Gower Trail Marathon

Endurancelife Coastal Trail Marathon – Stage 2 - Gower
Dark clear skies were broken with the glimmer of stars. The ground frost glistened. It was going to be a perfect day for running. A little cold to start maybe but it was going to be a good day.
It was an early start. Rising at 4am to pick up my buddy Nigel at 5am and then head south on the M5, then M4 to arrive in the Gower for 7:30am.
This was the second stage of the Endurancelife Coastal Trail Series. At registration, much of the chat was about the previous race in Dorset some 4 weeks earlier. Yes, it had been a real tough race and a real baptism of fire for many. Was the Gower going to be as hard?
I hadn’t looked at the course profile as I feel that it serves no real purpose. I take it as it comes and hopefully my body responds accordingly. Nigel however had come armed with a print out of the route. On paper, the route looked hillier than Dorset; oh joy we thought.
At 9a,m the marathon runners congregated at the rear of the village hall. The cold air kept everyone moving on the spot to keep warm. Or was it nerves of the run ahead?
Race briefing as per usual was informative. Any particular area of danger was pointed out to the runners. Everyone was told of the need to be self-sufficient. And most importantly, everyone was made aware that should you die during the event, it was our own fault for entering in the first place. Sounded like it was going to be a good day.
At 9:15 we departed the village hall. As per usual at these events a short section of road was soon replaced with trail. At first it was relatively firm grass. After a good section the profile started to go up and the ground became muddy. The course was still technically quite easy and therefore unlike Dorset, many runners grouped together. The climb started to spread people out and finally a natural order started to take place.
A nice run across the top of the ridge was replaced with some fast technical downhill and then a really lovely section of bog snorkelling. Yes, some really smelly lovely mud. You put your foot in it and sunk to mid calf. It was pretty tough but fun. I always get worried about these sections as I dread the thought of leaving a shoe behind.
From here we were treated to some great views of the coastline and sandy trails through grassland. It was really beautiful as the low morning light skimmed over the ground.
Eventually we started to drop down and we were treated to a long sandy beach and rolling waves. The early morning frost had frozen the top layers of sand it was just a real pleasure to run through virgin sand as the waves splashed to our right. The early morning light winds lifted the spray from the water and gently showered us. At the end of the beach was a checkpoint. We dibbed in with our timing chips and left the beach section via a narrow pathway.
A short section of road and then in-front of us a wall of grass. The early section was gently graded and it was possible to run. Inevitably though as the gradient increased we all started to power walk. The secret of trail running is knowing when to walk and save energy. It’s not a negative. It’s a positive. I strided out making small steps. The aim to keep the speed up. It was quite a long section and finally we were treated with a plateau and some great views.
We had a really good section of running here. Some mud and some boggy ground but on the whole it was good running. We had plenty to look at, cliffs, sea, great views and the opportunity to chat with other runners.
Some of the early runners who had set the pace out front now started to come back. Start too quick and inevitably you will start to pay for it.
I had hooked up with a couple of runners and we were really enjoying the chat and views. Running at a similar pace we helped keep each other going.
Down again. This time it was technical and rocky. Once in the dip it was time to climb out. It was possible to jog walk and then we had another section of good running.
Once again we reached another beach section. This sand was much softer with many rock sections. Much harder running here. It was tough on the ankles and knees but still a pleasure.
Off the beach we climbed again. This section was on road but it was possible to keep a good pace going even though this section was quite steep. At the top we ran through fields and the entered a lovely woodland section. Soft ground, trees, shrubs and subdued light made this a really memorable section.
From the wood we climbed upwards again. Through a tough field section and then a road. Once we crossed the road a final checkpoint. As I ran away I shouted ‘how many in front?’ a reply came ‘four’. Great I thought. That two days rest before the race was obviously paying dividends. Treat these races as training and very rarely relax on approach to them.
It was downhill for quite a long section now. It was welcome. It gave me an opportunity to keep my speed up and recover.
At the bottom I continued onwards, up a hill and then joined a road section. I came to a crossroads and unusually no ‘direction’ marker. I ran straight on doubtful I was running the correct way. I saw a woman with a pram. ‘Seen any runners?’ I asked.
Her reply was less than convincing “no” she said “but there are some race markings up the road”
I continued. Finally I saw an endurancelife sign pointing left to the village and race start. I continued on and eventually saw another sign. Must be the correct way? I thought.
This was a long section of road and I was surprised. I came into the village and entered the finish. I dibbed in for 3rd place. I knew this wasn’t correct. I hadn’t overtaken anyone. Although my GPS had the correct distance I had obviously missed a turn.
Neil Bryant came in and dibbed in. He was given 4th place. I was definitely behind him and I told him so. No glory in grabbing places by taking a wrong turn. I was happy with my race. I felt really good and although it is a real disappointment to go of course so close to the finish I know it wouldn’t have altered my overall place of 4th (or maybe 5th).
The Gower was stunning. It was a beautiful course of stunning views, great-varied terrain and excellent organization. It would be a great first time race for the Coastal Series. It was tough as all these races are. But in comparison to Dorset, it was a walk in the park.
As a footnote (no pun intended) I changed my shoe type for this race. Previously I had used the Salomon XD and found that on real muddy terrain I couldn’t keep upright. For this race I used the Speed Cross with a more aggressive sole. Perfect!! The added grip was so welcome and ultimately enabled me to keep my speed up. Winner of the race was Andy Jones in 3:20:41. I recorded 3:36:00.
See you in Portland for stage 3.

