Most of the worlds hardest races have been written about at length but there are a few races at the most extreme end of the scale that haven't. The reason is mainly that the running world is divided up as follows:
0 - 99%: Normal Runners (May at some stage run a marathon but mostly 5k, 10k, half marathons at most with the bulk simply recreational running)
99% to 99.99%: Ultra runners including but not exclusive too all the worlds hardest advertised races (Badwater, Hardrock, UTMB, Yukon Arctic etc etc)
99.99% to 100%: insanity.
Insanity is hard for me to really get my head around. The races in this category are instantly dismissed by the majority of even the ultra running community as ridiculous. To the point where most people ignore their existence. Perhaps the most widely consumed ultra running website, the excellent http://www.run100s.com/, doesn't feature any of the below on its lists. These are races without recognition from 99.99% of the running community. In the past I have been guily of dismissing two of them as so totally mental I don't know why you'd bother but crucially, some of the great ultra runners and thru-hike pioneers such as David Horton and Blake Wood have dedicated a vast part of their running careers to finishing these races.
Below is a link to the four races that make up the Badass Slam as devised by Matt Mahoney. These are the most extreme races pretty much anywhere in the world. Its literally impossible to make two of these any harder and still leave people the opportunity to finish. When the finishing rate of a race dips below the 1% mark, clearly there is no room for manoevre. So here's a quick recap stealing some of the information from http://www.mattmahoney.net/wickham/slam.html and other associated individual race websites:
Hardrock: Well advertised. the hardest (greatest elevation changes/ greatest mean altitude of the 100 mile races in the US. This is relatively normal on the scale but the top end of 99.99%.
Badwater: Ditto except this includes the traditional version whereby runners were required to ascend to the true finish of the race, at the highest point in the US 11 miles higher up Mount Whitney to todays finish line. 146 miles non stop. Inevitably this has been made harder by people whom have returned from the summit back to the start at Badwater finishing 'the double'. Danny Westergaard went one step farther this year. after narrowly beating me to the finish of this years race, he ascended to the summit and ran back to the start. Then repeated it. Two more times with minimal breaks to eat and sleep. Badwater sextuple they're calling it. Mental.
Barkley: Pure unadulterated insanity yet some of the great ultra runners and thru-hike pioneers such as David Horton and Blake Wood have dedicated a vast part of their running careers to finishing the race. To quote:
The 100 mile race in Frozen Head State Park TN in late March or early April consists of 5 20-mile loops with 10,400 ft. of climb per loop. 10,400ft per loop. That is utterly incomprehensible, literally straight up and down disgustingly steep unmarked brier ridden mud slides for 100s of feet in succesion. There is no aid, no course markings, and often no trail with long climbs of 50% grade or more. The cutoff is 60 hours with a historical finish rate of 1% and a course record of 55:42. To prove you completed each lap, you must find 9 to 11 books in the woods marked on your map and bring back a page from each book. No pacers are allowed. Runners must alternate directions on the last lap. Weather: fog, rain, wind, sleet, and snow are common. Entry is limited to 35 runners. Entry opens Dec. 26 and normally fills that day. The exact date of the race will not be revealed until your entry is confirmed. Starting time will be announced by bugle one hour before the start. Entry is by invitation. Qualifications: write an essay on "Why I Should Be Allowed To Run The Barkley". Entry fee: $1.60 plus a license plate from your home state.
This race really exists. People try for year after year on the course and some of the greatest ultra runners of our time haven't made it past loop 1: 20 miles.
Wickham 200 mile: I just found out about this, hence I just found out about the Badass Slam. Again a finishing rate of under 1%.
So whatever you get into in the future and however hard it seems, there are people out there pioneering distances and races that defy the limits, not necessarily of physical capability, but undoubtedly breaking the psychological barriers that the rest of the world adhere too. I literally don't think there can ever be anything harder than Barkley that people can finish.
There is a book on it. You can buy it here. Enjoy.
