Last weekend I did my first set of back to back runs on the run up to the MdS. I have put together a set of training 'elements' that I want to tick off in my training that cover different attributes of the end event , and back to back runs are on my tick list to help me train for the multi-stage aspect of the MdS. Running day after day requires the body and mind to recover quickly and I definitely found that the couple of back-to-backs I did in training for The Wall really helped. If nothing else, they forced my to practice my recovery routine which I like to think I have reasonably well honed by now (compression sleeves and milkshake as soon after finishing as possible).
So... Back-to-back set #1 - four 12 mile runs over 4 days - ok so not really quite proper back-to-back, a little too much time in between them... Ah well, going in the right direction though. I definitely felt that I gained momentum over the runs (I originally intended to do three, closer together) but my legs felt in good enough fettle so I thought I might as well keep going.
Now 12 miles in itself isn't terribly far, not much farther than a normal mid-week run, however, it is the repeated drain on the legs and body day after day that I need to get used to. I will scale up the distance, aiming to do three 25 mile runs in three days towards the end of February - that should be a little more taxing and hopefully I'll be prepared for it when I get there!
I didn't go anywhere interesting to do these runs (12 miles hardly seems far enough to get anywhere anymore!) - I just did some pretty boring loops round home to reduce the faffing involved getting ready for and getting back from the runs and maximise fun time the rest of the weekend. Only problem is the energy drain over repeated days and I have a habit of not eating enough which isn't very helpful! I suppose good training for when I have limited food during the event but not the best for real life!
Thursday 28 November 2013
Sunday 10 November 2013
Mini-Adventure #1: 24 Miles of Thunder, Lightning and Locks
In the process of trying to find ways of making my long runs interesting, I came across Alistair Humphreys' website. Among other many other interesting and inspiring entries on his website (along with some great photography), he has a section on 'micro adventures'. This gave me the idea of turning my long distance training sessions into mini adventures and do a bit of exploring.
So this was my first mini adventure (not ever of course), running from Salford up the Rochdale Canal to Littleborough to meet a couple of friends for a run and a few pints down the pub afterwards. This route has the advantage that the canal follows the route of the railway pretty closely so it would be easy to escape if anything went wrong, like an injury playing up.
So I headed out from Salford and down onto the canal in Castlefield which I would follow all the way up through north Manchester and on up to Littleborough. I could see a storm up ahead and it looked like I was heading into oblivion it was so dark. Spend any length of time outside in north west England and any time of year, particularly in November and you expect to get a bit wet... I was about to get more than just a little wet!
It felt wonderfully silly to be setting out on my mini expedition into a storm, exploring new places I have lived so close to for so long but never been to. Manchester has such a rich industrial and cultural heritage that it doesn't make enough noise about in my opinion. The route of the canal shows off a great cross-section of the city - not all of it pretty by any means but so interesting passing all of these big old brick industrial buildings in various states of decay, some still in use and whirring away. The housing and old factories eventually give way to countryside and more and more picturesque locks and views. By this point it was absolutely tipping it down with a mixture of rain and hail which was just about hard enough to sting exposed areas of skin, and I was thinking that I should have brought a torch with me. All these factors may have contributed to be getting fairly convincingly lost around the M60 crossing where the tow path disappears - all part of the adventure! I did eventually manage to find the canal again after consulting Google Maps a couple of times and a stop off in an off licence (only for directions, promise).
I'm not sure whether I just kept running into the same storm, or if there were several different storms but I got comprehensively drenched at least 3 times. The advantage of all this weather was that there weren't may people to get in the way on the tow path, save the odd slightly very damp person out for a walk and some very silly people out angling. They must have been absolutely freezing sat there not moving - at least I was generating a fair amount of heat as I went!
It is a while since I can remember being outside during a thunder storm and I'm used to windows and walls dulling the sound slightly, so when there was the first flash rapidly followed by a very loud peel of thunder overhead, it almost made me leap into the canal! I quickly got used to it though and it made things just that bit more interesting.
After three hours or so running, I made it up to Littleborough and met my mates just in time for the sun to show its face. The took me for a lap of Hollingworth Lake and then we headed to the pub so I could undone some my good work with a pint or two of the local brew.
So is the anti-boredom strategy working? Well, lately during my long runs I have needed music to keep myself entertained which works, but that is really just numbing the brain to the monotony - not a proper fix. This time I didn't need or even feel like listening to any music - I was just happy pootling along and taking in my surroundings - a good sign I think!
I also used my newly acquired rucksack - the smaller version of the Inov-8 pack (Race Pac 16) i used for the OMM - as expected very comfortable and very stable with no bouncing around as I ran. Can thoroughly recommenced it.
