nice bed pre race and a nice bed post race. The logic of camping was that we enjoy it and it helps reduce costs, however, post race, cool winds and cold nights we decided a cheap hotel was a much better option. So, here I am writing the blog in a room instead of under canvas

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Niand and our good friend, Amme Valero (Mizuno Trail Athlete)

The race is highly respected in France and has similar status to Comrades – not only in reputation but in profile. It is a road 100km over a hilly route. The race also incorporates a marathon and works on a figure of eight course.

Starting in the centre of Millau you head out on a 42km route to finish at race registration. Of course, the marathon runners stop here, the 100km runners carry on for another 38 miles; yes, 38 miles! Sounds a long way when you say it like that...

The Race

I have really mixed feelings about the race. This was Niandi’s race and the plan was for me to pace her to a PB. Her previous best on the course was a superb sub 10:30. Over the last 16 weeks Niandi had trained to a plan designed by me to help that extra zip required to beat that time. However on race day things did not click.... The previous night she had had a restless sleep and sweated heavily. Looking back she had probably lost key electrolytes and hydration. Also, she was suffering with stomach issues.

We started on plan and to be absolutely honest Niandi ran a superb marathon, finishing at race registration in 4:01; we were bang on target! At this point she told me she was pulling out... I was a little taken aback. She had run a great race and looked in control but she knows her body and she quite rightly new that she could not keep the pace.

This left a dilemma which we debated for 10 mins.... the clock ticked by and it was decided that I would run on leaving Niandi to continue running at a pace that she could handle. It was a tough call. I find this difficult because I was running for Niandi, but I had to accept that my running with her was actually putting too much pressure on her... so, of I went. Niandi made a very brave decision to re pin her number on and step back onto the course with just one and a half marathons to go..... yep! One and a half to go.... real guts. I know how deflated she was and to throw in the towel, re hydrate and relax was a really tempting option which she refused to accept. This for me signifies the ‘ultra’ runner, it is that ability to focus the mind and accept the pain. Is this good? I am not sure. Did she make the right decision? I am not sure. BUT and this is a big BUT, I know what it is like to bail from a race. That moment when you pull out seems the right thing to do, however, sometimes 10 mins later you can feel fine and then think why didn’t I carry on.... better to fail trying than not try I guess.

So, I had to re focus. I had the urge to go sub 10 hours which on this course is a good time. However, I had lost the best part of 15 mins debating with Niandi and to be honest my legs felt shot. The race I had done the previous weekend in Menton had left my quads battered. Yes it had only been 17k but I had raced full out on a tough, technical trail course.

I turned the iPod on, put the volume up and started on the journey. I never use an iPod when racing but I had thought that for a road 100k it may prove useful; it did! In fact it was a revelation. I had compiled a 2gb playlist of fast, rocky, electronic music to set a beat. A great mix of Gatecrasher, AC/DC, Faithless, jean Michel Jarre, Afro Celt Sound System and so on... the tunes just banged away and helped dictate a pace.

From 42k the course gets tough. It is basically an out and back to St Affrique over three tough climbs that you do ‘out’, turn at St Affrique and then repeat on the way back.

I need to mention here the one thing I HATED about this race. Runners are allowed ‘seconds’. You often get this in long trail races where a ‘second’ can join you usually around the 60 mile mark to help guide you to the finish. In this race, seconds were allowed from 7k and they were on bikes.... boy did it **ss me off. They were all over the place and just caused a distraction. I just don’t get it. Feed stations were every 5k and they were superbly stocked with water, electrolyte, coke and a whole selection of food and yet you who had runners with a cyclist next to them carrying the local supermarket. Aaaaagh !!!

Surely these races are about preparation, how you plan and control of your effort over the 100km route. I ran with a camelback with 2ltrs of electrolyte, I carried 12 gels and I supplemented en route via the feeds.... why can’t everyone else? It may be a French thing, I have seen it before. Earlier in the year I ran a marathon when seconds were allowed. Why for a marathon? Rant over.... needless to say it really got me wound up and maybe it contributed to me knocking out a decent pace.

Back to the race.

From the moment I was alone my legs eased and to be honest from mile 26 to 52 I was running pretty comfortable. In fact I don’t think my legs have ever felt so good. Yes they hurt, of course they did. I was running an ultra, but they hurt in a way that I could control. I was also using new compression by ‘compressport’ – I had calf and quad compression and after this race, I am a 100% convert. They worked superbly.

