Author: iancorless

Trail du Mercantour


Menton has been a favourite family holiday destination for over 25 years. So much so that Mum & Dad purchased a time share some years ago. Since Dad passed away in 2009, Menton has become even more special. September in particular. A few reasons for this, Dads birthday is on the 18th, Mums on the 24th and most importantly it where Mum and myself spread Dads ashes. It was his request.
In 2010 I was with Mum for ‘our week’. An opportunity for some sun, an opportunity to reminisce and an opportunity to be with Dad on his birthday. Not in a sad way, but in a way that I am sure you can all understand.
I digress. It was in 2010 that I noticed a race called the ‘Trail du Mercantour’. To be honest, I couldn’t miss it as race registration was almost outside our hotel on the beach. Of course I hadn’t planned to race, firstly I didn’t know about it and secondly some seven days later I was running Millau 100k in Provence. But it was just too tempting….. With three races on offer, 17k, 29k and 53k I made the sensible option and picked the 17k. I loved it. I raced hard and got 4th place. I swore I would come back for the long one!


So, 2011 came around. Niandi and myself entered the 53k and headed over to France for a long weekend. Menton is the last place on the south coast of France. In fact it is almost Italian. Everyone speaks both languages and the restaurants seem to split themselves evenly between both cuisines. It has a beautiful old town and has a pace on the slower side in comparison to Nice, Cannes and St Tropez. With about an hours travel time from Nice airport it is a perfect place for a relaxing break or a race!

THE RACE


The race is a point to point race staring at the Col du Turini some 50+kms away from Menton. The race retraces a route back to the coast and sea level by trail along mountain passes. After 24k it passes through the village of Sospel, here the 29k and 17k races start. The 29k race is the same route as the remainder of the 54k route, the 17k race veers off for a shorter more direct route to the coast after a few km’s. Having done the 17k race I thought I knew what the course would be like! No! I could not have been more wrong…… To put it bluntly, it is one of the toughest races I have done and without doubt the hardest 50k race. To put things into perspective, my PB for a trail 50k is 3:46. This race took 7:45 and the winning time was 6 hours!

AN EARLY START


Niandi and myself were up at 4:30am to eat, have some coffee and then make our way to the race bus that would transport us to the race start in the mountains. Leaving on time at 6am we arrived at the Col at 7:30am. We immediately rushed to the hotel that was open. Keep warm, drink more coffee and then get ready. We ventured outside with 10mins to spare before the off.
It started to rain. It started to thunder. It started lightning. Oh my goodness we thought! The Trail du Mercantour is infamous for the death of 3 runners a few years ago. They got stranded on the course in bad weather, got hyperthermia and died. It was this set of circumstances that caused the French to review the whole procedures and kit requirements that go into a race. Makes sense. So if in future you are racing in France And think they are being a little too particular on ‘required kit’, think back to this, it may give some perspective.


Niandi and myself made our goodbyes and we headed off in torrential rain. Immediately going up to the top of the Col. In no time we where heading down, and down, and down. It was tough. The trail was slippery, technical and mentally you needed to be very focused. I was in a good place holding a position in the top 10. I felt pretty good but it was apparent that my decending skills did not match the French and Italians. I was better than most but nowhere near as good as the front runners. You really need to be running on terrain this technical on a regular basis to feel confident and at ease with it. I was working much harder than I needed to or should have been doing to keep in touch. I found it mentally exhausting having to watch for each foot placement and plan my route down.


The course was marked by orange and green ribbons and I must say the route was marked brilliantly. Two major check points were supplemented with smaller check points, it was necessary to ‘dib in’ with a timing chip. As I ran I was thinking of Niandi. She loves trail but she doesn’t love technical trail. In fact she hates it. Pre race we had discussed the option of her pulling out at Sospel, 24k into the race if she was having problems. Alternatively, she could make her race shorter by taking the 17k route back to Menton.

I soon found that I was alone on the trail. The effort of trying to keep with the front five was too much and when I lost my footing and face planted the trail. Caution was always going to take over! Although the route was well marked, several runners went off course. On two occasions I shouted to a few runners as they headed off in the wrong direction.


When not running down we where going up. Technical twisty trail, slippery in places but in general it was just the gradient and length of climbs that made them hard. Pretty much everyone was using poles and those that didn’t have them searched in the woodland for sticks to help them. After 24k I arrived at Sospel in 2:30hrs which I was happy with. I was still up at the front end of the field but some way off the ‘goats’ at the very front. At Sospel we were greeted by all the runners who would be doing the 17k race. They had a start time of 10:30am. I stopped, dibbled in, filled my two bottles, grabbed some pretzels and moved on. I would now be climbing out of Sospel for quite some time. Initially we had a short road section before branching off on to single track. Suddenly I was surprised by runners around me. The 17k race had started. Of course, they only had 17k to run and they were as fresh as daisies. I was conscious that I was going to be in the way. I was working hard running when I could, power walking when I couldn’t. Funny because I soon realised that I was going no slower than everyone else. The trail soon split with the 53 and 29k route going to the left and the 17k going to the right. I was now alone again.


I know had a section of wooded trail. It was muddy and pretty slippery but very runnable. I started to catch the tail end of the 29k race that had started earlier. Moving past them I pushed on as best I could and then we hit the major climb. Starting at about 1,000m we would now climb to 4500m (over 0,000ft). This climb was hard. Pace was slow and it was a matter of gritting your teeth and getting on with it. I reckon it was taking 30 minutes to cover a mile here. Although raining it was warm. I suddenly felt flat. Lacking energy and feeling thirsty. I had been so preoccupied with keeping up right and maintaining my effort that I had neglected to eat. Certainly I hadn’t eaten enough. I take salt tablets every hour to keep my electrolytes balanced but I was also feeling dehydrated. I took time out to eat an energy bar and push on. After 4:30hrs I was out of liquid and desperate for a feed station. Of course, I was in the middle of nowhere so the only option was to keep going. After hours of climbing I reached a plateau and waiting at the top was a car with a couple of Italians. They had water and ice tea. Desperate for liquid I filled both my bottles with ice tea, immediately drank one and then refilled it. The Italian lady was shaking hands at me and making gestures. I smiled and nodded and in French asked if I needed to ‘dib in’ my timing chip. In true fashion she threw both arms in the air and told me it was ahead. I left now running down some good trail.

After a short distance I arrived at a feed station and check point. Funny that these two had been so close! It later turned out that I had taken some Italian couples picnic…. Well at least their ice tea!!! No wonder she was so vocal. Funny when I think back but I was so in need of liquid that I just didn’t think or question. At this feed I now moved to Coke. I had been thinking for the mlast few miles about having a nice cold Coke with ice and lemon. Of course I had no ice or lemon but the coke would more than suffice. I filled both bottles and was off.


More climbing now and this time it was like being in a quarry. Rocky hard terrain that was tough on the legs, quads, ankles and knees. I was so glad to be wearing the Hoka One One. The cushioning really helped to remove the harshness from the terrain. After a long climb we reached a plateau, crested and then had a very long technical decent to Menton in the distance.


Going down these rocky trails now was even harder. Tired legs, tired mind and it was easy to slip. I seemed to have a lack of connection between my thought process and action. I would be thinking one thing only to find my legs didn’t follow the thought process. I was loosing time when I should have been making it up but I had little choice. I lost 4/5 places over the final 90 minutes.

I was really thinking of Niandi here. I knew that this would be way beyond her comfort zone. She loves to run and she is bloody good at it. She loves the mountains and she loves trail but rocky and technical is just not her thing!

Finally I crossed under the autoroute and was running in the outskirts of Menton. I was looking for the cemetery that would give me the route back down to sea level and the beach finish. It finally came.


Within 10 minutes I was at the finish. It had taken me 7:44 to cover the 53k. I had climbed 10,000ft and decended 15,000ft. Although I had run the 17k race last year, the 53k race had been a surprise. I hadn’t anticipated it to be so difficult. The finish times and dnf’s reflect the severity. I WS 20th overall and although not disappointed I do feel it is a case of what might have been. I certainly couldn’t have been at the front with the winner in 5:53 but I do feel as though 6:30 to 6:45 is a realistic target.


At the finish I waited for Niandi. I was worried. I knew she would be hating being out on that mountain. My phone went and I had a message saying that she couldn’t keep upright and that her spirit was broken! I phoned, no answer. I was trying to decide if I should head back on the course and retrace. It wasn’t that I could do much but I could at least offer moral support. I decided against it. I was worried that Niandi may take a different route or that I may miss her. I headed to the old town and waited. She finally arrived. I could see the fatigue, the frustration and the desire for the finish in her face. I stopped the traffic, she ran across the road to the beach front, I ran at her side and then branched left to wait at the finish line. She crossed in 10:30hrs. Big hug and then the tears came! She was broken. Mentally and physically.

Post race Niandi was frustrated by what she considered to be a poor performance. No bad performance at all. She had achieved something in that race that so few people would even contemplate. We started in thunder, lightning and rain. We had climbed 10,000 ft, decended 15,000ft and had covered 33 very tough miles. No failure. No failure at all.

Sometimes it’s the taking part that is actually the achievement. To finish is enough and I have to say at the ‘Trail du Mercantour’ to finish was enough. It’s a great race, I thoroughly recommend it. It’s a beautiful and tough course in a great part of the world. Would I do it again? Absolutely! Would Niandi do it again? Mmmmmmm, what do you think?


