Final Preparations - The Gore-tex Transalpine Run 2012

So the final preparations are more or less complete, and somehow, against all odds, Lotte and I will seem to be on course to toe the start line in Ruhpolding in a 2 days time. Training this year has gone well, more so for myself than Lotte, who was hampered by a couple of issues (back and foot) post Roth. Despite this, we have got in a good amount of running together at the weekends with Lotte coping well with the consistent running.

For myself, after 7 days complete rest post-Roth, I've managed to get back into the swing of things pretty quickly. I've got to the gym for 1-2 hours each week which keeps things ticking over nicely, and got through approx. a 15 hour week of running with no niggles of note. The last couple of weeks, I've focused on consolidating that bigger week and staying supple (by my standards). I've had a couple of massages and things are looking good. I think its funny when you put the time spent training in the context of the race, which this year I estimate might take up to 50 hours; the larger volume week (week 4 - approx. 90 miles) is completely dwarfed.

Transalpine run-in, and predicted run 2012

 I feel I've managed my recovery well since Roth too. I did nothing for a week, and despite a wobble at the end of July (stag-do for a friend), I've managed to get enough rest to prevent major deterioration. As you can see, having rested up this week, I'm now feeling pretty good heading into the weekend.

Restwise score - Roth to Transalpine

Compare this approach from 2011, where after running the NDW (week 4) and pulling out due to a knee issue, I did very little approaching the race. Wise to rest up perhaps, but I've certainly noticed I run best when carrying a little more consistency and form into a run. That said, almost anything can happen in stage race of this proportion, so I guess we'll have to wait and see as to whether my approach has paid off. In 2010 I completed the race off just 18, 25 and 30 miles in the 3 weeks leading into the race, so maybe its actually really easy and you don't need to do any training at all ;-)

Transalpine run-in 2011

In addition to the higher volume I've managed this year, I've complemented my training with my POWERbreathe device. I'd like to say I've really gone to town on the functional strength work whilst using it over the last 6 weeks, but in reality, I've just made sure I kept things ticking over. With only a couple days work a week (morning and evening sessions 30 breaths, twice daily) I've easily managed to sustain the level I reached from my foundation training before Roth. Its encouraging to see that the gains I made have stuck, and are so easy to maintain.  Although everyone is different, for me, anything above 2,200m seems pretty noticeable, so I'm looking forward to the benefits that the POWERbreathe training should bring with it.

I can't wait to get back out there, and as there is a good group of us going out together, there will undoubtedly be some good memories to remember for several years to come.

The photo below is from part of the route on stage 7, and a view I remember well. Its also been my desktop background since 2010. Let's hope the weather is just as good when I return (hopefully), with Lotte (hopefully) Saturday week!

If you want to follow us during the race, please go to http://www.transalpine-run.com/alps_cross_start.htm and they have pretty good coverage of each stage! We are Team POWERbreathe UK - number 90!

Why POWERbreathe?

In spending the majority of our free time with triathletes (who are also our friends), Lotte and I are often found discussing upcoming races, training and the season's plans. This year, the Gore-tex Transalpine run has received more than the odd mention, and along with it, our team name - Team POWERbreathe UK.

On occasion, these discussions then move onto the details concerning our sponsorship deal with POWERbreathe, as people try to extract some of the 'juicy details' of said (assumedly) multi-million pound arrangement - yet the deal isn't quite what they expect.

In return for a POWERbreathe device to help with Lotte's training (I already had one) and a couple of t-shirts to wear out and about at the race, we will blog on our training, race under their name and spread the word where we can.

The reaction from many is almost little disparaging at times, but to me the beauty of the deal is in its simplicity. Just like a POWERbreathe device - its understated, yet functional.

The responsibility of blogging on our training and fulfilling our part of the deal will keep us honest. It will make sure we do the training, and remind us when we let slip, that we have an deal to honour.  We talk about our training anyway, putting it into words isn't difficult. Its not even like the training is difficult - 30 breaths, twice a day takes less than 3 minutes! But it still needs to be done! If we put in the work - the results will follow (I believe this because of the extensive peer-reviewed evidence base that exists). Those results, in the scenario I outline below, are worth more than any sponsorship deal money could buy! (maybe if the sponsorship deal involved a helicopter......;-))

I do not need to think for long before memories of the full force of what Transalpine has to offer come flooding back to me; trying to pick my way through technical trail covered in snow and slushy ice at for 10km at 2000m, three-quarters through a 50km stage after back to back marathons, sucking in air but not getting nearly enough. Cursing myself for not training harder as I slow to a stumble, my posture failing with fatigue and with it, the abundant aches in my legs beginning to amplify......

Reflecting on moments like those,  I often think "what I would have given to make it feel even 1% easier?" The answer is certainly a lot more than 3 minutes a day for the preceding few weeks, and putting my training in writing.

"Only if the training works!" I hear you say. And you'd be right, it needs to actually have a benefit for this elaborate sponsorship deal-training motivation exercise to pay off. Over some subsequent posts I'll put forward the rationale and evidence from peer-reviewed journals that suggest that it will....and how.

Pilgrim Challenge 2012

So I had signed up to this race planning to get some 'multi-day' experience in with Lotte as part of our preparation for Transalpine this September.   The format is 33 miles out along the North Downs Way (NDW) on day 1, then back along the same route for day 2.  I had mixed experiences of the event; definitely well organised, but last time had got seriously lost 6 miles from the end of day two and a little bit lost on the first day too. I was however confident, having run the majority of the course since, that I would not make the same mistakes again!

