Winter 100 - Ground rush

Ground rush
(n) In skydiving, the optical illusion that the ground is abruptly rushing up to meet you, which occurs if you freefall past your usual altitude for opening the parachute.

...and there we have my feelings towards the Winter 100 mile race, the training has been going fine, I am overtly positive, mentally toughened, injury free but possibly a little distracted than I normally am before a race.

Over the past week or so I have started to dump pieces of extraneous running kit on a pile, the Delightful Mrs S grumbling and making comment as is usual prior to a big run about "The mess" and refusing to talk about it but then, as usual, starts to ask "How far?", "Do you need the car?", "When will you be back?" about 4 days ahead of the event.

Thursday 

The piles of clothes, kit and equipment was gathering to a point of critical mass, if I am honest there was partly in self denial in recent days but with the day off I rallied to the cause with the filtering and checking of kit to get the most important stuff together, the mandatory kit, which always stresses me out especially when I found I needed maps! So like a maniac I zoomed off to a local outdoor pursuits shop and by pure chance found them on the bottom shelf at the back corner of the display...even better was they were priced wrong and I got them for half price, result.

Friday

A much calmer day but still active with the final bits of kit freshly washed, folded and piled. I still try to get like for like kit together then place them into stuff sacks so that when later on in the race I can find stuff easily and prevent scattering it across the floor and lose it.

So now my two bags are packed I am now marking up my maps to be put in my race vest. Fish and Chip supper, plenty of fluids....time to race. See you on the other side Dear Readers.

A run right on so many levels.

Today was a day of running errands and multitasking to get things done so that I can have a clear conscience for next weekend. Lawns cleared of apples, lawns and drive swept of leaves,bottles to the recycling centre and the strange purchase of 9 energy efficient bulbs. The whole list looks as though it was like a well oiled machine but did in fact have a little detour....to pop into Duncan's to see if he wanted to go for a run.

My house is a very peaceful one but on entering his it was a region of frantic activity and laughter with the latest project of fish tank filling and his obvious exasperation that the fish were multiplying such there were 21 now residing in the family bath! Cups of coffee and maths questions thrown around by the kids I decamped with the promise that I would be back at 4.00pm in Monkey Feet with a head torch.

Returning to his house I realised that compared to Duncan I was slightly under dressed, I in a pair of shorts, a tech top and Monkey Feet, he in two tech tops, leggings and Monkey Feet, he asking if I was wearing gloves; I forget it is nearly December.

As is usual with our runs together we just run and go where we feel is right with a vague idea that we were going to the nature reserve and then make our way back. The pace was perfect, conversation flowed covering a multitude of subjects, mud squelching beneath our feet, the hills gliding away with every step. Sun set and we carried on regardless in the dimming light our head torches only switched on in the tree covered areas, the rest done by feel and interpretation.

We entered our local woods and took it at pace, the paths our friends of old but they were still treated with respect with dark, deep mud and hidden roots. We soon joined the road to get back towards our homes both waving goodbye, both elated with such an impromptu run. 

Ice Feet

Tonight was track night but this time without my Monkey Feet as I was going to run there, do the training and if available a lift towards home. Due to the possibility of a 12 mile run on the cards I was not too happy to wear my VFF's as my calf has been a little sore of late.

So, wearing my Merrell's, I took a tempo run to the track, part road, part cross the park in the dark to arrive at the track to find a really good turn out. Mike, the Coach, had devised a really good work out with timed out and backs but I whimped out happy to trundle around at below threshold pace as I didn't want to exacerbate my calf strain.

I then had a really good idea; well it would have been a good idea if it was about 15C but at 2C not my greatest when I ripped off my Merrells and my two pairs of socks and carried on running barefoot. At 400 metres they were fine, 800 cold, 1200 it hurt and during the last lap, it was not hurting cold had turned to fire! I soon reverted to shoes deciding that next time on a cold day I should wear my Monkey Feet.

Kit and other stuff

I am really pleased that my delivery the ULTRAmarathonRunningStore arrived yesterday as I have been in need of extra sets of socks, especially with the Winter100 race coming up next week.

I have gone for two sets of Injinji socks, Trail 2 and some Liners which I mentioned here last week. Interestingly enough I also bought various anti-chafing and anti-blister trial packs to try out this weekend and if I find them useful may get a refill for next week's big run. I will write a product review as well as these look quite promising from what I have heard from other runners.

Monkey Power...WHOOOOSH

and other silly things to say on a run whilst wearing Vibram Five Fingers!

