Brighton Marathon: Sunday 6th April

Brighton Marathon was my first big target race of the year and I was very excited and very nervous in equal measures. My training schedule since December 2013 had been geared to this race and I was hoping for a good time. Apart from a few scares over my ankle, my training had gone pretty much to plan, but that didn’t seem to reduce my anxieties. Nor the nagging doubt; was I was as fit as I thought I was? All week I had a knot in tummy, which got  tighter and tighter as the race day got closer. The gels and supplements had been ordered and my legs had been given clean bill of health from Nathan. But first we had to get to Brighton and that turned out to be quite stressful - but not as stressful as the journey home turned out to be. More about that later.

Friday: After days of packing, unpacking, checking, re-packing, angsting, it was time to depart Devon for East Sussex. The journey to the Brighton Marathon had begun. It started reassuringly uneventfully, until we got to about to about Taunton on the M5, when we hit heavy traffic, and things didn’t get much better until we got to Northiam in East Sussex some 8.5hrs later. It was, apart from a brief reprieve on the M4, solid traffic, with the M25 especially living up to it’s reputation as the worlds largest car park. However, as we approached our friends Katie & Neils house in Northiam, crossing over the River Rother, from Kent into East Sussex, the  stress of the journey dissipated. Following a brief hello, it was time for a run. Neil understood- he was running Brighton as well and had been kind enough to collect my race number. It wasn't a long run, just enough to stretch out the legs, but as I headed out into the E. Sussex countryside, everything seemed all right with the world once more.

As well as kindly collecting my race number & pack, Neil had also been slaving over a hot stove cooking dinner. A curry feast, consisting of Dahl, Aloo Gobi, Chana Korma, rice and bread. Carbo-loading was in full swing. A tough part of training eating lots of food, but a necessary part and after returning from my run, I was refreshed and ready to eat, and eat I did!


Saturday: A day of rest. Oh, and eating. Rest & eat. That's all I had planed on doing. My kit was laid out, race number was pinned proudly on my BATs vest, gels sorted and photo's had been taken and put up on Facebook to validate the whole experience!

As the day wore on, my nerves increased and as they did, my gut reacted. All I will say is that a lot of trips were made to the toilet. I tried to relax, but couldn't, so took the dogs for a walk. Georgie decided the E. Sussex countryside was too scary, and went back to the house, so I carried on with just Daisy, Katie & Neil's Labrador, who was a proper dog and enjoyed being outside. She was a little upset about the shortness of our outing, but still showed her appreciation as only labs can. The weather was checked and re checked when we got back, so final kit alterations could be made. All forecasts pointed to a very wet day, with strong gusty winds, so I panicked a bit and went for a short sleeved base layer and gloves. Stop panicking. Keep calm. It will be all right. Any way, dinner was ready. Katie had made a tasty roasted vegetable lasagne, which I ate a lot of. Pasta, a long distance runners friend. After that I was sure my glycogen were fully stocked. A near perfect rest day was spoiled slightly as Georgie misbehaved and tried to eat the cat, but timely interventions thankfully prevented any feline injury. Bad dog.


Sunday. 06.45hrs. A deep sleep was shattered by by alarm. It was race day. A hasty, yet hearty, breakfast of a large bowl of home made muesli, yoghurt & honey and strong coffee was consumed before jumping in the car for the hours drive to Brighton. The weather forecast was correct; the weather was wet & misty. Neil kindly drove, so I ate and nattered, nervously. Further pre race nutritional intake was a banana and a High5 energy drink. As we approached Brighton, the weather improved. All that was left [apart from run!] was to park up, get bus into town and meet up with other BATs for team picture.

Simon, Johny, Pam, Dave, Me!

I had also arranged to meet up with an old friend from Uni, Marcus, which I did. Good times. As the tension mounted, it was time for last food intake, which consisted of a SIS sports energy bar and SIS electrolyte&caffeine hydration tablet. Oh, and a few chocolate covered coffee beans.

By now, I was fairy bouncing. Adrenaline, excitement and caffeine is a heady mix! Into the starting pens, squash up, starting gun, then we're off. High five Paula Radcliffe on way past and run. Except it was stop / start for the first few miles, before I could get into a steady rhythm. Dave Adams, a fellow BAT, had agreed to buddy up and pace me for good time. We had our race strategy planed out; it was 6 gel race. One for every 4miles. Contrary to popular opinion, not all of all my gels were caffeine infused. Ok, 3 were; but 3 weren't! I had a mixture of High5 Isotonic and caffeine and SIS electrolyte and caffeine. I also had a sneaky little SIS bar stashed away for when the going got tough.