Dorset Coastal Trail Marathon

DORSET COASTAL TRAIL MARATHON

So, you think a marathon is tough? Well, I can safely say that anyone who ran the Endurancelife Coastal Trail in Dorset this Saturday will re-evaluate that point of view. Yes, marathons are tough but the Dorset Coastal was ‘horrific’ but in a great way.
Mark Hughes ran the half marathon. I passed him on the course twice and when we met up at the end he just could not believe the severity of the course. In fact he quite rightly said it WAS the hardest thing I had ever done….. And he only ran the half!!! He couldn’t get his head around the marathon.
Here we go then, I will try to give an insight, however, unless you were there it is difficult to comprehend. I have photographs that I took whilst running to ‘savour’ the experience. Hopefully you will get to see them. If you would like to look, go to my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009654&id=1134337672&ref=mf
I arrived at the race HQ at around 7:30am. Registration was really well organized. A signature on a declaration form saying basically that if you die during the event it is no ones fault but your own for entering in the first place – always a good sign. Then it was collecting your race number and then your ‘dongle’. The dongle is a form of timing chip that goes around the wrist. At certain checkpoints you ‘dib in’ to a control box and it records your split and obviously records that you actually complete the whole course.
We stood in blowing winds, cold temperatures and listened to how the ‘course’ was treacherous and slippery. It is part of these events that you need to be self-sufficient. So everyone was told to carry food, liquid, warm clothing, mobile phones and basically to be safe.
At 8:00am we departed from the Square & Compass Pub on an epic adventure. After about 800m of road we jumped a gate and then it was off road. Initially running through fields, negotiating gates, running through woodland and then in front of us a wall of grass and a backbreaking ascent to the Coastal Path. Little did we know that this backbreaking ascent certainly wasn’t the hardest on the course or was it the only one…
You pretty much have to go single file on the ascents and decents. Most ascents had steps built in and so therefore it was just a real physical challenge. The descents however are a little more treacherous. Slippery mud, steep gradients and quad crunching pain; oh joy.
This section was like being on a big dipper at the fair; up one side, down the other side, back up, back down. The hills were filed in with treacherous coastal paths with stunning views out to sea and the rocky cliffs.
At about 6 miles we had to run through farmers fields. Thick clay stuck to your shoes and made your feet twice the size and weight. A grass vertical wall confronted us; you somehow had to climb up it. Grabbing tufts of grass you would pull yourself up, secure your foot and then repeat the process; running? No, this was climbing!!
At the top we were rewarded with some good trail and a short section of road. A feed station and checkpoint came at around 9.5 miles and then it was climbing again. This time up stony, rocky surfaces to a new summit. Good hard terrain gave me an increase in speed and I picked off 3 or 4 runners who basically had started too quickly. Running along the cliffs we could see the course continue on the cliff tops opposite. Problem was a big gap in between. We descended, entered a valley and then had to climb out. This probably was the hardest section. No footholds, constant slippery mud and basically just hard graft. In a sick way it was fun. I had joined a couple of other guys and we helped each other through this section. It must have taken 20-30 minutes to cover less than 2 miles.
The summit one again treated us to some firmer ground and then we re-joined the course to be confronted by the half marathon runners coming at us. They had started some 90minutes later. We now had to re-negotiate the roller coaster hills from earlier in the day. One foot at a time and keep working. You can do no more. I saw Mark in this section. I was just amazed at how tough it was….. I heard a few choice words and ‘mental’ a few times and pushed on.
The marathon runners now went onto a second loop taking in another section of the coastal pathway. Although we had loads more hills to traverse they in general were not as hard as the earlier climbs. However, the conditions underfoot just meant you slipped everywhere. I was not having a good time here. My hips, knees and core were really feeling the constant compensations one had to make not to fall over. I had Salomon trail shoes on but I couldn't stay upright.
Finally I reached the last checkpoint and feed. We had about 5 miles to go. Pretty damn tired now. Everything ached and you just wanted to be back at the finish. More climbing, more slipping, more falling. Down and up we went. You walked the hills. It just wasn’t practical to run. Finally we came down a hill to join the runners from the half marathon course. Guess what? Mark was there plodding on up the final climb. A quick hello and I pushed on at a brisk walk. At the top the finish was in sight. I ran down the farm track running and splashing through the puddles to finally join the road that led to the finish. Up some steps and home. I was absolutely happy to be back and so glad this race wasn’t an ‘Ultra’.
Everyone who came in had a story to tell. They all said how hard, how tough, etc etc…. BUT they all loved it and they all said how they would be back for the next one at the ‘Gower’ in early December.
In total there are 7 Coastal Marathons. One a month for the next 6 months. If you fancy a challenge and something to test you; Live outside the box and get yourself entered. Distances are 10k, half marathon or marathon.
Finally I need to make a mention about Nigel Addison-Evans. Nigel is attempting 8 marathons in 7 days in 2009 and I am coaching him. He decided that because I had done 8 marathons in 8 days in 2008 I was the perfect coach. I hope he still thinks so? He did a sterling run in 6:10 and really gritted his teeth to get round in one of the toughest marathons I have been involved in. Well done.
The winning time was a quite incredible 3:36 by a South African friend of mine, David Ross. I completed the course in about 4:08 (tbc)
Ian

