What a difference a year makes!

On Sunday 23rd June I finally made it into the bracket of ultra runner along with Wayne and Ben. For regular readers of my blog you will pretty much know the blood, sweat and tears I have been through to get to that point. New readers may be thinking so what? It's no big deal with months of training and running experience most people can become one. What makes the 23rd June special for me is the journey I have gone on in the space of 12 months.

This very night as I write this 12 months ago I was sat in a hotel about to embark on the biggest trip of my life. I was taking a group of pupils to the Himalayas which for all concerned turned out to be life changing. The trip was an amazing experience and something I would love to do again albeit in another country. I pushed my body to its limits trekking upto 5500m in the wild, remote mountains of India. When we set up camp there was plenty of time to reflect on things and I made a few decisions that I am so glad I made. One of them was to get back from the trip in one piece and train for Tough Mudder. A decision that has changed my life for the better. I came back from the trip and immediately started training with Wayne and a few staff from work and we completed Tough Mudder in Oct 2012.

The Himalayan mountains where I had my epiphany

Once that was completed we would go out and run at the weekends but with no real purpose. At the beginning of April we made the decision to train for the Witton Weaver Trail. This is a route that consisted of 32 miles of fields, paths, trails and hills, hills and more hills. It was not an official race, just 3 daft blokes proving to themselves they were tough. I won't bore you to death about the training as you can read what happened from previous posts but each week there was always something that put into doubt whether we would complete the challenge.

The stats of our training were this: 20 runs which covered 208 miles in the space of 2 1/2 months. We would do one run midweek and then back to back runs at the weekend. I had never run a marathon distance before although Wayne and Ben had. Not one training run was longer than 18 miles. I'm not sure if that kind of training is enough for an ultra but we all knew mentally we could do it. I used to say there was nothing wrong with our engines it would just be a case of the bodywork holding out.

On the morning of the run at 5am when I woke up it was raining really hard. Only once in our training runs had it rained. This was not the start we envisaged. Nonetheless we got ready for the run and spirits were still high. My bag was loaded with gels, flapjacks, cereal bars and 3 bottles of lucazade. These would become so important later on.

We set off at 6am with the wind and rain against us. About 1.5 miles into the run I had to change the bandages on my calves as they were too tight. However, in doing this I actually felt my calf tighten up. Disaster had struck and this was not what I wanted. Like previous runs though I had to suck it up and get on with it. I couldn't let the boys down or the people that believed in me. The first ten miles was a pretty miserable time for me. I kept thinking I would have to bail out and call for my family to pick me up. The weather was awful, the trails were sapping and it dawned on me that maybe we were underprepared for this and stupid for doing it. But then I kept thinking to myself stop feeling sorry for yourself and don't you dare quit. Amazingly after the initial 10 miles I started to feel better and was beginning to enjoy it.

Ben and me after about 2 miles into the run

The next 10 miles was a good stage of the run. My calf was tight but I was able to manage it. We stopped at intervals for a sugar boost. I can't stress how important it is to do this. It doesn't matter what your poison is, you must have snacks with you or you simply won't make it. Wayne had creme eggs as his choice of snack. Ben had Kendal mint cakes. All the articles that say you must have this product or that product is just a big selling con. All three of us had different nutrition and all three got through the run. It's purely down to personal preference. Just make sure you train with that nutrition so you know if your body can cope with it.

Wayne and Ben after about 10 miles

Once we hit mile 20 this is when it became really tough. Wayne has had problems with his knees in the past and we had to strap them up with bandage about 15 miles in. Now they were really starting to hurt him. We had to slow the pace down which I didn't mind at all. I felt a bit sorry for Ben as he is as fit as a fiddle and had to keep waiting for me and Wayne to catch up. We got back onto the moors after the reservoir section of the run and we were looking at maybe completing marathon distance in under 6 hours.

