RTTS2016 - Aftermath

In retrospect of Race To The Stones 2016 I want to check up on what I had chosen to bring/wear for the race compared to what I actually used and found useful... 

Kit review:

For shoes I had chosen to wear Under Armour Fat Tire Low (see review here) trail shoes, which was an awesome choice! My feet was good for the whole run and they survived with only two not-too-bad blisters on my big toes. The cushioning was awesome!

I used my Salomon Advanced Skin 12 Set Trail Running Backpack for water (1.5L), a 0.5L bottle for electrolytes, camera, gels, etc. I like this vest very much and didn't find any problems as such, except one zipper "broke" about 70km into the race as I probably had overfilled the zipped pocket a bit. I did manage to fix it after the race though.

I had chosen to bring my Black Diamond Distance FL Z poles as well, as the inclines seems quite steep when looking at the race data. I did use them and they gave me a great walking pace uphill compared to when not using them! I will definitely used them again when possible (and allowed!). They were strapped to my running vest, but somehow they got to touch my back causing a bit of chafing. Nothing too serious though! 

I "redesigned" how I use the Salomon 4D pole carrying system to make it easier to strap them on and get them off, by using a carabiner clip to attach/release the top bungee-cord. I found this much easier and less likely for the bungee-cord to be entangled into the poles/pole-straps when trying to wrap/unwrap them from your back.

I wore my Under Armour CoolSwitch calf sleeves. There are many theories about if they work or not. I like the feeling of them and my calfs didn't ache at any time during or after the race. If it's due to the guards or something else I cannot tell! But fact is, I haven't had a single sore muscle in my legs from the run, however my hips and ankles were a bit sore from the uneven terrain and the downhill running.

My Under Armour Shadow Run Cap protected my head from the sun and redirected sweat from running into my eyes. At some pit-stops I soaked it in cool water to cool me down. Awesome! My Under Armour Launch 2-IN-1 shorts and LP Embioz compression top also did very well along side my Falke running socks :-)

My Garmin Forerunner 310XT didn't complain and recorded the whole run. The HR chest-strap (which is actually from my old Garmin Forerunner 305) was unnoticeable and didn't leave any marks from chafing, as the original HR chest-strap have given me on much shorter run (~20km).

I did bring extra clothes like a waterproof jacket, a thin long-sleeved top and extra socks just in case, but didn't use any of it. However - you never know with the British weather ;-)

All in all the clothes I wore worked well for the hot weather and I could have left the extras at home, but 100km is a long way if you need it at some point, hence I'm happy with the choices I made :-) 

Food review:

I had chosen to bring my own gels (Science In Sport/SiS) as I have used these through out my training, and didn't want to find out if I could/could not use other gels mid-race! I used 15 gels on the course. 

Flat coke is a winner!! :-)

I also brought my own electrolyte tablets (SiS) for the same reason as the gels. I refilled my 0.5L bottle with a new tablet/water at every pit-stop except the first one (one for approx every 10km) and even though it was extremely hot and sunny, I didn't at any time feel I was lacking fluid or the like, so I think I got it right.

I refilled my 1.5L bladder once. In addition to this I drank a lot of flat coke and some squash/water on the side. In total I must have consumed at least 8 Litres of fluid - and only one stop at the loo! ;-)

I didn't eat many of my homemade muesli bites. I think it was due to the hot weather. I also didn't eat any chocolate bars as they were way too sweet during the run! Instead I devoured a lot of oranges at the pit-stops where possible and grabbed some apples for the road + a few bananas on some of the early stops. I also found bananas too sweat to eat at the last half of the race.

I ate crisps in some of the pit-stops, which was a very welcome snack and a great source of salt :-) Standard food from now on!! 

The pit-stops were well stocked on all sorts of things, and if I were more brave using those "unfamiliar" things, I wouldn't have to carry much myself. At some point I might start using what's available instead of bringing my own :-) 


Bottom-line for food and liquids is that I didn't have any stomach aches as I did in CTS Dover in January, so I must have done something right this time ;-)

Every thing worked out for the better and I had a fantastic and awesome day!! Loved everything about it :-D 

#RTTS2016

See ya out there... :-)

Best M.


