Brecon Beacons Ultra – 19 Nov 2011

BRECON BEACONS ULTRA RACE REPORT

 45 MILES – 2nd

The Brecon Ultra was to be my final significant race of the season. It was a chance to race against some serious ultra runners and hopefully seal what has been a terrific 12 month in Ultra Trail running. The 2010 event was my first ultra trail run. I really enjoyed myself and it became the catalyst for a season devoted both to triathlon and ultra trail racing. Last year Mark Palmer won for the third consecutive time to break his own course record with a time of 6hr22. I was pleased to take 2nd place with 6hr49. This year we were told there were record holders, world champions and race winners in their own right lining up to take on the 46mile (2 lap) race. I noticed one or two names from long-distance triathlon but I’d also been informed of some ultra running stars.

The Brecon Ultra also includes a team event – 3 members per team (aggregate times minus 1hr per female). Elagen were good enough to provide sponsorship for four teams in the event. They supplied both Elagen Sport and Beta Alanine pills.

The final teams were:
Elagen Endurance – Shaw Pye, Peter Cusick, Myself
Elagen Elite – Jo Kilkenny, James Ogilvie, Karl Zeiner
Elagen Explorer – Paul Thompson, Ian Hall, Tim Robinson
Elagen Extreme – Scott Garrett, Alexia Melling, David Pye

From left: James, Pete, Karl, Me, Alexia, Shaw

Racing for a team was going to have its positives and negatives. Shaw, Peter and myself were all slightly damaged goods going into the race and we knew that wimping out after the first lap was no longer a viable option unless strictly necessary. Peter had a nasty bike crash in Hawaii that put him in hospital (and out of the World Ironman Champs). Shaw had a leg injury, and I was a little unsure how my weak ‘post-Caesars Camp’ knees would handle the stony terrain of the Brecon course.

The race is a 2 x 22.5mile lap starting and finishing at Talybont. It is a mixture of canal path, fields and trails up and down some of the Brecon Beacon summits, with a few miles of road. You can see from the lap times that the stony surfaces and steep ascents take a lot out of the runners legs, and I’ve yet to see any second lap splits get close to first lap splits. The race is organised and run by Martin and Sue Like who are an awesome couple. I’ve known them for several years, and can say they are one of the most friendly and enthusiast couple you could meet. You can certainly see why the Brecon Ultra is such a popular event amongst trail runners and fills up in 48hrs!

I said going into the race that I would be more than happy with a <7hr time and/or top5.  After what I’d put my body and mind through on the 100mile race just 4 weeks earlier, I really didn’t expect to be at 100%.  I had to be realistic and I also had to be careful I didn’t get too carried away at the beginning of what would be a higher standard race with people going hard from the off.  Mark Palmer was back to defend his title again and I knew he’d be on good form having done the Bob Graham Round in <15hrs in the summer amongst other amazing achievements.  It was his race to lose you could say!

THE RACE

At 7:30am we all lined up on the canal and after a short lead-in speech by Martin, we were off! Last year I clocked an average pace of 7:40/M for the front runners along the 3miles of the canal. This year we were running at 7:20/M. The pace looked too quick, but I felt comfortable with it so decided to go along with the ride. After 1mile Pete and another runner pulled away from the front of the group and started doing ~7:00/mile. I was quite happy hanging off the back of Shaw and James with Karl and I believe Mark Palmer and Martin Cain just behind. As we approached the canal turn-off Mark made his move.

Team Elagen 1st to 5th

As we started running up Tor Y Foel (500m) Shaw and I managed to keep within about 20m of Mark and although the distance stretched to 50-70m by the summit we’d had a really good run up the hill with limited walking and I’d clocked I was already around 3mins up on last years split. I knew both Mark and Shaw would be awesome on the uphill sections – Mark from his BGR background and Shaw having done a recce with him a month earlier. Shaw and I were now holding 2nd and 3rd behind Mark.