Gentle run at the club tonight of 8km with an improver group as I didn't want to push it as I just want to tick over at the moment with a few gentle runs and a night run this weekend. The group I was in was very, very quiet such that I suddenly shouted:

"Monkey Power...WHOOOOSH!" 

and sprinted off at full blast to return to the group again, looks of bewilderment from the newer runners and looks to the heavens from the regulars.

Had a strange sharp ache in one of my toes tonight that made me think that I had broken a toe or a stress fracture and on mentioning it to the Delightful Mrs S got told in no uncertain terms that it was because of my "Stupid running shoes!"

Monkey Doctor

681 miles (1096 km) later and my Monkey Feet are still going strong , however, my barefoot mentor, Bhundu, warned me that I should check the toes often and tonight I did and they need repair as the old hole that I mended earlier this year.

Time to get the Monkey Feet a good wash and a new repair as they still have miles left in them and it would be a shame to retire them after such a small repairable rub.

Long Live my Monkey Feet

Greased Butt!!!

Injinji Performance liners

On my run this morning I tried a little experiment with my Merrell Ascend Glove shoes, double-skinning.

You may ask what double-skinning is and it is simply wearing two pairs of socks but not thick socks which would make shoes tight to fit but two pairs of liners. The trick I was taught was to wear a pair of Injinji Performance liners and then a pair of cheaper training shoe liners over the top, shoes fit fine over the two.

The benefits are that rubbing is dramatically reduced and the Injinji liners hold firm against the toe and foot, grit and trail mud is minimised. Such that I herald it a success and I was back to The UltraMarathonRunningStore to purchase some more in preparation for the end of the month.

Now to butts

So after looking through the website I came across BUTTSHIELD Chafing Prevention Wipes and SPORTSHIELD Chafing Prevention Towelettes which got dropped into the basket as I really want to see if I canstop this problem I have which can become very painful after 12 hours of running...we'll see when I test them out next week, the latter is to prevent my backpack rubbing which has been known to bleed sometimes!

...and back to socks, a nice pair of Injinji Trail 2 got purchased as well which you read my review here

Autumn Run

My drop in mileage is causing some frustration at the moment but I am officially cycling down towards the Winter 100 in 2 weeks so it has to be expected. I was really keen to run today and my running club friend, Karien, was keen to go for a 10-12 mile run somewhere. Picking her up at 7.30 am we zoomed off to a small village called Downe home of Charles Darwin the English naturalist and geologist, best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory, I made a point of parking near the cake shop in case we wanted to pop in after.

Today's run took us along many trails along the valley, the weather cool and the trees bedecked in their autumn colours, a fine mist covered the dew drenched grass, sun low on the horizon and the shadows long, it was a beautiful day for running.

I was in a dithering mood today and had forgotten my money, dry shoes and my bottle of water but my local knowledge allowed me to find some taps along the route one such stop was the church in Tatsfield which overlooks the North Downs and Surrey Hills.

Karien carried on our run chatting continually for the entire run and only once looked a little worried when I had a distant look in my eyes and looked in different directions, a tell tale sign I was thinking about the route, I promised her it was in the plan. Poor old Karien has been a victim of one of my "Ohhh how about going this way?" and adding 4 miles to a 7 mile run...we didn't!

The Cake Shop

What can I say....Lemon Curd Lemon Drizzle for me and a classic Victoria Sponge for Karien with a bucket full of coffee at the best tea rooms in the area, a perfect end to a perfect run.

Just remember to cut above the joint

...and other great internet advice!

Take tonight, I was very happy to knock out a very steady 5 or so miles no pressure just a recovery run, I had already run 3 miles prior to the club and had no pretence of going further or faster.

The pack leader promised a steady run taking in a few hills but I was surprised that the pack was very big, probably too big so I nudged to the front where I am comfortable and chose to run in the road along the gutter.....wrong idea.

After breaking from the pack to zoom up a steep hill I stopped at the top for the rest to catch up and laughed and joked that the reason I could get up it so quickly was because of my Monkey Feet and strong calf muscles. Now in the gutter I stumbled as my left foot and toes smacked into something hard and then a great big clang and a tinkle of metal, then the sound of me swearing. I carried on without a care but it was only until I got home and rested that I noticed that my big toe and  ring toe throbbing. As all social media savvy do, I wrote on Facebook:

Wondering when I take my Monkey Feet off there will be blood or not!

The first response was:

Just remember to cut above the joint.