This was my first proper marathon distance race and first mass participation run, and I was very impressed with the crowds. They really do make a difference and give for an altogether louder and more surreal experience than a quite and lonely wind swept Dartmoor, where the majority of my training took place. I was out for a good race time, but I also wanted to enjoy the experience. Little kids had arms outstretched, waiting for high-fives, and I didn't want to disappoint. I doubt I lost much time, but it seemed to make them happy. The route was predominantly through the centre of town, passed a few major landmarks such as the Pavilion and then out and along the seafront and back, with a few twists and loops inland. There were a few slight undulations, but no hills to speak of. The weather was good. The rain didn't make an appearance after 09.00hrs and the wind was gentle, certainly not gusting at 30mph. To be honest I was glad, but I was overheating slightly in my gloves.

Routine of gel taking was working well and it also helped break down the race into bite size chunks of 4miles. Dave was an excellent run buddy, far more experienced than me and I was learning a lot about race tactics from him. We passed the half marathon mark at 1:47hrs, a tad slower than our target time, but nothing to panic about. Besides, my legs were starting to hurt. The next 6miles were the toughest of the race, physically and mentally. My right leg threatened to cramp on several occasions and the balls of my feet were sore. Dave saw me through this. Despite the increased tiredness, our pace was relatively stable; we weren't just continuing to move forward, we were actually overtaking tired runners. That felt good. I kept saying to myself that pain is an illusion. But it still felt very real. As we did the final switch back and started to head back along the last few miles to the finish, I realised I could do this and do it well. Everytime during the past 25 miles I had asked my legs for more, they had given me more and best of all they kindly didn't cramp when I asked them not too. At this point the euphoria and adrenaline took over and I found the energy for a sprint finish. I willed Dave on, but he couldn't. Taken in by the whole atmosphere, I kicked again and went for the line. Sorry Dave.

It was a fantastic experience running through a wall of sound to the finish. I had done it and although I knew I hadn't quite got under 3:30hrs, I wasn't far off. I cheered Dave over the line, only slightly behind, and we collected our medals together, big smiles on our faces. Exhausted, but elated.

Time to collect bags, get changed, eat pizza and drink beer!

There was free Gatorade Recovery Drink, which I decided to try. It was disgusting. Don't try this at home, or anywhere else for that matter. Horrid stuff.

My brother had been following me on live text and let me know my time; 3:35hrs. Not too shabby!

Other BATs times: Dave Adams 3:36. 37 ; Pam Adams 4:26.34 ; Simon Griffiths 4:38.12.

Significant others: Neil Baker 4:27.32 ; Marcus McTurk 4:13.23

The sun even tried to make an appearance as we made our way to the beach and our meeting point. Post race photo, beer, Pizza and catch up was had; then it was time for home.

Cheers!

As Neil drove back, I contemplated the race that had just been run. My experience would not have been as rich without Dave Adams, that's for sure. The crowds were fantastic, that much was true. But what I really took away from Brighton was that the training really does work. Now that might sound an odd thing to say, but let me explain. I started off the year aiming for sub 3:30hrs, followed the training plan found on the BATs website , but I found the training too hard. I revised the time, and the schedule I followed, to 3:5hrs - 4:00hrs. I put in the miles, I put in the time. I trained smart [don't laugh!], did circuit training and yoga. My time was 3:35hrs 20sec. The training works- if you believe in yourself. I now have the confidence that any distance is possible, provided you train. 

Once back at Katie & Neil's , a celebratory meal and drink was in order, with more race talk. Before sleep beckoned.

Monday: Woke up with slightly stiff legs, but still elated. Said our goodbyes and left. After the journey up, was hoping for an easier journey back to Devon. Wrong. M25 was still bunged up. We crawled along. Stop. Start. Stop. Stop. Start. Then our exhaust fell off. Then it rained. Several hours later we left a garage in Leatherhead with a new exhaust system. Avoiding motorways, we headed West, to Glastonbury to stay with a friend. The journey, was, thankfully, uneventful, and as we approached Glastonbury, the sun came out.

Thank you to Dave Adams for support during the marathon, Katie & Neil for their hospitality in East Sussex and Marcelle for her hospitality in Glastonbury.

Neal's Yard Remedies: Product Review

Lotions, Potions and Creams:

How to sooth sore limbs

Over the past few months I have been using a few Neal's Yard Remedies {NYR}. One - Arnica - was a freebie to be reviewed, the other two, Foot Balm and Warming Oil, have been presents from my wife, Orla. All have come from Tracey, our friend in Teignmouth. Tracey runs her own NYR franchise, Lavender Fields, as well as a life coaching enterprise, Indigo Lane Consulting.