After a reasonable 6am rise, Lotte and I had some breakfast (stewed apple mixed with whey protein and coffee with grassfed butter and coconut oil) and drove down the the start near Farnham.  On arrival it was a chilly -7, which caused all the portaloo flushing mechanisms to freeze solid. Fortunately I had already answered the calls of nature before I left, so it was not an issue.  I was cosy and warm in my huge Nanok down jacket from my polar kit and didn't really want to take it off to load into my bag (to be transported to Merstham - where you camp in a school hall overnight)

Over the last three weeks I've been part of some research at the British Olympic Medical Institute, and so have had a 48 hour exercise ban pre-testing before Friday morning each week.  As such most of my training has been weighted towards the weekend.  Having done little since Tuesday, I snuck in a 30 min run on Friday night to stretch my legs out a little.  They were feeling good, having also got in 7+ hours of hilly double run days last weekend in Exmoor on the challenging coastal terrain, I had high expectations for the weekend ahead.

My partner from Transalpine in September (Chris Jenkins) was also running.  He had made his excuses claiming to be woefully under-prepared and had also mentioned a slight knee niggle over the last few weeks,  He had rested and wanted to see how it went on day 1, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

We all set off together in the 9am 'runners' start as opposed to the 8am 'walkers' or 10am 'elite runners' start.  I knew we would be fast enough to start in the 10am group, but it was good to get off and finish a little earlier (I had my eye on the big crash mat at gym Oli and I had bagsied last time we raced).  I suggested to Chris and Lotte we get to the front of the pack to get onto the narrow sections of trail ahead of the majority of runners so that we could go at our own pace.  Its amazing how much you can get held up running behind people you think are running at your pace.

I decided to carry the route card just in case but was confident enough to know where I was going from memory.  Sadly it turned into a bit of a runner's tour as soon enough 8-10 runners had latched onto our group expectantly waiting for the next turns where the route wasn't that clear.  I can't say I overly enjoyed running in a large group, but it was interesting to see how people will hold onto a pace, even if it wasn't right for them.  The running was good, with the trail frozen underfoot - it was relatively fast going.

After about 20 miles, the group started to thin out considerably as perhaps the pace was too high for some.  Just as we reached the top of box hill, Lotte mentioned that her knee was causing her some problems. About a 7/10 on the pain scale. She reluctantly soldiered on though, torn between stopping and having to wait for an age to get a lift to the finish and finishing and maybe doing more damage than necessary.  Chris and I stayed with her, and she held a good pace despite the discomfort. One of two displays of Carritt-hardiness this weekend.  When you run a long way, it is sometimes difficult to tell what is an injury and what is your body just telling you that it thinks you are an idiot. I think no matter how much you do, running a long way will inevitably ache.  You may think those elites aren't hurting, but I bet they are, they just happen to be going faster.

After we passed the last checkpoint with 3 miles more or less downhill to go, Lotte began to focus on the end (or perhaps everything started to hurt more so as to balance the pain) and her knee didn't seem to be bothering her so much, we held a good pace in to the finish 5.28.  About ten minutes quicker than when I had run it a couple of years ago (although that year I had been a little delayed by mis-navigation).  This was however good enough to put us about 30th out of 180 odd runners and Lotte 4th lady (I think).  As the running was over, she immediately cheered up too (not that she was grumpy at all).  Personally I had felt quite tight and cold most of the day, never really finding much flow and was glad for it to be over.

We all showered and Lotte and I got a quick massage before heading to the pub to watch the Rugby with Chris.  We were going to head back to the school for the main dinner, but settled on the 'fancy' dinner away from the busier canteen.  The real ales, steak and quiet bar unfortunately proved a little too appealing - and before I knew it we were walking back through the snow, 4 pints of Doombar happier.  Perhaps slightly merry, I still then tucked into the pasta dinner at the school and some apple crumble as we listened to James Adams talk about how he had run across America last summer - inspiring stuff.

I awoke after not a very good nights sleep.  Certainly not made any better by the 4 pints - not the best recovery tactic. The snow was much deeper than I had thought.  Just in case any of you haven't seen enough crappy pictures of snow, here is one Lotte took on race morning.  We were in the 'late' start initially at 9am. But due to the weather they decided on an 8am mass start and announced the fact as we leisurely strolled back from breakfast at about 7.35am.  Giving us about 25 mins to pack up and get ready.

This time with the snowy conditions I suggested it was even more important to get to the front at the beginning, since the compacted snow would get even more slippy underfoot.  Sadly however after no more than 200 yards, Lotte straight away mentioned that her knee was causing undeniable problems.  I offered to pull out with her (still somewhat apathetic and groggy-headed to the day ahead).  She however declined and walked back to the start alone.  Difficult, but certainly the right decision - which as I have mentioned before in relation to Chris' withdrawal from Transalpine, I believe is often the braver one to make. "Any fool can suffer".

Chris and I then pressed on now almost at the back of the field.   For the first three uphill miles, it was at times tricky to pass the slow train of runners gingerly making their way up the single tracks through the snow.  Soon enough however we had fully warmed up and I started to feel good. I had none of the tightness from the day before and I was starting to enjoy myself. Chris tagged on well, just behind me for the majority of our way along the single tracks to the first checkpoint.  Most of the checkpoints had been moved to the more accessible main roads, obviously hampered by the snow.  The first one, frustratingly had been moved about half a mile down the road, forcing you to do an out and back to get to it.  I was however glad to see a couple of runners I knew who had about 15-30 mins on us from the first day just a couple of minutes ahead.  One of whom was wearing some Hoka's.  We settled into a good rhythm and I enjoyed following their characteristic foot prints through the snow.  Despite feeling quite sick for most of the morning (the porridge hadn't agreed with me - or was that the Doombar?) I was confident we could make a time not much more than 30 mins slower than day 1.

It was suprisingly warm thanks to the cloud cover, and slowly the snow around us began to melt leading to random and large clumps of snow to fall from the trees above. Most of the paths were tricky to negotiate with the weight of the snow dragging the branches well down across the paths.  The increasingly slushy snow seemed to be taking its toll on everyone one - it was hard-going, if not beautiful running.

