At the end of March I bailed the EcoTrail de Paris, I had an awful day! One week later I was in the English Lakes with the prospect of running 30 miles or so over the Lakeland 50/100 mile route.
Let’s put things into perspective! The EcoTrail is a a lovely race, it has some hills but in comparison to the English Lakes, it’s flat! Therefore I was really hoping that the previous weeks ‘bad race’ was a one off!
The Lakeland team really do a great job. Not only do they provide the recce’s at a very affordable price but they also provide so much more… The night before the run we had a series of lectures, Marc Laithwaite from the Endurancecoach discussed nutrition and Gaynor Pryor talked about how she was first female in the 100 mile race in 2011.
On the morning of the recce we awoke to a light frost and some blue skies. Thank goodness! The Lakes can be a tough place when the weather turns nasty. We arrived at our meeting point at Waterhead just before 0800. This allowed me some time to record some audio for Talk Ultra. I spoke to last years winner, Terry Conway, I also spoke to a few ultra novices. It’s great to get a variety of feedback.
Our day ahead was covering Pooley Bridge back to Ambleside. Depending on which race you are doing, this is roughly the first 30 miles of the ’50’ or mile 55 to 85 in the ‘100’ give or take! It’s a stunning part of the Lakes with wonderful views, good runnable trail, some tough climbs and a day when the sun shines, it’s just a pleasure to be out running.
Always surprises me with a recce how some runners just fly off at the start…. Guys, it’s not a race!! The whole purpose of a recce is to run the course taking good mental notes of where and how to navigate, build up some time on your feet and also meet and talk to some like minded people.
The gradual climb out of Pooley Bridge soon had us running some great single track as we by phased Ullswater on our right and headed down to what would be a checkpoint in the race. For today’s purpose, we had no checkpoint. We crossed the road, through gates and then jogged through the valley to start our first big climb of the day.
We walked, talked and discussed the race ahead in a few months. The Lakeland is a tough route and get your pace wrong and you’ll pay for it! Today’s weather was proving quite hot and you could already see some struggling.
Over the climbe we then had a period of good running before heading down to Mardale. Terry Conway had caught up and we chatted. Turned out the day previous he and some Irish friends had run the first 52 miles of the course; nice! He had no visible signs of his body showing what his previous day had entailed. I guess that’s the difference between being a winner and a participant!!
Around Mardale is beautiful and today with the sun out and blue skies it looked incredible. It’s tough underfoot in this section with the terrain constantly changing. It’s rocky and rolls up and down. At Mardale head we had a checkpoint and an opportunity to refuel. It was very welcome! I did my best to consume a malt loaf.
The climb up out of Mardale is a long steep one. The path snakes it’s way to the top helping to reduce some of the gradient. From the top it’s a long run down over rocky terrain. This is when you are really glad you have Hoka One One on your feet. The full suspension mountain bike of run shoes. Yes, they make that much difference.
At the bottom a right turn and over a bridge and another rocky climb… This time the path was blocked by a 4×4 stuck precariously with its wheels spinning. At the top of the climb another 4×4 getting ready to help winch the other guy up… I wondered why? And then thought to myself, they probably had the same thought… Why are they running?
We dropped down to Kentmere and a final checkpoint before the last long tough climb of the day. A few runners started to suffer here. It had been a long day, a hot one and this climb sapped the calfs and hamstrings. At the top the decent ahead is very technical and I guess it’s like running down a quarry. It’s all rocks and they just vary in size and sharpness. Again, the Hoka’s are a dream on this stuff and it’s noticeable how much less impact you get.
Some trail now and finally road. A right turn, a left, up the trail and now we are parallel to Windemere and on the final run in to Ambleside.
We covered just under 30 miles and it was a stunning day. You cannot beat the Lakes on days like this! What was also nice was the easy and relaxed pace of the day. No pressure just running, chatting and meeting new people.
That evening we had some chill time and a great meal in Ambleside.
Monday, Niandi and I headed back out on the trail and started on the remaining section of the Lakeland route heading out to the Langdales. We didn’t run far, 90 mins but it was great to get back on the trail and it was good for the legs to feel fresh.
Looking forward now to the full 50 route recce in June which will take place over two days. Day one will be about 50k with remaining 30k done on day two.
Author: iancorless
Transvulcania is here!
I have been waiting for this trip to come around… when I was asked to go to the Canaries and report on this race, little did I know at the early stages that this race would be so ‘stacked’. It is easier to say who won’t be at the race!
The course is a brute. It has some 8500m of climbing and ascent over 83km’s on trail and tracks within a volcanic setting. Based on La Palma the race will pretty much take over the whole island.
So who will be toeing the line?
The ultra king and I guess pre race favourite Kilian Jornet heads up the elite field but don’t get me wrong. Nothing will be guaranteed in this race. Previous UTMB winners Iker Karrera and Seb Chaigneau will be next to the Spaniard. From America we have a who’s who of ultra running with Mike Wolfe, Geoff Roes, Anton Krupicka, Dakota Jones and Ricky Gates. From the UK we have Andy Symonds. All these guys excel in the mountains and in addition to this premier list we have the female contingent that includes Anna Frost, Darcy Africa, Kasia Zajac, Nikki Kimball and Maud Gobert.