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Location:Menton, South of France

The Alps

Col des Aravis

It’s like the ‘first time’, you know what I mean…. That sensation, that rush of blood. The Alps just blow your mind. It doesn’t matter how many times I go. No matter how many times I have been. Each time I pull off the Autoroute and get that first glimpse of Annecy, the lake and the mountain backdrop I have a warm feeling inside. It is in impressive and beautiful place. A jewel in France.

Lake Annecy from the Cold de la Forclaz

The lake is approximately 40k (25 miles) in perimeter. Obviously the main town is Annecy but as you move around the lake you have smaller villages each serviced by the road network or boats across the lake.

Heading away from the lake you move up into the higher mountains. Follow the signs for the ‘Aravis’ mountain range. A 30 minute drive brings you to the ski resort of ‘La Clusaz’. In summer this is a haven for walkers, runners, mountain bikers, para gliders and families looking for some mountain fun. The ski slopes become an adventure playground. Your only limited by your fitness and your sense of adventure. It’s a wonderful place. A real taste of Savoie. All the restaurants serve the local specialities such as Reblochon, Tartiflette and Fondu. You need to like cheese! It’s nice to have once or twice but for me, I prefer something a little more balanced and and kinder on the waistline.

Farmers Market, La Clusaz

From the centre of La Clusaz the road forks at a roundabout, straight ahead is a wonderful valley that ultimately leads to a dead end. To the right you start to climb up the Col des Aravis to it’s summit at approximately 1400m (this is road summit, not actual summit). Over the top and you basically head down the other side some 20km to the next valley. At the bottom you can either turn left and head to Megeve and Chamonix or turn right and head back towards Annecy.

Cable Car with La Clusaz in the background

I had chosen a gite in the village of La Giettaz as our base for the stay. Nestled in the mountains it offered easy road access to the surrounding area, had beautiful views from every window and ultimately it was situated on a network of trails that Niandi and myself could run on. Bliss!

View from our apartment

To be honest, it doesn’t get much better. I could so easily just pack up and move to a place like this. Chris, the owner of the Gite did this two years ago! It’s a great life. Beautiful scenery, great food, sports all summer and sports all winter. Wow.

Don’t worry, I am not going to go into a blow by blow account of our holiday. I had my Mum and Son with us, so, each day had a similar format. Niandi and myself would be up just as dawn came, about 6/6:15. We would be on the trails by 6:30 and aim to do between 2 to 4 hours. Obviously we could have stayed out all day, but family holidays are exactly that, about family. So it was important that once we had indulged ourselves in our daily pleasure we devoted our time to a little sight seeing, shopping and I guess some of the ‘typical’ family pursuits.

Josh, my son, had plenty to entertain him in La Clusaz. They had a selection of kids activities such as trampolines and importantly a ‘Luge’. The Luge had daily outings not only by Josh but by me and on occasion, Niandi. I would have loved to take Josh paragliding, something I have always wanted to do. But costs made it quite prohibitive, especially for two of us. I wanted Josh to go but typically I got the response, I will do it if you come with me… We did compensate though with a great excision on Segways. We had the off road versions and our guide took us on a really great journey of the local area.

Josh and his guide on the Segways

THE RUNNING

Niandi has a 'time to fly' in her Hoka One One

What can I say. It is the most beautiful place to run and hike. I say hike as
running and just purely running is almost impossible in this area. The trails go up and up and in places the terrain is extremely difficult. Don’t get me wrong, this is no criticism, this is the joy and the variety that this region brings. What was difficult was planning routes. Because of our self imposed deadline each morning, we had to be clever with route planning. This didn’t always work out quite right but we never got things really wrong. The main issue is you just don’t know how long a circuit will take. You look at a map, look at the distance, look at the elevation and decent and then think, ok, that will take ‘x’. Only to find in some cases it takes less time and in other cases much longer!

One of the climbs to Aravis

Each day was an adventure. We had the ‘best’ of the day. Our morning strides where greeted with the glow of the sun above the mountain range, the ring of cow bells and the quiet. Oh the quiet! Our foot strikes could be heard beneath us either rocks would move, branches would creak or the morning dew would ‘squelch’ as our feet lifted for the next foot strike. It’s a magic time.

Beautiful trail !

Our weather was fantastic. It was plus 20 deg at 6am and rose to low 30’s by 10am. However, the weather did break on Friday as those who follow the UTMB will know! Everyday we ran with Rucksacs containing at least 1ltr of liquid and the usual emergency kit that you should always carry when in wild areas like this. The weather can change in an instant and when it does you need to be prepared. We also used ‘poles’ on all our sessions. They really help on the up and if the down is very technical, they can offer some benefits in helping negotiate some of the terrain. Both Niandi and myself have fallen in love with Hoka One One shoes. The creator, Nicolas Mermoud is from the Savoie region and the shoes came about from his own running in this terrain. I have to say that the ‘Combo XT’ version was such a pleasure to run in. On the rocky, rutted and tough trail, the ‘extra’ cushioning just offered a supreme level of comfort and confidence allowing me to go over the terrain quicker with less fatigue.

Combo XT by Hoka One One - the best shoes for this terrain

Ian with the 'z' poles by Black Diamond

Each day basically consisted of going UP and then coming DOWN with maybe another UP and DOWN thrown in. We had very little flat running and almost no road. On one or two days we did run a section of trail that was also a road. This was a nice break from climbing or decending and although it was never flat it allowed our legs to loosen off and stretch out.

Niandi with an opportunity to stride out

We had no bad runs, even on the day (Friday) when it had snowed during the night, was below freezing when we left and then decided to soak us to the bone with some pretty icy rain. We had three key runs or should I say we had three runs that left a greater impression than the others.

Early morning. Cold, wet cloudy and snow.

RUN ONE
Our first day was a relatively short run at just over two hours but it was a nice ‘intro’ after the previous long days epic journey. Leaving the gite we headed up on the network of trails towards the road summit of the Col des Aravis.

Niandi heading out in the early morning sun

Beautiful wooded and forest trails constantly climbing towards 1400m as the sun breaks the skyline and warms the skin. Single track, rocks, fences, gates, farms and of course plenty of electric fences to keep the live stock in place are to be navigated.

The Aravis mountain range

While running you have the constant company of clanging bells as the cows wander and feed from the grass. At the road summit we branch left and then head up towards the real summit. Easy trail soon becomes very technical and rocky. The snow has worked it’s magic and eroded a rough natural route through some stunning landscape.

Tough trail

You get the occasional splash of colour from flowers. Underfoot is tough and you need to think ahead at all times to plan your route through. One slip here and your ankle or knee could be twisted in a flash. After a long hike/jog we reach the summit. The views are just fantastic. Alone looking at the vista you feel as though you have conquered the world. It’s so rewarding. In the distance, Mont Blanc looms making you realise that ‘your mountain’ is only a foothill to the monster in the distance.

Niandi at the top!

As is often the case, going up was easy in comparison to coming down. If you are blessed with well groomed single track you can put your head down and enjoy the ride. But, when the route is rutted and rocky paths that constantly switch back on themselves, caution and a reduction in speed is required.

The way down was pretty tough!

Rocky trail turned to rutted trail and then rutted trail turned to single track. With that transformation in terrain our speed picked up and we were able to enjoy a really great period of running back to our gite.


RUN TWO
I had chatted with Chris about a route the previous night and he told me of a race that takes place in March that is a White trail that finishes at the ski station of Torres. Looking at the maps I had worked out a route and decided to give it a go. It was going to involve lots of vertical and ultimately, lots of decent. The route up was certainly going to be harder as the trail worked it’s way around the ski lift route. The route down was a much wider trail and very runnable.

The summit at Torres

From our gite we ran on the trails down to the village of La Giettaz and then picked up the trails that would take us to the ski station at Le Plan some 5k away.

La Plan

On arrival at Le Plan, we looked UP, way off in the distance was the ski station at the top. The trail zig zagged it’s way up through forests on good trail. It was very runnable at times, however, the gradient was tough and a walk/ hike strategy was taken all the way up. At about 7am in the distance we saw Mont Blanc and hot air balloons. It was idyllic.

Up and up the ski slopes of Torres


After a long climb, we reached the top and we had amazing views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Superb.

Torres ski summit

It was a pretty straight forward run back to La Giettaz taking a trail that was wide enough for a car in places. Of course as with all trail in this area, it twisted back and forth on itself. In some place the footing was good, in other places not so good. When back in the village we treated ourself to Cafe au Lait and pain au chocolat.

RUN THREE
It was a few days to before the end of the holiday and we wanted to squeeze one last longish run. Also we wanted to ensure that we took in some new views and trail. From our gite we headed south and then west circumnavigating the Aravis mountain range. Today we had frost on the ground. It was chilly but not too chilly as we departed. The crisp crack of the thin layer of ice underfoot made a wonderful crick/crack as we run. The sun came up and rays slowly eradicated the thin layer of white. Have to say, today was a day foe wildlife. Our path was constantly interrupted by Deer darting from our view. They would then stop, look at us, decide they didn’t want our company and run off. Just as one magnificent stag crossed our path on the right, a fox darted from the left. It was stunning. I had the real feeling that Niandi and myself were interrupting ‘play time’. This time of day was for them and we had invaded it. A couple of Lycra clad nutters disturbing the quiet of the morning.


