tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88001146285113425422024-03-05T17:08:00.742+00:00Cotswold RunningKurt Dusterhoff's blog of road and trail running. This blog charts my regular training, racing, and wandering thoughts as I enjoy running in the northern Cotswolds and anywhere else I happen to be.Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-67510004489023379762017-10-01T22:20:00.001+01:002017-10-01T22:20:15.207+01:00Course Records Tumble at the Cotswold Way CenturyIt’s rare to see a 100-mile course record get smashed by over 90 minutes, and even more so for that kind of quality performance to result in a second place. On September 23rd & 24th on the Cotswold Way Bath’s Holly Rush tore lumps out of the Cotswold Way female FKT, with a time of 20:17 which would have won the event outright for 3 of the previous 4 years, only to follow an astonishing race from Rob Forbes. Forbes, of Cirencester, broke the overall course record by 1:57, completing the 102 miles in 17:34 – an average pace of 10.5 minutes per mile. Both runners had fantastic races, running at or near their maximum level for the entire event. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Runners set off on the 5th annual Cotswold Way Century. Rob Forbes (right) spends his last few metres of the race not in the lead. Photo courtesy UK Life Medics.</td></tr>
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Each year, the Cotswold Way Century gives runners the opportunity to pit themselves against this iconic long-distance national trail. Every year is different, with runners in the past having to navigate through thick fog, cope with overnight torrential rain, and occasionally even testing them with relentless heat. This year, the weather was kind, and the front end of the field looked set to offer a good chance of a group pushing each other to close to 19 hours. When the runners headed off down Chipping Campden high street, only one person had any idea that something special was about to happen.<br />
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Rob Forbes had a 10m lead by the first turn, and several hundred metres after the first hill. On an ultra, these things rarely count for much in the opening miles, but by the time the race reached Broadway, he was out of sight off the front and never had need to look over his shoulder for the rest of the run. By the half-marathon point, the lead was 10 minutes. From there, it only ever grew.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possibly the worst-ever finishing picture, but what do you expect at 5:40 in the morning? My camera was tired...</td></tr>
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Meanwhile, Ryan Hogben, 2-time winner Daniel Hendriksen, and Holly Rush carried on behind wondering, like the volunteers along the route, if the race could or would ever come back to them. By the end of the first marathon, the chasing men were 25 minutes behind, with Rush a further 20 minutes back. By the 48 mile station at Painswick, Henriksen had dropped back to join Rush at 1:20 behind and Hogben chased alone, now 50 minutes back. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Women's winner and 2nd place finisher, Holly Rush enjoying a well-earned rest.</td></tr>
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As the night wore on, the usual demons of ultrarunning attacked everyone bar Forbes. Falls, navigation errors, fatigue, digestion complaints, and fitness concerns dogged the runners. The field thinned as many ended their race early, the frontrunners reshuffled with Rush making significant time on Hogben and Hendriksen dropping out of the competition for places and into a completion pace. In the final 15 miles, the ladies’ winner pushed ahead into second overall, eventually gapping Hogben by 40 minutes. </div>
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Further back, Daniel Weller and Rob Hicks picked up places to race each other for the men’s 3rd place finish, with Weller eventually breaking clear by over two minutes. Emily Warren, Heather Rawlings, and Dawn Gardner pushed on for the finish, leaving the competitive thoughts in the background until the final miles. Warren sprinted to the line in second, having seen Rawlings and Gardner getting too close for comfort. Rawlings and Gardner, good friends and occasional training partners, finished together for joint third place in the women’s race.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently, yes, you can run 102 miles in 5-Fingers. Hats off to Damian Barratt!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smile of the day goes to Vicky Gullo</td></tr>
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In total, of the 106 starters, 62 runners managed to complete the course within the 30-hour time limit, 15 of them in under 24 hours. For several runners, the event was their first attempt at running 100 miles. Race Organisers Cotswold Running wish to thank the runners, local authorities, landowners, and the Cotswolds AONB for creating an atmosphere where the elite and non-elite runners can enjoy competing against the same course to achieve extraordinary results. Full results are available at <a href="http://www.cotswoldrunning.co.uk/">www.cotswoldrunning.co.uk</a>. </div>
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Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-77154470641711968382016-07-11T01:37:00.001+01:002016-07-11T01:37:28.586+01:00Timed Lap Racing - When it's good, it's very, very good! I like racing laps. Long laps, short laps, in-between laps. Once upon a time, I used to think racing laps was stupid - why race around the same route more than once? That was before I figured out how to get my head in the game, and use the format to push myself to new levels. Racing laps, whether on a distance basis, like at <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2015/02/2015-rocky-raccoon-100-running-happy.html" target="_blank">Rocky Raccoon</a>, or on a timed basis like <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2014/07/thunder-run-2014-trail-training-at-its.html" target="_blank">Thunder Run</a>, <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2013/06/endure-24-chapter-2-food-enough-and-time.html" target="_blank">Endure 24</a>, or our own <a href="http://www.cotswoldrunning.co.uk/elenden-farm-frolic" target="_blank">Ellenden Farm Frolic</a>, gives runners the chance to mentally reset and put bad patches into the past while looking forward to a new lap where the problems of the last lap can be sorted out.<br />
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In the last 2 months, I've taken part in some very different lap races. In May, I ran at <a href="http://www.trailattack.co.uk/" target="_blank">Trail Attack 24</a>, mostly to scope it out and as a tune-up for the planned A-Race at Endure 24. In June, I went back to Endure 24 as a solo runner, with grand ambitions of some big PBs. On July 3rd, I returned to <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2015/07/night-running-in-circles.html" target="_blank">Merrill's Mile</a> to make good last year's early exit, and with an aim to get on the podium.<br />
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Trail Attack 24 is about half an hour from home, so it seemed churlish not to have a go. I entered with no intention of running into the night - I needed a long training run that weekend, so decided to do it there instead of in the hills. It was a bit of a test event, so the route had a few issues that can be ironed out, and I expect the 2nd outing next year will be an enjoyable weekend. I ran 50km at a pretty high effort level, stopping when I turned my ankles a few too many times on the pitted, rock-hard ground. I was out for a long run and a bit of a laugh, so wasn't about to risk ruining my summer race plans.<br />
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Endure 24 is, in theory, a 5 mile loop of mostly trail running. The reality is a fairly fast course which, in a dry year, is more like a road run than a trail run. This year was pretty dry, and the newly gravelled sections meant that there was only about half a mile per lap of terrain that was trail-like. Having raced as a relay runner last year, and knowing just how quick the route had become, I went into the race with Plan A of 120 miles and PBs for 50mi, 100km, and 100mi along the way. Knowing that I would be at home responsible for a very active and increasingly heavy baby on the Monday, Plan B was to stop before I reached a condition where I was the one more in need of a pushchair.<br />
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Race day was relatively warm and very sunny. The night before hadn't been the smoothest sleep, with a night feed and an early start for the drive down (thanks Caroline and Andy!), so I spent quite a while pre-race trying to get into the right place mentally to be racing. Half an hour of Garth Brooks classics did the trick, and I got to the starting line in the mood for a good run.<br />
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As usual, I started off far too far to the back, and tried not to get in a hurry. The plan was to run roughly 10:30/mi with 2-3 minutes per lap of aid-station refuelling. Repeatedly, I had to slow down, trying to find that "go all day" pace. I finished lap 1 a couple of minutes ahead of schedule, but very comfortably, in 51 minutes. The fantastic crew of friends and teammates from Evesham Vale RC had me refilled and out of the homemade aid station super-fast, and I was off on lap 2 in no time. I added a bit more walking to allow for eating and to slow down the pace a bit more, dropping down to 53 minutes for the next 2 laps (plan: 55 minutes). Then I turned off my GPS and ran off the watch and km markers for the rest of my race - which promptly resulted in my fastest lap of the day before I finally dialled into the splits that I needed to match the terrain with my goal lap times.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running comfortably throughout day 1 (Photo: Charmaine Mitchell)</td></tr>
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By the time I got to 30 miles, I knew I had a good 50mi time on the cards. I was 15 minutes (30s/mi) ahead of my target time, and felt really good. The BLT wraps and Bourbon biscuits were keeping my energy levels high, and I managed to keep on top of my hydration, so stomach and brain were both in good shape. I knew I needed to slow down, and kept trying to aim for the 58 minute laps on my plan. I kept failing, though, with 55-56 instead. As I approached 50 miles, I started to get excited that I was running so well that I was looking at a 9-hour 50. When I finished my 10th lap in 8:55 (a 30 minute PB), I knew I really needed to back off, and that a 100km PB was pretty much in the bag. I was having the run of my life - running felt fantastic and fairly easy, eating wasn't too much of a chore, and I was drinking loads without issue.<br />
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With plenty of time in the bag, I spent a little more time in the aid station, first forgetting my head torch and grabbing a banana instead, and then the next lap doing the opposite! I successfully gave back some of my time over the next 3 laps, dropping to 1:03ish instead of the planned hour. Once I'd knocked an hour off my 100km PB (11:30 now), though, I started to lose focus. The 100mi point was quite a distance away, it was now after midnight, I desperately wanted to be asleep, and the general camaraderie of the day was giving way to the earphone-driven deafness of the night. By the start of the 16th lap, I was struggling to keep my spirits up. I started walking a bit more, and then noticed some blisters under the callouses on the balls of my feet, probably a result of walking more. Those blisters aren't treatable in the normal fashion, with tape or blister plasters. They're caused by friction within the skin, and really are best treated by not having the callouses in the first place. The more I walked, the worse they would get. I also really, honestly, didn't want to do much walking. I had really enjoyed running everything but a few snack-break hills each lap. So, at 4am, knowing that I could get a 100mi PB, but at a price to my feet that I wasn't really willing to pay, I curled up and went to sleep in the back of the car having done 80 miles in 16 hours - well over an hour faster than I've done that distance before. <br />
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I don't mind too much that I stopped early, but there was a part of me that was disappointed that I had stopped before I had to. When I've DNF'd a distance race, I've always felt like it was the right thing. Here, I knew I had a sub 22h hundred available, even if I walked almost all of the remaining 20 miles. In reality, that wasn't enough of an achievement to draw me into a long walk, or even much past the mouth of the "pain cave". I had 110 miles available in the 24 hours if I worked hard, but that would have led to some serious curtailment of my summer's running - and that certainly wasn't worth the effort. Over the next couple of days, as the aches and pains from the race worked through, I was pretty sure that stopping was a good idea. I'd learned that I wasn't interested in simply completing 100 miles or 24 hours - I wanted to run, and to race. Walking up the hills, or a few relatively short walking breaks are fine, but I've found that to get the satisfaction I was looking for, I needed to be running the vast majority of the time. Until 70 miles, I'd run consistently better than I had in any race in my life - ever. And I enjoyed it at a level that I've rarely enjoyed any race before. I had discovered what I was looking for from my next few races, as soon as I figured out what they would be.<br />
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Shortly after Endure, Nic suggested that I have another go at Merrill's Mile in Georgia. She still doesn't get why I like the idea of running laps of a .99mi road loop, but took the view that as long as she didn't have to either run it or sit there watching me run in circles for six hours, I should have a go. So, I entered a daylight 6 hours instead of the night-time one, prayed for a cool spell, and packed light clothes.<br />
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My goal at Merrill's Mile was simple - run 40ish laps, match or beat the course record, and get on the podium. I entered fairly certain that, barring injury, I had a good shot.<br />
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On the drive to the race, I watched the temperature climb up into the 80s. The high was due to be nearly 100, and I was glad I'd put most of my water in the freezer the night before. I didn't want to spend a lot of time using the aid station, just grab a bottle and go as I went by my little box of refreshments. <br />
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As the 9am start approached, I started chatting with Anthony Shapiro, who was aiming for a sub-24 100mi, and his crew, who were entertaining themselves trying to put up a small sun shelter. They were a great bunch of guys, and when Anthony's crew saw I was crewless, they offered to refill my spare belt bottles. Being able to just swap bottles in whenever I needed was a huge help, especially once the heat piled on.<br />
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The race plan was pretty straightforward - aim for 8:30ish miles while there was shade, and then slow down as little as possible, depending on how the temperature affected me. I was hoping to get through 21 laps by noon. We had shade for the first half of the lap (a slight upward drag), and then full sun on the down leg. Being able to run nearly 50% of the route in the shade meant I could keep a reasonable temperature while still maintaining a solid pace. At around 11:30, the shade finally disappeared, and we had full sun reflecting off the tarmac track. I was still nearly on schedule, but that was about to change with the flick of a switch. <br />
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At around 17 laps, Bob Hendricks caught up to me - he'd been hanging out 2-3 minutes behind for about 15 laps, and must have put in a fair effort to close me down in the previous few laps. It was his first attempt at an ultra, and he was curious to see what his body could do. We had a chat, and then I led him into the 18th lap. As we started the lap, I realized we'd finally lost our remaining shade. Heading up the gentle drag really raised the core temperature.<br />
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Without any shade, I had to change almost immediately from pace management to heat management. During my 19th lap, I took a long walk with plenty of ice water and surrendered 4 minutes to the heat in an effort to make sure I could fuel up for the 2nd half. Bob carried on, picking up half a mile on me. Most of the rest of the race I ran at around 9:30-10:00/mi pace with roughly 300m of walking per lap on average. I was going through nearly half a litre of water every 20 minutes - wearing most of it. I had on a cool tie, which is meant to absorb water and remain cool against the skin; I squeezed warm water out of it regularly. The heat and sun were actually blistering one runner's back (maybe she should have worn a t-shirt, but that's an indication of just how hot it got). Bob came back to me in the early 20s, and I lapped him by the time I'd done my marathon. Once the heat built up, the only way to cool down was to slow down, and the hotter the core got, the longer the walk got. So, I tried to maintain short walks and slow running up the slope and no walks down the slope to keep from getting too overheated. The strategy, along with loads of ice water - it's the first time I've had to pour ice water onto my thighs! - seemed to work. Most laps remained sub-12, while I kept hoping for a break in the sun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too hot & sunny for a vest. (Photo: Cotswold Running)</td></tr>
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With around an hour to go, a cloud finally offered some shade and I was immediately able to run easily again, knocking 2 minutes off that mile compared to the ones either side, so I knew I could push hard for 1-2 laps at the end if I had to. Nic and a huge gathering of my side of the family arrived just after 2:30 - with me needing 3 more laps in 30 minutes. I tried to up the pace so I could get in a couple of sub-10 miles, but got a little light-headed and had to hold to around 11:00/mi instead. My brother, Chris, shouted to me as I approached the finish line with just over 8 minutes to go, that I needed one more lap to take a lap lead over runners from the previous 6 hour races during the event. I swore to myself, because I really didn't want to have to pull out a fast lap, and accelerated up the track. I was down to 8-ish pace, and kept running up to the turn for the first time in over 2 hours. I started to feel a bit light-headed, and ran with an irrational fear that I'd be cranking out all this effort only to get to the line seconds after the time ran out. On the way down to the finish, I pulled out all the stops (and nearly pulled out my small breakfast and the previous night's dinner), to get down to under 7:30 pace, finishing my 36th lap with 30 seconds to spare. The 40 lap goal had gone out the window at 11:30, but I managed to tie the men's course record of 36 laps (ladies' is 39 laps). I had to wait for the night-time 6-hour race to take place to find out my placing, but was pretty confident of a podium finish. When I went back in the morning, I was very pleased to discover that I'd won by that horrible, hard last lap. Bob finished 3rd, 2 laps back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcpAl-Dqz3xffptvmbQ4rsabQyfhw9N1jaC-dNkpBwSwFC4u9loJYzCfBsEOXLDaYLunyVKnhxkobWLd0tRNOZj47YVzQxEHav0CJg-sskCmyW7jMYJwFLGAt9Wof01H87UcB27pXUC9d/s1600/13603645_10209687754692026_8830630346153933827_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcpAl-Dqz3xffptvmbQ4rsabQyfhw9N1jaC-dNkpBwSwFC4u9loJYzCfBsEOXLDaYLunyVKnhxkobWLd0tRNOZj47YVzQxEHav0CJg-sskCmyW7jMYJwFLGAt9Wof01H87UcB27pXUC9d/s320/13603645_10209687754692026_8830630346153933827_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first ever win - celebrated next to a soon-to-be-packed gazebo.</td></tr>
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The joy of the lap race is that mental reset each time you start a new lap. In May, I was out for a training run more than a race, and really struggled to look at each lap individually, so I really struggled to get into that "in the moment" mindset you need for a good race. In June, I managed to keep my head right for 14 hours, but started to struggle against the sleep monsters and wasn't really up for the mental challenge of the rest of the event. In July, getting to reset every 8-12 minutes worked for me, and gave me the opportunity to completely revise my running plan to match my ability to respond to the extreme temperature (the car read 103 when we got back to it, so I'm guessing we weren't much cooler on the track). When I was getting battered by the heat, all I had to do was break my run into 2 pieces - up the track and down the track - and then repeat that until the clock ran out. The regular mental refresh made it incredibly easy to stay in the moment.<br />
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I still love racing on more traditional routes. But if you haven't tried timed racing on a short lap, you really should - it's a fantastic way to push yourself to new heights.<br />
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Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-59808895073323016602016-04-25T18:08:00.003+01:002016-06-02T21:36:09.677+01:00The Moray Coastal Trail - RedemptionLooking back through the recent posts (what recent posts??), it's pretty clear I've not run much since August. To get an idea of what I've been up to, imagine my non-existent posts entitled "Ouch, Cross-country hurts this year!" and "How to injure yourself while out shopping for paint." The rebuild since December has been long and tortuous, but last week I passed my self-imposed fitness test and can happily declare that I'm back to running properly again. The test, as it happens, was to run the <a href="http://www.morayways.org.uk/routedetails.asp?routeid=116" target="_blank">Moray Coastal Trail</a> that I'd attempted last June (see the post for the <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/the-moray-coastal-trail-attempt-1-of.html" target="_blank">first attempt</a> to learn how not to prepare for a long run).<br>
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<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-moray-coastal-trail-redemption.html#more">Read more »</a>Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0Moray, UK57.649847599999987 -3.316803899999968156.554693099999987 -5.8985908999999683 58.745002099999986 -0.73501689999996822tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-16368443447623437342015-08-28T14:18:00.002+01:002015-08-29T16:44:54.535+01:00Whisky River - The Speyside Way UltraA couple of years ago, Nic needed a long run while we were up north, and decided to run a section of the Speyside Way. Her opinion was that, aside from a couple of long drags, it was a pretty flat and enjoyable route. Fast forward to a few months ago, and we decided to return and join in the annual race from Ballindalloch to Buckie (36.5ish miles). I duly visited the <a href="http://www.speysidewayrace.co.uk/" target="_blank">Speyside Way Ultra website</a>, put a load of details onto the entry system, and started to plan my race.<br>