Gear and Nutrition: I’d made a few changes this time around. Last year I had an inov8 elite backpack with a 2.5ltr bladder full at the start. This year I’d used a more (arguably) practical backpack – the Raidlite Olmo5. I had a 750ml bottle perched in its strap holder at the front and generally lighter (compulsory) race equipment stashed in the main compartment. I also had a 2x200ml gel flask waist belt, with a small pocket containing pain-killers, Elagen pills and rehydration tablets. Overall backpack+waist belt weight came to 3kg. With 1kg less body weight I was carrying 3-4kg less than last year.
I ran in my inov8 roclites with 2XU compression calf guards and shorts and a helly hansen ls top.
As well as the 750ml bottle (which was topped-up at each aid station with a zero tablet), I had a piece of marzipan and some kind of ‘protein ball’ I’d been recommended beforehand. I like a bit of protein in a race but this thing was almost impossible to bite into let alone eat!  Most of my nutrition came from Maxim gels (1400cals). Around 1700cals for the race, 260cals/hr. I was a little late getting the liquid on board to start with thanks to the brisk pace at the start and the first climb, and found I needed to drink a lot more in the final 1-2hrs to keep going. No glycogen ‘slumps’ amazingly.

The mist had closed in at the top of Tor Y Foel, but it didn’t stop the marshals on the main peaks shouting encouragement as we ran past. The first descent was great fun despite the legs (particularly the quads) feeling mashed from the climb. At the first checkpoint ~6mile Shaw shot off with his full bladder while I topped up. While Shaw was the better climber, I seemed the better descender, and managed to catch up with him by the time we hit the 3mile forest track.

It was a good opportunity at this point to see how far we were behind Mark and in front of 4th. There seemed to be around 400-500m in both directions. Shaw and I were both still in good spirits although I was already running on fatigued legs and realised it was going to be a long, tough race. We lost sight of 1st and 4th on the approach to ‘The Gap’ at 12-14mile. It was only a gradual climb with one gulley but the surface was stony and required a fair bit of dodging of the larger stones if you valued your feet and ankles. Once again we ascended into mist and met another of the marshals. We were told we were 5mins behind Mark and decided just to run our own race from this point. The 2mile descent from The Gap is my favourite part of the race. I love descending, especially over rough terrain. A few wobbles but a much speedier descent than last year when I had lens problems and had to use the campervan at Checkpoint 2 to dislodge it! We tore down the hill and through CP2 without any major problems and continued through the various fields and road sections to the start of the canal once again at Pencelli. It was good to see an old friend marshalling on the bridge.

Running along the canal we were back on 7′s and our average pace for the race was close to 8:00/M which seemed fast. I was also starting to feel quite fatigued and unsure how I’d handle the second loop. Shaw in contrast still seemed full of beans and I focused on trying to stick with his pace. The chats we had in the first loop were no more, in fact I think the last time we spoke was on the climb up Tor Y Foel for on the second loop. I told him I was going to run/walk, and he said something similar. We were too tired and beaten up from the last lap to continue any conversation.  We were friends and in the same team, but it’s still a competitive individual race so I started to have thoughts about how I might get ahead of him, and I’m sure he was thinking the same thing. He’s a lot younger than me and probably has speed on his side so the earlier I broke him the better. Hes a tall lad with a backpack twice my weight so I thought I’d go extra hard up Foel to test him out. If you’d seen me in the final 5mins up Foel you’d think I was pumping weights in a sauna. I was gasping for air and sweating like an american chasing a bus . I didn’t want to look back too often in case Shaw thought I was cracking (although he seemed to have his head down as much as me) but everytime I did he was still there giving it hell.

When I reached the top of Foel my legs were like lead. I could still move them but it was slow! Once on the descent I let myself succumb to gravity. I tried to make sure the knees were not locked on the descents to reduce tension. On the approach to the next aid station I kept the pace as high as possible with the aim to get the bottle topped up and then drop out on to the 3mile forest track as quickly as possible.  On the first lap we ran 7:40/M up the track. This time I pushed 8:00/M and as it kicked up at the end I surged once more. While running up the road I looked back one last time and couldn’t see Shaw (he later told me he could still see me disappearing into the mist at The Gap).