Sadly by around mile 20 Chris mentioned that his knee concern was getting a little achey.  We still carried our momentum until with about 9 or so miles left he suddenly dropped off behind on some runnable descents.  I waited and it was clear he was in a bit of trouble.  I was quite frustrated as I was starting to feel really strong and we were reeling people in up ahead.  We discussed me going it alone, and as much as I wanted to just run off, whats the point in running 60 miles with someone and leaving them just at the end?  I stuck with Chris but we were reduced to a walk on all the uphills. Chris was also visibly frustrated, but determined to finish.  With only 1 checkpoint left, it was going to be faster to walk it in than him wait at the checkpoint for recovery so we trudged on.  With all chance of a 'good' time out the window, it was hard to find a rhythm or the motivation to keep working.

Slowly the miles passed and eventually we came in around 6.38. Probably losing close to 30-40 minutes with all the hobbling.  I still enjoyed the day, and the chance to run in the snow.   Taking the positives, it even provided the odd 'polar-flashback' and a nice sense of perspective.  Of course the delay offered the usual bonus of some extra 'time on feet' too.

Last night I decided on a much more sensible recovery protocol - wine coolers on the feet!

The Gore-tex Transalpine Run 4th September - 11th September 2011 Part II - Team Arktix

Stage 5: Prettau im Ahrntal – Sand in Taufers
Distance: 33.4km
Ascent: 1803m
Descent: 2398m
Time: 6:19:08
SP: 53/74
MR: 48/74
Overall: 124/233

The forecast for the remainder of the race was rain for the next couple of days but clearing up after that.   Although the course had been extended for the day somewhat, I was still optimistic of a quick(ish) finish and the opportunity to rest up a little.  I knew stage 7 was supposed to be a toughie so it was still all about holding on – damage limitation was the name of the game.

This stage was tougher than expected, and looking back the toughest of them all for me.  By this point in the race, I had lost the ability to descend with any speed, and any descent was becoming pretty painful.  I hadn’t paid much attention to the actual details of the stage in terms of figures, but stage 5 offered up the largest cumulative descent of the race.

The first climb was straight up to 2500m odd and fairly exposed. Colder than the day before but less miserable weather. Followed by shortish descent, another climb then a tricky traverse followed by a long continuous descent to the finish.

I was fine until the second traverse and final descent.  I kept stopping.  Couldn’t find a rhythm, and although I could see Sand in Taufers in the valley below, it wasn’t getting any closer.  I felt trapped in the run, and even though I was slowly moving forward, I wasn’t going anywhere.

Despite doubts that it ever would, the stage came to an end eventually, and we head straight to the camp by shuttle bus to shower, change and rest up.  Despite the usual excellent organisation, they had somehow sent our bags to a hotel where there were some other competitors staying.   Bagless and in damp clothes from the days run with only a hard mat to rest on, we gave in and head to the bar to salvage what we could of our recovery time. Mistakingly ordering only 2 dl of beer each at first, we soon realised there were larger glasses available. We sampled these and after further research, it turned out that they actually had pint glasses too - it would have been rude not to….

Stage 6: Sand in Taufers – St. Vigil
Distance: 39.7km
Ascent: 1512m
Descent: 1193m
Time: 5:20:08
SP: 36/66
MR: 44/66
Overall: 112/216

After another terrible nights sleep – I did NOT want to get up.  I awoke to the relentless hammering of rain on the sports hall roof.  Usually this would be reason enough to dodge a Cally session, but with almost another marathon to cover I was not in the mood.  Breakfast was hard to force down, and the race was beginning to take its toll.

The stage profile was more or less a half marathon along a valley (on tarmac) followed by a huge 1500m ascent in one go and a vicious descent down the other side.  I didn’t know it at the time, but I was about to start what described by the race organisers as the hardest stage of the gore-tex transalpine run they had ever put together.

I managed the first 10km in 57 minutes, but the second took a little longer.   I had started to slow after about 15km and after rounding a corner I saw Oli walking up ahead  (he usually ran just ahead of me at a constant speed then walks waiting for me to catch up – just as I do, he starts to run again.  Endless torment basically – like some twisted nightmare, but it kept me moving.)  Just for good measure as I caught up with him this time, he didn’t start running straight away but said ‘What happened? you were right behind me?!’. ‘I don’t know Oli – I’m probably just dying very slowly?’

Oli has a way of communicating that is very direct – not to be misinterpreted, but sometimes as frustrating as it is consistent.  If I took it to heart, it would break me, so I found some of it best to deflect with sarcasm or ignore entirely.    My other favourite Oli quote from the race was  ‘Andy, I’m sorry but, I just can’t walk that slowly’ on the ascent of the Kitzbuhelhorn on the second day - this was whilst I was bonking massively and slow expiring from thirst!  On reflection – quite amuing.   Whilst both Oli and I disagreed from time to time, I took heart in our dynamic for Polar Challenge since we always seemed to be able to put it behind us with ease and move on.

Despite tightening up through my hips – the climb was soon upon us and offered respite from the painful jogging.  After nearly 2 hours of solid climbing – soon began an excruciating descent.  It was so seriously steep that by the final checkpoint merely 1km over the summit when Oli offered painkillers I dosed up on pro plus and ibruprofen in an attempt to make the remainder more manageable.   This was the first ibruprofen I had taken during the race and it was the last.  No matter how painful things are I am now under the firm belief  – your body and your mind is better at coping with it than non-prescription pain relief.   Other than the wired effect of the caffeine I got causing me to sprint the final 100m in probably a pb  the ibruprofen did little to ease the discomfort.   There is a bit of a culture of popping some ibruprofen before a race in triathlon even for ‘precautionary’ purposes- my advice – save your liver the hassle.

