Boston 12 hour race

It's been a while since my last running blog because the problem foot which forced me to walk the last several hours of the 24 hour race was damage to some ligaments.  Ice, rest and shock wave therapy at the Physio meant I was running again after 3 very long weeks off.

 

I had a couple of weeks building up them miles then 4 solid weeks of training with a longest run of 36 miles and last long run of 30 miles 10 days out.  My pace has been slower than similar runs leading up to the 24 hour race but not too far off.  As this was not an A race I wasn't going to have a proper taper but did take it easy during the week and have a rest day on Saturday.

The course is a 1 mile loop around a country park, mostly Tarmac with about 200m around a field at the start / end of each lap. There is one small hill; a few shallow inclines; a couple of sharp turns and a lot of dog walkers with dogs off leads which would block the path as it was quite narrow in places.

support crew
 

My goal for the race was not to set any records but to take it steady and finish feeling comfortable/ like I had more left in the the tank.  I wanted it to be a practice for 24 hours so would have walk breaks as I would in a 24 hour race (5 min per hour then 5 min per 45 min using the break to take on food) and treat this as the first 12 hours of a 24 hour run rather than a 12 hour race.  Had I been racing I would have run for as long as possible before walking like I do in 100km races - this usually means running until just over 40 miles then having short walks every few miles.

Having been on school holidays for the last 5 weeks I have been getting up late so a 7.30am start and 6am porridge was a struggle, I felt quite sick after the porridge and it was repeating on my for the first half hour or so!

The first few hours felt a bit of a slog, I think perhaps because for the last month I have been in bed at that time! After about 30 minutes I was needing a wee but wanted to hold on as long as possible as I hadn't had a no 2 pre race so knew I would have to stop for that too.  After about 50minutes I needed both so stopped  (proper toilet).  Next lap I was due to have a walk and some food but as I had just stopped I decided to wait until the following lap for my walk break.

Running a few laps with Kevin early on

I walked for 5 mins and noted where this took me to so that on future walk breaks I would just start walking at the same point rather than timing it.  Unfortunately I had to start running again just before the hill!  On my 4 hours break I was drinking a bottle of coke so needed bit longer to get it down and let it settle before running so walked to the top of the hill.  From then I always started my walk at the top of the hill so that was probably about 6mins walk. 

Although I was running at an easy pace I just didn't feel like things were flowing well; I felt quite sluggish and was seriously thinking about stopping after 6 hours (there was also a 6 hour race).  I was gradually slowing down and thought at this rate the last 4 hours were going to be a death march and what was the point in that, I would be better off stopping at 6 hours, bagging a decent distance long run and recovering more quickly.

I think that the problem with long ultras is that when we look at the whole picture it just feels too big. I had done 3 hours and was thinking I have to do that 3 more times this is too big.  Once I got to over 6 hours I felt a whole lot better.  I had covered more miles so would have been more tired yet I felt better which just goes to show how much of running is mental.  Knowing I was past half way was a big boost.  39 laps covered in 6 hours.  I suddenly needed the toilet again and couldn't wait for the proper one.  I found a discrete spot then remembered that when squatting after 40 odd miles some kind of support is needed to hold to stop wobbling over and then to help you up!!



a brief run with Sunny



After around 7 hours my left hip flexor started to get really sore.  I started thinking that if it didn't get any better I would stop at 50 miles, that was a respectable distance, the race was not worth risking long term injury/time out for.  After a few laps of quite bad pain I stopped to do some supported squats with Phil.  This tends to help stretch/loosen off some tightness.  I got a few funny looks and questions but it was worth it as it did ease off a lot.

Next issue was my left glute suddenly tightened up, almost going into spasm then my left quad and knee.  This was really bad, a bit like sciatica.  After a lap all those issues totally disappeared!  I had no pains so no excuse to stop early now!!

I was now feeling OK and just ticking off the miles.  I was ahead of target and although getting a bit slower the fade off was not that bad.  Each walk break I was having some food and often something else between walk breaks.  I was drinking regularly too as I was quite thirsty (it was a warm day); at times I would have liked to drink more but I had fluids sloshing in my stomach and stich a few times.

I was still having walks approximately every hour as I was ahead of schedule so decided to treat myself with a few more walks. I worked out that if I walked at 9.45 then every 45 mins that would give me one extra walk break for the rest of the race and having the break a bit sooner broke things down into smaller segments.  I would always start my walk at the start/finish area so the 45 mins was approximate. 

support on the course - thanks for the cold coke

With about 3 hours to go I got a really desperate urge for another no2, this was not good, it couldn't wait until I got to the proper toilet.  At least this time I found something to hold on to to help me up again!

