Country to Capital 45 Miler 2014

Going into the country to capital I wasn't sure what to expect.I had put a few runs in December but the Christmas season affected training a bit.I then managed to run everyday from Boxing Day through to the 7th Jan,anything ranging from 5 miles to 17 miles.I also included a few back to back long runs to get used to running on tired legs.I was excited to run an ultra again after Caesars camp in October.I've recently joined a local running club called Leigh Striders and I received an email from the captain Dean who was driving up there as he was only running half of the race due to bigger challenges in spring and would go back to the start to get his car.This gave me an extra hour in bed and a chance to meet some new people from the club.Dean picked me up at 6.20 and I met a couple of the striders-Collin and Elisabet who had run a few ultras before and Dave who was running his first 45 miler. We arrived at around 7.45 which gave us plenty of time to register and get ready.It was a glorious morning,a bit chilly but sunny with blue sky's.This would be my 4th Country to capital and every time I have reduced my time,looking back at my first one in 2010 where it rained most of the day and I ran that in 8.10.I didn't really have any targets-around 7 hours would have been nice (p.b 6.43).We set off at 8.30 and there were over 300 runners starting this year which shows how much this sport is growing.After the race briefing we set off and made our way down the main road through Wendover then onto the public footpath,we then hit the trails for around 6 or 7 miles which were very boggy.I felt pretty good at this point and was making chat with various runners.As I have mentioned before ultras are great as there is a massive camaraderie,everyone is there to help each other out. I met a guy called Kenny who was from Chelmsford who I ran with for a bit.We managed to get lost with Collin (Leigh strider) for a mile or so and then made our way back on track.Even though I've done this race 3 times I still manage to get lost-hopefully next year this won't happen.I ran the first 26 miles in 3.54 which I was pleased with and I knew I could be on for a p.b as the last 19 miles is flat down the canal.The weather was great,was sunny all day with blue sky's-perfect for running!When I got to around 30 miles I did hit a bit of a low and lower back was hurting so I took an ibuprofen.I then moved on for a few miles and seemed to be okay.When you reach around 32 miles there is a sign for Paddington for 13 miles and that's when you know you're on your way home.From there on in its head down and tick the miles off with 2 check points.I finished in 6.32 (29th place and Average 8.43 min miles)which was a p.b and felt great.I slumped in the chair at the end and was ruined but it's a great feeling.Its a great race and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to run their first ultra.For me now I have Brighton marathon next where I'm aiming for another PB and then I have the South Downs Way 100 in June.Happy running guys!

