MdS Kit Thoughts – What Worked for Me

This is a review of the kit I considered, tried, and eventually used with my reasoning for my choices, how what I used worked and thoughts on what I would use if I did the MdS or similar again. Obviously everything below is inherently subjective, but hopefully there’s enough detail to help you decide if you’re likely to agree with me or not. I have a tendency to be a little contrary so a few of my choices – the pack for one – were a little different from the ‘standard’ choices. This did worry me a little when I turned up at the airport and everyone seemed to have very similar kit, but it generally worked very well for me.

Overall Summary – I wouldn’t take stuff to cook with, I would take poles and most importantly I would take some whisky for the long stage and the end…

Bag

Pack – I used an Inov8 Race Pac 25L with Innov8 bottle holders which was very comfortable and worked well for me. There are lighter bags out there but it worked well for me; I wasn’t sure about the very bottom-heavy looking design of many of the Raidlight bags, preferring more of a taller and thinner mountain style. The generous pockets on the waist band - which is nice and thick, spreading pressure – are a good size and very useful for my camera, salt tablets and snacks. In particular I had no problems with rubbing or bruising on my shoulders which most of the people in my tent did, despite mine being heavier than all but one. I don’t know if it was the bag or my training, probably a bit of both. One feature which would have been useful but which was missing was webbing on the top, sides or bottom to attach things – not the end of the world though. I cut down a few straps, securing the ends with gaffer tape but otherwise didn’t make any mods to my pack.

In terms of size I think I could easily have got away with at least 3 litres less; I think 20 to 22L would be about perfect.  Maybe a bit of a squeeze in the 20L but I don’t think that is a bad thing – less space to take things you down really need! There is a 22L Innov8 bag which would be tempting (I know I get on with the Innov8 fit), or the OMM Adventurelight 20L which I don’t think you could go too far wrong with. The Aarn bags looked pretty snazzy on the internet but looked huge and just a bit silly in the flesh with the huge front packs so I think I’d stay away from them.

The WAA Ultrabag that you’ll get lots of emails plugging is a very popular choice, though I am happy I didn’t go or it. It is expensive (and pretty heavy) and I wanted something I could use for other things; the WAA bag is specifically designed for the MdS and so not well suited to by every day hobbies. The use of the front pack seemed to be a matter of preference, some using it some not, though by the size of the bag I think I would have needed it. Strangely though for a bag designed for the MdS, people did seem to have problems fixing their number in the required position on their frons if they had the front pack on.

Front Pack – I did buy the Innov8 front pack which would have fitted on the front and given me an additional easily accessible 2L. I decided against it on the basis that I thought it would keep me unnecessarily warm. In the end I didn’t need the space (I already had more than enough with my 25L) and I had enough accessible space in the waist pockets. One thing that you need to be careful about with front packs, or with pack chest straps is making sure that you can fit your number in an acceptable position (they’re pretty anal about this). I didn’t have a problem with just the pack – I fastened the chest strap under my number.

Pack Liner – I initially thought it would be a good idea to take a pack liner, not really sure why though – it wouldn’t have served much of a purpose. Just be careful to keep your sleeping bag away from your back so it doesn’t get damp with sweat during the day. I packed things I wanted to group together or to (try to!) keep clean – my night time stuff for example - in zip-lock bags which did the trick without adding much weight (5g per bag).

Hydration

Water Bottle – It took me a while to choose my bottles, I wasn’t sure about straws like on the Raidlight bottles and for ages planned to use my trusty simple Nuun bottles on the basis that they were hygienic and wouldn’t let me down. In the end I went for the Raidlight bottles as I got fed-up of taking the Nuun bottle out of the holders to drink during training runs. I had heard that some people had problems with them leaking and the valves blocking. I didn’t have any problems with the valves; I was careful to only mix my powders – For Goodness Shakes and Ultrafuel – in the water bottles they gave use. They did leak when I added electrolyte tabs which was annoying, particularly when it made things sticky but not bad enough to be a deal breaker; they were fine the rest of the time. I made sure I used only one bottle for the electrolyte which I was very happy I did by the end as they left some residual flavour in the bottle and by the end of the week I was beginning to hate the electrolyte flavour so at least I had one uncontaminated bottle.

One option I didn’t even consider was a bladder. My Camelback is my go-to in the UK but I was worried about hygiene in the heat without the ability to wash it out. I am also normally paranoid about it leaking which is a pain when you’re out for few hours near lots of water, but pretty much terminal in the middle of the desert leaving you with no way of storing water.

Required Kit

Venom Pump – Just got the standard venom pump and took the pump and a medium size nozzle – the whole kite it pretty heavy. I did try using it before I went but fortunately I didn’t need to use it!