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Out-There-Marathons-Toughest/dp/145054701X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287497776&sr=8-1
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Sunday, 17 October 2010
10 Month Review
From January to the first weekend of October I've trained and raced relentlessly and always planned to take a break following my scheduled final race of 2010 (Furnace Creek 508). Really I had 4 goals this year:
Break 3 hours for the marathon
Finish Badwater
Finish UTMB
Finish an Ironman
The first 7 months went really well and I ticked boxes 1 and 2 with a perfect race at Washington and a less than perfect, but ultimately hugely rewarding experience at Badwater. In amongst those two races I managed to fit in 15 other marathons and ultras.
Ironman came two weeks too soon into my recovery from the heat of Death Valley and when UTMB got cancelled just a few hours in, I felt like a great year could potentially peter out to an uninspiring end. Obviously if my trainers had been confiscated after BW and I was told I couldn't race until 2011, it still would have been a really great season for me. But Caesars Camp allowed me some closure on it, again a pretty poor performance there but to finish a second 100 mile plus race was important for my confidence and allows me to close off this year having achieved a lot. Actually the results from the race made pretty interesting reading. The front runner disappeared out of site early on and continued to expand his lead throughout. What a great race he ran over a very tough course for an 18:41 finish. For my part I managed to get to 50 miles in 10:03 putting me in 4th place out of 56 runners at the halfway mark. Despite the total collapse, 2 hours out of action at mile 80 and a devastating loss of running ability culminating in a 17 hour second 50 mile split, I still managed to finish 14th. The reason for this was that the course kicked ass way more than I had thought it would. Henk wasn't joking when he said he thought only 20 runners would finish. In the end only exactly 20 crossed the 100 mile mark for a finishing rate of 30%. The girl I passed at 97 miles wasn't able to get the last lap done so was the final drop out from a long race. Here's a couple of me in some quality socks. You may get an idea of some of the terrain here but not much:
I learnt so much this year about how to race the really long stuff better and 2011 will give me the opportunity to have the 100 mile race I know Im capable of. Now that the distance is becoming manageable in my mind (as much as 100 miles can ever be a manageable) I'm pretty excited to sink my teeth into Umstead in April.
So now it's into a period of 'rest' for a while. This time of year is really important to me, the last two years I've enjoyed down time between the end of October and Christmas. Its a chance to re-charge the batteries and run for running's sake only. I love moving through the streets/ lanes/ fields at night as winter closes in, but I love also having the option of skipping sessions where I feel like it and taking it easier. Each year it means I'm hungrier to get back into racing in January and with some great races in the UK through the early part of each year I'll reset the goals and look forward to 2011.
There is a good chance I'll run one day of the Druid Ridgeway Challenge in November, Gatliff 50km and Luton in late November/ early December but then again if I don't feel like running on the day, i'll roll over and reset the alarm instead... Running all 3 would give me a nice round 20 marathon+ races for the year.
I had this frame made up last month to immortalise Badwater. I hope I get the chance in the future to get many more of these made but what a great job they did.
Break 3 hours for the marathon
Finish Badwater
Finish UTMB
Finish an Ironman
The first 7 months went really well and I ticked boxes 1 and 2 with a perfect race at Washington and a less than perfect, but ultimately hugely rewarding experience at Badwater. In amongst those two races I managed to fit in 15 other marathons and ultras.