Caesars Camp 50

I haven't blogged since last July after running the South Downs 100. Yesterday I ran my first ultra since then, the Caesars Camp 50. Over the last year and few months I've kept up the running but not to the extent I used to - no ultras, a few half half marathons and one marathon. I attempted the Thames Path 100 in March but unfortunately had to pull out due to not feeling good and bad conditions. After running the Kent Coastal marathon in September it gave me a bit more confidence to get back into ultras so I entered the Caesars Camp 50. Over the last month I upped my training, running 4-5 times a week gunning towards Caesars Camp 50 - I probably could have trained a little more but I was confident I could get around a 50 miler. So yesterday I set off with Sam my girlfriend who gave me a lift and picked me up from the race which I really appreciate as great to have a bit of support. We set off at 8.30 and it took just over 2 hours to get to the Caesar Camp HQ in Aldershot. Turned up and saw a few familiar faces including a good friend James Elson who got me into all this. I registered collecting my number and I was a little nervous as I hadn't done one of these for a while. Henk the race director then gave a race briefing, if you haven't met Henk he is a great guy and very funny. In the race briefing he mentioned the usual stuff and the fact that this will be the last Caesars Camp as it was becoming more expensive to secure the permit for the course and he likes to do it as cheap as possible, the land which the race was on had just been filming a Guy Ritchie film. Henk made a few jokes about how he managed to secure a permit for the race, I won't go into detail but were very funny. He then decided to single out anyone with a back pack on, Garmin watch and compression socks and one guy was left who got ruined. The race started at 12 which I think is a good time to start but would have rather started earlier to get less miles done in the dark. The course was a 10 mile lap course of 7600ft altitude with 2 aid stations, one at 5.5 miles run by James and one at 10 miles run by Henk. So just as it got to 11.55 it started raining, I looked at Sam and said why is the weather bad when I do ultras as she experienced me pulling out of Thames Path when it was cold and snowing. I put my wet top stood on the start line, Henk then did a 10 second count down and we were off. I started just behind the leaders in a group of 3-4 people, chatting away as the miles went past. The course was trails, rocky, hilly and through forests. In my mind I wanted to be around 9-10 hours but as I covered the first lap I thought to finish would be good as was very hilly. I covered the first lap in 1.38. The tricky thing about a lap course is you keep coming back to the start so easy to pull out, the 100 mile race has something like a 20% finish rate and I think quite a few pulled out of the 50 yesterday. There was no way I was DNF this race and Sam told me as well she wouldn't come and pick me up,which was in my head and didn't want to let her or myself down.Carrying onto the second lap running a bit with a guy Dave who had run various centurion races, I felt pretty good passing Elson at 15 miles, Just keep going I thought but I was getting hot. By around 25 miles I was sweating and thought I was in a little bit of trouble so took it easy. The thing with an ultra is there are so many ups and downs, you just need to keep going. I spent most of the day running on my own which is weird as normally you end up running with people here and there. I ran the first lap in 1.38, 2nd lap in 1.50 and 3rd in 2 hours. Going into the 4th I was a lot more confident thinking I have broken the back of this, even though 20 miles is a long way you get a bit of a confidence boost as you're over half way like in any race - 5k, 10k, half marathon etc. So feeling good I kept going, passing Elson at 35 giving him a wave. Was good to see him there as I wouldn't hear the end of it if I pulled out. I did find the course tough and hilly, in my head I wanted to get 3 laps done in the light, I managed to run about 34 miles by 6.15 then it went dark and the head torch came out. I got to 40 miles and then I knew I had done it. I ended up running the first 5.5 miles with a woman called Suzanne who had done a lot of triathlons, first 100 was in June - South Downs and this was her 2nd ultra - we chatted quite a bit which passed the time. Coming into Elson's Aid station at 45 miles I helped myself to some peanuts but nearly put the spoon into my mouth which should have been used to put peanuts on your hand as was for everyone. I was so ruined I didn't know, luckily Elson stopped me. Suzanne felt good so went on and I covered the last 4.5 miles on my own. Crossing the line was great, it brought back all the reasons why I do this. I finished in 9.48 so just under 10 hours and in 7th place. I love ultra running as it's great to challenge yourself, it takes you away from everything, you get to run some great courses, meet great people and I feel that running makes you stronger in other aspects of life. I definitely have the ultra buzz back, I want to enter another 100 next year, it's just finding the right one. I think my next ultra will be country to capital in Jan. I would like to say I would recommend Caesars Camp but unfortunately that was the last one but Henk did mention he is looking to set up another race so keep a look out for that!