Signalling Mirror –  Again just bought a seemingly standard square signalling mirror with a hole in the middle for aiming the reflection.

Compass – I used my normal Silva compass – pretty standard size. Could’ve found a slightly smaller and lighter one I suppose but it wasn’t heavy and there were higher priority things to spend money on.  In the end I didn’t need it – there were so many people in front of me!

Knife Card – The rules require you to have a knife; I opted for the Victorionox Jelly Swiss Card which had a knife, scissors, tweezers etc but is nice and light.  The knife did the job well enough and the scissors were very useful. I didn’t use anything else, though I suppose the tweezers could’ve come in handy. So it worked well, but in future I might see if I can find a slightly more substantial knife and scissors that are just as light if not lighter. 

Passport – Obligatory obviously – no modifications! I kept it in a ziplock bag which kept it clean and nicely sweat free (you don’t really want a soggy passport…).

Cash & cards – I took two cards with me along with the 200 Euro required by the rules. Could’ve gotten away with one card but I like having some redundancy! It didn’t weigh much anyway. I also took my BMC insurance card with all the relevant details on it.

Safety Pins –  10 small safety pins for attaching your number; also good for draining blisters.

Lighter – Just a normal plastic lighter, had more than enough fuel.

Space Blanket – I took a normal compact foil blanket. I didn’t cut mine down, but others did – I would probably do this in future.

Whistle – I had one built into my pack – not the loudest, but you do have your flare if you’re in real trouble…

Torch and spare batteries – I took at Petzl Zipka Plus; at 71g inc batteries was the lightest I could find. It sacrifices a head band in favor of a lighter retracting cord. This was perfectly good for walking about and in camp, but had I been moving faster in the dark on the long stage I would have had problems with it staying in place on my head so I would go for the slightly heavier version with a head band in future. On the other hand if you’re sufficiently fast that you won’t have to spend long out in the dark then it might work ok (you could hold it), but not for a significant period of time.  

Camp / Sleeping

Sleeping bag – I went for the PHD Minimus bag with the water repellent and windproof outer. It worked very well for me, a very nice bit of kit. I would definitely go for their kit again. It is rated (approximately) down to 6 ish degress for comfort with 0 degrees for more hardy people (I don’t feel the cold too much) and I was actually a bit too warm most of the time. It did keep me warm when the wind picked up in the night though – being windproof was helpful. I think the nights were reasonably warm for us this year and so I don’t think I’d risk going for anything lighter. A few people in my tent had Yeti bags – the Passion 3 – which they seemed to love. They looked nice to me but are significantly more expensive than the Minimus and seemingly no better quality, and a little heavier I think, maybe I’m just biased.

Sleeping Mat – In the end I used a Multimat Superlight half-length mat (110g). Initially I bought a Thermarest Z-lite mat which I was going to cut down but couldn’t work out how to attach it to my pack. It was also going to be quite heavy. The Multimat mat was lighter (and significantly cheaper), though at the expense of comfort. The length was fine for me (I’m fairly short) and it did the job, though in future I might consider not taking a mat. The main thing for me was that it gave me some easily identifiable space which was my space in the tent. The Thermarest certainly looked much more comfortable and one of the guys in my tent cut his into a torso shape which seemed to work, though it wouldn’t leave much scope for moving in the night.

The other alternative is an inflatable mat. I chose a foam mat as I had heard stories of mats being punctured and becoming useless. A lady in my tent used on which seemed to be fine, and I’m sure some gaffer tape would fix most punctures. They are a lot more compact than the foam mats – I would consider taking an inflatable mat in future if I was taking a mat.

Pillow – This is definitely a luxury, though there are some very light inflatable ones about. I got a 50 odd gram inflatable one but decided against taking it in the end and ended up using my fleece instead. It would make sleeping easier I think, particularly if you’re not used to camping and they are very light as luxuries go.  I think there is a 32g Mammut pillow on the market which would be a good choice.

Ear Plugs – Light and very useful!

Evening Top – I took a lightweight polartec top which doubled up as a pillow.  I didn’t need any more an could probably have got away with something even leaner but I would’ve wanted the warmth if it had been much cooler.  I did lust over the Montane Fireball smock – a lightweight and very compact synthetic down jacket but there were higher priority bi of kit to acquire.

Evening Bottoms – I took some Under Armour Recharge recovery leggings. These were pretty light-weight at just over 100g and the compression was helpful overnight. It also gave me something ‘clean’ to put on my legs to sleep in and added a bit of extra warmth. If you’re not too fussed by any of this you could get away without them, and I suppose if you’re taking calf guards you could just keep them on to aid recovery. Mine were filthy though so it was nice to take them off and keep them out of my sleeping bag.

