Training diary update – October 2020

Total Distance

412 Km

Target: NA Km

Total Time

51:13 Hrs

Elevation

9,672m

Training log – View here

How did the month go?

One goal and one goal only – do a 100Km run.

When I started this adventure in Feb / March this year my singular aim was to move up from being able to survive a 50Km run to being able to do 100Km runs. Now 2020 has had some many other ideas and then all of a sudden it was October – SHIT!!!

I thought time is running out and the weather is about to start really getting crappy so if I am going to meet my aim I need to do it myself and I need to do it now.

October 1st I took the day off work, I stocked the car with all my supplies, planned a double Malvern Spine out and back route which would cover 65Km of the distance but returning for food each time. 03:30 I set off and proceeded to plod my way up and over the hills for a total of 16:47hrs until the watch turned over triple digits.

I didn’t want to just “do” the distance as a number I wanted something I felt was like a tough race so picked technical routes (probably about 2/3rds technical trail and 1/3rd path or paved). By the end managed to accumulate 4.9Km of vertical ascent so I am happy in the knowledge it was a proper run!

Altra Lone Peak 4.5’s took me along the route nicely with 0 Blisters or hot spots when combined with Injini toe liner / outer combo – Highly recommended!

Bonus race

Only goal was my 100Km run…. but then the Adidas TerreX Jurrasic Coast ultra snuck in! Completely sold out but I was in the area with friends that weekend – quick email to Maverick and unfortunately they could squeeze me in so I was racing a brutal coastal path 52Km Ultra.

I might do a separate write up on this race but I will summarise:

  • I came 65th / 195 (top third) in 06:27hrs – wasn’t happy with that, should have been better in opinion but the quality of the field was exceptional! For many this race was their only one in the diary and it attracted a lot of the fast London crowd. It is good to test yourself on a large high quality national field rather than a small local event to see where you are.
  • Nutrition was a complete mess – I set off too fast and after 30Km I couldn’t eat like a normally do so I bonked bad never really to recover. Lead legs and stomach cramps for the remaining 25Km (it totalled nearly 55Km by the end) – lessons to be learnt on running hard.
  • Coast path ultras are hard, harder than the 1,400m of vert would suggest! They are steep with no respite, you can’t take small steps to keep the legs turning over due to the gradient / actual cut in steps.

It is time to put a new plan in place to start getting some speed in these rusty pistons I call legs… maybe the time is now for a coach!

Now go on, just f’ing run!

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