Finishing the stage was a big relief and it finished in great weather, and despite getting stung by a wasp in the neck (which even left its sting in there pulsating and repeatedly stinging me through some dismembered reflex mechanism for good measure)– after a coffee and a sit in the local stream to chill my now club-like feet – my mood had noticeably improved from the morning’s huge lows.

I didn’t know it at the time, but we the stage was a LOT tougher for others than it was for me – we finished in our highest position yet and climbed 17 positions in the overall standings.   It just goes to show how tough running on the flat tarmac is on your body.

As a testament to that my legs felt very, very sore.

Stage 7: St. Vigil – Niderdorf im Pustertal
Distance: 42.2km
Ascent: 1963m
Descent: 1990m
Time: 6:45:20
39/59
MR: 41/59
Overall: 100/192

In my mind – this was the last hurdle – if I could make it through the day, nothing would stop me from reaching the finish.  The entire second half of the race had been much harder psychologically than I had anticipated.  Originally I thought that once I was past half way, it would only get easier, but it was quite the opposite, still having so far to go, time had slowed down and the finish somehow seemed further and further away.

Stage 7 was a BEAST! 10km gentle incline, then 2 pretty serious climbs with descents just as savage.  We were now firmly in the dolomites and this stage produced the most outstanding scenery of the race – it was truly incredible.  Every view I felt like I had really earned it,  and that made it all the more sweet to take in.

The second climb really took it out of me and the final run into the finish from the final checkpoint (about 8km) all gentle downhill – well the less said about that the better.   The final two km were all dead flat, and on an exposed (what seemed to be) baking hot road.   This wasn’t the longest 5km of my life – this was the longest 2km of my life.  I’ve never had to concentrate on running so much and on finishing I felt nearly as broken as I did after Ironman CH.  This was complete exhaustion – if there had been any more than 1 day to go – I would have quit there and then.  Beneath the elation of only having 1 day to go, I was completely demoralised.  To make matters worse, as I slowly shuffled over to get a massage, I could feel my groin was very tight and weak, dangerously reminiscent of when I injured myself back in February. Too tired to care – shamefully, I ignored it.

Stage 8: Niederdorf im Pustertal – Sexten
Distance: 33.4km
Ascent: 1269m
Descent: 1123m
Time: 4:48:52
SP: 44/58
MR: 39/58
Overall: 95/182

So I’d done it! The last stage – 33.4km between Team Pure Sports Medicine and the finish. Course profile? Who cares!, it was the last stage.  I just had to get through and nothing was going to stop me.

It was a cold clear start, with only one ascent and descent to tackle, and the prospect of a sun-soaked finish in Sexten was enough to spur even my weary legs into action and initially distract me from the twinge I had felt the day before.

During the flat 12km run out to the first checkpoint, sure enough my legs began to tighten and with it my groin.  A casual rest at the penultimate checkpoint before the last climb up past the spectacular Drei Zinnen – three huge spires of rock standing next to one another - an incredible structure and if you are ever near there - a must see!

As the climb began my groin almost immediately became painful, and not the usual ‘I’ve just run 185 miles’ painful, the ‘you’re about to get injured’ painful – trust me, there is a difference.   I voiced my concerns to Oli and he asked me if I wanted to stop.  My memory of this sequence of events is not that clear, and this may not have been the exact question he asked, but it seemed to be what he was getting at.  I couldn’t really believe that was the case, because who could stop now? We had just run 300 of 310km, 8 of the remaining 10km were downhill – stop now?!

I suggested that it might seem a bit strange to quit having come so far (at the time I was thinking ‘he can’t be f***ing serious!!’),  and as he made example of another british pair (2^nd in the overall mixed category who had to sadly pull out on the final stage through injury), I retorted with ‘but they’ve finished it before, they have nothing to prove’.  All he said was ‘that’s not really the point’.  In silence, I carried on trudging up the hill as people walked past, slowing, and wincing with each ascending step of my left leg.  As we approached a bench I just sat down as Oli stood there staring off into the mountains, patiently waiting.  It was decision time.

I knew my brother and his girlfriend were waiting in Sexten to greet us at the finish – but even their potential disappointment seemed to pale into insignificance whilst I weighed up my options.  It was either...

...finish and potentially do some serious damage, followed by many more months of frustrating rehab with no running...

...OR stop there, walk back down to the checkpoint whilst Oli finished, still potentially be injured and also miss out on the feeling of succeeding in one the hardest physical challenges I am likely to ever undertake.

Decision made – I’d have to get off the mountain somehow, it was going to be down the other side!  It doesn’t seem like a tough decision, but with the responsiblity of my medium and long term fitness - I owe it to the team and all our sponsors to keep myself in good working order, it wasn’t quite that simple.  Not to mention  I couldn’t honestly bare the thought of doing soley physio exercises for the next 4-6 months (even though they are awesome Kate - totally awesome ;-) )

Damage limitation was yet again on my mind as I asked to borrow Oli’s sticks for the remainder of the ascent – pathetic I know, but they did help.  And as I gingerly jogged the first few paces of the descent I was pleased to feel the pain in my groin largely dissipate.   I pushed a little harder and still good – rock and roll - ‘lets finish this’ I thought.  I gave myself the target of overtaking at least 12 teams (the number that had overtaken us on the climb) since I didn’t want to lose our overall position if I could help it.  Oli had arbitrarily put the target of ‘top 40’ out there on day 5 which we achieved by day 6 – I didn’t want to let him down and lose it!

I bombed it, and sure enough, by the final checkpoint 12 teams were overtaken.  The final 5km from the checkpoint in was yet again ‘the longest…..etc’ only memorable for two things – 1) Oli almost standing on a snake on the service road as we left the checkpoint (a very close call – that snake was NOT happy) and 2) the most awesome feeling as I ran down the finish chute – I went mental – and must have looked it too jumping up and down shouting my head off.  I ran over to Philbo  (my brother) and Charlie (his gf) –  Oli and I stole their beers.  We crossed the finish line – man-hugged, and soaked up the moment – we were offered glasses of champagne as we crossed – which I promptly poured into the remainder of my beer and downed (to the looks of disgust from the girls pouring it) – it tasted so very good.