Ironman came two weeks too soon into my recovery from the heat of Death Valley and when UTMB got cancelled just a few hours in, I felt like a great year could potentially peter out to an uninspiring end. Obviously if my trainers had been confiscated after BW and I was told I couldn't race until 2011, it still would have been a really great season for me. But Caesars Camp allowed me some closure on it, again a pretty poor performance there but to finish a second 100 mile plus race was important for my confidence and allows me to close off this year having achieved a lot. Actually the results from the race made pretty interesting reading. The front runner disappeared out of site early on and continued to expand his lead throughout. What a great race he ran over a very tough course for an 18:41 finish. For my part I managed to get to 50 miles in 10:03 putting me in 4th place out of 56 runners at the halfway mark. Despite the total collapse, 2 hours out of action at mile 80 and a devastating loss of running ability culminating in a 17 hour second 50 mile split, I still managed to finish 14th. The reason for this was that the course kicked ass way more than I had thought it would. Henk wasn't joking when he said he thought only 20 runners would finish. In the end only exactly 20 crossed the 100 mile mark for a finishing rate of 30%. The girl I passed at 97 miles wasn't able to get the last lap done so was the final drop out from a long race. Here's a couple of me in some quality socks. You may get an idea of some of the terrain here but not much:
 |
| The start (Photo c/o Henk Van Der Beek) |
 |
| CC100 (Photo c/o Henk Van Der Beek) |
 |
| CC100 view up to the top of the Camp (Photo c/o Henk Van Der Beek) |
I learnt so much this year about how to race the really long stuff better and 2011 will give me the opportunity to have the 100 mile race I know Im capable of. Now that the distance is becoming manageable in my mind (as much as 100 miles can ever be a manageable) I'm pretty excited to sink my teeth into Umstead in April.
So now it's into a period of 'rest' for a while. This time of year is really important to me, the last two years I've enjoyed down time between the end of October and Christmas. Its a chance to re-charge the batteries and run for running's sake only. I love moving through the streets/ lanes/ fields at night as winter closes in, but I love also having the option of skipping sessions where I feel like it and taking it easier. Each year it means I'm hungrier to get back into racing in January and with some great races in the UK through the early part of each year I'll reset the goals and look forward to 2011.
There is a good chance I'll run one day of the Druid Ridgeway Challenge in November, Gatliff 50km and Luton in late November/ early December but then again if I don't feel like running on the day, i'll roll over and reset the alarm instead... Running all 3 would give me a nice round 20 marathon+ races for the year.
I had this frame made up last month to immortalise Badwater. I hope I get the chance in the future to get many more of these made but what a great job they did.
Monday, 11 October 2010
Caesars Camp 100 Race Report
It's the morning after and I'm feeling pretty great about the race. I didn't achieve anywhere near what I'd hoped to time/ position wise, my body was in ruin for almost half of it and there was a time around mile 80 when I genuinely thought it could be over. Partly through experience of suffering (already once horrendously this year at Badwater) and partly because of a refusal to quit I managed to get the job done. However much it hurt and however long it took really doesn't matter the minute you cross the finish line in a 100 miler. There are some elite runners who would rather drop out than post a poor time involving hours of walking and needless suffering. Their rationale is that there is another race that they would rather save themselves for, rather than grind their body down to breaking point and take months to recover. Luckily for me I'm not that fast that that's likely ever to be a problem. I think my conversation with the aid station official at mile 80 pretty much summed it up:
Him: How you feeling
Me: Absolutely battered, my undercarriage is blistered and bleeding everywhere.
Him: Have you got another race any time soon
Me: Nope
Him: Well then you may as well trash your body to finish, running 100 miles is not supposed to be easy you know.
Good point.
The Race:
The race is 10 laps of 10 miles, with an aid station at roughly the 5 mile point, which means you never really have to go for too long without encountering people serving food and drink. You also go back past your car every couple of hours so you can bring as much crap as you want and have access to it all the way through. A lot of people had already pitched tents next to their car when I arrived. On the down side it also means that after a couple of laps everything looks the same. Again and again and again and that pretty much sucks. There were around 60 x 100 milers (10 laps) and 30 x 50 milers (5 laps) all starting together at noon on Saturday. Its also very tempting for some to just get in the car and drive away when the race inevitably becomes a miserable death march.
