irunoffroad

Seeing as my recent cough hadn’t 100% cleared up I decided that 13.1 miles done properly would be a safer bet than the marathon, as it turned out 1,800 feet of elevation was more than enough for me at this stage so, yes, being sensible does pay off !!

I arrived early enough to see the marathon start as I wanted to catch up with a few Twitter friends who were running. It’s not often you get to chat with a GB Ultra runner but that’s how down to earth Jo Meek is. I had met Jo once before at a Q&A talk that she was giving and I think it was fair to say she was one of todays favourites. Secondly, Terry Arnott from Gosport RR is someone that I chat to on twitter but hadn’t met until today, great to meet your Terry, unfortunately he too had moved down to the half due to similar germs as mine. I talked with Trevor Kettle from Fareham Crusaders, wished him good luck for the marathon and they were off !! Unfortunately I didn’t get to see Phil Hall who was sweeping the marathon, next time !!

Above : Phil Hoy giving the marathon race briefing & Jo Meek already in her stride !!

The beauty of our running community is that these kind of events bring out runners and support crews alike. Jason Kinge and his assistant from Body Fusion were attending for “pre and post” race massage. I’ve known Jason for a few years now and would recommend his services for both injuries and sports massages. His skills and banter make him a perfect choice. Naturally the running community also needs organisers so it was great to see Phil  & Teressa from Second Wind running (SWR), todays hosts. As the Half was approaching I also saw Ros Clarke who’s recently joined Gosport RR and was running with some other ladies from their club.

The Queen Elizabeth Country Park (QECP) weather was ideal for running and the route was a twisting & turning helter skelter of hills and trails, in short, all the good stuff.

Phil Hoy once again talked us through our race brief and as the hooter started us off we went straight uphill and this set the tempo for the rest of the run. The going underfoot was “mucky” rather than boggy and we were lucky that it had been dry recently as this area of the South Downs can be slippy on the exposed chalky trails when the rain has washed away the surface mud. So all in all it was good to run on. The first two miles were largely uphill which both spread out the field and made me realise that I would have to pace myself today as my breathing was quite shallow.

Ironically my last race was a 33 miler were I made a point of running slower, today was in effect a half marathon at not much more than ultra pace. That said this didn’t make it any less enjoyable. The reward for more “up’s than down” was a long downhill to the first feed station at 4.5 miles but this was followed almost immediately by a steep section that just had to be walked. Walking “with purpose” can be quite effective and I would employ this tactic again 🙂

The 200 strong field was quite spread out now and running through the woods with the sun glinting through the trees and the birds chirping away just reminded me why I love to run in the countryside. After a section of the South Downs Way we were descending towards another event that Phil had mentioned. A mountain bike race was also being held in QECP and the route crossed directly in front of us. A simple but effective whistle blow meant I was off again after a short stop.

The trails varied in width, camber and state as we progressed onto the 9 mile water station. I didn’t recognise the next mile or two but we were never in any doubt where to run what with orange dissolvable spray paint, orange ticker tape and direction arrows. Praise must go to SWR as this must have taken a lot of time and effort. Talking of effort once I saw a familiar style that enters the park from the Staunton Way I knew where I was again and started to try and push what I had left in the last mile and a half or so.

Approaching the finish I could hear Jason shouting out my name and I crossed the line knowing that I had spread out my energy and couldn’t have done a lot more. I was pleased to find out I placed 101st out of 198. A very welcome chilli con carne awaited us and as I eat it Simone Newton waved as she ran past. “Sorry” Simone I didn’t see you, us men can’t do two things at once 🙂 I thanked Phil for a great race and picked up a SWR T Shirt. I spotted Terry and congratulated him on his 17th place then 15 or so minutes later I watched  Jo Meek sprint through the finish line in a time of 3.22 for the marathon and 1st place !!

After a post race massage I had to get going so apologies to Ros and Trevor who I missed finishing, while I was having it, and thanks to everyone in our local running community that made today such an enjoyable event. We run, we smile, it’s as simple as that 🙂

 

After the highs of my 33 mile ultra I had a weeks rest and then caught the flu. However, there’s always a silver lining to every cloud because it’s given my legs time to recover. After a 3.6 mile test run on Wednesday I needed a half descent Bank Holiday run as I have the QE Spring marathon April 3rd. The plan was 10 + miles with some good hills and hope my chest would take one and a half hours, or more, of running !!