Evening hat – I planned to take a light-weight hat for warmth at night. It was definitely not needed and after the first night in the desert I decided to leave it in my suitcase.  The hat I had bought was very nice though – Mountain Hardware Zerna Beanie – only 36g. I’ll definitely be using it for other trips.

Slippers – I took some slippers to wear around the bivouac but threw them away after the first stage as they were rubbish. The ones I took were ‘official’ MdS slippers off the MdS boutique which was a mistake – they gave no protection from rocks and my feet go covered in dirt, not good if you have blisters. Anyway from then on I used the running shoes with just my outer socks in when I was in camp which seemed to work ok. I would say slippers probably weren't worth the weight.

Cooking

Stove, Pots (Ti) & Fuel – In retrospect I don’t think I would take a stove if I were to do the MdS again. It would have saved my probably 200g or so and to be honest I would have been quite happy eating the meals ‘cold’, and it was a lot of faff sorting the stove and heating the water.  During the day you could heat the water to a fair temperature just by leaving a bottle in the sun and for breakfast I would just have something that didn’t need any heat (e.g. cereal).  The exception might be after the long stage (I got in at night) when cold sloppy freeze dried food might not be very pleasant.  However I didn’t really feel like a proper meal at that point and was happy with snacks.

If you do want to take a stove, the Esbit titanium pot and ting 14g stove were great (I just resented carrying them and didn’t want to throw them away!).  I was fine with 1 fuel tablet per meal (the water was general already reasonably warm), and on that basis you could get rid of a lot of the 20 tabs in the packet that you get from the MdS boutique.

Spork (Ti) – I took a folding Esbit titanium spork at 18g which worked well enough but I didn’t need the ‘ork’ bit.  The folding feature wasn’t really necessary and made it more difficult to clean (very important!). I think Esbit also do a non-folding extra-long titanium spoon which would be great to keep your hands as far away from your mouth and food when eating out of the meal bags.

See my food post for my food thoughts. 

Hygiene

Alcohol Gel –  This is an absolute must and needs using everything you put your hands anywhere near your mouth, or anything going in it. I was really worried about not having enough and settled on a 50 ml bottle, though I managed most of the week using a 30 ml Purelle bottle I rescued from the bin before the first stage in a fit of paranoia about not having enough. I think 50 ml is a good bet though; however it does make a big difference how accurate the top/nozzle is, as this lets you control how much you are using and affects how efficient your use is. The Purelle top was better than the Carex one I originally took with me.

Wipes – These are a worthwhile luxury – the two wipes I had per night made a huge difference to me psychologically. I’m not sure how much cleaner I actually ended up – I’ve a feeling I just spread the dirt around – but I felt better and much more comfortable in my sleeping bag afterwards.  I took Wemmi Wipes which come in tablet form which you add a little water too and they expand into a cloth. They are pretty effective and are tough enough to be re-wetted and used more than once. They have the advantage that they are light but they aren’t anti-bacterial which would be a good idea given the conditions. The alternative would be to (partially) de-hydrate some anti-bacterial wet wipes and add water when you want to use them.

Loo Paper – Now I spent a good while deciding how much and what brand of loo paper to take. It wasn’t something I wanted to run out of, particularly I had had been unfortunate enough to have stomach problems! One guy in my tent did and was always in need of more – not a position I’d really want to be in! I took the view that it was relatively light and I could easily get rid of excess if I needed, so took a fairly large amount - about 12 sheets a day - which worked out as about 2/3 of a roll, though I took it off the card roll. I had more than enough in the end, though I was lucky enough not to have any problems in the tummy department. Quality is definitely more important than quantity though – a sheet you can use on its own or more than once (in one sitting!) – is better than one that will fall apart, even if it is slightly heavier.

Toothbrush & Toothpaste – I took a 20ml tube (though I could easily have got away with less) and a basic toothbrush that had a thin handle.  I worked out it would only save me 3g if I cut the handle down and I was keen to be able to brush my teeth without getting my hand too close to my mouth, so I left it as it was.

Medical/ Spares

Sun cream – I took a 50ml spray bottle of P20 factor 50+. This worked very well for me; I think I could probably have got away with less but I wouldn’t want to risk it.

Lip balm – I took a small stick of factor 50 lip sunscreen. My lips did get pretty crusty but I think they’d have been a lot worse without it!

Electrolytes – I took some Nuun and High 5 Zero tabs – 2 per day which I put in each days' food packet. I only had two flavours which were ok until the marathon stage when I decided I was fed up of it. You don’t need it – the salt tablets will keep you alive (most electrolyte tablets don’t have much sodium in them), but I think they helped and it was nice to be able to drink something that wasn’t plain water. Until I got fed up of the taste that is!

