No Lakeland 100 for us this year

Stef and I have been struggling to find time (and commitment) to train and in spite of doing some running and making a degree of progress with healthier eating / weight loss we've decided there's no way we can prepare properly for this year's event. We've volunteered to marshal and at the moment I'm not sure we'll be doing any 'serious' running this year; certainly for the first half six months or so

Thanks Morgan

I got an email out of the blue this morning from Morgan. He'd picked up on my interest in Hokas for the Lakeland 100, and kindly sent me links to some really interesting web-resources and blogs. More to follow when I've worked out how my new Google Nexus tablet works

Slight return

Stef dragged me out for a lap of the village on Monday evening and we managed another couple of these 20 minute jogs yesterday and today. I couldn't believe how sore my legs were on Tuesday morning although, thankfully, the worst of the dreaded breathlessness seems to be abating. Next year's big target is the Lakeland 100 and races / challenge events we have entered or planned to enter (Hebden LDWA, the Grizzly - my first but not Stef's, Haworth Hobble etc) are all basically training runs for the 100. I've got a lot of fitness to get back (and a lot of weight to lose) but I feel better (and have been sleeping better) for the return to running. The good news is my endurance base is usually good and I respond quickly to training normally so hopefully some improvement will be gained soon  

Lazy days

Our failed Lakeland 100 attempt really took out of me. I've found recovery hard and have only run twice since. A fair proportion of the skin came off the ball of both of my feet last week and I've lost a couple of toe-nails. Last Tuesday night I ran around six miles with PetShopPete and a few other club-mates from the Swan in the village and on Tuesday night it was over to Embsay for a similar distance (albeit a bit quicker) from the Elm Tree. Several times in the last ten days or so I've said I'll get up in the morning and have a run out from home, but it just isn't happening at the moment. There's another social run from the Swan tomorrow night and I might do that; we'll see

Stef is very busy with work at present and if anything came out of the hundred in even worse shape than me. Her knee swelled up and is only just retreating back and her feet were at least as bad as mine, although she employed a 'pick the dead skin off a bit at a time' strategy, rather than my let time take it's toll approach. We have very few running plans for the rest of the year apart from Stef doing the Rab MM. Probably the biggest thing in our diary, apart from an upcoming holiday, is the Bob Graham dinner in early October, which we're both really looking forward to!

Reflections on the hundred

Running ultramarathons is a learning process and I guess you never stop learning. While last weekend’s hundred is fresh in my mind I wanted to make a few notes of things I might have / should have done differently. Firstly and most importantly looking after your feet is absolutely paramount for this event. This goes far beyond picking your most comfortable shoes and toughing it out, as we found to our cost. Secondly, I was very sick at Scarth Gap possibly because of going too fast in the heat , but also possibly because I’d taken on board some SIS drink I’d not tried before. Thirdly, wearing comfortable clothes and kit. My t-shirt and 20 lt OMM rucksack performed well; my Nike traditional running shorts were far from perfect. Lycra is needed and I should know that by now. Lastly, the food at the checkpoints isn’t great and is largely sweet. Some kind of easy-to-carry savoury food is needed. Running ultramarathons is also a very personal thing. These notes might help someone else but are basically for me to help me perform better next year (hopefully anyway!)

Perspective

It was the Montane Lakeland 100 last weekend. Stef and I ran together and managed to do 75 miles before retiring at Mardale Head around 25 hours after starting. There was a heavy thunderstorm as we approached the check-point at Mardale Head and a combination  of us both having bad feet,  paths turning rapidly into streams,  the weather not really clearing properly and the next leg starting with a big climb meant we didn’t feel happy heading out towards Kentmere. The race organisers had laid on a bus for retirees and fairly soon we were back at race HQ in Coniston

Yesterday I received a call from a former work colleague. The call was to confirm what we already suspected: that a mutual friend of ours is in the final days of his life after battling bravely against cancer.  This friend is a much respected person in our industry and will be sorely missed by customers, friends of whom he has a great many and his family

The 100 was my first ever DNF in an organised race and upset me quite badly but yesterday’s news put that into perspective. Stef and I had an amazing day in an area of the country we both love and a good man I’ve known for over thirty years is about to lose his life. Not finishing the race isn’t really that important now

Roses and a one hundred mile run

Stef and I bought two wonderful rose bushes from Otley garden centre last weekend. We were supposed to be going to the Lakes to recce the start and finish of the Lakeland 100 but for various reasons decided to relax at home instead. I've never had any interest in gardening but the roses are fantastic things with the most amazing scent; sweet but not overly so, subltle, almost nutty and to me reminiscent of authentic Turkish delight

The 100 starts at tea-time a week tomorrow and is likely to be a real 'suffer-fest' if the recent hot weather contimues! I've sorted out which shoes to wear (a pair of Inov-8 Roclite 315s; nicely worn in but not worn out) but guess the rest of my kit will be decided nearer the time

Hunt for the perfect trail shoe

The ground is reputed to be hard and rough on the Lakeland 100 route and tales of mashed feet are legion , even long before the runners have finished. I wore Inov-8 Mudclaw 270 for my Bob Graham and apart from sore feet for a few days escaped relatively unscathed. I'm not a fan of cushioning in running shoes but something with decent grip and a medium-ish mid-sole will be needed I think. Current options include Inov-8 Roclite 315 (I ran the Three Peaks fell race in a box-fresh pair), Mizuno Wave Ascend (Mizuno shoes worked well for the Yoredale 100) and either Adidas Kanadia, or maybe an Asics trails shoe (I've only ever had one pair of proper road shoes and they were Asics Cumulus, which were fine for the Round Rotherham 50 and LDWA White Cliffs challenge event). Decisions, decisions...

Lakeland 100

Back in 2008 I entered the LDWA Yoredale 100 event starting and finishing in Skipton. I'd been injured leading up to the event and walked the whole distance with poles. It took me over 41hours and it was weeks and weeks  before my feet recovered properly. It was much harder than my Bob Graham and I swore I'd never do another hundred mile race / challenge. All that is in the past and this morning I entered the Montane Lakeland 100 I've been looking for another target all year and this should be a good one!