Basingstoke Half 2014 - Race Report

How to do this - should I just cut and paste from last year - or is that cheating?

The race was very similar though - not quite as hot as last year but still warm enough for shorts and T-shirt.

Another "ringer" Kenyan won the race in 1:06 - slower than last year.  Similar number of finishers compared to last year too.

So fourth time of running this, I had been getting quicker each year, but this year there has been a distinct lack of running training, so I knew there would be no PB.

Organisation is excellent at the start is quick and efficient - lots of  port-a-loos.  Lots of volunteers handing out race numbers and T-shirts and in the baggage area.

Eleven o'clock came and off we went.  The crowd at the start very quickly thins out and moving up (or down) the field is easy in the first mile or so.

Running through village of Cliddesden, lined with home team supporters really gave a boost and helped keep the pace up.  The course covered lots of my training ground so I know the hills really well.  The first accent up White Hill, after mile 3 was fierce - I even use this hill for hill training, but the speed we ascend that hill was still phenomenal.  The pressure eased a little as the road flattened out and then descended passed Ellisfield church.

The decent was short lived as we started to climb up a short hill out of Ellisfield Green.  There is a long down hill stretch here.  After all that down hill, comes the inevitable climb back up hill - slow and steady rise of 2.4% over 1.6 miles.  Cheered on by the lovely people of Ellisfield I ground out the climb.  Even at the top of this climb the course turns a corner and still manages to go up hill.

The big dipper was a quick decent, followed by a slow climb - it is here that I started to slow.  after cresting the top of this short climb, people started to pass me by.  My Garmin had switched itself off at mile 2, and to be honest I was quite enjoying running on feel, but at the point I felt I was slowing down, and the runners passing me confirmed it.

Farleigh Wallop was quite until the very top of the hill, where there were lots of supporters and lots of noise.  The down hill decent was speedy and I probably gained some time here but I was slowing coming into Cliddesden.

Back into Cliddesden for another burst of support, trouble is at the end of the village the support runs out and there is a slight incline to slow down on.  The mile out of Cliddesden is long and straight and with no real support, a bit of a grind.  this changes again once round the corner and heading back into Basingstoke where the supports start again.  From there  back into War Memorial park, and another climb.  A dash round the park and onto the home straight.  That was it, job done.

Goodie bag:  Tech T-shirt (bright orange - eyes bleedin' orange I think it's called), medal, banana, water, jelly beans and chocolate biscuit,

Excellent race for old pros and beginners alike and the result 1:41:06 - so slower than last year.

Endure 24 2014 - Race Report - 28/6/14

After ending up with hurty feet at last years SDW100 I was a little tentative to return to silly distances.  I'd managed 40 at the Oxford 20/40 in May but knew that the issues only appeared after 60 miles.  But how to test how far I could manage?

Endure24 seemed to provide the answer.  Running as many 5 mile loops as possible in 24 hours, with a option to bail at any point - seemed ideal.

I arrived early Saturday to set up tent, thinking I'll be early and therefore there would be loads of space - wrong, seemed to bag the last small patch of ground in the Solo runners area. The whole place resembled Glastonbury with out the music or the mud.  With about an hour to go, the music had already started, and then came the thunder and lightning and bucketfuls of rain.  So we had music and mud - perhaps it was going to be Glastonbury after all.

As well as solo entries the race is also run with team relays (of various sizes and sexes).  At the start the speedy teams went to the front, the solos at the back.  12:00 arrived and off everyone went.  The first lap was muddy, from then on it got worse.  By the end of the 4th lap, rather like the Inuit who have lots of names for snow, I had made up several mud related names:

Mudousse- for the chocolate mousse mud that was available after the check point

piddle-Mud - the light coloured puddles that were full of mud

forest-gateaux-ud - entering the newly cut path to the peats stinky mud

Breakneck mud - the special mud on the down slopes the just manages to remove any grip at all from a runner who thinks they need to run down hill.

you get the picture - it was muddy.

After for laps of this though (and feeling very fresh in the legs) I could feel the feet starting to complain.  The route undulates constantly and I think that and the mud had started to aggravate the tendons.  I was running very steady 50 minute loops - and was very pleased with the effort so far.  I took a walking break for most of the next lap, then went to the tent for a change of kit, to see if the pain would start to ease off.

The next lap didn't get much better, I had a longer break and then resumed.  Then an every longer break and walked most of the next one.  Even walking in the mud was entertaining - trying to keep out of the way of the fast runners coming through and remaining upright.

