New York and Portsmouth Mara's

I have not posted for ages. But thought I would at least do a quick round up of the last two Marathons I ran this year.
New York
Absolutely amazing city, really, really great fun, it was like being on a film set and seeing all of the buildings etc you see in all the blockbusters. Grand Central Station, Rockerfellar, Fifth Av, Wall Street, Flat Iron Building, Central Park, Yellow Taxis, Hot Dog Stands, Steam form the manholes (sorry, I am going on a bit!!). My wife and I walked miles, and miles, which is not the thing I was advising runners to do when I worked at the New York Marathon Expo on the Pace Team stand, but through experience you learn what you can get away with. But, I was still a bit knackered when I lined up on the start line as the 4:10 pacer at NYC Mara, and coming from next to no training for the whle of October was not ideal. I was lucky enough to pace with Sandra (UK runner, international athlete, Husky runner and all round superstar) whom I already knew and we had a great time, although due to the size of the field (47,000) it is a REALLY tough course to pace, as we had been warned. But we both ran 4:09.43 or so, so pretty much nailed it.
Met the lovely Darris, Star and Robin again fom the Pace Team and they really looked after us UK runners exceptionally well, I hope when they come over to the UK we can do as good a job. Can't wait to get out there again as my wife and I really enjoyed the whole NYC experience, especially the shopping!!

The lovely Sandra and I just about to pace the NYC Mara



The Pacers just about to head off (lovely outfit Ian is wearing on far left!!)



The very tall Rockefellar Building, we went to the 70th floor and
viewed the Empire State building 




NYC skyline with the very impressive Empire State Building.

 
Portsmouth Coastal Mara
In short, ran it as part of a normal training week. Had the work Xmas party on the Friday, which meant a little hungover on Saturday and then the race on Sunday, ideal prep, just like the elite athletes!! All went well, bumped into a few of the Brighton/NYC Pace Team, including the infamous Gobi, on the way round and ran a pretty solid 3:17.09 for 39th place. Lack of proper training meant the last 4miles I struggled and the headwind didn't help, but good solid finish to the year and sets me up well for 2012, which will be a big year in terms of challenges.

Back on Track.

All back on track after last months little "Am I Injured" post. Nothing more than a niggle, but have enjoyed getting a few jobs done around the house while doing a couple of very easy mileage weeks and going to the gym (surprised I remembered where it was!). Full speed ahead for pacing duties at NYC Marathon on 6th November. Can't wait.

Am I injured?

Not sure of the answer. Ran Tuesday and Wednesday last week as normal, no issues. Woke up Thursday morning with a real pain on the hip (bursa area) and pain around the hip joint / top of thigh, which actually made me walk with an altered gait. I have injured myself while sleeping it would appear.

Apart form a Gym session on Thursday, I have done no running since last Wednesday, the hip has got better and I did do a tentative 1/2mile on Sunday morning to see if I could run the New Forest Marathon an hour later, while not painful while running it just didn't quite feel right. So I made the tough but right decision not to run. This was doubly gutting, firstly, because I was/always look forward to running a marathon I have not done before, but more importanlty I was mean't to be pacing my colleague, Vanessa, at 3:30 pace on the Mara as a PB attempt. As it happens, Vanessa didn't really need me and ran 3:26 and 3rd lady overall, good job I didn't run, I would have struggled to keep up!! Very chuffed for Vanessa even if she is very quiet about it and will not make a big fuss, saying there were not many women in the race blah, blah. Well I think it is awesome, and a massive well done. Vanessa even bumped into Sandra (Pacer, Huskie Running and all round awesome runner) on the course and they chatted a little at the end, I think Sandra was trying to talk Vanessa into Ultras. So far the answer is a resounding NO.

So off to the physio this evening to see if we can pinpoint what is up. I am gagging to get out and run so hope the physio, who has fixed me after various rugby sprains and breaks in the past can get me up and running asap, this evening would be good!!!!. Happy Running.

Race Report: NDW50 - Sat 13th Aug

Very late post I know, but been very busy. I had thought that this would be a good race to really go for it and see what I could do, but it didn't turn out that way, and was probably more enjoyable as a result.