The run to The Gap on the second lap was the worst part for me. I felt like I had to push myself over what seemed like a never-ending trail of rough stones. But I knew that once I reached the summit I’d have a fun 2mile descent and then just over 6miles of fields and road/canal to the finish. I went hard off The Gap to make the most of the downhill. I had been told at three different points that I was 6mins behind the leader. I was surprised at this, it meant the gap between us had been unchanged from 20-40miles. I started to wonder whether Mark had been struggling and whether it was worth pushing a little harder. But then he could have just been conserving his energy knowing his position was safe – a more likely scenario.

I topped up the bottle up at the final aid station and working hard over the final 6miles. I don’t think I stopped to walk at all. I felt much better than last year and found that liquid intake was perking me up even more so I made fast use of the 750ml electrolytes! On the canal for the final 2miles I knew I probably had 2nd in the bag, although it didn’t stop me glancing back for Shaw several times. A local runner came by and we had a chat for a while, funnily enough he was from around my area near Kingston. On the approach to the bridge into Talybont I realised I may be on for a <6:30 time. I picked the pace up a little and finished in 6:29:05. Shame I didn’t sprint for <6:29 because I felt really good. I was greeted at the finish line by Martin, Sue and Mark….still in his racing gear, so I’d done well!

Marks winning time was 6hr16, a new course record. Shaw came home 4mins behind me in 6hr33 to take third. There were six finishers under the 7hr mark this year (only 2 last year) which shows how the standard has risen. James was the next home for the Elagen Ultra team in 7hr15 (8th), followed by Pete, Karl and Jo. Pete struggled with an enormous blister which made his race very painful and Jo had stomach issues, but Elagen Endurance and Elagen Elite had decent aggregate times so I was excited to see how we did. The rest of Elagen Ultra had a great day with massive PBs from Paul and Lex. A great day overall. We finished the day with a few beers in the local pub. I then drove back to my folks via their local chip shop.

We later found out that Team Elagen had scooped 1st, 3rd and 6th. This was as good as I could imagine and perhaps is testament to what a wonderful product Elagen Sport and Beta Alanine really is. I’m hoping most of the team can return next year and we can improve on our times.

I had a great time on what was my final race of the year. A 1st at Caesars and 2nd at Brecon Ultra is much more than I could have hoped for and if it wasn’t for that pesky Mark Palmer ;O) I’d have won all of my Ultras(4) to date. I guess now the 12 months are over I can no longer call myself an ultra trail newbie. If this year was a 50/50 between triathlon and ultra trail running, 2012 will be more ultra trail based. My heart is set on it and I’ll be spending the winter building up the mileage and using swimming and cycling as a filler or recovery work for the running. I need to start doing some decent mileage/week and researching fuelling and run/walk strategies. I’ve made some good friends in ultra trail running over the last couple of years but Jo Kilkenny has been awesome in providing info and joining me for the occasional run. A very talented lady.

I have already entered a number of races in 2012 but I still have a big decision to make – Grand Union Canal (GUCR) 145M or Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB)? I have the qual points for UTMB, but I’ve made the ballot for GUCR. I’m currently leaning on GUCR as its closer to home, a chance to practice some strategies, and get a good 100m split on record. I also want to have Henk throw abuse at me towards the end of the race. It’s the kind of abuse you can’t buy. If anyone has any thoughts on this decision it would be much appreciated.

It’s been a great end to the year and I can’t wait to make bigger plans for 2012. You only get one life so make the most of it!

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CC100 to Brecon Ultra

Yesterday I took part in the Likey’s Brecon Beacons Ultra both as an individual, and as part of an Elagen sponsored team.  It’s a fantastic race organised by Martin and Sue Like and now my favorite event of the year.  This year I had the pleasure of running with friends as well as meeting some other runners.  I’ll blog a race report in a few days once the results are confirmed.  I havn’t posted since the Caesars Camp 100 (CC100), so this is a brief account of what happened over the last 4 weeks. 

I knew during those 4 weeks that the focus would be solely on recovery and I wasn’t sure how long it would take for me to recover from the CC100. The first 3-4 days were spent in the flat as the ankles had seized up. Before the end of the week I did a couple of spins on the turbo trainer and a swim. On the following Tuesday I had a session with my local sports physio and she told me that I had residual swelling in the ankles and knees and not to run for the rest of the week.