Tracey and Orla have been very keen for me to try products from NYR that will aid and smooth my tired limbs through my long winter nights of training. Normally, I'm not one for too many creams, but I was willing to give them a go, my legs after all were tired. 

Arnica Salve

Arnica was the first product that was given to me to try. Apparently it 'supports a hard worked body'; just what I needed. Within days of getting this I was laid up for 3 weeks due to a sore ankle [see Things I have Learnt this month]. Not able to use on my sore and tired muscles (due to the fact I had no sore and tired limbs as I wasn't running!), I could at least rub it on my sore ankle. 

Sports muscle rubs is a big market, with varying degrees of claims made by the manufacturers for the effectiveness of their products, but few, I am willing to bet, are as lovely smelling as Arnica. It smells almost good enough to eat. I didn't, as I'm sure it tastes disgusting, but it does feel very good rubbed into your skin. Daily I rubbed it into my ankle, along with using a heat wrap, and it worked rather well.  Within weeks, I was up and running again at The Grizzy , and Arnica played a part in that I'm sure. I used it again yesterday after my 12hr walk on Dartmoor and my leg muscles didn't hurt as much this morning as they did last night. Did arnica cure me? I doubt it, but on these occasions arnica certainly didn't harm the healing process, but it was soothing and I'm sure it was beneficial to my aching muscles. It smells nice, it feels nice, it's organic, it doesn't leave any greasy stains and as part of an all round pampering for sore muscles, why not? 

Comfrey & Mallow Foot Balm

For several months Orla had been questioning why I don't look after my feet. I have books on training for ultra's , nutrition for ultra's, footwear for ultra's, technical clothing, I have sports massages, go to yoga, stretch; but do not look after my feet. Phh, I thought, what does she know. Truth is, who talks about their feet. I couldn't remember reading an article on feet in any of my magazines. Foot care - even for runners- is not high on the list of things we talk about. 

Then Orla gave me this foot cream. It 'revitalises tired and overworked feet', it says. Ok, I'll do some foot research. I am planning on running a couple of marathons and a few ultra's this year after all, so I will be spending a lot of time on my feet. And that's when I discovered John Vonhof and his foot obsession. His book and website are both called Fixing your feet. I now have the book and my foot fetish is developing nicely.

Orla was right. I wasn't taking care of my feet, and apparently neither are many other active people. We have expensive kit, we obsess over said kit, research nutrition, test trainers and, well,  everything else; except feet. Yet in-spite of the months of training, a small - often preventable- foot problem can ruin your race. So by buying my NYR foot balm [from Tracey ], Orla made the biggest contribution to my training regime yet. Hard skin and callouses are out, foot care and soft skin is in. What better way to care for your feet than NYR comfrey and mallow foot balm. It has a hint of marshmallow, is soft and silky on the foot, it feels divine and works on even the harshest of skin. So don't delay, buy some today; it may just save your race season!

Ginger & Juniper Warming Oil

Ginger & Juniper
Warming Oil

A recent addition to my stock, this warming oil was a birthday present from Orla, bought, I suspect, from our friend Tracey at NYR. I have only used it once, but am satisfied it will be used many more times to come! After my long walk on Dartmoor yesterday, I rubbed arnica into my legs and foot cream on my feet. This morning, I felt better and decided to try the warming oil on my legs. Warning: Be careful when you pour this. The lip of the bottle is small, but still big enough for a lot of oil to come out if you are not careful. Thankfully, I was, but it has the potential to be very messy. I considered this warming oil to be a better option for massaging whole legs / larger areas than the arnica. It goes further and is easier to apply; I also feel that this warming oil is more effective on sore and tired legs. I would recommend using the arnica for smaller aches and pains and warming oil on larger areas. I feel this will oil will be used quite frequently.

As I said earlier, I didn't tend to use lotions & potions that much. But after trying the above, and as part of a programme yoga & stretching, I will now. I'm sure my tired feet and legs will thank me for it.

Thank you, once again, to Tracey at NYR for supplying the above products.

The Dark

The Dark: 13 Mud Crew Miles

The year of silly just got sillier:

Running at night in tights, tutu and fairy wings is surprisingly liberating!!