Leicester City Marathon

LEICESTER CITY MARATHON 19th October 2009



According to my calculations, Leicester was my 32nd Marathon of 2008. Admittedly, many of those marathons have been in training and obviously I did 8 in a row when I did the 8in8in08. However, Leicester was going to be different…..

I had targeted Leicester as the ‘only’ opportunity I would have a go at beating my PB. No doubt I have loads of miles in my legs. No doubt I have run countless marathons. But all of them in the remainder of 2007 and all those preceding Leicester had been based on ‘endurance’; the ability to run big miles day after day.

So Leicester was falling quite nicely as an ‘in-between’ race. Post my Ironaman I had run Coventry Trail 40 miler and the 100k on the Thames Path at the end of September, so, with those races out of the way I had a mini taper before re-building my mileage back up at the end of October, beginning of November.

Funnily, my marathon PB is not that quick, 3:12 ran at Paris Marathon in 2007. However, I have run lots since then and I know on a good day I can get a good time. My prep for Leicester, although good, was not ideal for a fast run. I had too little time to add any speed work and my mini taper in true marathon terms was not long enough. Give it a go anyway I thought…

In marathon terms, the weather was perfect. Cloudy, with a slight chill. However, after mile 13 the wind really picked up and made the last half tough going. So, the race !

The gun sounded at 9.20am and we were off. Difficult start as the half marathon race started with the marathon runners. It was too easy to start too quick as the ‘halfers’ flew off. My target was to really push myself, throw it all on the line and either come up with a thrashing of my PB and a long desired sub 3 marathon or die in flames….

Mile 1 was 5:57, mile 2 - 6:22, mile 3 – 6:23, mile 4 – 6:27 and then I settled. My target was to try and keep 6:30’s going and see what happened. Slight undulations slowed the pace every now and then but in principal I was being consistent. I felt good. Breathing was easy, I was on my toes and the miles were clicking by. I went through 10k in 38min (ish) and then the half marathon at 1:25, so, all good….


Then the wind and a few hills came. It was tough for a while. Then next 4 miles went by at 6:47, 6:46, 6:49 and 6:47. It wasn’t a problem, 6:50’s is sub 3 hr pace aand I had time in the bag from the first 13 miles.

At 18 miles I started to suffer a little and then at 19 miles the legs started to twitch. Oh dear, the wheels were coming off. Going long and steady no problem but my legs were just not used to this pace. Mile 19 - 7:09 and then I just had to hold on. My legs were giving me some real stick. If I could have held 7:30’s I would have still gone sub 3 but my legs were not having any of it. Mile 20 – 7:12, mile 21 – 7:31, mile 22 – 7:38….. you can see a pattern forming can’t you!! Grit your teeth and keep running I thought. I was still going to thrash my PB but not going to get that sub 3.

I crossed the line in 3:03:18 with bloody sore legs. I had knocked 9 miinutes of my PB but missed the holy grail by just over 3 mins. It will come. I know it’s there. I just need to dedicate a period of running purely for that target and not trying to ‘fit it in’.

Next time?

Ian

Thames Path 100K

To re cap. My re-run of the Thames Path section from Henley on Thames to Staines was a distance of 50k (32 miles) and was the run I performed on my 5th day of 8 marathons in 8 days. For those who don't remember, the 5th day was the day after my Dad had major surgery for stomach cancer.

In April, when I initially ran I remembered stunning scenery, beautiful trails and great views. However, these memories blurred with the stress and worries of Dads operation. I therefore decided post the 8 marathons that I would re run this day with the addition of running back the next day. So, a total of 100k or 64 miles.

I started at Henley on Thames in glorious sunshine and this weather held for the full two days. In-fact, it was a little too hot but I wasn't going to complain. I was running with a multi-day Raidlight running sac, so, the added weight contributed to extra fatigue and heat build up. However, I kept a steady pace and just made sure I hydrated. Obviously, due to limitations in carrying capacity I had to make sure I could re-fuel on route. Not a problem on the path as you pass villages, locks, rowing clubs, ice cream vans etc at regular intervals.

So running from Henley I ran east along the Thames passing through Aston, Hurley, Marlow, Little Marlow, Well End, Bourne End, Cookham, Maidenhead, Bray, Eton, Windsor, Datchet, Old Windsor, Egham and finally Staines. Needless to say, the views on such a beautiful weekend are fantastic. In areas of interest, in particular Marlow and Windsor hundreds upon hundreds of people were on the path enjoying the sun. It was a real pleasure to be out there....