First Aid Kit – I took: Dioralyte, Immodium, Deep Heat (required by rules), Savlon (required antiseptic). I didn’t take any pain killers – I had read that Ibuprofen wasn’t a good idea and hadn’t considered paracetamol. I’d probably take some paracetamol just in case, though I was proud I completed it without any pain killers in the end. I also took some ant-acids as I had had some acid reflux problem in training.

Foot care wise I took Hapla Band tape which was good though I’d probably take some more heavy-duty tape (e.g. KT tape) instead or as well. I bought some Friars Balsam but didn’t take it in the end. It does a good job helping the tape to stick and can be used as a mild anti-septic but it has a habit of migrating out of the bottle (it does smell quite nice though!), and I wanted to be able to use my anti-septic in places I didn’t want to get sticky if I needed…

Body Glide – A key bit of kit! I took a 12.8g stick which did the job nicely. Worked well on my feet and in other places I won’t mention!

Duct Tape – Very useful spare – you shouldn’t need much but it is invaluable for repairing things. I found it particularly useful for mending the front of my gaiters when they got scuffed up my sharp rocks.

Other

Camera & Batteries – I am quite keen on my photography so I was dead set on taking a camera but obviously couldn’t take my big heavy SLR. I went for an Olympus Tough camera which did the job nicely and was nice and tough with no-where for sand to get in. It was a little weightier than I would have liked though.  I took two spare batteries - I didn’t want to run out – and they weren’t too heavy.

Pad & Pencil – I took a small Argos pencil and an A6 pad to make notes with as I went through. This was a luxury but I’m glad I took something to record the experience with as I went along.

Mp3 Player & Headphones – I took some simple ear bud headphones and an Ipod Shuffle which was nice and light. I didn’t listen to music much but it was helpful on the night stage and during the odd low period.  I didn’t have any problems with battery life.

Running Kit – Spares I Carried

Socks-Liner – I wasn’t sure how my feet would be faring and what state my socks would be in so I took two spare pairs of socks. I could probably have got away with one (or even none) but I was glad I took them.

Socks-Outer – I had planned to take a spare pair of outer socks but these got culled in my weight reduction strip-out. I wouldn’t have needed them in the end – the change of liner socks was enough.

Underware – I took a spare pair of boxers which I did use but I could easily have done without – I didn’t feel much benefit for changing them as I was already so dirty. I probably wouldn’t bother in future.

Running Kit

Poles - I didn't take these but I deinitelty would in future. They would have taken some of the pressure off my feet and spread the stress on my body. I would have needed to train and build my upper body up a little think.

Socks-Liner – I decided early on that I would go for a double layer – a liner and an outer sock. I used Injinji Liner Toe Socks for the inner sock as I knew from past experience that the main place I tend to get blisters during a long race is between my toes. It also gave the flexibility to use just the outer sock if my feet became too large, e.g. because of swelling or because of taping. These socks worked very well for me and I got very few blisters.

Socks-Outer –  For the outer sock I used X-Socks Speed Metal socks. There are quite expensive but are tough and have an amazing cooling feel to them with plenty of ventilation. I was worried my feet might get too hot in the two layers but they were fine – the combination seemed to work well for me. The dual layer approach allowed the movement between the layers instead of against my skin which will have helped with the blister situation.

Underware – I used Under Armour boxers which were very comfortable and prevented any chafing. I had used these extensively in training as well and never had any problems.

Calfguards – These were great – gave lots of support and helped reduce the amount of skin exposed to the sun. I used CompressSport calf guards which seemed to be very popular and they are very tough. I used my normal size but one of the guy in my tent used a size bigger than normal to account for his legs swelling. I didn’t feel any discomfort with them being too tight but this might be a good thing to consider.

Hat – I used a Raidlight cap with a cape for the back of my neck.  This protected me well from the sun and kept me as cool as possible, though in future I think I would try and find an equivalent that had a cape that attached further round the sides of the hat as the loose fabric (attached with Velcro at the back) tended to flap in the wind and wouldn’t stay over my neck. Tucking it into my buff did help this though ad I didn’t get burnt so it wasn’t that bad.

Buff – The Buff was great – protected my neck, absorbed sweat and would’ve acted as a good filter to breathe through had there been a sand storm.

Top – I took two options out with me and decided when I got there. I took a montane long-sleeve top (factor 50+) which was loose fitting and a white Under Armour Heatgear compression top (also long-sleeve).  I decided on the Montane top which worked well – I did like the loose fit allowing air to move around.  However I think the UA top would have been good as well as it had noticeable cooling effect, particularly when damp.  One thing both of these tops was missing though was a collar which would have been beneficial to protect my neck and would have made the back of the cap flapping about less of a problem. I was pleased I paid attention to the SPF though – it would not be good to think you were protected and end up getting burnt through your top.