The weather was surprisingly good (considering it was a Bank Holiday) and as I set off the rest of the world must have been having a lie-in because it was eerily quiet 🙂 As I ran past Fareham creek the sun was actually quite bright but the perfect opportunity for a quick photo of the yachts bobbing on the morning tide was dashed with a battery flashing fail !!

Bath Lane recreation ground runs parallel to the creek and as I ran across the surprisingly firm grass I was reminded that Spring and Summer aren’t too far away  with the sight of rows of daffodils and the cricket square being roped off. Heading out of Fareham I turned up the wonderfully named Paradise Lane which is a narrow track that takes you across the fields. A curious section of tarmac appears here from when Military Road used to link Fort Wallington and a number of the forts along Portsdown Hill.

Running past Fort Nelson there’s a footpath that takes you across the fields and between the crops to Portchester Lane. The Google Maps Street View link here shows you the gradient, a half mile section has 215 feet of elevation so 3 of those and it was time to head back as the wind from that side of Portsdown Hill was making me cough again. I had one last surprise before I made my way back, a pheasant landed within ten feet of me, what a sight, striking colours and almost an arrogant strut (that’s the pheasant and not me !!)

Once on the southerly side of the hill the temperature warmed up and by the time I arrived home it was quite warm so I had a well earned cup of tea on the patio. I bumped into Jason from body-fusion this weekend and he said he’d be at QECP so I look forward to some post race massage and banter. In summary, 11 miles and just under 1,100 feet of elevation run at a slow/steady pace.

Today’s run was enough to suggest that next weekend’s marathon was still a viable option, I won’t be breaking any records but the miles will be great training for my ultra in May.

April 3rd sees a great local event, organised by keen local runners Phil & Teresa from Second Wind Running The 26.2 miles include 1,1oo metres of climbing (3,600 ft) and will take us on some trails that I haven’t run before, even though I know the area fairly well. The Queen Elizabeth Country Park is a real gem with its wooded areas, hills, trails and scenery. The route marked out above is a 13 mile loop, hence the half and full marathons are one and two loops. With drinks stations every 4 & 1/2 miles and the promise of  a bowl of chilli at the end all I need to do now is get rid of my current germs !! I will also be joined by a handful of my Fareham Crusader club mates.

Bank Holiday Friday 10 a.m. also sees a recce run of the one loop with Phil & Teresa so this will be great for course knowledge. Running through the different seasons becomes most noticeable when you are running through nature. The flowers, the birds and the whole forest seems to be waking up after a cold still winter.

April will see the 2016 Running Awards in London were my Blog has been shortlisted. The day is promising to be very exciting what with Strava looking after us, as well as the London marathon expo being on at the same time. The top 3 Bloggers will be recognised so it’s fingers crossed for my Blog and good luck to everyone else.

Looking further ahead I have also entered The Ox Ultra May 22nd, organised by White Star Running (WSR). This 36 miler will be a short step up from Imber and another good step towards running outside of my comfort zone.

After four marathons last year it was time to step up to the next chapter in my off road running adventures with 33 miles and 3,000 feet of elevation around Salisbury Plain. The hour and a half drive had given me plenty of time to ponder on how the day would pan out and as I arrived it was a balmy 2 degrees. Fareham Crusaders, Geraldine Perrier, Pete Barty, Mark Greenfield & me were joined by Stuart (Mark’s friend who took the photo).

Talking of friends I also managed a quick chat with 3 twitter runners that I’ve talked to but never met so it’s a “great to meet you” to Louise, Jeff and Beth. We were set off at 9am by the local town crier with a lap of the field. Even in this first half mile there was lots of encouragement from the organisers and marshals and this set the tone for a very friendly event. Today would be challenging for us all, runners and marshals alike.

Our first task was a muddy mile or so that took us up a hill onto the Imber Ranges footpath and the signposts with a cannon on, which would be a point of reference for the rest of the day. I have to say the maps and race notes were fantastic what with the event being relatively low key i.e. a limit of 150 runners. I’d laminated mine and referred to it regularly. During the first hour or so we all kept together and chatted amongst ourselves as well as with other runners.

