Race Report : Rocky Raccoon 100

Rocky Raccoon Course Map

I've been in hiding for the past few months after another DNF in 2014 as well as failing to get a finish at my first 100 mile event, The Winter 100. Nobody to blame but my body, as I picked up an ITB niggle and quit at mile 75...and I still believe that was the right decision. I ended up taking 6 weeks off running, which was tough and really impacted my fitness levels but seems to have got me over the issue (caused by a fallen arch).

Anyway, enough of that, this is all about Rocky Raccoon, which I entered at the beginning of December having spent a week or two back running without any knee issues and discussing it with James Elson (not to be confused with James Elston, who is a friend of Dean Karnazes). My events calendar was already sorted for 2015 and the only options I had to fit in a 100 without forgoing another event was in the January/February timeframe and as James was planning on running it, it seemed like a good idea.  

Huntsville State Park, Texas

Entries confirmed and having recruited John Volanthen to join us, we set off for Texas to run five 20 mile loops around a park in Huntsville. We booked in to the palatial Motel 6 just up the road, which is a little pricey, so to save a bit of cash John and I shared a room to bring the average cost per person per night to under $25 which is my price ceiling for hotels. 

After a delayed arrival, thanks to a fault, we arrived late on the Thursday evening and got in to the hotel around 1am. Our plan had been to try and stay on UK time as much as possible, with the race only one day away, we'd need to be at the start early doors so it made sense. Friday was a long day with quite a bit of it spent hanging around Starbucks, McDonalds, The Olive Garden, Subway, Starbucks again and a quick visit to the park to collect our bib numbers and listen to the race briefing.

The briefing was straight forward, follow the markers out on the course and don't drop any litter. With the most important piece of advice being imparted to us by the local park ranger, don't park on the grass or you'll get towed away. Oh and there are Alligators in the water, including a 9ft one, so don't go for a dip. A very sensible race policy I think, I can't abide bad parking.

John between visits to the gents pre-race

After going to bed what would have been artificially early (7pm) if we hadn't been on UK time, the reason our hotel was cheap became clear. They hadn't constructed the hotel with normal partition walls, they'd use rice paper or perhaps a cheaper alternative, which isn't renowned for it's sound reducing qualities. The room next door were making some interesting noises throughout and caused some broken sleep before John and I decided to get up and head to the start (around 4am).

Having bagged a good parking spot and with a bucket of coffee from McDonalds, we now just had to sit it out in the car park for 2 hours. John used this time to make 413 visits to the rest room (this is what the yanks call the toilet) while I sat around wondering what on earth I was doing sitting in a car park in the middle of the night, 5000 miles from home and about to run around a random state park with 500 others.

Without much fanfare, we proceeded to the start line, dropped off our drop bags, shook hands wishing everybody the best of luck before the horn went off. No time to turn back now, we were shuffling down the trail on our first loop of five. It was a little crowded and the first mile was very stop start taking almost 15 minutes, although it certainly felt even slower than this. 

The first loop was pretty uneventful and John and I ran all of it together, starting in the dark by the time we got to our drop bags at Damnation it was getting light. We dropped off head torches and continued getting used to watching exactly where to place your feet as we side stepped all the way round the 6 mile loop and back to Damnation again before proceeding on to the final aid station and then back to the start. One lap done and right on race plan (3 hours 33 minutes).

Friday's race briefing

After a quick stop, John and I left together but I slowed during this lap, just a little and sat about 3-5 minutes behind his pace. I knew this because we passed James around Damnation, looking as fresh as a daisy. The second lap was uneventful too although the temperature was creeping up and by the time I got back to the end of the loop I knew I hadn't drunk or eaten enough and had to take a few minutes to sort myself out. Forty miles in and I was still on race plan, it just so happened I was starting to feel a bit minging.

Getting out on lap 3 I'd dropped right back from John and was having a bit of a mare, when Ian Sharman lapped me and informed me it would pass and to keep going. Words of encouragement from the eventual race winner (and course record holder) was nice, it's not many sports where the elites give us slow runners much attention. During lap 3, it got really hot. I was overheating & feeling dehydrated. Having informed the girl I was running with, she suggested I take my shirt off. This isn't something I normally do (Robbie take note) but after I did, I felt cooler although I did have to keep telling people that while I look a bit like him, I wasn't in fact Anton Krupicka.

Back at the start at the 60 mile marker, I was feeling awful although I was only just behind my race plan by 14 minutes. I took some time here and changed shoes (big mistake) and forced myself out on to the course again. I walked the 3 miles to the next aid station, feeling terrible with people passing me all the time. Head torches were now back on, so you could see people coming, which on a lapped course plays havoc with your head. You don't know if people are ahead or behind you but psychologically it's horrible being passed in a race.

Funnily enough this was the Start/Finish

After a good 10 minute sit down again at the aid station, I got some noodles and set off on what I thought would be a 37 mile death march to the finish. I got to Dam nation (another 3 miles further on) and was starting to feel a little better, the food had really helped and I was now drinking half a litre of water between aid stations which was helping with the earlier dehydration issues. I also met a nice Mexican chap here, who didn't speak much English but we worked together to push on and run what we could. This helped me around the loop and back to Damnation when I let him go on ahead as I changed my top and put on my waterproof (it had finally started to drizzle).