[L-R] Were Chicken, Vamp-bat, Batman,  Psycho Fairy, Glo stick badger, BatWomen 1 & 2

Mud Crew don't do easy. So a trail run, at night, in fancy dress, with beer, to celebrate a friends birthday was an opportunity not be missed. The Dark  is , according to the official blurb, "a 13 mile race by head torch, through Cardinham Woods, following the infamous Beast of Bodmin mountain bike trails. This is a spectacular undulating course that takes runners through the depths of the woods". Add beer and fancy dress, what could possible go wrong?!!

I had been planning my outfit for a while, however I wasn't entirely sure what the finished article would look like. Psychotic -psychedelic- tutu- totting -fairy anyone? I decided that gold wings would look better [of course!] so purchased some glitter gold spray paint, but didn't get around to colouring them prior to the event. Note to self: spray painting fairy wings only an hour before running in them is not a good idea. I was followed around the course by a very strong smell of solvent. Very strong.  

Being a birthday, cake and beer was needed. So BATs, in full fancy dress, headed to the bar. Fairy in a tutu was joined by a Were Chicken [with squeaky beak], a Badger [with glow sticks], Batman [far too serious], 2 Bat Women [Good look girls!] and a genuine vampire bat [with fluorescent fangs]. Ken the Werewolf Hunter [nice fishnets!] also muscled in to the fun.

Pre Race Nutrition

Badger helps BatWomen1 light candles

Birthday Vampire Bat cuts cake
with help from Were Wolf Hunter

Beer & energy gel consumed. Check. Team photo. Check. Costume all in order. Check. Sing Happy Birthday to Sarah. Check. Let's run! 

At the Start!

Our costumes did not go un-noticed; Of a field of 300 or so runners, I believe there was only one other runner in fancy dress. So we stood out a bit, despite the fact it was dark. It was time now to stop posing and get running. And oh what fun we had. River crossings (x3!) , up & down and around and up some more. Zig-zagging and looping round the Cornish hillsides. Through the woods a dazzling line of torches weaved & bobbed there way through the countryside. Twice. Some of the technical sections of the trails were as exhilarating on foot as I imagine them to be on a MTB- and almost as fast. There was a stunning section of open hillside with sweeping switchbacks and jumps, aptly nick-named by Vamp-bat as the human roller coaster section. I have to admit this bit was fun, hurtling down hill, screaming like a banshee, taking off, no idea where you would land lurching left, then right round corners, all the time the wind blowing up my tutu! Running at night in tights, tutu and fairy wings is surprisingly liberating. As much as possible, we stayed as a group for the first lap. Apart from the Irish Werewolf hunter and Batman. They ran off into the dark woods together! 

It really was dark!

Bat Wings

I was really enjoying the run. OK, it was slightly bonkers and our pace wasn't that great, but the conversation & company certainly were interesting. Vamp-bat was overheard having a very detailed chat about the relative culinary merits of different species of road kill, there was debate about who would win in a contest between Count Duckula & WereChicken as well as much musings on the topic of what the offspring between a badger and a bat would be like - or a werewolf hunter and batman! I have been reliably informed since, that a random fellow [non fancy dress] runner was upset by our varied topics of conversations. I don't why. Maybe he swallowed a fly? Maybe it was because we were all in fancy dress, having fun, had enough energy to talk and run, yet were still in front of him. Who knows. Running should be fun- even when it hurts. We do it because we enjoy it, don't we? 

The marshals were many and friendly, and most commented on our outfits [especially my tutu & wings for some reason!] There were surprises to be had in the woods, with zombies, Blair Witches, a haunting Clanad style music drifting through the woods and general all round spooky shenanigans laid on by The Mud Crew. Or at least I hope they were. But then we were in Cornwall, so who knows!

After 3hrs of sweaty joviality and frivolity, we had achieved a half marathon P.W [personal worse]. In fact Sarah, AKA Vamp Bat, runs Marathons in that time, [and also wins Ultra's for Mud Crew] but it was her birthday and she ran with her parent group, Bere Alston Trekkers. And had lots of fun. We salute you Sarah. Even in fancy dress you would have {probably} won this event, but you dressed up, drank beer and ran with us. We enjoyed your company; hope you enjoyed ours as much.   

Beer was very much on my mind as we finished, so it was straight to the bar. Pint for the fairy, pint for the Vamp Bat [WereChicken doesn't drink and we had lost the others on lap two!] Then it was time for a quick change, into something warmer and more comfortable and back for hot food. The veggie chilli was most delicious and most welcome. The beer was also welcome, but if there was one criticism of this event , it was the beer. Kernov Lager is well, a lager. Albeit be a fairly good one. But it is not an Ale. Proper Job? That's a Cornish Ale is it not? Anyway, a minor detail to a very well organised, extremely well marshalled and an all round fun event to run. BATs served there civic duty by taking in a stray Muskie Wereworlf Hunter, whose "friend" had driven off with his bag [clean clothes, money, phone etc..] We took pity on him and cared for him.