Arm Sleeves – I opted for a long sleeve top which worked, though the other option that a couple of my tent mates went for was a short-sleeve top with arm compression sleeves. This seemed to be a good compromise – they seemed to have a good cooling effect while being tight on the arms and allowing a loose fitting top to be worn with them. I’d probably go with this option in future, but either way I would go for covered arms.

Shorts – These were 2XU compression shorts. They did the job nicely combined with my boxers – helping to keep my legs in shape and keeping and out of my nether regions. Definitely would use these again.

Shoes – I tried various different options and these are a very personal choice. I settled on Brooks Cascadia trail shoes as (for me) they gave a good compromise between protection from rocks and cushioning. Lots of people used road shoes though and were fine, and some people used more hard-core trail shoes, though I’d probably stay away from these just because of the battering your feet would get.

Gaiters – When I was gathering my kit this was a choice between Sandbaggers and Race Kit gaiters. In the end I went for the Race Kit ones – mainly because they didn’t have any Sandbaggers ones in my size when I wanted to by mine. In retrospect though I’m pleased I did go for the Rake Kit ones though, as they are less baggy and more compact than the Sandbaggers. They are simpler in sizing as well, with only two sizes to choose from which makes things easier if you panic and decide to change shoes size. I was a little concerned that when I tested them out at Formby the fronts kept lifting up from the Velcro, but even then they didn’t let any sand in. In the end I had no problem with this in the Sahara (nor did anyone else by the looks of it) – I think it is just that the more moisture laden sand in the UK is harsher on the Velcro seal. Anyway, very pleased with them; the only improvement I could think of would be some reinforcement at the front as the sharp rocks have a tendency to attack the nylon. I think a few people mentioned this to Colin of Race Kit who was out there this year, so I’d imagine they’ll address this pretty quickly.

Sunglasses – Based on good reviews around the internet I went for a pair of Julbo Trek glasses with Zebra lenses. I can’t really fault them – they did their job perfectly and were well ventilated. I’ve even managed to accidentally shut them in a door since and they didn’t get so much as a scratch.

Mountains, Dunes and Hot Yoga

Most of my recent training has been in the gym, doing as much low impact exercise – walking on a steep incline on the treadmill, or on the elliptical cross trainer.  I think it has managed to maintain my fitness as much as I could have hoped for, though obviously it’s not ideal.  Having said that, either way I will be doing a lot of walking in the Sahara, and the elliptical cross trainer movement seems like a good approximation for running in sand… so hopefully there has been a bit of a silver lining!

It was A LOT windier than it looks!

I've had the last two weekends up in the Lakes where I've been doing some fast walking with a pack up mountains.  The first Saturday outing was over Grisdale Pike and behind VERY windy – I almost got blown off the top!  I got some ITB twinges but they weren't bad considering, given the wind though and me building confidence in my legs again I decided not to stay up high for too long (the gusts were making me land in odd positions on my legs) and not to push my luck.  So I didn't go too far but got some good ascent in and resistance against the wind over the three hours or so I was out.

The next morning I went to a local smaller hill called Barf which is next to Bassenthwaite Lake and has some good scree up the first couple of hundred meters which I did (almost) five reps over an hour up to a white painted rock call the Bishop (I was running out of time and didn't want to push my ITB).  I felt very good and strong and fitter than I had expected which was a good boost.  I hand only slight ITB twinges but not bad really considering I was actually running downhill. No problems on the uphill at all, so hopefully I should be good at getting up things – might just be slower than others going down.

Last weekend I drove up to the Lakes on the Saturday morning and parked at Seathwaite and went over Styhead Pass to Wasdale Head, incorporating two or three hundred meters of ascent on scree low down on Great Gable (I could really feel my calfs going up the steep scree).  The cloud was low and it was very gusty so I decided it was best not to go to high and focus on the training.  I came back via Sprinkling Tarn, being tempted to go up Scarfell Pike which felt very close, but I was running out of time again – and best not to tempt fate with the leg at this point!  Again some ITB twinges going downhill but not too bad really. 

I did all of these sessions in my smaller pair of my Brooks Cascadia I’m using for the MdS – so some good exercise for the ankles.

The view was stunning!

On my way back south on Sunday I took in a trip to Formby beach – my last opportunity before the MdS and I wanted to test out my legs in the dunes and test out my gaiters.  I got some (ok a lot!) very funny looks in the car park in my gaiters with my Raidlight bottles and pack – given the location I must have looked very strange.  I would have thought I’d feel self-conscious, but as in the gym with all my layers on, I weirdly quite like the attention, even though everyone thinks I’m potty!