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<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2015/08/whisky-river-speyside-way-ultra.html#more">Read more »</a>Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-15801737834196136892015-08-13T15:53:00.002+01:002015-08-29T16:45:05.942+01:00Gear Review: Event ClipsEvery so often, someone contacts me out of the blue to review a product. I like the randomness of it, and enjoy trying new stuff. Rarely, though, has something come through the post with such perfect timing for a properly hard trial. When Mike from <a href="http://eventclip.net/" target="_blank">EventClips</a> sent me a set through, it was just before my return to the North Devon/Somerset coast for the <a href="http://www.mineheadrunningclub.co.uk/seaview_17.html" target="_blank">Seaview 17</a>. Ordinarily, I'd have attached my number to my race belt, but with some fancy new clips to try, I clipped the number to my shorts and set out to see how well they would hold up to some tough race conditions.<br>
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<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2015/08/gear-review-event-clips.html#more">Read more »</a>Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-5166784247395949252015-07-28T22:20:00.001+01:002015-08-29T16:45:17.977+01:00Night Running in CirclesMostly, I enjoy trail running at night. When it's dark, you don't get all those scenic views that distract from the pain. Sometimes, you see green eyes glowing out at you, and have a little frisson of excitement wondering if the cattle are bored or scared enough to chase you. But mostly, you find yourself in a little tunnel of light, and have to put all your effort into staying upright and moving forward. When you can get into that focused world where every part of your mind and body is geared towards your run, it's one of running's great joys.<br>
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<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2015/07/night-running-in-circles.html#more">Read more »</a>Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-9936818075248311242015-06-23T14:18:00.000+01:002015-08-29T16:45:30.442+01:00The Moray Coastal Trail - Attempt 1 of ???: How not to prepare for a long run.I've enjoyed a reasonable amount of time on parts of the <a href="http://www.morayways.org.uk/routedetails.asp?routeid=116" target="_blank">Moray Coastal Trail</a> over the past few years. The sections around Lossiemouth are some of Nic's favourite beach runs in the country. On our last visit to the area, I discovered that it's a temptingly short/long 45ish miles, and hatched a plan to find a way to get out and run the whole thing.<br>
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Plans, as one often hears, have a way of going awry.<br>
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<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-moray-coastal-trail-attempt-1-of.html#more">Read more »</a>Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-77013994801181084382015-05-13T16:39:00.001+01:002015-08-29T16:46:34.672+01:00Gear Review: Ron Hill Trail Split CapI love hats. Perhaps it's the lack of hair on large sections of my scalp that lead me into wearing a hat while running. In the winter, I need the insulation. In the summer (if I'm lucky), I need protection from the sun. In between, I'm constantly removing/replacing my hat or buff.<br>
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<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2015/05/gear-review-ron-hill-trail-split-cap.html#more">Read more »</a>Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-31871658734432710982015-04-12T15:01:00.001+01:002015-04-12T15:01:06.324+01:00Shoe Review: Salomon S-Lab Sense Ultra 4 SG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One of the simplest joys in running is having the opportunity to wear a new (clean!) pair of shoes. It's even better when you have no idea what they'll be like, and you find out they fit like a glove - which is what happened when I put on the pair of <a href="http://www.salomon.com/uk/product/s-lab-sense-4-ultra-sg.html?article=373244" target="_blank">S-Lab Sense Ultra 4 SG</a> shoes that Salomon sent me to test out (yes, they sent them free, and no, they haven't any input into this review). I hadn't been planning to hit the trails when I put them on, but quickly changed my mind and added a little hill repeat session to my evening itinerary.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkayMkeuBDHHjl_oA52Qbu-Yfpb6SYe6QQSSG4NGDOKM7j5hN-S7XFY8He9qavCUGNu9w8Z095cXjWsJxE7a_iMHehFVzwHbsVRg-5ZLdPWio3kF3LWLvG3IFKQm6JzAPwsb93JhLScW9/s1600/WP_20150310_11_09_16_Pro+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkayMkeuBDHHjl_oA52Qbu-Yfpb6SYe6QQSSG4NGDOKM7j5hN-S7XFY8He9qavCUGNu9w8Z095cXjWsJxE7a_iMHehFVzwHbsVRg-5ZLdPWio3kF3LWLvG3IFKQm6JzAPwsb93JhLScW9/s1600/WP_20150310_11_09_16_Pro+1.jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First impression - aren't they pretty! And wow, the snug fit is impressive.</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, it had been a pretty dry week, so I wasn't sure how much soft ground I would be able to find on my chosen route. Still, I headed out to Broadway to find a little section of the Cotswold Way (and the Evesham Ultra route) that would give me a selection of terrain and gradient to play on.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxbV-tkpuxNg1JYV8F1jl-6TbLlykK_quJ3ezGWznwWeQhi8gIEjSx7TzxHjZ-fEC6Fh8lRxe2ceRgzZ6LSj4H6y7IBHm1_C7pQKaXdttbAsu_MA1s0GsPrm8GZm7QO5hdQ9q442uPVYr/s1600/WP_20150310_18_10_08_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxbV-tkpuxNg1JYV8F1jl-6TbLlykK_quJ3ezGWznwWeQhi8gIEjSx7TzxHjZ-fEC6Fh8lRxe2ceRgzZ6LSj4H6y7IBHm1_C7pQKaXdttbAsu_MA1s0GsPrm8GZm7QO5hdQ9q442uPVYr/s1600/WP_20150310_18_10_08_Pro.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice little boggy section helped test the Sense Ultra's water retention.</td></tr>
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On the way to the hill, I managed to find some boggy mud to traipse through. One of those little irritants that can ruin a good race is a shoe that holds onto water too well. Even after submerging in sloppy mud a few times, the Sense Ultra let the water go quite easily - no quibbles there, then!</div>
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That weekend, I took them out for a more daunting hilly run of around 3 hours - not long in ultra terms, but long enough to get a feel for the shoe over mud, grass, rocky path, a bit of road, and various dirt and gravel tracks. Over the next couple of weeks, I also managed to get them onto old quarry waste piles, wet and dry sandy beaches and some coastal trails, to give me a good idea of how they behaved on the wide variety of terrain that makes up most trail ultras in the UK.</div>
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The short review: a very good shoe, with a slightly narrow toe box, snug fit, and reasonable grip.</div>
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The long review? Carry on reading! As usual, if the picture is pretty, it's probably Nic's. If it's functional, it's mostly likely mine.</div>
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<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Shoe</h4>
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The Salomon S-Lab Sense Ultra 4 SG is a low-rise (4mm drop), light, sturdy shoe designed for long distances over soft/wet ground. My Size 9.5 (UK; US10, EU44) weighs in at ~270g (+/- a bit of mud), which is definitely on the lighter end of what I'd want to wear for 8+ hours. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwyBrudYnyV0aTogA5Bvq8D5gvZh8JAmWRu_RD7JJOICvLvZLkcDcaCozxMX702hTfRH31JkYK0CRmBKQsDxXDLJGGZ00ke9iTtDXR7h_ZpYunl5V_foPraKzW5-FXDS8_mOs8yFe7Ofe/s1600/WP_20150310_15_46_49_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwyBrudYnyV0aTogA5Bvq8D5gvZh8JAmWRu_RD7JJOICvLvZLkcDcaCozxMX702hTfRH31JkYK0CRmBKQsDxXDLJGGZ00ke9iTtDXR7h_ZpYunl5V_foPraKzW5-FXDS8_mOs8yFe7Ofe/s1600/WP_20150310_15_46_49_Pro.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty of lugs, a really light mesh upper, and enough molding to give some lateral support and rock protection.</td></tr>
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I know a lot of people have stopped talking about heel drop, and a load more don't really care about the distance from their foot to the ground - if you're one of those people, you should probably just skip the rest of this paragraph. I trip a lot, and roll my ankles a lot, but I've found that I do less of both if my shoe isn't offering me much of a barrier to the ground. Unfortunately, I've also got a long history of foot and calf issues, which is best managed over long distances by a reasonably elevated heel relative to the toe. So, when I saw the 13mm heel (compared to 20mm on the Speedcross), I was really looking forward to taking them for a spin. The toe still has plenty of cushioning (9mm compared to 6mm in the Fellraiser, and 9mm on the Speedcross), which comes in handy when you plan to be out in them all day.</div>
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The Fit</h4>
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In a word: glovelike. The Endofit (TM) upper, which basically acts like a sock, is fabulous. I'd be tempted to go sockless if I didn't want the extra protection from grit and grime that a sock gives.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOPhSB4bp2CNTHnIFC6j8jovAnAJqIS9ahXwU40Px2RY2AN1WXaajVZD8zVeFHuxhj-LWKVQyeqW48J_rblagNQfiEjwSf1Xc-6lYaQTL_tkZToZf7MOyqqHAcVZAnSdTCk7SSaPKJxbM/s1600/WP_20150310_15_45_57_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOPhSB4bp2CNTHnIFC6j8jovAnAJqIS9ahXwU40Px2RY2AN1WXaajVZD8zVeFHuxhj-LWKVQyeqW48J_rblagNQfiEjwSf1Xc-6lYaQTL_tkZToZf7MOyqqHAcVZAnSdTCk7SSaPKJxbM/s1600/WP_20150310_15_45_57_Pro.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Endofit (TM) upper encases the foot by attaching at the insole. Soooo comfy!</td></tr>
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On my right foot, I did find that top of the lacing system crossed just at a particularly uncomfortable spot on the top of my foot, which would cause real problems on a long run. It's not an uncommon problem for me, due to the difference in length between my right and left foot, and it took a few runs to sort out. Basically, if I pull the Quicklace (TM) tight in an off-centre position, then I can nail the fit.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGPlqoY-9g7eJh59rpG80SQ2S-lzqITyIK86MRU117K7uaI8JWrYvrfiCe-hKgJfDRa056uDVrGQCD-FP98EYy6Sr0uDOe9F7waVkNkgU-OWD8fboev9zCdIcT1o9wx1Oe_wA-dbFrEwn/s1600/2015-04-05+09.11.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGPlqoY-9g7eJh59rpG80SQ2S-lzqITyIK86MRU117K7uaI8JWrYvrfiCe-hKgJfDRa056uDVrGQCD-FP98EYy6Sr0uDOe9F7waVkNkgU-OWD8fboev9zCdIcT1o9wx1Oe_wA-dbFrEwn/s1600/2015-04-05+09.11.28.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See how the right foot has the tab pulled off-centre. Little adjustments like that can make or break a run.</td></tr>
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On steep descents, I will admit that I was happy to have recently lost my big toenails. The snug fit was great, but it was even better to feel the front of my toe hitting the shoe without my toenail getting jammed. For many of you, toenails aren't a worry anymore. For the rest, let this be a good reminder to try before you buy to make sure you are happy with the sizing. If you want a bit more room to play with, I'd suggest the Fellraiser.</div>
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The Grip</h4>
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The shoe is designed for grip, and it does an OK job. I had some nice long, muddy hills on one test run, and was with a friend who wore Speedcross. I faired alright, slipping a bit on some muddy ascents, but the soles did hold onto the mud a bit, so by the top I couldn't compete with him on grip.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguefhSpRCOTGouALVHmv88B48cmGn90s0cPZaSxaAEldSBQ8RF0cIcgE_Pe7KgAVE4jzYLyoFgv0laRrrKAGlqmVwTNTEr5PQrv-sJvwqQLpD8WTrVb12QUTfXGEBMD_tHl0J8SPjKXhmX/s1600/WP_20150310_15_46_12_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguefhSpRCOTGouALVHmv88B48cmGn90s0cPZaSxaAEldSBQ8RF0cIcgE_Pe7KgAVE4jzYLyoFgv0laRrrKAGlqmVwTNTEr5PQrv-sJvwqQLpD8WTrVb12QUTfXGEBMD_tHl0J8SPjKXhmX/s1600/WP_20150310_15_46_12_Pro.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trapezoidal lugs offer a fair amount of grip on soft ground, but on muddy ascents, the Speedcross held better.</td></tr>
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After a few checks of the soles and some different types of mud (we have plenty of variety around here), I'd say that the shoe releases mud well across the ball of the foot, where the shoe flexes most, but not quite as well as I needed it to under the toes, where you need the most grip running up a muddy hill.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cutouts and lug shape don't seem to allow sticky mud to release optimally from my hill session.</td></tr>
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For more "normal" soft ground running, the shoe gripped very well. Downhill, flat, wet beach, dry beach, all presented me with no difficulties. Like with most (all?!) shoes, wet limestone is pretty slippery, but where the rock offers some rough texture, the shoe grips well enough. On the loose quarry waste hills that make up a bit of the <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/brutally-tantalizing-trail-racing.html" target="_blank">Cleevewold 14 trail race</a>, I had absolutely no problems with control going down or with digging my toes in and climbing (slowly) up.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-ffHLHF5C-NoR88MkVMNtx5WDP4QpvjBqKcwm8w9WyYAkc7_ecG4DsjtLiJOrLHU6j7mhuvy7Q-Z-Mv2Xsi9ZA019nckz5z9PJaK1in27YO-HAHLzKtCbiMFx78K7k_2UTaW8Bx5wZE6/s1600/2015-04-06+09.05.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-ffHLHF5C-NoR88MkVMNtx5WDP4QpvjBqKcwm8w9WyYAkc7_ecG4DsjtLiJOrLHU6j7mhuvy7Q-Z-Mv2Xsi9ZA019nckz5z9PJaK1in27YO-HAHLzKtCbiMFx78K7k_2UTaW8Bx5wZE6/s1600/2015-04-06+09.05.52.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft ground, all right - and it all stayed on the beach. The outsole released wet sand very nicely.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqNwy_Ri6eBLj-3XDmd3J8MOhoFCf4YS0OnPoWbdEBQmS6dbSjl1aaChAhXyo57962Vz1fDhTE3mAE6JH5mY4RWv6SF_1w95US-fKTrDgZOVKOFo8w-zbwTHQZKITgxL4zi4y9sr9S85k/s1600/2015-04-06+10.18.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqNwy_Ri6eBLj-3XDmd3J8MOhoFCf4YS0OnPoWbdEBQmS6dbSjl1aaChAhXyo57962Vz1fDhTE3mAE6JH5mY4RWv6SF_1w95US-fKTrDgZOVKOFo8w-zbwTHQZKITgxL4zi4y9sr9S85k/s1600/2015-04-06+10.18.04.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On muddy coastal trail, the grip was excellent and the mud-release faultless.</td></tr>
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<h4>
Comfort</h4>
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I've not taken the Sense Ultras out for more than 3 hours at a time yet, but my feet have come back from all of the test runs happy. I would say that, if you don't normally wear shoes with a lot of flexibility and not a lot of structure, that you should be very careful to gradually up your distance in these. After 3 hours of varied surfaces and lots of hills, my feet were a little tired. Equally, if you're coming from a higher-heeled shoe, take your time getting used to the lower sole.</div>
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On hard ground, unsurprisingly, the shoe feels a bit under-cushioned (remember, this is the SG variety we're talking about!). So, where there's a lot of road, sun-baked track, or hard rocky trails, you probably don't want to go with this soft-ground specialist. On the springy moors, grassy fields, beach, and muddy trails, I found the shoe quite a pleasant ride. Sharp rocks will let you know they're underfoot, but didn't leave any bumps or bruises on my feet.</div>
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<h4>
Things I Like</h4>
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Top of my list - the Endofit (TM) upper. It's fabulous. I love it. I also really like the low ride and the quick release of water when you go splashing around. The molded upper toebox is really light, and yes, it does protect nicely when you trip over branches or kick rocks on the trails (I tested it a lot...).<br />
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<h4>
Things I'd Like to See Improved</h4>
<div>
It's minor, but it really bugs me that the lace pocket is pretty useless - it's under the top laces when they're tightened. It offers nothing in its current form, so either lose it or put the opening at the top so it can actually do the job it's meant to do. I'd also like to see a chevron lug instead of the trapezoid blocks, at least at the front. It offers better grip, especially on contours, and seems to release the mud better. I would like to see the cost come down, since it's currently listed at 40% more than the very popular Speedcross: it's hard to decide to change shoe models with that big a price differential, but I'm hopeful that time and sales volume will help that to change. And finally, as with all Salomons I've worn, I seem to get a squeak in the lacing of the left shoe - it would be nice for that to disappear.</div>
<div>
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<h4>
Summary</h4>
<div>
It's a good shoe, a very good shoe. After a few runs, I was dubious about wearing it for an ultra, because the snug fit doesn't give you much space to expand. But, now that I've had a chance to put some miles in, I can't see any reason to worry. I'd certainly be happy to go up to 40 miles in them in most conditions, and probably quite a while longer if it's properly wet/soft.</div>
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<br />Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-59411157371126868792015-03-26T16:42:00.001+00:002015-03-26T16:42:49.476+00:00Brutally Tantalizing Trail Racing: The Cleevewold 14Once upon a time, when I only owned one pair of running shoes, I started to leave the roads behind. I bought some trail shoes, mostly because I found the wide outsoles of the road shoes had my feet rocking on the hoof-scared paths in the area. I even raced a couple of trail events, which were really just runs through the woods on really nice tracks with the occasional bit of mud. Then, in March 2009, I ran the <a href="http://cheltenhamharriers.co.uk/fixtures/club-promoted-events/cleevewold.html" target="_blank">Cleevewold 14</a>. Snaking its way up, down, and around Cleeve Cloud and the Sudeley Estate, and many points in between, the race has been a local favourite for more than 20 years. It has 2000+ feet of ascent on rough trails through quarries, paths through grassy fields, an optional stream crossing, and a few seemingly smooth tracks of crushed limestone (which is great, until you find out it's really just a lot of rocks that aren't so crushed or so smooth). After that 2009 race, I was hooked on trail running. Unfortunately, the race also seems to coincide with a load of other events and activities that have kept me away from it ever since. Until this weekend, when I made sure to set aside the time to revisit the race and find out if it really is as breathtakingly exciting as I remember it.<br />
<br />
The joy of a 14 mile race is that it's simply a case of hitting that effort level right below where you feel like your lungs and legs want to explode and then holding on to it. The difficulty lays in not over-reaching and blowing up. Add in a gut-wrenching series of short, sharp hills early on, and you have the makings of a great challenge. Since I have zero goal races planned for the rest of the year, and I haven't done much speed work since September, I decided to race from the gun and see what would happen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EVRC chilling out before the fun begins.</td></tr>
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The race starts with a deceptively gentle descent, to help get the legs moving. But after that opening half mile, it turns into a 200ft climb over the next quarter mile (~1:8 gradient). The next four miles continue in a similar vein. Up, down, run past golfers, repeat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a little hill...</td></tr>
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Early on, I tracked my EVRC clubmate Richard Slater and Nick Spice, of Almost Athletes, who were heading out a bit faster than me. I know from experience that if we're all running well, the three of us will be fairly close together through most of a hilly race. This time, though, I was having to work a bit harder than I'd have liked to keep them in sight. After 5 miles, Nick had started to reel in Richard, and I decided that if I wanted to have any chance of keeping in touch, I also had to close the gap.<br />
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I chased for the best part of 2 miles before finally catching back up to Nick. We encouraged each other to keep running strong and steadily left Richard feeling the effects of a tough running week at around 8 miles as we raced our way down to the lowest point on the route at Waterhatch. By this stage, we were among the top female runners - always a sign that the race is going well.<br />
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From 9 miles, the course climbs 600ft over 2 miles, in a relentlessly runnable (nearly) climb up to Belas Knapp. By the time I reached the top, I had lost a good 30 seconds on Nick and Amazing Feet's Sarah Armstrong (3rd Lady). The losses continued across the top of the hill (the only flat part of the route), and down through the wooded gully on the other side. I had plenty of strength left, but my leg speed was clearly elsewhere. The final two short hills finished me off and left me having to sprint the final 50m to avoid losing my position. So, although I didn't overtake anyone in the final 5 miles, and the gap to those in front just seemed to grow, I did manage to hold off those behind me,<br />
<br />
I finished 7 minutes better than that 2009 time (2:07:43), absolutely exhausted, and overjoyed to find that the race really was as much fun as I'd remembered. It hurts almost the entire way around and tests your speed, strength, and resilience to the limit. With great views and a good friendly field, I can't really ask for anything more in a short race.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoup-1jfv1GKoZ_GJ0-GGesnb0f8JrrHAsydkHtTSHaB5c7wFGbdpOyvJfXZ_BFNcsoEZv2PAGg0gFcETOI45mZfbA-ESfDgan6sLgbVc6urMRq7erqemWdshK8JE5J5DQ6oYaYI-lYZ5/s1600/DSC00837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoup-1jfv1GKoZ_GJ0-GGesnb0f8JrrHAsydkHtTSHaB5c7wFGbdpOyvJfXZ_BFNcsoEZv2PAGg0gFcETOI45mZfbA-ESfDgan6sLgbVc6urMRq7erqemWdshK8JE5J5DQ6oYaYI-lYZ5/s1600/DSC00837.JPG" height="232" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finish line - Postlip Hall</td></tr>