The Civil Service 10km cross country champs were taking place on Hampstead Heath on Wednesday 9 November. I really wanted to turn up for the race and give the legs a run out in advance of the Brecon Ultra on 19 Nov. I went for my first training run on 6 Nov with a friend around Richmond Park for 2hrs and although I struggled at a steady pace I knew my legs had recovered enough to get around an xc race at pace. My only concerns were if the knees could take the pace on uneven ground.

It was a good solid day for the Defra AC team. I personally managed to finish just 1min slower than two years ago on the same course but 4 places higher (11th) and gained a place on the Civil Service XC team to take on the RAF at Halton in Jan. Pleased I made the decision to turn up and with 10 days to Brecon I thought I might be able to recovery most of my fitness in time. Confidence was back.

Elagen were good enough to provide sponsorship for a team(s) taking part in the Brecon Ultra, which was going to be a race packed with talent including world record holders, world champions and plenty of race winners in their own right. We got together 12 team members to form 4 teams of 3 and Elagen provided the Sport and Beta Alanine pills leading up to the race. Once the results are confirmed I will post a blog of the race.

Caesar’s Camp 100 Race Report

 

CAESAR’S CAMP 100 MILE RACE

TIME : 20hr 32mins
POSITION : 1st
WEBSITE

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Well, I said it was probably going to be the toughest race I’ve ever competed in, and it didn’t disappoint.  I’ve never suffered to such a physical and mental level before and it will take some beating.  However, it’s worth noting that this was my first race over such a long distance.  I’ve only run a 45 mile and 54 mile ultra, and no more than 100 miles in one training week.  On top of that, Caesar’s Camp is run over very tough terrain.  Only 30% of those that started the 100 mile race made it to the finish.  

I approached the Caesar’s Camp race with high expectations.  I’d actually written the splits of last years course record on my hand to give me something to pace to and provide motivation.  I was really pleased and privileged to have a decent crew behind me.  Yve, my brother Dean and an elite ultra running friend Jo Kilkenny were there from the start to get the tent up, and provide whatever I needed at the end of every lap.  Iain McNaughton was also turning up late in the evening to do a couple of laps as a pacer. 

The race consists of 10 x 10 mile laps with pacers allowed after lap 6 (60 miles).  So the original plan was to race at a decent pace up to 40 miles on energy drink and gels (with a few nibbles from the aid stations at start/finish and 5.5 miles), then change into warmer clothing and pick up headlamp(s).  I’d then try to hold-out until 60 miles where I knew I’d get the morale lift from pacers.  Jo was going to run with me for lap 7, Iain for laps 8-9 and Jo again for the final lap (10).  I will list all equipment, nutrition, supplements at the end of the report should anyone be interested.  I’d had a few chats with Tamsin Lewis regarding painkillers and stomach-liners, and Ed Stanley was good enough to lend me his Garmin F310XT watch, as my F310 had drowned in Portugal.  I like to keep myself amused with pace, splits and other targets (like the course record) so the watch was very useful.  I’d prepared myself quite well and had even done a few recces of the easier parts of the course to get an idea of what I was letting myself in for.  For the first time since spring my health was fine with a good average resting heart rate and decent race weight (69.0kg).  My only concern of course was the training.  I reckon I’d done enough running to cover a good marathon to 30 miles.  But I love a new challenge, and I wanted to try and break through any physical and mental barriers my body would throw at me (perhaps retribution for the Double Iron Lanza DNF).

THE RACE

The Caesar’s Camp Endurance Runs are 30, 50 and 100 miles over the 10mile loop.  The 50 and 100 races are run from 12pm, with the 30 mile run from midnight.  Checkpoint (bar-coded) is at the start/finish of each lap with aid stations at the start/finish and 5.5 miles.  Plenty of snacks were provided inc hot and cold drinks.  The terrain is tough!  The first 3.5 miles involve switching back and forth across various steep little gullies, most of which have large stones which either give beneath your feet or are planted in the soil, providing obstacles.  A few trenches here and there, sand banks and you’ve got a great xc event…..shame it’s over 100 miles!  The only flattish section comes from 3.5-4.5 miles where you can finally get a bit of pace up before dropping into the forest.  You then have a mile of narrow forest tracks and hills until a small clearing and the aid station at 5.5 miles.  The forest tracks continue for another 3 miles over some more sharp undulating terrain, before exiting at the foot of the toughest climb.  Again it’s not particularly long but it kicks up sharply towards the end on more lose rocks and a large step.  The final 200m ends with a steep bank (that seemed to be added for fun), before a drop along a sandy finish.