We climbed up and up to the highest ground, ran through a magnificent valley and then joined the trail/road that would enable us to continue our journey to the Col des Aravis and then pick up the trail that would lead us back to our gite. As we ran down from the plateau, early morning bikers were heading out for a day in the mountains. We always got a second look. It was that look of questioning? How was it the pat we where coming ‘down’ the mountain so early in the morning when everyone else was heading up.


On route back I took a detour. I knew it would lead to a dead end but on the maps it was highlighted as a key view point. In addition to the view a statue would greet us. A family dedication to loved ones.

Niandi seeking some help !!!!

Running back down the trail, we soon arrived back at the gite and of course a large breakfast. Always great to earn your breakfast and was it down with plenty of fresh coffee.

OTHER STUFF
Chamonix! Yes, we made a day trip of heading over to Chamonix to soak up some UTMB atmosphere, go to the expo, meet some friends and colleagues. UTMB to running is what the Tour de France is to cycling. The town was buzzing! The expo was lively, especially so for Niandi as she got to see Kilian Jornet in the flesh and confirm that he is as good looking as he looks in the photos. She missed a photo opportunity with him by seconds due to being a tad shy….. Think she regrets that now!

Kilian at the UTMB expo

I spent some time at Hoka One One watching how the brand has developed and become a real favourite with many runners. Nicolas Mermoud was at the expo and in addition to this he was taking part in the race.

Hoka One One

Expos are funny places. The urge to spend is great. It requires real discipline not to get carried away. Niandi and myself restrained ourselves pretty well! However, we both made a purchase ‘Black Diamond – Z poles’. After much research and reading up consensus says that these are the best poles for running. The fold quick, are light, strong and easy to use. I can confirm that all is true.

The finish !

Pretty sure you all know by now how UTMB turned out. Anyway, here is a recap. After the 2010 cancellation after 50k and then the restart on the CCC route, the organisers had put many things in place to avoid the problems of the previous year. Each runner was required to carry extra kit in case of extreme weather. In addition, the UTMB team had come up with 11 possible route alternatives. It is ironic that come race day that both these adjustments proved to be invaluable.


The race had a delayed start from 6pm to 11:30pm due to a storm. This decision although frustrating for all runners did actually allow the worst of the storm to pass and certainly proved a wise decision. During the night temperatures dropped significantly, it snowed and all that ‘extra’ kit became essential as runners tried to keep warm. Stories came back from the route that some runners actually wore space blankets.
With one night covered, conditions on the first day improved but obviously it had been a tough night. Pre race favourites pulled out. Scott Jurek, Geoff Roes, Nicolas Mermoud all out before 50 miles. At the front Salomon had a grip of the men’s race with Kilian Jornet eventually forging ahead for the win in just over 20hrs. In the women’s race, Lizzie !Hawker from the UK dominated with a win in just over 25 hours. Ironically she had nearly pulled out of the race earlier in the day. Thank goodness she persisted. Over 50% of the field pulled out emphasising the difficulty and the severity of the race. It is certainly ‘one to do’ but as a Brit, you really need to get the prep sorted with plenty of vertical training in tough conditions. In addition to this you really need to get your quads ready for the decending.


Niandi and myself were really tempted to take place in a local mountain race that took place on the last day of our holiday. It’s called ‘La Belier’ (the goat). Don’t think I need to describe why! At 27k it was good length race but our departure day clashed. Little did we know that Eurotunnel strikes would delay our departure from La Clusaz on that Sunday. Had we known this we would have taken part. Instead we went into the village and cheered the runners home. Ironically the first two across the line where Brits!

La Belier race in La Clusaz

So that’s it. Superb holiday, superb running, great food, great views, time with family and all in a beautiful part of France. Arguably my favourite part of France.

Oh, I almost forget. The freak storm!!! On the Wednesday, Niandi, Josh and myself took a boat trip on Lake Annecy. Mum stayed in the village to some window shopping. While on the boat a storm appeared form nowhere, the sky went black, the wind got up and mist covered the mountains obscuring everything. Annecy disappeared in cloud and we watched a line of rain, thunder and mighty ing rush towards us across the lake.


The storm hit. Josh and myself stayed outside being blown in the wind. Josh leaning 45deg and not falling over. It was incredible. As soon as it came it went. Blue skies resumed and the sun came out. When we arrived back at Annecy it was carnage. Alarms were ringing, fire engines lights flashed, police rushed around. When we found mum we found out that she had been in the middle of it…. She was soaked, covered in bruises. Apparently the hale stones had been the size of oranges. Many had been hurt. Shops had been damaged. Luckily mum was okay if not shaken up. Just goes to show, you can never be too prepared in the mountains. Imagine being caught in that running!

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Alps 2011 1

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Location:Haute Savoie, France

Endurancelife Ambassador

Endurancelife Ambassador - Ian CorlessI love endurance sport. I wouldn’t say I have always loved it. In Fact, I think back to when I was at school, those long cross country runs, I hated them! How funny it is to now look back and think that those runs wouldn’t even make a decent warm up now.

I guess the change came when I looked at my wedding photos. Looking back at me from those pictures I was an overweight lard arse. Don’t get me wrong. I was doing some sport, not much admittedly, but I was doing something. The problem was the combination of not enough exercise, rubbish diet and working 12-18 hours a day.

At 5′ 8″ (maybe 9″, I like to think of me being a 9″) and 15.5 stone I was well and truly a ‘blubber’. I purchased a bike. A nice one! a Giant Cadex – carbon with bonded tubes. I remember saying to myself that if I invested all the money I could spare, make a commitment then the chance of me continuing was always going to be greater…. I would feel guilty otherwise. I was no stranger to cycling, I had dabbled in my early to late teens but college and work had taken over. I was an avid Tour de France fan and all this meant I was already in a good place to progress. I remember I started cycling in June. Easy at first. As I got fitter I cycled farther. My diet was still rubbish. I knew nothing about good nutrition and my long work hours made time for food limited, hence, fast food was an easy option. Despite all this, 6 months later I went to my folks for Christmas. Mum as per usual had got me some clothes. Jeans in 36″ waist! I tried them on and they fell off….. without actually acknowledging the transformation in my body, I had gone from a 36″ waist to a 32″ and my weight had gone from 15.5 to 12 stone. I was addicted.

That is all in the past and some 20 years ago. Like so many ‘transformations’ my own personal one was significant. It has forged my life, driven me and made me the person I am now. Without going into too much detail I raced bikes until 2002 finally gaining Elite status. I raced in France, Spain and throughout the UK. I was never a big hitter but I had my moments.

After a year of ‘recovery’ in 2002 (I was burnt out with work and racing) I started to build myself up as a budding triathlete. I wanted to do an Ironman when I was 40!! Of course it was going to be ‘fun’. I didn’t have the time anymore….. I entered London Triathlon and low and behold I was 10th at my first attempt. 70.3 came then Ironman, I even represented GB in Australia for the World Duathlon Age Group Championships in 2005. I do nothing by half. I am committed and no matter how much I try to take a back seat I can’t. I am driven to be the best I can be.

In 2007 I was looking for a new challenge. Lying on a beach in Nice I started to read ‘Confessions of an all night runner’ by Dean Karnazes. Absolutely riveted, I read this book front to back as quickly as I could and then I read it again. This guy is NUTS I thought. Little did I know….. I decided to set myself the target to run 8 marathons in 8 days. This was to happen in 2008 and it all sounded pretty good, ‘8in8in08’. Mizuno sponsored me and running Fitness wrote about my progress on a monthly basis in the magazine. It was quite funny, at the time, 8 marathons seemed such an epic adventure, now it isn’t even worth writing about. Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Stroud had done 7 marathons on 7 continents and it was actually Mike Strouds book that had gven me the idea for the ‘8’.

I needed a route and a very good friend, Jon Glyde suggested that I run the ‘Thames Path’. It started not far from my home in Gloucestershire and went all the way to the Thames Barrier – 187 miles! Perfect. It was set. On the 8th day I would run London Marathon.

I started in earnest. Remember, I was no runner. Yes I had progressed and somehow taught myself how to run a marathon at the end of an Ironman, but 8 marathons was a monumental task for me. It was in this phase of training that I was introduced to Endurancelife. They had some tough marathons on a regular basis and they provided the corner stone of my training.

All was going fantastic. I had got sponsorship from South West Motorhomes with a free vehicle for the duration of my event. My Dad (my no1 fan) was all geared up to drive, crew and support me. As is often the case, just when all is going so well, disaster struck.

“I have cancer” my Dad said. Oh my God, I cannot explain the devastation those words have.

I couldn’t go on but Dad insisted that I had to and that I had to make him proud. I was left with a dilema. This was just ‘running’. How could I put running ahead of my Dad. after much thinking I decided to continue. No Motorhome, I would stay in B&B’s and a couple of great friends decided to help me out. As the ‘event’ came closer, Dad informed me that his operation was smack bang in the middle of the 8 marathons on the Wednesday. Whoa, this was too much….

I ran the 8 and on the Wednesday when I arrived at Henley on Thames, I jumped in a car, drove to Liverpool, took my Dad to hospital, admitted him, he had the Op, I waited for the all clear and then drove back to Henley for the next marathon. I finished the ‘8’ in London on the Sunday exhausted. Not physically but mentally. That evening I made the journey back to Liverpool to be with Dad. Job done! Boy was he proud. I was an ultra runner.