That was one step too far really for us. As soon as we started thinking we could do it the wind started to blow in our faces and we had a steep hill climb yet to do. I tried to increase the pace but I was physically exhausted. Wayne was really struggling with his knees to the point where he was seeing stars he was in that much pain. The paths that we were running along had turned into streams of water which was sapping the energy from us. We eventually completed the marathon distance in 6 hours and 5 mins. I was a bit gutted about it to be honest. However, it was the first time I had ever hit that distance so a remarkable achievement all the same.

The official spot where I became an Ultra Runner on Darwen Moors

When we reached Darwen Tower we were about three miles from the finish point. We asked a lady if she would take a picture for us and she asked what we were doing. She thought we were absolutely mental for doing what we had. Funny that because everyone else thinks the same. It was at this point I kept thinking of the 'honour bar' that I have mentioned in previous posts. When I got there I was going to buy a big fat chocolate muffin and wash it down with a cold can of coke. We plodded on and eventually got to the bar. I couldn't believe my eyes when I got there. After weeks of training, 30 miles of running, 7 hours on my feet there was absolutely nothing to buy from the bar!!! I was absolutely gutted as you can see from my pic. Aaaarrrrrgghhhhhh!!!

Vale Ultras at Darwen Tower

Disaster at the honour bar

Anyway, we were now about one and a half miles away. It felt like the longest thirty minutes of my life. I could barely run anymore and had to keep pulling a snack out just to drain some energy from somewhere. I think Wayne was worried I may not make it and he offered me his drink which was good of him. We eventually completed the Witton Weavers Trail in 7.5 hours.

Vale Ultras at the finish point of 32 miles

Stats of the run

How did it feel when I finished? Wayne always said to me that when you do this run you won't enjoy it and you won't be proud of your achievements until days maybe even weeks after we had completed it. As ever he was right! I didn't enjoy it, I didn't feel the elation I thought I might. I as just in absolute agony and completely exhausted. My internal body system was shot to bits. That's why I thought I would give it a week before I wrote this post.

A week on now and I completely understand Wayne and his comment. I'm so proud of what I have achieved. The last week has been painful and I have yet to go out and run but there is no need to further damage my calf. I couldn't walk properly for three days and only now is my internal system functioning properly. I have been asked would I do it again! Hell no! The training needed and actual race day was too demanding for a man with a young family. That's not to say I won't attempt marathon distance events again. On my bucket list is a space for a city marathon somewhere in the world. I quite fancy the Las Vegas one for some reason, can't think why? ;-)

So what is now to become of the Vale Ultras? I will be changing the name of the blog now to Vale Spartans. We have decided that we are going to try to complete the Spartan Trifecta in the autumn. Three obstacle races consisting of 5km, 12km and 12 miles. I think this is more my thing than ultra running. Wayne has officially retired from distances over 12 miles anyway so I'm happy about that as well.

In the space of a year I have really pushed my body to the limits. What have I learned from these experiences? It's pretty simple really and I hope anyone reading this will understand it when I say that the mind is stronger than the body. My mental strength is what got me through the challenges I have faced this year. I haven't trained conventionally for any of these experiences. However, mentally I knew I could do it and if it looked like I wouldn't I was never going to quit. To succeed at anything you need your mind to say yes I can do it. As soon as you say you can't, you won't!

A big thank you to Wayne and Ben I would never have achieved any of this without you two.

I hope you, the readers, have enjoyed these posts. Be sure to look out for the new ones based on our Spartan training!

 

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The End Is Near

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post and there have been a few reasons that have stopped me posting. Tonight I write this post with a heavy heart as tomorrow I have to attend a funeral of a very good friend of mine's baby. Heaven has now gained a new star, Kayden, may God rest your soul in peace.

Tragic things put a lot of things into perspective for you. As I have done my runs since hearing the tragic news of my friend it has given me a lot of things to think about. Life is very short for us all so it's important you go out and accomplish things before its too late. I am more determined now then ever to achieve my goal of completing the Witton Weaver Challenge and then moving onto the Spartan Trifecta.

I have mentioned in my previous posts that we are attempting this challenge for charity. We are trying to raise money for a local childrens hospice called Derian House. Please take time to visit the website www.derianhouse.co.uk I have actually set up a charity donation page at www.charitygiving.co.uk/valeultras I would appreciate any small donations that you may wish to give. The money will go straight to the charity and trust me it is for a worthwhile cause.