80 miles in 18 hours 25 minutes, so I knew that all I had to do was keep walking and I'd get my finishers buckle. Sounds easy but I was tired and had already had a few occurrences of falling asleep on my feet on lap 4. I changed my shoes back again (a joyous feeling) took some paracetamol (I know!) with caffeine, put some ibuprofen gel on my leg and got out there again on my final lap. Knowing it's your final lap is mentally rewarding but the negative creeps in and says "you've still got 6 hours to go". 

I was feeling much better now and began pushing to maintain a 4 mile an hour pace, walking and running whenever I could. The first half of this loop flew by (relatively speaking) but my legs became very heavy and I slowed down on the back half. With the sub 24 hour time slipping away, I didn't care as I knew I was going to make it, get that buckle and banish those DNF demons.

The clock ticked over to 24 hours 20 minutes 2 seconds as I stepped over the finish line, not a moment too soon. I certainly had a feeling of accomplishment, in equal measure with that of complete and utter happiness that the pain was now over, no more loops, no more tree roots, no more aid stations snacks. It was over, I'd earned my buckle and now it was time to relax.

4 British Runners, 4 Finishers!

John had also done it (sub 23 hours too), I found him in the car waiting for me (probably because it was more comfortable than going back to the hotel). James had also managed an amazing 8th place with a time of 14 hours 50 minutes and Pete had also achieved his sub 18 hour race, ensuring he's got an automatic Spartathlon qualifier! Unfortunately, Travis DNF'd after a nasty fall and with breathing difficulties, it sounds like he took the sensible option, there'll always be another event, in his case, that's next weekend (gulp!).

After an uneventful flight home, on which I slept like the dead, unsurprisingly, normality is returning and normal life resumes. While I don't compete for position, it's that race bubble that I now have diminishing, that I crave. I love the support from near and afar, on the phone, twitter, facebook etc. It's nice to know people are watching you and willing you on as you trudge around far away places, even if some are verging on stalker status (not mentioning any names Louise). Thank you for all the lovely messages and support, reading them yesterday took some time but was so wonderful!

January has kicked off the year with a big tick, 100 mile finish and my highest mileage month ever (327m/527km). All good prep for what's next on the calendar, Transvulcania but first I need to lose some of my winter coat and then I'll start preparing for 'them thar hills'.

100 mile BLING!

Rocky Raccoon official lap timings below and my Strava track is here

Lap 1 03:33:34
Lap 2 03:49:58
Lap 3 04:50:31
Lap 4 06:11:00
Lap 5 05:54:59

Like The Wind Magazine

My piece on Addiction in Like the Wind #3

If you haven't come across this wonderful publication yet, I suggest you pick up a copy ASAP.  Check them out here.

Simon and Julia take a very different approach that is both refreshing and unique, whilst immersive and spell binding all at the same time. With contributions from the running community as a whole, including yours truly this edition, the pages are full of real life stories that you connect with immediately. It's a colourful and completely packed magazine, whose pages smell and feel fabulous, making the experience of reading it, different and amazing at the same time.

Pre Race Report : Winter 100

John with his weird re-breather stuff

Ok, so it's been awhile since I've posted a blog entry, mainly because it's been pretty quite and also because secretly I've not had much to talk about since my failure at the UTMB CCC in late August.  In fact I didn't even write up a race report as I was so annoyed at dropping out at mile 18; by not writing a report, it clearly didn't happen, right?

Anyway, now there is something else to talk about, a new challenge and certainly my biggest yet.  This weekend I will attempt my first 100 mile event called the Winter 100. I'm mentally prepared for this to hurt big style, as well as tax me mentally but only time will tell how much it will really hurt.  The weather looks awful but I know lots of people completing the event as well as the volunteers around the place, who I know will spur me along, including the Ultra Chicken himself.

If that wasn't enough, I've also got two good friends coming along for the ride.  They both offered to pace a 25 mile section with me; in fact they almost insisted upon it.  I'm sure most runners find it hard to find pacers willing to put themselves out and give up a perfectly good weekend to run 25 miles in the muddy, wet English countryside.  Not I! I've got them queuing up around the corner to offer their services, although I think it's fair to say, they all want to see me suffer more than they want to help me cross the finish line.

The Ginger Princess

I'm excited and apprehensive about what tomorrow will bring.  So what happens when an ex-fatty, a caveman and a ginger princess head off to run 100 miles?  Well you'll have to come back next week to find out!

Oh and if I don't make it through this weekends exploits, please do not believe anything Tim Lambert writes about me.  He is a compulsive liar and holds some kind of grudge over me after I wrote an honest and open account on the experiences of pacing him through his first 100 miler earlier this year.  Some would say I was too honest but what would they know, they probably all vote for the Liberal party.

Weekend Report : Brecon Beacons Social Ultra #2

This weekend was the 2nd Social Ultra since it's inception; this time the location was the Brecon Beacons with 3 runs planned over the weekend.  

Friday evening saw 4 members (Anna, Jenn, Rich and myself) of the group head off for a 6 mile canal run.  Paul and Andrew missed the run due to traffic issues, I'd forgotten it was a home international weekend which caused some tailbacks at the bridge.   The run turned out to be a lot wetter than anticipated and with the odd tree to clamber over we amassed a huge 400ft of climb (although I'm not sure how).