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Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-77707662991779009152015-02-15T14:13:00.000+00:002015-02-15T14:13:20.323+00:00Gear Review: Ultimate Performance Malham Waist PackOne of the great joys of reviewing new kit is that you get to try out stuff you wouldn't ordinarily buy (in my case, because I have a multitude of waist and back packs already). When Lou from <a href="http://www.run-stuff.co.uk/" target="_blank">Run Stuff</a> asked if I'd take the <a href="http://www.run-stuff.co.uk/Ultimate_Performance_Malham_Waist_pack_with_1ltr_bladder--product--291.html" target="_blank">Malham Waist Pack</a> out for a spin, I'll admit I wasn't really looking forward to it. I've been running with incredibly light-weight gear lately, and the Malham looks a bit bulky hanging on the peg in the shop. But, the idea isn't to review stuff I think is pretty, it's to review new lines, so I packed the bag up into my suitcase and headed to Texas to try it out. (OK, I was going to Texas anyway, but it seemed like a good idea to take it out in the warm weather).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrE8gsG40Fz55ad2qxhfUgUjtNymVe8JKhHneBQVrwwyIJXGRYq_mxhrivI_g65DKK0p567VVPkptELol52yLXMMPNE6tY_86vzhfcTDHbtskhbCdpOkHXfXc1GFSesjrOjxLTXXxLtgI/s1600/2015-01-27+10.27.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrE8gsG40Fz55ad2qxhfUgUjtNymVe8JKhHneBQVrwwyIJXGRYq_mxhrivI_g65DKK0p567VVPkptELol52yLXMMPNE6tY_86vzhfcTDHbtskhbCdpOkHXfXc1GFSesjrOjxLTXXxLtgI/s1600/2015-01-27+10.27.50.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pack is a bit bigger than I usually wear, but it somehow matches our club colours very nicely!</td></tr>
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When I started to pack up the bag with stuff just to test it out, I started to notice its features a bit more.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two zipped main pockets, one with a 1L bladder (included), and two side mesh pockets give plenty of storage space.</td></tr>
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First, the 1L bladder that comes with the pack is square, so it fits reasonably comfortably against the back. The main pocket, which holds the bladder, has quite a lot of storage space for food, rain gear, lights, etc. An inner, waterproof zipped pocket has more than enough room for a smartphone, and the outer zipped pocket will comfortably accomodate a few bars, a wallet, and keys (and it has a key clip). So, for most runs, everything you need will fit easily in the pack.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loads of space in the main pocket.</td></tr>
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I threw in an extra 600ml of water, just to make the pack extra heavy for my test run. At this stage, I looked at the pack in dismay - how would something this deep be even remotely comfortable for the 2 hours I was planning to be out? Then, I noticed the compression straps, and tightened them to prevent those extra water bottles bouncing around. Without those straps, I'd have to say the bag would be unusable. What a difference they make!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The little blue compression straps make all the difference on this pack!</td></tr>
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I popped a few bars in the side mesh pockets and headed out for a nice long run to see how the Malham fared.</div>
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<h4>
The Fit</h4>
<div>
The Malham has a centre-buckle with a fit adjustment on either side. The left side of the belt is your "static" fit - get it right the first time and leave it alone. It took me a little work to get the sizing adjusted the way I wanted, but once I did, it didn't move. The right side of the belt is for on-the-move adjustments (like when you've eaten/drunk most of the contents of the pack and it needs tightening). It was easy to tweak while I was running or walking. To my surprise, the pack was quite comfortable and didn't feel particularly bulky, in spite of the 1.6L of water I had in it, although the extra water did cause a bit of bounce on the run. Once I'd removed the extra water, the pack sat well and bounced very little. I was out for over 2 hours on a warm, sunny day, and never had any comfort issues with the belt, bladder, or pack. I also took the pack out for the day while crewing Nic's Rocky Raccoon 50. I wore it for the best part of 8 hours, including a few short bike rides and a lot of walking and standing.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYsAwpjtZdfrrpDTGri8egtiPZlmTalBoeAIkKubgc0_F7E4xGvAARhfSI7g9DzsiO9CsxID730_R9aw_Wvm6js0hBz6ngowhdB2k84X0_ULDb4aeI51o2CbIh_Um12s7oVV8ynDpqJ8V/s1600/P2070008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYsAwpjtZdfrrpDTGri8egtiPZlmTalBoeAIkKubgc0_F7E4xGvAARhfSI7g9DzsiO9CsxID730_R9aw_Wvm6js0hBz6ngowhdB2k84X0_ULDb4aeI51o2CbIh_Um12s7oVV8ynDpqJ8V/s1600/P2070008.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pack is comfortable for wear on the front for a while, too, like when you're crewing someone else's race and they ask for the can of fizzy water you've cleverly stashed away...</td></tr>
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<h4>
Things I Like</h4>
<div>
The pack has a lot of pockets, so it's easy to divide up your kit based on how much access you need to it. The compression straps are easy to adjust, so as you re-arrange things due to weather, eating, drinking, etc., it's easy to keep the contents from bouncing about and causing problems.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I expected this to be a bulky, bouncy pack, but found it sat very well and was quite comfortable. In its basics, this is a well thought-out and well designed piece of kit.</div>
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<h4>
Things I'd Like to See Improved</h4>
<div>
There are 2 zippers on each of the main pockets, which makes them easy to open/close. Unfortunately, it also means the 2 tabs clap together as you run. That kind of thing irritates me to distraction, so I managed to find a way to tuck them away into the mesh pockets. I also often see 2-zip pockets at races that aren't as closed as runners think they are, which is less of a problem than you get with a single zipper. Using the zips was very easy and convenient, but I think a single tab would be a big improvement.</div>
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The bite valve is great if you're not wearing a jacket over it with a lot of junk in your pockets. But, I found that when I had pockets of food/water sitting on top of the valve, it wasn't too hard to accidentally pull it open and cause a slow trickle of water down my leg - really disconcerting if you forget you're wearing it! I've had another bladder of the same construction, and I prefer a bite valve that twists open rather than one that simply pulls. It's a pretty minor complaint, and wouldn't put me off using the pack, but it's worth bearing in mind when you decide where to place the valve during your run.</div>
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It would be nice to have some mesh pockets over the sides of the belt, to give more easy access to food, but that's definitely a nice-to-have. The current mesh pockets are pretty easy to get to, and getting into the main pockets is not a problem, especially if you quickly turn it around so you have everything in front for a couple of minutes.</div>
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<h4>
Overall</h4>
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Much to my surprise, it's a pretty nice pack. I expected to hate it, but in the end I appreciated that it's a comfortable and efficient way of carrying a lot of kit. I would certainly say it's more comfortable than some of the Inov-8 packs I've got hanging in the closet, which was a real shock.</div>
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<h4>
Would I Recommend it?</h4>
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If you're after a small belt for fast and light racing, this isn't for you. But if you want to have everything you need for a comfortable few hours out on the run, this is a really nice pack. </div>
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Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-56761972577499210892015-02-13T22:39:00.001+00:002015-02-14T09:36:53.406+00:00Rocky Raccoon 50 - Weeks of Anxiety Undone in Just a Few Hours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Nic ran the Rocky Raccoon 50 the weekend after my hundred. To say that the hardest part was getting to the starting line doesn't doesn't really do justice to the pre-race nerves. Read her take on the race and run-in to it below.</div>
<br />
<hr />
<br />
As is often the case, I entered Rocky Raccoon 50 after a few glasses of wine (or I should say, I allowed Kurt to enter me). I had toyed with the idea, since we'd be in Texas anyway, and I thought it might give me some good motivation to train consistently through the winter months. The wine made me brave - or stupid - and before I knew it I had an email from Tejas Trails confirming my entry. <br />
<br />
2014 wasn't the best running year I've ever had. I managed a total of one race race all year long, the Cheltenham Circular Marathon, a slow but lovely plod in the searing heat, after the most minimal of training. I've been running regularly, but with no consistency. Surely a 50 miler in early 2015 would focus my mind. Kurt did me a training plan, and I attempted to follow it. This went ok for a while, and I managed a couple of really enjoyable long runs. Then a combination of a cold, a foot injury and a packed work schedule put various flies in the ointment. Christmas came and went, and still I had only managed three long runs (none more than 20 miles). Time was running out to get those miles in, so I had to focus on quality back-to-back runs, managing 40 miles in 5 days in early January. Then - another blooming cold and cough and another two weeks off.<br />
<br />
We arrived in Texas two weeks before my race. I was seriously lacking in confidence, but Coach Kurt kept telling me that I could build into Rocky by doing lots of miles in the first week of our holiday, tapering in the second, and could still get round intact. I did not believe him! Especially when running felt so awful. I was struggling badly with tightness and pain in my hamstring and quad in my right leg, and my chest felt tight each time I pushed myself. My energy levels were poor and my running self-esteem was non-existent. But I did manage to run around 38 miles that week. It's rather lovely not to have to fit work into a week of running. My final run of the week was a 12 mile recce in Huntsville State Park itself, while Kurt did the packet pickup and a bit of chatting prior to his race. It was a beautiful afternoon in the park, with the lake glistening in the sunlight and the birds singing in the woods. The route was a bit hillier than I remembered it being though, so those seeds of doubt didn't stop growing. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarEz_HRgW8vdU5PQA_LheWqozNGx6cr6fgaNFsL4tV1Y0iaumPXTK5w4QqbIHlfSFgdnAmFWrC2Da2iz72HaudAkvqp52ozBLKnXrFRjwEBklnDsmCyYqRgAvkFy9CnkFXcJmfFbOkBOV/s1600/2015-01-30+15.15.24-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarEz_HRgW8vdU5PQA_LheWqozNGx6cr6fgaNFsL4tV1Y0iaumPXTK5w4QqbIHlfSFgdnAmFWrC2Da2iz72HaudAkvqp52ozBLKnXrFRjwEBklnDsmCyYqRgAvkFy9CnkFXcJmfFbOkBOV/s1600/2015-01-30+15.15.24-1.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Raven in the late afternoon sun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy running in a beautiful location.</td></tr>
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I'd like to say that crewing Kurt in his 100 miler provided me with inspiration for my race. In some ways it did, as being around ultrarunners and crew is always uplifting and awe-inspiring. But standing at the finish line at 4am, seeing runners in various states of disrepair make their way out for their 4th and 5th laps, exhausted and in pain - well, that just scared me. What if I was in that kind of state after the halfway mark? Seeing Kurt's feet and bruises after his race made me feel sick with fear. His training for the 100 had been fabulous; he was way better prepared than me and yet he was a bit of a mess for a few days. I didn't want to be finishing in really bad shape and I was fearful that I would, if I finished atall. I had an emotional couple of days in the week following, and came very close indeed to pulling out of RR50. I simply did not feel well-enough prepared and was anxious that I was going to spend the day punishing myself, while I should be enjoying myself - after all, I'm on holiday!!! A long chat with Coach Kurt helped me figure some stuff out. I didn't want to DNS - that would be worse than a DNF. The worst that could happen was that I could have a go. I felt confident that I could complete one lap (each lap is 16.7 miles) and get around a second, which would have me completing an ultra-distance, and if I was too knackered to start a third, that was ok. Mentally letting myself off the hook put me in a new and much happier frame of mind. <br />
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Amazingly, as we arrived in Huntsville on Friday afternoon, stopping for lunch at the excellent Five Loaves Deli again, I actually began to feel excitement, where before there had only been anxiety. I was feeling relaxed and smiley as I picked up my race packet and listened to the race briefing. We headed back to the Days Inn in Conroe, about 20 mins south of the state park, where I got all my kit and food ready for the next day. Crackerbarrel for dinner, then we were in bed by 10. I slept ok, and by 5am we were back at the state park, raring to go! I was no longer feeling negative, but instead looking forward to running. I'd posted a Facebook status before going to bed, telling anyone who was interested that I needed a bit of luck to finish, but I was going to try to be positive and have a go - by the time I got up in the morning, there were so many wonderful uplifting messages on my page, I was quite inspired. <br />
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It was really rather chilly (about 3 degrees celsius) at the start, which made kit choice a little challenging, especially as temperatures were forecast to get into the low 20s later, with plenty of sunshine. Luckily, my lovely father in law had loaned me some arm-warmers, which worked really well - I started the race in shorts, t-shirt, buff on my head and around my neck, and the nice warm arm-warmers. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brrrrr!!!!</td></tr>
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The one piece of kit that let me down was my Garmin. It's been playing up for a while, with the screen blanking from time to time, but generally had been working fine all of the week before. Frustratingly, as I turned it on at the start line, the display had more or less disappeared. I only wanted it to make sure I wasn't starting off too fast, as it's so very easy to do. Oh well, I'd just have to use my judgement. So I started near the back, and off we went. The darkness, rootiness of the course and congestion of other runners made it easy to keep the pace really easy. The other runners around me were happy, friendly and chatty, although I really didn't want to run with anyone in particular - it was important to me to run my own pace and not get caught up with anyone else. So I let the conversation float over my head, just enjoying listening and joining in with the occasional comment. In no time atall, the first checkpoint came, I ditched my arm-warmers and Kurt gave me breakfast - a bag of cheese and crackers. The checkpoints in this race are every 3-4 miles, which is great. I'd originally planned a run-walk strategy, based on running to the CPs then walking for a few minutes. But on advice from Coach Kurt, and after my recce where I realised the course wasn't flat, my tactic became to jog on the flat, coast the downhills (mind the tree roots!!) and walk and eat on the uphills. So I duly stuffed my face with pepperjack cheese as I walked the long drag uphill after the first CP. <br />
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Lap one was easy. The forest was cool, shrouded in mist. It was so beautiful in places, I was sad not to have my phone with me to snap a few photos. I found it easy to tap out an easy rhythm which felt very sustainable. I was enjoying eating lots of cheese, some crackers and the oreos at the checkpoints. I ate far more than I ever have in the early stages of a race, which I think helped me a great deal later. Kurt was there to greet me at the Park Road CP (~13miles) and to tell me that I was moving at a really good pace, but not too fast. He looked happy, I felt great and the sun was beginning to shine. I arrived at the start/finish 3 hours 45 mins after I started. Jerry had arrived - I heard him clanging his cowbells before I saw him, which made me smile broadly. Every time I heard them all day, it just made me smile and laugh. I changed my t-shirt into a vest, drank some fizzy water and ate some oreos, and left for lap 2 still smiling, and fully expecting to slow down significantly. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Qq-MUAoCg8Fcl0sBjVpq8RXaHtDE3zPJIXiYQ4j1GF00j6-cnLk02Vcpve2qwswnCi7Ue81onT9PgW4M4-cDkhyphenhyphen7Kqr6CJYq2jhhUOeG7ljjupxS5ipdXJj9zYyV21D886entZJm_O-L/s1600/WP_20150207_10_29_39_Pro+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Qq-MUAoCg8Fcl0sBjVpq8RXaHtDE3zPJIXiYQ4j1GF00j6-cnLk02Vcpve2qwswnCi7Ue81onT9PgW4M4-cDkhyphenhyphen7Kqr6CJYq2jhhUOeG7ljjupxS5ipdXJj9zYyV21D886entZJm_O-L/s1600/WP_20150207_10_29_39_Pro+1.jpg" height="320" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All smiles after 20 miles.</td></tr>
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Lap two continued in much the same vein as lap one. I tapped out my rhythm and kept on moving comfortably. I'd moved from cheese and crackers to Clif Builder Bars (mint chocolate) which I find quite yummy, but by ~23 miles, I was starting to feel a bit nauseous. Kurt had stocked my waist pack with water bottles filled with GU electrolyte stuff, which I found surprisingly palatable. It was getting a bit warm by now, as the early mist had well and truly burnt off. I made sure to have some salt tabs at the DamNation CP. There was a small section of the trail where there was no tree cover, alongside the lake - I'd been running for around 5-6 hours and it was late morning - it was HOT! Thankfully it wasn't a long stretch before being blissfully among the trees again. I got passed by the winner at this point - wow, he was moving so fast, with less than 10 miles to go and I still had a lap and a half to go! I was feeling a little bit ropey and had no idea what to eat. I knew I had to keep eating. I was forcing down small bites of builders bar. The CP at DamNation, which was 6miles and 8.7mi into the lap had a huge array of food on offer - even bacon and pancakes on the first lap! - and I looked at it for inspiration before pouncing on the pickles. I've never eaten pickles while running before, but I think I'm now a convert. I saw them, and had to eat them, then wanted them all the rest of the day. They tasted amazing - salty, sour and palate cleansing - goodbye nausea! I carried on to Park Road feeling good again, with Kurt there to meet me and inform me that I was still running a good pace. Park Road is 4 miles from the start finish area, and the section of trail between the this CP and the start/finish is lovely - twisty, turny, undulating and rooty. For some reason, 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen came into my head, and I started singing out loud (there was no one around). I had such a big smile on my face as I realised that I was going to be able to start a third lap, and 50 miles began to feel like a reality. I finished lap 2 in 3 hours 55 mins. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pickles and a quick chat about food and then Coach Kurt kicked me straight out onto lap 3.</td></tr>
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I still felt strong, had no injury problems and continued to be able to move along freely and comfortably. Foodwise, I was struggling a little, but I'd eaten so much in the first lap, I was reaping the benefits, and as long as I topped up with some gels and shot bloks, my energy levels were good. As I came through the out-and-back part of the course after the DamNation CP, having run 42 miles, I counted at least 20 people behind me - what a shocker! I was getting a bit tired now, and I was having to tell myself to keep running. I think my brain was more tired than my legs, as when I was running, my pace was still perfectly steady and comfortable. Still, I couldn't stop smiling - apart from when I had to shout at myself - DO NOT FALL DOWN!! Kurt, Jerry and Marilane were all waiting for me at the last CP, which was so lovely - those cowbells again! The last four miles were hard, mostly because it was the only part of the race where I had no company. So much of this route is two-way, so you constantly get to see and encourage (and get encouragement from) the faster runners. But of course, they had all finished, so I was on my own. I talked to myself a lot in those last four miles! I did get a little tearful knowing that I had almost done it, when I really didn't think I could, but those tearful feelings turned to pure joy and elation when I crossed the last road crossing into the finishing straight. The cowbells again!! I put my foot down and finished strongly, there was plenty left in the tank! I had such a big grin on my face - if only that feeling could be bottled! I finished my third lap in almost the same time as my second, with a finishing time of 11hours 33mins, and more than 90 people behind me or dropped out. At the start, I would have been utterly delighted to have believed I could have finished in less than 13 hours - I just wanted to make sure I could finish in time to enjoy dinner and margaritas with friends and family. I am still shocked at the time - Coach Kurt has joked that maybe I've found my distance. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only person I know who didn't think I'd get here when we left the UK...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0a8pLRKw57BcfClPA6_u8WHbreSnDtF9fNvKlE8R2U3sDK4pEHSdWQHA3K1Sm2PNFTc8yd_-QzSCkUjf5T7Mv2qOdFerqZN6MiyGnxp-_S1dWq5z624PnNX1RbrkOX69AoAE8wTEIfRP/s1600/2015-02-08+08.02.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0a8pLRKw57BcfClPA6_u8WHbreSnDtF9fNvKlE8R2U3sDK4pEHSdWQHA3K1Sm2PNFTc8yd_-QzSCkUjf5T7Mv2qOdFerqZN6MiyGnxp-_S1dWq5z624PnNX1RbrkOX69AoAE8wTEIfRP/s1600/2015-02-08+08.02.57.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bling!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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Overall, this was a day where simply everything went right. I got my pacing, nutrition, clothing, fluids all just right. My excellent crew helped greatly, of course. I'm incredibly proud of myself for beating my demons and managing to run positively and happily. And I'm so grateful to all my friends and family who were rooting for me - knowing they were there supporting me and encouraging me really helped to keep me going. Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-20093408854660652112015-02-05T23:59:00.002+00:002015-02-05T23:59:59.523+00:002015 Rocky Raccoon 100 - Running HappyThe great thing about running long is that no matter what you plan for, or how well you think you know your body, the course, the weather, or your gear, something unexpected always turns up to make you think. At this year's <a href="http://www.tejastrails.com/Rocky.html" target="_blank">Rocky Raccoon 100</a>, I got to enjoy a lot of my plans going right, and a few going ever so awry. The key word there is "enjoy," and in spite of my newly super-sized big toes, I really did enjoy pretty much every minute of my race.<br />