The Course:
0 - 10 miles:
Everyone began together, a few of the 50 mile guys bolted off of the front and disappeared out of sight pretty quickly. I walked all the ups from the start, lots of people running past me and pushed on the downs passing people back again. I was economical from the outset and ate gels every 45 minutes to keep energy levels up. Straight forward lap 1:49
10 - 20 miles:
Repeat, absolutely no soreness to this point just easy going enjoying the day. 3 hours 47
20 - 30 miles:
I find I normally hit the first mental low just after the marathon mark but didn't get it at all and cruised round in another decent paced effort. 5 hours 58
30 - 40 miles:
Grabbed my headtorch at the start of the lap and within an hour it was pitch dark. Headtorches create a tunnel effect which can be quite off putting but I like running in the dark so where I could I switched it off. 7 hours 59.
40 - 50 miles:
Still feeling good and full of energy, still pacing well and because of the lap format, knew exactly where to push harder to make up time for the slow uphill sections. 10 hours 2. Aiming for 2 hours per lap at the start i was almost bang on.
50 - 60 miles:
Things started to unravel at this point. I had to here been fairly consistent but I found I needed more food just before the start of this lap which boosted me, but I then crashed big time about 3 miles in to the lap. The gels weren't enough on their own at this point. 12 hours 30
60 - 70 miles:
Picked up Webbo my pacer at 60 mile point. Absolutely awesome to have him running with me. Did a great job of going just ahead of me on the majority of the course, always on the downs and dragging me along. Mentally I'd been low for about 7 or 8 miles before he showed up. I moaned a lot but my legs and feet were fine. My energy levels were low I felt pretty nauseous like I needed to be sick and my unercarriage was starting to disintegrate and blister again. 15 hours 35
70 - 80 miles:
Long stop at 70 mile point of around 15 minutes, while I ate and changed to try and stop the chaffing. Slightly quicker lap then once we did get moving but not greatly so. Light just starting to break through by the time we got back around to the car. The previous few miles the pain downstairs had reached badwater- esque levels and I voiced out loud to Webbo how pointless it seemed to be dragging my ass around a 10 mile loop another 3 times just for the sake of it when I was in that much pain. Again. I couldn't believe I was having to put up with that shit for a second time in less than 3 months. About 20 small blisters all over the insides of the groin, nutsack and perineum. 19 hours
80 miles:
Webbo left to go and watch his sons first rugby tournament. I scanned in and went across to the car and sat in the passenger seat with the fans on full and pointed down towards my crotch. I passed out for about 80 minutes and then woke up with a shock (I hadn't intended to go to sleep) and pretty much shit myself that Id slept through the day and missed the cut off. I spent the next 30 minutes bandaging my appendage and did a pretty good job. I guess Im experienced at it now. I had to physically shout at myself in the car to make my mind tell my body to get out and keep going. Then pulled on my tracksuit bottoms and a jumper, pinned my number on the trousers, put 2 mars bars in my pocket and walked back through the aid station and out on to the course. I looked like a chav but I was still moving albeit walking like John Wayne. 21 hours 20
80 - 90 miles:
The first 3 miles were just miserable, hobbling along again, infuriated that Id turned potentially a great performace into a slog for the finish again. Once I was through the sharp up and down sections my walking speed increased and with the sun shining for the first time in 15 hours for me, my energy levels were better. 24 hours 25
90 - 100 miles:
More hobbling, more misery, tried to enjoy the trails and the woods and actually did manage a smile at one or two points but otherwise just wishing for the end to come. Passed a girl still running the 100 a few miles from the end and found she still had another lap to go. With the cut off at 30 hours and going very very slowly at around 27 hours/ 87 miles at that point it was obvious she wasn't going to make it. I didn't say so just encouraged her to keep going but DNF'ing this at mile 90 wasn't really fair on her. Caught a guy a couple of miles from the finish staggering around like a drunk going about half a mile an hour, when I got to him his eyes were closed, he was just walking around falling asleep on his feet. Stayed with him to the finish line, my good deed for the day. 27 hours 11 minutes. PW at 100 miles.