 It was a lot of fun as always and I actually managed to get some running in which was good for my confidence.  I did start to feel my ITB after an hour or so of running up and down dunes but after a couple of minutes walking it loosened out nicely.  I got some good reps done up and down dues despite the wind trying to blind me with sand and I found some nice people to take a couple of photos for me…  My MdS shoes were nice and comfy, if a bit loose, with my toe socks and X-socks metal.  The gaiters kept the sand out well, despite running through some knee deep fine sand on the dunes.  The front of the gaiters did start lifting off the velcro a bit but never got to the point where any sand got in.  I think this was probably my fault for attaching the Velcro from the back first and working forward as my shoes are at the lower end of the size range so stretching the elastic creates some slack – just a question of learning.

I managed to get some poor man who was trying to enjoy the view to take this - I think he thought he should call the men white coats...

In other news I’ve seen the Physio a couple more times and the effect feels positive – I just need to re-build my confidence in my legs; most of this experience is psychological after all.

I’ve started getting into the Hot Yoga properly now, building up the number of sessions I’m doing each week (3 last week, hopefully 4-5 this week and 6 next week…).  I wouldn't really call what I’m doing proper yoga (I’m rubbish at it) but the stretching and heat are good.  The studio I’m going to uses radiant heat panels rather than air conditioning which heat the body rather than the surrounding air, so while the air temperature might not be as hot as say in Bikram yoga, it does get the core body temperature well up!  I've also been combining this with my ‘Michelin man’ sessions at the gym first to de-hydrate a bit and get the core temperature up for a good period before going in.  I certainly start sweating a lot quicker having done the exercise beforehand!  I’m thinking of maybe extending the heat element by wearing a black long sleeve top and maybe leggings but bit by bit!  We’ll see how that goes! 

3 x 25 Miles Back-to-Back

It’s been a relatively quiet period since the Pilgrims Challenge, with me trying to rest my ITB hoping it will sort itself, and getting a nasty cold which wrote off training up in the lakes.  I've started doing some hot yoga, which I had planned to do anyway as party of an attempt to acclimatize to the Saharan temperatures, but which is also really good for stretching things out.

I had planned to do a big three back-to-back session last weekend (aiming for 3 x 25 miles) and started out with 5-6 kg on my back on the Saturday, planning to run up to Hebden Bridge from Salford up the Rochdale Canal (28.5 miles), extending the run I did last year.  I could feel my ITB twinging from the beginning but it didn't seem to get any worse so I kept going. Then at 18 miles-ish I felt it go properly and so that was the running finished for the day.  I kept going, walking as fast as I could manage, up to Walsden (22.5 miles and 4.5 hours on the move), from where I caught the train back down to Manchester – frustrating but at least the scenery was beautiful, particularly the part I hadn't done before over Littleborough Summit to Walsden. Not an entire loss!

At this point I gave up trying to push things any further by running the following two days, which would have just made things worse with the leg, and so I decided to do the sessions in the gym instead.  Not quite the adventure that I had hoped for; on the Sunday I had planned to run up the Ashton Canal up to Diggle where it (called the Huddersfield narrow canal at this point) goes into a tunnel under the Pennines.  Anyway I got 4.5 hours done in the gym on the Sunday and another 4 hours on the Monday, alternating between fast walking up a 10% gradient (at first at least!) on the treadmill, and time on the elliptical cross trainer with the same pack as the first day (30 mins each and then repeat).  This was the best thing I could think of that would be low impact and minimise aggravating my ITB but still get the extended period of exercise in.  I think it worked but it was VERY boring!  I wasn't as sore afterwards as I expected – I don’t know if that was as a result of the reduced impact, or if the intensity was lower – hopefully the former!

Anyway I think I am going to have to restrict my exercise to the Yoga and this gym work over the next few weeks to let my ITB heal; and spend lots of time on the foam roller!

In other news, I now have my shoes back from the Shoe Healer with the Velcro on and my Gaiters fit nicely – just need to test them out now.  Otherwise I have procured all of the main things (I think!) I need, except for the camera and sunglasses. Need to whittle everything down now to get the weight down now….

Country to Capital 2014

So time seems to be going faster and faster and suddenly one of my key prep races has come around. Not being the final target I hadn't given this as much thought as I probably would have done and so despite this being farther than I have ever run before I wasn't really nervous. The furthest I had run in one go before last Saturday was 37 miles on the second day of The Wall, so this was going to be a few miles longer but at least I would be starting with fresh legs this time!