It was starting to get dark, so I though I'd do at least one lap in the dark and then call it a night.  Which I did.  I stopped, went to get some food at the catering tent, before spending an age trying to get clean before clambering into my sleeping bag for a few hours sleep - which was really easy.  #

The sun was up early - and so was I.  I did a few slow laps - hit 55 miles and called it a day.

I was disappointed with the mileage total, I was hoping to get as close to 100 as possible, but it wasn't to be.  It doesn't count as a DNF but it was really.

The event is a very social one - lots of local runs make up teams and keep going through the night - maybe if I do this one again - I should do this as part of a team - just need to rope in a few bods!

Salisbury 54321 Race Report - 20/8/14

There are two reasons I do this race : the chance to run through a Yew tree forest (normally of limited to the public) and the bread pudding.

This race comes in may sizes: 5K, 10K 21, 33, 42 and 50K, with walk and run options - so something for everyone.  Due to the mixture of course lengths there is always someone around - either doing your distance or a different one.

I took the 42K option, for no other reason than I couldn't be bothered to do 50K, lazy I know.

On the journey there, the heavens opened and dumped quite a lot of water on the course, which turned remained quite runnable and not too muddy (unlike Endure24).

I do like the way you can park at the start line and still have an easy walk to registration.  Start time clicked round and off we went, in the rain - some people in wet weather gear, some in singlets and shorts.  I'd opted for a waterproof to get me started, soaking wet shirt early on plays havoc with the upper chest area.
Climbing up Old Sarum was mainly a slow walk (along with everyone else)  shame the views over Salisbury were obscured by the rain.

I did have to remind myself at later points to look up every now and again, so that I could see the scenery, otherwise it was head fixed in front and plodding away.

By mile 10 the rain had stopped and the sun was starting to make a show of itself.

This is my 4th running of this race, it's got still has a nice vibe to it.  the course is a mixture of everything - road, trail, hill, wood, a few streams and rivers, town and country.  So there is always something to look at - assuming you remember to lift your head up.

There were water stops every few miles which was more than enough, the best one though is just before the yew forest.  Here you are able to grab some more water, a slab of bread pudding and then enter into the enchanted forest of yew trees.  Following a piece of string to ensure you don't stray off the route - perhaps the goblins would get you if you did.

From hear it was over the race course and then the only dull bit round the houses before popping out in the cathedral close.  Luckily the earlier rain had limited the number of tourists out in front of the cathedral - so the game of dodge the camera totting numpties walking backwards was quite easy.
I finished quite strongly in the end, although I did notice it was slower than last year (which was in the heat).

Maybe I'll do the 50K next year, perhaps there'll be extra bread pudding in it.

Hampshire Hilly Hundred (HHH) - Race Report 2014

Having wimped out of last years event due to lack of training and forecast bad weather, this year I thought stuff it, I'll do it anyway, despite lack of training and the forecast of bad weather,

Training on the bike has been none existent this year, which is a shame as it helps keeps things interesting and is a change from running (I don't like running so much in heat - definitely a bad weather runner and a fair weather cyclist).  Weather was great last Sunday - despite predictions of rain, it turned out to be quite sunny - got the sun burn to prove it, I was a little gusty though.

Quick registration, and set off en route just after 7:30.  My plan was to get round and not worry about the time (I only used the garmin for the half the ride, mainly to plot where I was and to check the heart rate), and to eat as much food as I could on the way round.

Spent the first third of the race tagged on to the end of a group of riders who were slow and consistent (bit like me).  The first section was mainly flat before taking a few hills which strung out the group somewhat.  As the start time was staggered, most the ride was spend being overtaken by pro-wannabes in their replica Sky jerseys, club cyclist and pretty much everyone else.  Still I was only here for the food!

First stop in Clanfield, filled my face with flapjack and jaffa cakes.  Switched the Garmin on at this point - the battery helpfully lasted for the next 50 miles.

Hadn't paid too much attention to the route before I set off, all I remembered was that the route was different to last time I did this route, skipping out lots of my favourite hills.  Still the hill out of Clanfield?  is now on my hit list.

Feedstation 2 was more of the same - yum.  Took a High5 Protein bar for later too.  The evil bit of the Northington Feedstation is that it is at the bottom of the hill, so stuffed with food and feeling a little stiff, you have to drag your sorry ass up a steep hill.

MIcheldever, Wonston, Bullington, etc. all passed by easily enough, although a few riders did seem to ignore the road signs and carry on up the road when they should have turned off - perhaps they need to burn off a few extra flapjack calories.