Job done – big thanks to Oli for sticking with me - again he’s helped me to achieve what I thought out of reach, to Everydaytraining for their sound advice and training plans, and Pure Sports Medicine for fixing both Oli and myself in times of disrepair, both before and after the race!!

What an amazing experience.  Would I go back?

Obviously.

The Gore-tex Transalpine Run 4th September - 11th September 2010 - Part I

Where do I begin? I suppose where I left off, and that was with me pulling out of the Outlaw 11 miles into the marathon. A difficult thing for me to do, but during that run, in honesty it was one of the few moments I had actually given thought to the Transalpine, what it entailed and how prepared I was – what I saw I didn’t like…

3 weeks before, I had hobbled my way round the final lap of Ironman Switzerland to a disappointing marathon time of 4.22 on a flat course and all I had to show for it was two IV drips. I was massively lacking in run endurance, with only 5 weeks before one of the toughest multi stage endurance events on the calendar.

In the brief weeks before Outlaw, if Switzerland hadn’t wrecked me enough I was clearly set on finishing myself off.   I wouldn’t say I did too much in terms of volume, but went WAY too hard in terms of intensity - hilly but short rides to Luzern 2 days after IMCH and short club rides of 50 miles or so (but on my fixie) were not what I needed – all very valuable lessons for anyone who wants to attempt two Ironman events in short succession though! You can’t go too easy! It’s supposed to be active recovery not self-annihilation.

My complete state of metabolic disrepair was confirmed by Metabolic Solutions during a steady state testing the week of Outlaw – my ability to source energy efficiently in terms of endurance racing was more or less non existent, I was on a knife edge.

We all know what happened at Outlaw – and so I was then left to back up my decision to pull out for the sake of training.  In the following 3 weeks I ran as consistently as possible - twice a day when I could, and as much as I could manage whilst at the same time trying to climb out of a black hole of fatigue.
Mileage wise I managed 18, 25 and 30 miles respectively in the 3 weeks before Transalpine.   I was aiming to up my run efficiency as possible but so daunted was I by the task ahead when I gave brief consideration to Transalpine, I could only laugh at the mediocrity of my efforts.  Laughter would be my new plan.  Mountain ahead! A mountain you say??    Mwahahahahahah - done.

At least Oli was going to be knackered from his exploits at UTMB the week before Transalpine, right? RIGHT?! Wrong. Even after cancellations Oli still managed to cram in in excess of 120km of running that weekend, (most of which hungover) – For most this would warrant either a stay in hospital or retirement– but for a robot – the perfect taper!!
As hideously unprepared as I was, I knew I had to put it out of my mind. Negative thoughts wouldn’t help me. I joked about using laughter, but a positive outlook goes a very long way, that and never ever giving up. Ever.


Stage 1: Ruhpolding – St. Ulrich am Pillersee
Distance: 36.3km
Ascent: 1223m
Descent: 1034m
Time: 4:24:13
Stage Position Men’s (SP): 51/86
Men’s Ranking (MR): 51/86
Overall: 118/273

So the scene was set – even the steady rain on race morning wasn’t enough to dampen the atmosphere.  I was already enjoying myself, more food than you could shake a stick at, great camaraderie, and even some people less experienced (although perhaps more prepared) than myself.   It all served as a perfect distraction from the goliath task ahead. With a helicopter flying overhead, highway to hell and the Transalpine theme song ‘Keep on running’ pumping from the speakers I was apprehensive yet gee-ed up, safe in the knowledge that as tough and tiring as these first days are, they often pass quickly as the mind is distracted by the feast of new experiences available.

Wrong again.  After a perfectly manageable 10km run along a towpath to the first moderate, but entirely manageable climb, there was a short descent along forest service road to a second, larger climb. This ascent began with a run up a series of planks laid over a couple of killometres of boggy fields.   Forcing the competitors into single file it gave pause for breath, then it started to get (a little) more serious.  I’m not a skier, and my experience of the slopes entails sliding slowly down long but very steep escarpments on my backside, except there was a lift to carry me back to the top – I’ve never walked, uh, I mean run up one of them.  It turns out they are steep! Anyway, as we summitted I had a quick cup of soup, and then began the steep descent down the other side. This really is something you need to know how to do. Slow yourself too much, you’ll toast your quads, too fast and you lose control.  After the earlier downpour the descent was slippery, and seemingly never-ending (never-ending descents a prevalent feature of this race).

I was relieved to reach the end of the descent and get through the last checkpoint.  With only 8km ‘flat’ to the finish, I made the rookie error of allowing myself to think it was over.  It took an age to cover those last 5km. Not because I was running THAT slowly, but because it must have been a country mile between the sign for 3km and 2km to go.  This was the first of many ‘longest 5kms of my life’.  The entire stretch I was having to work much harder than I wanted and my initial estimates were that my endurance seemed to last only about 30km, and this was an easy stage. I wanted and felt I needed much, much more in the tank.

Instant amnesia is a great technique for these multi-day events.  Once something is done, put it out of mind.  We got in just before another downpour, got some food, organised our camping position (away from the door) of the dormitory (we were sleeping in school classrooms), got showered and went for a beer.