Its with a few hours to go that I start thinking about my position.   There was one lady (Sunny) ahead of me by almost a lap.  We had spoken earlier as with my walks she would often pass me (to lap me) then I would run and catch back and pass her (but she was always a lap ahead).  She said she was getting tired and would walk the last couple of hours.  Although today was not about winning its hard not to think about it when you are close.  However the priority was to have a good solid run and restore my confidence following the 24 hour race. 

I could have picked the pace up/reduced the walk breaks but I wasn't that bothered and kind of hoped she would come back to me without me needing to do any extra work (she had said she was tired).  With about an hour to go Sunny was still going strong so I gave up any thoughts of catching as although she was coming back to me it was not enough for me to catch her with out picking up the pace which I didn't want to do.

My last walk had been 10.50.  I wondered if I could go for the rest of the race without a walk and thought no, there is no need to deny myself the last walk as looking at the time I would hopefully make a nice round 75 laps so what was the point in soldiering on when I could have a little walk! My last walk was on the 3rd last lap.   As I was finishing that lap the race director said 'just one more lap' I said I should have time to do two, he said we will see when you finish this lap. 

What happens is that when they think you don't have enough time to do another full mile lap you have to go round and round a grass track which is about 150m and very tedious!! I really didn't want to be running around this track any longer than I had to so I put my foot down for the next lap so that the RD would let me go out for a final lap.  I was surprised at how I was able to pick up the pace so much finishing that lap in well under 9 mins.  I was then allowed 1 more lap so I kept up the faster pace and did that one in well under 9 mins too!

I now had just over 6mins to go round this track so moved up to the final gear and was able to run around at 7mm pace!!  I finished on 75miles and one thousand and something metres.  I was 400m behind Sunny who was 1st lady and outright winner.  The next person was over 10 miles behind!!

Could I have won??  Phil says I shouldn't have had that last walk break as I lost time on that lap but I say if I hadn't had that walk break would I have been able to pick the pace up as much?? I wonder if I had picked up the pace with 3 laps to go and not had the walk break would I have been able to keep it up? I don't know, possibly, that would have been enough to gain those 400m BUT if I had caught up Sunny would she have found that little bit extra and put up a fight?

medal presentation

Its hard to know how much you have left, the race was not about winning, the only reason I picked up the pace at the end was so that I could avoid going around the small grass track for ages.  It was nice to know that I did still have something left and I do wonder if I should, with about an hour to go just thrown everything at it to see what I could have done .  BUT if I had done that I might have finished myself off before the finish and then been crawling.  The aim of the race was to finish strong which is what I did.  I may have left something out there but at this point in time, for me, that is better then finishing with a crawl even if it meant I did a mile less than I could have done.

Looking at my splits for how far I ran each hour. The first hour was the fastest then the next joint fastest were the 2nd and last hour (the first hour didn't have a walk break in it)

Am I happy with my race and how I ran? Yes I am, the distance I achieved is nothing spectacular - my 12 hour split in a 24 hour race was 74.5 miles so it was only a mile further than in a longer race but I wasn't properly tapered and have had an injury recently and the course was harder with dog walkers in the way so I am pleased with the final result.  Sitting here now part of me thinks I should have raced in the last hour rather than plodding along until 25mins to go but I am saying this knowing that I did had something left.  I was good to know that even though I was fading gradually throughout the race with a bit of extra effort I could pick it up quite a lot.

Fluids consumed

High5 zero with caffeine
SIS / powerbar electrolyte drinks
Water

 

Calories consumed

3 x 9bars
2x powerbar protein bars
3 x bananas
Scampi and lemon nik naks
3 Jaffa cakes
1 funsize crunchie
approx. 1 litre coke
3 x 250ml cartons choc soya milk.

Shoes

Skechers Gorun ultra - I normally wear the lighter gorun ride for ultras but have been having a bit of trouble with my Achilles so decided to go with the more cushioned and high heel drop (8mm compared to 4mm) of the ultras which was a good decision as my Achilles was more or less OK.

Running for 24 hours

I often get asked for tips so with HOTH coming up next weekend and Equinox not far away thought I would get around to writing this blog post I have been drafting for ages.  I have done 5 x 24 hour races with my best distance being 132miles/213km at Basel.  All my races have been on a 400m track or 1km loop so I have not needed to carry anything. 