After a refreshing pint in the local pub, I said my goodbyes to the group and after dropping Rich off at the campsite, I went home for some dinner (and to watch the rugby), oh and prep my kit for Saturdays long outing.

I'd planned a circular route taking in the major peaks on a few well trodden footpaths, along with some less well used ones.  That meant sorting out the logistics of where people would be and at what time was going to be tough.  I decided with Nikki we'd have a brief stop about mile 7, where we could easily get a car to and top up peoples water, before heading off on to the hills proper.  The 2nd (and final) aid station would be a car parked at Storey Arms, around mile 14....the only downside was I had the keys to this car and so would have to be there first.

On Saturday morning we grabbed our final bits of kits, dropped off the car at Storey Arms and then headed over to Talybont-on-Usk to meet the rest of the group around 0930.  We found Rich, Anna & Jenn finishing up a hearty breakfast in the White Hart, then the others arrived and decided we better get started whilst the weather looked favourable.  We quickly discussed the route and made sure everybody knew the rules & regulations of these social outings (more on this later) before we started up the hill.

We arrived quite quickly at the 1st aid station and Nikki was there waiting for us with a big smile and 3 black labradors who gazed out of the boot at everybody probably wondering what mad event was taking place this time!  With bottles topped up and everybody itching to get in to some proper climbing, we continued our trek heading off the Taff Trail and up the Roman Road, before turning downwards and across the front of [Lower] Neuadd Reservoir.  The route goes up, up, up and on to the ridge line that's a little exposed to the winds, which were certainly starting to pick up.  

I jogged along this ridge with Paul and we chatted as we passed large numbers of people. Obviously the sun was out and everybody has decided to hit the trails and they turned what is normally quite a quiet place into an Oxford Street pavement on Christmas Eve (well that's what it felt like to me).  After running the ridge line we turned down the well paved "motorway" back to the car park south of Storey Arms where we met up with the two other locals running, Andi and Sean, who were tucking into warm drinks after showing everybody else how you are supposed to run over the hills.

The home cooked muffins were passed around and then Andi & Sean headed off up the hill again, followed by Zoe and Paul, while I sat in the car awaiting the arrival of Dave, Heather, Jenn, Rich and Andrew.  Hindsight being a wonderful thing, I will ensure I change my sweat soaked clothes if I do this again....by the time the others had arrived I was a little cold and needed to get going again.

To everybody's dismay, Jenn decided to call it a day as the weather was turning (for the worse) and we had 11 miles over the highest peaks to complete still.  It was a good decision as Rich and I took off to try and get back in time for the rugby, to be beaten, stung and generally whipped into shape by some particularly high winds and hailstones as we climbed to Corn Du.  Visibility wasn't terrible but it certainly wasn't the clear day we'd set off in, so we slowed our pace a little until we'd descended Jacob's Ladder and were in the [tolerable] shelter of Cribyn.  

We ascended Fan y Big, took our tourist photo standing out on the rock edge, which was slightly dodgy with the high winds but luckily enough my big breakfast held me steadfast to the granite.  With the England match kickoff looking less and less likely we set a new target of half time back at base and continued to push as we headed around the ridge line, across the bog to Carn Pica and the first sight of the finish line.  With renewed vigour (oh and some sugar) we pushed onwards down the hill, with only one small sliding event where I slid down a grassy section on one knee, it was quite a sight I'm told.  

Across the reservoir we met up with Zoe and we continued the final mile back to the start point, with the distance clocking just over 25 miles and 2000 metres of ascent in a time (by my watch) of 5 hours 29 minutes (excluding my waiting time at the aid station of course). Time to get in the warm, get some food, beer oh and watch the rugby, arriving 5-10 minutes before half time; result!

As the rugby came to a close (well done England!) I started to worry a little about the 4 people still out on the hill.  Darkness was still a little way off but I knew that with the bad weather it would not be easy work getting down, especially without head torches and knowing the route inside out.  I headed up the hill in search of people and shortly bumped into Dave, Heather and Anna, they'd taken the sensible option on reaching the summits to head off the peaks and return to lower ground.  The visibility was dropping and the cold, wind and rain would have taken it out of them if they'd stayed up high, so they returned to Talybont via the Taff Trail, sneaking in a few extra miles making their outing about 28 miles.

With just Andrew left on the hill, I was initially less concerned as I knew he had a map, compass and GPS navigation of the entire route on this watch.  As time ticked away I got more concerned which only increased with darkness and so we called and text his mobile, ensuring we left the current time and asking him to report in if possible.  We also checked his B&B to make sure he hadn't got back and fallen asleep in his room, which would have been embarrassing to explain had we had to call out mountain rescue.  

It was not long after this I saw the flash of a head torch up the hill and so I set off up the trail in the hope it would be him....and it was.  I'm sure my relief was obvious to Andrew as I wasn't looking forward to making a call to get people to help us search for him.  Of course Andrew was fine, he'd been taking his time walking it back in and my worry now seemed a little over the top, although I think it's natural to be concerned.  

