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.
 

Fuelled by...

When I'm on my long distance runs, say 40-50km training sessions, my body of course needs fuel of some sort, as it's gonna take me 4-5 hours to run that kind of distance...

I have previously mentioned I wasn't sure if I could use gels for fuel, as I thought the texture of the stuff would make me feel sick. However, after having tried a few free/cheep samples on my longer runs, I've come to a different conclusion.

Home-made muesli bites.

I'm not relying solely on gels, as they are a bit expensive, and I think my stomach will appreciate some real food in there to not feel hungry and to behave well on really long runs. Hence I mix gels with fruit, home-made muesli bars, chocolate bars (real food?), and crisps/chips (UK vs. rest of the world?) of course duh!, etc. 

In addition to this, I have started using electrolyte tablets to make sure I get essential salts and other stuff, especially when it's really hot and I'm sweating a lot! Running for 4-5 hours or more without an intake of some sort of electrolytes, is most likely not healthy (...because running for that long definitely is ;-)

So far I've been using Science In Sport products. I'm sure other brands will do just as good. The convenient packing of gels makes them easy to use and carry, vs having to carry a bunch of bananas etc. Bananas and apples are great to bring along, however, let's just say that they become less delicious to eat after +30km of bruising in a pocket :-)

So for Race To The Stones (100km 16th July 2016) I'll be using a mixture of the above mentioned, as this is what I've used for my training runs. I know there will be water/food stations at the race, but I know how my body/stomach reacts to what I've used previously, hence hopefully my stomach will be behaving nicely! I'll still be snacking on the race supplies though - I think they got crisps/chips at some of them ;-) Yeah!

Other than these gels, I'm fuelled by real food (including crisps/chips and chocolate bars!). I don't do protein shakes or bars. I'm 99% a vegetarian runner and I believe I eat healthily and varied, which should provide me with sufficient nutrients, protein etc. After a run I usually have a glass of milk ;-)

#YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #IWILL
#FuelledByScience #RTTS2016 #FuelledByRealFood

See you out there...

Best M.

T minus one month: Race to the stones

The date is getting closer for my 100km run Race to the stones!

For the past many months I've been training for this event, which is now getting seriously close... One month till I'll be standing on the start line 99% full of excitement and 1% nervous about the whole crazy thing I signed up for... :-)

To prepare myself for the race, I've been increasing my weekly mileage from somewhat 80km to approx. 140km and I have been increasing the distances of my weekend long-runs too. Instead of doing a single really long run, which would take longer to recover from, and probably increase the risk of injury, I have chosen to do shorter back-to-back sessions over the weekends. An example of a long-run-weekend would count about 72km in total for both Saturday and Sunday - 42km Saturday (with +500m elevation gain) followed by 30km Sunday in a slightly faster pace. For this particular run, my legs felt strong for both runs :-) Throughout this weekend I also managed to do some kayaking both days (10+13 km), so I guess I'm starting to feel more and more up for it, as I see my level of energy and confidence go up :-) 
I'm aiming to taper for 3 weeks before the race, slowly reducing weekly mileage, but maintaining intensity.
Some training plans for this type of distance, aim for longer distances than I've done. Others build on "time-on-your-feet" over distance. I've tried to follow a schedule based on multiple training plans found online, and altered them to fit into my world... This "altering" has been ongoing throughout my training as new non-running-related weekend-plans or new travelling plans came up.
My life is not defined by my training schedule - My schedule changes to fit my life! :-)

I sort of know what kit I'm gonna wear and what kind of food and hydration stuff to bring along the route. I am aware that there will be food stations for every 10km, but I still want to bring my own - at least some of it, as this is what I've used in my training runs, and therefore I know what to expect from it. I've also figured out, how to tape up my toes to protect them a bit. Let's see if that works for 100km also ;-)

For me it is gonna be very interesting to see if my training - both physically and mentally - has been enough to prepare me for a 100km run! I guess time will tell...

I'm really getting excited about this :-)
See ya on the start line...

#YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #IWILL #RTTS2016 

Best M.

Upcoming races 2016

I have just entered Race to the Stones: 100km in one day along The Ridgeway, which is described as Britain’s oldest road, which runs from the Chilterns in Oxfordshire to the North Wessex Downs.
100km is the farthest I've set out to do so far, so I'm pretty excited. Signing up for a race on a distance you don't know if you can do, is a bit scary. But I'm more excited than scared and looking very much forward to it. I'm gonna approach this race on 16th July 2016 as I did with my first Marathon and my first Ultra: 

• I am not aiming for any particular time
• I'm gonna trust that my training will get me to the finish line
• I'll try to eat a lot of food and keep hydrated
• Of course I'll bring my camera and capture a lot of photos
• And simply set out to have a jolly time :-)

So the big question: Am I ready for running 100km? Who knows... I'm a tiny bit terrified venturing into unfamiliar territory, but mostly I'm super excited! I feel I'm at a stage where I can finish it, otherwise I wouldn't have signed up for it and I trust my training is sufficient to take me to the finish line. But who knows if I actually am ready? I guess time will tell... :-)

Later in the year (9th October) I've signed up for Oxford Half Marathon. I might try to beat my PB from last year (1h29m47s). The reward for running this race is the Oxford Beer Festival the following week, which usually holds 100+ ales and ciders and is held in the Town Hall. Great event!

Hopefully the autumn brings more events of the EnduranceLife Coastal Trail Series to my list of completed races. These races are well organized, usually on Saturdays - which fits better into my world than the usually race-on-Sundays-approach, and they have race distances from 10km to somewhat 35/45 miles, so some for all :-) Let's see how many I actually get to do.

See you out there... :-)

#YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #IWILL

Best M.