Since my last post, training has been better than expected. Wayne and I have ran 68 miles over 5 runs which is pretty good going. I have never felt fitter and at points on some of the runs I have finally been able to loosen off the chains and run freely without fearing injury. On one of the runs we had got past the 13 mile marker and I was able to churn out 6 minute miles on the flat sections of the trail. This seemed a million miles away weeks ago.

Injury wise we have both managed to cope well with any mishaps. Wayne has a nagging hamstring injury. We have figured out that when he's not chasing after me and Ben then he does not aggravate it as much. I think this is a ploy from him to try to get us to slow down. Only kidding Wayne!!! My calf had a little mishap on Saturday's run. I had a 'little house on the prairie' moment. This is Wayne's analogy of me running downhill as fast as I could. I felt great and was waiting for Wayne to catch up to me. There seemed no problem and when we set off running again I got about 5 yards before I felt a familiar twinge in the calf! Aaaaarrgghhhh! Fortunately I didn't panic and immediately strapped it up with cohesive bandage. This did the trick and I not only completed 13 more miles on that run but also managed Sunday's 13 miler. Still frustrating though to be picking up this injury.

On a side note just in case you are wondering Ben never gets injured. He is the ultimate running machine and puts me and Wayne to shame. Oh the joys of being youthful!

So what lies ahead now? We have a midweek 13 miler to complete and effectively that is training over with. We start to taper for the big event and look forward to the challenge. I know a lot of readers of this blog love the photos but I haven't included any this time. There will be a few next time I promise.

 

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Milestone

I'm writing this blog a little bit later than usual as I am on 1/2 term holidays and devoting most of time to my children. That doesn't mean I haven't managed to fit in any runs though. As per usual they were beset by problems although nothing that damaged my body further.

Last week I blogged about how I'd damaged my ankle and was praying it wouldn't hinder my training. Well it did in so much as that it was impossible for me to run on Wednesday. I was still in considerable pain and as you can see from this photo it was a good decision not to force it.

Wayne was good about it and we decided we'd do back to back long runs at the weekend instead if my ankle was better. The plan was to try and cover the full 50km route over two back to back runs on Saturday and Sunday. This made me very nervous but it had to be done as its only four weeks away until we attempt the challenge.

I woke up Saturday morning and believed that my ankle would cope with the demands of a 13mile run. Getting ready for a run makes me laugh now as I have to do so much prep before I even leave the door. I'll spare you the details of my pre-race routine for another day. I picked Wayne up and we set off on our Witton Weavers Hobbiton double loop. The weather was pretty warm for a change and after about a mile of initial discomfort with my ankle I felt really good. There was no niggles in the calves for the entire run and I'm so pleased that we both got through it relatively unscathed in a run time of 2hrs 4mins. I say relatively unscathed because Wayne actually forgot to wear his compression shorts which were nursing his hamstring and this was going to come back to haunt us on Sunday's run. I only took a few photos as we have done this route before.

 

The plan for the rest of Saturday was to get complete rest and try to load up on water and carbs for the 20mile run we had hoped to do on Sunday. My muscles were aching and my feet and ankles were seriously killing me. It was a case of having to man up though as I had family things to do and in a sadistic sort of way I was looking forward to seeing if I could push my body hard enough to complete the run on Sunday. You have to remember that I am a complete novice at ultra distances and have yet to run beyond 20 miles in one go.

Getting up on Sunday morning was an absolute killer. I slept through the alarm three times and felt completely exhausted. This wasn't good and I had to do something about it quick!! One cold shower later and a copious amount of carb loaded fruit juice and I was ready to go. Ben was going to join us today which only mans one thing and that is our pace would be a hell of a lot quicker than normal. Ben is mr marathon and when he's not there Wayne and I are guilty of going a little bit easier. The plan was to start at Tockholes and run around Turton back to Darwen moors and the tower and then finally back to the car. A small matter of 20miles. Easy! Ha ha ha if only!!