Dad passed away in January 2009.

Every run I do, every step I take in training and racing is in his name.

I am not he fastest runner. I am not the best by any stretch of the imagination. But I work hard, I love what I do and I promote all types of endurance sport. I coach, I plan training holidays and I race on a regular basis. This passion for my sport resulted in Andrew Barker from Endurancelife contacting me and asking if I would be a ‘Run Ambassador’.

Wow, a run Ambassador. Dad would be so proud. Without hesitation I accepted.

I am in some pretty exceptional company. The current team line up is:

  • Neil Bryant
  • Nicky Taylor
  • Oliver Sinclair
  • Tobias Mews
  • Andrew Barker
  • James Heraty

To be honest, I am a little intimidated. All of the above are great athletes. In particular I have immense admiration (because I already know them) for Oliver Sinclair and Neil Bryant. I have raced many times with Oli over the past few years. We sometimes are pretty close on the finish line but I know when it counts, I would just eat dust behind him if he put the hammer down. Neil is a formidable ultra runner and excels at the long stuff. He has had some great 100 mile results and in the not too distant future will be heading to Greece for ‘Spartathlon’. He also has some ‘epic’ journey planned for 2012 buy I will wait a while before I divulge the info on that.

I am looking forward to meeting the other guys and girls on the team as and when. I am also looking forward to maybe some possible team events. They don’t have to be races but challenges. One in particular is an attempt at the 180km of the GR20 in Corsica.

So, Endurancelife Ambassador I am. Nothing changes from my perspective. I will still be doing all I can to promote and help the endurance community. I now just have one extra string to the running bow.

Many thanks to Endurancelife for the opportunity and the faith in me.

Endurancelife website: http://www.endurancelife.com/index.asp

Ambassador Team on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.236630569715857.57681.103168123062103

Elsecar Skelter, August 13th 2011

Niandi returned from her weekend in Paris and congratulated me on what turned out to be a joint 2nd place at the Dovedale Dipper in Derbyshire. It soon became apparent that as I talked about the event; the course, the low key nature, the organization, the feed stations and basically what a great event it was, Niandi wanted the buzz too! So, armed with the LDWA book I found the Elsecar Skelter – a 27 mile challenge over a trail route in Yorkshires finest countryside.

The event had a start of 08:30 but the we where only about an hours drive away so our typical 06:00 start was no hassle. The HQ was in the center of Elsecar, The Market Hotel which was just next to the Heritage Center. As with all these events it was very low key. Plenty of friendly faces and everyone willing to help. We picked up our packs and the ‘route book’. Wow, the route book… it was like War & Peace. Niandi looked at it and felt instantly ill.

“When you said navigation, I thought you meant just following signs” exclaimed Niandi “well, you are going to have to run with me as I can’t run and follow that!”

I wasn’t worried. I was looking forward to today being an opportunity for Niandi and myself to run together and also for me it was more miles in the legs. I was happy for those miles to be easier than the previous weeks marathon at Dovedale. On the start line serious looking runners looked each other up and down. Yorkshire breeds a tough, hardy runner and we were surrounded by them! At the ‘off’ two lads sped away looking as though they meant business… within 50yds they missed the first right turn. It was going to be a long day I thought. As I made the turn with the two other guys ahead going straight on, I questioned if it was myself that was wrong? Never good when you still have 27 miles to go. However, reassuringly I was correct. Importantly, you must always do your own navigation. Make your own mistakes and don’t second guess the decisions.

Early pace was relatively sedate as we ran up narrow single track, climbed over a stile and then ran through some open fields.

We soon had a small road section, past Cottages, over another stile, through a field and then entering a wood. It was very easy to go wrong but the route book was very well written. It was clear, informative and descriptive. The only issue is when you are trying to move at spped it is difficult to run, read and navigate without missing something. We passed ‘Hoober Stand’ – a 30m high building on a ridge situated in the village of Wentworth. The building designed by Henry Flitcroft was built to commemorate the 1745 quashing of the Jaccobite rebellion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoober_Stand). So, now you know…. it made a nice backdrop for Niandi as she ran past.

Running through Hoober Village Niandi and myself were pretty much running on our own. In the distance we could see one runner. Ahead of him just 2 or 3 others. Running up we came to the brow of a hill and the village of Nether Haugh. Navigation here became a little more complicated…. ‘bear right on tarmac track and take path left of house number 19, go forward (hidden mausoleum on right) on path to corner of field and turn left keeping hedge on right’

As you can see, very descriptive instructions and in most cases very reassuring. Any mistakes could soon be corrected relatively quickly. However, even though I ‘thumbed’ the route it was easy to jump a sentence and then I would find I was ahead of myself and starting to question if I was right. It all comes down to practice, the more you do the better you get. Wentworth Woodouse was in view, a stunning grade 1 listed country house (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wentworth_Woodhouse)

The first check point came. We had our cards clipped, drank juice, picked up a snack and then we were off. After a section of trail and fields we entered an industrial estate and stupidly I followed the direction of one lone runner in front. After 3-400m I realized we were wrong. As we back tracked I saw one runner turn where we should have turned. Back on the trail we were running uphill when suddenly a group of 4 caught us and ran past…. despite this being training I always find this difficult. I am far too competitive! But I behaved. Needless to say Niandi would not have been too happy to see me get the bit between my teeth and head up the trail…. At the top of this section a group of approximately 6 of us looked at each other; we were all wrong. We had missed a path off to the left lower down. A ‘local’ guy who obviously knew his way around went off piste and we followed, over the brow and running through a field and checkpoint 2 was in front of us. Another banquet. This checkpoint would be visited again much later in the day when we ran our figure of 8 loop.

This next section between checkpoint 2 and 3 was the toughest of the route. It had plenty of open rutted fields, gnarly ground, corn fields and thick overgrown vegitation. Believe me, both our legs have the scars to prove how tough this bit was. Navigation was also a little difficult but we managed (just about). We also had a ‘self check’ checkpoint on this route just to ensure no cheating took place. Liked that idea! The course really was a surprise. It was beautiful, tough and the weather was kind. What more could you want. After approximately 13 miles covered checkpoint 3 came and with it the option to take the shorter 20 mile route or commit and go for the 27 mile option. I could see some hesitation in Niandi and when we were asked “20 or 27?” the very quick response from myself came “27”. Pretty sure Niandi thanked me for that decision later in the day….

As we left I immediately went the wrong way. Apparently we needed a ‘supplement’ to the road book for the 27 route. Luckily I had this! Somewhere… !?! Back on track we headed off with the riniging voice of one of the marshalls saying

“This bits tricky…. easy to get lost… complicated… watch out at Dragons Den….”

OMG – Dragons Den… what are we running into? We ran down a path, through a stone yard, over a stile, ran across a field and then ran up a grass bank to meet the road and a left turn. Down the road I looked for a bungalow which apparently our ‘path’ was opposite. Mmmmm apparently not! Aaagh – that bungalow – you mean the bungalow that doesn’t look like a bungalow… ok.

Now in moorland we headed towards the sklyline and a power pylon. The path stopped, a stile was in front of us but the route book didn’t say ‘go over’ the stile. Another runner came. He was local and very well experienced on the course… he had ‘given us the nod’ once or twice before! We chatted and tried to decide on the route. I took the stile and ran on whatt was a definite path. After 5 mins or so it just didn’t feel right. I retraced and did what is always the best thing to do in these situations, go back to the last place you know is correct and then re navigate.

I was back on the track and then we had a ‘self check’ point at Dragons Den. All made sense now…. those marshals new that this area was open to going wrong. Wharncliffe Crags – wow!!! This section of rough tough trail was absolutely fantastic, Tough underfoot, great views and stunning.

The edge which is characterised as a steep rock face for much of its four kilometre length runs from just east of the village of Deepcar in a roughly south easterly direction to just east of Wharncliffe Side. Wharncliffe Crags stand on the eastern side of the upper River Don valley at a height of around 250 metres above sea level with the highest spot height being 297 metres.

Here is a little clip of me running at full speed on my way down to the edge of the Crags. Needless to say my Hoke One One Combo XT helping to remove all the harshness out of the terrain.

After a short section of forest we now re joined the original route book and our ‘detour’ to build the mileage for the 27 mile option was over. Running uphill we arrived at Wortley Church.

Passing trough a metal gate, we turned right, crossed the road and entered the grounds for Wortley Hall (http://www.wortleyhall.org.uk/) The hall is a stunning location, a beautiful building set in beautiful grounds. Waiting for us here was the ‘famous’ checkpoint 4.

All the feed stations in this race were superb but ‘4’ was the icing on the cake! The walkers would certainly be able to benefit from the spread on offer… i grabbed a jam tart, or was it two? Niandi was her usual restrained self, body is a temple and all that and took a whopping piece of chocolate cake!!!