By 23.30hrs, the evening was winding down. I was almost falling asleep in my beer. Thank you to Rachel for driving. Up the lane we went, turn left at roundabout onto A38. Except we couldn't. Roadworks. Diversion. That went nowhere. We were trapped in Cornwall. They wouldn't let us back into Devon. There were no signs and we were on our own. Hi tech Sat-Nav was going into meltdown as it wanted us to to go back the way we came. So we turned it off and allowed a Werewolf Hunter in fishnets to guide us through the wild and unlit Cornish countryside to get back home. And get home we did [thanks Ken]. Shattered, but happy. A lot of fun was had but it was now time for bed. Thank you all at Mud Crew and my fellow fancy dress BATs for a great evening. Can't wait for next years event. But better beer next year please!   

[L-R] Batwomen2, Badger, Vamp bat, Werechicken, Batwomen1

The Grizzly 2014: Withering Heights (Featuring Heath and Cliff!)

Sunshine in Seaton
See that cliff; We ran up that!

The Grizzly

It's March, therefore it must be Grizzly Time. The sun was shining and BATs were out in force. We were ready. We were psyched. Let's do this! Except I wasn't sure I was ready. I had been suffering [or at least everyone else had been suffering from me not running!] from a recurrence of of an old injury. I had been sidelined for a few weeks and although I had been told by Alen Sparrow I could run, I was nervous. I knew I could do the distance, as I had been doing 20+miles in training throughout January; I was nervous about how my ankle would hold up. Would I be OK or would my race year be over? If my ankle hadn't healed and I hobbled out of the Grizzly, it would need several weeks, if not months, more rest. I would miss Brighton Marathon and then would probably not have enough time to get miles in my legs for Race to the Stones. My mind was racing with all of these thoughts come race day morning and I babbled nervously and continuously in the car on the journey to Seaton. Sorry Rachel. But I had done all I could. I was rested, I

Arnica Salve
Neil's Yard Organics

had stretched my ankle, I had a few sports massages from Nathan at Kinetic Sports Therapy in Bere Alston and I had been using Arnica, supplied by the lovely Tracey from her holistic consultancy business in Teignmouth.  All that was left now was to run on it!

Right, where were we? Seaton. Race day. And a colony of BATs. Our beloved coach and purveyor of fine

Selfie in Seaton

 cakes, Dotty King , had arranged for us to meet in the same place we always do. Spirits were high, the sun was shining and I had made some rather delicious fruit & nut fudge ,which went down a treat. Once photo'd and fed, 'twas time to head for the sea front for the start. There were thousands of runners at the start, both for the Cub and the full Grizzly. A traditional rousing speech was given by the town crier and then we were off.  

Nervous smile at the start 

Shingle. That's all I can say. After a quick warm up along the shingle beach, it was a loop along the promenade and then up the first hill of many, many, many hills on route. Did I mention the hills? There was lots of running [or walking!] up hills. And down hills. And along beaches, through rivers, bogs, muddy fields and muddy hills. I'm not sure where we went, as I didn't track it or map it- but we did pass through Beer and Branscombe. The weather was great, the mud was deep [very deep; thigh deep!] and the shingle beach an energy sapper like no other. The marshals were, as always, friendly, helpful and encouraging. That's why we love the Grizzly.

I started the race slow, towards the back of the field and kept a steady pace. Walking up some of the earlier hills was not so much a race strategy as a necessity, due to the vast numbers of people on small narrow lanes. But today I didn't mind. By the time we hit the second stretch of beach and the obligatory river feature, I was warming to this run; quite literally really as the weather was hotting up. Bruce {a Greyhound} was there with his BATs vest, cheering us on, with his humans, Heather & Mike. But they didn't have cake this year. Oh well.

By about mile 7 I was feeling good. Very good. My ankle was not causing me pain. I decided I could do this, so I sped up. I started to overtake people. I stopped worrying. Well, stopped worrying about my ankle. I thought I was getting blisters. I wasn't- but I was breaking the cardinal sin of racing by wearing new trail shoes, so I kept worrying that I might get blisters!

New Shoes
Very Good in the Mud!