South Downs 100

This year has been interesting running wise. I haven't run as much this year as I did this time last year. Maybe that's a good thing, who knows. This year I ran Country to Capital - 45 mile race , which I have run the last 3 years and had a p.b every year, including this year with a time of 6.43. Then I have run 3 x Half marathons and a marathon, my aim was to break 3 hours but due to lack of training and illness I never got round to it. I wanted to run another 100 to get back into it so I thought I would try one of James' 100s on home soil. So I entered the South Downs 100, leading up to the race - training didn't go to plan but these things happen. In the week leading up to the race I was thinking how am I going to do this, having not run a marathon for 8 weeks, my last 100 nearly over a year ago and my biggest training week of 52 miles over the last 8 weeks. I thought I have entered this so I am going to give it a go anyway. On Thursday night I caught a train to St Albans with Al who works alongside James on Centurion, we stayed at James', had a curry and chilled out. Friday, we got up and drove down to St Albans and set a few things up in the sports ground at Winchester where the race started. James did a race briefing at 7pm around the course, I must say James is very switched on ( I wouldn't say this to his face ;))he ran the course about a month ago..in the race briefing he pretty much gave you a description of the whole course through memory for about 40 mins, you do not get many race directors giving you this sort of information pre race. After the race briefing I sat around with a few people talking about the races we have run, some people were running their first 100 and were a little nervous.You do meet some great people at 100 mile races, it's not about a race, it's about helping each other finish and achieving their individual goals. When you're running a 100 miles you literally want to start the race ASAP in the week leading up to it so it's just a waiting game. Friday night we all camped in the sports ground, I hardly got any sleep and was very uncomfortable. It rained a lot during the night, I woke up and my phone was soaked and wasn't working, you needed to carry a phone in this race just in case anything went wrong, I managed to dry it and sort of get it working. We had the mandatory race briefing at 5.30 am. I met up with Luke Carmichael who I had run part of the Thames Trot 50 with in 2011 and I started the race with him and another guy called Phil, they were both running their first 100. Luke using the South Downs 100 as a training run for UTMB at the end of August. We started off with a lap around the sports ground and then out onto the South Downs, it was drizzling but okay, we started off at 10 min mile pace which was where I wanted to be. I believe the secret to running a 100 or any race is to conserve energy and start off slow. So I ran with Luke and Phil for the first 20 miles and then nature called for me so they went on, was great running with them, we were chatting about life, running experiences, etc. I then carried on and couldn't see them in the distance so thought they must have gone off. The South downs is very undulating. After a heavy downpour at the start of the race for 10 mins, the sun seemed to come out and started to get very hot, I was rehydrating, taking electrolytes and gels,etc. At about mile 38 - 6 hours in I was starting to feel terrible and a lot of negative thoughts were in my mind, I was thinking of pulling out. I got to the next check point at mile 42, had some water and food. I wanted to pull but you couldn't pull at that station - the guys, Ed a guy I used to work with and another guy gave me some words of encouragement and said run to the next aid station and see how you feel. The next aid station was at 50 miles, so another 8. I ran onto 50 and started to feel good again, I also thought I can do this, I have done this before and if I dropped out I would feel terrible. I believe in a 100 miler once you're over 50 it helps you massively mentally as you're on a count down. I ran with various people, chatting, getting through the miles. At Mile 41 I was in 52nd position, I ended up finishing tied 11th so over took quite a of people in the last 50. Some of the climbs on this race were amazing, mile climbs here and there which really take it of you.Total elevation for this race is 12,500 ft so it's not the flattest of 100s!I ran the last 20 miles with a guy called Ewan and Graham who was pacing Ewan and being a great navigator. Ewan was running his first 100 so was doing great, we ran the last 20 in the dark through the South Downs, Graham and Ewan were a massive help. We finished the race at Eastbourne Athletic track, was great to see Charlie (My Bro) and Claire at the finish!made me feel great. Ewan and I finished in 21.33, tied 11th. I am writing this now, a bit tired but feel great and definitely have the 100 mile bug again, need to get another one booked in now. I would definitely recommend this race to people - Great course, amazing scenery,organisation was superb, briefing, aid stations were 2nd to none and a great bunch of people.