I arrived in Farnham in plenty of time (for a change) and found somewhere to park and went to register and pick up my number, bumped into Ian and Sandra on the way in (fellow pacers from Brighton Marathon), Ian was doing the mara and Sandra doing the 50miler like me. The race briefing was very good and to the point and belied the fact that this was Centurion Runnings first events, and fair play to them for putting on a Marathon/50 miler/100 miler on the same day.
I then bumped into a very old friend from my early twenty's clubbing and drinking days, Adrian Hill, it was great to have a quick chat and reminisce about the old days (we are getting old). At the start I also saw Claire Shelley, who was 1st lady (3rd overall) at GUCR this year, it was really good to see her, and to think she ran her first official ultra with me, Jezza and Rob a couple of years ago and I am sure the guys wont mind me saying, but now, she is in a different league to any of us. And then we were off, and almost straight away a lady in a serpentine vest was running next to me and I remarked that another serpentine runner (Claire Shelley) ran her 1st ultra with me, and this lady (Gemma Carter) then said this was her 1st 50miler! What are the odds on that, it was at that point that I decided to run the rest of the way with Gemma and to enjoy the day out, rather than run as hard as I could and go for a time. The rest of the day went well, apart from having to push Gemma up a couple of the massive hills (lucky she is uber light).
The NDW is a lot different to the SDW, in that it is a lot narrower and more through woods rather than open downes like SDW. This makes it less fast but more technical, and some of the views were amazing. It was a good day out and I felt very strong throughout, and just as Gemma and I were coming into the finish, Gemma tried to outsprint me to the finish the cheeky monkey, I just managed to catch her on the line for the same finishing time/posistion of 20th overall. I look forward to hopefully running with Gemma in the future.

Me looking happy (must be early in the run)



Great Views over the Surrey Countryside



Gemma Carter - My running buddy for the day

Me striking a pose (look like a t**t)

What a view.

Race Report: Classic Quarter (44miles)

I will try and keep this shorter than usual (which I know will make a nice change!!), but as the race is fairly long the report may take the same shape. I ran this race last year in 10:42 and came 33rd of about 90 runners, this year I wanted to run around 9hrs (anything under 9hrs in 2010 was a top 10 finish), but knew this would not be easy as this is a very tough course. About 4000ft of climb in the first 21miles then a flat 8 to 9 miles, and then about 3800ft of climb in the last 14-15miles, and most of this very steep, or steps, or scrambling on one section from CP3.


 Drove down to St Just, just outside Lands End on Friday and got to the YHA I was staying in about 3pm, it is down a track and seems to be in the middle of nowhere, but really nice. Parked up and went inside saw a map of how to walk to St Just village and did my best to remember it and walk the alleys for the 15mins walk to get some supplies.


Got back and checked in, turns out three other guys I was sharing a room with were also doing the race so this meant we spent a bit of time that evening talking about running etc and they were asking a few questions as I was the only one who had done the race before. 3am alarm goes off, we all get up and get ready, drive to the finish and get the 4am coach to the start at Lizard Point, a few people on the coach talk about expected finish times, one guy says 8hrs, I say he will be doing extremely well and will be very near the front, which I don't think he expected to hear. Get to the start check in and get ready. Very misty at the start with some very light rain and quite gusty wind coming in off the sea.  Much bigger field this year, probably about 165 runners, race briefing over and we are off.



You can just make out the trail that I have just come along (now the mist had cleared).



For about 5 or 6miles I was in around 15th place, then I made the first of two navigational errors, due to the mist and not being able to see any runner in front or which trail was correct I guessed and ended up going into a field with an electric fence, rather than go back the way I came I found a way out on the downhill of the field which was in the correct direction, and came out on the right trail seeing runners I was ahead of now in front of me (ahhhh). Then as I picked up a couple of lost places I was again running alone, saw two runners go up a steep hill between some bushes and assumed this was the right way, a very steep climb and then onto a road only to see the runners coming back to me. I voted to go linear, which meant directly through two fields and onto the main road below, a 300m run along the road and we were back on track. No excuses really as I did run it last year, but with such a long race and so many trails leading off at various points, it is something that can happen, and did.

Came into CP2 at 21miles (garmin said 22.6 for me!!) and had to sort out the bad rubbing I had on my left big toe, it was pretty uncomfortable and would only get worse. So I sorted my foot and checked the other, and re-filled my bladder, I wished I had packed fresh socks as getting the wet ones on again was a real pain, in all I probably spent 10mins here that should have been 2-3mins at most. Back out again, and it was starting to get warm. On the steps down onto the beach I slip and manage to grab the rails and end up hanging at arms length with my legs outstretched resting on the metal steps, I tell myself to concentrate, and think 'that was close' and have a little chuckle to myself.

Once onto the flat/road section that leads to Penzance I was making good headway, although a very strong headwind made it a lot more difficult than it should have been. I made up about 5 places on this section, and felt ready for what was to come. I came into CP3 and didn't waste anytime, maybe 90 seconds. And was  off, this is the hardest section by a LONG way. You have to climb the first 30 yards or so of trail as you pick your way up the almost vertical hill of rocks and climb through gaps, there is probably only 20-30 percent of the next 4-5miles that you can run the rest is walking/climbing/scrambling or really steep ascents/descents and really mucks up your pace. Felt a bit woozy at mile 39, but realised I had not been drinking enough, and it was a bit warm, so got on the fluids and ate a few Randoms (rowntrees sweets) and felt a bit better. Steep set of steps upto the last water stop and only 5.2miles to go. The problem with this last section is you can see the finish in the distance and think it is not that far but then the coast swerves back in and out and you don't seem to get any closer, and it was also hiller than I remembered.
I knew I would be cutting it close to get my desired 9hr finish, and worked very hard on the last few miles but the time just started to slip away, but I finished strong and came in at 9hrs9mins and 35th of 156 starters.