It was the home run now and feeling refreshed from the joys of checkpoint 4 we pushed on. We now began to retrace some of the route from the earlier part of the day. Fields, gates, paths and routes had a familiarity. It was reassuring. However nothing looks the same when running in the opposite direction. From here on navigation was relatively easy. I had taken on the tactic of running ahead, stopping, naviagting, waiting for Niandi and then pushing on. We ‘self clipped’ at checkpoint 4a and then had a really great section of forest before suddenly arriving at checkpoint 5 (this was the same checkpoint as 2 from earlier in the day). Up the hill, over the bridge and now climbing up through more trails and then a fast run down past a golf course. We then joined a road opposite Tankersley Church, turned right and then ran past Tankersley Old Hall (http://www.wildyorkshire.co.uk/naturediary/docs/2001/9/7.html), famous as this was featured in the classic film ‘Kes’ – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064541/

After the Hall we took a path left and the final checkpoint, a ‘self clip’ set in a wooden pathway was ahead of us. We now ran the final miles at a good pace. Navigation was easy and the terrain was good underfoot. After a few miles we came to a reservoir. We ran around the reservoir, through a park, past a bandstand and then suddenly we were back! 28.5 miles in the bag.

Back at the race HQ both Niandi and myself were told that we had made top 10. A good result considering a definite lack of pace due to the navigation. However, the result was not important, we had both had a fantastic day out on a stunning course with brilliant organization. At the finish we even had the treat of a finishing certificate, a ‘sew on’ patch and a meal of ‘Pie n Peas’ – a delicacy for Yorkshire. Have to say the pie went down really well…. nothing like creating a hunger with a long tough run. Of course I could feel even more smug….unlike Niandi I hadn’t had a whopping piece of chocolate cake at checkpoint 4!!!!

Combo XT by Hoka One One

Combo XT by Hoka One One

It may come as no surprise that I am a fan of the run shoes by Hoka One One. I first started using the shoes in April 2011. I was prompted to try the brand for two reasons:

  • I had seen the trail version ‘Mafate’ in several trail races and this planted a seed of  curiosity in my mind. Of course, my initial reaction to the shoes was like most peoples reaction ‘what are they?!?!’ – they are not a normal looking run shoe.
  • In long races I have always suffered from leg pain. It hasn’t been down to training or a lack of it but primarily due to my build. I have big muscular legs from years of cycling. So, the prospect of more cushioning and less fatigue for the same effort was a real interest to me.

The last 4 months have been a run revelation for me. In a ‘barefoot’ obsessed market I bucked the trend, bought myself a pair of Hoka One One ‘Bondi B’ road shoes and 2 days later ran Paris road marathon.

Bondi B by Hoka One One

Seven days later I ran London Marathon. Within a month Hoka One One had become my only run shoe. I was using the Mafate for tough trail and the Bondi B for road and light trail. I was so impressed with the shoes, the feel and the benefits they gave that I contacted Nicolas Mermoud (one of the shoes creators) and asked if I could help increase the profile and sell the shoe to the UK market. Nicolas put me in contact with UK distributor and I am now slowly and surely helping to promote the shoes and increase sales.

The Combo XT

When I scoured the internet and looked for reports and feedback on the Hoka range I was really impressed by all the positive comments the shoes generated. Don’t get me wrong, not everything I have read has been positive. I wouldn’t expect that and I would be somewhat dubious if that was the only reviews I read. Like any run shoe brand, they work for some people and not for others! What is important though as a consumer is NOT to be put off by the look. If you do, you may very well be neglecting yourself of a really great run experience. I personally don’t find the Hoka One One range ‘ugly’ (not my words). They are different but for me that is a bonus. Hoka have been quite clever in producing some great colour ways, particularly with the Mafate, that actually draw your attention to the shoes and not the opposite.

Mafate by Hoka One One

Two key high profile users of the Hoka One One range have been ultra runners Karl Meltzer (http://karlmeltzer.com/) and Dave Mackey (http://davemackey.blogspot.com/) Both of these guys have been using the shoes for some time and with great results. Karl has been running some mega distances and Dave has been racing fast over the 50 and 100 mile distances. What has been interesting in following these guys is that in general, they have chose the Bondi B as the shoe of choice, even on trail (not the very tough trail). This is something that I have found. For most mixed terrain runs I was using the Bondi B. The feel of the shoe, the lower profile (still deep and cushioned) seemed to be ideal on good trail. However, the outer sole of the shoe had less grip and was much softer than the Mafate. So, left with a dilema of shoe choice, Hoka One One only had one option; COMBO the Mafate and Bondi B and come up with the Combo XT.

Combo XT by Hoka One One

The Shoe

I was in the English Lakes at the end of July for a ‘special birthday’. This happened to perfectly coincide with the ‘Lakeland 100’ race and me having the Combo XT to test. What better way to test a new shoe than run on a really tough course and put it through its paces. Don’t get me wrong here…. I wasn’t racing the ‘100’, I was merely extremely fortunate to be staying on the race route.

First impression of the shoe and I was a little surprised. I expected the sole depth to be the same as the Bondi B – it wasn’t! I actually thought it was as deep as the Mafate but after looking at the 3 shoes and comparing them, the Combo XT sits in the middle which I guess makes sense considering it is a ‘combo’ of the two. The shoes are ‘neutral’ as all the shoes in the Hoka range. They are extremely stable as your foot sits ‘within’ the sole. They are ‘zero’ rise and therefore have received many compliments from the barefoot running community. If you need ‘inserts’ or ‘orthotics’ the shoes are designed to accept this.

Width and fit is certainly much more in line with the Mafate. It is wider in the toe box in comparison to the Bondi B and therefore when purchasing I recommend going a half size ‘up’ from your current run shoe. If you are already using Hoka One One shoes and depending on which shoe you have, for the Combo XT I would recommend you get the same size shoe if you have the Mafate and go a half size smaller if you are using the Bondi B.

Combo XT Toe Box

The upper of the shoe is mesh and breathable. If I had a criticism of the Bondi B it would be that the shoe is hot and is certainly less breathable than the Mafate and Combo XT. I hope in time that this is something that Hoka One One can address. I found running in the Combo XT really enjoyable and my foot temperature was no hotter than when I have used any other run shoes. For a note, I use Injinji socks (http://www.injinji.com/tetratsok/p_midweight.htm) which I have found work very well with the Hoka range of shoes.

Cushioning

As you would expect, cushioning is superb and after now running some 150 miles in them and doing one trail marathon race they have become my favourite shoe in the range. They are so versatile. The cushioning is softer than the Mafate giving a wonderful ‘spring’ to your step. In comparison to the Bondi B they are a little higher off the ground and a little more flexible. The transition from trail to road is great. They really excel on rocky, rutted and gnarly trail. In classic Hoke One One fashion they enable you to run through the rough stuff without battering your feet or legs.

Grip

One significant feature of the new Combo XT is the sole. It is hard wearing and grippy offering great traction on the road and wonderful grip on rocky, gnarly and stoney trail. In testing I have put the shoes through everything the English Lakes and the Peak District had to offer (see video below). The Combo XT never came up short and certainly in the trail race I did I was running much quicker and much more confidently than my fellow runners who where having to strategically place foot strikes to avoid rocks and problematic terrain. On soft grassy and boggy terrain the increased footprint size allowed me to sit on top of the terrain and not sink. I only had one or two minor issues on wet and slippery mud. This was obviously no surprise! Certainly if I was racing in that sort of terrain I would require a sole with more grip and the Mafate would be a better choice. In comparison to the Bondi B the sole is significantly different. The increased grip is noticeable on wet corners and makes every foot strike feel confident and secure.

Longevity

It is too early to tell how long the Combo XT will last. I guess it will depend on the percentages of trail to road use. The outer sole is harder wearing than the Bondi B and of course with that level of cushioning you have plenty to work at. I have been using the Bondi B on mixed terrain for some time and I have found that they can easily last for 800 miles. That is a really big benefit over other shoe brands. When you consider that current advice for a run shoe is approximately 400-500 miles before you need to change them.

Price

Current UK price is £99 and with postage £104 from http://www.runwildrunfree.co.uk

Summary

The Combo XT really is a superb shoe. It offers many of the benefits of the Mafate and combines them with the benefits of the Bondi B. If you haven’t used Hoka One One shoes this may be a great place to start as this will allow you to test the benefits of the supreme cushioning over road and trail.

If you would like to know more about the Hoka One One technology, please go to : http://www.runwildrunfree.co.uk/#/hoka-one-one/4552418632 or to http://www.hokaoneone.com

Dovedale Dipper August 7th 2011

 

The Dovedale Dipper is a ‘challenge’ event organized by Matlock Rotary Club offering a  15 mile walk or a 26.5 mile run over a circular route in the Derbyshire Peak District starting and not surprisingly ending in the village of Hartington.

This years edition I believe was the 9th running of the event and I have to say that Matlock Rotary Club did a great job. Superb planning, a great ‘route book’, great check points with a really good selection of food and liquid and at the end some hot food and drink. What more could you ask for? I certainly feel the ‘on the day’ entry fee of £15 (cheaper if entered in advance) was money well spent.

To be honest, on the Friday before the event I knew nothing about the event never mind the fact that I would be taking part. One of my coaching clients had sent me a text, told me it was local and that it was a tough and beautiful course. It all sounded too good to be true. I had a free weekend as Niandi was in Paris returning Stanislas after her week long brthday…. my training plan had me scheduled for a long run close to marathon distance, so it was logical that I turn up and run a new course with company.

Hartington Village Hall was full of people on my arrival. As I had walked to registration I had already seen plenty of walkers heading out on the route looking to get some early miles in the bag. The official challenge walk of 15 miles started at 09:30 and then the full challenge of 26.5 miles started at 10:00. Difficult to say how many took part but at least 150 in the main event.