But I was beginning to enjoy this. Sure, it was wet & muddy underfoot, the hills were steep, my lungs were bursting and my thighs were aching; but I was feeling strong. The weather was good, the scenery spectacular, the marshals splendid and my fellow runners were an amicable bunch.  I was genuinely surprised to catch Ken, a BAT, who thinks he is a Muskie [sorry, in joke], as he has been in such fine form this year having already run both the Anglesey Coastal Marathon, the South Devon Coastal Marathon {both raced in atrocious stormy weather} and the mud of the Steyning Stinger Marathon. But he was wearing his 'other' club vest and not a BATs vest, so I had no qualms about passing him. 

So we battled through bogs, thigh deep in mud, worried we might drown and never be seen again until next March, perfectly preserved. But dead. Slightly melodramatic, but the mud was deep and extra slushy this year. Just how I like it. The haunting melodies from the piper at the edge of dawn could be heard, his tuneful bagpipes rebounding around the hills and valleys, keeping our spirits alive. Last rites were said at the Buddhist temple.  A few more ups and downs and then it was back into civilisation with cheering crowds. Sorry Ruth, I was in the zone by then.  I was focused, I was hurting. I didn't see you. Shame on me.

The beach. Oh the beach. The shingle beach. Oh how I love thee. After 16 gruelling miles, a few hundred metres along a shingle beach is just what I was looking forward to. I was hurting so much , that I was actually relieved to reach the Stairway to Heaven, a welcome reprieve to the shingle torment. Albeit an almost vertical climb up a cliff. But the end was nigh. It was only a few miles to the finish. I stopped at the top of the cliff to have a gel and admire the view. Simply stunning.

Back to the task in hand. A race. The finish was, quite literally, in sight. Only a few more miles. I could do this. But then I got cramp in my right foot. Never had cramp in a race before. It hurts. A shooting pain up my leg every time I put my foot down. I thought I would fall at every step. I gritted my teeth. I swore [silently  as there were children about] and carried on. As I came down the last hill and along the promenade once more, the pain disappeared. The raucous crowd welcomed us runners in, and I sprinted for the line. BATs were massing at the finish and a rousing cheer was a very welcome end to the pain. 

Grizzly 2014 T-Shirt

Water, a banana, a finishing T-Shirt and then a dip in the sea to wash off the mud and cool down, and it was time to slip into something more comfortable. Full results here. BATs, overall , were fab. But that goes without saying.  I had a 9mns P.B and was 100 places better placed from when I last ran the Grizzly in 2012. RESULT.  Best of all for me though, was not the result, but the fact my ankle was OK. I can run again. Now that really made me happy.
  BATs results are as follows:

Grizzly 
Nathan Newton 03.10.22
Paul Williams 03.33.38
Steve Watson 03.33.41
Murray Turrner 03.40.07
Francis Dix 03.51.19
Tracey Oxborough 04.01.38
Derek Hicks 04.15.09
Matt Luckham 04.21.55
Emma James 04.32.51
Rachel Wood 04.48.04
Dotty King 04.48.06
Julian Setterington 04.48.56

BATs @ Finish

Cub
Philip King 01.34.42
Toby Rankin 01.44.15
Grant Lawrence 01.44.36
Frances Morgan 02.00.16
Emma Dooney 02.15.12
Melanie Greaves 02.15.15
Donna Luckham 02.15.44
Paula Lawrence 02.15.47
Alysia Maciejowska 02.15.50
Hilary Head 02.41.24
Martin Head 02.41.59

Congratulations to Nathan for being 1st BAT home in the Grizzly and to Phil for leading the Cubs home. A special well done mention to our very own Sarah Morwood [albeit running for her sponsors, Mud Crew] was third women home overall. To be fair, the distance was a bit short for her!

Following a rather excellent day out in the sun [and mud / shingle / hills / valleys / bogs] of the South Devon Coast, after the last BAT was safely home, there was only one thing left to do- and that was to go to the pub!

BATs in the Pub

BATs in the Pub

              CHEERS!

A Big thank you to Axe Valley Runners for , yet again, putting on a fantastic event.

   

Things I Have Learnt This Month

Destruction in Denham Woods

February 2014. Eight weeks into the Year of Silly. Not everything is going as well as planned. After an excellent start to the year, training was going well; diet was going well; confidence was high; books on Ultra running were bought and read. What could possibly go wrong? Then, in few short weeks, it did all go wrong. My training schedule was not so much derailed, as destroyed and washed away, as rapidly and violently as the railway line at Dawlish.