Saturdays run took 5 hours 19 mins and Sundays 5 hours 30 mins. I ran at a steady endurance pace and apart from miles 30 and 31 on Sunday, I had no real problems apart from tender legs.... I mention Sunday because without any warning dehydration hit with just a few miles left. I had failed to re-fill a bottle at Marlow, missed vital electrolytes and paid the price. The dehydration hit me like a wall and I was reduced to a walk to recover.

It was a fantastic weekend. I loved every minute of the whole two days and I loved the self sufficiency that comes with this sort of running. It's a real buzz and adventure. I strongly recommend it is a variation to your training. Obviously, no need to run such a long way.

Go LANCE Go !!!!

Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement and compete in next year's Tour de France, VeloNews reported Monday, citing sources close to the situation.
Armstrong, who will turn 37 on Sept. 18, will join the Astana team and compete in five road races, the sources told VeloNews.
He will compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia, the Dauphine-Libere and the Tour de France. The sources told VeloNews that Armstrong will receive no salary or bonuses.
Armstrong's manager, Mark Higgins, would not comment.
Sources told VeloNews that Armstrong's comeback will be the focal point of a story in the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair, to be published later this month.
Armstrong, who overcame testicular cancer he was diagnosed with in 1996 en route to his string of Tour de France triumphs, has remained active in the three years since his retirement.
In August he raced in the Leadville Trail 100, a 100-mile mountain bike race through the Colorado Rockies, finishing a close second to the six-time defending champion, Dave Wiens. It's the country's highest-altitude bicycle race.
Armstrong has also run the New York and Boston marathons and was set last month to run the Chicago Marathon in October.

Coventry Way 40 mile Ultra

Coventry Way 40 mile Trail Run
Needless to say, the past weeks weather gave me some major concerns for an off road trail run that circumnavigates Coventry. On Saturday, the day before the race, the weather was horrendous with torrential rain and strong winds. It didn't look good....
Race morning came and the tring from the alarm got me out of bed quickly. A quick look out of the window confirmed the rain had eased but not stopped. A good breakfast of about 600 cals and 750 ml of electrolyte set me up for the 8 am start.
The journey to Coventry saw me drive through some real heavy rain storms and I was diverted twice because of flooding. Not a good sign....
I arrived at the Village Hall at Meriden a little later than I would have liked but I had about 20 min to spare. Walkers had set out on the course as early as 06:00. The cut off for the event is 21:00. So as you can imagine, the course is challenging. They operate a rolling start, so basically you may leave at any time. You have a card that needs to be marked at checkpoints on route; 8 in total.
I started at 8 am in a group of approximately 12. We started in heavy rain wearing waterproofs, however, it soon became apparent that a waterproof wasn't needed. Temperatures were mild and basically a jacket just made you hot. I however was running with a 'Raidlight' sac to get some practice for multi-stage racing. I therefore needed to wait till the first checkpoint before removing my jacket.
The first couple of miles ticked over but then a group of 4 of us upped the pace. Navigation on the course was quite tricky and 2 of the guys I was with were old hands... basically, they new the course back to front. I made a decision to stay with them as long as possible. They clicked out a pretty hard pace considering the terrain.
Muddy? no... imagine the worst cow field you possibly can and then imagine it water logged... add to that gates, hills, turnstiles, corn fields, forests etc... and you have a rough idea on how hard the course was. At several points we were wading above knee height in water.
We made checkpoint 2, 14 miles in 2 hours. We had a break at each checkpoint, refill bottles, get some calories and basically just break the running up. Checkpoint 3 came at 18.5 miles and by now we were in the lead. We had dropped one guy and the three of us pushed on. Checkpoint 4 cam at 24 miles and we were feeling good. I expressed concern about our pace. I felt we were running too quickly... the terrain was so sapping and when you have 40 miles to go you know at some point you are going to pay for your efforts.
The distance between point 4 and 5 was the longest at 7 miles, so it was important to make sure you had drink and food to sustain you for an hour. At 28 miles, Mitch, one of the locals started to get cramp... he pulled through it well but it dictated a slower pace for the remainder of the race. At checkpoint 5 we had a slightly longer break, plenty of liquid and food and then moved on. How painful.... getting the legs going after a few minutes break really is sore.
Two more checkpoints left, 6 at 34.4 miles and 7 at 37 miles. We kept pushing and although our pace had dropped we kept running. All the turnstiles and gates were pretty painful, particularly for Mitch, he was really frightened of his legs going 'ping'.
In this section we had to 'wade' a couple of times as the river that had broken its banks. We also had to run through a couple of corn fields.. this was weird. Felt like I was in a movie, 'North by Northwest' or more scarily, 'The Children of the Corn'.
Finally, the last checkpoint. We had 3 miles to go. We had hoped to go under 7 hours, in-fact, we had hoped to go 6:30 but the conditions were just too hard. So, 3 miles in 30mins... it was gonna be a push. We finally entered the Village Hall after circumnavigating Coventy in 7 hrs 03 mins. At this point we thought we had all finished in joint first, however, it turned out a couple of other runners beat outr time. First place was 6:40, 2nd 6:51 and the three amigos came in at 7:03.
It was a tough day. One of the hardest days I have done in racing but it was a great day and a real experience. I really cant recommend this type of racing enough.