It was interesting to me that although I ran 1hr35mins quicker than last year, I came 35th when I came 33rd last year, although the field size was much bigger this year (156 to 98 last year). Also, the top 10 finishers were way inside last years times, so the quality of runners was also very good. I think it is great that Ultras are getting more and more interest, but it does make it more challenging to achieve a better finish posistion, as I found this year. But to be honest, that is not the real reason we run them, is it.



Bit misty at the start, and then I got lost!!



Looking relatively fresh, it wouldn't stay that way for long.

Oh no, here comes some runners.

Stunning, Yes. Tough, absolutely.

Southdowns Marathon 2011 - Race Report

I had thought that a sub 4hr run on this course would be a good effort, but would see how I felt on the day as I had never run quicker than 4:12. Admittedly, I always tend to do this race as a training run for other things so this does give some insight into why 4:12 was the best effort as yet.
The journey to QE Country Park was very straight forward and once parked up near the finish area made my way to the coach which takes us to the start over in Slindon. The amusing thing is that the coach drivers usually take a couple of attempts to find the start at Slindon, but this year the driver found it first go.
Had a good chat with a runner called Blades (yes, this is his name), who was doing this race for the first time, he asked if I had done many Mara's, after I said I had, and listed a few he was asking for a few pointers, which I did my best to answer. He was an interesting bloke, works in the City, lived in New York for 15yrs etc so was good to talk to. He is aiming to do the NDW 50miler in August to celebrate his 50th b-day, I may also be doing this race, so said I would look out for him.
When I got to the start area I had a wonder round and found Ian Berry (Pacer from Brighton Mara) and we had a quick catch up and discussed our amazing offer for November from Darris and Star (CLIF Bar Pace Team organisers) as well as his 4 Marathons in 24hrs event next weekend (copying my ideas!).




Ian Berry (who ran a very impressive 3hrs29)

 


Just before the start with all the other runners

 I knew within 2 mins of the start that to-day was going to be a good run, 7.15pace felt fine and before I knew it there was only me and 2 other runners from the early start setting the pace. A serpentine runner was slowly going away and was too quick for me, on the first long climb I went past the 2nd placed runner who was breathing pretty hard and I didn't see him again. From here on I ran pretty hard and maintained my posistion to the first CP and up the hill that follows, I then stopped to take a quick picture on the BIG 2nd hill and was overtaken by the runner who had been just behind me for the last 4miles.



Great Views

 My speed on the flats and downhill sections I was pleased with, but having not done much in the way of big hills for a while I did struggle on the ups (and there are plenty on this course!) But having a little walk on the big climbs did allow me to a) take pictues and b) admire the amazing views over the downs and c) catch my breath, the views and the really good course is why this is one of my favourite events.

I had forgotten how many small steep climbs there are in the last few miles, I had somehow convinced myself it was relatively easy over the last few miles (should know better having run it twice before).


No one in sight - Might have gone off a bit quicker than
the other early start runners.

  
I knew I was on for a good time fairly early on in this race, but just how good was going to be decided over the last few miles. I tried to keep up with the relay runners who were running the last section as this would ensure I didn't slow down too much, although some of them were too quick for me at this stage of the race.

The last mile or so is slightly downhill, which is good, and I had a good run against a relay runner along this last mile or so, he was putting in an effort and I was matching it (well most of the time). Into the last 1/4m and you head into the woods for a little bit more trail to the finish, and it was here that I managed to get ahead and keep pushing for the finish.

Yet another BIG hill

A bit more effort over the last 100m or so and across the line in 3hrs37mins, which is a 35min PB for this course. Very, very happy with that and as per normal ran this off the back of a normal training week (no taper). I think I also scraped home in 48th place out of the Marathon runners, which is great.

So next year if I am fit and well I suppose I will be looking at trying for a sub 3:30 time, but one things for sure it wont be easy, as this is a tough Marathon, but a very enjoyable one. 



At the finish, with my mate Ryan who had run
2 legs of the relay.

Southdowns Marathon tomorrow

I am looking forward to the Southdowns Marathon tomorrow, it is one of my favourite races. It has great scenery, a tough course with 5500ft+ of climb, it is on trails, the organisers (2:09 Events) do a great job and the goodybag is really good (has a Salomon tech t-shirt among other things).
A few runners I know are running tomorrow, so if I am lucky I may see a couple of the runners who were Pacers at the Brighton Mara and a couple of other runners I have run with during Ultras, so hope to have a quick catch up before the race.
I have never tried to run this event really hard, and never gone under 4hrs in the last 2yrs I have run it, however, with the Classic Qtr Ultra in 2 weeks time, I may need to take things a little easier than a full out blast, but will see how I feel in the morning.