UltramarathonMike

The expression goes, “Throw enough mud…". This year I seem to have had to apply that same theory to running ultras and it finally paid off. So, after 2 race DNFs, a solo attempt DNF and a DNS on my main race for 2010 I re-acquainted myself with a finish line (and mostly without the mud this year).

I was woken up at 3am by my long suffering better three quarters who, after just finishing work, is banging on the bedroom window with an extended clothes prop. Why? Because I have locked her out, left the keys in the door and I am not answering my mobile or the house phone. Thankfully she’s not so miffed, as I still get the life giving cup of tea I requested earlier in the evening. So that’s another 3 hours sleep in the bag.

After an hour of packing and fussing with gear I set off without any spare socks/pants (underwear for any one reading from the west side of the Atlantic) for the journey home. After a fuss free journey and I arrived not long before 6am. I registered, grabbed my excellent t-shirt, badge and number and prepped whilst chatting to Nick Ham. It was great seeing Nick at the start after such a turbulent year.

A little while later I met and caught up with Rory Coleman and Jen Salter. I haven’t seen Jen since I did the MdS way back in 2009 and since then she has gone back to better her already fine performance. One thing is for sure, I wouldn’t be running anywhere near Jen after the first 15 yards or so! Rory declared a desire for a sub 10 hour performance which was exactly the same as my goal for the day. This was great news as I never fail to enjoy a run with Mr C, it’s always entertaining, informative and frequently punctuated by truly awful jokes from both sides!

For the first time the route was marked by some circular way marker badges, well mostly. Although it was still dark it certainly didn’t warrant dicking around with a head torch. Me, Rory and Chris and Wendy (MdS entrant clients of Rory) set off at a faster than expected but steady pace and the entertainment began, mostly about the way too fast 9.5 minute mile pace which seemed to be the only pace I was capable of maintaining and was somehow the most influential pace out of us all!

The route hadn’t really changed at all and with the new markers I didn’t expect much navigation was required. I was reminded that this was a fairly cocky attitude to take when after about 45/50 minutes I clocked Colm in my peripheral vision and then Jen and a host of other fast lads and lasses. Something certainly wasn’t right … it was the extra 1.7 miles they had done when they shot past a left turn of a canal. Sadly Jen had bashed her arse on a fence and was not in race mood any more.

As we carried on up toward Keppels Column and the first check point at around 10 miles, we were catching up with the walkers. Keppels Column is a large and almost phallic tower built in the 18th century for what ultimately was no more purpose than because the proprietor had enough money to do so. He could however survey his land from the top, I have a step ladder for the same purposes.
Jen dropped at CP1, not that she was incapable of finishing, hell she could probably have finished and been back in and showered before I decided a sock change was warranted, but it wasn’t race pace and if it’s not a race … it was a shame, but we run/plod/crawl/complain our way around these things for our own reasons.

After passing near the tenuously named “Sheffield City Airport” Wendy took an unfortunate tumble, whilst it could have been very nasty she picked herself up declared (pretty much) “’tis but a scratch” and carried on. Without any getting lost all four of us cracked on nicely. After almost 17 miles I saw Nick up ahead, he was having a bad time, he’d just downed some NSAIDS and was pushing himself along.

After passing many of the less desirable sections of the route (although numerous are over early enough) we hit the CP at Treeton in fine form, it also signals the end of light industrial estates, tree plastic and cash ’n’ carries, I gorged on bread and butter grabbed some water and headed off with the posse. Next up was the Rothervalley Country park, which is an odd place, and always a slog. Despite it being a low point in the route it’s a relatively short lived slog up a road which feels featureless and unending. I knew something was wrong, my hip flexors were saying no to movement and the quads were balloting on strike action as well.

I held the pace and kept the spirit up, not long until the 25 mile mark. Despite my best efforts here I was about a minute (possibly more) behind Rory et al into this CP. I did my thing very quickly and headed out. Despite managing to keep them in my sights and close I just couldn’t hang on like I needed too and they (slowly) pulled away. At this point my legs were starting to feel trashed, like I had already done 45 miles and despite the magic Anadin Extra picking me up and carrying me on I just wasn’t 100% and it was taking its toll on my time and, more devastatingly, my state of mine.

As we hit the “killing fields” (see “Round Rotherham 50 – Mudfest ‘08”) I was struggling, I had lost it where it counts the most in these things, my head. My confidence was rock bottom, knocked by the list of DNFs, a profound lack of sleep and a general weight on even these broad shoulders. I was walking simply to drop out at the 30 mile checkpoint with warm soup and a lift back to my car. After 5 minutes of self doubt, self pity, a little self deprecation and a decision to not run any ultras until Woldsman 2010 Nick arrived. This moment was an epoch, Nicks arrival picked me up, the prospect of good conversation and some encouragement led to me breaking out into a matching pace.

In many ways Nicks early undoing was my success.

Despite our pace and timing not being a patch on Nicks 9:16 last year it was good, and I knew I could do it. At 30 miles I was handed my drop bag, a quick change of t-shirt and buff, enough time to scold my mouth badly on some vegetable soup (ruining my palette completely) and we broke back into our ministry of silly walks impression, both of us were suffering from unusually trashed legs.