Shortly after my previous blogg entry, I felt tired and drained. I thought I had been careful and trained hard but smartly; but when running close to the edge, occasionally you fall off. I had over trained and needed a few days off. I rested, and felt good again. Revitalised, I hit the trails again. The weather was as foul as ever. Wind, rain, mud, fallen trees, meant some runs were as much assault courses as anything else- but that was part of the fun! Week end runs were regularly hitting 20+ miles. I was strong. I was confident. I felt invincible. This was going to be a great year.

Then an old injury stopped me in its tracks. In November 2013, I turned my ankle. I didn't think much of it. I rested it a bit. Iced it. Went to see a sports physiotherapist. Told there was no major damage, so carried on running. Thought nothing of it. Until it became sore again some 3 months later. Went to back to have it checked. NO RUNNING FOR 3 WHOLE WEEKS. Well, only 3 x 5 miles per week maximum.

Turned Ankle
8th November 2013

There was no muscle or ligament damage, but it was weak, and I had been overcompensating, so my other leg muscles were very tight. I didn't take this well. I was relieved that I was not damaged goods, but not that I couldn't run!  I was allowed to cycle, so it wasn't all bad. I like cycling- but this was a year of running!

It was a bad week. I was not in a good mood. I read up on ankle sprains & rehabilitation [I know, I know; bit late I hear you say?] and that made me even more depressed. Seems they can be quite serious and hard to heal. Great. So why not take the time to build a website. I have been meaning to do this for a while. Watched a YouTube video and away I went. It wasn't as easy as the video made out (!), but I now have the skeleton of a website: Get Out Moor now has a website. How exciting. It needs work, but I'm pleased with it so far. February hasn't all been doom & gloom then!


So, what have I learnt this month:

• Training too hard, too quickly, is not advisable.
• A turned ankle is a more serious injury than I realised.
• When your coach says,rest, ice, compress, elevate. Listen to her. [I was reluctant to do this when I first turned my ankle, as I did not recognise the serious of it; my coach did!]
• I don't take being injured very well!
• How to build a website: this is a skill I never thought I could master, but YouTube is a marvellous source of information. 
• The wind and rain will stop, eventually, and one can go out for a lovely cycle in the sun {not that I'm a fair weather cyclist you understand; it's just more pleasant}

A Cycle in The Sun

January 2014: The Year of Silly!

The Year of Silly: The Story So Far

New Years Day: Brown Willy
Bodmin Moor, Cornwall

I know, I know, it is maybe a bit early for a retrospective view of the year, but how have the first 3 weeks of this brand new year been for you? Wet? Well, yes, pretty much everywhere and most of the time! It has been the kind of rain that does not fear Gortex. Someone ought to tell Tlaloc & Zeus that waterproof clothing ought to be just that- waterproof. So please, stop sending down rain that makes a mockery of our wet weather gear  Soggy kit is scattered around the house, in a vain attempt to dry it out before next heading out of the door. A dedicated drying room would be fantastic right now, but  alas, funds do not allow for such right now. 

This year will be tough, but hopefully also fun. I hold out high hopes for this year. Towards the end of last year a few hardy / crazy few of us from the best running club in the world [BATs ] decided it would be fun (!) to enter a couple of Ultra's this year. So we did. Dartmoor Discovery , Race to the Stones and The Plague have all been entered. Oh, and also Dartmoor Classic sportive.

My race calender so far for 2014 is March The Grizzly ; April, Brighton Marathon ; May, Imery Trail Marathon ; June Dartmoor Discovery AND Dartmoor Classic ; July Race to the Stones; August The Plague.

I've only ever raced once above 26.2 miles, and that was at the Dartmoor Discovery in 2012. Now I plan to run 2 marathons, and 3 ultra's-- 2 of which will be 100km [62 miles] - in consecutive months. Some of these races will be brutal and will test my physical and mental strength in ways they have not yet been tested. Fun- really?!!

Hope I'm still smiling at the years end!
A short rest at Princetown

 

The year started in a manner it was to continue - wet; and the Brown Willy run on Bodmin Moor beckoned. Nothing clears the head more effectively than a 7ish mile run across , and up, wind and rain swept moorland on New Years Day. We nearly didn't make it though, as many of the roads were flooded. Glad we did- if only for the pint at the Jamaica Inn afterwards. It was the perfect start to 2014. Training in earnest was now very much on. 