At 10am on Sat 22 Oct we drove down to Caesar’s Camp near Aldershot and while the crew were setting up the tent I met Scott Garrett and a few other runners before the pre-race brief from the organiser Henk.  Henk is quite a character and I have to say his brief was very colourful and entertaining, I loved it. 

LAP 1 (to 10mile) – 1hr23
We all started at quite a pace and I just about held  2nd to 3rd for most of it despite a fierce scrambling up the first gully.  One runner went tearing off the front and after around 4.5 miles (the forest section) I lost sight of him.  It was difficult to know who was in the 50mile race or the 100mile race without looking at the numbers (100+ for 100mile runners).  We were all jogging up the banks and looking pretty fresh and keen, as you’d expect.  I didn’t have to stop at the 5.5mile aid station for the first few laps as I was carrying enough nutrition, but I’d grab a beaker of liquid and a few nibbles before continuing.  About 1mile before the finish I took a wrong turn and headed down a bank.  I only lost about 1min but I made sure I kept an eye on the tracker function of the gps watch from then on.

Turnarounds were swift for the first 3 laps - a simple change of sports drinks and gel bottle with additional bar(s)

LAP 2 (to 20mile) – 1hr29 (2hr52min)
Yve was really quick in in replacing my empties as I ran through the checkpoint for the start of lap 2.  Another good lap.  I was started to pull away from those behind me and was settling in, although a few early trips on tree routes was unerving.

Final Bank (End Lap 2)

LAP 3 (to 30mile) – 1hr35 (4hr27min)
Fatigue started to develop during this lap.  It was after all 30miles of hills at a little under optimal pace.  At the 5.5 mile aid station I saw someone head out just in front of me and presumed it was the leader.  I grabbed a few snacks and caught up with him.  We ran together for a few miles through the woods.  He was in the 50mile race and said he’d run 1hr18 for the first two laps but had hit a wall.  I didn’t envy him having to run another two laps with nothing in the tank.  I decided to move on and keep the pace up.  At the checkpoint Henk came up to me and asked how I was.  “Fine thanks” I said.  “Well…you’ll feel s**t the next time around!” he said.  I was starting to feel a bit cold in my ss Helly Hansen top and compression shorts so we took a 5min time-out here to put on a thermal ls top, light leggings and buff hat.

LAP 4 (to 40mile) – 1hr39 (6hr6min)
This was the last of the faster lap splits.  I was 20mins inside the course record for the 100mile but starting to feel uncomfortable.  I’d already tripped and kicked various stones and tree-routes so my larger toe nails were very sore.  I even pitched forward towards a tree on one trip running down a hill.  If I hadn’t forced my hips forward to counteract my imbalance (and pull a couple of lower back muscles in the process) then I’d have head-butted the tree.  The same thing happened to me towards the end of the Brecon Beacons Ultra and Malvern Hills Ultra.  I’m not lifting my recovering leg far enough off the ground.  Laziness I call it! 
At the end of the lap I tried to nibble a bit more food but it was already becoming a struggle to get anything substantial into the stomach.  A few mouthfuls of pot noodle here, a piece of flapjack there.  There was plenty to choose from but my appetite was diminishing along with my legs.  Jo reminded me that after two more laps I’d have company which was good to know.  It was starting to get dark now so we put on a gillet, changed hats, compression socks (I was getting blisters from the other socks) and attached the headlamp.