So this was my first mini adventure (not ever of course), running from Salford up the Rochdale Canal to Littleborough to meet a couple of friends for a run and a few pints down the pub afterwards. This route has the advantage that the canal follows the route of the railway pretty closely so it would be easy to escape if anything went wrong, like an injury playing up.
So I headed out from Salford and down onto the canal in Castlefield which I would follow all the way up through north Manchester and on up to Littleborough. I could see a storm up ahead and it looked like I was heading into oblivion it was so dark. Spend any length of time outside in north west England and any time of year, particularly in November and you expect to get a bit wet... I was about to get more than just a little wet!
It felt wonderfully silly to be setting out on my mini expedition into a storm, exploring new places I have lived so close to for so long but never been to. Manchester has such a rich industrial and cultural heritage that it doesn't make enough noise about in my opinion. The route of the canal shows off a great cross-section of the city - not all of it pretty by any means but so interesting passing all of these big old brick industrial buildings in various states of decay, some still in use and whirring away. The housing and old factories eventually give way to countryside and more and more picturesque locks and views. By this point it was absolutely tipping it down with a mixture of rain and hail which was just about hard enough to sting exposed areas of skin, and I was thinking that I should have brought a torch with me. All these factors may have contributed to be getting fairly convincingly lost around the M60 crossing where the tow path disappears - all part of the adventure! I did eventually manage to find the canal again after consulting Google Maps a couple of times and a stop off in an off licence (only for directions, promise).
I'm not sure whether I just kept running into the same storm, or if there were several different storms but I got comprehensively drenched at least 3 times. The advantage of all this weather was that there weren't may people to get in the way on the tow path, save the odd slightly very damp person out for a walk and some very silly people out angling. They must have been absolutely freezing sat there not moving - at least I was generating a fair amount of heat as I went!
It is a while since I can remember being outside during a thunder storm and I'm used to windows and walls dulling the sound slightly, so when there was the first flash rapidly followed by a very loud peel of thunder overhead, it almost made me leap into the canal! I quickly got used to it though and it made things just that bit more interesting.
After three hours or so running, I made it up to Littleborough and met my mates just in time for the sun to show its face. The took me for a lap of Hollingworth Lake and then we headed to the pub so I could undone some my good work with a pint or two of the local brew.
So is the anti-boredom strategy working? Well, lately during my long runs I have needed music to keep myself entertained which works, but that is really just numbing the brain to the monotony - not a proper fix. This time I didn't need or even feel like listening to any music - I was just happy pootling along and taking in my surroundings - a good sign I think!
I also used my newly acquired rucksack - the smaller version of the Inov-8 pack (Race Pac 16) i used for the OMM - as expected very comfortable and very stable with no bouncing around as I ran. Can thoroughly recommenced it.
Monday 4 November 2013
OMM
A couple of weekends ago I went down to the Brecon Beacons to do the OMM with my sister. It's great fun bowling across the fell side, map in hand with horizontal rain whipping across your face. Its amazing seeing hundreds of runners flying in different directions clad in tights and brightly coloured waterproof tops! Other than being a lot of fun and a good training opportunity, it was a great opportunity to test out a couple of bits of kit:
Shoes
I've been trying to decide between two different shoes for the MdS - the Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 and the Inov-8 Roclite 315. I have been using Inov8 Roclites for several years and I currently have a pair of the slightly lighter weight Roclite 295's which I love but I'm not too sure how comfortable they would be over 155 miles. They are very light and comfortable during a day out on the fells but I'm just concerned about the level of cushioning. So as a comparison I bought a pair of the Salomons which are larger and more squishy. The jury is still out on which I prefer - I think the Innov8's would have been better suited to the OMM so I don't think it was a very fair test - more testing required here.Pack
After lots of reading and pondering I've decided to go away from the standard issue Raidlight and OMM packs and go for an Inov8 pack. I like their kit in general; their designs are clever and well built and so I thought I'd risk it. I particularly wanted a pack I could use out on the fells as well and wouldn't just be left in the cupboard after the race. So I've gone for the Race Pac 32 which I hadn't managed to find in a shop anywhere to look at. I was very pleased with the construction though when I took it out of the packaging when it arrived. I filled it with 7 or so kilos of kit and water during the OMM and it was extremely comfortable - I hardly even noticed it was there, so a big thumbs up there. I even liked it so much I've ordered its smaller brother to train with.
In other news, the training plan is developing and I've been finding myself some nice long routes to do in the Peaks and Lakes - more detail on that later!
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