Thank God for Facebook and my great (un)sympathetic ultrarunning friends :)

Toes actually OK but red and swollen but will be fine by Thursday's run

Winter Ninja

It just shows what goes around comes around as it was just last year that I was posting a similar blog about Ninja Sweeper when I was sweeping the Winter 100. This time the shoe is on the other foot and I am now being sweeped in no less that 3 weeks time.

I decided on Saturday that I needed to get out onto the trail and check out all my winter running kit is fit for purpose and in good condition for the race as last year the weather was horrendous with high winds and horizontal rain

Pulling all my kit onto the floor I piled it up and then smiled when I realised every single piece was exactly what I wore last year apart from my Injinji socks and trail shoes. Not sure how far and where yet but I am prepared to run about 20 miles but away from the main roads and sticking to trail but without the Buff over the face as that tends to scare people!

GUCR 2014

I can't believe it....I am in again

This time however I have a secret plan but don't worry the shorts will be there too.

No Bull but a grave run

Today, at special request, I returned to Shoreham with my running friends, Andrea and Kay who wanted to get out into the countryside. The problem was that I had to reduce it down from 14 miles to "about" 6 which with the path network was not easy such that we eventually did 8.5.....Oooops

The plan was to circumvent the Bull from Tuesday and then rejoin the route after cutting out the outer loop. This was a day when I memorised a section of map and took us on a detour under a bridge, a side road and then a section of path that got us back on track on the North Downs way, a lovely short cut that now opens up a major set of routes for the future, very pleasing.

Today's target (for me) was to find a tumulus (burial mound) that I have passed on numerous occasions but missed the chance to find it. After a major climb up I scooted off ahead and after looking through the trees and low shrubs I was hoping to find a beautiful mound or circle of rocks but in fact all it was, was a large mound with trees sprouting out of it, disappointing but at least I have found the pesky thing now.

Nice sedate run with some beautiful views, legs feeling great at the moment such there was a small plan to go to the track tonight but domestic bliss got in the way, maybe a run on Friday.

The Bull at the top of the hill

On my run this morning I realised I am the only person I know who actually goes out with the intention of finding a Bull, most of my friends would run a mile if they saw one and indeed I nearly when I found it today!

As you will have seen from yesterday's blog I had planned a 14 mile run on the North Downs taking in a gently undulating valley floor to rise up at 9 miles and then a sharp descent to the start.

Almost to order the rain came down to add to the sodden ground, mud lapping over my shoes sucking my feet to the ground. I hadn't even run one mile when I met a herd of cows lying on the ground but scanning ahead I saw they were docile so rising up an embankment I stopped in my tracks  to be met by a HUGE bull who got to his feet and turned his full attention on me....backing away I moved to the lower ground and doing what all people do was to then to take a picture of the monster. This was in fact the bull at the bottom of the hill.

Tough going today what with the mud and ground water which was ankle deep in parts but the best part was when I went via a grit and sand works where the ground was churned and gloopy to find my lower legs covered in mud and within minutes clean as the puddles washed it off.

Great fun.


Foot note: Here is my running face when the going gets a little tough :-)

Look out for the Bull

I have a week off work and I am at a loss as to what to do on Tuesday, the Delightful Mrs S is working and has "allowed" me to have the car. I therefore plan to dump her off at the office and them drive on down to the Darenth Valley to run the river and then nip over to a small conurbation called Riverhead to then cut into Otford to take on a humongous hill at about 9 miles. At the top of that hill lives a bull, a huge bull.......wish me luck :-)

Time out and time to prepare

This is a very rare week where I have done absolutely no running, zilch, zero, null, nothing and to be frank I have thoroughly enjoyed the break.

There has been no other reason than I have been both physically and mentally tired what with work, lecturing at College then a lovely unexpected visit by my daughter from University who had come up to London for a field trip.

Realising I had been very self-indulgent in previous weeks with Caesar's Camp and the Stort 30 I also felt it important to have some quality time with the ever Delightful (and patient) Mrs S so have spent some time in the garden getting it ready for the Winter months.

This brings me onto the Winter 100  nicely for there was a little planning and preparation for the upcoming event with a nice little purchase of a micro-fleece for the night-time section between 50 and 75miles when I will be traipsing over the Ridgeway at a lowered pace and exposed. My plans are to have a dry kit change at 50 miles, put on a dry shirt, the fleece and windproofs to keep my body heat up. I will, of course, play this by ear on the day of the race but I would better to be prepared especially after last years large number of drop outs with hypothermia 

Realisation

 

You wear a mask for so long,

 you forget who you were beneath it