At 10am we set off and the early pace was very sedate. The route book was very detailed and with having no knowledge of the route I held back and looked for the ‘locals’ to set the pace. Within a mile it was clear that one or two front runners knew the route. I quickly found myself in 2nd place following the eventual race winner, Gary.

My plan was to run this event sensibly and not ‘race’ it. Within 2 to 3 miles I settled into my pace and let Gary slowly pull away. I had him in sight for the next few miles so I had a carrot to follow, however, I soon had company with Del Salt (http://delsalt.blogspot.com) and Sean Ketteridge.

I was in good company… very god company. Both Del and Sean are very experienced ultra runners and Del has represented GB.

The first checkpoint came at Sparlow after 5.5 miles. Sean and myself arrived and we were quickly followed by Del. This actually turned out to be pretty much the format for the whole race. Sean and myself happy to run and chat, Del would sometimes surge away, come back and then when the road went up would fall back slightly. Del however new the route and this was invaluable. Sean and myself every now and then found ourselves stood looking at the route book only to have Del come past and lead the way. It soon became apparent that the most logical thing was to run together. Certainly it was a decision I made. The pace for me was spot on, about 1 min slower than race pace and I also feel that Del and Sean had similar thoughts to me.

This is the Peak District and the race is called the Dovedale Dipper, so, it was inevitable that some hills would soon appear. Funny wahen you look at the GPS data as the first 7-8 miles look all uphill but it didn’t feel like that; maybe fresh ‘ish’ legs?

Checkpoint 2, Longnor was not far away but we had a nice climb to get over first. Walk/ jogging to the summit we then ran down to Warslow. In-front was the infamous Ecton Hill. I now say infamous as I have experienced it and of course heard everyone else moan about it.

Our group of 3 remained together and we pushed onwards. Great views at the top but we didn’t have time to hang around. Back on pace we pushed taking turns at the front. Over Wetton Hill and then the 4th checkpoint came. A couple of cups of juice and some calories and we were off.


Traversing over Castern Wood we had some great views. I was feeling really comfortable and the decision to run as a group was really paying dividends. We all pushed a little keeping each other honest but not so hard that we were hanging. When we split up we always reformed. It wasn’t a concious decision but our paces were so similar that this just seemed to be the natural pattern of events.

The terrain for the whole route was generally good with a great mix. Grassy fields one minute, worn trail the next, rutted rocky paths and of course hills; plenty of hills. I was using a new shoe from Hoka One One called the ‘Combo XT’. This new addition to the Hoka range combines the trail Mafate and the road Bondi B and ‘combos’ them into this shoe. I have to say I was 100% impressed. Great grip and a plush comfortable ride over the multitude of different terrain that the peaks had to offer.

Combo XT by Hoka One One

We had a tough rocky and slippery decent to Milldale and the next checkpoint. In the valley we lifted the pace. Flat stony trail suddenly provided a platform of consistent running. Sean and Del lifted ran strong and I hung back a little trying to decide if I wanted to run this quick in the latter stages of a long run. I guess ego took over and I decided yes. Having spent the best part of 21 miles with these guys I wasn’t prepared to let them go. I knew when it came to the finish we would all be together with the same time and that seemed appropriate after a full days running.

Along the valley floor Del told us we had a kick in the tail. The short sharp shock of Beresford dale. It is a short steep climb that we power walked and then once over the top we re lifted the pace and ran down the longest road stretch of the event back to the Village hall at Hartington.

Gary had arrived some 15 minutes before and we arrived in 4hrs 02m all in joint 3rd place.

Great day out. Great course and a real pleasure to run with Gary and Del.

Big thanks to Matlock Rotary Club for a superb and friendly event with excellent organization, checkpoints and support throughout.

Lakeland Trek

THE LAKELAND TREK

I actually posted this Blog in 2010 but with Lakeland 50 and 100 races taking place last weekend, one or two people have asked me to re-post as they are thinking of doing the race in 2012. This blog covers much of the route but not all. I have another blog which I will also re-post that covers a recce day I did of the first 32 miles of the ’50’ route. Here: http://runwildrunfreeuk.blogspot.com/2010/06/lakeland-50100-recce.html

Photos here:http://picasaweb.google.com/runwild.runfree.uk/LakelandTrekAugust2010#

Day 1 Monday 23rd August – Coniston to Wasdale

We left my mum’s at 0700 and arrived at Ambleside for breakfast just before 0900. It was a nice leisurely start to the day – coffee and teacakes to help provide energy for the trek ahead. I also wanted to go the ‘Climbers Shop’ to purchase some trek poles. My Raidlight lightweight poles had broken and from the previous recce I had already decided ‘poles’ were an essential item to help on the climbs and decent. It turned out that they didn’t have the poles i wanted; thank god! I ended up with a much better pair and poles that are much more specific for future events. The Leki ‘Traveller’ poles come with a run glove so that you can clip the pole in and out of the hand in a flash. They work brilliantly and I can’t recommend them enough. So, with my poles purchased we moved to Coniston, parked the car and started at about 1100am. This was our first mistake…. you need to start 0700 or 0800 at the latest. Why? Well, quite simply the terrain is so tough that moving quickly just is not possible, particularly when you have ‘full kit’ and 2 ltrs of water on you. Also the rain… oh the rain!

We jogged and speed walked to start with and then hit the first climb which lasted for a few K’s to a car park at Roadhead. Here we headed right to Walna Scar. The rain was coming down but temperatures were pretty mild. We crossed a bridge and then climbed a very stoney strenuous path to the summit of Walna Scar Pass (summit 2106m). We were above the cloud. Pretty darn impressive. We headed downhill, the terrain similar to the other side. Tough, gnarly, rocky and wet. We finally reached a road, turned left and arrived at Seathwaite Village Hall. This would be checkpoint 1 in the L100 with 6.4 miles covered. We looked at each other and both thought wow! This is one seriously tough race.

From the checkpoint we retraced to a small church, opposite was a pathway. We squeezed through the stile and then navigated through woodland, over a bridge and headed for Wallowbarrow. The rain was coming harder and the ground was just boggy. Our feet were permanently wet. Passing through a farmyard we turned right and headed through woods to go around Wallowbarrow Crag on a good path. We took a permissive path and then entered what turned out to be the real ‘low’ of the 4 day trek. A boggy, wet, miserable fell and plantation area signposted to Eskdale. This area was miserable. We had no clear path to follow, the rain was torrential and we were slowly going higher and higher into the cloud and colder temperatures. We finally moved out of the plantation to a rutted, rocky and extremely wet underfoot section. It was hard. So hard, it made Niandi cry (no joke). We were cold, wet and tired and only about 11 miles in to the day. We both look back now and laugh but it was a low point. We pushed on after a little pep talk and at the top we crossed a gulley and found some shelter from a tree. We donned waterproofs, hats and gloves. This worked. It refreshed us and gave us a reason to carry on. One main problem with this sort of trek is that we are carrying minimal kit. I mean minimal. We both had 2 tops, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of socks, over trousers, waterproof jacket and a pair of ‘skins’ compression tights to sleep in; that was it! One set of kit was now wet and I was thinking how on earth are we going to get this stuff dry…..

We now took a rocky trail and made our way down the other side of the hill. We started to warm up as the rain eased. The terrain was still ridiculously difficult to navigate. The trekking poles proved an invaluable purchase as they provided that extra help and support to help keep us both upright. We arrived at Penny Hill Farm, took a permissive path and rejoined the main path. We now headed to Boot and had the wonderful site of a Pub. I needed to refill my bottles so it seemed the perfect excuse to grab a coffee, get warm, refuel and then push on. We didn’t hang around, maybe 20 min. Just around the corner was checkpoint 2 for the L100, a small Corn Mill.

From the Corn Mill we pushed uphill and headed over Eskdale Moor to Burnmoor Tarn. Again the ground was sodden and boggy with all the rain. Our feet were going to look like prunes. Heading NNE we followed a path to a wood. Wasdale was now in sight. We headed down the rutted, stoney path. Passed a climbers hut and arrived at Wasdale Campsite. It was now 1830. Our plan had been to reach Buttermere but this was another 6-7 miles away and with failing light, poor conditions we decided to call day 1 to an end. We were relieved. We were also relieved to find out that this campsite had a laundry room. Oh joy! We could get our clothes dry meaning that our following days were going to be far more comfortable.

The joys of trekking come when you have to pitch a tent in the rain, cook dehydrated food and hit the sleeping bag at 2100hrs.

Day 2 Tuesday 24th August – Wasdale to Blencathra Centre (checkpoint 6)

We were so tired we slept like logs despite the wind and rain hitting the tent all night. We awoke at 0600 to make coffee and porridge. We packed up and was on the trail by 0700. Within 1 mile we had to cross a river. Our feet were soaked. We headed to Wasdale Head Inn (checkpoint 3) and proceeded for 200m, through a gate and then started to climb to Gatherstone Beck. We then joined Black Sail Pass and pushed on going constantly up.

The rain came and battered us. Needless to say the terrain was really tough and this was topped off at the top with hale stone. We tried to shelter but it was hopeless. It is so open. We headed down a rocky wet trail. You had to be real careful. Very technical and very wet. You could slip any minute. We finally reached the bottom and crossed the River Liza. We passed Black Sail YHA hut and then climbed again to Scarth Gap.