Before the race 

1. Plan your race schedule several months in advance; try to do a longer ultra - I like to do between 50 miles and 12 hours a couple of months before if possible.  Long runs in events are often easier than on your own so make use of local races.

2.  The long run is the most important.  Everyone is different in what they do; I like to do a few 40 mile training runs and some back to back weekends eg 30 miles Saturday 20 miles Sunday (races are handy for this) as training on tired legs is good for getting used to how the race will feel.

3.  The long runs are not just for getting in the miles but also for testing kit/ shoes.  Think about how you will be carrying things (if you need to carry anything) and test the backpack/ waistpack / water bottle to make sure you are comfortable with it.  Consider the terrain then decide which sort of shoes you need.  I usually test my shoes on a few long runs then put them away until the race so I know they still have plenty of cushion.  They will be the shoes I start with but I tend to take a couple of spares in case of rain/ blisters.  I have used Skechers Gorunride for my last few races.

4.  Try lots of different food/ drink.  Whilst you might know what you like and what works for a marathon, at 3am you might not fancy it but might not want to risk something new so try lots of things to make sure they don't upset you.  After experimenting I have found I can't have dried fruit; oats or anything with a lot of dairy so that rules a lot of race foods out.  I would never eat crisps in a marathon but in 24 hour races I get through lots.

5.  I do laps for my long training runs and set up a 'checkpoint' at home with lots of nice foods so I can have something nice to look forward to and don't have to carry too much.  There is the temptation to stop when you end a loop but I have never done that yet.
 

6. Training on tired legs doesn't mean you have to do hundreds of miles.  A way of doing this is to run to the gym, batter your legs in a body pump or spin class then run home.  This is quite hard to begin with but gets easier.  

7.  It is likely you will be walking quite a lot.  Some people walk very fast; if you are slow like me you could do some walk training to get faster and gain a few extra km over the 24 hours. 

8. Multi task on runs! A lot of people say they don't have time to do many miles so run to jobs eg run to the bank / town do shopping and run home.  Or if you have kids and need to drop them off for something and pick them up a hour or so later instead of going home stay there and go for a run.

9.  Hills/ speed / core - all of these will make you stronger but they tend to get neglected.

The race

1.  Only the elites run the whole lot.  Unless you are experienced then you are better to start your walks early on as that will delay the fatigue and the time before you get to the point where you can't run any more.  I walk 5 mins per hour ( use this time to take on solid food) for about 4 hours then drop to 5 min every 45 minutes as I am then needing to eat more often and feel the need for a break sooner.  I will keep this going as long as possible then drop to a walk every half hour and so on.  If you are new then 25/5 is quite popular or if the course is hilly walk the hills but in an approx ratio of 25 mins run 5 mins walk.

2.   Number belt - as you will probably be changing or adding layers a number belt (or some elastic) is a good idea.
 

number belt made from elastic

3. Getting the food/ drink / electrolytes right has been my biggest challenge.  For my first one I took on board advise to eat regularly and ate too much so then it was just sitting in my stomach not absorbing and making me feel sick.  During another race it was not taking on enough electrolytes so my body was not able to properly absorb my food and again I felt sick.  Everyone is different but out bodies can only absorb a certain amount per hour (200-300 calories on average) so any extra is just going to sit there, be of no use and maybe make you feel sick.  Similar with fluid.  If you drink too much it will slosh in your stomach.  These are things to try out in training but what works in a marathon will not necessary work for longer races eg in a marathon I might drink about 500ml and have a couple of gels; if I do that for the first 26 miles of a 24 hour race whilst I might be OK up to that point beyond about 30 miles I think I would suffer for dehydration and not having enough fuel. This is why longer races are useful.  