Training Update

I have been a little quiet on my training post Ironman. It has not been a calculated decision. It is just the way things have worked out. I have races planned pre Christmas but all major targets are now in 2009.

Having said that, next week I have a 40 mile trail run and then two weeks later I have two days on the Thames Path covering 100km.

So, as you can expect, I have been doing lots of running. This week I have been training in Nice in the South of France. It was an intentional end to my training period post Ironman and before I start racing again.

It has been a really tough week. I have covered just under 300km in 8 days. Admittedly not all running but my intention was to put time 'on' my legs to prepare for the challenges ahead. Needless to say, the week is over and my legs are tired... very tired! 

Breaking the week down I have run every day and walked approximately 10 miles a day. My running breakdown has been as follows:

• Sunday 24th - 14.21 miles at 7m 42s pace
• Monday 25th - 8.2 miles at 7m 05s pace
• Tuesday 26th - 9.84 miles at 7m 52s pace
• Wednesday 27th - 13.62 miles at 8m 13s pace
• Thursday 28th - 6.33 miles at 7m 30s pace
• Friday 29th - 15.63 miles at 7m 59s pace
• Saturday 30th - 10.42 miles at 7m 30s pace
• Sunday 31st - 18.15 miles at 8m 30s pace

It has been a good week. But I can really feel the effects. It was intentional though. It has been plus 30 deg everyday and hydration has been really important. On my runs I was carrying a double Salomon bottle belt (1 litre of liquid). I have used 'Nuun' electrolyte tablets as they are the most efficient way to replace sodium. I have also used 'endurolytes' by Hammer. Again, really effective. Because the pace of my runs has been relatively easy I have not eaten too many calories whilst running. Just a Hammer Gel every 45 min or so... carbs have not been an issue.

This coming week I am going to really ease back and recover. I will run daily but only short distances. I will also get some pool time to help the overall recovery proccess.

Olympics

Are you loving the Olympics ? I am. It has been a fantastic week of sport. The opening ceremony was just so spectacular and the quality of action that has followed has been awesome. Nicole Cook finally gets a long overdue Gold. We get a silver in the ladies time trial and then we get a gold in the pool with one of the most exciting swim races ever! I say one of the most exciting as I now have 'the' most exciting. Yes, you have guessed it, the mens relay... I am not American but I was screaming at the TV for that finish. What a come back.... I am so pleased for Phelps. I want him to get those 8 golds. He has to rank as one of the most supreme athletes; ever!! 

He is up there with Lance Armstrong, Mohammed Ali and so on... to dominate a sport in such a way in 2008 is nothing short of miraculous. It's not only about his winning but his versatility in the pool. He literally has no weakness... He certainly will be around in 2012 for the next Olympics and he is talking of changing distances. I wonder how he would do in a Triathlon ?

DOUBLE IRONMAN

Life is a challenge. I remember when I stopped cycling and took up triathlon. I was daunted by the swim. But like in all things, if you apply yourself, dedicate the time, you improve and finally conquer your fears. An Olympic Triathlon progressed to a Half Ironman, a Half Ironman progressed to Ironman. An Ironman progressed to Ultra Running and 8 marathons in 8 days.

It's funny this year when I stood on the Ironman start line at Austria, I had no fear. No fear of the distance at all. I respected it, but didn't fear it. I knew that I would finish the race (barring accidents) it was just a case of what time?

What was different in 2008 was that I only applied myself to triathlon for 7 weeks. This spoke volumes to me. It was a risky strategy but based on knowledge of myself and what works for me in training. To go to Austria, produce a PB has left me secure in the knowledge that I now know what makes me tick in an endurance event.

As you will see from my previous post, I have already set an early 2009 target of running from London to Paris.

I have now taken the next logical step and entered DOUBLE IRONMAN UK for August 2009. Yes, a double!!! Distances are a 7.6k swim, 380km bike and a 84.4k run to be performed consecutively within a cut off time of 35 hours.

So, keep an eye on this blog. I am pretty sure I will have some interesting stories to tell over the coming months.

Below is a link for the official forum:

http://www.tritalk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=47120

NEW CHALLENGE AHEAD !!

The dust has settled on my Ironman. I have several good weeks of training in my legs and last week I clocked just under 90 miles. I have some relatively small targets pre- Christmas, however it is time I told you all of my new challenge for early 2009.... yes, if you can't work it out from the picture above, I plan to run from London to Paris concluding with the Paris Marathon.

Planning is still in it's early stages. Distances and format are to be clarified, however, one thing is for certain, I will start on March 28th/29th and conclude in Paris on April 5th with the 'official' Paris Marathon. We currently estimate the distance to be approximately 320 miles.

It seems to be the logical progression from my '8' earlier this year. This will take things to the next level and I can't wait.

I also want yhis challenge to be slightly different. As far as I can tell, no one has ever run the whole distance, therefore I plan to 'run' the channel crossing... yes, if I can get permission, i hope to put a treadmill on the ferry and run across. I have already approached Eurotunnel, nut due to safety regs it's not possible to run through. Shame !!