It really is a stellar field and it is set up to be ‘the race of the year’!
Last years winner, Miguel Heras, set a stunning course record in a shade over 7.5 hours, his time was 7:32:13. With this line up pushing each other, will the CR go?
In addition to the elite field some 500 other runners will line up against the best of the best to do battle over a course that will test each runners legs to the limit. Starting at sea level the high point of the race is 2423m at the Islands Volcano. Covering a total ascent and decent of 8500m the race will finish at sea level in the town of Los Llanos.
This will be a race to watch and follow.
Follow on http://www.skyrunning.com and check out the race website at http://www.transvulcania.com. The Twitter feed may also be a great source of information, go here
Endurancelife Weekend – Flete
Imagine a weekend on the southern coast at the Flete estate near Plymouth. Open fields, a bunch of endurance addicts, evening lectures, a camp fire, plenty of food, some sun, yes, some sun!
Endurancelife for the second year once again arranged a superb weekend. They even managed to secure some dry weather amidst a very wet April and early May. Ironic that parts of the UK are in a drought.
Based on the Flete estate, the surroundings are superb. Stunning coastline, sandy beaches, quiet inlets and of course the opportunity to camp on site. The weekend is a mix of events all geared at fulfilling new desires, testing new boundaries or fulfilling the needs of the dedicated.
I arrived on Friday via train with Niandi. Lacking a car at the moment made logistics a little awkward, so we managed to find some cheap accommodation in Plymouth and along with ELA ambassador James Adams we shared a hire car for the weekend. The plus side for us was that we had a warm bed for the evenings but I can’t help but think we missed out on some of the fun.
We arrived on Saturday at event HQ just in time to see the ‘Raid’ get underway. A multi discipline event that involves mountain biking, running and kayaking. Being the dedicated endurance athletes that we are, Niandi, James and myself got a Laver bread sandwich and coffee and relaxed on the grass. Laver bread was a new one on me, made from seaweed you wouldn’t expect it to be too tasty but it sure was. Especially when you add a fried egg, some mushrooms and spinach. Oh I do love sport as it does allow you to indulge in endurance eating too.
Neil Bryant arrived and asked if we had planned to take part in the Aquatrail. A swim, run, swim run and so on event. James did go through the comical process of trying a wet suit on but thought better of it and with the exception of Neil we decided that spectating would be the best option. Not before we had another Laver bread though first…
Late afternoon, what looked like a bunch of tall seals lined up on the beach ready to do battle with cold water and trail running. As they entered the water you could hear a few screams as the cold took the breath away. Out to a buoy and back to the beach they then ran off around the coastline taking in two more swims and run sections to eventually return back to the start point and repeat the process a couple more times. For nearly everyone this was an introduction to Aquatrail and although they had been told that it would involve 2k of swimming and 10k of running I don’t think many had anticipated how hard the event would be. Certainly as they came out of the water at the end of lap one the cold water was having an effect but many battled on with cold hands and feet to a successful completion of the first Aquatrail.
Back at camp we sat around the fire and listened to stories and music. A wonderfully chilled hour as the sun started to disappear on the horizon.
With darkness the first evening of Live More Lectures started. Stories of crossing Oceans rowing, climbing to the summit of Mt Everest and running the Bob Graham Round in the English Lakes. Stories to inspire and motivate. The three of us left the camp close to midnight not leaving much opportunity for sleep before the early Sunday start to take part in the Coastal Trail Series.
Niandi and myself ran the marathon and teammates Oliver Sinclair, Neil Bryant and James Adams ran the ultra. Having run nearly all the Coastal Series, Flete is the one race I hadn’t run so I was interested to see what lay in store. From the off, the eventual winner flew off at break neck pace and never eased up. We only saw him again at about 5k into the race when all the front runners missed a left turn due to a misplaced course marker (very unusual). The early miles had a couple of tough climbs but then the middle section had some great single track. At checkpoint 2 I dibbed in with my Sportident and ran straight off leaving my two running partners. Slowly opening up a gap I remained in 2nd place right to the end to take a very satisfying 2nd place. However, the top 3 place was not that easy to come by! the final 6-8 miles of the Flete course are pretty darn tough. The climbs are vertical and seriously hurt the calf muscles and hamstrings. Over the final climb and on the run in to the finish we had a river crossing which was just what the legs needed. All that cold water on tired muscles. Perfect. In the Ultra, Oli was second and Neil 3rd making a good haul of the top places for the Endurancelife Team.
The sun was out and recovery for the next few hours was paramount. Of course that meant some chill time by the fire, another laver bread and plenty of fluid… no, I was good, no alcohol. Well, not until later when I treated myself to a glass of red!
The evening lectures soon came around and we kicked off with tales of going to the North Pole. Our final talk of the evening was by Deborah Searle who had achieved stunning feats by rowing solo some 10 years ago. In the middle was me! Yes, me!