Feed Station 3 was another village hall filled with flapjack and jaffa cakes.  You can tell food was important on this ride.  Filled my face again, and took off for the last section.  Knowing the end was nigh, I took it fairly steady (bit like the rest of the ride)

So after finishing, I find out that my time was just outside the Silver standard (poop), if only I had pushed a little harder, or maybe spend less time in the feed stations eating food...

Still I enjoyed the food, and now have 100+ miles in the legs to show for it.  Maybe I'll try to start training early next year and go for Gold, either that or try some of the fruit cake next year...


Check out the organiser at: HHH

Once a Rookie always a Rookie

Some people never learn, despite running around the same park run loop well over a  hundred times, each Parkrun covers 2 loops, I failed to take the conditions into account.

It's summer now, I can change the grippy trail shoes I have been using for my faster lighter road shoes, or so I thought.  All was well until I hit the corner at speed, the over night rain had been just enough to create a thin layer of slippery mud on top of the otherwise compacted surface.

I felt my legs go and ended up on the floor, covered in mud - bummer.  Unhurt I jumped up and hoped nobody had noticed, that's the problem with Parkruns - lots of other runner.  They ran passed, pausing to ask if I was okay.  I was only my pride was hurt.

Headphones - Philips SHQ1000/10 Sweatproof Sports In-Ear Headphone

Running kills headphones (and to a large extent MP3 players).  I've never trusted myself to run using a nice shiny expensive MP3 player, I've killed too many running outdoors in all weathers.  Usually it's the Headphones that give up the ghost the first, so after the last pair stopped work and after the usual internet research I plumbed for these ones from Amazon: Philips SHQ1000/10 Sweatproof Sports In-Ear Headphone 

That was over a year ago and they are still going strong (and still available).

I was initially put off by the bright orange colouring but it actually makes it easier to spot them when I am rooting around in my bag.

They say:

• Ultra lightweight design sweat-proof sports in-ear headphones
• A 1.2 m long cable that is ideal for outdoor use
• Designed for active use, ultra-soft silicon caps sit comfortably in your ears
• Water resistant materials coupled with an anti-bacterial agent
• Bass thumping stereo sound provides fuel for your workout

I say:

The long cable is more that enough to route the cable from ear to MP3 player clipped to a belt (or in a waist bag/rucksack).

They are comfortable to wear,  there is a choice of silicon caps included to get the best fit (helps to have some spare if you lose one too).

They stay in place and are easy to insert.
Bass thumping? Not sure about that as I mainly listen to podcasts, but they sound fine.

The only real negative is that the silicon caps that fit over the ear bud can become dislodged when then are loose in a kit bag - it doesn't happen often though.

So when they die and go to the great headphone heaven in the sky, I would by the same pair.

Race report: LDWA Oxford 20/40 3rd May 2014

A Bank Holiday event run in warm weather, shock.  In fact the weather was warm enough for a little sun burn - I now have 2 very nice short marks across my quads.

LDWA Oxford, that would be starting in Henley-on-Thames then, arrived well within the start time, easy parking, lots of marshals pointing at things and headed for check-in.

Deispite picking up a cold mid-week I was feeling pretty good, especially my first long run in a while (since SDW100 in fact).  Start was low key (I love LDWA events for that) and off we went.  With route instructions in hand, I tried to reacquaint myself with the task of running and reading at the same time,  In fact, it didn't take long before the first few people didn't read things quick enough and headed down the wrong path.

Things soon settled down and what passed was several house of woodland runs, cutting through on easy trails (not too wet and muddy) and looking at the bluebells.  occasionally I'd pop out of a wood and have a grass covered field to run through, or a valley to descend and climb.  Out in the open Red Kites swooped overhead, one even hovered a few meters away, it was a fantastic moment, I thought is I reach for the camera the moment will be lost.  So I stopped and stared, watching as it moved with barely a feather moving - awesome.

Everyone on route was buoyed by the sunshine,  The lead walkers all said hello, the youngsters on DoE awards,  Even the crowds in Henley at the end of the day all seemed just happy to be out and about.

Loved the route, despite only being an hour away from me, is not an area I am familiar with.

I did run a long stretch with a guy (never did get his name) who I had met on both the SDW50 and the Marlborough Downs 33 - it's a small world this ultra world.

At the same time that this race was coming along the Thames path, the Centurion TP100 was being set up,  tape was already marking the route, and James and crew were already setting up the Henley checkpoint - I think they were a little bemused to be approached by 2 runners heading in the wrong direction.

Nothing much else to add, nice even pace got me round, great scenery, great weather, thanks LDWA.