So, there you have it. The challenge is set. All I need to do know is plan for it and start getting the miles in....

Respect is due...

Claire Smith, you are a star !!

I got a telephone call in late January I think from my friend Claire. Claire did her first Ironman in 2007 at Sherborne. I spent the day supporting her... I have never seen anyone so scared before she entered the water. When she came out, she was freezing cold. I thought she had DNF'd in transition but she re-emerged after about 20mins of getting warm. On the bike she pulled through and then on the run she kept a consistent pace to finish in around 14hours 20min. It wasn't he fastest IM that day but it was quite moving and inspirational to watch. It had an effect on me. Some people really do have 'grit'.

So, back to the call in January. Claire announced to me that she had entered the 'Double Ironman' for August.

I wasn't very supportive as I felt that she stood a great risk of really injuring herself. I didn't doubt she could do it!! I knew she had the 'grit' to push.... but at what consequence to her health would doing a Double do?

We agreed to disagree. Once she made her mind up I obviously wanted her to do well, cross the line and be healthy. She got on with her training and in the latter stages we discussed some options to break the distance down. She adapted what we discussed and approached the Double with a strategy.

The Double took place over the weekend, the 2nd and 3rd. Claire crossed the line in around 32 hours 30mins. It;s not been confirmed yet. BUT she did it. I am so proud of her achievement. I haven't had chance to talk to her yet but it's going to be interesting to get the low down on a race I plan to do next year...

I have one regret. I was going to help crew for Claire during the night but due to family commitments, I couldn't go. I am really gutted about that. I wanted to be there.... Just so YOU know Claire, our thoughts where with you the whole time.

WELL DONE !!! AWESOME

Inspiration

Sport is such a great tool for motivation. It also promotes good health; physical and mental.

We all need heroes. They inspire us and motivate us to push ourselves to our own limits. Lance Armstrong has always stood high on a pedestal for me. What he achieved post cancer is nothing less than remarkable. However, before his cancer, we new he had talent. We new that he was destined for glory. Maybe not as a Tour winner but as a single day 'classics' rider. So his fame was expected. It just so happens he exceeded all our expectations....

However, 2007 and 2008 are going to stand out as 'key' years in Ironman History. Why? Chrissie Wellington.

Chrissie has stormed onto the Ironman scene as an unknown. She won her first Ironman in Malaysia. Her second race was on the holy ground of Kona; she won!!! Not bad, World Champion in your second race.....

This year she has won in Australia, then Germany (she would have broke the IM record had she not lapped up the glory on the finish straight) and now she has just won at the Alpe D'Huez Triathlon. Not only did she win the women's race but she was 2nd overall.... yep, she beat all the men. Fellow GB athlete, Stephen Bayliss lost 18 minutes to her. It must be one hell of a shock!!

So, Chrissie will head to Kona once again in October. Nothing is guaranteed in sport but barring injury, I can't see her loosing....

Watch the Chrissie Wellington space - a star in the making !!! 

The Week

Firstly, Sastre did it !!! Really pleased with the result. He deserved it and ultimately his aggression won him the race. Cadel Evans was I am afraid a let down, on the bike and with the press. Yes he must have been under immense pressure but he did his PR no good at all. Also, although 2nd on GC he didn't really 'attack'. He defended all along and maybe on Alpe D'Huez when he needed to be aggressive he had nothing left? CSC controlled the race and cleared up the results with 'yellow', best team and best young rider. If the Schleck brothers can learn to time trial they will be an awesome force for the future. Kohl also is a future winner maybe? Next year it will be good to have Contador back. To be honest I don't think anyone will come near him.... finally, a big 'up' for Cavendish. Four stage wins; awesome!!

This week for me has seen a slow and progressive return to training.. On Monday I just ran an easy 3 miles. Tuesday was 4 miles in the morning and 3 in the evening. Wednesday 5 miles in the morning and 3 in the evening. Thursday my legs finally start to feel normal again so I upped the miles and pace. Still nothing too fast but it was good to stretch out and cover just under 8 miles. Physio and a rest Friday and then a swim, bike, run Saturday followed by 12 miles steady run  on Sunday. 

I have a trail marathon 2 weeks today so I plan to build my volume up to this race with no reduction or tapering. This process will continue through August and then I have some 'ultras' planned for September. One a 40 mile trail run and then a 'two' day on the Thames Path covering 64 miles. October 5th I take on the Loch Ness Marathon. If I feel good I hope to have a go at PB. It's probably not the best course for a fast marathon but I will have a go...

Tour de France

It's Wednesday 23rd July. D-Day in the Tour as we hit Alpe D'Huez. Never has the top ten of the Tour been so close together.... I wonder if a lack of drugs has anything to do with it !! Certainly the playing field seems so much more even than in previous years. No dominating force. No one going off the front to power to a multi minute victory. It's good. This Tour has had it's problems but in general it seems as though everyone is beginning to learn that 'you will get caught'.

Anyway, today and the Alpe!