It took three of us to change a pair of (compression) socks

Lap 5 (to 50 mile) – 1hr53 (7hr59min)
A slower lap, although a good 6mins were spent in the aid station after the checkpoint and the darkness would inevitably slow times down from now on.  I could now see the lights of Aldershot from the hills and imagined the families sitting at home watch X-Factor or the like.  So, it could have been a lot worse!  My pre-race aim was to get around 50miles in 8hr15min.  I managed 7hr59 so was quite pleased with that, but at what cost now I was faced with the whole distance all over again!  If I had been in the 50mile race then I’d have won with a new course record, and I now wished I’d entered this race in advance.  The race rules state that anyone in the 100mile race who wishes to pull-out at 50miles will get an official time and UTMB qualification points(2) but will not count towards the final positions.  This is probably why a good number of people pull-out at this point in the race.  I was feeling really tired by the end of the lap but knew that 2 UTMB pts was not enough.  I needed the full 3pts from 100miles to add to my 2pts from the Malvern Ultra [5pts from two races to qualify for UTMB].   I took a bit of a breather and sipped a coffee but couldn’t stomach any more food or liquid.  Henk came over with what (I presumed) was a pint of lager.  I won’t tell you what he said it was, use your imagination. 

Lap 6 (to 60mile) – 2hr01 (10hrs)
So out into the unknown.  By the halfway point of this lap I knew I’d have raced further than ever before.  My system was not happy.  I’d barely eaten in the last couple of hours and didn’t feel well.  There were a lot of negative thoughts forming in my head:
…You can’t do this, it’s too far, and you’ve not trained for it
…You’re going to do your body some serious harm if you carry on, look you can barely move, your stomach has shut down and you’re in pain
…If you quit now you’ll get over it, there’s a nice cosy sleeping bag on a thermarest in the tent with your name on it!
All you can do is fight back the thoughts either by switching off or counteracting with more positive thoughts:
…You can do this, the body is able to handle more than you think
…You’re in the lead, and you need the qualification points
…Don’t let the crew down
At the 5.5mile aid station I took a breather.  I’ll never forget the two other runners sat on the chairs in the gazebo sipping coffee and wolfing down rice pudding like there was no tomorrow.  They actually looked quite content.  Why couldn’t I race like that!  I wasn’t in the mood for chat so tried to cram a few small spoonfuls of rice pudding into my mouth and headed back out into the darkness of the forest.  The shadows cast amongst the trees from the flashlight conjured up all sorts of images.  I thought at times I was being watched by people, very Blair Witch.  After slowly scrambling the final long hill it was a relief to shuffle back to the checkpoint. 
60miles completed, and Jo was ready to head out.  All I could think about was sitting down and trying to switch off for a few mins.  I was told I had a 1hr lead on 2nd place, but it didn’t really register.  I was too concerned about the state of my health and whether or not I should continue.  I’d seen people almost bent over double in races over the years, dragging and pushing their bodies to the limit, and beyond.  I wondered if I could do the same thing and whether or not this was just a bad patch, albeit one that was lasting several hours!  At least now I had company for the rest of the race so if I did pass out or take a fall then it was a lot safer.  I mumbled, moaned and apparently said I wanted to quit.  Jo jumped in and had a right go at me.  I took a few more mouthfuls of liquid and looked at whatever Yve and Dean thrust into my face before starting lap 7 with a long walk. Yve and Dean were absolutely amazing through the whole night, and I was glad to have them there.

Lap 7 (to 70miles) – 2hr23 (12hr23min)
Somehow I was still on course record pace, but from the 7th lap my pace dropped dramatically as I was now not only walking the uphills but also half of the flat as well.  Jo did a great job of trying to keep my pace up and generally keep me amused, although I was in no shape to make conversation.  Just a few words here and there.  About one mile before the finish of the lap the 30mile midnight runners ran across our path looking nice and fresh, headlamps bobbing up and over the hills.  As we came back into the tent at the end of the lap I saw Iain waiting, fresh-faced with a box containing some McDonalds goodies.  I tried a few french fries and immediately spat them out as they were too dry.  Shame, I was really looking forward to a burger during the first few laps of the race.  A 12min stop, but I wished it was longer.