4. Struggling to eat.  There is likely to come a time when you really do not want to eat.  Either you feel sick or you are just bored with eating.  But your body needs the fuel if you want to keep going.  This is where things which don't require chewing come in.  I have found chocolate soya milk is really good -it goes down easily and has a good amount of protein.  Pouches of baby food/ fruit puree are also easy to eat as are gels (it's best to save the gels until later in the race as if you have had them early on you might be sick of them). A lot of people have rice pudding but I can't have that much diary.  Marzipan melts in the mouth and you can just have a small amount at a time.   Sweets are also good (my favourite are coconut mushrooms).  When I was struggling with food I was able to get one down every few laps which isn't much but better than nothing.  Finally, when feeling rough and sorry for yourself and not able to get in foot hot chocolate is comforting!

vegan bars made of seeds so slow energy

5.  Variety - another food/ drink point! I always take far more food than I will need as I never know what I will fancy.  I rarely have gels in ultras but in a recent 100km had 2 and would have had more if I had brought them.  When it's hot I eat more crisps/savory.  It's best to take more than you will need and have a choice.  I tend to start off alternating with 9bars; powerbar protein bars; bananas.  I keep that up for as long as possible (usually around 35-40 miles) as these foods have good nutritional value.  Some events will offer a hot meal of pasta or rice which I have.  I then start to feel the need for more treat type foods or variety so will have Jaffa cakes; funsize crunchie/bounty; crisps; chocolate soya milk with the occasional 9bar or banana.  Then when I find food hard it will be the baby food, even more choc soya milk, sports drinks and sweets/marzipan.  Often the aid station will have cake/ biscuits/ pretzels/ ritz crackers so I will have those sometimes.  

'Traviss box'

6.  It can get cold.  Even if the forecast is good and doesn't look cold as you slow down your body will struggle to keep you warm.  My first one was in May, there was a thermometer so I could see the temperature.  At night I put a jacket on and come morning despite it being 20 degrees I was not warm enough to take it off.  This is not always the case.  In my last race I wore a vest throughout with no jacket / long sleeve needed even thought I had slowed a lot.  So take plenty of clothes.  

7. Be organised.  A lot of time can be wasted finding jacket/ clean t shirt etc as whatever you need is bound to be at the bottom of your bag.  If you are able to pitch a tent then have things laid out or at least in several bags like all tops together etc.  For my bits and bobs (first aid, wet wipes, etc) I have found a 'Traviss box' really good for keeping organised and finding them quickly. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stanley-197483-Stackable-Sortmaster-Organiser/dp/B003PZHYLK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407509554&sr=8-2&keywords=stanley+sortmaster+toolbox 
Filling up bottles can take time so if possible have lots ready filled.

 

8.  Targets.  These are good to keep you motivated but you need to be flexible and have higher/ lower goals too in case things are going better/ worse than expected.  For my first one I had 100 miles as my goal.  When I got to 90 miles with enough to finish even if I crawled I sat down and cried as I was overcome with emotion and so tired.  I eventually got up and dilly dallied around for a few more laps (1km laps) then had another sit down and another.  I was going to hit my target so didn't really make any effort.  When I got to 100 miles I stopped even though I had several hours left.  I was fine with that at the time but a few days later regretted it and thought what if I hadn't sat down, hadn't wasted time in the last 10 miles and had used the whole 24 hours????  I should have had another higher target such as 105 miles (4 marathons) then 110 miles .  Similarly, if things are not going so well it is easy to give up and just walk / sit down for long rests so lower targets are needed to keep you motivated and moving purposefully.

9. Get a decent head torch.  If your run is off road then it is worth spending the money on a good headtorch (and spare batteries).  I have this one, you can alter the brightness so have it really bright on the darker parts.   The higher the lumens the brighter the light 
http://www.uktoolcentre.co.uk/Shop/p~81525~SEO7~R-Rechargeable-Head-Torch.html?Refid=GoogleShopping&gclid=Cj0KEQjw6pGfBRD09M-TmYTBzqIBEiQAcRzH5yrcJEHTUyIcUAXfy7YqNpKNM6dftMzTbVkKKKN4qMIaAmL28P8HAQ

10.  Its going to hurt but company of others can help.  In my last race I got injured; running hurt too much so I walked a lot.  Time passed so much quicker walking and chatting with others, there were so many amazing people doing my last race it was great to chat to them.

11. Drugs etc.  

Ibuprofen - if you are thinking of taking this make sure you read up on the risks of taking it whilst running before you do.  Voltorol/ibuprofen gel might be a better option.

Immodium - this is essential!

caffeine - I usually have coke, sometimes pro plus tablets. I cut my caffeine right back for the week before the race so that it has more effect and try to wait as long as possible before having it

Ginger - this is an anti inflammatory and is supposed to help with nausea.  I took tablets during my last race; it was the first time I didn't have any stomach issues.  

Tumeric - another anti inflammatory which I took before the race

Electrolytes - these can be in the form of tablets such as high5 zero which you add to drinks or as tablets.