I woke up early as I normally do before a big race and got my porridge down me (seemed a good opportunity to try out one of the dehydrated breakfasts I'll use on the MdS). I had organised everything the night before so was nice and relaxed and headed down the road to Wendover with plenty of time to spare. After registering there was lots of time to mill about which gave me the opportunity to chat to a couple of other 2014 MdS'ers - the first I've met!

At 8.30, 400 of us (it is amazing that there are so many crazy people out there!) headed out onto the country trails of Buckinghamshire. Couldn't have asked for a better morning - clear skies but not freezing, and the light on the countryside was beautiful. The only issue was the low sun that prevented you from seeing where your feet were going. It was mentioned at the pre-race briefing that there was some ankle-deep mud... I did end up quite muddy, all part of the fun and I didn't get any blisters because of it.

I hadn't appreciated quite how much the map booklets we were given were actually needed - in the past any races I have done have been pretty comprehensively way-marked. I was just sort of expecting to put my head down an plod my way through it... Fortunately there were quite a few people about who had done the race in the past and knew the route. I have to confess (a little ashamed) I was pretty lazy when it came to navigation, despite being used to running over the fells on my own and needing to keep tabs on where I am.

The first couple of checkpoints passed pretty quickly it seemed, running through some lovely countryside and pausing every now and again as we came to the odd gate or stile, or points where it wasn't terribly clear where to got (I'm sure I'd have had a better idea of where we were going I'd actually got my booklet out!). I was surrounded by a very friendly bunch and the conversation was great. I love how this sort of running is so much less pressured than running shorter distances and people are more relaxed.

After crossing over the M25 and carrying on along some more rural trails we reached the Grand Union Canal - easy navigation form here on I had been assured, with the exception of a turn off to Paddington 13 miles from the end (which was pretty obvious thankfully!). I have to confess that I wasn't hugely enjoying things at this point as I stomach had been feeling dodgy ever since the first checkpoint where I had pretty stupidly decided to try the fruit cake and carry on running with it. The cake was amazing (worth doing the race again just for that, and I'm not generally a fan of fruit cake), but I should have known better and I paid for it over the next 20-25 miles.

It was much easier going along the canal and despite the state of my stomach I managed to keep a better pace... until the hiccups. I HATE them! They're the perfect thing to make a dodgy stomach worse. I got to checkpoint 3 and decided that the best thing to do was have something to eat even though I didn't feel like it - either it would stay down or it would make me throw up - either way I'd feel better! And it did - a few miles down the canal just after the turn of to Paddington... I disturbed a poor young couple who had evidently come down to the canal for some quite time together with some of the most horrendous wretching noises I am sure anyone has ever come out with (secretly very proud of myself). I did at least manage to get a few meters past them and not do it on their feet, I'm sure they were very grateful.

Anyway by this point there were just over 13 miles to go, and I suddenly felt great. I sped off down the canal determined to make the most of my second wind while it lasted. After a couple of miles it wore off and I fell into step with a couple of other runners who I stuck with for the last 12 miles or so from Checkpoint 4. One of them, Sophie, was an experienced ultramarathon runner and MdS veteran who kept me going with a mixture of her 10 mins running, 2 mins walking routine which really helped with discipline, and some amazing motivating words. Nick, a professional sailor, found his finish legs shortly before the end and managed to pick up the pace (there was no way I could follow!) and Sophie managed to drag me (psychologically) to the end at a very respectable pace for which I am extremely grateful!

My body didn't seem to be in too bad condition all things considered, no blisters at all, which gives me confidence in the shoe and sock combination. I was carrying 3 to 4 kg in my pack which I think I could have done to make heavier (need to carry more on the next race). A good confidence boost overall though!

On the way into Paddington I caught sight of another C2C-er coming in the direction. We caught each other's eye and smiled at each other - no words were exchanged but you know instantly when someone has just been through the same pain as you and come out the other end wincing and grinning at the same time that you have quite a bit in common, and they stand out even in a busy station!

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! 

Wall Run - Learning points (Kit)

I haven’t been running too much over the last 3 weeks or so, so there’s not much to report on that front. I have found since I’ve started running marathons, spending 3 or 4 months training for a specific event, that I tend to have a down period afterwards, loosing concentration a bit. While that hasn’t mattered too much in the past, it is going to matter more now, with the goal further away with many practice events in the meantime.

So, while it is still (sort of!) fresh in my mind it thought it would be a good idea to jot down some thoughts on what I learnt from my first ultra and multiday race and get my mind back on track. One of the main reasons for wanting to do The Wall was to learn something about ultra-distance events with enough time to use it to help shape my training and kit choices.

What it has also done is given me confidence. It has shown that I can cover distances that I previously thought were almost beyond comprehension, and get up the next morning feeling (though tired) that I could go out and do another stage. Definitely positive stuff!