It does raise some questions about mandatory kit people need to take when hitting the hills, even more so in areas that are new to them.  My kit list isn't complete but I think cover most things and I'd highly recommend people consider GPS and/or Spot Trackers (especially if they aren't the most confident navigator).  I'd like to point out Andrew had with him all of the items I'd consider mandatory for this type of event, he knew what he was doing and was more than capable of getting back to base and my worry was unfounded (luckily).

Saturday was topped off as we all enjoyed a nice meal (although service was unusually slow) and a few pints in the Star Inn.  In hindsight we perhaps should have organised food a little earlier as I think some of the group were ready to eat the flower table decorations, although luckily this was narrowly avoided with some large plates of well cooked food.

Sunday's run was planned as a short recovery run, which I'd intended would include a summit of one of the Western peaks but the gale force winds and rain forecast put pay to that. So we decided to stay a little lower and run around some of the forestry tracks, keeping exposure to a minimum.  This route was little off the cuff and so the actual distance ended up being slightly more than expected but was really enjoyable and everybody shook out the strains and stresses of the long run.

I hope everybody enjoyed themselves as much as Nikki and I did, it's nice when a group of strangers can together and get along so well.  The plan for this event was to have some company of the trails and to show people the beauty of Brecon Beacons; both of these goals were achieved in my eyes and only made better with gaining new friendships. Thank you everybody!

Another Winter Fan Dance Race Report

Saturday January 18th's weather was slightly different to the previous years event; there was no snow this time around but we certainly had cold temperatures combined with howling wind, rain and even sideways hail to challenge the near 500 competitors in what promised be a challenging day on the mountainside.  

I rocked up to the Storey Arms around 0745, parking up a few hundred metres away and followed the trail of people in to the registration hall.  Today's event seemed (& was) bigger and even better organised at getting people in and out of registration quickly and efficiently.  I had purposely arrived earlier than required as I didn't want to miss the start of the load bearers who make the clean fatigue entrants pail in to insignificance as they make it look easy carrying a stupid weight on their back over a very tough course.

With the increased number of competitors at this years event, the start was delayed slightly while we waited for everybody to get through the kissing gate and crowd around Ken for some positively inspirational words about not dying out there and have a good time in what can only be described as terrible conditions.  Hanging around the start line also has it's negative points as I had the embarrassment of being recognised by some people who had seen the video of me taking a tumble at the finish line of the Summer Fan Dance.  It's all in a days work and falling over happens to the best runners or so I'm told!

And so at 0845 or thereabouts the load bearers were off, upwards and in to the cloud that was surrounding not just the tops of the mountains but also most of the bottom of them too. I returned to the car to prepare myself for my little jaunt, attaching race numbers, packing final bits of kit, double checking stuff I'd double and triple checked already etc.  Not wanting a repeat of the Summer Fan Dance, I was determined to be at the start line on time and not to have to start from the back of the clean fatigue group so I left the warm car and made my way in to the start.

Almost exactly on time, Ken pulled us together and repeated his warning about not dying out there and keeping clear of the edges due to high winds.  There is some irony listening to a briefing about staying warm as the person gives it sups one of the largest brews known to mankind safe in the knowledge he's staying in the warm at the bottom.  Without the hooter this time, Ken counted us down and we were off....upwards in to the mist.  

A few of the guys got off to a cracking start and soon disappeared over the first ridge line, although I kept them in sight just about until we were halfway up the main drag.   Confronted this time with the age old question of do I track around the front of Corn Du, which is longer but has less vertical ascent, or do I go up and over.  Given the conditions I decided for the first time ever to track around and it was near here I caught up with Darren for the first of a couple of encounters we'd have on route.  Darren is an experienced Fan Dancer and came in a couple of places ahead of me at the Summer event and I was quite surprised to find him taking it slowly up the final piece of ascent.  As it turns out, he was caught out with the cold weather later in the race and had to put in a death march to finish the event before warming himself up again with the help of the jacket provide by the DS.

I needn't have worried as we dropped down off Pen y Fan after checking in with the DS, both Darren and my old school buddy Braddan zoomed off past me down Jacobs Ladder. I like to think of myself as being quick downhill but these guys left me for dust and were soon down and heading round the side of Cribyn.  I pushed myself to try and keep this guys in sight as we checked in with the DS at the Gap before heading down the Roman Road passing some of the load bearing runners now as we caught up with them.  

Nearing the turn around point I had the pleasure of my support crew, Mum & Dad, who were the only spectators I saw all day, so thanks for braving the weather to cheer me on all be it only for two 30 second or so glimpses.  As I reached the turn around point I saw the lead load bearer and then started counting the clean fatigue runners to work out what position I was in.  With the cold weather and tiredness in my legs, my brain wasn't working and I counted what I thought was 10 or 12 places but that could as easily have been 7 or 70. 

Anyway,  I had reached half way and now had the joy of returning up the Roman Road.  I'd been out on this stretch a few times and knew I could run this entire uphill section at a reasonable pace, which I was quite happy I managed to complete, returning to a very wind swept DS at the Gap.  It was on this section that I passed Daren again and after asking him if all was ok, I ran on leaving him to battle the hill on his own.  Checking in quickly I didn't hang about and returned around Cribyn to begin the hard slog of climbing the ladder.  