Country to Capital Photos

Country to Capital 45

This was my first race in a while, the last time I had raced was Vermont in July last year. Leading up to this race I hadn't been training much with going out a lot and a new job. I wasn't that confident in putting in a good performance. I have run this race the last 2 years, it was my first ultra, I like it as it's in January - straight after Xmas and you're never in your best shape but it's just nice to get out there. On Friday night I stayed at Elson's in Harpenden in his new cottage which was very nice, had a nice pasta dish and chilled out. We left at 7am and drove to the race in about 45 mins, so that left us plenty of time before the race started at 8.30am. The train up from Marylebone was a little late so the race didn't start until 8.45ish. We started in a pub in Wendover and ran down a hill to get into the countryside - Elson, I and a few others sprinted down the hill as a joke to see who could get to the bridge first. We then started weaving through the woodland, after a couple of miles we got to the first hill which I walked, Elson ran up it... I caught him up but was getting hot with my jacket on so I stopped to take my jacket off and put it in my bag and that was the last I saw of Elson all day. The first 20 miles was beautifull scenery weaving through forests and fields, I went wrong a few times which was annoying but that is to be expected in map reading. When I got to 26 miles on the canal path I was feeling okay, it was very hot and I was losing a lot of salt. I took a lot of water down, sugar and salts, I then carried on for another 5 or 6 miles to the check point, again stopped and took on lots of Jelly babies, I was taking on gels as well. My pack was annoying, was quite heavy...next time I won't be taking a pack, just a water bottle. I took a couple of pain killers at 38 miles as wasn't feeling the best, I then ran in strong to the finish and finished in 6.43. The results haven't been posted yet, Elson did very well in 6 hours flat. That was a p.b for me - 25 mins of last years time. I ran with a few interesting people yesterday, it's always good to meet new people and chat about what they have done running wise,etc. A couple of people were doing the first ultra which is always good to see. When I finished, apparently I Iooked rather pale so they sat me down and gave me loads of sugar. I didn't pee in 9 hours yesterday which was quite dangerous. Last night I went out for a few beers and a curry, I am feeling okay today, the weather is beuttifull so I am going to go out for a jog- not sure how far but just to warm the legs down. The UTMB Mont Blanc draw is on the 21st Jan so I am waiting to see if I get into that which is at the end of August which will be amazing and very tough, 51% of people drop out of that race. In the short term I have got the Benfleet 15 next Sunday, I am going to do a few halves and have a marathon in April where I am trying to break 3 hours.

This week

I feel like I am getting some sort of fitness back, I have run 7 times this week

Monday - 8 miles am, 6 miles pm
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - 6 miles
Thursday - 6 miles
Friday - 9 miles
Saturday 12.3 miles
Sunday 8.5 miles

Total - 55.8 Miles

My training this week has consisted of normal running and some sprint 5ks. I entered the Bungay marathon in April, I am going to try and break 3 hours for that. It will be tough but I am going to give it a go.This week I will run a few runs in the week then I have the 45 mile country to capital race on Saturday.

Geting Back into It

I haven't blogged in over 5 months after Vermont as since I got back from America I haven't been running much. I have been boozing a lot and got a new job which has taken up a lot of my time. I have just been running here and there...trying to run at least twice a week. I have had some time off over Christmas and put a few miles in, I entered Country to Capital a month ago which is a 45 mile race from Wendover to Paddington which I have run the last 2 years so I needed to get some miles in with the race being a week on Saturday.

Friday 23rd Dec - 9
Saturday 24th - 9
Sunday 25th - 4.5
Monday 26th - Day off
Tuesday 27th - 20
Wednesday 28th - 16
Thursday 29th - 10
Friday 30th - 5k and 10k cycle
Saturday 31st - Day off
Sunday 1st Jan - 6
Monday 2nd Jan - 8 am and 6 pm

This takes me to 91.5 miles over 11 days with 2 days off. I am feeling a bit more confident now about Country to Capital. I want to enter some other races this year. Maybe Thames Trott 50 in Feb, a few marathons, I want to try and go under 3 hours which will be tough but with enough speed work I think I have the ability. I have just put myself in for Mont Blanc 100 lottery, 100 miles over Mont Blanc at the end of August which will be an amazing run. Only 2300 people get in and Thousands enter so not sure I will get in but you never know. Anyway, just thought I would write something. Happy Running!!!