The weather was hotter than Saturday and we set off at a pace that wasn't good for my heavy legs. I was beginning to wonder if it was a bad idea going back to back. However, the picture and quote about voices in your head that I have posted before always comes back and makes me grit my teeth. I wasn't going to give up without a fight. Eventually, my body settled down and got into a good rhythm which made the run quite pleasant for the first 8 miles. I had to purposely slow the pace down and at times Ben would run off into the distance but he didn't mind this which was great. Wayne was struggling though after about 5 miles. Now I whine about aches and pains but if Wayne is hurting then its serious.

I mentioned earlier that on Saturday's run he had forgotten his compression shorts. This meant he overworked his hamstring and it was feeling it on Sundays run. The decision not to go back and pick his shorts up had come back to haunt us. After about 13 miles we were having to make decisions about what to do. We hit a point on the route that forced us to make a decision, turn right and head to the tower as originally planned and complete the 20 miles or turn left and head back to the car which would make the run 16 miles. Wayne wasn't in a good way and we made the right decision to head back to the car. After all the challenge is in four weeks and if Wayne's hamstring doesn't recover then its all over for us until next year. We eventually got back to the car and completed the 16 miles in a time of 2hours and 34mins with a pace of 9mins 45secs a mile. This was pretty good going all things considered. Plus I had covered over a marathon distance in 24hours, a major milestone for me. It's fingers crossed now that Wayne is ok for this week's training.

Wayne and Ben running off into the distance

My standard half marathon moment photo

However, I was to face disaster just after the run which has left me completely gutted. When we finished the run we were completely exhausted and when I opened the car I left my phone, an iPhone 5, on the roof. I set off and needless to say as soon as the car picked up speed I saw it in my rear mirror fly off the roof and bounce a couple of times on the road. Slamming on the brakes I got out of the car and went to pick it up. As you can see from the pic it doesn't look in a good way. The screen is cracked but amazingly it's still in full working order. I got a quote for it to be repaired and its looking like my wallet is going to be about £180 lighter. My car has just cost me a fortune in repairs so this was the last thing I and my wallet needed to happen. One thing is for sure the devastation of how much its going to cost me to fix phone has took my mind off the fact my body is shattered from running nearly 30miles in 24 hours. This just about sums my luck up at the moment!

Anyone in the UK know someone who can replace cracked screens cheaply?

 

Storm chasers!

This week we managed to get two long runs in. However, both runs turned out to be extremely eventful. On both runs it was just Wayne and myself and as usual we ran different parts of the Witton Weavers trail.

The first run we did was on Thursday and it was a repeat of last week's 16 miler. The run started off well enough, the weather was sunny and we had the usual chat as we set off at a decent pace. When we hit Tockholes park though disaster struck and my calf started tightening up. This was not good seeing as we had another ten miles to go. Wayne happened to have adhesive bandages in his bag and suggested I wrap my calf up to see if it would be ok. I did this and lo and behold it worked. The bandages supported the calf and I felt no real trouble with it. Have I finally found the remedy to my calf problem? Fingers crossed!

However, that wasn't the thing that made this run eventful. As you will be able to tell from the following pictures the weather changed dramatically! We started off in sunshine but as we got halfway through the run a storm came in! Big time! The photos paint the picture perfectly! To say we got wet through was an understatement! It was as if the storm was chasing us. Still it was a good run and I was so glad to get through it with my calf still intact! We finished the Witton Hobbiton/Darwen Tower with a run time of 2hrs 40mins. Oh and this time I managed to get a drink from the Honour bar. Check out the photo :)

 

Wayne running off in the distance

Sunny weather

A storm is brewing

Here it comes

I love this pic!!

I wonder if anyone found the gold?!

The view from Darwen Tower

Random photo at 13miles

The infamous honour bar! No choc cupcakes though! :(

Sunset over west lancashire

The second run was today and was a route we haven't done before. Wayne had calculated it would be approximately 18/19 miles. Easily our longest run of our training programme. I had my calfs wrapped up in my miracle bandages and felt in great shape. We set off and everything was going perfectly. The weather was great and we had our usual round of chatter as we ran at a decent pace.