When I had been asked to talk I was left with a dilemma. I felt that in comparison to rowing the Atlanic, climbing Everest or going to the North Pole my achievements were insignificant. But I have one strength, I feel that I am an ordinary person who could inspire other ordinary people to also achieve and push boundaries in a simple way. Since the passing of my Dad in 2009 I had never spoken in public about my 8 marathons in 8 days that had become such a test at a very trying time. So, putting myself under the pressure of literally breaking down in tears in front of a packed room I put some demons to rest in my talk. I managed not to break down (just about) and I hope that I got across a simple story of running that anyone could undertake.
It was a brilliant weekend. Both Niandi and myself had a great time and it was such a pleasure to mix with some great friends, make new friends and soak up the south coast.
As per usual, the Endurancelife crew but on another super slick event with the whole team being so helpful. I would like to give some special thanks to Kate for all the help prior to the weekend and on the weekend.
See you all next year
Iznik Ultra
From the sound of the morning call to pray to the evening call for prayer, Turkey has a charm and a charisma that I have not experienced in another place. The people epitomize friendliness and an openness to help and a willingness to go out of the way to make your experience as a tourist a pleasant one.
Istanbul is chaos! The roads are blocked, the streets are frantic and amongst this is a calm and a charm that one cannot help but warm to. The Grand Bazaar I guess has lost some of the original charm of a typical ‘souk’. It shows signs of commercialism but how can one resist the urge to indulge. In close proximity one has the Blue Mosque, the Fire Tower and San Sophia. Working your way down to the Bosphorus one is greeted with ferry boats, fish restaurants and a bustle that increasingly comes to life with the approach of the night. Lights glow, the sky goes to a deep dark blue and the skyline is illuminated with Mosques. It’s quite magical.
Leaving the chaos of Istanbul and heading north for the 2+ hour journey to Iznik that included a relaxing ferry crossing was a stark contrast to the attack on my senses for the last 24 hours. Suddenly we had some calm and a time to reflect.
Our approach to Iznik was greeted by entering the north west corner of the lake ‘Iznik Golu’. Making the road journey to Iznik Village gave us wonderful panoramic views of what lay in store with the Iznik Ultra. A large beautiful lake, surrounded by mountains and fields of Olive Trees.
Iznik formerly known as Nikaia is in the province of Bursa and is some 90km south west of Istanbul as the crow flies. Iznik was surrounded by walls to protect it but now the walls are pierced in many places for roads. With a population of around 17,000 it has been a district center for Bursa since the early 1930’s. It has a deep history, Orhan 1 captured Iznik in 1331 from the Byzantium Forces and for a short period the town became the capital of the expanding Ottoman Empire. Famous for pottery and tiles, many of the Mosques in Istanbul have Iznik tiles designed by Mimar Sinan. This history was reflected in the wonderful finishers medals and plaques for the Iznik Ultra.
Our arrival at our hotel on the lake was a pleasurable one and soon followed with arrival at the race headquarters. The MCR Racesetter event team had taken over a club premises on the lake and turned into a control hub for the race. You would never have guessed that this was the first ultra that the they had organized. It was very slick and the attention to detail was immaculate. Caner (pronounced Janer) Odabasoglu , race director, the previous year had taken part at the TDS in Chamonix and he had obviously learnt a great deal from the experience. He had taken all the good aspects of the UTMB series of races and applied them to his own race. I had been helped expertly by Burcu Karakelle and Rabia Karaağaç in my pre trip preparations and they also manned the registration point. Needless to say, once registration was over they re applied themselves to the course and the smooth running of the event. Caner had not only pulled in his working team from Macera Akademisi but he had also pulled in the help of personal friends and he had mobilized the Iznik community and supporting villages and made this event important to them. They had a real pride in servicing all the competitors.
With a pre race kit check done that included a ‘typical’ requirement of : base layer, jacket with hood, first aid, elastic bandage, head torch, hat, gloves, food and the capacity to carry 1.5ltr of liquid I was able to relax and mix with other racers. I was initially surprised by some of the entrants, we had a couple of South Africans, French, Russian and even a Brazilian on the start sheet. The Brazilian unfortunately didn’t make the race due to some travel issues. On chatting, it turned out that the French guy was Jean-Loup Feneaux, the creator of AHOTU (www.ahotu.com) what I would consider to be the best reference point for all races in the world. In addition I was introduced to Ilgaz. Ilgaz is a co presenter of an ultra running podcast for Turkey. Quite amazing as he introduced himself to me as he recognized me (and my voice) from Talk Ultra. The ultra world really is a small one!
So the race!
We congregated in the Iznik centre for a pre race briefing at 0700 and then the race started, on the dot at 0730.
The previous days blue skies and warm weather had been replaced with rain but temperatures were mild. In many respects, perfect conditions for me! On the end of the count down we left on mass being told that the first few km’s although part of the race would be neutralized. They wanted to create a run procession as we left the town. It was perfect!
