The week after the ultra run was very surprising ,a bit sore going down stairs but generally better
than after a hard marathon. A lot of short trail walks were done with a very easy short 20min group
run done on the day of my departure back to australia.The first week back i visited the chiro and also had a 45 min massage. ,I also did a 7km run the day i got back but i think i pushed it a little to much. The inside quad/groin ploblem i had before the ultra was still bothering me ,short runs were possible every 2nd day but it was nagging .Enter jean louie massage therapest of 20years standing who found the cause of my suffering
and continued to add to it over severval sessions.He also showed me some excellent stretches for the problem. So now i am poised to enter the new year ready to go,i will slowly build up again with a plan to try and run a fast marathon around april/may.Running a 50 miler has given me so much confidence and self belief that has been lacking the last few years i just have to be carefull and train smart .
Sunday 25 December 2011
Saturday 24 December 2011
Wednesday 9 November 2011
whistler 80km ultra marathon
For a long time I had a yearning to visit Canada -- I don't really know why but it was there -- and after 40 years of running I had a yearning to run an ultra marathon. So I decided to do both at the same time, and visit my friends Margreet and Tim. Both who are accomplished endurance athletes and would be toeing the line with me.
I had had a pretty good build up at home, averaging 80km to 100km a week, with plenty of long runs and long solid tempo workouts under my belt. A slight abductor strain caused me to taper a bit earlier than I would have liked but this probably worked in my favour as I was fresh and well rested on race day.
Race morning was a very chilly -3 degrees so I was dressed appropriately in tights, thermal long-sleeve top and lightweight rain jacket. I also added a skull cap, wool blend gloves, and thin wool blend socks. You were allowed a drop bag to discard or pick up extra gear and nutrition.
As we were running in the dark for the first 2 hours, headlamps or flashlights were mandatory. This made the first 17km loop pass rather quickly. We had been warned about bears at the prerace briefing so I was pretty alert during this time.
Starting the second lap with daylight, I became aware of the spectacular mountain scenery that surrounded us, and the snow and ice on the back trail section of the course which I noticed my lightweight road shoes were not handling very well.
So at 30 km, I did a quick change into my trail shoes at the drop zone and I was away.
Between 40km and 60km I seemed to be in a euphoric state, running easily even singing tunes to myself, However this all changed at about 64km when a general feeling of fatigue began to set in.
Once I got to the last aid station with about 5km to go, I fuelled up on coke. I knew i was going to finish.
The last 3km were a roller coaster of emotions and I fought back tears as I remembered some of my running mentors from younger days who are no longer with us. Around a corner and into the last half mile into whistler village and I was home.
I made a few rookie ultra mistakes with nutrition and footwear but overall I was ecstatic with my performance and proved to myself that you can do a lot more than you think you can, you just have to believe in yourself.
I had had a pretty good build up at home, averaging 80km to 100km a week, with plenty of long runs and long solid tempo workouts under my belt. A slight abductor strain caused me to taper a bit earlier than I would have liked but this probably worked in my favour as I was fresh and well rested on race day.
Race morning was a very chilly -3 degrees so I was dressed appropriately in tights, thermal long-sleeve top and lightweight rain jacket. I also added a skull cap, wool blend gloves, and thin wool blend socks. You were allowed a drop bag to discard or pick up extra gear and nutrition.
As we were running in the dark for the first 2 hours, headlamps or flashlights were mandatory. This made the first 17km loop pass rather quickly. We had been warned about bears at the prerace briefing so I was pretty alert during this time.
Starting the second lap with daylight, I became aware of the spectacular mountain scenery that surrounded us, and the snow and ice on the back trail section of the course which I noticed my lightweight road shoes were not handling very well.
So at 30 km, I did a quick change into my trail shoes at the drop zone and I was away.
Between 40km and 60km I seemed to be in a euphoric state, running easily even singing tunes to myself, However this all changed at about 64km when a general feeling of fatigue began to set in.
Once I got to the last aid station with about 5km to go, I fuelled up on coke. I knew i was going to finish.
The last 3km were a roller coaster of emotions and I fought back tears as I remembered some of my running mentors from younger days who are no longer with us. Around a corner and into the last half mile into whistler village and I was home.
I made a few rookie ultra mistakes with nutrition and footwear but overall I was ecstatic with my performance and proved to myself that you can do a lot more than you think you can, you just have to believe in yourself.
Monday 7 November 2011
Sunday 6 November 2011
Whistler 50
Overall 23
Age group 3/7
08:27:11
Average pace 6:21 per kilometre or 10:13 per mile
To see all of the results, click here
http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2011/run/W50M2011OA_U.html
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