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To say that this year's event has been a key goal ever since <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/2014/02/rocky-raccoon-100.html" target="_blank">last year's disappointing DNF</a> would be an understatement. Most of my <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.com/p/shoes-la-sportiva-crosslite-xc-inov-8-f.html" target="_blank">gear reviewing</a> has been based around fixing weaknesses identified last year. The races I have run have had little to do with this year's attempt, but the many races I chose not to run were almost all about making sure I had the legs to go the distance. What can I say? That DNF hurt a lot, and I wasn't in the mood to let it happen again.<br />
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<br />
So, what went right? The pre-race build up was the first thing I got right. The goal was to arrive in Huntsville in a positive frame of mind. The next improvement on last year was to have my own food for the entire race, so the aid stations were top-up and back-up, rather than the mainstay of my nutrition. I geared my choices early on to things that I would want to eat even when not feeling hungry, because I've found that I feel hungry about 5 minutes before I bonk. The final plan that worked out better than 2014 was to use a very light bottle belt instead of a race vest - I'd tested the <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/we-bought-ultimate-direction-scott.html" style="background-color: white; color: #3a98c4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20.2222232818604px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Ultimate Direction Scott Jurek Endure Belt</a> repeatedly and knew it would do the job and give me the chance to dissipate heat more efficiently than a vest would. With those pieces in place, together with a better training block in the Fall, I started and ran the whole race with no concern about whether I'd finish, and with a lot of confidence that a PB was completely achievable.<br />
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However, something always goes wrong in an ultra - you're out there too long for it not to. I had some particularly exciting lighting problems, and did a bit of a number on my big toes with a few of the roots along the way. But, because I felt positive throughout, I never really got down about the problems - I just set about finding solutions or carried on regardless. I think a lot of that positivity was helped by calorie-loading early on and maintaining a manageable pace - so I didn't have a major energy dip until quite close to the end.<br />
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Overall, I ran happy - and running happy makes everything else that much easier to put into perspective. For the details & pics, keep reading!<br />
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<h4>
Pre-race</h4>
The plan was to relax and catch up with family while we took an extra couple of days to acclimate to the local weather. Since Nic is doing the 50 (one week after the 100), and had the joy of a winter cold in mid-January, the plan also included a few good runs on local trails in Austin & Round Rock to make sure we were building up to the race well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwefp95psPXjptgN1cMbGDYBkLQ8_ZGPuElNZyCuxKlHFRxoBxa1axj-OXqgMB6MROhSBIQUjDYhLPZWSY1Et5xfMK3N7UuzeDNPiXMbgy8QOwZnPwzjI2oop6B-IQ5ZoZ-p3uD-kAsrH/s1600/2015-01-26+14.41.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwefp95psPXjptgN1cMbGDYBkLQ8_ZGPuElNZyCuxKlHFRxoBxa1axj-OXqgMB6MROhSBIQUjDYhLPZWSY1Et5xfMK3N7UuzeDNPiXMbgy8QOwZnPwzjI2oop6B-IQ5ZoZ-p3uD-kAsrH/s1600/2015-01-26+14.41.34.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great weather for the build-up runs - Lady Bird Lake looking beautiful in the warm sun.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0v6hGHklb6U9LCYcW6L3CcrP__wdB7ETsDVxaJV3Qx6ptQCvMe83asW1-GJPZTdD0tq-4jUsfU8WWZ7hfdLYe7LGN6p0106vCDTcSRhVWkPvCs7tT_kPbSq6ljK-4d4pxL954Vmt6G2Q/s1600/2015-01-27+10.27.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0v6hGHklb6U9LCYcW6L3CcrP__wdB7ETsDVxaJV3Qx6ptQCvMe83asW1-GJPZTdD0tq-4jUsfU8WWZ7hfdLYe7LGN6p0106vCDTcSRhVWkPvCs7tT_kPbSq6ljK-4d4pxL954Vmt6G2Q/s1600/2015-01-27+10.27.36.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking my <a href="http://www.eveshamvalerunningclub.org.uk/" target="_blank">EVRC</a> club vest out for a spin in 20C temps - High Summer in January!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's always important to include recovery and enjoyment into any training schedule, and the fine weather in the week before race day certainly encouraged some relaxing time outdoors.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbokxBRxmx_etO-aw09-IpDXjfCF2J6K3xjwHOkWrXpvyAfJb56MRukGNsLE1DxV8YgssblexOnhmBHG4etoo6gYaWmMsfj2Sw2cmCVwPqewSx18IuKLcLZSxdoOtbpiseP65zrqIF23Y/s1600/2015-01-26+16.42.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbokxBRxmx_etO-aw09-IpDXjfCF2J6K3xjwHOkWrXpvyAfJb56MRukGNsLE1DxV8YgssblexOnhmBHG4etoo6gYaWmMsfj2Sw2cmCVwPqewSx18IuKLcLZSxdoOtbpiseP65zrqIF23Y/s1600/2015-01-26+16.42.14.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunshine and warmth begets the occasional afternoon libation.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ftt7XNs-0zuMm1khx3MbstPdiyo-mjntD3-cVoE67NcTXHTpI79ylfur-z2AUneO2EgMSoKC7EcdInZzmtiBNEyaWi7pmb9Uw0vbIpSj7CoL0hzSlEkCAFjyfF50rW9R5_Yb0qtyX44q/s1600/2015-01-28+11.15.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ftt7XNs-0zuMm1khx3MbstPdiyo-mjntD3-cVoE67NcTXHTpI79ylfur-z2AUneO2EgMSoKC7EcdInZzmtiBNEyaWi7pmb9Uw0vbIpSj7CoL0hzSlEkCAFjyfF50rW9R5_Yb0qtyX44q/s1600/2015-01-28+11.15.15.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you've never been here, you've missed out on some of the most amazing donuts in the land. Eat more than one, though, and you may have to take up ultras to keep the weight off.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All told, the week leading up to the race was perfect. We arrived on Friday in Huntsville with me excited and ready to run, and Nic delighted to take a few hours recce-ing the 50 route alone (ie without me yapping incessantly).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCJhUQhAePhWtT2iHakvtwdLGGQBOifTfPaiUtSB0DhmFTjJcJYgMs_kobu9VeLNKG86CCtOEamghtwH-XjlrqlgalKY3tvhG-oBDgPtX5ZTuBGMxmbsosP2QOAdK76MtgmerCs5kUCzN/s1600/2015-01-30+15.15.24-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCJhUQhAePhWtT2iHakvtwdLGGQBOifTfPaiUtSB0DhmFTjJcJYgMs_kobu9VeLNKG86CCtOEamghtwH-XjlrqlgalKY3tvhG-oBDgPtX5ZTuBGMxmbsosP2QOAdK76MtgmerCs5kUCzN/s1600/2015-01-30+15.15.24-1.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raven Lake looking good in the sun on Nic's run</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6y2RdvyeBIOk0GqP1J_9Kv2sqnQ08faMjBpuZJvTcoGxj7IYXa5gBx8ly8PcjmgzkImrekXZ_vKIJJQdRFoxYWgLlNRDxL8fLtXjow7rKlcUGq5oD1ICd6VVJPVxRR3-vus7ho_agh6Xy/s1600/2015-01-31+20.50.43.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6y2RdvyeBIOk0GqP1J_9Kv2sqnQ08faMjBpuZJvTcoGxj7IYXa5gBx8ly8PcjmgzkImrekXZ_vKIJJQdRFoxYWgLlNRDxL8fLtXjow7rKlcUGq5oD1ICd6VVJPVxRR3-vus7ho_agh6Xy/s1600/2015-01-31+20.50.43.jpeg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nic capturing the evening light on the boardwalk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
While Nic enjoyed some well-earned peace, I meandered over to packet pickup, enjoyed the race briefing, and caught up with some fellow runners. I managed to catch up with Stephen Rodgers, who was kilted up for the event, and we reminisced over the 2014 humidity trial (he passed the test, finishing in the freezing rain after the sweltering Saturday). I also had the joy of meeting <a href="http://www.endorphindude.com/" target="_blank">Tony Nguyen</a>, who takes running happy to a whole new level of big smiles and super enthusiasm. I dropped my DamNation drop-bag, started panicking over where I'd packed my rain jackets (eventually found in time for the final sort-out), and then picked up Nic for an early dinner.<br />
<br />
Like so many of the runners, we were up at stupid-o'clock (3:45am) to allow plenty of time to get through the queues into <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftpwd.texas.gov%2Fstate-parks%2Fhuntsville&ei=1GrSVLGBDYqYyQTpkoG4Bg&usg=AFQjCNG8z3NsYjsVIYbA5pbC7uy-iYvzEw&sig2=JPOLmakxfYEyArl8A4kgLg&bvm=bv.85076809,d.aWw" target="_blank">Huntsville State Park</a>. While I got set up at Dogwood, Nic headed off to the Nature Center station, which would be her base with Dad for the day. Pre-race, I caught up with Brits Chris Mills and <a href="http://www.centurionrunning.com/" target="_blank">James Elson</a>. James would be shooting for a high placing, while Chris and I were both aiming for sub-24. Time flew quickly, and before I had time to get properly nervous, we were off and running.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmEm8We3JLzixx8eNJOU0-FyjFfh5P46OH-_m46Rer5g-FoHhFMvl7Te71q82WyzkmMjpq0svzIqSwqVe-62-9HlQNgUACCmmvw2bFCQEzDTVz_vB5uOQezTKpMA8xnYtQbGxpkRL7pI1/s1600/DSCN0806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmEm8We3JLzixx8eNJOU0-FyjFfh5P46OH-_m46Rer5g-FoHhFMvl7Te71q82WyzkmMjpq0svzIqSwqVe-62-9HlQNgUACCmmvw2bFCQEzDTVz_vB5uOQezTKpMA8xnYtQbGxpkRL7pI1/s1600/DSCN0806.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrapped up in the chilly wee hours.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
I set myself towards the back half of the 367-strong field, knowing that a gentle walk-jog for the first 5km would be a good way to ease through the early (dark) miles without blowing a lot of energy and hopefully without catching too many roots. I was looking for a 3:50-4:00 first lap, with plenty of food and drink along the way. Nic was supplying me with rather tasty BLT wraps for the first few hours, and I looked forward to each of my snack-break uphills. With yummy snacks, easy running, and friendly faces around, I thoroughly enjoyed my 20mi warm-up. That first lap went pretty much perfectly (3:52). By starting in the back, I was constantly passing people rather than running with them. While not the most sociable way to spend the morning, it meant that I could exchange pleasantries but avoided accidentally tapping into someone else's pace - a mistake I made repeatedly in 2014. It also gave me the opportunity to play a little chatty leapfrog with Brandon Holloway (25:50) and Roy Pirrung (26:44) as our run/walk strategies overlapped.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGA1SwsVnrPGSmI2_yxl55Q_USwZVhgSMyyFb6baeyE2M-Kzb0KO0HgxDup6lUQcZBUwux64ONcu9fvZQ-R7lYoD-054t3WN3iItJoeQ6TTRZGTlItDIPUpOLSkM8wBvkyPulRkY3Et0h/s1600/DSCN0808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGA1SwsVnrPGSmI2_yxl55Q_USwZVhgSMyyFb6baeyE2M-Kzb0KO0HgxDup6lUQcZBUwux64ONcu9fvZQ-R7lYoD-054t3WN3iItJoeQ6TTRZGTlItDIPUpOLSkM8wBvkyPulRkY3Et0h/s1600/DSCN0808.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeling fresh after the first lap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Much like the first lap, the second was full of gentle running, eating (now with a couple of hummus wraps thrown into the mix), walking up hills, and a bit of chit-chat with runners as we passed and re-passed with our various run/walk strategies. Nic and Dad continued to look after me like pros at the 3 accessible aid stations. Nic and I had already agreed that her job was to be bossy, and my job was to do what I was told - never easy, but it worked beautifully on the day. The roots started to get a bit bigger and easier to trip over, and the hills seemed slightly longer and steeper than on lap one, but I was still in a happy place, bimbling along through the peaceful woods. By now, the out-and-back segments were a bit trickier, since runners were running in both directions on the narrow trail. It was a chance to exchange encouraging words (leading to me thinking of them as the "Good job!" sections) and also see how others were getting on. By the time I'd reached 30 miles, I started to feel a hot spot on my right heel, so stopped and patched it before it became a problem. Messing about with the sock, I noticed a stinging feeling on my big toe, so had a look, and sure enough found some blisters starting up. I hadn't felt anything at all, so counted myself lucky, applied a couple of blister plasters, and got moving again. The few minutes lost tipped me a little outside schedule for the lap (4:01), but it was time very well spent. The heat started to get a bit much, so I reverted to my youth and bared my pasty torso on the run for the first time in decades, and felt much better for all the extra air.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Picture? I was topless, and the glare was just too much for the camera.</i></div>
<br />
The goal for lap 3 was to avoid over-heating and over-working, so that I'd still have something in the tank for the final 40. Really, it's best not to think too hard in the middle section about things like "next time I'm here, it's only 40 miles left to go!". So, I kept concentrating on the time it would take to the next aid station, whether I was eating enough, drinking enough, or getting my feet high enough. Food and drink were fine. My feet, however, were not always getting over the roots, and I started to kick the whatsit out of my big toes. Plenty of times I just glanced off the little hazards, but every so often I would catch one flush on the big toe and feel a sharp pain shoot through my whole foot. I guess the upside was that I was still moving fast enough to hit the roots hard. Somehow (probably due to reasonable training and plenty of early calories), I maintained a cheery mood and shrugged off the blows as "well, who needs toenails anyway?". In about a week, I expect I'll be looking at my nail-less toes and wishing I had done a better job of getting my feet up. I finished the lap in good time for Nic and Dad to get me set up for the night before they headed off for some well-earned rest (4:39). The heat was slowing me down, but not taking a long-term toll like it had the year before.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Still topless - apparently people were turned to stone by the sight.</i></div>
<br />
Lap 4 took the race into proper problem-solving mode. It was dark by the time I left Dogwood for the penultimate time, and I forgot to pick up my spare batteries. I knew the dark laps would be slower than the light ones, if only because I'd be tired and having to take a bit more care on the roots. Early in the loop, I had a brief chance to chat with <a href="http://runtrails.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Scott Dunlap</a> (new PR of 17:06, age-group win) - a big boost for me since he was a big inspiration for me to set up on my own. At DamNation, before heading out for 10km of dark single-track, a volunteer asked if I had my spare batteries. I thought briefly and realized that they were still at Dogwood. Hoping that my new <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/gear-review-led-lenser-seo7r.html" style="background-color: white; color: #3a98c4; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20.2222232818604px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">LED Lenser SEO7R</a> would still have plenty of charge on it from the morning, I set off into the darkness. A mile later, the light switched to low power. Compound errors: I hadn't really learned to use the SEO functionality or the battery-saving function, and had been running fairly high-powered to make sure I didn't catch too many roots. So, I walked up the hill in very dim light, hoping that a passing runner might have spare AAA batteries I could use. After a few AA carriers, Ace Gallegos offered me his spare light - which was back at DamNation. Ace was shooting for a 22hr finish and was motoring through a painful ITB, so I stuck to him like glue. I kept my light on the lowest power and widest angle to give some ambient light, and Ace had his spot on quite bright, picking out the major trip hazards. Every now and then, I missed one with the eyes and found it with the toes, and I hit the ground at least twice on that section (I was more focused on sticking to Ace than anything else, so I really don't know how many times I tripped, fell, or turned an ankle). We got back to the aid station still in good time for a 22hr, and Ace very kindly sorted me out with a light before taking some time to work on his leg. I finished the lap with an opportunity to grab a 22hr, and ample time to get the sub-24. After sorting out my light with fresh batteries, returning Ace's with some fresh batteries, and grabbing my backup H7R for some secondary lighting, I grabbed my lap-5 gels and set out aiming for a 4am finish.<br />
<br />
Lap 5 was a tale of two halves. With the SEO7R on my head providing a mid-power wide angle, and my H7R on high-power spot focus any time I was running, I was able to keep moving at a pretty good pace. Nature Center came and went, with my pace near enough to 14min/mi. DamNation arrived in similar fashion. I was starting to properly tire by the time I got to the half way point, but was still looking at a 4:00-4:15 finish time, if I could maintain my effort level. I knew the second half of the loop was potentially faster, but I also had 90 miles in my legs and was definitely feeling it. The final visit to DamNation came at around 1:50, and I'd been working hard on that loop to keep the potential for that 4am finish. Once I got off the Dam Road and back onto the single track, though, the effort of staying on plan A+ bit back, and I knew it was time for a longish walk. I also realised I needed to put in some new batteries to keep the bright light (maybe next time I'll get some new ones instead of picking up a few 2-year old ones. Thus far, I'd managed to avoid walking on the flats for anything other than comfort break, aid station, or some of the really rooty sections where a 10s walk is better than a face-plant. Now, I knew I was bonking a bit, so I put on a fastish walk, popped my last 2 gels, aiming for 30-40 minutes of walking. I figured the difference between 2 20-minute miles and 2 15-minute miles was pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. The 22hr finish was gone, so the next goal was a PB (previous 23:17, on a much easier course). After 20 minutes, I was on some good running track and got back to running - I couldn't bring myself to miss out on flat fire road. It wasn't fast, and it wasn't pretty, but it was kind of like running. My lights started dimming a bit (or possibly it was my brain), so I got a bit paranoid that I was going to end up in the dark again and started to push harder on the easy footing and eased off on the trippy bits. I dropped nearly 40 minutes over that last 8 miles, but ended with a strong run on the nice, flat final straight to cheers from Nic and Dad, who'd crawled out of bed at way-too-early to see me finish. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibCQFnj5PkRVDsX48CNkUBEzu3bRvDwRgwxfBCN1v_lAFfGMAcJ3hRDGefLFTtu7Si2wtykdwyGkCjm-si9PCc74nynT2V1DH21U9CKlQszX9dw8JZVtOtw50iDn0EVrym_jYbhzeXf7y/s1600/2015-02-01+04.42.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibCQFnj5PkRVDsX48CNkUBEzu3bRvDwRgwxfBCN1v_lAFfGMAcJ3hRDGefLFTtu7Si2wtykdwyGkCjm-si9PCc74nynT2V1DH21U9CKlQszX9dw8JZVtOtw50iDn0EVrym_jYbhzeXf7y/s1600/2015-02-01+04.42.31.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurrah - finished with time for a nap before breakfast!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We enjoyed the euphoria of the finish (22:41), and headed to the car, and just about then the happy fell away as my battered toes started to say hello. Sunday was a bit rough, but it was all made better by a little anesthetic in the evening.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajWS_qX-JAPSmiFEHzMI-r1g0RoS4qQQBdrMbiHu7yUBLsHkYYTS7wBDnVjJhgL1QLe6vWoy3e3iFqx09h7m9X3U5swtz_Azhp3Zywfvv3GlmhhEZ5S6q1E1vb_k3tHAOJk9SGDPLg8Xt/s1600/2015-02-01+17.45.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajWS_qX-JAPSmiFEHzMI-r1g0RoS4qQQBdrMbiHu7yUBLsHkYYTS7wBDnVjJhgL1QLe6vWoy3e3iFqx09h7m9X3U5swtz_Azhp3Zywfvv3GlmhhEZ5S6q1E1vb_k3tHAOJk9SGDPLg8Xt/s1600/2015-02-01+17.45.59.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice treatment made everything better!<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h4>
Gear:</h4>
<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/shoe-review-salomon-fellraiser.html" target="_blank">Salomon Fellraisers</a> (<a href="http://www.run-stuff.co.uk/" target="_blank">Run Stuff</a>)<br />
<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/gear-review-injinji-performance-20.html" target="_blank">Injinji Performance 2.0 Trail Socks</a> (<a href="http://www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com/" target="_blank">ULTRAmarathonRunningStore</a>)<br />
<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/gear-review-gaiters-inov-8-vs-dirty-girl.html" target="_blank">Dirty Girl Gaiters</a> (UMRS)<br />
Ancient Brooks shorts<br />
Cotswold Running Singlet (Run Stuff)<br />
2x Cotswold Running Short-sleeved T-Shirts (Run Stuff)<br />
dhb Arm Warmers<br />
Cotswold Running Buff<br />
<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/gear-review-led-lenser-seo7r.html" target="_blank">Ultimate Direction Scott Jurek Endure Belt</a> (UMRS)<br />
<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/gear-review-led-lenser-seo7r.html" target="_blank">LED Lenser H7R and SEO7R head torches</a> (UMRS)<br />
<br />
<h4>
Food (as best as I remember):</h4>
4.5 BLT wraps (2 rashers of bacon, a bit of mayo, lettuce, tomato in a small tortilla)<br />
2 hummus wraps<br />
9 Oreo cookies<br />
3 TORQ pineapple & ginger energy bars<br />
1 large Clif Chocolate Mint Builders Bars<br />
~5 small Clif Chocolate Mint Builders Bars<br />
~15 Hammer salt tablets<br />
4 TORQ Energy gels<br />
4 TORQ Energy caffeinated gels<br />
4 Gu isotonic tablets<br />
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<br />Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-33073881816116934112014-12-05T16:19:00.000+00:002014-12-05T16:19:34.756+00:00Gear Review: Ultimate Performance "Performance Head Torch"I've not been racing much lately, as I try to focus on getting my act together for my next attempt at 100 miles. I thought about writing a nice little post on how I get my friends to drag me out on long training runs, but then the folks at <a href="http://www.run-stuff.co.uk/" target="_blank">Run Stuff</a> asked me to review some of their products, and frankly that sounded like a much more interesting thing to do, write, and probably read!<br />