This climb is not to be underestimated on a sunny day let alone on a day like today. The wind was gusting to considerable speeds, enough to unsteady me as I climbed and with tiny hail stones whipping in to the side of my face it wasn't a particularly pleasurable experience I can tell you.  Reaching the summit for the second and final time, I checked in with the DS and took my leave, quickly crossing the divide to Corn Du.  I met up with two competitors here, one clean fatigue and one load bearer, neither of which knew the route and I had to direct them over the short step descent in to the mist. While I don't mind helping out fellow competitors, neither of these guys even got their maps out, they were just happy enough to follow my lead, which in my eyes is somewhat naive especially on a race that is supposed to include some level of navigational skills.

With the final descent going well, the fall during the last event sprang to mind and I was somewhat cautious as I headed down to the red phone box, crossing the finish line in 2 hour 47 minutes.  I'd missed my target time of 2 hours 30 minutes which I've put down to a few things; plain old fatigue from the previous weeks races combined with the weather and a lack of focussed hill work.  Needless to say with the South Downs Way 50, Lakeland 50 and the UTMB CCC this year, I'm going to be doing a lot of hill work over the next few months, so I'll be ready when the Summer event comes around later this year.

You are Dopey

The first race of the year and what a way to kick it off with a visit to Orlando, Florida. Goodbye bad Winter weather and hello sunshine and blue skies. And so it was, that Nikki and I departed London on Wednesday 8th January 2014, heading to Mickey's backyard to run not 1, or 2 or even 3 races, we signed up for the Dopey Challenge.

What's that then? Well it's 4 races on consecutive days with increasing distances.

Day 1 is 5 km.
Day 2 is 10 km.
Day 3 is 13.1 miles.
Day 4 is 26.2 miles.

I run further in a training week than this, so it should be easy enough right?

Well actually no! The combination of fatigue, the heat, the humidity and the heavy pounding on the road surface really does take it out of your legs and I was quite surprised at how sore my quads were after we'd finished. I guess I need to work more on my running economy to ensure I use my hamstrings more to push me around.

Day 1 : The Disney 5km Fun Run

An early start with the alarm going off at 4am, we were soon indoctrinated into the runDisney way of things. We were under strict orders to be on the buses before 5am for the very short journey to the start line. I have to admit the process of getting people from all of the hotels to the start line and then into the corrals went like clockwork. Even the queues for the toilets was acceptable, which is unheard of at almost every running event I've ever been to.

Nikki and I left John and Janie in their corral and made our way to the 'A' corral (that stands for Almost elite). The race was a staggered start, with each corral supposed to be released shortly after one another. As it turned out, I was finishing the race just as Janie had been set off on to the course.

This short sharp race went well and I felt full of energy from the off, so I pushed myself around what turned out to be the most boring location for the first 1.5 miles. After this we left the car park for a quick trip through Epcot and back to the finish line. Surprisingly I'd set myself a new personal best, completing the course in 21 minutes 31 seconds (my watch clocked 21:14 but I'm using chip times).

Day 2: The WDW 'Inaugural' 10km

An even earlier start had the 4 of us heading to the bus for 4am this time, it's the only time I've been grateful of jetlag. The race start time was set for 5.30am, mainly due to the fact they had more competitors that the 5km and Disney wanting to open the parks on time, means they have to get everybody around the course before official opening times.

Back in the same corrals as yesterday and with Mike Wardian out front with a few other named runners like Jeff Galloway and Dave McGillivray we were under starters orders and off bang on time. I kissed Nikki goodbye and headed off on to the course, agreeing to meet near the bag collection near the finish line.

Today's course was 3 miles of roads and car parks, which again was kind of annoying/boring but the back half of the course was much more enjoyable and took in more of Epcot and a loop around the Boardwalk.
During the first half of the race, there was an out and back loop where I heard somebody shouting "Run faster fatty". I looked down to my right and saw Nikki shouting up at me, obviously she wasn't running fast enough if she could still talk whilst slowly making her way around the course.

I crossed the line in another personal best time of 47 minutes 1 second but I was certainly less comfortable than the previous day, perhaps I'd pushed myself a little too much.

Day 3: Only 13.1 miles today

It was beginning to feel like groundhog day, getting up, eating, getting on a bus, queueing for a portable toilet, entering a corral system and then running around Disney World. Today was slightly different, it was hot and humid and it was still very early in the morning, today could be a lot harder than anticipated.

Our corrals were different today, with many more runners (25k) there were now quite a few corrals and all 4 of us were in different starting positions. We said our goodbyes and prepared ourselves for the off.

Today's race was started by Donald Duck with a 2 minute gap between corrals and more fireworks than you see at most bonfire night parties in the UK. They really were wonderful to watch as we marched forward in our respective pens. I was lucky to be fairly close to the front and didn't have a long wait before the big duck got us underway.

I had a race plan today, to slow down a bit, knowing I wouldn't be able to run a PB given the heat and the fact I had a marathon to run the next day. So I sat back (a bit) and enjoyed what the course had to offer, which was some road but also included the Magic Kingdom and Epcot with the finish in the shadows of Spaceship Earth.

The weather took it's toll on me and I was sweating much more than normal which caused my shorts (which were drenched) to rub the tops of my legs raw. Not as bad as occurred to Nikki, who had a similar experience but her legs ended up looking worse than mine. I crossed the line in 1:48:24 with Nikki coming in shortly afterwards in 2:39:29.