The first checkpoint wasn’t until 7.4 miles and a large proportion of that was uphill but as I said to another runner “lets get as many of these hills out of the way as quickly as possible” !! It’s true the big climbs were towards the start but there were lots of gradual climbs waiting for us to enjoy later on 🙂

By ten miles the wind was quite a feature on the high ground and I was pleased I had my  trusty eGloves . Just to add some mental arithmetic to the day I realised I’d inadvertently stopped my watch and not started it again, Charlie (a new friend I’d met along the way) said we were about 2 & 1/2 miles further on than my garmin said. This was a double edged sword as yes it meant we were further into the race but it meant I had to keep adding 2.5 miles when reading the route notes. This became more challenging as the hours passed !!

The terrain was a mixture of tracks, road, grass, clumpy grass and mud which in a way gives you something different to concentrate on. Broadly speaking you could see for miles throw ought most of the route as well as the coloured tops of runners on the horizon.

Thanks to the organisers for letting me use these photos of the flatter sections.

Talking of runners on the horizon I accepted that my club mates were stronger than me so I watched them disappear in favour of me running at a steadier pace. Charlie kept me company until about 15 miles but as we passed the German village of Imber which is used by the Army to practise attacks (no one lives there now) I knew my mental battle was going to start when I insisted she went ahead.

Checkpoint 3 (19 miles) was at the top of a gradual climb and I have to be honest my spirits were starting to drop. I’d like to say thanks to one lady marshal who was particularly encouraging after I’d said I wasn’t enjoying it. I put on my jacket as it was getting colder, more grass and tracks passed by with the occasional tank in the distance and by 21 miles I had hit my low point, I was now combining walking and swearing with equal measures !! It was then that the whole spirit of distance running was summed up by a chap that stopped to walk with me. His constructive advice could be summed up in a short sentence, “we all have dark times of self doubt, it’s how you manage it”.

After a cup of tea at Checkpoint 4 (22.4 miles) a wave of positivity swept over me with his words in mind and within half a mile of a long gradual climb I’d overtaken two people who’d passed me earlier. With less than 10 miles left I started to believe again and had the advantage of a handful of runners ahead of me. A clif bar and the last of my jelly beans meant I was fuelled and gaining in optimism. Checkpoint 5 (28 miles) was a real boost as the 5 runners I’d been tracking hardly noticed me take a quick drink and then set off ahead of them !!

The next 2 miles were another gradual uphill but on good tarmac so that was easier to maintain a rhythm. The chap with his words of wisdom from earlier caught me and it was all smiles and well done’s which felt really good. The red flag that marked a right turn off the ranges was in sight and after a tricky muddy descent I was now filled with self belief and smiling. How ironic it was that the lady marshal from checkpoint 3 was pointing us in the direction of the last half mile and again it was all smiles. As I crossed the finish line I found out I was only 25 minutes behind Mark, Pete & Gerry in 6 hours 41 minutes.

Pete kindly bought me a coffee and Stuart kindly bought me a burger as I must have looked like I needed them !! A quick chat and well done with twitter friends Jeff and Beth was great too as I realised they were on 2 minutes ahead of me. Mark and Gerry said their goodbye’s as I had my post race massage and I thanked the organiser from Avon Valley Runners for the event. The Imber Ultra mug was a surprise and it will serve as a reminder that it’s how you manage your dark times that gets you across the finish line. The long distance community (runners & marshals) really does pull together in events like this and I’m proud to be a part of it. Thanks for a great day.

 

Ok so the plan for today was a Park Run followed by a few miles along the coast. With this in mind everything got turned on it’s head when I had to pick the car up at 8.30am on Saturday. So, it was onto plan B, what was plan B ? good question … I didn’t actually have one. Luckily I’m only about a mile and a half from a footpath called the Deviation Line which was used as a link to the Wickham railway.

With only 8 or so miles in mind for today, what with 33 on the horizon next Sunday at The Imber Ultra, it was taper time. I decided to have some fun by taking my camera and experimenting with a video. It’s only short and it isn’t meant to be a masterpiece but hopefully it sums up why I run off road. My Blog will be a year old next week and I’m always looking to add new features to them.