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When Lou handed me the <a href="http://www.run-stuff.co.uk/Ultimate_Performance_Head_Torch--product--297.html" target="_blank">Performance Head Torch</a>, by Ultimate Performance, I thought, "it doesn't look like much, but at least it's light." I also thought it would be great for those runs when you're out on the roads / paths in the winter, where street lighting is mixed or variable but footing is mostly certain. So, that's where I took it to have a play. [disclosure: I got to try the light out for free. All views on the product are my own.]<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgdiXWaaxpLrj-YQs4YCwlUrN3PJoMa3OuZHgeXl4AAmCBMJjsww65FB8icftyQQ1fdGy-2FJYVfzUxP_XDjTAPNIsb6DYVcEW8iOTDpHFthW2Wjy-x4CCWY8Q96GRh_-FDPIILDccPge/s1600/UP-Torch-RunStuff1-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgdiXWaaxpLrj-YQs4YCwlUrN3PJoMa3OuZHgeXl4AAmCBMJjsww65FB8icftyQQ1fdGy-2FJYVfzUxP_XDjTAPNIsb6DYVcEW8iOTDpHFthW2Wjy-x4CCWY8Q96GRh_-FDPIILDccPge/s1600/UP-Torch-RunStuff1-small.jpg" height="285" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple: LED, Lens, Clip, Strap.</td></tr>
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<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Packaging</h4>
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When I took the torch out of its container, it took me a few seconds to figure out how to turn it on. There are no buttons anywhere. The on/off is a function of the assembly, much like many an old hand torch - loosen the lens to turn off, tighten to turn on. You have to be careful not to loosen too much, or you'll pop the front off (this, by the way, is how you change the batteries).</div>
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The torch is very lightweight, coming in at 25g (excluding the CR2016 batteries). It has a single high-intensity LED which sits behind a magnifying lens. The light is fixed onto a hinge, allowing it to click into position through a range of 90 degrees to suit your needs. I found that swiveling down towards the pavement when I was running towards people was a simple way to avoid dazzling them as I ran past. There are plenty of notches, so you have a lot of flexibility in how you angle the beam. And, since the hinge is on a clip, you can easily clip the light onto your peaked cap if you want - not easy to do with most head torches.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1A7IWQzAJtalVZeK67qEKK4WzAE9PsLXvz0NDP2eWL_jl1cVkxjy23cUaXmXe-N8ESS0jTXvlos12oCIBUclKdUuMJe3eRQWSoB1LfUZq5XcvR-d317GaF0PjSRtMYy0aQb1r3Jvr_Nn/s1600/UP-Torch-RunStuff2-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1A7IWQzAJtalVZeK67qEKK4WzAE9PsLXvz0NDP2eWL_jl1cVkxjy23cUaXmXe-N8ESS0jTXvlos12oCIBUclKdUuMJe3eRQWSoB1LfUZq5XcvR-d317GaF0PjSRtMYy0aQb1r3Jvr_Nn/s1600/UP-Torch-RunStuff2-small.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clip makes it easy to put the lamp on your cap, and there's plenty of beam angle flexibility.</td></tr>
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<h4>
Brightness</h4>
The first test of a small head torch is to overpower street lighting - there's no point in having something that isn't brighter than the ambient conditions. Evesham is blessed with some lumpy pavements under weak street lighting, so I headed along routes I can run without extra light, but only if I slow down and take extra care. The beam was sufficiently bright and large enough to make running at a comfortable pace (~8min/mi) very easy. There's no lumen figure given by Ultimate Performance, so it's difficult to compare directly with other torches.<br />
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Next, I headed for unlit footpaths (still tarmac), and found the beam to be quite sufficient. So, for country roads and other dark, slightly uneven surfaces, the brightness was fine. Digging in my backpack in the dark was also an easy task - and I wasn't being blinded by looking at reflective surfaces like I can be with my high-powered torch. I was able to use the light to see my Garmin, rather than use the backlight, thus saving the power for timing and GPS.<br />
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<h4>
Power</h4>
The single LED is powered by 2 CR2016 batteries (included). It's rated to have 16 hours continuous burn time. Because these are standard disposable lithium batteries, I would expect the light to dim somewhat in the final half of the battery life, but that's still plenty of time to cover those dark sections of your winter road runs. You'll probably need 2-3 sets of batteries to get you through the winter if you're staying in town, possibly a bit more if you're out on the country roads at night.<br />
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<h4>
Comfort</h4>
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This is where the Performance Head Torch really wins. It's light, there's a small pad on the back of the clip so it rests comfortably on the forehead, and the strap is small and unobtrusive. Compared to my LED Lenser H7R, which has an external battery pack, this was a joy to wear. It fits easily over a hat, and with the cap clip, can also attach to a chest strap or waistband, if you want a lower beam (very handy in foggy conditions!).</div>
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<h4>
Summary</h4>
<div>
So, given all of that, would I actually be willing to buy the Performance Head Torch? Yes: it would make a great addition to my kit cupboard. For running around town in the dark months, this torch is completely sufficient. I'd also be quite happy to take it on camping trips for those short, dark walks to the never-nearby facilities. For my long night runs on the trails, the light isn't enough for a primary light, but it would be fine for those races that require a 2nd torch in your kit bag (most useful for finding and fitting new batteries for your primary torch). It's a nice little all-rounder that will get you from A to B without a lot of fuss.</div>
Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-40329066658437724042014-09-21T10:54:00.000+01:002014-09-21T10:54:21.566+01:00Gear Review: Ultimate Direction JUREK ESSENTIAL Waist BeltIn my quest for the perfect solution to carrying a small amount of kit/food on the run, I got chatting with Keith Godden at <a href="http://www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com/">www.ULTRAmarathonRunningStore.com</a>. He's in the great position of hearing opinions from a wide range of runners and sales reps, so was a good sounding board for talking through some options. Knowing that I get as big a kick out of reviewing kit as trying it out, he sent me the <a href="http://www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com/Ultimate-Direction-JUREK-ESSENTIAL-Waist-Belt-p/udjurekessential.htm" target="_blank">Ultimate Direction JUREK ESSENTIAL Waist Belt</a> to try out and review. Having taken it out for a couple of hundred miles now, I've come to know it pretty well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkzubco_9IzQFu76TIkZYqAmL4W74bVaAPXuG-fygEjvfYVXIWLFdnyK_G1m3QF_C_tJs51JFz2HJAUUbxfGKjbIOGq5K4vzxqvU0xY_6kJlmug-NL8wNljgKmoh7H7hjW6LW6a9UkkbW/s1600/WP_20140725_09_43_15_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkzubco_9IzQFu76TIkZYqAmL4W74bVaAPXuG-fygEjvfYVXIWLFdnyK_G1m3QF_C_tJs51JFz2HJAUUbxfGKjbIOGq5K4vzxqvU0xY_6kJlmug-NL8wNljgKmoh7H7hjW6LW6a9UkkbW/s1600/WP_20140725_09_43_15_Pro.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ultimate Direction JUREK ESSENTIAL Waist Belt </td></tr>
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The belt is pretty simple - 3 pockets on a light belt. If you want to carry water in your belt, you should have a look at the JUREK ENDURE belt instead (<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/we-bought-ultimate-direction-scott.html" target="_blank">my review of it</a>). For my longer runs, and for shorter runs where I want to add some element of upper-body work-out, I've taken to carrying small handhelds with the ESSENTIAL belt. It's an ideal combination, since I can carry soft-flasks and avoid any irritating sloshing noises.<br />
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The three pockets offer a great range of options for carrying everything I need on most runs. Like the ENDURE belt, there are also two reflective race number snaps, which are both very bright and quite handy. The buckle is easy to operate and the belt tends to sit quite comfortably. Under the back pockets, the belt is a fine, breathable mesh which minimizes the heat retention on your back.<br />
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The small front pocket usually has some ID, some emergency cash, and my keys. The pocket has a Velcro closure which has stayed secure so far. Ideally, I'd rather carry my mini tin of Vaseline in this pocket than my keys, since I'm more likely to need that on the run. But, it's not quite the right shape so doesn't fit particularly well. <br />
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The left main pocket is waterproof, and big enough for most smartphones. My stupidly large Lumia 920 just fits, without its case. An iPhone would fit just fine in a case. I use the stretchy mesh right pocket for my first-aid kit, Vaseline, and if needed a few gels. Because this pocket isn't waterproof, anything I want to keep dry (plasters, tape, etc.) goes into a small plastic bag first. That's not really an issue for me, since I have my first-aid kit divvied up into small bags anyway, so I can quickly find what I need. If I want to carry more, like a jacket, I tend to simply slip an extra pouch onto the belt. So many jackets come with a carry pouch that has a belt loop, that it's quite an easy way to create additional space comfortably.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNB9Z22gRc0rdc3Vu1rla0-j3tW11XHhRmLK9zjDB2pYMHp3RwF8yOItTByuk-tXS0VLdH3YOvGC8Q7SZgoBK6SAmaVEArPIC_cnW-iAErhoplSK8CM73ueaUlT6TS5a502O7XVziaKgVD/s1600/WP_20140910_18_37_29_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNB9Z22gRc0rdc3Vu1rla0-j3tW11XHhRmLK9zjDB2pYMHp3RwF8yOItTByuk-tXS0VLdH3YOvGC8Q7SZgoBK6SAmaVEArPIC_cnW-iAErhoplSK8CM73ueaUlT6TS5a502O7XVziaKgVD/s1600/WP_20140910_18_37_29_Pro.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sliding my jacket pouch onto the belt means I have everything I need.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h4>
The Fit</h4>
The ESSENTIAL belt fits very comfortably, and is easy to adjust. On occasion, if I get tired of the weight imbalance from having the relatively heavy phone on one side, It's still comfortable if I rotate it so the waterproof pouch is on my right hip and the mesh pouch moves around to the front. It sits easily on my hips and generally stays in place on the run.<br />
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<h4>
Things I Like</h4>
I like having a waterproof pocket for my phone. When I need to use the phone (calling for help, or more likely taking a work-related call while I'm sneaking a run into a sunny afternoon), I don't want to have to faff about with getting the phone out of a bag to use it.<br />
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I also like just how comfortably I can slip an extra pouch (or two) onto the belt if I want to. Having that extra flexibility means I can tweak things for different types of run.<br />
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<h4>
Things I'd like to see improved</h4>
I like the concept of the little front pocket, but it's just a touch too small and fiddly to be as useful as it could be. Keeping the pocket area the same, but with a slightly larger volume would increase the flexibility of how the pocket can be used.<br />
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<h4>
Things I love</h4>
There's nothing about the belt makes me purr, but I really like that it does everything I need for almost all of my runs. It just ticks the boxes. And, when it doesn't, because I need more gear or water, it's still light enough that I can still be pretty lazy and just chuck it into my backpack so I don't have to transfer any of my core kit from bag to bag.<br />
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<h4>
Would I recommend it?</h4>
<div>
Yes, if you want a good, light belt that lets you carry pretty much everything you need, then this is a great belt. If you want to carry water on your belt, or want to have more carrying capacity, then it's probably not going to do the job for you.</div>
<br />Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-89884276036639860812014-09-08T16:34:00.001+01:002014-09-08T16:34:51.998+01:002014 Kenilworth Half Marathon: Sub-1:30 at Last!I've heard about races where runners go in with a plan, do it, and come away happy. I've seen proper athletes interviewed on TV talking about how they executed their plan (always seems to be sprinters, but there you go). Me, I do the normal endurance runner thing of go into a race with a plan, watch it fall to pieces, drop back to plan B, etc. Races longer than a mile seem, for me, to be all about revising the plan to manage some unexpected difficulty. That's part of the fun of running long, isn't it? For this year's Kenilworth 1/2, I had a plan, painstakingly worked out over several weeks, with margin built in to make sure I finally broke the 1:30 barrier that I've been intermittently attacking for the past 6 years. As you can tell from the title, I got there. Finally.<br />
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The plan was pretty simple: aim for a 6:45 pace from the start. The route, though, is pretty lumpy, so it's definitely much easier said than done. <br />
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There are two ways of taking on a lumpy course. Option 1: keep the pace steady, so you're pushing hard up the hills and easing off on the way down. Option 2: keep the effort steady, based on your flat route pace, and expect the slower uphill segments to be balanced by the faster downhill segments. Based on my race in the Hilly Hundred this year, where I ran mostly on feel, I decided to stick more to Option 2. So, I practiced on a short loop starting outside my front door where I could judge how much time/distance I would lose on the ups and whether I would be able to get it back on the downs. Training said it was possible (in fact, I actually beat my 10K PB in one practice session).<br />
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After spending the race briefing in the front row of the pack (I'd left space for 60 runners to line up in front of me and they all waited until the last moment to move to the start line), I set off on pace. On each uphill, I let the gap between me and my virtual pacer grow, and wound him back in on the flats and descents. The pattern continued as expected, finishing the first 3 miles on pace. Contrary to my memory of the course, the next 4 miles included more up than down, so I watched the gap to my pacer approach 100m, and had to hold my nerve and avoid chasing, having faith that I could pull the time back over the return the start. Much to my delight and relief, it worked out and I hit 10 miles as planned, just ahead of my computerized rival. <br />
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I knew, at that stage, that I would get my sub-1:30, and that I might just have enough in the tank to hold on to my plan-A pace. As one would expect, the final 5K was quite hard. The final hills between 10 and 12.5 ate a bit into my time, but I had a good downhill to take me into the final half mile, and finished with a nice acceleration to the finish line. I tried to sprint, but there wasn't much sprint left, and finished dead on 6:45 pace - 1:28:26. I don't know if I'll ever execute another race plan so accurately. In fact, I'd be shocked if it ever happens again. That said, sometimes plans work because they accurately reflect training rather than just being a hopeful plucking of numbers from thin air. Now, if I can just manage that at Rocky Raccoon 2015...Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-84030876800661788182014-09-08T15:23:00.000+01:002014-09-08T15:23:28.519+01:00Winchcombe 10K - Another One Hill Wonder!August Bank Holiday weekend, and what should be done? Join the throngs and sit on the M5, M6, M25, M62, A66, M3, etc. only to pitch a tent and watch it rain? Or, hop over to Winchcombe and put in a nice little 10K tune-up for my summer A-race at Kenilworth two weeks later? I like the idea of avoiding the motorway craziness that kicks off every holiday weekend on a Friday lunchtime (we were on the Cotswold Way near Leckhampton instead). Nic was working the weekend, so it was a perfect opportunity to join my fellow EVRC runners taking the scenic route from Sudeley Castle to Belas Knapp and back again.<br />
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The <a href="http://winchcombeshow.org.uk/Run.html" target="_blank">Winchcombe 10K</a> is one of those events that get under your skin. The first time I did this race was in 2009. That day, I remember, I was mostly feeling quite ropey even during the warm-up, and I then spent 10km trying to keep my ill-chosen muesli down. But, the desire to run the race properly stayed behind. Since last year, I've been helping to publicise the event to help get numbers up and to get more people out enjoying our local trails. This year, it fit my schedule (being both home and uninjured at the end of August has been tough for the past few years), so I was excited to be able to toe the line.<br />
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Together with 15 other Evesham runners, I rocked up at registration fairly early, curious about how many runners would see the dry weather and decide to come along. Parking outside <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sudeleycastle.co.uk%2F&ei=Ye79U5maO4XcaurugaAC&usg=AFQjCNEc9moXVixEXFZ2rg0OP3HvYiJgIw&sig2=Kt-BIFJUY_g6lyd0NViXLw&bvm=bv.74035653,d.d2s" target="_blank">Sudeley Castle</a> a little after 9AM, and warming up in its lush green grounds is certainly a nice way to start a Sunday morning. Hanging around and catching up with friends just added to the pre-race enjoyment.<br />
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I headed over to the start line, in the shadow of the castle and just past the incredibly tempting play park, just in time to see the kids' 1K fun run finish. I remember doing "fun run" events as a kid. Not so much about "fun" and much more about "run faster than that kid next to me". It finished in a tie, which was pretty cool to watch. It wasn't one of those "let's finish together" ties. The lad out front was running scared, trying to protect his lead from the 2nd place runner. Over the final 20m they both went through the horrible push/pull of the sprint for the line, tying up as they pressed for victory, and finished close enough together to have needed a photo if it had been a pro track race. It was definitely a good day for racing hard.<br />
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At 10:30, it was the adults' turn. We did a lap of the field, including a few little undulations to make the first K interesting, and then headed along a lane towards the cricket ground and the foot of the hill. I was running hard enough to make conversations short, when the climb began. From the cricket ground to the top at the barrow at Belas Knapp is a nice little 600ft climb, with a few runnable sections and a few gut-wrenching speed-hiking sections (well, for me, anyway). The views along the climb are quintessentially Cotswold, with towns, villages, and farms nestled into the hills and valleys. Towards the top, if you want to turn around and look, is a fantastic view down over the Castle. By the time I got there, sweat was pouring down my face as I picked up the pace along the flat path to the barrow, so my view was a bit obscured.<br />
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The run down the hill is, in my view, a much bigger challenge than the trip up. We shot down the road back towards the cricket ground, at a gradient that makes running fast both easy to start and difficult to maintain. Halfway down, the route leaves the road, and I shot through the gate at top speed and back into the field down to the cricket ground. I was moving at something close to my one-mile PB pace, and started to chase down some of the runners who had left everything on the steep road section. Normally, on this little section of the Cotswold Way, I would look up and enjoy the view as I dropped back into Winchcombe. Normally, though, I am far more than 2km from the end of my run and in no great hurry. This time, my eyes stayed on my footing and I enjoyed racing instead.<br />
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The final 400m of the route is on the Castle drive, which includes a nice fast down to a little bridge across the Windrush followed by an equal rise to the finish line. I tried desperately to chase down the runner in front (Kevin Dunlop, who did very well at <a href="http://www.cotswoldrunning.co.uk/page16.htm" target="_blank">The Evesham Ultra</a>), but merely succeeded in getting close enough to see him cross the line.<br />
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Standing by the finish, clapping runners in and chatting with friends and race volunteers gave me a chance to reflect on the nice post-race atmosphere. The busking accordion player who provided the background music added to the fun with a selection of TV and video game tunes in addition to the more common repertoire.<br />
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Sometimes, it's tough to beat a one-hill wonder when you're after a short race. Sure, a speedy road race can be a great way to get a good time, but if you want to get in touch with your inner 10 year-old, find a big hill and race down it as fast as you can. If you want to do it in beautiful surroundings amid a fun crowd of runners, add the Winchcombe 10K to your race diary.Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-22742016220476363242014-07-30T10:08:00.000+01:002014-08-05T17:40:56.868+01:00Thunder Run 2014: Trail training at its most funWe all enter races for different reasons: to get a PB, to run somewhere new, to test our mettle, because a friend tricked us into it after a few too many drinks (and then somehow found a reason not to run...), for a hard training run, or sometimes just for a bit of fun. The Cotswold Running trip to Catton Park for the 2014 Thunder Run was certainly designed to be fun, but it also gave an opportunity for some of our regular volunteers to get involved in a long and exhausting run with friends. <br />
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We arrived on Friday evening, hoping to enjoy a relaxed evening of camping and scope out the scene. As it was Friday, the M42 was particularly stationary, so instead we arrived, put up the tent, got everything unloaded, and promptly put our feet up. The camp site was vast, so wandering around and catching up with people suddenly looked an exhausting venture compared to eating dinner and "planning" our race. I attempted an early-ish night by hitting the hay at 11:30, but sleep wasn't on the cards. Camping can be relaxing, but with several hundred people within easy earshot, sleep can be hard to come by even with earplugs. Still, 4 hours sleep is better than none.<br />