Day 4: The big daddy, marathon day

I didn't wake up thinking thank goodness this is the last day but I was pleased that soon enough I could return to running on trails as my legs certainly noticed the impact difference that the roads brought. John was a little jaded as well as disorganised this morning, although we put that down to the fact that Janie wasn't there to help him dress, eat, walk, run etc.

After getting the normal bus to the start line, we managed to lose Nikki after a toilet visit although we did finally meet up just prior to having to split off into our respective corrals. We had the same Disney characters up on stage but Mickey kicked us off with even more fireworks than yesterday.

My goal for today had been a 3.45 marathon and for this I knew I'd need to pace myself carefully so that I didn't go out too fast, which is exactly what had happened in Madrid. So I hung out with the 3.45 pacer for the first mile or two, before deciding I needed to get ahead so that I could stop and use the facilities, after which I had a shorter distance to catch up with them.

Around 6 miles into the run, I was getting annoyed with the number of people hanging around the pacer, as well as the non stop talking from the pacer himself. Not only was it incessant, he was loud too and so I decided to run a little ahead of the group where there was plenty of space.

This was to be my undoing as I started to run too fast, getting further and further ahead of the pacer. As we headed through the Magic Kingdom, on to a loop of the Speedway and then down to the Animal Kingdom, I was getting further ahead of where I should have been. As we entered the ESPN Wide World of Sports I started to slow down, paying the penalty for not pacing my run. This couldn't be a repeat of Madrid, I wouldn't let it. I had to ensure I came in under 4 hours, no matter what!

With less than 5 miles to go the 3.45 pacer passed me, still chattering away but with a much smaller group of people around him. They'd either been bored into running faster or they'd burnt out too early. I was determined to continue and try to keep them in sight, although I was slowing too much and had to let them go. Less than 2 miles to go I saw Janie on the boardwalk which helped spur me on to the finish line.

I crossed the final finish line of the week in 3:50:52, tired but very happy to have completed the first Dopey Challenge. Nikki wasn't long behind in 5:06:12 and John a little further back completing it in 5:48:59.

I really enjoyed myself, having been to Disney before it gave me another view of some of the parks. Would I run it again? I'd have to say no, only because running on roads doesn't work for me and I also don't like big races particularly. I prefer the solitude and beauty that running in the hills on trails provides but I would recommend this event to road runners, it's well organised and is a fantastic challenge plus you get to visit Disney!

Final results for the Dopey Challenge are available here and further photos here.

2014 Race Calendar (so far)

As 2013 draws to a close, it's time to look to the new year and the challenges we have ahead of us. While 2013 was an excellent year for me, I have some lofty goals for 2013 and a busy schedule (that is only getting more busy)

• Disney Dopey Challenge - (5k, 10k, half and full marathon) - 9th-12th January
• Winter Fan Dance - (14 mile trail) - 18th January
• The Chill Swim - (60m swim) - 1st Feb
• Cotswold Way - (50km trail) - 8th Feb
• Brecon Beacons Trail Weekend - (~35 mile trail) - 21st -23rd Feb (sign up here)
• Lanzarote Training Week - 6th-13th March
• South Downs Way 50 - (50 mile trail) - 5th April
• Boston Marathon - (26.2 miles) - 21st April
• Brecon Beacons Trail Weekend - (~35 mile trail) - 9th-11th May (TBC)
• 70.3 Ironman UK - 15th June
• Chew Valley - (10km) - 22nd June
• Lakeland 50 - (50 mile trail) - 26th July
• Ride London - 10th August (entry permitted)
• UTMB CCC - (50 mile trail) - 30th August (entry permitted)

Happy New Year everyone!

Race Report : The Brecon Beacons 10 Peaks

At the race briefing

2am Saturday 7th September and my alarm is beeping, time to get up and complete my routine in preparation for what I'm expecting to be to my biggest challenge yet.  This race is billed as "one very tough day in the mountains" and having recce'd the route a number of times I wasn't going to underestimate it.

Living at the foot of the mountains, this race was in my back yard so to speak and I was confident I could get around without having to navigate.  This bonus meant that I could concentrate on transporting myself over the 55 mile course and up & down 10 or so peaks.

The course takes in 12 mandatory peaks, with 5 check points on route, each of which must be completed in order.  Electronic tags were used to record times and locations of each competitor, as well as manual records at each checkpoint/feed station.  The event is effectively a self sufficient individual race with food and drink top ups available should you need it. 

The race kicked off at 4am from the YHA at Talybont Reservoir, with about 120 starters on the long course.  This was my first foray into night running, although I've been out with my head torch at night, I'd never started a race in the dark before.  As we headed off on a 2km single track route, I found myself crossing the start line at the front of the pack.  I really had to fight to stop myself from tearing off too quickly and not even making peak #1. 

Carn Pica

Running at night has its advantages, you can't see how much further you've got to go to the top of the hill.  I was soon at Carn Pica to my surprise and dabbing into the first mandatory checkpoint, 57 mins after setting off.  I was on schedule, having previously decided this section I should allow an hour for.