PS: I'm on Endomondo Blog about the #YouVsTheYear challenge!! ;-)

Race To The Stones 2016

Yeah!!! I did it :-D 

On Saturday morning on the 16th July 2016 the alarm clock was set for 4:00am - Race day! I got my race kit on and ate my breakfast. Almost everything I needed for the race had been packed and prepared the evening before.

I hadn't even left Oxford before I met the first others, who were also running/walking Race To The Stones. The registration went smoothly and after a eating banana and a visit or two to the loo, I was ready to run... a 100km awaits! 

Just before we started the sun showed itself, so I took off my red top as it quickly got warm. At first I thought that was awesome with some sunshine for the race, as it until this point had been grey-ish and looked like it was going to rain anytime soon. However, the sun came and stayed for most of the day! That, of course, also means it gets really hot when running...

Halfway!

I skipped the first pit-stop as I had plenty of fluid and stuff to eat. However, I soon got to realise that I would have to refill my 0.5L bottle, which I use for electrolytes (I brought my own tablets), at very-pit stop from now on, as the heat had risen severely! It was very warm and I was sweating like a pig! I've estimated that I have drunk at least 8 Litres of fluids if not more: I refilled my 1.5L bladder + 8 x refill of 0.5L electrolytes + a huge amount of flat coca cola on the last 50km, say 2-3 cups on every station + a some cups of water/squash at my "lunch break" and in other places.

At the halfway point, a hot meal (included in the race package) awaited me. I chose a tiny portion of pasta with mushrooms and piece of bread, as I didn't wanna be too full as I had 50km to go still! 

Me and Terry (I think?)

After my lunch break, things got a (tiny) bit easier until about 90km. I had chatted with various people along the way. One had done Marathon Des Sables (tough multi day desert race) previously. Somehow she didn't finish this one though. I though I would "give something back" to the few spectators cheering and encouraging us, so I started taking photos of them as well, and they seemed to like it :-)


I often found myself running pretty much alone, which suits me fine, as in most (all) of my training I'm by myself. And running with a huge group on narrow trails makes it hard to find your own pace, which is quite important when doing 100km.

The last 10-12km was tremendously tough. The ground was very uneven and it felt like it was all downhill, which is why I think my hips and ankles are a bit sore - way harder than running uphill! And finally I was doing the last loop round The Stones and through to the finish line! A very cheerful lot welcomed me as I crossed the finish line... I've done it - 100km!

12h33m52s - I'm very pleased with that result! I finished 84 of 956. 

Even though my time was great, I wasn't fast enough to catch the public bus back to Swindon. But luckily, we (me and my partner, who had come down to pick up the pieces left of me) managed to hijack two seats on the last event-bus to Swindon, and later the train back to Oxford, only to find my bike punctured, hence a nice walk home :-)

What an awesome experience that was! If I wasn't hooked before - I definitely am now! The event was very well organised. Everything went smoothly from my perspective. I only got one "complaint": There should be fresh oranges at every pit stop!! GOD, they were good!!! ;-)



The route itself is very scenic and varied, though that last bit was really tough. In total: It was AWESOME!! :-)

In the few days after the race, I've expected to be sore all over my body. However, only my ankles and hips are sore. I've got no muscle aches and only two not-too-serious blisters, one on each big-toe. I've lost about 2.5 kg of body weight so it's time to eat and drink a lot ;-) YEAH!!

The Race To The Stones is an amazing event. Everything went smoothly. Well stocked pit-stops and friendly cheerful crew. The route was very well signposted all the way! Great race!!

Will I do it again? - Hell yeah!! ;-)

#RTTS2016 #MoreIsInYou
#RunWithFight #IWILL #YouVsTheYear #FuelledByScience

See ya out there... ;-)

Best M.

Time's up - Race To The Stones

This is almost it! The last few days before it's time for Race To The Stones 2016! The start is Saturday (16th July) at 8:00am (UK) for my 100km run - Exciting!! :-D

The start is near Lewknor not far from Oxford. I'm aiming to get a very early bus from Oxford and then walk the rest of the way to the start area, as there are no more free spaces on the event-busses. It's okay as it's only a short walk.