The race route was marked to perfection with either floor paint or red and white ribbons every 30-100 meters. Literally, if you had run for more than a minute without seeing a marker you knew you had gone wrong! It’s very reassuring. Although the 126k route was a loop of the lake and of course, the 60k was pretty much half of the lake, it was by no means flat as one would expect. Quite the opposite! All the vertical gain was undertaken in the first 60k making the shorter race a tough one as obviously you would be pushing harder, for the 126k runners this also meant that ‘pacing’ was crucial.
The short road section lasted 4km and soon became trail and then climbing to 580 meters. The trail path was wide, rutted and in parts slippery due to the falling rain. It was possible to run/ walk much of this early section, however, I am sure those running the longer race will have walked much of this first climb. Harder steeper sections had sections of flat and then more climbing. This scenario repeated itself constantly over the first 13kms and the first checkpoint at Derbent. From Derbent village we once again re joined trail heading west and this section incorporated a whole mixture of trail. Rutted ground, soft ground, rocks and of course plenty of climbing and descending. Under foot conditions in general where very good. To our left as we ran this section of trail we had the stunning views of snow capped mountains and to our right, the Iznik Golu lake and the Yenisehir Plains. It was stunning.
The Suleymanie checkpoint at 28.5km was an opportunity to re fill bottles/ bladder and soak up the appreciation from local villagers. Caner and his team had done a superb job informing, mobilizing and involving the local villages and communities. You must remember, running is not something the Turkish people have much experience of. Ultra running is pretty muck unknown…. The Iznik Ultra is very much at the forefront of Turkish ultra running.
The climb out of Suleymaniye was steep and tough and lasted almost 2km and then a long decent to the next checkpoint at 36km at Muskule. This was a simple checkpoint and really more of timing check than anything else. A small climb and then a long steep decent to a section of road than ran parallel to the Lake. Police escorted the runners and provided safety. This section lasted almost 10k going from the 37km mark to the next check point at Narlica at 42km. This was a key check point and a larger village. The whole town had turned out to cheer everybody on.
Now the hardest climb of the course. Heading out of the village you immediately headed up on a muddy, rutted trail that lasted for 7km climbing to 750 meters. It was made even more difficult as this track was used by the farmer, therefore the route up was basically in deeply rutted tractor tracks. The rain was falling harder and harder and the course was now becoming increasingly slippery under foot. It was tough on the mind, the body and more importantly the legs. Finally at the top a flattish section of trail was followed with a long quad busting decent to the 60km finish in Soloz. The trail to the finish was technical in places and quite steep. I know that many post race expressed how difficult they found this run in to Soloz. Again, the local community was out in force. As it happened, I was the winner of the 60km race in 6hrs 01min. It would have been nice to have been under 6hrs and certainly if in future editions the course is dry and without rain, that time will drop. To run the final uphill road section to the line with the applause of the locals, the cheers of the children and the appreciation of the Iznik Ultra team will be a memory I hold forever. I sincerely feel that what has been created in this race is the start of an ever increasing and ever popular ultra scene within Turkey.
At the finish I was able to relax, applaud and watch my fellow runners come in. For many though, this was only a 60km checkpoint. Motivated by a finish line in the centre of Iznik some 67km away, they refueled and step by step rejoined the course. It was now early afternoon and the occasional glimpses of sun and warm started to disappear. The rain increased and with it, the wind.
With the climbing done in the first 60km, the remaining running should have been relatively easy and flat. The course now pretty much hugged the lake until the 76km and the checkpoint at Ornekkoy. Here, you are taken inland to the 81km checkpoint and you then remain inland with the lake to your right until Ilica at 95km’s.
Running through Olive fields, the increasing heavy rain now made the course difficult under foot. With the added difficulty of night, it was now a test of will power for the remaining runners. A welcome section of road from 100km’s to 107km’ s provided some rest with the inclusion of a checkpoint at the village of Boyalica.
The dark, the rain, the mud, the wind tested everyone, the runners and the dedicated team of helpers and check point officials. At 111km’s another section of road and then the final push with a check point at Kurukpru at km 119. With just 8km’s to go, the finish was in sight. The arrival in Iznik awaited. But of course it was now the middle of the night. The winning time was 15hrs 45m.
The next day a 10km race had been arranged that created a perfect opportunity to introduce running to a greater audience. The town came out in force and was superb to see all ages and abilities taking part. Potential ultra runners of the future…. With marching bands, local dignitaries and a superbly organized prize presentation at 1pm the Iznik Ultra came to a close.
The medals and award plaques were something quite special. Iznik, famous for its hand made tiles had produced via a local tile maker all the finishing medals and plaques. A truly great memento.
I have raced all over the world and I have raced for many years. I have rarely scene a race so expertly organized or put together. It was the attention to detail, the course marking, the staff, the local community, the friendliness, the awards ceremony and the prizes that all came together to make this one of my fondest racing experiences. For this to be the MCR teams first event was quite incredible. I cannot praise Caner and his team enough.
Moving forward, this race will increase in popularity, it will bring in runners from around the world and will become a race to add to a runners ‘bucket list’. All I can say is that it deserves all the praise it can get. I for one will be back in 2013, no doubt
Notes:
Traveling from the UK to Istanbul is possible via Easyjet from London Luton.