It wasn’t 0900am and we had already climbed 2437 feet. The sun came out and our trek down from the summit to Buttermere and the Lakeside path was a real treat. We arrived in Buttermere just in time for tea and toast and a refuel of our bottles.

Buttermere Village Hall was checkpoint 4 in the L100, from here we turned right past the Bridge Hotel and then right up Ghyll Wood. We now started to gain height again, the path here was much better under foot and it was far easier to keep a consistent pace. We continued to climb to the summit at Sail Pass. The sun was out and this section was really enjoyable. I made a slight navigational error which meant that we had to do a little rock climbing up a pretty much vertical wall to rejoin the appropriate path.


Niandi was not impressed. At the Col at Barrow Door we took a good path descending all the way down aiming for the right hand side of a small wood. We went through a gate, joined a tarmac road and followed until we arrived in the centre of Braithwaite. St Huthbert’s Church Hall was checkpoint no 5.

From Buttermere we had climbed another 2440ft so now a section of flat road was a welcome relief. I called in a camp site to fill my bottles on the edge of Braithwaite and then we ran along the A66 towards Keswick. It was funny to have cars and people around us. We followed the cycle path and then ran along an old railway track. Passing a Church we then negotiated a few road junctions to take a left up Spoony Green Lane and head towards Skiddaw. Now on the Cumbria Way we started to climb up once again and good paths. After 2km or so we reached a car park. We navigated left and then climbed up and around Whit Beck. The light started to fail even though it was late afternoon and the cloud started to come in. Rain?

We struggled along Lonsdale Crags, crossed a wooden bridge and then took the upper track heading to our end point for the day, Blencathra Centre (checkpoint 6). We had covered another 1548ft making the day total around 5500ft.


Our day didn’t end here though! The L100 route continues east towards Dalemain. I had already done this section and due to time constraints our plan was to head south and pick up the L100 route at Ambleside. I therefore navigated 2 or 3 miles to Burns farm Campsite, east of Keswick and directly south from the Blencathra Centre.

We arrived at the site, pitched the tent, showered and then settled to instant noodles, dried fruit and coffee. Bliss. Today had been quite a tough day. At some point in the morning I had either twisted or banged my left knee. Unfortunately the pain had just got worse during the day. I was a little worried of the implications. I put my ‘skins’ on, took some ibuprofen and hoped for the best.

Day 3 Wednesday 25th August – Burns Farm (Keswick) to Ambleside

Wow, last night was chilly. Niandi slept with the following clothing on inside the sleeping bag: thermal long sleeve North Face top, Gore long sleeve run top, Gore Tex jacket, fleece hat, socks and skins tights. She still said it was cold….. Me, I just got cold….. Of course it rained in the night too.

We were up at 0600 again to porridge and coffee and then left at 0700. Today I was navigating to Ambleside. I had decided that if we got a good start and pushed on we could be in Grasmere for early afternoon and have a treat. A cream tea!

Leaving Burns arm we had a small section of road before following the path signs leading to Low Rigg. It was a lovely morning. Chilly but sunny. We got into climbing straight away and reached the summit pretty quickly. We descended and then took the path climbing up to High Rigg. Terrain underfoot was pretty good. Of course it was wet, boggy, rocky and muddy but we were now used to this. We expected no less.

The sun came over Staybarrow Dodd to the east and the light was fantastic. It illuminated the mountain ranges and showed us the beauty that is the English Lakes. Sheep kept popping up everywhere. They just wanted to be photographed.

From the summit we followed good paths to the south east corner. When we arrived at the road we had a small section to navigate before joining the pathway that goes around Thirlmere. This was a great section.

Good paths, great views and the sun on our backs. It felt like we were in Canada or the Alps.

Pine trees and Lakeland views. Halfway on the path we moved east, crossed the road and then picked up the forest path that runs parallel to the lake. A great section. We had thick forest to navigate through. Apparently this is a Red Squirrel reserve but we didn’t see any.

We now followed the trail that run parallel to the A591 crossing the main road to take the path on the west side of the road. Somehow I missed the official path and navigated south through boggy fields. It wasn’t a problem as we had the clear objective of Grasmere in-front of us. The main issue was the terrain. It was very very boggy. I decided with the help of my gps to move up the fells and rejoin the path.

It was at this point that Niandi stepped forward with her left leg and sunk straight to her waist. My initial laugh was soon stopped as I ran over to stop Niandi singing any further. Her shoe was starting to come off and I could see the panic. Walking poles stuck in the ground, Niandi took my hands and I pulled her out…. I was waiting for the outburst but it didn’t come.

It was actually about 10 mins later when I made her climb over another stone wall to reach the ‘official’ footpath. Back on track we arrived in Grasmere within 20 mins and as promised Niandi and myself had a fantastic cram tea. I can’t tell you how good a cream tea is when you have really earned it.

The break was welcome and we took the western path around Grasmere taking the lake path leading to the climb of Red Bank. This is a really steep climb but over good path and when reaching Loughrigg we had superb views over the whole of the Lakeland range.

We descended down and spent the night at a small campsite near Loughrigg Tarn. It was a simple site and unfortunately had no shower facilities. Thank goodness for ‘wet wipes’. No shower was compensated for with a pub less than 0.5 mile away. Oh the joys of some great pub food and a glass of wine.

Day 4 26th August – Ambleside to Coniston

The coldest night of the week made for very broken sleep. Never good when you have to put clothes on to go to bed. We had no rain but we almost had a frost.

Our tent was covered in so much condensation and dew that it actually appeared as though it had rained. The sun was up and the day was obviously going to be the hottest so far. Porridge for brekkie again.

We started our day with a jacket on, over-trousers, hat and gloves. We walked on roads to the Skelwith Bridge Hotel and then joined the Cumbria Way footpath to Elterwater Village. This pathway was good underfoot and flat. It was easy to make a good pace and in comparison to the previous 3 days it was a walk in the park.

At the village we turned left and took the quarry road eventually joining a footpath on the right. We followed the path and arrived at Chapel Stile and checkpoint 13. It was now pretty warm. Finally we were able to strip down to shorts and top. Summer was here!

We re joined the Cumbria Way and headed through the Langdale Valley. This valley for many IS the Lake District. It is stunning landscape and on a day when god shines his light it looks fantastic. The path is good all the way to the Dungeon Ghyll campsite.

Turning left we took the steep zig zag path leading to the summit at Side Pike Pass. We crossed the road and then took the good trails around Blea Tarn to the south west corner. We were making good time and as I have said previously today was turning out to be easy.

From the tarn we had to navigate across a rough fell with no clear path. As per usual it was bogy. More wet feet ! On arriving at the top corner of the fell we joined the road and ran downhill to Fell Foot Farm. After a small section of road we navigated towards a small white cottage. This was an idyllic scene. The property is owned by the National Trust and is picture postcard material.

Taking the path we climbed up and I took the wrong path….. doh! I took the first right path instead of following the main path to the right. Gps once again proved a real help as this provided me with an exact location and confirmed my error. Having said that, it turned out to be a bonus. It added 2 miles to the day and we got to see a disused mine.

Back on track we moved along good paths to Tiberthwaite car park and checkpoint 14.

We now had approximately 4 miles left and today’s ‘easy’ day showed the kick in the tail. At this point in the L100 you will have now covered ironically 100 miles… yes I know. It’s a 100 mile race BUT it is actually 104. The climb up Tiberthwaite is tough, steep and technical. At this point in the race it must be so demoralising.

Onwards and upwards you cross a stream at the top and then have to navigate across open boggy fell with no clear path. If you were doing this at night it would be very confusing. By taking a SSW direction and just keeping going I finally picked up the main path to then take the tough rocky and technical descent back down Milners Bridge before taking easy roads back to Coniston.

Job done.

Conclusion

Firstly, the 100 mile Lakeland loop is a classic in the making. It is without doubt the toughest course I have ever encountered. Trekking it was a real challenge and very rewarding. To try and run/walk it within 40 hours is a completely different challenge. You have so much to take in to consideration. The course, navigation, weather and basically just having the strength and determination to just keep soldiering on is a challenge in itself. If you plan on doing the 50 or the 100 mile race without doubt take time to recce the route. It will prove invaluable. The road book provided for the race is superb but it is still easy to go wrong. I made a few mistakes, nothing drastic but better to do it in training and then on race day you can just keep moving forward on the correct path. It is also important to remember that you will be on the course at night. If you get the cold and wet weather we had with mist and darkness it could very well be terrifying without a sense of direction.

If you don’t fancy racing, split the course as we did and do it over 4/5 days or why not make the course 4 or 5 separate day trips. It’s a challenge that will prove extremely rewarding.

Kit Recommendations

I am going to recommend kit here that applies to a multi-day trek as I feel that you can edit the list so that you can exclude items that will not be needed for a race.

Rucksac – I chose a waterproof salomon XA running sac with a salomon chest pack. This was absolutely perfect. The waterproof main compartment kept all my kit dry. I didn’t use a camel back but chose to carry 3 x 500ml bottles in the chest pack. This helped balance the weight front and back and made me more comfortable. Also the front pack gave instant access to maps, gps and any other essential items.