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The race-morning mood was a bit of a mixed bag. I had the first leg, so was quite focused on when/what to eat that would stay down on a very hot 10K run. In total contrast, Mitch was not running until his graveyard shift, so was trying to keep from going stir crazy. In between, everyone was somewhere between gearing up and enjoying a relaxed morning with family & friends.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5i37oZSpk03d4QrYMp92RT50teFflO7w0Qi4WotjdiMAcboMrrQyMkc5YCozrLF2IBYH9Bd1Rtr6yO6k4Ym0wZlORo7NpYEEEJyWH0iJtkJ6HbUjRgmgCM_b7f_5K8CswlxWqbB8xGFcA/s1600/DSCN0679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5i37oZSpk03d4QrYMp92RT50teFflO7w0Qi4WotjdiMAcboMrrQyMkc5YCozrLF2IBYH9Bd1Rtr6yO6k4Ym0wZlORo7NpYEEEJyWH0iJtkJ6HbUjRgmgCM_b7f_5K8CswlxWqbB8xGFcA/s1600/DSCN0679.JPG" height="320" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Revolution: Jill, Mitch, Nic, Kurt, Linzi, Rohan, Caroline, Paul</td></tr>
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The morning started warm and sunny, and made its way quickly to very hot (~28-30C). Given my problems lately with overheating, I was particularly curious (i.e. concerned, worried, nervous, bricking it just a bit) about how I would cope racing hard in the heat. I knew it would only be for around 50 minutes, but such trivialities don't really come into it when you've suddenly found yourself doing badly at something you did quite well until recently. I made sure to get properly hot & sweaty in my warm-up, so that sudden exhaustion that comes when you start exercising in the heat was out of the way before the race. I arrived at the start line already drenched and ready to race.<br />
<br />
Eventually, the race started and I was off and running. Amazingly, the vast majority of runners actually lined up roughly according to their expected time for the 10K lap. I had guestimated my lap would take 50 minutes, but was planning to run on feel at something harder than 1/2 marathon effort but slightly easier than if I'd only been doing one 10K that day. I found myself steadily working through the crowd and maintaining a fairly consistent pace of just under 5 minutes per KM.<br />
<br />
The Thunder Run route is a bit hilly, but it's also very twisty-turny. In some places, I'm sure we ran a mile to move 50 metres along the campsite. The woody sections have plenty of trip hazards to keep you on your toes (or face), and the occasional tight turn to find a tree in the middle of your path certainly make for added excitement.<br />
<br />
The atmosphere as we wound our way in and out of the campsite was electric, and it took a lot of concentration to avoid just blasting off with excitement. I did occasionally have the chance for a brief chat with other runners, including Steve from our neighbouring club in Pershore.<br />
<br />
The early afternoon sun burned hot, and I'm pretty sure the medical crew had plenty of heat-related illness to deal with. After my first lap, I felt pretty wrecked, and it took about half an hour before people stopped looking at me like I might fall out of my chair at any time. After a good stretch, a tasty light lunch, and plenty of fluids, though, I felt pretty good and enjoyed my turns as support crew & childminder. Jill took the second lap, and paced it a bit closer to a full 10K effort, which resulted in an excellent first lap time (50'), but over an hour of everyone giving her that same concerned look. After that, everyone else wound it back in a bit to avoid being the first in the team to properly pass out.<br />
<br />
My race plan continued, with my 4x10K reps concept working much better than I'd expected, with less than a minute difference in the first 3 times. After my 3rd (finishing at 1am), I neglected my post-lap refuelling in order to crawl into my sleeping bag, which seemed so inviting. I felt the difference on my morning lap, and started to bonk a bit, which meant I dropped a couple of minutes when I couldn't really speed up through the final 5K as I had in the other laps. I learned a lot about areas of my post-run recovery that I could improve on in my normal training weeks (like, actually pay attention to it like I did once upon a time).<br />
<br />
For the others, the result was equally useful. Jill and Caroline did their first ever nighttime trail racing. Linzi got in some good tired-legs effort with a blast in her final lap. Nic reconnected with racing (as opposed to running in an event), Rohan and Paul did one lap more than they had previously, and Mitch found out that he's still a bit tired after Endure 24 (duh!). <br />
<br />
Most importantly, though, we also had a lot of fun. The kids went home as tired as their parents, having had a weekend of camping, playing, cheering, and generally being a delightful distraction from aching muscles and blisters. Caroline's husband, Andy, got in some running, and Charmaine seemed to spend most of the weekend walking with camera in hand (you can <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/63590614@N07/sets/72157645556550217/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">see her pictures here</a>). Next year, hopefully we'll be able to get a few more from EVRC to come out and make up some club teams.Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-2924142962343643442014-07-25T13:59:00.000+01:002014-07-25T13:59:00.075+01:00Gear Review: Inov-8 RACE ULTRA 0.25 Soft Flask Handheld<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After a few difficult races in the heat, I'm really looking for a good warm-weather alternative to my Salomon <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/gear-review-salomon-advanced-skin-s-lab.html" target="_blank">race vest</a>. I love its soft flask bottles, but could really do without the way it seems to prevent me from releasing any heat. Given that I was born and raised in Texas, struggling in the heat is a bit embarrassing, so I really need to sort it out. I confirmed at Rocky Raccoon last year that, as anyone with an ounce of intelligence would assume, carrying handheld bottles when you're not used to it will tire you out pretty quick. But, I also decided they were a good option, so decided to look into some small handhelds to see if I really want to go in that direction. I spent a bit of time playing on <a href="http://www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com/">www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com</a> and bought a couple of the <a href="http://www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com/Inov-8-RACE-ULTRA-0-25-Soft-Flask-Handheld-p/inov8raceultrasoftflask250.htm" target="_blank">Inov-8 RACE ULTRA 0.25 Soft Flask Handhelds</a>. I've taken these on a few training runs, ranging up to three hours, to get a feel for whether I would want to use them on an ultra.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcn2-RTbyaQHb9XgUNS_Nl7eK2onYbk2-Up_FCNZYU0MvbiKdbcgSYvhojUa3H8A4Z7aYTJHDn0xSQKCRRgOfaQiBkhMzNfLYjZEM1xmBVQ9K8d4u2DnjwJoR7iE5EMZ4CSQn2atySBcRm/s1600/DSCN0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcn2-RTbyaQHb9XgUNS_Nl7eK2onYbk2-Up_FCNZYU0MvbiKdbcgSYvhojUa3H8A4Z7aYTJHDn0xSQKCRRgOfaQiBkhMzNfLYjZEM1xmBVQ9K8d4u2DnjwJoR7iE5EMZ4CSQn2atySBcRm/s1600/DSCN0647.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free and easy with a couple of small bottles.</td></tr>
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The bottle: it's a simple 250ml Hydrapack soft flask. So, aside from colour and branding, it's the same construction as the similarly-sized Salomon flasks, or the standard Hydrapack ones you can get on Amazon. It fills with fluid, you screw on the top, you drink the fluid, and there's no sloshing sound. So, what do Inov-8 bring to this little party? Essentially, they bring a couple of mesh pockets and some bits of compression string. There's nothing complicated.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice breathable gel-sized pocket on one side.</td></tr>
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The larger of the two pockets will fit Clif, Gu, or Power Bar gel packs (or similar short, wide containers). It's not great for TORQ or High-5 or other long, thin gels, but it will do. The gel sits reasonably comfortably in the pocket, but I've found I really just prefer to have it empty so it breathes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bZMGYkCrTc_46r0rXWkmfsaU77n-1qKGE67gfte61xMtL3XWh6Hoxm-O1OTL2Ny1euMB1Z53Ek2Pcip_DFFb2uKmuBu9zR0hymiIWwaBfVDH_Ps8uqpLdHmaNPs_immDBN7YDse8ya9C/s1600/DSCN0649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bZMGYkCrTc_46r0rXWkmfsaU77n-1qKGE67gfte61xMtL3XWh6Hoxm-O1OTL2Ny1euMB1Z53Ek2Pcip_DFFb2uKmuBu9zR0hymiIWwaBfVDH_Ps8uqpLdHmaNPs_immDBN7YDse8ya9C/s1600/DSCN0649.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smaller, key/salt-tab sized pocket on the other</td></tr>
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I do, on occasion, use the smaller pocket to hold my keys when I go out. They fit perfectly, and stay quiet since it's a fairly small pocket. It's not big enough for most gels. If I am carrying my keys in the small pocket, it gives a bit of rigidity so I can use the pocket as a handle if I get tired of having the bottle against my hand.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Comfort</h4>
As handhelds go, the Race Ultra is a fairly comfortable setup. The compression string gives some flexibility in sizing. I find the flask gets a little awkward once it's below half full, because it feels very different to when it is full. After a bit of time to get used to it, though, it's not really a big deal. I did notice after a sweaty 3hr run in the mountains last week that I did get a bit of prickly heat on my hand. With the skin directly against the bottle, I'd suffered a some irritation. Possibly a slightly looser fit on the day would have helped that, but it's something to consider, since there's no need to constantly re-adjust your hold as you run.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Usability</h4>
In an event where you're going to be refilling often, these are as useful/problematic as any other soft flask solution. The aperture is a tad small, so you should expect spills on your hands (not altogether unpleasant, if it's hot out and the spillage is cool water). Like all other Hydrapack soft flasks, these suffer from a rather cool phenomenon in that when the lid is replaced on a wet bottle, water can leak out through the lid threads when the bottle is squeezed. It's quite cool to watch, but would be irritating on a cold day. If you're planning to refill rarely, then none of that's an issue.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With two flasks, it's easy to stay balanced, and they aren't big enough to get in the way much when negotiating gates/stiles or opening gels. If you have to do something fiddly, it's easy enough to slip off and on without messing about resizing the cords. With a few gels in my shorts pockets, and possibly a couple in the handhelds, I could quite happily enjoy a 50K with these.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Summary</h4>
<div>
I wouldn't describe the Race Ultra as the most feature-filled handheld solution, but it's certainly a light one. If you like your race kit stripped-to-the-bone, then these are a good way to go. They're comfortable enough for at least a few hours, and are a good size to carry. I'll keep using mine on training runs and they're high on the list if I head back to Rocky next year.</div>
Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-4108742660032637552014-07-22T12:47:00.001+01:002014-07-22T18:43:10.834+01:00Race Volunteers: you ran well because they made it happenI haven't written any race reports for a while, and I started to wonder if it was because I was tired of blogging, or didn't enjoy the races, or just because I needed a vacation to empty my head enough to process what has actually been a pretty busy summer racing schedule. In the end, I've realized that it's because as much fun/effort as the past few races have been, I'd come away from the race thinking as much about the race as about my running in it. I'd spent a lot of time over the month trying to get to grips with what really makes me come home raving about a great event. The answer: the volunteers.<br />
<br />
We all know volunteers make races happen, but how many runners actually show that appreciation during a race? Race Directors choose the course, set the wheels in motion, and try to steer things in the right direction. Volunteers do pretty much all the hard work of getting aid stations up, pointing gormless runners in the right direction (yes, I've been both the pointer and the pointee - we all have our witless moments), having water, sweets, crisps, and goodness knows what else spilt all over them. In nearly all cases, they do it with a smile or a look of incredulous awe, depending on just how crazy your event is. In nearly all cases, they do it because helping someone achieve their goals is at least as enjoyable as achieving that goal yourself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a small part of our medal collection: it takes more than good running to have a good race.</td></tr>
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<br />
Here are just a few thoughts about volunteers and volunteering based on my June races.<br />
<br />
Last month, I had the chance to return to one of my favourite local races, the Cleeve Cloud Cuckoo. This year, it was 5.5mi of driving rain, cloud, and generally miserable weather. I mostly had an absolute ball, and was quite thankful I was running. It's daft enough to go out and race in that, but how crazy do you have to be to simply stand still? Volunteering takes stamina and a warped sense of humour sometimes.<br />
<br />
Ten days later, I headed out for another hard training run at Humph's Hilly Half, in Bourton-on-the-Water. It was a glorious evening for racing, and perfect for volunteering. When you sign up to help out, you hope for balmy weather, some nice sunshine, and beautiful surroundings like we had on the day. On my way around the gently undulating course, I enjoyed a few low-fives with the younger volunteers, made one lad's day by stooping down to take water from him instead of his mum, and managed to knock over about 6 cups trying to get 1 off the table, rather than the bottles that were being handed out (I only needed a sip). I was all smiles for the first two stations, and mortified when I cleverly tried to grab the final cup (to avoid knocking any over) and missed with superb malcoordination. Still, all handled with friendly conversation and a smile. Even when you're running hard, it's not much effort to grunt or gasp "thanks" or "sorry", or give a smile or a thumbs up as you pass. That little bit of interaction lets the volunteers know they aren't taken for granted, and it generally gives the runner a boost, too.<br />
<br />
A few days later, it was time for our club's annual fell race, the Bredon Bash. It's a simple one-hill course. Run a bit, cross a field, run up the hill, run along the top, retrace your steps to the finish. It's my turn to do a bit of payback, so I was stationed on top of the hill, encouraging everyone up to the turnaround point and then back down. Since it's a pretty small local field, I knew about half the runners already, so I had a jovial time cheering, cajoling, and just occasionally shouting good-hearted abuse to help them on their way. Having a friendly face on the route cheering you on is great. Apparently, though, when it's your coach it might not always seem like fun at the time, as you try to look great even though you really just want to decorate your shoes with your lunch.<br />
<br />
The next weekend, I headed up and down Cleeve Hill again, in the Cheltenham Circular Challenge. I rather arrogantly entered the ultra (48mi), deciding that it was just silly to go for the marathon when I could do an extra 22. After all, it's only another lap of up & down the hill plus a flat 10K and a flat 5K. As it turned out, it was also incredibly warm, and I got more than a bit stupid as I got tired. I enjoyed chatting with volunteers, they enjoyed encouraging me on, and we had lots of pleasant interactions (the joys of a lapped route) as I kept passing them. Unfortunately, what I didn't have, until I'd gotten particularly dim, was an experienced ultra runner looking at me and telling me to stop, have some crisps, and cool down for 10 minutes. After 39mi, Nic was waiting for me (having done the marathon, and looking quite happy and relaxed). She asked me questions about what I wanted, shook her head in despair when I refused any sensible intervention and insisted on carrying on, and ended up having a fairly pathetic wreck of a husband for a few hours after I DNF'd. We've now adjusted my personal crew instructions - when I've been going for more than 20 miles, don't ask me questions, tell me what to do. Otherwise, I'll probably insist everything is perfect and refuse all sensible support. Friendly volunteers are amazing and will carry you through most races. Bossy ones will get you to the end of an ultra.<br />
<br />
Then came the big event of the summer: Endure24. Nic and I spent so long trying to decide if we wanted to enter as a pair, enter as solos, or not enter at all, that we ended up defaulting to the 3rd option when the race filled up. In reality, we didn't really mind, because it meant we would be happily crewing our friend Mitch as he attempted to win it and wipe last year's agony out of his mind. Another friend, Matt, had sneakily entered so we crewed him as well. We sat and cheered or clapped as runners passed again and again on their 5mi laps. We dolled out drinks, food, encouragement, and instructions for hours on end. When it got dark, I tried to cheer or clap less loudly. To all those trying to sleep nearby, sorry about that, as it seems I wasn't as successful as I'd thought at keeping the noise down. I couldn't accept just sitting and watching and not encouraging, so after setting Mitch on his laps, I tried to walk around a bit to keep from having all those trying to get some rest come out and throttle me. Encouraging is addictive.<br />
<br />
In the end, Mitch did win the race. He set a new course record. Once it was over, we all hugged and congratulated him and rumour has it I might even have shed a tear or two. He was elated, we were overjoyed for him, his wife and daughter were full of emotion (and probably relief!), and all of that happiness could not have happened without a small army of people willing to sit in the woods for hours at a time, watching mud-covered runners pass by lap, after lap, after lap. Nobody achieves a race goal on their own.<br />
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If you're not in the habit of somehow thanking marshals during the race with a nod, smile, cheery word, wave, or some other friendly gesture, change your habit. Give them something back to help them continue to enjoy helping you. If you haven't volunteered at a race, look at all those medals and t-shirts you've collected. Then get in touch with a local running club or race director and find out how you can help someone else achieve something special. Helping someone surpass their own expectations will certainly give you some tools to use when it's your turn to push past your known limits. I guarantee you'll gain something from helping out, and if you help at a race or distance you'd like to step up to, you'll learn a lot as well. <br />
<br />Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-79174702407921936662014-06-03T21:05:00.000+01:002014-06-03T21:05:22.288+01:00Gear Review: Scott Jurek Endure Belt<br />
We bought an <a href="http://www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com/Ultimate-Direction-JUREK-ENDURE-Waist-Belt-p/udjurekendure.htm" target="_blank">Ultimate Direction Scott Jurek Endure Belt</a> from the Ultramarathon Running Store to trial. It looked good –lightweight and minimalist, so I decided to give it a go on a warm spring day when a backpack just didn’t appeal. It looked good – lightweight and minimalist, perfect for something like Rocky Raccoon, where you only have 5-6 miles between check points. <br />
<h4>
The Belt</h4>
The belt has two pouches which hold 2 x 295ml (10oz) water bottles, a large, waterproof, zipped pocket at the front, and a Velcro-sealing pouch at the back and a bungee holder thingy that you can stuff things into. It also has two race number clips on the belt, which is a nice touch. The belt has an off-centre clip, which makes one-handed adjustment quite easy. Three separate bungees help keep everything stable, and give some opportunity to overload with extra bits and pieces. There's one for each of the bottle pouches and one for the mesh pouch in the middle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Scott Jurek Endure Belt is pretty versatile, and very comfortable (extra reflective tape added).</td></tr>
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Overall, the belt is, simply put, built for use. It's pretty stripped down, but still has everything you need to spend a few hours on the trails. If I start from what I want/need in a belt/pack, we can get an idea of how this one stacks up. I often consider our mandatory kit list as the minimum for a day out on your own in mixed/cool weather. So, can I carry my full kit list easily with this belt?<br />
<ul>
<li>Phone: in the waterproof pocket. A normal phone fits. The latest phablets don't. I can just fit my oversized Nokia 920, but if I were racing I'd go with an old dumb-phone that I kept years ago for just such a purpose.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Drink (500ml): nearly 600ml</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Windproof: most come in a little pouch (ranging from the £5 one Nic bought to the £££ one I bought that really isn't any better), which can easily be attached to the belt.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>A couple of gels: even with my stupidly large phone, I can get a couple of gels in the pocket.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Hat/bandana/etc: fits easily in the rear pouch, or, if you're lazy like me, just attach to a bungee.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Foil blanket / bin liner: roll a bin liner up tight, and it also fits in the pocket (now it's a bit full, though).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Whistle: hook one onto the bungee, or stick it in the pouch.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Small selection of first-aid supplies: this is really what I'd put in the rear pouch, with the whistle.</li>
</ul>
Well, all that fills the belt up, with a bit of extra room for stuff hanging off the bungees or strapped in by them. With a small, cheap phone, it's even quite comfy.<br />
What else do I want from a running belt? A waterproof pocket for my phone, easy adjustment, comfort, good load balance, and a few little touches to prove somebody thought about what they were doing.<br />
<br />
So, let's look at how the Scott Jurek Endurance Belt does.<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<h4>
Adjustability</h4>
The adjustability of the pack is pretty easy, thanks to the off-centre clip. The belt includes an elasticated loop so that excess strapping can be shortened and tucked away efficiently without dangling around and flapping against your leg. Talk about nice touches! Since we're sharing this one, and have rather differently sized hips, it's nice to be able to quickly and easily adjust. The rolled up belt end also gives a useful handle so you can quickly tighten up if you need to for a particularly hairy descent.