As expected,  an early break went looking for possible glory. They were brought back in time for the 'real' action on the Alpe. I predicted a quick attack by Menchov and Sastre. This would force Evans to respond setting up Frank Schleck for a counter. It so happens that Menchov blew and Evans made a BIG tactical mistake. He let Sastre go! Maybe he couldn't respond but he let them time gap stretch out and out for Sastre. He gave away 2min 13 sec. Yes, okay, the time trial is to come on Sunday and Sastre was 41 secs behind him anyway. But the yellow fleece can bring a rider to life. The Saturday Time Trial is not a foregone conclusion and I think Evans may have made a big mistake today.... he should have reduced that gap!

Ironman Fallout

It has been a week since the Ironman. It's funny, in the weeks and months building up to events you devote so much time to training. Up at 6am to train before work. A full day at work. Train after work and then it's family time. It's relentless. Don't get me wrong, I love it. My life would not be my life without the training and racing. Very often though in those final few weeks before a race you are tired. You look forward to the taper as it means you can ease back on the training, get some more rest, spend more time with your family and basically just chill out. The race comes and you either have a good or bad day. For me, Austria was a good day. I raced well. My strategy was perfect and to top all this off i had my folks there to watch. Many of you will be aware that my dad has recently had a very serious operation for stomach cancer. The last few months have been a rocky road. To have him in Austria to see me cross the line means so much. He has been my biggest fan and without him, my achievements mean nothing, so, thanks Dad!! Don't get me wrong, thank you all my family. At the moment though, dad gets a special mention.

So for the last 7 days I have been twiddling my thumbs. No training and boy do I miss it... I have decided to start training again today, Monday. Nothing hard just a nice easy jog to get things moving. I plan to do that all this week and gradually start to build again from next week. I have loads of races planned for the remainder of 2008. All of them running. I have also entered two 'Ultras' for January and February 2009. I need focus and I need targets.

I have also entered a new Ironman Distance race for October 2009. It is organized by the 'Challenge Roth' team and it will take place on the coast, north of Barcelona. Yes, a race in Oct 2009.... now that is forward planning.

Finally, I hope you like the new 'blog' format. The trainingtrips blog was adequate, however, I hope this new format will be better to view, more informative and also it allows you all to interact and post comments. Be great to hear from you all. Keep training. Ian

IRONMAN AUSTRIA

IRONMAN AUSTRIA

July 13th 2008

The alarm went off at 4am and surprisingly I had slept quite well for a night before a race. Our hotel has mostly Ironman competitors and supporters staying so the atmosphere at breakfast was quite quiet and thoughtful. It’s always a struggle squeezing the calories in at this time of day. For an Ironman I like to get in about 800-1000 cals, so that is quite a lot of food. Black coffee is really important too.
I was back in my room at 5am to get into race clothing and make sure I went through my pre-race checklists. I arrived at race transition at 5.30am. I checked my bike over, made sure everything was okay and pumped up the tires. Bottles on the bike, gels in my bento box and then it was a case of focusing on the day ahead.
Standing on the lakeside at 6.40am with 2500 other athletes always puts the day into perspective. I was nervous but focused on the day ahead. Before I knew it the horn blew and we were off…. I got battered for the first 400 m or so but then I found space and had a relatively trouble free swim. My biggest problem was my goggles. They just kept steaming up; a real pain. We swam out into the lake about 1800m turned left and went across the lake to finally return back to the beach and finish with the final 800m in the canal systems. The sun was in our eyes for all the return leg so that made sighting harder however when we got in the canal it was just a case of following feet. I had been worried about my swim as my neural leg problem can cause real problems in my calf’s resulting in really bad tightness and spasms. My plan had been not to kick in the swim and remain relaxed. It worked! I started to get a few twitches in the final 400m but it caused no problems. I had anticipated my swim to take longer and I was prepared to exit the water in around 1:15. I was really pleased to cover the distance in 1:06.
Into transition and it was a case of be quick but don’t rush. Wetsuit off and I just made sure I had everything I needed; helmet on, glasses on, bike gloves on and gels in my pocket. I quickly found my bike and was on the road in no time, transition was roughly 3 mins.
The bike course is two laps of excellent closed roads. All road surfaces are smooth and fast. Many believe the bike route to be easy but that is misguided. It’s undulating with a couple of tough climbs on each lap, total gain is appx 800m per lap. Gearing you need a 39x25 for the climbs.
Within 10 mins the rain came and it turned the road very slippery. As we approached any bend it was important to reduce speed. Those that didn’t hit the deck… I saw at least 4 crashes. My bike has been my strength due to my 20yrs cycling experience; however, in Ironman it has been my downfall. I normally ride too hard and then can’t run. My strategy therefore was to ride slower and run well. I did lap 1 in appx 2:38 and lap 2 in 2:42 giving me a 5:20 bike split. My back really bothered me on the bike and I had to keep stretching to reduce the fatigue. It worried me as I was unsure how it would influence the run.
I had another quick transition in T2 and was on the run course in less than 4 mins. As I started the run, the heavens opened; perfect. We had temperatures in the mid 20’s and a thunderstorm. I felt great on the run. I actually started too quick and had to adjust my pace at half way. The final 6 miles my hamstrings tightened and I had to adjust my running accordingly. It was pretty painful but one thing that running 8 marathons in 8 days taught me was how to run through the pan. I crossed the MDOT finish line in a PB 10:21. Completely elated.
I had approached this Ironman so different to previous times and the strategy worked so well (for me). Basically, I just ran and ran lots… up to 120 miles a week. I only started triathlon training 8 weeks before the Ironman relying on my running endurance. Cycling comes to me naturally and that soon came back. Swimming was a struggle but I was getting the feel back in the final few weeks. My swim split was actually only 2-3 mins slower than previous years when I have swum specifically for 6 months. It’s interesting. Certainly for myself, a run specific programme has made the difference between being ‘close’ to actually finally achieving my potential. Next time, maybe I can put the run potential with my bike potential and go sub 10 !!!