On the first climb up to the Viaduct de Millau, a superb piece of engineering – I put my head down and pushed. Runners here were starting to walk. Over the top I ran the downhill hard, maybe a little too hard as it can damage the quads. When the road flattened off I turned the volume up and tried to maintain 8:30 miles. Of course, 8:30 miles feel easy for me but you have to balance the distance, fatigue, hydration and energy. The second climb came and once again I eased my pace back and ran up passing more and more runners. This climb was a little like the climbs I cycled up in the Alps with switch back bends and short sharp gradients.

A sharp left and then a long decent to St Affrique. Again I pushed taking more and more places. This downhill battered the legs and actually thinking back, I preferred the uphill to the down.

We circumnavigated the town and then we had to go back the way we came. This was tough. The course was now in your head so I knew what lay ahead; pain.

To give an idea of my pacing and how I had controlled my effort, at the marathon timing point I was in 397^th place, at St Affrique I was in 142^nd place. All I needed to do now was push on.

The climb back up was tough and those leg and brain demons kept asking me to walk. I had to battle both and settled for a strategy of counting 500 strides running and 30 walking. It is really weird how the mind plays tricks... I was walking and my head said run, when I was running, my head said walk.

I saw Niandi coming the other way with the 12hr pacer. We stopped in the middle of the road, kissed, and she gave me a cross and chain for the onward journey; sweet.

The 75k feed came and I had my first ‘Coke’. I always like to wait until I feel I need it. The bubbles hit my throat and it re awakened my senses. I took a ham sandwich and cup of water and walked out of the feed. Better to be moving when eating and drinking than stood still! I ate the sandwich slowly, sipped the water and when all was gone pushed on.

I was now running with about 15 miles to go. The long downhill and back into the valley with the climb to the viaduct to come. My strategy was to take one more feed station and then not stop and push on and go for that sub 10.

At 52 miles my right quad went ‘ping’! I was stood at the side of the road hitting it and massaging. Within a few minutes it eased and re overtook all those that had gone past me. The bit was between my teeth. I had 8 miles to go and people on the other side were still heading out.... hats off to them. They were in for a long day and night. That is some real mental strength and motivation.

The climb to the viaduct came and again it was walk a little run, walk a little and run. Over the top I let myself go and thought to myself no point holding back now... my quads and calf’s were doing that little dance that they like to do; you know the one; are we gonna cramp or are we not?

I was back in Millau. 3k to go. 2k to go and then finally the longest 1k I have ever run. I turned right and entered the parc. I ran up the finishing straight and took the left turn to finish inside the registration building and cross the finish line. With 20m to go my right quad went ‘ping’, just in time for me to enter the finish chute at a walk. Finish time was 9:45 and 88^th overall. From 397^th at the marathon I had made over 300 places; happy with that!

Post race I sat with that vacant look everyone has. I drank about a litre of water and what must have been 10 glasses of Orangina. I got my bag from the store and then sat contemplating how I was going to bend down and take off my shoes and my compression clothing without going into some sort of ridiculous looking cramp spasm. An hour later I was back to normal. Clothes changed and back into 2010.

French races always have a very good post race meal offering for the runners; although Millau was not the best it was adequate. Warm soup and bread, rice and ham, yogurt and apple tart with lashings of water. You could even have a beer or wine if you really wanted to tip the dehydration balance.

So, my opening statement to this blog was “When you have an opportunity to sit back, relax and chill you realize how lucky you are....”

I had this opportunity to sit back and relax and watch runners of all shape, age and ability enter the finish shoot and meet and greet family as though they had not seen them for years! Elation, tears, happiness, personal triumphs had all been conquered. Time means nothing. The journey is what counts.

A young Dad crossed the line with his baby in his arms, two middle aged sons crossed the line with their Father; all three of them had run the race together.... the tears of the Father showed a true reflection of the spiritual journey the three of them had made. This journey was obviously not lost on the three wives who waited for the three heroes. Equally it wasn’t lost on me as I shed a tear at the joy it had brought them all. Racing is about a journey and as I have always said, only one person wins, so, why take part....

The 12hr pacer came in exactly on pace at just before 10pm. No Niandi. Of course each minute that ticked by felt like a lifetime. Eventually at 12:15 on the clock Niandi entered the chute. I was up and waited for her with open arms.

Brave lady. It took some effort to head back out on that course with only 26 miles covered and be prepared to fight the internal demons, a tough course and obvious fatigue. BUT she did it and I know now the day after that Niandi is happy that she soldiered on.... of course it took its toll. She is asleep in the hotel bed while I write this blog.

Still, we avoided the tent..... ;-)

http://www.100kmdemillau.com

post race treats at two superb restaurants, L'Estivale and Mangeoire