At around 40 miles we clocked a time of 8:30, this was certainly unexpected and realistically allowed me to better my 11 hour time from last year. We hit the penultimate CP and cracked on, it was in the bag now, 9 miles left and just 1 CP. It was hard to keep going now but it wasn’t getting any worse. After a moment of jelly legs was saved by the most gracious donation of 1/3 of a Snickers abr from Nicks bag I was able to keep going. We played cat & mouse with some other runners, all of whom had that familiar but strange gait.

After explaining the characters and premise behind “In The Night Garden” to Nick (if you haven’t any children who are of the age for CBeebies you wouldn’t understand too) we were on to the final checkpoint, which meant only 3 miles to go. We picked our pace up and managed to overtake those immediately in front and leave behind those we were so close to in the past few miles. It was now or never and what is for me the most exciting part was ahead of us.

Despite the pain and the problems we only had to hold pace for 3 miles, 3 measly miles, it’s nothing compared to the previous 47, Nick didn’t let the pace drop once, we just plugged away, each runner in front becoming a target to catch and pass. This is the stuff. We didn’t take our foot of the gas. We knew every turn, we knew how close the finish line was. I counted 9 runners as we passed them. The legs, back and feet were screaming to stop but the head just drowned those noises out. With the finish line in sight there was no option but to get faster, I grabbed Nick and we crossed the finish line together in 10hours 43 minutes.

A new 50 mile P.B and a great day out doing something amazing in the company of truly great folk, I couldn’t ask for much more.

I was pleased to see Rory, Wendy and Chris made it in before the 10 hour mark and both Chris and Wendy looked well, certainly better than me. Rory trashed his legs and all movement is accompanied by sounds. Despite doing some stretching in the sauna at lunch every time I get up it takes about 5 or 6 steps before constant movement returns. Bike and a small run tomorrow will hopefully stretch everything out and see me ready to get back to the training grindstone.

• Nick Ham
• Rory Coleman/Jen Salter
• Round Rotherham Information
• Round Rotherham Results 2010

I would like to say I have just got back from a wonderful weekend along the South Downs Way, sadly that would be a lie. The fact that it was all round excellent holds true but I got back ages ago and failed to ever post anything here, as some of you are probably aware this came as my 4th, yes 4th, DNF for the year.

After the summer of right foot based injury woes my left foot gave out forcing me to quit at 80 miles and keep the 100 mile club dream (and it’s selection free Feast ice-creams) away for a little longer.

I was gutted to drop as after completing the 75 miles in 20 hours and getting through the night without issues, and frankly the rest of me felt great. The several weeks of really hard training in the run up really paid off, my recovery was quick (apart from my foot) and I was certainly quicker than expected.

I’ll have the race report up here soon, in the meantime I can highly recommend reading the report from my compadre and cohort, Sharky, who completed the race. His report can be found at http://www.themds.co.uk/forums/content.php?159-South-Downs-Way-race-103-miler

It seems to have snuck up on me, there are now 10 days until the South Downs Way.

The final information has arrived and some of the info/organisation seems a little at odds with what I have experienced in the past, however I will reserve an judgement until after the deed is done.

In retrospect my recent (and lets face it the most of it) training has gone well. When I think what I have achieved in around 35 days I am astonished. Making the decision to blow the normal rules out of the water was the right thing to do, or at the very least, I have so far managed to get away with it.

I had two runs today, a fast & ever increasing treadmill run (start at gradient 0 speed 11 and keep going up on both values) during my lunch hour and a 5.9 mile run in a little over 50 minutes with the club. Put that on top of Mondays 20 and it’s not bad (making it a two long run week). Whilst my crash training schedule hasn’t been anything like that put in by Chris Carver in preparation for running in Perth (Scotland), it’s been one hell of a relative jump and the risk of injury for me was all too real.
But 6 weeks ago my chances of completing the SDW were more down to luck than actual ability and this kill or cure method seems to have got me back on track, in terms of ability the stats indicate I am 90% where I was before injury struck in April, perhaps with a taper I’ll be almost there.

Finally though, best of luck to Chris, running in the Perth 24 hour this weekend.

Mid week 18 milers, running home from work more often than not, cross training and core work, yes that’s right … I’m back.

Just in the nic of time too, the inaugural 103 mile South Down Way is just a few weeks away. Provided I come back in one piece there are a few more long races this year, doing those would salvage the year for me in terms of running.

Unfortunately during the Woldsman on Saturday my mystery foot problem re-occurred and once again I was forced to stop far short of the allotted distance. After flying and feeling great for 25 miles I was cut short at about 28 miles and it was apparent that this was it. I pulled out at 31.5 after walking (ambling) the last few miles.

So, that’s it, my name is off the list and running is off the menu for the time being. Gutted.

BUT … it’s not all bad, my name is on the list for a 2011 application and I can have a decent 2nd half of 2010 with a sensible and good recovery.