When we got to the finish, everything was gone. It was kind of like old dominion when there was just one guy and a clip board at the finish. It seems anti climactic but the last thing I'd want to see is 1000 people cheering you as you cross the line. Henk the RD and a couple of people had broken camp, 95% of the cars had gone, most people at home resting, eating, recounting tales of the previous day and their finish, or not as the case may be. After dishing abuse at the start, to people who dropped out all the way through, to runners coming in to the aid station all day, Henk finally said some nice words. He pointed out that this is a hard race and that roughly 70% of runners drop out of the 100 each year. This year was no different he reckoned only 30% finished again but 'll wait for the stats later in the week.
Why this race is hard (apart from the fact that it is 100 miles)?
Most of the really difficult part of the race is done in total darkness, for me miles 35 to 80.
A lot of runnable trail but lots of unrunnable (after about 30 miles) technical steep up and down.
30 hour cut off. 10 miles doesn't seem a long way at 3.3mph but repeat 10 times and you have to rely on running a good amount of this race to finish in time once you take into account the pit stops.
Its unlikely I'll be going back to do this one again but it is very well organised and executed. Don't expect any love or praise from Henk he'll just abuse you and ask you why you're bothering to stay out there running laps for 100 miles in the dark when you don't even get a medal at the end. If you need to wonder why then there's no point coming down for this one. I wouldn't advise this as a first 100, with the finishing rate as low as it is its clear that most people, experienced or otherwise end up succumbing to the tempatation of a warm vehicle/ tent and never leaving. It nearly happened to me too.....
Next year I will finally run a 100 mile race where i don't totally fall apart in the final third and convert a good start into a good overall race. For now I'll be resting for a while. It's been a long year in more ways than one.
Him: How you feeling
Me: Absolutely battered, my undercarriage is blistered and bleeding everywhere.
Him: Have you got another race any time soon
Me: Nope
Him: Well then you may as well trash your body to finish, running 100 miles is not supposed to be easy you know.
Good point.
The Race:
The race is 10 laps of 10 miles, with an aid station at roughly the 5 mile point, which means you never really have to go for too long without encountering people serving food and drink. You also go back past your car every couple of hours so you can bring as much crap as you want and have access to it all the way through. A lot of people had already pitched tents next to their car when I arrived. On the down side it also means that after a couple of laps everything looks the same. Again and again and again and that pretty much sucks. There were around 60 x 100 milers (10 laps) and 30 x 50 milers (5 laps) all starting together at noon on Saturday. Its also very tempting for some to just get in the car and drive away when the race inevitably becomes a miserable death march.
The Course:
From the start, the course goes immediately uphill for a half a mile and then drops down a very sharp descent and back up a 25% rocky incline. That pattern continues for the first 2.5 miles of each lap. A short section of flat/ uphill and then a sudden drop and climb back up all on rocky ground which at night is difficult and requires a lot of concentration. No climb ever last more than a couple of minutes but each one is an all out effort with pretty poor footing. Once over that section you hit a mile of rolling track running alongside the road which is quite runnable before a mile of gradual uphill which at first tempts you in to running and then spits you out half way up if you do so, out of breath. The sharp inclines/ descents continue to the 4 mile point where finally you hit a nice mile long section of flat path before you reach the woodland at 5 miles.
Once into the woods you get some truly awesome trails to run on. Lots of soft downhill, not that technical and quite fast. This section is almost identical to the type of running you get at Rocky Raccoon 100 in Texas. There is a good climb up from those downhill trails and then some much more technical single track trail before you come back out of the woods and into the open again for 2 miles and one last good long climb and descent in to base camp. As a 10 mile run its challenging, nearly all runnable and enjoyable, especially miles 4 to 8. As a 50 or 100 mile run it is nasty with a cumulative gain of 15500ft total/ 1550ft per lap (descending the same) which after a few hours of darkness starts to wear you down.