Honest, this IS the footpath!
Georgie Enjoying a 15miler  

Training is now 6 days a week and occasionally  accompanied by Georgie . She has been transformed from a sprinter to  a long distance runner in little over a year. Go Georgie! I have so far managed to stick to a training plan for a 3 - 3.5 hr marathon time at Brighton, with an ultra training plan kicking in immediately after the Brighton Marathon. I'm stretching regularly, had a sports massage [something I had previously neglected until injured] , started circuit to improve strength and core stability, continued cycling for some cross training and am eating well. I'm feeling pretty good and my continued dedication to a plant based diet [29yrs veggie] is still proving effective as my training increases. However,  my hardest [and proudest] training achievement so far though is not drinking alcohol yet this month - well not since the 1st, but that doesn't count(!) - that's 21 whole days!!!

Burrator Reservoir: Early morning
An unusual light is seen in the sky!

How long can this enthusiasm for training last? Can I really do this for 8 months? Will  I stay injury free? Can I really run 100km? Really?? Positivity is the key. I believe I can do it.  A super friendly and supportive running club, training partners as dedicated / insane as you, a coach who feeds you cake and a stunningly beautiful wilderness in which to train, all help. But by far the most important aspect of my training programme is the love, unwavering support and wholesome meals I receive from Orla, my wife. Training [and life in general] would be so much harder without her support. Thank you my dear.

So, as the Year of Silly enters they dying days of it's first month, all, so far, is good. But why the Year of Silly? 2014 was named as such during a splendid New Years Party, in the first few minutes of the year. Others may have slightly different recollection, but I believe the combined facts that someone had just fallen into the hosts pond [head-first!] , many of us were running in a few hours and the races we had all goaded each other on to enter were now becoming very real, led to only one conclusion: 2014 was, quite clearly, the Year of Silly. Enjoy!!

Fellow BATs: Friends and training partners
Nuns Cross, Dartmoor

New Year, New You? or New Year, Same You?

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

Einstein was a clever bloke and realised that nothing will change if you keep doing the same old things. It is unlikely he was thinking of keeping active / running / walking / cycling when he said this and was probably deep in thought on some complex and meaningful physics related quandary; but I'm going to borrow this thought and relate it to either starting or improving a fun, healthy and active lifestyle. I don't think he woould mind.

The start of a new year is traditionally the time of new beginnings. Tradition is, for the sake of argument and to  allude to the Rule Of Three , anything that occurs three years in a row. In recent years the 3 most commonly heard vows on New Years Eve are usually for the holy trinity of  "lose weight; exercise more; drink less alcohol". All very worthy and no doubt genuine and heartfelt. We make our resolutions, we enter January full of enthusiasm for our 'new selves' , spend money on all the latest gear, and by March have given up!  Or even if you are already active and have all the gear [?can you ever have too much equipment and too many gadgets?!], we set our selves a new challenge, or goal, or dream to aspire to, yet don't do. Year, after year, after year. So, why, why , why???

Reasons why we repeat this kind of behaviour over and over and over again,are varied and many- and best left to sports / behavioural psychologists to explain. (Advice on activities and sports psychology is plentiful. Regular articles can be found in a wide variety of outdoor and fitness magazines such as Trail Running , Outdoor Fitness and  Triathlon magazines) . 

However, I often find it is 'life' that gets in the way of many of our good intentions! Yet there is one simple thing that can be done to begin the process of change: Do something different.

Without wishing to state the bleedin' obvious, Thinking about doing something, in itself, does not change anything; doing, does- and then only up to a point. And the two may be more closely related than at first seems, especially if we behave in the same way. Let me explain. Or rather, let someone else explain.

Step forward Albert: If we think the same way all the time, we get the same answers; if we do the same things all the time, we get the same results. If we want things to change, we have to both think and do things differently.

So the simple piece of advice and worldly wisdom I shall leave with you at the end of this year, to take forward through 2014, is 'do something different'.

Walk a new way to work. Cycle to work instead of using the car or bus. Walk a different way around the park. Run in the rain. Do more yoga. Try a 10km run. Try a 100km run. Cycle a sportive. Cycle to a friends. Cycle with friends. Go swimming. Walk in the countryside. Run across the Moors. Go out running in a group. Run alone. Look at the {outside} world in a different way.

  

Just don't do the same as you did last year. Unless of course, this was a great year for you! 

I'm not saying I had a bad year, or have any regrets; I didn't and I don't [well, not many!]. This is not about radically changing who you are, for as the late, great, Kurt Cobain once said  "wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are". This is just about maybe doing something slightly different, to maybe achieve different results. Or to just get a new perspective.

So don't be insane in 2014, do something different!

From Get Out Moor, have yourselves a great and safe 2014.

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”  -  John Bingham