The trail wasn’t too muddy underfoot and the cold crisp air was quite refreshing after spending a week in a hot office. The sights and sounds of the countryside were mixed in with the traffic from the motorway but once I’d run through the underpass that was soon left behind me. I stopped and walk for a horse rider and we both agreed it was a lovely morning to be out and about.

The woods on the other side of Knowle village had an erry silence and I tried to capture that with the shot of the trees blowing in the wind. After all my recent miles turning around after only 4 seemed quite strange !! On my return trip I couldn’t resist jumping a big puddle and dropping down the embankment for a short sharp hill, although as you’ll see in the video I did nearly loose it at the bottom.

In a funny way with today’s blog being the last in a very eventful year and the taper run being preparation for the furthest I’ve ever run, it feels like a moment to reflect on all the time and hard work that I’ve used to get to this point.

• Will next weeks 33 miles be the springboard to longer distances, who knows ??
• How will irunoffroad fair in the Running Awards Best Blog, who knows ??

All I know is that I’ve enjoyed writing a Blog a week, for a year, and if people have enjoyed reading them, then they might be kind enough to vote.

Breaking News !!!! Thanks to Strava for inviting me and other Bloggers for a pre Running Awards 5K, Q & A session with special guests and more. Much appreciated.

     Thanks for reading …. Rog 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have created a separate page for my Imber Ultra 33 miler. For the people that receive automatic Blog email updates you won’t have seen this yet, here’s the Link . This covers my preparation to what will be a great event.

Your weekend run will almost certainly be the longest simply because you have the most time available. A Long Steady Run (LSR) will also vary in length depending on what you’re training for. With 52 weekends a year the question still remains, “where ?”

Maps are a great starting point, whether that’s Ordinance Survey (OS) or Google Maps but again you need to know where to look. Researching the area and asking fellow runners will help you choose between flat or hilly, road or countryside, Strava segments or your local park. Personally speaking I like to get off the beaten track and breathe in lungful’s of countryside air, that’s why I’d like to share with you a fantastic site that will answer all your questions.

Gps-routes.co.uk have assembled all the key information in an easy to use format with a huge choice of routes that are only a “click” away. As I have discovered there are hundreds of footpaths, trails and rights of way that you simply wouldn’t know existed unless you’d been told about them.

The “Walking routes in England, Scotland or Wales” are then divided up between counties which makes this resource very specific. You can also find alternative choices of national trails and country parks as well as rail and canal walks. Naturally whenever the site says “walking” we can read “running” in its place !!

Once clicked into your local county there’s an alphabetically listing of the routes and they all have photos, the distance and a summarised description. All of this information will help you make that first decision of which route sounds right for you. Click on the route’s link and a standard format appears. This standard layout is again very helpful when you are comparing one route with another.

The route description is followed by a link to an OS map that can be either viewed, printed or downloaded. The following sections have photos, videos (if available),GPS route downloads and a Google maps option with the route marked in red, so all of the information you will ever need for your LSR. Discover your local area by running it.

Gps-routes.co.uk your next run is only a click away !!

Listening to the advise of four knowledgeable people, in very pleasant surroundings, who look at a topic from different angles, must be quite rare. Our subject for the night was “Marathon Talk” with the venue being the recently built Hilton hotel, which is part of Hampshire Cricket’s Ageas Bowl complex. Our speakers were, in order of appearance,

1. Dan Young : Head of Sport & Exercise Medicine at Perform, (Ageas Bowl)
2. Jo Meek : Team GB ultra marathon runner
3. Kyle Pepperman-Hackett : Clinical Sports and remedial massage therapist
4. Louise Damen : 2014 Commonwealth marathon athlete

I’d received an email from a non marathon running friend who’d suggested the talk would be right down my street. Once I’d asked if I could attend I then found myself in the pleasant position of being able to invite some running buddies too. I chose a handful of people that I’ve run most frequently with and who’ve helped me with my Blog so, in a way, it was a thank to them. It was funny to meet up with everyone in jeans and t shirts rather than trainers and running kit 🙂

Once we’d arrived and been served with our tea and coffee I popped “back stage” to pass on Kyle’s 3rd place trophy from the Chilly Hilly 10K that he’d run with some of us the previous day. As I was passing Kyle his trophy this also meant I could say hello to Jo Meek as we both have Blogs and follow each other on twitter, “small world” !!