(This is the only photo I managed in 27 hours)
0 - 10 miles:
Everyone began together, a few of the 50 mile guys bolted off of the front and disappeared out of sight pretty quickly. I walked all the ups from the start, lots of people running past me and pushed on the downs passing people back again. I was economical from the outset and ate gels every 45 minutes to keep energy levels up. Straight forward lap 1:49
10 - 20 miles:
Repeat, absolutely no soreness to this point just easy going enjoying the day. 3 hours 47
20 - 30 miles:
I find I normally hit the first mental low just after the marathon mark but didn't get it at all and cruised round in another decent paced effort. 5 hours 58
30 - 40 miles:
Grabbed my headtorch at the start of the lap and within an hour it was pitch dark. Headtorches create a tunnel effect which can be quite off putting but I like running in the dark so where I could I switched it off. 7 hours 59.
40 - 50 miles:
Still feeling good and full of energy, still pacing well and because of the lap format, knew exactly where to push harder to make up time for the slow uphill sections. 10 hours 2. Aiming for 2 hours per lap at the start i was almost bang on.
50 - 60 miles:
Things started to unravel at this point. I had to here been fairly consistent but I found I needed more food just before the start of this lap which boosted me, but I then crashed big time about 3 miles in to the lap. The gels weren't enough on their own at this point. 12 hours 30
60 - 70 miles:
Picked up Webbo my pacer at 60 mile point. Absolutely awesome to have him running with me. Did a great job of going just ahead of me on the majority of the course, always on the downs and dragging me along. Mentally I'd been low for about 7 or 8 miles before he showed up. I moaned a lot but my legs and feet were fine. My energy levels were low I felt pretty nauseous like I needed to be sick and my unercarriage was starting to disintegrate and blister again. 15 hours 35
70 - 80 miles:
Long stop at 70 mile point of around 15 minutes, while I ate and changed to try and stop the chaffing. Slightly quicker lap then once we did get moving but not greatly so. Light just starting to break through by the time we got back around to the car. The previous few miles the pain downstairs had reached badwater- esque levels and I voiced out loud to Webbo how pointless it seemed to be dragging my ass around a 10 mile loop another 3 times just for the sake of it when I was in that much pain. Again. I couldn't believe I was having to put up with that shit for a second time in less than 3 months. About 20 small blisters all over the insides of the groin, nutsack and perineum. 19 hours
80 miles:
Webbo left to go and watch his sons first rugby tournament. I scanned in and went across to the car and sat in the passenger seat with the fans on full and pointed down towards my crotch. I passed out for about 80 minutes and then woke up with a shock (I hadn't intended to go to sleep) and pretty much shit myself that Id slept through the day and missed the cut off. I spent the next 30 minutes bandaging my appendage and did a pretty good job. I guess Im experienced at it now. I had to physically shout at myself in the car to make my mind tell my body to get out and keep going. Then pulled on my tracksuit bottoms and a jumper, pinned my number on the trousers, put 2 mars bars in my pocket and walked back through the aid station and out on to the course. I looked like a chav but I was still moving albeit walking like John Wayne. 21 hours 20
80 - 90 miles:
The first 3 miles were just miserable, hobbling along again, infuriated that Id turned potentially a great performace into a slog for the finish again. Once I was through the sharp up and down sections my walking speed increased and with the sun shining for the first time in 15 hours for me, my energy levels were better. 24 hours 25
90 - 100 miles:
More hobbling, more misery, tried to enjoy the trails and the woods and actually did manage a smile at one or two points but otherwise just wishing for the end to come. Passed a girl still running the 100 a few miles from the end and found she still had another lap to go. With the cut off at 30 hours and going very very slowly at around 27 hours/ 87 miles at that point it was obvious she wasn't going to make it. I didn't say so just encouraged her to keep going but DNF'ing this at mile 90 wasn't really fair on her. Caught a guy a couple of miles from the finish staggering around like a drunk going about half a mile an hour, when I got to him his eyes were closed, he was just walking around falling asleep on his feet. Stayed with him to the finish line, my good deed for the day. 27 hours 11 minutes. PW at 100 miles.