It was around this point when the heavens opened and the wind picked up and I was soon experiencing the weather that you come to expect on the Beacons.  Not long after this I found myself descending and had to stop and double check my location.  I was a little concerned as I didn't think I should be heading downhill yet.  Turns out I was a mile further ahead of where I expected to be, which in hindsight is slightly concerning.  It makes you understand how easily people can get lost/disorientated when navigating at night.

The suggested route drops down to the Lower Neuadd Reservoir and then heads directly up the other side of the valley to Trig Point 642m.  The second climb of the morning and I was pleased to not be able to see the top as I slogged up the steep path.  Some of the other competitors cut out right on a path that cut diagonally across the hillside.  This route wasn't any faster as I bumped into the guy who was right in front of me as we dabbed into the second mandatory peak (1hr 55min).


Dawn was just breaking as I ran along the ridge line towards Corn Du.  It was at this point I decided to trip myself up and practice my commando roll across the floor.  Luckily I didn't cut my hands although my hip did take a bashing and caused me a little bit of pain later in the day.  3 days later it's a wonderful dark purple and black bruise but thankfully it doesn't hurt any more.  When will I learn to watch where I step?

Checkpoint #1 was at the car park south of Storey Arms on the A470.  I arrived here after a fairly quick descent of the mountain, with just enough time to briefly say hi to Nikki and Mum, switch out my water bottle, take on some food and get going again. CP1 was about 10-11miles into the course and I was on schedule (just) at 2 hours 39 mins since the start.  Next stop the first of the 10 peaks.....hard to believe I was a fifth of the way into the course and hadn't hit a single peak of the ten yet.

Although it was now light, Fan Fawr was covered in mist which nicely shrouded the peak as I climbed the hillside.  A few of the guys I'd run the ridge line from trig 642 with earlier caught me on this ascent, this is always a little annoying but I reminded myself it's me against the clock and not other people.

Ruins near Pant Mawr

Reaching the summit of Fan Fawr in an elapsed time of 3 hours 10 minutes, I'd made it to the first of ten peaks!  The next peak was on the other side of the valley and the most direct route would be a straight line, down one side and up the other. Having recce'd this route before I knew it was quicker to follow the recommend route around the valley, staying higher but travelling slightly further.  Given the mist and to ensure I took the right line, I took a bearing from here and jogged on down the hillside.


A short time later I was bagging peak number two in an elapsed time of 3 hours 48 mins.  Next stop the second checkpoint (4hr 6min) which was on the edge of the Sarn Helen road and a short jog down the hillside.  I refilled my water bottle, a few quick hellos and then continued on the rocky Roman Road. 

This section of the course is undulating but doesn't offer any major climbs which makes it quite runnable although I was feeling a little fatigued and the lady that arrived at CP2 behind me, soon overtook me and disappeared into the distance.  This would be my first "chicking" of the day with another to come later.  I should point out this is a term taken from other Ultra runners and is not in any way supposed to be a derogatory term.

Reaching checkpoint 3 (5hr 18min) I was now ahead of my schedule and I had been feeling good, knowing that I was entering into the section which contained the turn around point, marking half the journey completed!  CP3 was also the point where dropbags were collected, although I'd not bothered with one as Nikki was meeting me at most of the CPs.

I refilled my bladder and my water bottle, grabbed a few shot blocks energy gels and took my leave.  My not stopping for a dropbag or hot food I had also caught up with a number of people who were now just ahead of me as we headed down towards the A4067, which we would cross before heading up towards Fan Brycheiniog and peak number 3.

Just before I got to the road, my bladder burst and the 1.5litres of water gushed down the back of my legs.  I was now soaking wet, although that was less of a worry, more concerning was the lack of water to get me round the next section of the course.  I had one 750ml bottle which was two thirds full and not much chance of getting any water before I got off the next hillside.  I continued jogging along, telling myself it would be fine but the more I thought about it, the more thirsty I got.  By the time I was halfway up Fan Brycheiniog I had to set myself goals to ration out the water I had remaining.  I was in no danger and this lack of water concern was purely in my head....it was a real low point and I think if there had been a proper Checkpoint at this peak, I'd have possibly jacked it all in.

I reached peak 3 in 6 hours 56 mins, continuing past it, knowing that I had to back track along this section of the route after bagging peak 4.  This wouldn't be too bad except to get to peak 4 you have to go down and up again, before turning around and retracing your steps back to peak 3.  Another low point in the day for me but at least knew that heading down from here I passed some fast flowing streams and I'd be able to get some fresh drinking water. 

The ridge line @ Fan Brycheiniog

Peak 4 was bagged in 7 hours 12 minutes, I was on my return journey, which was slightly shorter distance wise but with 6 peaks left there was plenty of climbing to be had.


As I made my way passed Lyn y Fan Fawr, I decided against filling my water bottle as the water didn't look as clear as I'd have liked.  I ran down the hillside and found some fast flowing water, topped up my bottle and threw in a chlorine tablet just to ensure it was clean.  The water tasted nasty but it was the best tasting nasty water I've ever experienced.

Reaching CP4 (8 hours 37 mins) I took a few minutes to dump my old bladder and luckily grabbed a spare water bottle from my bag, which I replaced with nice tasting water.  This CP was at the base of the steepest climb on the whole route, roughly 37 miles in, just what the doctor ordered, right?