Stage2: St Ulrich am Pillersee – Kitzbuhel
Distance: 33.2km
Ascent: 1810m
Descent: 1907m
Time: 4:59:47
SP: 47/86
MR: 46/86
Overall: 117/270

Having eaten an obscene amount of food the night before, I felt as though I had some energy and was surprisingly supple.   Short-term recovery and damage limitation had gone well, no blisters, no sign of injury, bring on day two.
This was another double ascent/descent day.  The second ascent being a nasty slog up to the Kitzbuhelhorn.  The field started in pens A, B and C , and with us being below 40^th position in our category, we were in pen C.   Each pen started 5 minutes apart in order to ease congestion on the first hill.  As Oli and I had discussed, to minimise delay, I ran hard (Oli followed) for the first 2km uphill and we were second from our pen to the first climb.  However because the pens are organised by position in category, we were actually still behind many of those below us in the overall standings, and as we hit the first climb the moment the course went to single track, it was at a standstill.  This apparently left us with the only solution of making up time on the downhill.

Regardless, the congested climb offered stunning views and actually served as a great warm up for the stage ahead.  Over the summit there was a shallow (in transalpine terms) descent down soft grassy fields and forest service road. I bombed it as hard as I could, and despite losing Oli ahead of me all the time, we overtook many teams.

N.B. At this point in the race I still had a moderate ability to descend with a reasonable speed, every decent however (due to their sheer extent) had a slowly accumulating fatiguing effect.

The day then started to get hot as the second climb begun, and I misjudged the length of the climb and used up my water before it had really begun.  What ensued was not enjoyable.  Cruelly taunted by water troughs brimming over with crystal clear water trickling down the mountain from above, I knew the water was not fit to drink with fields of grazing cows milling around.  I slowed and slowed.  Reluctant to eat the gels or nuts I had with nothing to quench the insatiable thirst.  I was left with little option but to tough it out as a steady stream of slow moving competitors moved past.   There is a somewhat comedic photo of me at the summit of this climb, before the final descent into Kitzbuhel. I don’t look happy, but I can’t even remember if I was putting that face on!
The lack of attention to hydration and nutrition on that climb also began to rear its ugly head on the descent. Whilst we still managed to overtake a few teams, the majority came back past us on the final flat 2km into Kitzbuhel.  I was absolutely hanging, and even Oli’s attempts at cajoling me to run hard for the final metres were quickly snubbed - I was totally wiped.  So that’s it then, I’ve managed 2 days I thought.  Getting food in was tough immediately after that stage and to me a sure sign I’ve overcooked it.   With no camp accommodation we at least had the comfort of a hotel for the night, and I still managed two full 3 course meals that evening at the pasta party.   I hadn’t quite realised the importance of how much good this would do for me, but the importance of eating more than you think you could possibly ever eat cannot be understated in multi-stage races such as this.

That night we were treated to a live performance by Marty from ‘Tumble Weed’ as he sang live (and quite well) the Transalpine theme song ‘keep on running’, twice.

Stage 3: Kitzbuhel – Neukirchen am Grossvenediger
Distance: 46.9km
Ascent: 2252m
Descent: 2130m
Time: 7:26:50
SP: 50/80
MR: 49/80
Overall: 122/260

With day two having gone absolutely excellently, I was thoroughly looking forward to the longest stage of the race this year. A steep climb out the other side of Kitzbuhel up a world cup downhill ski slope (pretty steep) followed by prolonged descent along forest service road.  Then its does get serious with a semi-exposed climb up above the snowline to about 2100m and a 10km technical traverse on icy, rocky terrain at altitude, finishing with a beastly 10km descent of about 1200m into Neukirchen!  I tried not to think about it.
At the first checkpoint, at the top of the first climb, we picked up a 3^rd team member. As is often the case in this race, people succumb to injury and are forced to pull out.  This leaves the remaining team partner with the option of withdrawing also, or pairing up with another team.  The competitor called Jonas or as we decided to call him ‘J’ asked if he could run with us for the remainder of the stage.  He was from Sweden, yet spoke excellent English.  He said he’d go at our (read my) pace and Oli and I were happy to have him along.  We got to a chatting and asking about his previous experience - a few weeks previously he had won the unsupported category of a 246km non-stop foot race. Great – another robot for company.

Anyway, distracted by the new teammate, as we chatted away and got to know him the time seemed to pass quickly up until the traverse.  It was difficult running, one moment muddy, then snow, then slush, then ice, then rocky trail and everything in between. It was difficult to find a rhythm and having been on our feet for nearly 6 hours by the time we reached the final checkpoint before the last descent I was exhausted.

The descent took over an hour, and I had to stop several times to recouperate such was the toll that the ‘never-ending’ descent was taking on my legs.  With the concentration that descending requires, I found it hard to stay focussed, and every time I stumbled on a branch or rocks, mostly out of fatigue and the effort required to lift my legs, I became frustrated and angry.   The kind of anger you get when you stubb a toe. Grrrr!   The temperature also started to rise as we descended further and it became quite hot towards the end. I was incredibly relieved to finish the stage.  We got some food on board – personally I had 3 fruit smoothies supplied by the Buff stand, two cheese and ham rolls and a local ice cream.  Topped off with a beer as we soaked our legs in a cold fountain by the finish, we then dried off in deck chairs lounging in the sun – although knackered, it was the first time it felt like a ‘holiday’.

For the pasta party that evening we got the cable car up the mountain we had just descended, and worryingly for the first time – I couldn’t finish my meal. Which isn’t as bad as it sounds, I did have a salad bowl bigger than my head and a large desert, just left some of my rice ;-)

Stage 4: Neukirchen am Grossvenediger – Prettau im Ahrntal
Distance: 43.9km
Ascent: 1967m
Descent: 1377m
Time: 7:25:21
SP: 53/80
MR: 51/80
Overall: 128/252

I got a shocking nights sleep – laying in one position for more than a few minutes had led to an accumulatory burning sensation in my legs, coupled with my feet in general feeling like they were in an oven, didn’t help.

The previous afternoon, Jonas had asked whether it was ok if he could run with us again for this stage and since he had been great company we were happy to accept.   The dynamic in a team of 3 is very different to that of just 2 members and offers a nice variety in terms of conversation.   It would certainly be needed – with another marathon distance to tackle, the highest altitude of the race and a double climb before the ‘rest’ day on day 5.