So what exactly did I learn? Probably easiest to split this up…

Kit

I tried using some of the kit I’m hoping to use in the MdS. The main bit of kit I was texting were my compression shorts of the 2XU variety. Reading around I had seen these recommended for use in the desert so and they seemed to be pretty popular so I thought I’d give them a try. I’m pleased to say they were very comfortable (no sign of any unwanted friction). I don’t really know how much the compression helped as I have no experience to compare it to, but the support on my quads did definitely help over the miles.

On my top half I used a Helly Hansen Dry top – I have been running in these on fells for a long time and have always been very comfy and it did its job well here as well. I’m not sure about their SPF however – an important factor in the Sahara, so this might need some investigation.

The socks were hilly twinskins. My feet generally stayed in good condition and I only changed socks at the overnight stop. The only issue was a big blister on the inside of my big toe which I only discovered when I took my shoes off after I’d finished. Unfortunately while the twinskins do seem to work week, they are probably a bit thick and warm for the desert – they’re pretty toasty in the UK! I think the way forward is probably some thin toe socks which will minimise friction between my toes which will be a particularly good thing with sand about.

For hydration I used my Camelbak bladder which was good (very convenient to drink from) but maybe a bit fragile and unhygienic for the desert – it would be a bit of a disaster if it started leaking. It is also more difficult to know how much you have left and it takes longer to refill. I think I’ll stick with bottles.

More to follow on recovery, training and nutrition…

First Ultra Distance Run!

Last weekend I completed my first ultra distance training run - i.e. my first run longer than the 26.2 mile marathon distance. At 30 miles it was the longest distance I have ever run (or more accurately run with a bit of walking / staggering). See route below:

Not having any experience of running this far I wasn't entirely sure how it would go, particularly as while I have run 4 marathons up to this point, the mentality and atmosphere during a race is very different. When you are completely knackered during a marathon, there are at least others around you going through the same thing and people cheering you on. On a training run it is just you plodding along the pavement while the world goes about its business around you, which can feel quiet lonely sometimes.

The farthest I had ever run in training before was 22 / 23 miles which had seemed like a bloody long way, and a lot of time spent running, though at less than 3 hours it was significantly less time than I expected it to take me to cover 30 miles (with a practice weight rucksack). Planning the run I arbitrarily decided that I wanted to do it in less than 5 hours, which when thinking about it more seemed quite ambitious! It is a very different type of running pushing past the 26.2 mile distance, moving at speeds that make your marathon pace seem very fast indeed in order to keep your body going.

To make the distance less daunting I broke the distance down into 5 mile segments in my head and promising myself a reward (like some sugar or a walking break), a method that has been commonly recommended through the reading I have done. Happily it seemed to work - less than 5 miles left until the next reward is a lot easier to deal with than 15, or 20 miles!

I was lucky to have a couple of good friends run the first 15 miles with me, which must have been frustrating for them pootling along at such a painfully slow pace, but they were very nice about it! This helped no end psychologically, making the run feel half the length. These first 15 miles were in a big loop around Knutsford and Tatton Park which was lovely change from the standard trudge around south Manchester. They then left me in Knutsford, and I carried on, running home. It really helped to have an end destination rather than just a distance to reach.

I had originally decided to try running and walking at regular intervals, however in the end I ran (slowly!) for the first 10 miles before having my first walking break and taking on some sugar. After that I promised myself a walking break every 5 miles, for half a mile. This held up until the final four miles when I resorted to walking more frequently. I was starting to find it difficult and I could feel the effects of dehydration when I approached the 26 mile mark but I really wanted to be running when passed the 26.2 mile point, as that was the landmark point of the whole experience.

I knew beforehand that walking breaks would be necessary to help me cover the distance, however I had decided that I would not stop, and any walking would be fast, ideally around a 12 minute mile, ensuring that I continued to make sensible progress. Looking at the data from my GPS watch I spent much less time walking than I thought I had and kept a reasonable speed, which was satisfying. Curiously towards the end it was actually less uncomfortable to carry on jogging than it was to walk.

It was a hot day (20 C ish) which was a good thing from an experience point of view, but made the distance all the more daunting. The warmth made me concentrate on drinking more than I might have otherwise have done, which will be crucial in the desert. I took on less food/sugar than I had expected (a clif bar, 3 shot blocs and a bottle of powerade), though I had taken plenty along with me in my rucsack. It wont have helped my pace but I didn't feel any ill effects which is good for confidence that my pace was right.

Anyway 30 miles... a step into the world of ultrarunning and the unknown, pushing the boundaries of my experience and confidence. In the end that is really the whole point of this MdS lark.