Tent – Vaude Ultralite. This was brilliant. I looked at all options and tested many before making a purchase. This tent goes up in 2 mins and is free standing. It pitches with the ‘inner’ already attached and therefore in bad weather you stand a good chance to keep the living area dry. It packs small, is light (but not the lightest) and has plenty of room for two.

GPS – I used a Garmin Oregon with Lake District in 1:25,000 detail. The gps is perfect for finding out your exact location. Also, the race directors provide the full route as waypoints, so, if need be you can navigate the whole race via a handheld device/

Poles – I used Leki ‘Traveller’ poles. I consider these essential.

Sleeping Bag – It needs to pack small, be light and warm. Not an easy combination. I chose a model that did 2 of the 3. Unfortunately warm it wasn’t…. a change required.

Sleep Matt – I didn’t take a sleep matt due to weight but I would recommend one. I found the cold struck through the tent and this added to my cold nights. Thermalite do a range. They are not cheap (ppx £80) but I will get one for next time.

Cooker – Jetboil. The ultimate boiling facility. It packs small, all folds up to a neat package and gives you piping hot water in 2-3 mins.

Food – Light and dehydrated food is the best choice. It’s not cheap but works well for treks of this nature. I took fresh coffee in sealed bags and I had a nifty little device to provide filter coffee. We had instant oats in individual bags for breakfast. Just add hot water and away you go. For snacks I had energy bars, nuts, mixed fruit, cereal bars and other little treats to take while on the route and in the evening. I also had a tube of ‘electrolyte tablets’ to make sure I was hydrated all the time.

Clothing – Make sure you have a waterproof jacket and over trousers with taped seams. If you can afford Gore Tex – get them! I used lightweight long sleeve tops by North face (flight series) as they are a warm, light and extremely functional. I had normal run shorts and long tights made by ‘skins’ for the evening to help my legs recover. I had 2 pairs of socks. Would I take more clothes? Possibly yes. If you get soaking wet or cold you have little option with minimal kit. It is a balancing act.

Shoes – I used Brooks Cascadia Trail shoes. I have tried all the shoes on the market and for me these offered the best compromise. Good on the road, good on the trails and importantly comfortable all day.

Extras – I used a Garmin 310 gps to measure my runs and provide data. I had a Blackberry phone with me as this was ideal for emergency calls or any important emails. I had 2 luxury items – a wind up radio and a ‘power monkey’ solar charger. The solar charger gave my Garmin 310 autonomy over the 4 days and it also allowed me to re-charge my phone.

I could go on with all the other little bits such as folding bowls, cups, ‘sporks’ and all the other little nicks and nacks one can find in camping shops but I feel that finding these items yourself is all part of the fun.

A birthday Treat

Life is all about moments and making them special.

Some moments or should I say, some dates are key.

In 2008 I met someone very special, Niandi. In 2011 she took a big step and moved from Paris to the UK… crazy I know! As several friends have said, ‘she must REALLY love you’.

I guess she must.

I hope this present shows how much I love her. Je T’aime Niandi xx

The Tour de France

July is all about the Tour de France for me. As an ex cyclist I still feel the adrenaline buzz from seeing all those guys day in and day out nailing it on the road. The 2011 edition has been the best Tour for some years. I am not going to go into a stage by stage overview as I don’t see the point. The race is done and we all know the end result.

Green with envy!

What I want to do though is mention several aspects of the race. Firstly the organization. This years route was superb. We had racing from beginning to end with the final outcome only being decided the day before Paris. You can’t ask for more than that. Always amazes me that a race that lasts three weeks can come down to seconds or minutes at the end. In addition to an excellent route, key changes have been made to the Polka Dot and Green Jersey classification. These changes have finally seen the respective jerseys going to the place that they belong. Of course, I could be showing some bias here with Cavendish getting the green. However, you would have to be a complete idiot not to recognize that Cav is ‘the man’ when it comes to a sprint. Should you need any clarification, 5 stage wins this year and 20 in total. The guy is only 26 and providing that he has injury free years ahead of him I think we will see him breaking many records.

Of course, the 2011 Tour will stand out from the perspective of Thomas Voeckler. What a ride he had…. He turned himself inside out day after day and retained the yellow jersey far longer than anyone expected and unfortunately missed the podium by just one place. It’s a real shame. I think everyone watching the race and particularly the French would love to have seen ‘Tommy’ make the podium. Tactically he rode a good race but for me made a big mistake on the Alpe D’Huez day when he chased after Contador and Schleck. He was alone and basically used up what reserves he had.

The best stage for some time?

And so the stage to beat all stages. The ‘Galibier’. After having a rough time in the press, Andy Schleck needed to prove himself and show that he was the ‘new’ man of the Tour. Attacking the group with some 60km to go, Contador and Evans let him ride away (still have no idea why?) and Schleck pulled minutes out of all the contenders. It was a stunning stage to watch. The Leopard/Trek team tactically played a blinder placing a couple of riders in early breaks up the road. These riders then acted as pacers for Andy until the final climb of the Galibier when Schleck rode away and soloed to an absolute stunning victory. It was a brave attack that could have so easily gone wrong. But in true Merckx tradition, this was an attack that defines a rider. Schleck got many new fans that day! Unfortunately, the climb was probably 1 or 2k too long. You could see the energy running from him. Down the road a worried Evans hit the front and pursued Schleck like a man possessed (stunning effort). The failing Schleck up front and the fast pursuing Evans reduced the time but it still gave Schleck a great time advantage that would put him in Yellow…. NO, somehow, Voeckler attached himself to Evans and saved the yellow jersey by 15 seconds. An absolutely epic stage.

The nearly man becomes the man

Cadel Evans is a class act; no doubt. I have followed his career for some time, even his pre ‘road’ days when he was a world class Moutain Bike rider. The nearly man of the Tour finally fulfilled his promise on the penultimate day of the Tour when he rode out of his skin to dominate his rivals in the ultimate test, the individual time trial. With a tremendous amount of pressure on him, he pushed hard on the pedals, regained the time Andy Schleck had over him and then continued to put well over a minute into the second place of the podium. He was by far the strongest rider in the Tour and as he showed on the Galibier stage and more importantly on the Alpe D’Huez stage, he was able to ride hard and pull back riders. Had he not had a mechanical issue on stage 19 I think we may very well have seen in attacking instead of reducing his losses.

Brotherly Love

When you get a one / two on the podium of the Tour de France you have to think to yourself that it is only a matter of time before one of the brothers stands on top in 1st place with a yellow jersey on the shoulders. Odds would say that this will be Andy. He has two second places now. This year though Frank was looking strong. Certainly having that family bond within the same team means that they will both ride hard for each other. You can’t help but think though that Frank felt as though he had been ‘worked’ a little on the Galibier stage. Only time will tell.

The Future

I can’t help but think that the Tour is in a good place for the future. We have British talent a plenty and with Cavendish we have the potential for fantastic publicity. In addition to this, the Sky team goes from strength to strength. We lost Bradley Wiggins this year to a crash and s we can only speculate on what might have been.

The racing this year was much closer. This for me signifies that the tarnished reputation of drugs and cheating is being removed from the sport. We are not getting the heroic efforts of previous years where one rider seems to have the strength of ten. The riders are much closer together, the racing is harder and the margins are smaller. All good signs.

Without doubt, Tour de France riders are a breed unto themselves.

What other sport do we see a rider knocked off the road by a car to land in a barbed wire fence, get up, continue to ride.

What other sport do they hurl themselves down a narrow mountain decent in the wet at 60 miles per hour. Riding on the edge either trying to gain time or pull back lost time. Constantly on the edge.

The Tour is a spectacle. Long may it remain.

James Adams

What a guy! I need to give a shout out to James Adams. A running friend who is currently 31 days ‘in’ to the epic LANY11 footrace. Ridiculous eh! 70 days to run 3220 miles from Los Angeles to New York.


I know James isn’t the first to do this and I am pretty darn sure he won’t be the last. But one can’t underestimate the level of commitment, determination, mental strength, physical strength and I guess stubbornness to cover this distance.

His journey so far has been quite epic. Covering on average 45 miles a day, James quite literally has been through the mill. Five to six days of illness nearly finished his race, however, he has managed to come out of the other side and is now back on the road and heading to New York.


James has been writing a blog as and when he can and I have been making sure that I post it on my Facebook page, Tweet it and also post on the ‘Marathon Talk’ Facebook page. Not only a great endurance runner, James is a great blogger. His daily stories from America have been an eye opener to the daily struggles he encounters. Often bringing a tear to the eye, James adds humour, passion and a humility to what is a journey of a lifetime.

You can read his blog here:
http://runningandstuff.squarespace.com/ram/

James has a long way ahead. He has some 39 days to go and an incredible distance still to cover. I look at my daily training, the highs and lows of motivation, the aches and pains from accumulative miles and then I think of James! How on earth do you get up each day, spend a full working day (and more) on your feet and then get up the next day and do it all again. It certainly is not for most people. I guess it’s not for me…? I love the idea of it. I love the idea of James doing it. I also love or have loved reading about other people doing it. In particular Marshall Ullrich has a great book out called ‘Running on Empty’. If you need a reality check of what running across America is like, I recommend this book. Of course James’ book will be so much better, but I guess we have at least a year to wait for that one!

I will update again on James. I guess at day 50 or so and then as he nears the end.

His story is quite incredible and hope you all enjoy reading about his journey.

Go get em James!!

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http://www.runwildrunfree.co.uk