The stage didn’t start well, and after about half an hour of running along the road and trail even before the very steep climb up alongside a huge waterfall, I was slowing up.  A good way to ruin tired legs is running on a flat road surface.  I could feel both ITBs beginning to tighten.   After reaching the top of the waterfall there was then a very long stretch of flat/rolling road, which again wound its way up a valley before the day’s major climb.

Although breathtaking to observe the valley walls rising higher and higher each side of us as we made our way towards an enormous snow covered wall at the end of the valley, it went on for an age. With all of this section ‘runnable’ it made it that much harder to keep going.   I couldn’t wait for the ascent and an excuse to walk.   I had no strategy such as ‘run 10, walk 1’, which probably made it tougher, but it was hard enough to concentrate on keeping moving. I ran when I could, and any effort to do so felt like I had to give everything to manage it.  I was closing in on that ‘dark place’.

Now I say I couldn’t wait for that ascent, I probably could have done.  It was about 800m up steep single track up to 2669m.  For the first time I had started to notice the altitude, and I was just so tired I found it hard to work hard enough to stay warm.  I stopped to put a jacket on ¾ of the way up to the top since I was getting cold and took the chance to eat 2 mini-tubs of honey from the hotel from breakfast and a power bar.   The weather closed in and as we approached the summit, visibility noticeably decreased and the entire rocky trail was slow going, covered in snow and slippery.  From behind there was some shouting and the partner of team member 122 was called for, apparently his team mate had hypothermia and they were calling for the other team partner to go back.    About 5 minutes later 3 mountain guides came running down the mountain path ahead of me with blankets.  That girl was apparently air lifted off the mountain.

The usual relief of summitting was not long lived, as the first portion of the descent the other side was bordering on treacherous and even more exposed that the final steps of the ascent.  This still got me moving a little more and soon the honey kicked in.  After only 10 minutes or so my enthusiasm for descending began to wane and I was reduced to a hobbling shuffle down the steps.  This was until I realised we had 45 minutes to the final cut off at the last checkpoint of the day and about 5km still to travel.  45 minutes and 5km may not seem like much of a task, but having run over 150km in the past 4 days and after another 6 hours on my feet, getting a shift on presented a problem.  Especially with a 1km of technical descent on shot legs to tend to.  I told myself that 45 minutes of pain (more than I was already in) was worth it after having come so far and we picked up the pace.  We made the checkpoint with 15 minutes to spare, and after that had time to finish the stage at our leisure.   I was relieved we were still in the competition but as the last 5km ticked by, they again took forever.  We finished another mammoth 7.5 hour effort in the pouring rain, and after only a luke warm shower to freshen up, I treated myself to my first massage of the race. I partly fell asleep during the 20 minute massage but it was good to loosen off the legs a bit.   I could relax though – one of the major efforts of the race was over, back to back marathons tackled without injury, we were past half way and there was only 29km and 1500m of ascent to do the next day. I hadn’t checked the course info, but it was probably all downhill from there on in too? Almost Laughable.

Almost. The race briefing that evening didn’t share such an optimistic outlook.  Due to a mudslide across part of the course, they had to extend the route by 5km, oh AND add in another 300m of ascent.  This announcement was met with a massive groan and the ‘rest’ day was all of a sudden looking not so restful after all.

Pilgrim Challenge Race Report 6-8th February 2010 - Team Arktix

So the Pilgrim Challenge is a 2 day event organised by XNRG and is a new event this year. There is the option to just participate in one day (who would want to run ONLY 33 miles?!?!?) from Farnham to Merstham along the North Downs Way (NDW) on day 1 and then the reverse route back day 2. You would assume therefore that on the second day you couldn’t possibly get lost.

Never assume.

I entered this race with Oliver and Jay and the plan was for myself and Oliver to run both days meeting up with Jay on the second day. All the credit goes to Jay here, he has been running for only 2 months and already has Portland CTS marathon and now an ultramarathon under his belt!!! Now THOSE are some gutsy race entries!!! In actual fact its probably more a result of leaving Mr Sinclair to organise the race calendar. I have now run 5 marathons, 4 of which since December and 3 of which are ultras. Hmmmm.

There are 3 classes available (walkers, runners and um, faster runners). And on day 1 I had un-ambitiously set out in the regular runners group. Each group sets off an hour apart, walkers first and so on. My plan was to run steady and see how I felt, and obviously try not to get caught by Oliver who was setting out an hour behind me in the faster runners group. He had taken an hour out of me at Portland marathon, so over the extra 7 miles I imagined he would probably manage it.

All was going well, despite as usual I set out faster than I wanted/needed to ‘I can’t help it!’. But after probably about 4.5 miles I was with 2 other runners, with only 2 others in front from our wave. I was worried these guys would be a bit fast for me considering the speed I had set out at, but hey, I thought id hang on as see what happened. Now unfortunately, they were both locals (ish) and knew the North Downs way, so I was partly relying on them for navigation. (error?) Anyway we ran well and I felt comfortable, and then after maybe 12 or so miles we got lost. Ran down a road for about a mile, didn’t feel right. We stopped a car, some horse riders, some cyclists, all with maps, none knew where they were. WHY NOT! Others had followed us and as a result gone wrong too. After at least 10 mins of being lost, the runners who had caught up with us backtracked along the path leaving us three again. One of the guys then phoned the race organiser, but he lost signal over a crackling phone having described out location to the words of ‘I don’t know where you are but I think you f**ked up pretty bad!’. Helpful. Finally some motorbikers who had been standing around at the junction went ‘oh weve got a map if you want.’ (you think?) We found a trail that joined up with the NDW about half a mile down another trail. We reckon we lost about half an hour.