When we got to the finish, everything was gone. It was kind of like old dominion when there was just one guy and a clip board at the finish. It seems anti climactic but the last thing I'd want to see is 1000 people cheering you as you cross the line. Henk the RD and a couple of people had broken camp, 95% of the cars had gone, most people at home resting, eating, recounting tales of the previous day and their finish, or not as the case may be. After dishing abuse at the start, to people who dropped out all the way through, to runners coming in to the aid station all day, Henk finally said some nice words. He pointed out that this is a hard race and that roughly 70% of runners drop out of the 100 each year. This year was no different he reckoned only 30% finished again but 'll wait for the stats later in the week.
Why this race is hard (apart from the fact that it is 100 miles)?
Most of the really difficult part of the race is done in total darkness, for me miles 35 to 80.
A lot of runnable trail but lots of unrunnable (after about 30 miles) technical steep up and down.
30 hour cut off. 10 miles doesn't seem a long way at 3.3mph but repeat 10 times and you have to rely on running a good amount of this race to finish in time once you take into account the pit stops.
Its unlikely I'll be going back to do this one again but it is very well organised and executed. Don't expect any love or praise from Henk he'll just abuse you and ask you why you're bothering to stay out there running laps for 100 miles in the dark when you don't even get a medal at the end. If you need to wonder why then there's no point coming down for this one. I wouldn't advise this as a first 100, with the finishing rate as low as it is its clear that most people, experienced or otherwise end up succumbing to the tempatation of a warm vehicle/ tent and never leaving. It nearly happened to me too.....
Next year I will finally run a 100 mile race where i don't totally fall apart in the final third and convert a good start into a good overall race. For now I'll be resting for a while. It's been a long year in more ways than one.
Friday, 8 October 2010
Caesars Camp 100
Have spent the day resting in preparation for the 100 miler tomorrow and I am 100% ready to kick this off now, I think Badwater is finally out of my system. I intend to set out on 5mph pace or 2 hours per lap, very slowly, but hold a lot in reserve for later on, particularly after it gets dark. I will be way off the front runners by that time but if I can run successfully through the night, as every competitor will have to, then hopefully I'll be within a few hours of the finish/ the leaders by the time the sun comes up still sticking to that 2 hour pace. Don't get me wrong Im not trying to win this thing but I made the mistake here in 2007 of going off way too quickly and then making a stupid mistake which led to an injury. My lap times that year were 1:30, 1:35, 2:25 (hobbling in to drop after I turned my ankle at 26 miles). At 20 miles I was in the lead by about 8 minutes and that included all the 50 mile runners as well. Its a technical course with a lot of short sharp climbs and descents.
Webbo has kindly agreed to come and run from midnight to around 7am with me once I get through the 60 mile point at which we are allowed pacers. That should be a big help knowing that if I can put 100k in by myself and get a solid base, I will have his company for a significant portion of the most difficult section 60 through 90 miles, the small hours of Sunday morning.
So potentially the last big race of the year. Ive never DNF'd a 100 mile (or +) race but I have DNFd 2 races over the last 5 years. This was my first (the 50 mile version) so its time to get that monkey off of my back now.
Saturday, 2 October 2010
508
Today I was supposed to be riding 508 miles across Death valley in the second part of the Death Valley Cup, a race called the Furnace Creek 508. I decided to drop from the trip about a month ago and it was definitely the right call. With the UTMB training leading me right up to September I hadn't had a chance to do any serious riding and wasn't going to be able to until just a few weeks before the race. To turn up in LA with little to no training would have been insulting to the race and frankly pretty stupid. Frank is there however and starts riding in just a few hours time. He's done a handful of 200+ miles plus a 300 miler in training so I reckon he's got himself in good enough shape to get through it and he has certainly got it where it counts, in the head.
This last couple of weeks Ive been winding down a bit towards the 100 next weekend. Im pretty excited about it although my preparations have been derailed by three nights of heavy boozing in Portugal and a subsequent illness. To be honest Im not in great shape but I have put the necessary groundwork in to get through a 100 with three mara/ 50km weekends in a row and a good amount of weekly training on top. I guess Im not as motivated to turn in the volume of training for a local low key race like this, in regards to say Western States or Leadville which is wrong. If I did apply myself fully I think I could do pretty well.... There is no way I would have hit the bar for 72 hours straight within 2 weeks of Badwater or a Desert.