From here, the route follows the iconic Ridgeway, which is described as Britain’s oldest road, down through Wallingford along The River Thames which will be the lowest elevation on the course. This is immediately followed by the steepest climb (up to 8% according to the interactive map) on the course over almost 3 miles. From here the climbs will be less steep but some a bit longer, and there will be an 11% descent closer to the finish. The route ends up at Avebury Stone Circle, hence Race To The Stones ;-)

The total elevation gain of 3954 feet/1205 metres, which is comparable to my 35 mile race in January, so this should be okay :-) A complete and interactive map can be found here.

Race kit for #RTTS2016

I believe there will be posted "live" photos from the event directly on my Facebook page, so if interested you can take a peek there. And if you want more information on the race, take a look at the Race To The Stones Facebook page. There might be some updates there as well.

I'll try an keep my camera "rolling" and capture some photos/videos from the race. I'll post them here and on Facebook/twitter after the event if interested.

I've come across a few people online via twitter/Facebook who are also doing the one-day-run, and a friend from the kayaking club (Falcon) is walking it over two days for charity. I probably wont see anyone I know there before the finish line though, but if you happen to see me or my Smiley-face on the back of my running vest, feel free to poke me :-)


See you at Race To The Stone or somewhere else...

#RTTS2016 #YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #IWILL

Best M.
 

Under Armour Fat Tire Low Trail Running shoes

I got my hands (or feet if you wish) on a pair of Under Armour Fat Tire Low Trail running shoes and decided to do a small review.

At a first glance, when seeing them on the Under Armour website, they looked a bit weird and funny because of the wide turquoise sole, I'll admit that. But I think they look much better in real life!


The shoes are a bit heavier than my other trail shoes (Salomon Speed Cross 3), but I don't feel it when wearing them. The front has been reinforced a bit (read: not toe protection), and there is plenty of room for my toes, though still with a great tight fit around my feet.

The first mile or so I did in them, felt a bit funny and very bouncy due to the massive amount of cushioning, but I quickly got used to the different but very pleasant feeling. The sole is thick so I don't really notice small-ish rocks and other uneven ground under my feet, however it doesn't feel like I loose contact and feel of the ground.


The sole is made for trails and crafted by Michelin - WildGripper. The quite distinct turquoise colour can be discussed, but as the shoe only comes as seen, it's not gonna be a long one :-) And I actually think the colour combination is growing on me :-)

After taking them for a spin on some local trails, with awesome weather for running (a great mixture of thunder, hail, sunshine and really heavy rain) I am even more pleased with them. They kept a tight fit around my feet through out the whole 51km, even though the laces untied once, which I didn't notice until I looked at them at some point. But they stayed in place for the rest of the run (~35km).


While running in mud, I didn't get the feeling that they got stuck in there, which I have experiences before with other shoes. They did let go quite easily in the type mud I forced them through on my run :-) On steep muddy slopes while running uphill, I felt a few times that the shoes didn't get a decent grip, but I've experiences that with other trail shoes as well. So that doesn't worry or bugger me.

The heavily cushioned shoes in combination with the Michelin sole were great when traversing ground with smaller rocks as I hardly noticed the sharp uneven edges. 

The laces go up relatively high providing a great fit and support for my foot.



Based on my first long trail run, I must say that I find them really good and they have just become my new favourite trail shoes!

I am seriously considering using them for my Race To The Stones 100km run mid July! UPDATE: After having tested them further, I'm sure I'll be using them for the Race To The Stones :-) Love 'em!

2nd UPDATE Used them for Race To The Stones (100km in one day) and they were awesome! Had two not-too-bad blisters on my big toes - that's it. :-) Loved the cushioning!! 

See you out there on the trails!

#YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #IWILL #UnderArmourUK

Best. M

PS. Views are my own! and are not affected by being an Under Armour #YouVsTheYear ambassador. The shoes were provided by Under Armour UK.