End Lap 7

Lap 8 (to 80miles) – 2hr45 (15hr8min)
Laps 8 and 9 were the worst of the race.  It was more of a hike than a run and I was quite frustrated.  I’d also started to develop a strange nausea.  At first I thought it was as a result of too much sweet liquid and foods early on (or recent lack of).  I then started to question the supplements and painkillers I’d taken during the first 50miles [I had stopped taking anything after that point because I didn't want the likes of aspirin sitting in an empty stomach].  It became so bad that I couldn’t breathe heavily without feeling ill.  This meant a slow walk up the steep hills (and a few pauses to catch my breath).  Also, as strange as it sounds, I felt nauseous just thinking and talking.  I had to withdraw into myself a lot more now and the head dropped.  At the end of lap 8 I took another 12min break.  I’d been told that second place had made a little ground on me and was 45mins behind after the end last lap (7). 

Lap 9 (to 90miles) – 3hr04 (18hr12min)
A similar lap to the last one, most of which was spent walking.  I’d try to do some sporadic runs every now and then to make the lap pass quicker, but they were generally only 5-30secs long.  Iain and Jo were great pacers, staying quite close but obviously letting me dictate the pace.  It was dark and cold (7c).  I was wet from sweat, hungry, tired, in pain and knew I just had one more lap to go before it would end.  I was actually quite impressed with how my leg muscles had handled the distance.  Despite everything else breaking down I hadn’t suffered any major muscle fatigue or stiffness until 80 miles into the race.  My toes were taking a battering from tripping and kicking obstacles but they couldn’t get any worse.  At some point towards the end of the lap I found a new wind.  I still have no idea where it came from and I don’t think it was the thought of the finish.  I had managed to eat 2-3 cookie style biscuits from Iain with a few sips of water to wash them down….maybe they were re-lighting the pilot light in my stomach.  At the end of the lap I thanked Iain and then proceeded to drink a can of red-bull style drink and some coke.  I wasn’t ready for any substantial food but knew I’d now be able to scramble the last lap, and was up for it.  Henk came over and mentioned the guy in second came through the last checkpoint (end lap 8 ) just 25mins behind.  I had no idea how much time he might have made on lap 9 and this was the incentive I needed to push for home. 

End Lap 9

The Final Push

Lap 10 (to 100miles) – 2hr21 (20:32:39)
Jo new the score and spent most of the lap either right in front or 20 metres ahead to encourage a faster pace.  It worked well.  If I walked the lap then I would probably get caught, and I was buggered if I’d let that happen after everything I’d gone through.  I told myself that if we could get up the final big hill without being chased then I had it in the bag.  I had to look over my shoulder many times during the lap.  On the run off the final hill there was a slight pang of emotion, although I was too tired and dehydrated for it to be any more than than a twinge in the eye.  I crossed the line, shook hands with Henk and could finally sit down and enjoy a relaxed coffee with my crew.

Finished! Thank ****

Overall I was really pleased with how I handled the distance.  I’ll be coming back to Caesar’s Camp next year but to have a good crack at the 50 mile race.  It’s a very challenging xc course which makes it that much more exciting, and satisfying on completion. 

I also now have my qualification points to apply for UTMB either in 2012 or 2013.  The application is in December and the race is held in August.  I’m already entered into London Marathon (April) and Malvern Hills Ultra (May).  Overall I’m really enjoying the new challenge of ultra running and there are so many race possibilities in a season from 30miles to 24hr or multi-day races that I’m spoilt for choice.  Record so far reads 3 races completed,  two wins and a runners-up.  Couldn’t be happier.  Next is the Brecon Beacons Ultra.  We have a number of teams competing in this under Elagen, who have been good enough to sponsor all of us.  I hope to recover most of my fitness to at least do my bit for the team.

Finally want to say a big thank you to Yve, Dean, Jo and Iain for helping me get through this event, I couldn’t have done it without them !

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Additional : Equipment

Clothing (top to bottom): Odlo ski hat(2), 7oaks buff hat, Petzl tikka+ headlamp, Helly Hansen tops, Bjorn Dhaelie gillet, Quechua gillet, Nike fleece, OMM smock, Garmin Forerunner 310XT (thanks Ed), Cyberlite headlamp (back-up), Bjorn Dhaelie leggings, Quechua leggings, 2XU compression shorts and calf guards, Nike compression socks, 1000mile stability socks,  Inov8 roclite 295s.

Supplementation : Elagen Sport, Elagen Beta-Alanine, Aspirin, etc

Nutritional : SIS energy drink, Powerbar gels, Zero rehydration, etc