Expectations? Firstly to finish, Secondly to break 24 hours. Caesars Camp has 15200ft of gain and the same descent. That puts it right in the middle of the range of 100s out there at the moment, with Rocky Racoon/ umstead forming the 'easiest' courses with 5000 - 8000ft of gain and UTMB/ Hardrock forming the upper end at 30000 - 33000ft of gain. I ran the Old Dominion 100 in a time of 24:58 which had 14000ft of gain so I am hoping that I can equal or better that time at CC. 24 hours is a reasonable target I think but if things go slightly off of plan I know I will find myself struggling to break 26.
I have Webbo coming down to join me in the small hours as we're allowed pacers through 60 miles onwards. Its going to be weird running 10 laps of 10 miles but I think that might help me. Mentally it will be tough but Im used to doing laps after the Relay 100km (20 x 5km) last year and Rocky Raccoon (5 x 20 miles). I will be behind to start with, people will put a lot of time into me in the first 6 - 10 hours but Im pretty sure if I can at least stay in touch I can do pretty well here on a good day.
Tapering continues this week with a couple of 8ish milers this weekend and then 4 - 8 miles per day until Thursday when Ill stop for good.
Killian Jornet set the record for the quickest ascent/ descent of Kilimanjaro this week. He made it the 47 miles from base camp to the summit and back in a time of 7 hours 14 minutes. 5:23 to the top and 1:41 back down. Thats an hour and 41 minutes to run 23.5 miles. With Geoff Roes and Anton Krupicka this kid is on a totally different level.
http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/features/news/jornet-sets-speed-record-.shtml
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This last couple of weeks Ive been winding down a bit towards the 100 next weekend. Im pretty excited about it although my preparations have been derailed by three nights of heavy boozing in Portugal and a subsequent illness. To be honest Im not in great shape but I have put the necessary groundwork in to get through a 100 with three mara/ 50km weekends in a row and a good amount of weekly training on top. I guess Im not as motivated to turn in the volume of training for a local low key race like this, in regards to say Western States or Leadville which is wrong. If I did apply myself fully I think I could do pretty well.... There is no way I would have hit the bar for 72 hours straight within 2 weeks of Badwater or a Desert.
Expectations? Firstly to finish, Secondly to break 24 hours. Caesars Camp has 15200ft of gain and the same descent. That puts it right in the middle of the range of 100s out there at the moment, with Rocky Racoon/ umstead forming the 'easiest' courses with 5000 - 8000ft of gain and UTMB/ Hardrock forming the upper end at 30000 - 33000ft of gain. I ran the Old Dominion 100 in a time of 24:58 which had 14000ft of gain so I am hoping that I can equal or better that time at CC. 24 hours is a reasonable target I think but if things go slightly off of plan I know I will find myself struggling to break 26.
I have Webbo coming down to join me in the small hours as we're allowed pacers through 60 miles onwards. Its going to be weird running 10 laps of 10 miles but I think that might help me. Mentally it will be tough but Im used to doing laps after the Relay 100km (20 x 5km) last year and Rocky Raccoon (5 x 20 miles). I will be behind to start with, people will put a lot of time into me in the first 6 - 10 hours but Im pretty sure if I can at least stay in touch I can do pretty well here on a good day.
Tapering continues this week with a couple of 8ish milers this weekend and then 4 - 8 miles per day until Thursday when Ill stop for good.
Killian Jornet set the record for the quickest ascent/ descent of Kilimanjaro this week. He made it the 47 miles from base camp to the summit and back in a time of 7 hours 14 minutes. 5:23 to the top and 1:41 back down. Thats an hour and 41 minutes to run 23.5 miles. With Geoff Roes and Anton Krupicka this kid is on a totally different level.
http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/features/news/jornet-sets-speed-record-.shtml
">
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