Friends at a distance and doing the distance with friends...

Can you believe it's the end of January already? Where did the month go? In the two weeks since the last post, it's been cold, wet, warm, sunny, windy, and now we're destined for snow!! I've taken it all in my stride as the mileage and training intensity has increased (persistance is the key). Mostly it's been road running at night through the week and off road at the weekends during the day, the mileage is upto 50 miles per week, but still not enough to guarantee a decent performance in the race this weekend.
It's dificult to find well organised Ultra distance events (anything over 26.2 miles is an Ultra Marathon) with checkpoints providing water and food, this makes them invaluabe as training events. So much so that they generate an international field of competitors.

Rory Coleman, MD of Ambition Events is staging another first for the Ultra running community. Tring2Town 80, (see training events links on the left) a 2 stage supported Ultra Marathon 40 miles on Saturday, 40 miles on Sunday, or for those who are up for the challenge... an 80mile Ultra by doing both days.
Not only is Rory one of the most inspirational people I have ever met, and a hero of mine (he has in excess of 550 marathons and 9 world records under his belt) he is also on of the most genuine people I have ever met, so it's no surprise to me that he has the knack of attracting some of the Uk's most talented Ultra Distance athletes to his events.

He is however known to lower his standards occasionally,(which is how I got in) and also why I got the following email from Angola last week from Tom Adams (pictured having a pot noodle breakfast with me in the Sahara during the Marathon des Sables, March 2007)

I was just idling away some time while sat at work (yes, it is a Saturday, but currently stuck offshore in Angola!) and I came across your ugly mug on one of the forums saying you're doing both days of the Tring2town?? I'm wussing out and only doing the second day, but if you're there would be good to catch up.cheers,Tom

Whilst it made me chuckle, and also keeps any delusions I may have of a decent performance in check, (Tom makes lightening look slow, and a racing snake look fat)It also reminded me that when you have the bond of going through extreme races, friendship will remain across time and distance, and when you meet up at these events, the distance becomes fun. Especially when I remember he still owes me a beer!.... More to follow after my 80 mile weekend, see you soon.

When the sun comes up...

Every morning as the sun rises over Namibia, an Antelope stops grazing and scans it's surroundings for signs of danger. It knows it must outrun the swiftest of Lions if it is to survive this day that stretches before it.
Every morning as the sun rises over Namibia, a Lion scans it's territory seeking out opportunities for a kill, it knows it must outrun the slowest antelope in order to eat, and survive in this day of opportunity that stretches before it.
Either way, whether you are a Lion, an Antelope, or a 46 year old Ultra Marathon Runner, when the sun comes up... in order to succeed in the challenges that lie before you in Namibia... you had better be running!

The difference for me will be that by the time the sun comes up at 06:10 on April 7th I'll have been running through the Namibian Desert by moonlight, towards the famous Skeleton Coast for some 13hrs, and I expect to have burned somewhere between 7500 and 8000 calories.
The race starts at 17:00hrs on the 6th April, and sunset is scheduled for 17:46 so I'll be praying and wishing "Leo and his mates" have the very best of luck in their hunting and very full tummies on the 6th, and just hope I've run my skinny, bony, very un-tasty backside well out of his territory by sunrise on the 7th!

Can you tell I've been doing my homework? You know what they say, Planning and Preparation Prevents P#ss Poor Performance, and anyway with any luck I'd only have to outrun the guy in front of me.
More later... see you all soon.

Can I share someting with you...

Can I share something with you?... Sometimes I hear Voices in my head!

Now before you all think I'm strange, and start closing you browser... they are the same little voices that are saying to you right now "I knew he was nuts, now he's hearing voices"
Not often, but sometimes as I did yesterday, I have a real battle going on in my head between the two voices. One wants to get out and put in the training miles, and the other one comes up with all the reasons not to.
As I drove home yesterday I had made the decision to do an 8 mile road route, which would take about 1 hour 15 if my toe held out, but as soon as I left the house it started raining and the wind picked up, and then the battle started.

"I told you this was a bad idea... not only are you tired because you had a restless nights sleep, your toe hasn't healed enough for this pace yet, and now your gonna get soaked to the skin and be freezing all the way round, you should have listened to me, you've got plenty of time to put the training miles in before April... you should have just chilled out with a beer and cosied up on the couch. I mean look, there's not another soul out running, never mind dog walking they're all too sensible, and everyone passing in their cars think your mental, Its tipping it down and the wind will be driving it hard at the top of the hill, lets just call it a day"

"I'm not giving in to a lazy attitude, I'll be buzzing after the first mile, and now I'm taking action I'm not tired, my toe feels good, and anyway I've got water proof skin and I'll have a nice warm shower when I get back after having put another 8 miles into the training week... then I'll have some grub, cosy up on the couch and have the beer anyway, so I'm doing it and that's the end of it!

Well, I finished the run on time, but as I was having the mental battle as I ran, It occurred to me that everyone must have the same dialogue running through their thought process. How many new years resolutions have slipped already?... How many allow the negative voice to win... worse still, how many allow the negative comments or views of others to affect their decisions?

What makes the difference between achieving the goal you set yourself or not?... is it making the decision to take action?... is it determination to follow through? is it will power? is it the fear of getting outside you comfort zone?... for me It is the fear of pain.
I know if I don't put in the mileage, if I don't keep my commitment to train, I'm going to be in a lot more pain during and after the events that are my goals.
It's that simple, short term pain for long term gain. That and the fact that hopefully one day the negative voice will just give up trying, because all the time it was arguing I was running anyway...job done!

Here we go again.....

I once read somewhere "Life is what happens to you whilst you are planning other things"... Well there I was trying to figure out how I was going to fit in a sneaky 10 mile run past my lovely wife during Christmas day... when I slipped on the stairs after taking my daughters prezzies up to her room... end result, a dislocated and open fractured big toe.(I know... runners just don't have pretty feet, and yes I was sober!)
Not the best prezzie I could have wished for myself, 5 weeks away from the
Tring2Town 80 mile, 2 stage Ultra Marathon Weekend that is crucial to my training plan for the Namibian Desert 24hr 80mile Ultra Marathon on 6Th April, but that's life I guess.

The blessing in disguise was that the disrupted nail bed bled like a fountain,(much to the disgust of my "budding paramedic" wife) which fortunately released a lot of the build up in pressure and swelling, so by practicing sound recovery or R.I.C.E, Rest it, Ice it, apply Compression and Elevate it to reduce swelling, I managed to mobilize it and get walking and gentle running again within a week.

So last night saw me doing a gentle 5 miles with the beginners section at Wetherby Runners club, testing the poorly digit, to see if it is up to the 5 mile off road run that is planned for this Sunday, It all went down well in the running club with much shaking of heads and bemused looks from the "serious athletes", but they all think I'm nuts anyway... just as well I've got friends eh?
Anyway... more later my friends as I share my highs and lows of training for the Namibian Desert 24hr Ultra Marathon.