Depending on available time, I would recommend a Thursday flight with an overnight stop in Istanbul. Stay in the Old City near all the sights.
Transfer from Istanbul to Iznik takes approximately 2 to 3 hours and includes a ferry crossing. Traffic in Istanbul is chaotic so be prepared.
Iznik is well serviced with hotels and many are on the Lake just a few minutes from race registration and the race start.
The first 60km are hilly and many may find poles useful.
Trail shoes are essential.
In training, practice going uphill and in particular train on hills putting as much emphasis on going down as going up. Many found the running downhill is what tired them the most.
Temperatures are usually quite warm but for this years race conditions became difficult, Particularly those running in the 126k.
Check and make sure you have mandatory kit. You will be checked pre race and during the race,
PLEASE VIEW ALL THE IMAGES of Turkey and the race here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iancorless/sets/72157629440938000/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iancorless/sets/72157629851013253/
Details for 2013
Race Director – Caner Odabasoglu
Address :
Macera Akademisi – MCR Race Setter Geyikli Sokak No:4/2
Beşiktaş – İstanbul / TÜRKİYE
Istanbul
Hoka One One Stinson Evo Tarmac ‘limited edition’
Stinson Evo Tarmac
STINSON EVO TARMAC – limited edition
ONLY 50 pairs available in the UK via runwildrunfree
Hoka One One’s maximally cushioned midsoles offer superior protection, comfort and propulsion. The distinctive ‘rocker’ geometry creates a platform for optimally efficient natural running mechanics.
The oversized outsole allows for greater stability, traction and connection to the ground. Hoka’s motto is ‘time to fly’ and the run shoes within the Hoka One One range really do provide a sense of weightlessness.
The brand and the shoes have come a long way in such a short period of time. The original comments of ‘what have you got on your feet?’ are slowly disappearing and with it the brand has developed and is gaining increased popularity.
The 2012 Stinson Evo introduced a new level of trail running shoe to the market – not only did it have great grip, comfort, breathable upper, speed lacing and precise control, but it also offered ‘drop dead’ good looks. On the limited edition ‘flag’ model, Hoka One One was displayed in big letters on the side.
This was ‘the’ shoe to have!
The Evo popularity has lead to a new shoe! The STINSON EVO TARMAC.
This new shoe has all the benefits of the ‘Evo’ but now has a sole designed for running on the roads. This is without doubt a road-racing shoe….
Runwildrunfree has been chosen to sell the limited edition colour-way, as shown at the top of this page.
Costs will be £135 per pair plus delivery and the shoe will be available on or around October 1st.
As a previous customer, you are being given the opportunity to pre order a pair of these shoes. As I said, the UK will only have 50 pairs available!!!
New sole designed for road racing
If you have purchased the Evo Trail and used it, you will understand the benefits of this addition to the Hoka One One range. It is a shoe that makes you want to run fast…. !!!
Add that level of comfort and feel and transfer it to the road and you will almost certainly have a shoe that WILL help you fly to a new PB over half, full or ultra marathon distance.
The shoe comes with two insoles, speed lacing and/or conventional laces and is available in this colour way only for limited customers.
When the shoe goes on ‘general sale’ it will be available in black/grey/white or grey/pink/white.
The limited edition shoe is only available in sizes UK7 to UK12.
If you would like to Pre order, please drop me an email at:
hokaoneone@me.com
Or phone me on +44 772 581 3457
I am offering all pre orders the option to either secure a pair of the limited edition shoe and pay a deposit of £50 for October delivery or if required you can pay for the Evo Tarmac over 5 months at £28 per month. The shoes will be delivered as soon as they arrive in the UK.
Here are the benefits of the shoe
Highly breathable, debris proof closed mesh
Speed lacing for on the go and adaptive fit
Lightweight tongue
Reinforced toecap
Flexible molded TPU
2×2 EVA volume
30% softer EVA
Control bucket seating
Sticky rubber outsole
40% wider footprint
Zegama – Skyrunning
A star-studded world class entry list is announced by the Zegama-Aizkorri Maratòn, one of the most popular skyrunning events – valid for the Skyrunner® World Series champion title.
The line-up stars last year’s winners, Kilian Jornet and 2011 Skyrunning World Champion, Oihana Kortazar, both from Spain; Britain’s Tom Owens, just 30” behind Jornet last year; and, at his first SkyMarathon attempt, America’s Max King, 2011 World Mountain Running Champion.
Americans getting their first taste of the SkyMarathon and European style racing will also include: Rickey Gates, Mount Washington Road Race 2011; and ultra distance specialists, Nick Clark, Joe Grant, Dakota Jones, Anton Krupicka and Mike Wolfe. Two Briton’s living in the US, Nick Clark and Ian Sharman, will give the shorter, more technical Zegama race a crack.