Heading up the hill was both physically and mentally challenging but I had in my hand an apple, which was my reward for getting to the summit.  It's strange how little things like that can make all the difference to getting you from A to B, yet it's only an apple.

Munching on the apple, I checked into the top of Fan Gyhirych at 9 hours 25 minutes since the start and an amazing 48 minutes since leaving the checkpoint at the bottom.  This was significantly slower than I'd anticipated or experienced in any of the recces, although I'd never run so far or climbed so much any of those times.  

Heading off Fan Gyhirych the next stop was Fan Nedd but I almost had a spring in my step knowing that this was basically the home straight now with 16-17 miles left.  When I ran the North Downs Way earlier this year I had a similar feeling at around mile 31 knowing that I was counting down the miles and that the worst was behind me.  It's funny how the mind works; how little thoughts like this can swing you from such a dark place to almost breaking into a rendition of the 'The Hills are Alive'.  Lucky for my fellow competitors and for all the glazing in a 20 miles radius, I didn't follow through with my Julie Andrews impression.

I notched up Fan Nedd in 10 hours 8 mins before crossing back over the road (with a quick hello to my support crew) before re-joining the other end of Sarn Helen.  This put me back on the same route as the short course participants and those who'd decided to switch from long to short at CP2 earlier in the day.

The bruise on my leg from my fall

The Roman Road (Sarn Helen) is a rocky beast and not that great to run down but I did my best and continued the jog/walk routine as best I could, carefully weighing up speed against a twisted ankle.  I was neck and neck with a couple of other competitors around here who showed me (thankfully) a path which cut a corner off the suggested route and saved me plodding along the road much further.  We cut up the hill, before their legs out powered mine and they accelerated away. I reached the summit of peak 7 (Fan Frynych) in 11 hours 36 minutes, with the next stop being the final checkpoint at Storey Arms.

The route back to Storey Arms hugs the contours whilst bringing you back down the hillside, cutting in and out on the sheep tracks, you never appear to be getting closer and then all of a sudden you are at the stile.  Checkpoint 5 was the last point I'd see a friendly face or get any further official support in terms of food/water.  I arrived at 16:20 (12 hours 20 minutes elapsed) and a new race had started, this time could I make it the final 10-11 miles back to the finish before sunset (19:50).

There are two options to head up Corn Du & Pen y Fan from CP5, you can take the shorter but steeper route up past the famous red phone box or you can walk down the road and head up the longer but more gradual climb.  I took the first option, God only knows why, it just seemed like the right thing to do.  The next decision is do you cut across the front of Corn Du and then round the back of the summit and head directly to Pen y Fan, or do you head up to the summit and then down and up to the summit of Pen y Fan.  At this stage I was in a particularly stubborn mindset and I was thinking if I've come this far, I may as well tag another summit (even though Corn Du wasn't a mandatory peak for me).  

I clocked in at Corn Du 13 hours 21 minutes and then Pen y Fan at 13 hours 30 minutes.  After this fairly hard climb I started to feel a lot better than I had for a few hours, knowing that I was close to the finish and I set myself lots of little goals.  Can I get to the summit of Cribyn (Peak 9) before 18:30?  Can I get back to the finish before 20:30?  

The long and short course map

These helped me a lot, even if they were slightly easy goals to achieve, it brought about a win which mentally was what I needed at this stage of the day.  I reached Cribyn at 14 hours and then Fan y Big 36 minutes later, where I met some guys taking photos for Mid-Wales tourism.  They took a load of pictures of me standing on the overhanging ledge at the summit, which was quite weird and disconcerting, considering I was a little unsteady on my feet.  The guys promised to email me a copy of the photos, which haven't arrived yet, so I'm only 90% certain that this actually happened but I'll let you know if the photos do eventually turn up.

The run back across to Talybont is another one of those routes that gets me every time, it's much further than I remember.  Reaching Carn Pica at 1930, I had it in my head that it's just a straight downhill run to the finish line.  Unfortunately it's over two miles and it is mainly downhill but also involves some traversing which is a little undulating.  These last couple of miles were hard but I got off the hill and on to the road across the Talybont Reservoir dam before I lost all the light.  I even managed to put in a 9 minute mile to get me to the finish line in 16 hours 20 minutes 45 seconds for 19th place.

Exhaustion.  Happiness.  Hunger.  Thirst.  Sleepiness.  Pain. Achievement. 

All of these feelings and more come across when you get across the line.  It's so nice to be able to just stop!  So much time had gone into getting prepared for this event, with hours of running out on the hills, looking at maps, working out the best routes etc.  All of this paid off and I'd completed my second Ultra Marathon, this time with a few extra hills thrown into make it more difficult.  

The bling!

It was great to have a welcoming committee at the finish line, including my parents who'd been tracking me around the check points all day.  Josh also came down to see me get across the line, which I wouldn't have been able to do without his help in the gym getting my quads, hamstrings, and glutes ready.  

Finally a big thanks to my wonderful wife, who not only worked two of the aid stations she also went to the other aid stations to support me, as well as giving up a nights sleep.  I couldn't have prepared myself without her support and I certainly wouldn't have made it around the course without your encouragement, thank you!

Full race results are available here.