I am in my final 2 week taper now before Austria Ironman on July 13th. All is going well, I think. It's nice to get some extra rest and a little extra free time, but do I miss the training....

I have been swimming in my wetsuit every other day (Mon, Wed & Fri) and doing a specific brick session on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Tuesday I did a 90min bike followed by 7 mile run. Thursday was 75min bike followed by 5 mile run and Sunday will be 2hr 15min bike followed by 4 mile run. 

All my other sessions are low key and very easy. Just ticking over. I still have 'issues' with my calf problems. More physio planned but nothing at this stage will change. I just have to be prepared and manage it on the day. Apparently 2700 people are on the start list. That is going to be one busy swim !!!

Weymouth Middle Distance (70.3)

It has taken a while to post a report from Weymouth Middle Distance (70.3).

As I have said previously, I am playing catch up after my 8 marathons in 8 days in April. The 4 weeks after the '8' were taken up with family and stressing over Dad's serious option. I ticked over with a run each day but nothing too long. Also, this period was meant to be 'Tri Specific' as my Ironman was on July 13th.

Anyway, April was a wipe out and I started back in the pool and on the bike in May. Of course, as soon as I started swimming and cycling my back and calf problems re started; great!

I went to Weymouth with little prep, twitchy calfs and a very tight lower back. I had nothing to loose I guess??

I had a good group of friends at the race and we all met for dinner the night before the race. I have to say I was pretty nervous as I was unsure of the outcome of the race. My friends had all been dedicated to the Tri cause for 6 months plus. I was fit, yes! but not specifically fit for a triathlon. My swimming was way behind. Anyway, a quick run into the sea at 7.15am on Sunday morning and the race was under way. The water at Weymouth is very shallow until you get quite a long way out. So funny deciding if running would be quicker than swimming. 

The swim went quite quickly. It was definitely over distance, everyone commented but it was the same for all.

On the bike I started steady and then upped the pace. I felt very relaxed and was surprised at how good I felt. I just continually passed other waves and riders. I was making ground and feeling great. Into t2 I was in about 8th place. I was looking forward to the run; surely ALL those miles would show here? Nope!! I ran well but nowhere near as quick as I wanted. I think the bike took more out of me than I thought, plus the increased heat and sun started to press down. I pulled more places back and finished 3rd in my wave and on AG. 

It was a real result considering the prep. I was only about 15 minutes down on the previous year when I had won my AG and taken 6th overall. 

It was a great sign leading into my final 4 weeks prep for Austria.

Remaining races for 2008

Here are my remaining races for 2008.

June 8th - Weymouth Middle Distance

June 15th - Ironman UK 70.3

June 21st - Malvern Marathon

June 28th - Endurancelife Coastal, Lizard to Lands End

July 13th - Ironman Austria

August 9th/10th - Lakes 50m Trail Ultra

September 7th - Kent Coastal Marathon

September 20th/21st - Thames Path Ultra - Henley to Staines/ Staines to Henley

October 5th - Loch Ness Marathon

October 19th - Abingdon Marathon

October 25th - Beachy Head Marathon

November 8th - Endurancelife Coastal Series, stg 1, Poole

December 6th - Endurancelife Coastal Series, stg 2, Gowar, Swansea

iAmTri

Hi all, a new community has appeard on the web 

www.iamtri.com

Basically, it is 'Facebook' for triathletes. Great idea and I am sure it will generate many new friendships and groups. Go online and sign up, it only takes a few minutes.

My page can be found at: www.iamtri.com/profile/iancorless

See you all there !

Dean Karnazes - On a Mission

There are 21 California Missions. They stretch nearly 700 miles from Sonoma, just North of San Fransisco to San Diego. Each was built a day apart. This allowed travelers a convenient rest stop each night on a journey.

Dean decided to recreate this journey in just 10 days. Yep, he was going to run appx 60-70 miles per day. Why? well, he had to get to the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon, so instead of taking a car or plane, he decided to run there.... 

He decided to travel two missions at a time followed by his parents in his mobile home, the 'Mothership'.

This guy just goes on to inspire with his challenges.

The Rock n Roll Marathon was on the 31st of May, on June 8th, he heads out to the Gobi Dessert to run the 2nd leg of the 'Dessert Series'. He won the first one in April.

So, he ran 700 miles and a marathon in training - awesome !!!!