The extraordinary line-up continues with top French runners: Michel Rabat among the favourites, Thierry Breuil, Sebastien Chaigneau, Erik Clavery, François d’Haene, Michel Lannes, Thomas Lorblanchet; also Csaba Németh, Hungary; Florent Troillet, Switzerland; Gustavo Reyes, Argentina. Look out for new entry, Greek Dimitris Theodorakakos, who willtest his skills in this exceptionally strong field.
Many of the international runners heading for Zegama in Spain’s Basque Country will have competed in the Transvulcania Ultra Marathon just one week before – a short recovery time for most, but an irresistible challenge to race the 42 km course with a gruelling 5,472m vertical ascent and descent…
Favourites in the women’s field are led by last year’s winner, Oihana Kortazar, running on home ground, followed by fellow countrywoman, Mireia Mirò. “Fresh” from the Transvulcania Ultra Marathon, New Zealand’s Anna Frost, American long distance specialist Nikki Kimball and Maud Gobert fromFrance will compete. Also from France, Corinne Favre, past Skyrunning World Champion; Russian Zhanna Vokueva and Sweden’s Emelie Forsberg complete the élite women’s line-up.
This incredible field world class runners look set to deliver plenty of action and perhaps take a shot at the long standing records: 3h54’18“ by Briton, Rob Jebb (2005) and 4h38’19“ by Italian, Emanuela Brizio (2009).
Major industry players are represented with strong international teams including:
Adidas, Arc’teryx, Asics, Innov8, Montrail, New Balance, Pearl Izumi, Salomon, The North Face.
One of the key factors that have world-class runners coming back year after year to Zegama is the enthusiastic participation of 8,000 spectators along the course, cheering every single runner every single step along the way.
Follow news and updates on www.skyrunning.com and on Facebook and Twitter. Race website: www.zegama-aizkorri.net
EcoTrail de Paris 2012
Another year and another EcoTrail. Since 2008 I have been in and out of Paris on a regular basis. Niandi, although South African born is a Parisian at heart and after living in the City for 20 years she considers it her home! I personally love the place. It’s my favourite City. No doubt!
In 2008 the EcoTrail de Paris was originated. I missed the first edition but 2009 was my introduction to the event. What could be better, 50 miles of trails, beautiful forests, stunning views and of course, the best finish line in any race. A night time run up to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. It’s magical.
In my first year I ran with Niandi wanting to enjoy the experience together. Although I had a tough day I loved it.
In 2010 I went back with friends and ran quicker, in 2011 I went back again and ran quicker. Each time I missed my own target of sub 8 hours.
This year, although my training had not been perfect I hoped would be my year. As it turned out, it wasn’t. Not by a long shot…..
The EcoTrail has developed considerably over the five years of its life and they now offer a 30k, 50k and 80k option. The races start outside the centre of Paris and you basically run into the city with a final 10k along the Seine and an ascent to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower for the 80k runners at the finish. The course is predominantly trail through woods, forests and trails. You have a few villages to pass through and few road sections but ultimately it is wonderful off road trail.
Temperatures in Paris shot up to the mid 20’s when I arrived on the Friday. On Saturday, race day, with a midday start we knew it was going to be a tough one. The previous day I had discussed with Jean Charles the Race Director, about the feed stations. In previous years they had the first feed and 14 miles and the second at 31 miles…. A long way! JC informed me that they had added an extra feed station to fill the gap! Good, it was needed and particularly with the weather forecast.
On race day, the sun beat through our hotel window at 7am. It was going to be hot. We made our way leisurely to the start allowing for plenty of time. With such weather it was no problem to be out in the open air relaxing on the grass. We had an opportunity to meet up with French friends; Huguette, Katel, Jean Pierre and I also met up with Emre Tok from Turkey.
At midday we started. It’s always congested initially as 2000 runners head out to the trails. I controlled my effort wanting to slowly move up the field without exerting too much energy. My target was to run 8 min miles on the flat and power the hills. Within 8 miles I had moved up the field and was running in clear space with small groups of runners. The heat was beating down but I felt good. Relaxed even!
The first feed seemed to come quickly. I filled two 500 ml bottles and probably had about 500 ml left in my bladder. I grabbed food and walked out of the station taking 3-5 mins to eat while still making progress on the course.
I was now much more in isolation with just handfuls of runners here and there. Twenty miles came and I was suddenly feeling not too great. I was getting some spasm in my legs, particularly calfs and I was starting to feel just not 100%. Nausea was making feel light Heade and I was getting some double vision. I couldn’t understand it? I had drunk over 2 litres of electrolyte drink at this point. Surely I couldn’t be dehydrated. The previous night I had had some bad headaches late at night. I was beginning to think that maybe I had picked up a bug.
From here on in it just got worse and worse. Headaches, tightness in my chest, my throat ‘closing’ not allowing me to drink. The climbs became purgatory and the flat sections just ridiculous. I was jog/ walking and could do no more. Runners started to come past me and it was becoming survival. Not really what I wanted….
I though of JC telling me that they had added a feed station and I thought, I just need to get to that! I went through the marathon in 4 hours, so, I was sort of on my 8 hour pace but I just knew that unless I got energy, hydration and somehow had a remarkable recovery, this was not my day…. The feed finally came but it was at 30 miles!!! Yes, some 16 miles after the first. It turned out NOT to be a feed station but just a water point.