Around 70 of us took our seats and Dan’s 25 minutes revolved around training errors, leg pain, shoe selection (pronated, neutral, supinated) and that 90% of running injuries are “over use” related and usually consist of several related factors. Dan’s advice on avoiding injury came from his Perform sports medicine centre background who treat the public as well as the cricketers. Reducing the number of training days you loose to injury keeps us running for longer and avoids those “grumpy injured” days that both us and our partners can relate to !!

Jo Meek’s section of the talk revolved around her ultra marathon experiences. It was very interesting to hear about her preparations for the MDS with heat chambers and back to back runs which resulted in her being the second lady and 20th overall in 2013. Jo’s ultra races have taken her to both Europe and America with solo achievements as well as being part of the GB gold medal winning team at the 100K world championships in 2014. Jo runs locally for Winchester and even though she has a 2.45 marathon pb she can still be found running competitively in local park runs trying to keep ahead of the young Winchester whippets.

Kyle was up next, he treats club runners and up to international level. I mentioned his 3rd place earlier, that also goes with a 10K 31.20 pb so he “understands” performance at the top level but, as he said, all runners are ultimately looking to get quicker whatever their pace and that’s exactly what he talked about. Biomechanics consist of your foot strike position, knee flexion, hip stability and arm swing. His video analysis of your running gait can be done frame by frame so all in all a visit to Kyle for a running MOT would make you faster and more efficient. Kyle’s practical demonstrations also brought home what he was explaining.

Our evening was rounded off with Louise Damon (2.30 marathon pb) her topic was marathon day preparation and her experiences at the Commonwealth games. I was particularly interested to hear that Louise will run 40K about 5 weeks before a major marathon. She mentioned caffeine as being part of her preparation and the fact that she would reduce her twice a day running down to once in the last week. She mentioned taper and the fact that what you do in the last two weeks won’t impact on your fitness. The three day countdown of Olympic village food choices was another interesting slant on our marathon knowledge. Finally I was heartened to hear that even Commonwealth runners use Vaseline on their toes too 🙂

Naturally it’s tricky to sum up a two hour talk but suffice to say everyone in the room left with food for thought and golden nuggets of advice from all four speakers.

The plan for today was to run 23 miles in preparation for the 33 miles I will be running at the Imber Ultra in 4 weeks time. That’s 70% of the race mileage and plenty of time to recover. Today “marked” the welcome return from injury of Mark Greenfield to our long runs, also accompanying us were Howard Stinton for the outward 8 miles and two newcomers Jess Davidson and Trevor Kettle, who would be with us for 16 miles.

The 23 ish miles were an out and back run along the South Downs Way from Queen Elizabeth Country park (QECP) to Old Winchester Hill (OWH) and back. This was then to be followed by Mark and myself on a 6.75 miles loop that takes in part of the Staunton Way. Total elevation 2,600 feet. Naturally Strava & other apps may state differently but over 2.5K !!

Our 7.30am start meant getting up at 5.40am for me but we were still home by 1pm with all the miles done. As we set off from QECP the darkness had just began to lift and Butser Hill was approaching. We had no “pace” agenda today what with the hills, miles and mud so a couple of fine tuning stops weren’t an issue as we began our ascent. Howard soon disappeared up the incline but then also looped back. The wind picked up as we got to the top of the Downs and made our way to the Sustainability centre and those huge houses opposite. The wind could almost be looked at as extra resistance training !!

A steady descent down wireless hill, due to the slippy chalk, was then followed by a mixture of muddy trails and roads until we reached the path that leads to OWH. It was at this point that I had a “coming together” with the ground, a combination of the camber and a lack on concentration meant I did a graceful forward roll !! We then pressed on to the bottom of OWH which naturally meant running back up. The photo below shows the steep incline waiting for us. Jess and Trevor have a long hilly run in Cornwall planned so I threw this steep section in just to add some more ascents.