<br />
<h4>
Comfort</h4>
The bottles are held in place by a small elastic loop, which means they can’t bounce around. The thin mesh material that is the base of the belt doesn't soak up water, and allows good air flow. The body contact area is quite small, so you still have plenty of evaporation surface to keep cool. Overall - comfy!
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<h4>
Load Balance</h4>
The two smallish bottles distribute the water well. You can swap between them, or drink one dry and then the other. Either way, it stays in place and you don't feel off-center. The waterproof pouch sits better than expected. It looks a bit like it was stuck on as an afterthought, but it sits fairly well on either side, hip, or back, depending on which you find more comfortable.</div>
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<h4>
The Little Touches</h4>
The little race number clips are great. They are reflective, which is an added bonus, and have snap closures, instead of the dongles that are used on other belts. So, there's nothing slapping away at you and your number. They can also be moved around on the belt a bit, to make sure your number is on your front, where it belongs.<br />
Three bungees, not just one wound all over the place, makes it really easy to secure the bottles, the pouch, and also add some extra bits to the belt. If you're really slim, you can even use the middle one to effectively cinch out the middle pouch and make the thing really tiny.<br />
Lots of little reflective flashes. We added some big ones as well (why not, there's all that space just asking for it!), so you've got plenty of visibility as long as you're not wearing a jacket over it.
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<h4>
Kurt's View</h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Simply put, I probably should have bought two. I really hate the sound of sloshing water, but I'll trade that for sweating less than I would with my race vest. If Nic and I are both running, she gets the belt, so I have to just watch in envy as she is running along light and cool. The bottles are easy to get in and out, ride secure even on downhills, and the pockets are enough for most sub-ultra events with a bit of thought. I recently raced with it, more for practice than need, and used the little race number clips. The numbers for the event were pretty rubbish, tearing easily, but mine stayed in place comfortably. I like the snaps much more than the toggles you tend to see on other race belts - nothing dangling and slapping against the number. Comfort-wise, it's just kind of there, which is exactly what I want. What would I like to see different? It's a very small thing, but I'd like to easily move the waterproof pocket to the front. It struggles over the little elastic section of the belt.</span></div>
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<h4>
Nic's View</h4>
I finally found a running backpack that I like (<a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/gear-review-osprey-verve-5-hydration.html" target="_blank">the Osprey Verve 5</a>) but you don’t always want to take a full hydration pack out when you go for a run, whether road or trail. Sometimes a little water, a phone and a Buff are all you need. I’ve tried a couple of waistpacks which I didn’t really like, mostly due to fit, preferring instead to use pockets or a backpack. I generally find waistpacks don’t sit in the right place on my (somewhat pointy) hips, riding up to around my middle, which I hate. I have also managed to lose two water bottles from a waistpack, due to excessive bounce – not good for me or for the environment!</div>
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I've taken it out a lot on warm days for a few hours. 600ml was just about the right amount of water , perhaps a little light, so this belt wouldn't be ideal for a long summer run, but for shorter runs or racing where you have regular re-fill points, I think it is perfect. The only problem I had with the bottles was the sports top, which is quite stiff. Make sure you push down on it until it snaps, or you will end up with a wet leg! Getting the bottles in and out is easy enough. The larger pocket was fairly neat with what I'd stuffed into it – I took quite a few photos on the run, but I had to take my time over replacing my phone into the pocket, as it required great care to make sure I didn’t end up losing my car key. It would be just fine if you didn’t take your phone out of the pocket every 10 minutes to take a photo! Or had a smaller phone….<br />
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Good points – no sweaty back from wearing a pack; comfy; adjustable; lightweight; uncomplicated. Easily fits everything you need for most summer runs of 2-3 hours.<br />
Bad points – only just fits your average smartphone; bottle-tops are quite stiff: Make sure you push down on it until it snaps, or you will end up with a wet leg<br />
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Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-19687875843078804262014-04-06T14:00:00.000+01:002014-04-07T14:51:56.053+01:00Dress for SuccessAs a runner who enjoys most types of racing, I often wonder what sits behind the decisions so many of us make when selecting our training and racing attire. Go to a fell race in pretty much any weather, and you'll find at least half the field wearing the minimum to protect their decency, next to some runners who are set for an expedition to the poles. Generally, the difference is easily explained by the expected amount of heat generated on the ups and just how much/little will be lost on the downs.<br />
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At trail ultras, on the other hand, the motto seems to be "more is more". It struck me last year, looking through all the snaps of the Cotswold Way Century, that the runners looked pretty hot early on (it was a warm day). On closer inspection, I noticed most of them were wearing several layers. The correlation seemed pretty obvious. So, I've been keeping an eye out to see whether it was a one-off or part of a wider trend.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvNRhyklzfaxrzgfV1duUcdGzyi5oQ17cSc2ybUqbayIsexp4C_eLug84mRRs3_9TVGc1GtlVb683SrZ4gWvrshmXqKChjw57m3wDdaIwWdgXQl57mN4Lh6SJYuIf8Zui8x5-zZC3bW9Q/s1600/DSCN0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvNRhyklzfaxrzgfV1duUcdGzyi5oQ17cSc2ybUqbayIsexp4C_eLug84mRRs3_9TVGc1GtlVb683SrZ4gWvrshmXqKChjw57m3wDdaIwWdgXQl57mN4Lh6SJYuIf8Zui8x5-zZC3bW9Q/s1600/DSCN0384.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">I hope a lot of these guys are prepping for the MDS! Not a lot of skin, plenty of layering, and the start is in 5 minutes.</td></tr>
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My trip to the Eco-Trail de Paris might have been a little skewed, since it often acts as a last kit test for the MdS, but again, on a warm day relative to the season, there were a lot of extra layers on. Considering the heat impact a standard pack has, or the even larger influence of many of the current design of race vests, I get the feeling a lot of runners are dressing for the pre-race standing about, rather than for running.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcfcThiSuDAbEFLc483ypa5whGgT1bU_YDxDwAYJXfG7-5Myr4uCMA5ubkdBlf-3RQ5m6qrqjhVosNmXggJF9EWD-0XlE0qzsLOh10F6a88aeN_3u5Tjbm7-BTToxE7BsQQe_VF4e96rO/s1600/DSCN0387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcfcThiSuDAbEFLc483ypa5whGgT1bU_YDxDwAYJXfG7-5Myr4uCMA5ubkdBlf-3RQ5m6qrqjhVosNmXggJF9EWD-0XlE0qzsLOh10F6a88aeN_3u5Tjbm7-BTToxE7BsQQe_VF4e96rO/s1600/DSCN0387.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">How many of these runners know it's one of the warmest days of the year so far?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Looked cold, but I was burning up, with far too much clothing on. Doh!</td></tr>
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If I take this picture of my third trail marathon as an example, you can see I'm sweating heavily, and don't have much option left with the top I'm wearing other than to remove it. It was about 5C out, and my Montane shirt was great pre-race, with a t-shirt on top (hanging soggiily at my waist only 7mi in). I could have stripped off, put on my t-shirt, and carried on. The problem, though, was that as soon as I got around the corner, I'd be facing a headwind, shuffling across Chesil Beach, and my temp would drop like a stone. These hot/cold kind of days make it very difficult, because the trail conditions don't always encourage consistent effort. Sometimes, you just can't run hard enough to stay warm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">May 2, 2010 - one of the coldest runs of my life.</td></tr>
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I'd suggest that over-clothing is usually the result of a previous under-clothing event. My first trail marathon was in early May. Sunshine, blue skies, beautiful views? Not in England, my friends. Rain, more rain, then some driving wind and a bit more rain. By the end of the race, I was wearing my vest (newbie error), waterproof, and spare windproof gilet. Oh, and I was freezing. Turned out to be about 4 degrees on the hills.<br />
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<br />
So, back to the prevalence of over-dressing at trail ultras. What possesses us to wear layers we won't need until dark at the start of a long race? Is it down to fear of being cold? Perhaps the inability to find further space in the pack for that extra windproof (it works on airplanes, so why not at races)?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Another hot day, but plenty of extra layers here, too.</td></tr>
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After Rocky Raccoon, I decided to stop wearing my compression calf-guards. Having had calf and ankle issues consistently through the past 6 years, I'd become psychologically reliant on the idea that they'd hold me together. At Rocky, though, I realized that mostly they were keeping my legs warm on a day when I wanted to cool down.<br />
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At the ETP, I couldn't see the front-runners, but I definitely didn't see a lot of skin on show around me. Socks up to the knees, shorts down to the knees, longish short sleeves, long sleeves, long-sleeved compression tops, full tights, windbreakers - anything and everything that could possibly keep the heat from escaping seemed to be on show.<br />
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Why did I choose a vest for the ETP? The temperature was due to be around 20C, and we've not seen a lot of that in northern Europe this year, plus it was going to be sunny, and there's not usually a lot of wind in the trees to help keep one cool. Was I worried about losing a lot of skin? Not really. The 24 miles I'd done in a similar vest 8 weeks ago was very comfortable from that angle. I did have to make some adjustments because of the heavier pack, and would have preferred the protection of a t-shirt, but not enough to put on the long-sleeve top I had in the pack for the cool of the night. Even when the weather cooled, I was happier to use the opportunity to run faster and generate more heat than I'd have been to keep the slower pace in the warmer top, even with a little less rubbing on my shoulder.<br />
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I often think that pace judgement is one of the hardest part of endurance running. Sometimes, when I look around a bit, I see that dressing for the temperature around your body, and not the one in your mind, is often a key factor in how the race will go. Soon, we'll all be sporting our skimpy summer gear on our mid-week runs, enjoying the feeling of sun on skin. Then, come the long run on the weekend, I wonder just how many will adopt the "more is more" method and wonder why it all felt so slow and difficult. Maybe, if you're worried about getting cold or chaffing, pop a spare shirt in the pack to ease your mind, and let all that skin do what it was designed to do in the first place?<br />
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<br />Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-53916772477742024832014-04-04T15:33:00.000+01:002014-04-04T17:32:45.358+01:00Eco-Trail de Paris 2014: Liberte, Egalite, and lots of treesWhy, when all of the delights of Paris await - delicious food & wine, art, architecture, engineering, history, and driving patterns that turn pavement cafes into theatre - would one possibly choose to take a train to the suburbs only to run back again? When the<a href="http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ysqdwqbpwymfmegc" target="_blank"> route </a>becomes so circuitous as to mimic a dog working its way around a park full of fire hydrants, and the best answer available seems to be, "why not?"<br />
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Or, for the longer answer, read on.<br />
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Trail running in the UK, with a few exceptions, is dominated by small races where you meet plenty of friendly faces before eventually ending up alone or with a few new/old friends as you work your way among the footpaths and bridleways that criss-cross the countryside. These are the sorts of events I tend to frequent (and organize), because they suit me. I like the long periods of quiet interspersed with a bit of chit-chat when I end up running with someone or playing leap-frog in the latter stages of an ultra. But, every now and then, opportunities arise to learn something new while still having a good time. Racing in a big event (>1000 runners), in a big city, in a foreign country is a great way to see how other people do things. Plus, we hadn't been to Paris in a while and both Nic & I quite like the city. So, we signed up to give Nic a focus for the spring and to give me a fallback in case Rocky Raccoon went belly-up.<br />
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Nic's training got hit by one of the nasty winter bugs, which left me flying the Cotswold Running & Evesham Vale RC flags on my own. So, while Nic checked out the finish-line HQ, watched me being tracked online courtesy of the GPS transceiver I rented for the day, and tried to forget that she was supposed to be racing, I headed out to St. Quentin des Yvelines on the RER with the intention of racing back.<br />
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Racing? For those who have followed my short ultra career, the admission that I planned to do the event as a race, rather than a bimble about in the woods will be a surprise. I always have plans A, B, and C (and occasionally D & E), but have only once tried to approach an ultra as a race, in <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/endurancelife-exmoor-ultra-brutal-from.html" target="_blank">Exmoor </a>nearly 2 years ago. I spent a bit of time retching in the bushes and feeling generally unpleasant. So, why not try again, but add on 14 or so miles? The target this time was to average in the region of 12 minute miles (5mph), or roughly 10 hours, depending on how long the course actually was. I'd managed a similar pace last year at the Highland Fling, and believed I might just be getting back into the kind of shape that would let me do it again this year. All I had to do was get my nutrition right, avoid overheating, not get lost, avoid falling down too many times, and keep running even when I wanted to jump on the train back. Simple, right?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">My beacon to the finish, waiting for my return in the night-time.</td></tr>
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First target of the day was to get to the train to the start. I checked the map, found where the station was relative to the apartment, and headed out for a nice, sunny walk. Turns out the map wasn't so accurate, and I couldn't find the RER where I expected it to be. With 4 minutes left before my train, I asked directions every 200m until I found it (yes, I do actually ask directions when lost and in a hurry). With a bit of jogging, I made the platform just as the train arrived. Yes, I could have waited half an hour for the next one, but then I'd have been without contingency should there be any delay. So, I was very happy to arrive just in time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">The RER pulling in just as I arrived at the station.</td></tr>
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With the transport under control, the rest of the morning was a dawdle. I had plenty of time for pre-race prep, including a nice little 30 minute nap in the sunshine followed by a little picnic. Noon start times are great for relaxing into the swing of things. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Mildly awake and ready to run.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Gathering for the safety / eco briefing</td></tr>
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The briefing included plenty of useful reminders about using lights in the dark and keeping our rubbish to ourselves. One of the appeals of this race, to me, is the emphasis on treating the course with the respect it deserves. Pretty much every road race I run involves stepping through somebody's trash, because there's an expectation that someone else will clear it up. It gets on my nerves when that kind of behaviour hits the trails, so I was happy to see the ETP rules include DQ for littering and was delighted to receive my mini reusable rubbish bag to attach to my pack. Of course, with over 1000 runners, it didn't take long to see a few gels lying unused on the ground (about 100m). Here's a tip for anyone who uses belts/straps with loops for your gels - they don't work very well, and you'll really miss the ones that pop out. The steady trickle of gel tubes, especially, made me wonder if they had particular power to jump out of bags.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguF-cqQYJVGxf3VGtd23tu9ywxhR0uk_ocnr0Npxr83SNFd6TGcB3a2t1-J6YzAQRdhKZiOi4thyphenhyphenmqOrUJSfatpBe1vEXV0TH8gKa9ISpT0Sh__VOld1Aff0gPw0ZG4ZNR_hXdjpVW1jFU/s1600/DSCN0387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguF-cqQYJVGxf3VGtd23tu9ywxhR0uk_ocnr0Npxr83SNFd6TGcB3a2t1-J6YzAQRdhKZiOi4thyphenhyphenmqOrUJSfatpBe1vEXV0TH8gKa9ISpT0Sh__VOld1Aff0gPw0ZG4ZNR_hXdjpVW1jFU/s1600/DSCN0387.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">On the run at last!</td></tr>
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After a mile or so of easy jogging among the crowds, I was caught by Nick Reed from Manchester. Guessing rightly that my Cotswold Running vest marked me as an English speaker, he popped up for a chat. We enjoyed a couple of miles at around 9:30m/mi before I decided the combination of pace and temperature were going to hobble me later on and waved him on his way. I really wanted that 10hr finish, and wasn't really in the mood to blow it on the super-flat start for the sake of some very enjoyable camaraderie. From there, even when surrounded by runners, I was pretty much alone on the trails.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBMK5d_A8DjUzzbMsIzf-CCb8acassUEE2jxeaagEisLklNdiTBG_HSHCThq95E1X82Jm8WoSVVLlYMuZJsZOpqyPYM8R6gpQnw-HO83d-4XhNbzjaJmOWtiRZu-YJdq4ZBKALNULhE75/s1600/DSCN0388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBMK5d_A8DjUzzbMsIzf-CCb8acassUEE2jxeaagEisLklNdiTBG_HSHCThq95E1X82Jm8WoSVVLlYMuZJsZOpqyPYM8R6gpQnw-HO83d-4XhNbzjaJmOWtiRZu-YJdq4ZBKALNULhE75/s1600/DSCN0388.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Chatting with Nick Reed in the early miles</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTf8vZHl8e20bow0tm2YYr0Q9ry_9NsKxrGOLZg3C9kaBg9WDGHKnyW3kRm_E27NRX1kYBNU1NdhvGALQlBrOx8ArCcUhQ_B77LGEZNJIzddrvbnlk5W8pIyd2p20I8OA__Soimo38PdF/s1600/DSCN0389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTf8vZHl8e20bow0tm2YYr0Q9ry_9NsKxrGOLZg3C9kaBg9WDGHKnyW3kRm_E27NRX1kYBNU1NdhvGALQlBrOx8ArCcUhQ_B77LGEZNJIzddrvbnlk5W8pIyd2p20I8OA__Soimo38PdF/s1600/DSCN0389.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Pretty lake, flat trail.</td></tr>
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Generally, my experience of trail races includes a lot of talking. Not necessarily constant, and frequently of very little deeply intellectual discourse. Just a lot of friendly chat and a bit of banter on the hills. My French isn't what is used to be, but I can just about get by with the general platitudes of racing - encouragement, talking about the weather, etc. To my surprise, the field was in rather sombre mood; even those not plugged in seemed deep in their own thoughts from the outset. The silence around me gave me something to think about, and certainly provided a different atmosphere to my normal races.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6apNTBG2sHkOr4F9mj1ZZZ3zyC6YDNOSVPV36ae-yIyflK3sEyip8FBqM_VjYFwaRpNGQ0u1827EuT2YYx9w6Vm1hWq2YlSE3yGXczFIpEdtABOveTbl1okenM2usmRfp0QgJaghUjoc/s1600/DSCN0391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6apNTBG2sHkOr4F9mj1ZZZ3zyC6YDNOSVPV36ae-yIyflK3sEyip8FBqM_VjYFwaRpNGQ0u1827EuT2YYx9w6Vm1hWq2YlSE3yGXczFIpEdtABOveTbl1okenM2usmRfp0QgJaghUjoc/s1600/DSCN0391.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">After 12 miles, a proper hill!</td></tr>