I have only ever quit one other race and that was because of a hernia! The process of handing my number in at the second feed in the EcoTrail was an easy one! I was in bits. No broken! I had no mental strength and no determination to push myself to the end. I wouldn’t say I am the ‘best’ at suffering but I can do it. Today was not one of those days.
The feeling of complete emptiness is one that I never wish to experience again. Double vision, a dried up tight throat that made it difficult to swallow, sickness and this tightness in my chest that did have me a little concerned. I thought of Dean Karnazes saying that you should always try to finish but sometimes a DNF is okay when those initials mean Did Nothing Fatal!
It may sound extreme but I have never quite had a run experience like it.
The EcoTrail is a race I love. Paris is a place I love. I still have wonderful memories and although 2012 edition of the EcoTrail is not the story I wanted, it is still a story and one that we can all learn from! Ultimately, it’s ONLY RUNNING. Running is an enhancement of my life, a passion, an enjoyment, an opportunity to mix and bond with similar people. Saturday became purgatory and I never want running to become that! I accept good and bad days, I accept the will and determination required to complete an ultra but ultimately for me I must have the overall sensation of enjoyment. I was not enjoying Saturday!
With my number handed in, other runners began to drop like flies. Looking back, I don’t think I had a bug. I’m pretty sure I had a combination of several things but more importantly my race came to an end through dehydration! I have always needed plenty of liquid and importantly salt. Although by that 30 mile point I had consumed 2.5 Lts of Electrolyte, it wasn’t enough.
In addition to all the above, my build up to EcoTrail was not perfect. Don’t get me wrong, no excuses. The day was the day! But I have been burning the candle at both ends with extremely long and stressful work hours, reduced training and little sleep. I guess ultimately something has to give! A hot day, 50 miles of trails and I guess not being 100% contributed in what was on the day, an easy decision.
Of course, the day after is always the tough one. As I walk around Paris and see ‘finisher T shirts’ everywhere you think to yourself, was I just weak! Could I have carried on? I guess the answer is yes. Would I have achieved anything? Well, other than another finish, no. Best to take in the views, eat and drink! Why not…
I wanted to look at the big picture and in the coming two months I have a stacked calendar. To pull out and hopefully speed up the recovery process will mean that I can be back fighting sooner rather than later.
This coming weekend I have a 50k recce in the English Lakes on the Lakeland 50/100 route, two weeks after that I am heading to Turkey to report on the first edition of the Iznik Ultra and participate in the 60k. The weekend after that I have London Marathon which I hope will be ‘just fun’ and then the week after that I will be in Scotland for the Highland Fling; another tough 50 miler. Again at the Highland Fling I will be working/ running, so, the pressure is off. I will just be a participant, but, 50 miles is still 50 miles even if you try to take it easy.
So, another great weekend in Paris and of course I have the opportunity to go back to the race and try to put the record straight next year!!!
All experiences are valid, even the bad ones!
Talk Ultra Episode 5 MDS special
I have just finished editing and finally published Episode 5 of Talk Ultra, a Marathon des Sables special.
Why am I posting?
Well, to be honest, I am really proud of what Ian Sharman and myself have achieved in ‘just’ five episodes! Don’t get me wrong. The show isn’t perfect. But the MDS show in particular combines many aspects that I wouldn’t have thought possible so early in a new podcast.
Our show includes 7 interviews in total. Why 7? Well, we have a ‘Meltzer Moment’ with Speedgoat Karl, we have the audio between Ian Sharman and myself and then on top of this we have 5 separate interviews.
From a listeners perspective it is difficult to understand what goes into the process of producing a show. Believe me, it is time consuming, technical, sleep depriving but ultimately rewarding.
I believe in podcast terms we have broken some new ground with episode 5. What is key, is the inclusion of 2 French interviews. I wanted Talk Ultra to be global and certainly introducing this aspect to the show certainly helps. Technically it is a difficult process. I am very fortunate for this episode that my partner, Niandi is fluent in French.
So, how did we do it? Take a breath…. Here goes!
Firstly, we arrange the interview. Obvious I guess but this is not always straight forward. We are often working across different time zones and languages. With the interview in place and a time set aside, the preparation begins. This usually involves an hour or maybe even two preparing questions, doing research and then generating a ‘show notes’ document. This helps me, or Niandi in this case have a structure and a direction for the interview.
The interview takes place and the ‘conversation’ is recorded in my studio via several pieces of software. Calls are made at my end using Skype. Ideally we prefer to call landlines as this usually provides better sound, however, sometimes we need to phone mobiles. For our MDS special, we called Patrick Bauer on his mobile.
After the interview I have an audio stream that I then ‘split’. The audio is converted to ‘mono’ and then the edit process begins. This is a tidy up process removing ambient noise, improving sound, removing mistakes and tightening up the audio so that it sounds as best as possible in the show! Normally the process would stop here, the file would be saved as an Mp3 and then I would ‘add’ this audio to my ‘final edit’ when putting the show together.