After about 7 miles we ran by one of the reservoirs a fairly large dog came bounding by the side of us. It seemed to be in a playful mood and kept jumping up at me. I took my eye off the path ahead and missed a rut in the path and went over on my ankle. The pain was unbearable! I knew it wasn't broken but it wasn't in a good way! After about 5 mins I made the decision to carry on and see if pain subsided. It didn't and it got worse with every stride.

It's typical that as soon as I start to feel great about my running that disaster strikes. I told Wayne that we couldn't go through with the original planned route and would need to get back to the car. My ankle just couldn't take it anymore. The only problem was the car was 8 miles away.

Wayne was great with me and we slowed the pace down and had to walk at intervals. Running on the grass was not too bad but as soon as we hit rocky parts the pain was intense. Eventually we got back to the car and I was the most relieved man in the world! When I took off my trainers when I got home my ankle ballooned. I'm still in considerable pain but I'm hoping with RICE it will get better soon. We completed the Belmont/Turton loop of 15 miles with a run time of 2hrs 33mins.

I managed to get some great pics of this run. I have to say that the trail we run on is amazing and the countryside is such a vast and varied place. It makes me feel lucky to live 5mins away from it all. I hope I can run later this week. I really need the running gods to smile on me for once :)

 

Start of the run

 

A tough hill to run up

A Stonehenge type rock formation

Local wildlife

A war relic

I'd love to live here

 

 

Resting my sore ankle

Random half marathon photo

 

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Same Old Story, Rain & Injury!

It's been a fairly strange week it has to be said. On Monday I basked in tropical temperatures, had a barbecue and a few beers. The perfect way to spend a bank holiday weekend. By wednesday it all changed for the worse.

The weather did its usual trick of making us think summer had finally arrived. Only for it to laugh in our faces and rain continually from wednesday to sunday. At one point there was hailstones pounding the glass roof of my conservatory.

The rain, however, wouldn't stop me for going for my midweek run with Wayne. This time we were joined by a member of staff from work. Janet is in training for Tough Mudder next October and said she'd like to come an run with us. At first she was worried she wouldn't be able to keep up with us. After a mile into the run it was me that couldn't keep up with them. Yep my injury curse struck again and I strained my calf, again. As usual I soldiered on and ran for another 5 miles stupidly and still managed to run a decent-ish time of 57mins for 5.85miles. Janet will have no problems doing Tough Mudder. After she finished the run with us she was off to two more fitness classes that night!!! Mental!!

The next few days were agony and I hobbled around work in considerable pain. I used lots of cold and heat therapy when I got home as I wanted to be ok for my Sunday morning run. Any setback now would put the target of doing the ultra run next month back by at least two months. The pain started to ease and by Sunday morning I felt good enough to be able to run.

Before I left for my run I put some KT tape over the calf muscle. I was praying this would work and keep my calf from damaging anymore. I stuck an Oasis cd in the car stereo and jammed all the way to Wayne's house. Liam Gallagher had nothing on me this morning I can tell you!! This album holds many memories for me especially of the time I spent coaching in California. Driving through Death Valley back then with this blasting out of the car was unforgettable. Shame it wasn't quite that hot this morning but it still made me feel good.

Be Here Now - Oasis (1997)

For the run this morning Wayne, Ben and myself decided that a flat course would be suitable for my predicament so we ran around the Entwistle reservoirs. I managed to get 6.5miles in before I felt the calf stiffening up. I was absolutely delighted with this and what's more I could walk properly when we finished. Ben and Wayne wanted to do more mileage but were happy for me to drop them off in the wilderness somewhere and they could run back home.

Entwistle Reservoir

Aqueduct

I'm not sure how it was possible to get through that run this morning. Maybe it was the KT tape because I have worn it all day and the injury seems to be healing pretty quickly. I'm going to put more of it on this week and see if it does the trick. Fingers crossed because I really can't afford anymore injury setbacks.

What miracle cures have you found that have got you back running quicker than you expected?

What album from years ago still gets you thinking your a rock star in the car?

 

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