 Howard left so as to run home and the four of us made our way back. The return route had the advantage of the wind behind us but also a number of long gradual hills. As we made our way from a long concrete path onto the mud again there was a shout from one of the two oncoming runners, Chris Hall from Stubbington Green gave me a hearty “hello Roger”. The long chalky climb up wireless hill was a real leg burner but we all taped out a rhythm and were pleased to make it to the top. Trevor had picked up a calf strain so well done to him for largely ignoring it. A couple of wet miles followed with those puddles that fill up the whole track as well as your trainers and we were back at Butser.

 

Quite soon after these photos Mark ended up on the seat of his pants when his legs went away from underneath him but again, as with my fall, it was laughable more than an injury !! At QECP we thanks Jess and Trevor for joining us and they both said they’d be back for more “Thomasson Tours”.

All, that remainder were 6.75 miles with about 850 feet of elevation which we took in our stride with short walks when needed. The 20 mile marker was celebrated by taking on some sweet snacks we’d brought and even though the wind was still blowing at least we’d missed the rain. On arriving back at QECP it was “job done”, 23 miles, 1 fall each and a very satisfying feeling that we were both on track for our future targets. It’s a reflection of Mark’s general fitness that after only a few weeks of gradual training he bounced back with this long run. Another mark of the run was that I washed off the worst of the mud before putting my compression socks in the washing machine and I cleaned my shoes as soon as I’d had dinner as they were filthy and smelt !! Mud, glorious mud 🙂

Great morning, great views and great company.

“Two runs and one great morning”, that sums up today in one short phrase. Felix lives locally in Swanmore and was involved in a serious traffic accident in October 2015. From being a high achieving young athlete he is now facing the toughest challenge of his life on his road to recovery. The 3.8K run through the 100 Acre Woods was the first fundraising event for 2016 with a number of others planned for later in the year.

The muddy cross country route started at 9.10am and the idea was for people to have fun running in the forest and also give donations. It was good to catch up with Emma Burton, thanks to Brian Penniall for telling me about the event and I was also lucky to have a quick chat with Felix dad, Stuart. There had been some good coverage in the local media but as I reached the start I couldn’t believe that there were a good 400 people there. I took it steady and aimed at weaving my way in and out of the masses. There really was a “feel good” factor and I’d imagine a lot of money was raised. The link to this run and other events is on their website. I was proud to have contributed to the £5,000 raised !!

 100 Acres with hundreds of people !!

After a quick clean up and dash across to QECP I was parked and getting ready for the 11am Chilly Hilly 10K. The chilly refers to both the temperature and the bowl of food at the end !! I was also aiming to meet up with a couple of people I’ve chatted to on Twitter, Kyle from Hackett massage and James from eGlove. James was busy selling gloves but I managed a quick hand shake and hello. Kyle said he saw me at the start but had to press on and leave as soon as possible. He certainly was in a rush, he came 3rd !!! #awesome.

The 10K course promised to be very muddy and it didn’t let us down, I was really pleased with my Saucony Peregrine trainers in the testing conditions. We had a good turn out from the club as the photo suggests and there was quite a mix of local club runners too.

The route began on firm trails but we were soon on steeper muddier trails where the recent rain was also playing it’s part. I didn’t know the route that well but suffice to say there were endless ascents and descents which meant you never got into any kind of rhythm, in other words, proper cross country running. I almost fell just before half way but managed to rescue myself with some comic arm and leg movements to get my balance back. The combination of a chalk surface under the mud can make it like an ice rink at times. A big thanks to the numerous marshals and Pompey Joggers for hosting it.

We have two Rob Morgan’s at the club and English Rob was testing out his new Gopro so I look forward to watching that as he was near me for quite a while. Our post race chilli really hit the spot and Paul volunteered to take Kyle’s award on his behalf. So, when the two morning runs were coupled with miles to and from the start/finish I clocked 12.4 bringing my January total to 101.3 miles. Countryside running, “Simply the Best” !!

 First 3 Crusaders, Robert Morgan (Welsh Rob) 26th, Rod Nairn 41st, me 83rd !! Out of 231. Full Results