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The combination of easy flat terrain and the heat wrought havoc on the field. At the 25km check point, I was 1034 out of 1500+ runners, in spite of my 10m/mi pace on the flat first section. At the CP, runners were strewn about in varying degrees of disarray - 110 ended their race there. Most were simply wandering listlessly among the buffet. I had a quick look, but it seemed quite fruit-based, and I didn't really fancy the added fibre so early in what would be a long day, so I refilled my water and carried on. I was astonished to see prunes - full of energy, yes, but it seems like the start of a game of digestive roulette!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdI2MNN7rDWxPNt_XxlBcDwXDnFu43lawSOdxDVImkPsCbSpS_1O85prh2DJyR2zZgJR-p9UvNcZZNTwkUpCetlzqWf0p74c0DIaPiD7qbD6hIu98dq5jLXZJirLffdMX6BW_9sYZrsc9/s1600/DSCN0393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdI2MNN7rDWxPNt_XxlBcDwXDnFu43lawSOdxDVImkPsCbSpS_1O85prh2DJyR2zZgJR-p9UvNcZZNTwkUpCetlzqWf0p74c0DIaPiD7qbD6hIu98dq5jLXZJirLffdMX6BW_9sYZrsc9/s1600/DSCN0393.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">After the first half marathon, it starts to get a bit hilly.</td></tr>
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The ETP team have done an amazing job of finding a way to get from the suburbs to the centre of Paris with very little road. There are loads of woodlands around the city, and the various authorities have ensured there are a lot of bridleways and footpaths through the woods to encourage outdoor pursuits. On a dry, sunny spring day, it means you get plenty of miles surrounded by tall trunks and new foliage. If you like wide open views, you may find the route a bit claustrophobic. At times, I was desperate for an open vista, especially while it was light enough to enjoy it!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierbm-L14fVL8cuX98-V0PKGhsMqpk-0chs0XEm7eMjvmrnWz-RcW6vXmLMzNP62rpuS1R9-5A_PTNSk6OXrUO3KBhoPeMQ-NY02TWGC_kgIo1K-02nUz6nqhdIkfUv1tjn8ayzK3BqITz/s1600/DSCN0396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierbm-L14fVL8cuX98-V0PKGhsMqpk-0chs0XEm7eMjvmrnWz-RcW6vXmLMzNP62rpuS1R9-5A_PTNSk6OXrUO3KBhoPeMQ-NY02TWGC_kgIo1K-02nUz6nqhdIkfUv1tjn8ayzK3BqITz/s1600/DSCN0396.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Smile, you can see the sky!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj955kstKSpW9Yuo8yQ76-QOHxqmQhtnwwVWWOf0iJ1D3tUHt7rE9eBFk7onK4Ui_-tBKUWemdanu5IE2m2HlTurbThxZwzM4JZnkwZnBMg08pbwEsXhwD-nyHzVV6Q1vmOPU8OlBPhC7N6/s1600/DSCN0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj955kstKSpW9Yuo8yQ76-QOHxqmQhtnwwVWWOf0iJ1D3tUHt7rE9eBFk7onK4Ui_-tBKUWemdanu5IE2m2HlTurbThxZwzM4JZnkwZnBMg08pbwEsXhwD-nyHzVV6Q1vmOPU8OlBPhC7N6/s1600/DSCN0397.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Is that a hill ahead?</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-vAzXGGXKxJskjR0w2xb4NOjFZbYVeKKinzpUdOJhgSbUIe6Vg8dj-Kvm-0pV9yK6oO9I6I4m5r8vvPINauNuWHaT6tdZxoHkXi3TUsZ2hj_yCV2ly1_P7UTVXzUSR_RuHaqiA76nu0v/s1600/DSCN0399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-vAzXGGXKxJskjR0w2xb4NOjFZbYVeKKinzpUdOJhgSbUIe6Vg8dj-Kvm-0pV9yK6oO9I6I4m5r8vvPINauNuWHaT6tdZxoHkXi3TUsZ2hj_yCV2ly1_P7UTVXzUSR_RuHaqiA76nu0v/s1600/DSCN0399.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">A chance to practice my fell-runner walk.</td></tr>
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Within a couple of miles of leaving the CP, runners who'd run too quick, or drunk too much at the CP, or who were just on the wrong side of Lady Luck started to litter the side of the trail. Slowly walking the flats, loudly calling to the roots of trees, and generally looking miserable, the carnage provided a stark reminder of what can happen when plans go awry.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3atennqluED_g6F6-EghgPQGxqwvVUes7NBJTcUHd55mQnv5dxE5TJTWl2Y9llBsBrlnLVVuoAfe8vjgFIpd-7Vj_LLVGLfnv5BgToHJGvIawl9eDwFMiPCCLuk4T4rTRQOtdgGxsvWq/s1600/DSCN0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3atennqluED_g6F6-EghgPQGxqwvVUes7NBJTcUHd55mQnv5dxE5TJTWl2Y9llBsBrlnLVVuoAfe8vjgFIpd-7Vj_LLVGLfnv5BgToHJGvIawl9eDwFMiPCCLuk4T4rTRQOtdgGxsvWq/s1600/DSCN0400.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Approaching the marathon distance - it's a little steep on some of these hills.</td></tr>
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The difficulty, on this route, is that if you're suffering at 18 miles, you have another 23 or so hilly miles before you reach the flat run in along the Seine. For much of the next 10 miles, I kept the effort steady but strong, telling myself to "pass the carnage, don't be the carnage". The gentle breeze helped to keep me much cooler than I'd been at Rocky Raccoon, even though the temperatures were very similar. A little extra fitness probably didn't hurt, either.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uTdwIWTSiUin7gOFg5WNrBTnIjhQee8bYSOJlzZFainb6vhxq-0zQp_9ijWiKOThG6RycKUvxfx4oFxlLeCInb2ZLLR1BuJjt47wBftRclQHxLtOqgBQU2sHSHssaJNEM_neDWJB5rtN/s1600/DSCN0402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uTdwIWTSiUin7gOFg5WNrBTnIjhQee8bYSOJlzZFainb6vhxq-0zQp_9ijWiKOThG6RycKUvxfx4oFxlLeCInb2ZLLR1BuJjt47wBftRclQHxLtOqgBQU2sHSHssaJNEM_neDWJB5rtN/s1600/DSCN0402.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Meudon</td></tr>
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Passing the marathon point in roughly 4:45, I'd managed to keep to under 11m/mi, giving some leeway for the hilly half marathon to come. I arrived at the 47km checkpoint in Meudon having just run out of water (perfectly judged?) and ready for a short break. I refilled with the help of an enthusiastic volunteer, politely declined the opportunity to dunk my head in a bucket of water, and sat down to re-partition my remaining food into accessible pockets. The nutrition plan was TORQ bars & gels for the day, one every 35 minutes or so, to hopefully avoid the unhappy gut that running in the heat can bring. A little text back and forth with Nic helped keep me smiling, and then I was on my way. I knew I'd passed a lot of people between check points, and wanted to avoid seeing too many of them again. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">If you look past the stylishly arranged wheel barrows, you can just make out the Eiffel Tower.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Meudon Observatory - it's at the top of a rather steep hill.</td></tr>
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Reminding myself to "pass the carnage", I took it very sedately out of Meudon. The slow pace was, I'll admit, rather helped by the stupidly steep hill up to the Observatory. What kind of fool puts hills like that into a route just for a great view??? (Oh, yeah, that would be me. My bad. I'm really sorry, all of you Evesham Ultra runners, for the nice view from Broadway Tower.)<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzn_xeJmZdzyfPiYR83f2kh780g0smjdiTbbI8TITn6PfcvLHL3XtdBZbl1oBJLRJ0V5uI56PjRbBdlJPOg-5EsiWj5KYvzj3UFsX_m10swJ_Ap-2UUQctQ7WbQ3kp8YoW5Chp8RG3XdK/s1600/DSCN0406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzn_xeJmZdzyfPiYR83f2kh780g0smjdiTbbI8TITn6PfcvLHL3XtdBZbl1oBJLRJ0V5uI56PjRbBdlJPOg-5EsiWj5KYvzj3UFsX_m10swJ_Ap-2UUQctQ7WbQ3kp8YoW5Chp8RG3XdK/s1600/DSCN0406.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Taunting me, the tower is only 20 miles away by trail.</td></tr>
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Leaving the grounds of the Observatory, I continued to feel quite shattered for several miles. Apparently, the bit I thought was flat, given the steep hills that preceded it, was a steady uphill drag for about 3 miles. I thought I was just running badly. Turns out, I was running badly up a hill. Still, at around 32mi, the route headed back down for a while and I managed to get back to running again. It also started to cool off, which gave me some hope of being able to pick up some speed once we left the hills. By the time I reached the 58km CP, I'd pulled myself back together and was looking forward to the final 20km. I quickly refilled my water, grabbed a few crisps, and headed out, hoping to get as much mileage in as I could before it was time for the head-torch. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Sunset on a pretty lake - cooling down and ready to put in some hard miles.</td></tr>
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The final 20km just seemed to happen. When I could run, I was still hanging at around 10-11m/mi. When I couldn't run, I walked, mostly on the uphills, but not exclusively. I was tired, but I was running. I even tried to take a few pictures of the night skyline from the final CP, but couldn't quite keep the camera steady enough to get anything but blurry lights. The plan to race for a time that would challenge me to hold it together until the end meant I had actually kept enough in the tank to push hard over the final miles (I won't say fast, because it really wasn't...).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUCdI2h6hxfVMRM3aZ0o0jGpmWq_JJ9cSZp8usRaeduoVGdbZhxkxUKBUL-iXNMa36FY0nNJjfDmS99WSLBpDnzWdrOyG3POXOFpW_i1lFJ91fxvdOf92LGRv9FzA3C38gLpE0padcf7m/s1600/DSCN0417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUCdI2h6hxfVMRM3aZ0o0jGpmWq_JJ9cSZp8usRaeduoVGdbZhxkxUKBUL-iXNMa36FY0nNJjfDmS99WSLBpDnzWdrOyG3POXOFpW_i1lFJ91fxvdOf92LGRv9FzA3C38gLpE0padcf7m/s1600/DSCN0417.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">So close I can almost touch it!</td></tr>
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The final few miles along the Seine aren't the most scenic, at least not in the dark, but the Eiffel Tower (carrot?) dangling there for me to chase definitely helped spur me on. Over that final 8km, I continued to overtake runners who I'm sure were well ahead of me for much of the day. Having the plan go right made a nice change from the last race, and was a mental boost as I tried to chase down as many runners as I could before the finish.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLu9P3bSdBuCgpyegxjcMInp3jlLg90MpF8EhVnOjwfQlMS1HSh6zvAPXbw0MA-boa0KraNRaCK2S8Tsjt6uH2RmUqTbul3XNa1DkEEIOauvpwjf8pnxrpf2rQHY6LYINWUXcTaINVa954/s1600/2014-03-29+21.55.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLu9P3bSdBuCgpyegxjcMInp3jlLg90MpF8EhVnOjwfQlMS1HSh6zvAPXbw0MA-boa0KraNRaCK2S8Tsjt6uH2RmUqTbul3XNa1DkEEIOauvpwjf8pnxrpf2rQHY6LYINWUXcTaINVa954/s1600/2014-03-29+21.55.27.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Finished! 9:51:04</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The finish, unlike previous years, was not on the 1st floor of the Eiffel Tower. In many ways, that was a shame. But, since it gave me the opportunity to run hard around the final turns and past a cheering Nic, I'd say the new finish at the Palais de Chaillot is pretty fantastic.<br />
<br />
All told, it was a good race. Things went mostly to plan, I felt good considerably more often than not, and I got some useful insights into how other people do things both as runners and organizers. I didn't really get a lot of "Fraternite" in the first 65km. There was a lot of introspection around, and I would have liked a little more social interaction, to be honest. Would I do it again? Maybe - it's a lot of trees, so I don't think I'd want to approach it as a touring race. If I did it again, I think it would have to be with the goal of going faster.<br />
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<h4>
A few random thoughts:</h4>
As an event, the ETP is definitely an epic feat of organization. There seemed to be hundreds of volunteers throughout the course. They were, as race volunteers generally are, fantastic, enthusiastic, and friendly. I'm sure the traffic they were stopping wasn't as enamored by them as I was, but that's to be expected. Apparently, it's not the done thing to say "merci" to the marshals as they stop cars from running you down or point you along the route. Quite a few volunteers and runners were surprised, but it started to rub off on those runners around me and eventually the steady trickle of thanks to the marshals was met with big smiles and shouts of encouragement. Next time you find yourself in a race thinking that the volunteers seem a bit dour, give them a smile and a thank you and see what happens. After all, watching a bunch of grumpy, smelly runners stream past isn't as much fun as cheering on inspiring runners who look like death but still manage to give a smile, a wave, or even a word or two in exchange.<br />
<br />
Hiring the GPS transceiver was great for friends and family around the world, and meant I got to waste about 20 minutes on Wednesday watching my little icon run around on Google Earth. That was pretty cool.<br />
<br />
I was very happy I was self-sufficient on the food - a key learning point from Rocky Raccoon. Every race organization has its food strategy. If I had tried to subsist mostly on the CPs, I would have had a very bad day indeed, since the fare didn't really fit what I'm used to eating. <br />
<br />
<h4>
Main gear (plus plenty of other bits & pieces):</h4>
Shoes: <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/shoe-review-salomon-fellraiser.html" target="_blank">Salomon Fellraiser</a><br />
Socks: <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/gear-review-injinji-performance-20.html" target="_blank">Injinji Trail</a><br />
Shorts: Brooks (the Sherpa is the closest on the market to the ancient ones I wear)<br />
Vest: Cotswold Running bespoke<br />
Pack: <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/gear-review-salomon-advanced-skin-s-lab.html" target="_blank">Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Hydro 5</a> w/ 2 500ml soft flasks and a 1.3L bladder<br />
Head-torch: <a href="http://cotswoldrunning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/gear-review-led-lenser-seo7r.html" target="_blank">LED Lenser H7R</a><br />
Garmin Forerunner 305<br />
Camera: Nikon Coolpix AW110<br />
<br />
<h4>
Food:</h4>
Pre-race - ham sandwich & Clif Builders Bar (mint choc chip: yum!)<br />
TORQ bars: 5<br />
TORQ Energy gels: 7<br />
TORQ Energy w/ caffeine gels: 2<br />
Salted crisps: ~8<br />
Water: ~4.5L</div>
Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-66780373223361156002014-03-24T17:42:00.000+00:002014-05-15T14:35:32.533+01:00Time Flies When You're Having FunDad just scanned in a picture of my first "race" (it was a fun run, really) and sent it to me. It was back in the early days of the Austin Running Club. The nation was celebrating its bicentennial, which meant the ARC hosted a 1 mile fun run, Mom fired up the sewing machine and made us all matching Stars & Stripes tops, and I got to do my first race at the ripe old age of 3. I can't recollect how long it took, but I know it was a PB!<br />
<br />
Nearly 4 decades later, the hike & bike trail at Town Lake (now Ladybird Johnson Lake) is still one of my favourite places in the world. Every twist, turn, bridge, and hill seems to hold a memory of one run or another. When I was very little, Dad would do his run, and Mom was stuck walking with us as we ran/walked/sat. I can still point out the scar on my right knee from when I fell running downhill (sound familiar?), chasing my older siblings near the gazebo over by the Congress Street bridge. When I was in high school, racing duathlons, Dad & I would head to the lake once or twice a week after work in the summer to put in some sunny miles. The little wooden bridge over Barton Creek always meant I was near the water fountain, if I was on the anti-clockwise loop. Little things, important things.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWuwlUGpXSf-HIkE1mh8BJcTJBWaCgd7MfYdHto2SKt24y03rf4gIHhOkxXnmXJh5p6D80aA3X6AvxWRfKWvuUVwJl6RZ064voEGylyswJhBKlevbx12gq-BBmuBkZMB8lMdbhNe06CY_/s1600/Kurt+at+ARC+1+mile+Fun+Run+July+1976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWuwlUGpXSf-HIkE1mh8BJcTJBWaCgd7MfYdHto2SKt24y03rf4gIHhOkxXnmXJh5p6D80aA3X6AvxWRfKWvuUVwJl6RZ064voEGylyswJhBKlevbx12gq-BBmuBkZMB8lMdbhNe06CY_/s1600/Kurt+at+ARC+1+mile+Fun+Run+July+1976.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly 38 years ago, I wasn't quite so tall. Even then, I liked to look at the scenery.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This weekend, I joined our local Sports Relief Mile in Pershore. Ostensibly, I was out drumming up support for <a href="http://www.eveshamvalerunningclub.org.uk/page7.htm" target="_blank">EVRC's local 10K</a> on July 13th, but in the end I just couldn't pass up the chance to run around a park surrounded by runners, walkers, and pram pushers/passengers. As a race director, I frequently have to set out age limits and rules, fill in risk assessments, and play with bits of red tape. But as I was jogging about the park, chatting with a local teacher who received great support from his primary school students, watching parents sheltering their little ones under trees when the hail became corn-kernel-sized, I was on the other side, enjoying one of the best things in the world - people out running around having fun (once the hail stopped).<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hopefully, in a few decades, some of those little kids I saw on Saturday will look back at pictures of them with their first medal and see the start of a lifetime of happy running memories. Running comes naturally to most of us, or it did once, and so does laughing and smiling while we do it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, it's time to turn off the PC, get out, have fun, and make some new memories.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800114628511342542.post-18219793030081316792014-03-14T17:58:00.000+00:002014-03-14T17:59:35.019+00:00Running Diaries - you keep one, but do you use it?Judging by the volume of Facebook and Twitter chat, most runners do keep (and share) records of their runs. Whether it's Strave, Runkeeper, Garmin Connect, vast home-made spreadsheets (yes, that's me), a blog, or good old handwriting, we keep a log of anything from number of miles run to the number of jellybabies consumed. It's a great way to give ourselves a pat on the back, a little gold star, just for going out and doing what we want to.<br />
<br />
But how many of us actually use the running diary for anything other than annoying our non-running friends & families or for ammo in the "I kicked your butt on that segment last Tuesday" conversations with our running buddies? When was the last time you went back and actually analyzed your diary for something more subtle than "how fast did I do my 800m reps last month?"<br />
<br />
What brings this to mind? Well, this week I managed to complete a (not very) whopping 42.5 training miles, including some good trail runs and a full speed session. It's the first good quality week I've had in ages, and I wanted to know just how long "ages" really was.<br />
<br />
So, I dragged out the spreadsheet and hunted for weekly mileage over 40 that didn't actually include an ultra. After all, weekly mileage that's 90-100% on one day doesn't really count as a quality week. A quality day, yes, but that's only 1/7th of a week.<br />
<br />
Having exhausted the rather short 2014 diary, I changed to the 2013 page and was pleased to see a couple of 40+ weeks in December, one in November, and then ... May. OK, so I knew the second half of the year was patchy, so I wasn't expecting much. But, it got me thinking: was it just a figment of my imagination that I was quite happily doing 35-45 miles per week before I made a mess of my ankle over the Summer?<br />
<br />
The training diary trawl continued, not looking for specific totals, but trends; little (or big) stretches of the consistency that turns running into training, patterns of good and bad. To say I was a little amazed at what I found would be a gross understatement. I was shocked to learn that before my little blip in December, which ended with a total bonk 32mi into a 45mi training run, I hadn't logged 2 40+ mi weeks in a row for a year. Consistency? Not here... I knew 2013 had been a bit unplanned, but the erratic up & down was, on reflection, quite easy to spot. I think I may need a weekly mileage graph on this year's sheet (if in doubt, add more graphs...).<br />
<br />
I then started to ask myself a new question: if I had such a crap training year (and I did, let's be honest), how did I manage to pull off the races I did? Dig deeper, look at 2012, and there's the answer. It would seem that the first half of 2013 was built on the laurels of 2012. One third of my 2012 weeks had 40+ miles. I got through the next 6 months based on that foundation.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to further bore you with the rest of what I found on that trawl. I will, however, say that it's helped to build a picture of what I've done right before, and how I can build on that for the next year.<br />
<br />
So, next time you're looking at your latest Strava segment stats, or posting that picture of your Garmin on Facebook, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. You might see more than you expected.Kurt Dusterhoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440566879407088602noreply@blogger.com0