To the frustration of one of the guys in our 3, who doesn’t like getting lost, and angered by how much time we had wasted (I wasn’t that bothered) he set off like a crazy man. We were suddenly hacking along at about 8 min miles and I wasn’t sure how much longer id last at that pace, completely unsustainable. Luckily we hit a hill which knackered him out a bit, but he had vented as we again started to pass those we had already overtaken from the 1st wave.

As the day wound on we chatted away, and the miles passed, no Oliver yet. Over box hill and lime?! Hill with the last 4 or so miles down into Merstham. I was tired, but happy Id stuck with the two guys since I reckon theyd made me run faster. We finished together in about 5.37 13th equal for the day (shame we got lost eh?). Oliver hadn’t caught me but came in not long after having been lost himself. He ran 4.44 and had the lead by 9 minutes apparently only shooting off the front of his wave to catch me.

I got changed and showered then went for a massage (my shower was appreciated by the masseur, most not bothering) and wandered up to the local pub for a steak ‘pre-dinner’ with Oliver. We headed back to the school we were staying at to watch the rugby which they put on a big screen and then ate our second dinner of the evening in the canteen watching the rugby, chicken pasta and veggies. There was a caramel tart for desert which Oliver went up to get, I asked him to get some for me with cream. He said ‘how much’ I said ‘loads’. Unfortunately Oliver is a child (and I reckon was still upset about not catching me). He poured half a JUG! of cream and brought back a partially floating caramel tart in a bowl. Hmmmm. I ate/drank it though. Although did feel a little sick for a bit.

Day 2 – So Jay had got the first train down and picked up by a minibus shuttle from Merstham station. He set off in the runners group and I, having finished in the top 25 was in the faster group an hour behind with Mr. Oliver ‘have some dessert’ Sinclair.

One of the two guys I had run with the day before had sneaked off into the runners wave an hour earlier since he needed to get a flight that afternoon but the other started in the fast wave. I wasn’t sure anyone could stand my company for 2 whole days so just thought id run at my own pace and see how it went. Yep, as usual, I probably set off too fast and latched onto the lead group of about 5 runners. I say lead group, Oliver, not weighed down by copious amounts of dairy, had gone off the front like a man on a mission and no one looked like catching him. Barring disaster the win was in the bag there and then.

Anyway, the pace was pretty good, but I felt surprisingly strong. I was running with the leading girl who has come in on day 1 in 5.03 so similar sort of time to what I would have liked to have run without navigational errors, yeah right! ;-). I did get a bit worried though as she told me about her history of running and said she had only got into ultras having gone sub 3 in road marathons. Hmm, out of my depth I think. I lost her after about 13 miles or so, but having head off quick was way ahead of who I knew was a place ahead of me in the overall standings and also way ahead of the guy I came in with yesterday. So although it was a tough start to the day with almost all the hills on the course in that section I felt pretty good, and how I had been going I was buoyed by the start. Run fast while you can I say, time in the pocket!

I then ran alone through the next to checkpoints and finally caught up with Jay after about 2 hours 50. I asked him when Oliver had come through and he said about an hour and a quarter ago!! Man he must have been steaming! Oliver had caught Jay after merely an hour and half of running.

Anyway, after a brief chat with Jay I said I was going to head on since I thought I was in place for a top ten and as I reached checkpoint 3, I was feeling pretty good. It was at this point it all went wrong. The marshals had said, the next and final checkpoint is 4 miles from here and then its 6 miles to the end. Right, ill go steady to the next one then push hard for the final stretch. About half a mile down the road, I went wrong. I ran past a weathered sign for the NDW (not seeing it) and ran for about 5 mins up a hill into Guildford. Finding the road familiar but not seeing any runners behind or in front of me who I had just sighted I asked a pedestrian who said he hadn’t seen any runners either. I turned around and ran back down the hill and finally saw the weathered sign. GRR!!! Didn’t think id lost too much, time, but had started to understand the anger of the runner from yesterday, now that a goal was at risk. I saw a runner up the hill and followed him up. He veered off the road onto a footpath and again followed him. Suddenly at the next junction on the path he was gone. Strange. If in doubt follow your nose, I ran straight ahead down the hill for about 5 mins and came to a totally unrecognisable field. All the path signs were not for the NDW. ARRRGH!! Ran a few hundred yards either side of a t junction in the path to look for landmarks, roads, anything. Nothing. I asked a guy in a field with his dog, he was Korean, and barely spoke English and didn’t know where or what the NDW was, where Farnham was or anything. I cut my losses and ran back UP THE HILL! And it was steep. I got back onto the road where I had veered off and finally saw another runner. He was going slow though and didn’t recognise him so must have overtaken him ages ago. By this time I was TIRED! And really angry that id got lost. The next checkpoint took forever. As they cheered me in saying ‘not far to go’ I could barely muster a smile as I said, not the way I’m running. I had set a new record though. Over 45 minutes to cover 1 mile of the course. Just what you need when you’ve run 60 odd miles. I tried to put it out of mind and pushed on the last stretch. I tried to stay calm but was infuriated as I began to re-overtake people I had passed 2.5 hours before!!!!! I came in on 6.10 (ish?), and figured I must have been on for sub 5.30 that day. I had fallen from 13th to 15th overall but would have had 10th if I’d stayed on course. The guy I ran with on Saturday had run 5.36 (a min faster than our day 1 time), and I had been WAY ahead of that. If if if if if!!! Shame they don’t count!

The delay had caused me to miss Oliver ‘I don’t drink dairy but make others neck bowls of it’ Sinclair’s award ceremony which was a shame because he has run a blinder. 4.30 something on the second day, 15 mins faster than day 1 and the win by half an hour!! Well done robot boy.

I still managed to smile as I passed the finish line and had had a great weekend. Lets face it, if its all about time on your feet I had made an awesome session for myself. Awesome running from Jay too who came in on about 7 and half hours, which is a MASSIVE effort from such a short time running.

Bring on the next!