For our French interviews, this process was magnified by several 100%. Of course, we had an interview, but it was in French. So, we play the audio back, Niandi translates and I write the English dialogue. When this process is completed, I then write a script to coincide with my questions.
With a script sorted, we then repeat the process and record audio between Niandi and myself. I ask the questions in English, Niandi answers in English. Armed with a new recoding file I then merge this with the original French interview. A complicated process! I remove Niandi’s French questions and replace with my English ones. I then drop the sound level of the French audio and over dub Niandi’s English answers in line with the French response. At the end we have a new Mp3 file that hopefully gives a feel of the original interview and provides an insight that may not have otherwise been available.
I appreciate that the finished result may not be perfect! If I was critical I would say that it lacks the ‘interaction’ that you would get with a normal interview. But it’s a start and one that I am happy with!
I feel that with episode 5 we have broken some new ground and I would appreciate any constructive comments.
You can listen to Talk Ultra on iTunes, at talkultra.com or via Libsyn.
Now then, with another show done, I need to go and run…..
Many thanks for your ongoing support of me and Talk Ultra.
Ian
Transvulcania Ultra Marathon Race 2012
Breaking news….. I have been asked to go out to the Canaries in May in what is going to be a ‘dream’ 10 days. I will be reporting on the Transvulcania Ultra Marathon and then flying to Spain to report on Zegama.
As an introduction, here is the official press release which has been released today, March 20th
THE RACE OF THE CENTURY
Ultra running legends announced. Transvulcania rolls out the red carpet
Transvulcania Ultra Marathon, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain – May 12, 2012
Never in the history of endurance sport has such a number of world-class runners gathered together at a single event. After weeks of anticipation, the International Skyrunning Federation announces the final line-up of the Transvulcania Ultra Marathon, valid for the Skyrunner® World Series ranking and first of the five Ultra Series races.
The star-studded entry list reads as follows: the three winners of the 2011 TNF Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®, Spaniards Kilian Jornet, Iker Karrera and Frenchman Sebastien Chaigneau; Americans Mike Wolfe, 2011 TNF Endurance Challenge 50M Championship and 2nd Western States 100; Geoff Roes, 2010 Western States 100 and 2011 Ultra Race of Champions; Anton Krupicka, 2nd 2010 Western States 100; Dakota Jones, 2nd 2011 Hard Rock 100 Endurance Run and 2nd 2011 TNF Endurance Challenge 50M Championship; Rickey Gates, 2011 Canadian Death Race; France’s Erik Clavery, IAU Trail World Champion; Britain’s Andy Symonds, La Course de Templiers 2011.
The mammoth line-up continues with top French runners: François D’Haëne, Thomas Lorblanchet, Thierry Breuil, Yann Curien. Americans Joe Grant and Ian Sharman; Csaba Németh, Hungary; Florent Troillet, Switzerland; Gustavo Reyes, Argentina; Giuliano Cavallo, Italy; Philipp Reiter, Germany.
The glittering women’s field counts 2011 TNF Endurance Challenge 50M Championship winner, Anna Frost from New Zealand; IAU Trail World Champion Maud Gobert from France; Americans Darcy Africa, 2011 Hard-Rock 100; Nikki Kimball, 3rd 2011Western States 100 and 2007 TNF Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®; Kasia Zajac from Poland, Zugspitz Super Trail 2011.
With such strong competition, the 7h32’13” race record set last year by Spaniard Miguel Heras could take a beating. The question is, by whom?
The strong international team participation includes major industry players:
Adidas, Arc’teryx, Asics, Montrail, New Balance, Pearl Izumi, Platinium Sigvaris, Salomon, The North Face.
The 500 runners face a daunting 8,525m ascent and descent over the 83 km course which starts at sea level on the Atlantic coast and travels along the island’s backbone to the summit of the volcano at 2,423m before descending back to the sea and finishing in the town of Los Llanos.
From sea to sky, the Transvulcania Ultra Marathon perfectly embodies the skyrunning philosophy and unquestionably represents one of the most spectacular of the 20 races on the 2012 Skyrunner® World Series. Given the VIP entry list, it could be nothing less than the race of the century.
Follow news and updates on http://www.skyrunning.com and on Facebook and Twitter. Race website http://www.transvulcania.com
ULTRA SKYMARATHON®SERIES
*SPAIN:TRANSVULCANIA ULTRA MARATHON, LA PALMA – MAY 12
USA: Speedgoat 50K, Snowbird, Utah – July 28
ITALY: Trofeo Kima UltraSkyMarathon®, Valmasino, Sondrio – August 26
SPAIN: Cavalls del Vent, Cadi-Moixeró Natural Park, Pyrenees – September 29
FRANCE: La Course des Templiers, Millau, Grands Causses – October 28
Ultra SkyMarathon®Series champion titles are awarded to competitors with the highest points based on the sum of the three best results.
Ranking points in the final races will be increased by 20%.
Ranking points breakdown: 100-88-78-72-68-66-64-62-60-58-56-54-52-50-48-46-44-42-40.
iancorless.com 
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