HI all,
Ive had a good couple of solid weeks of training which included a couple of 30 mile runs in the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons. Ive been throwing in a few hill and speed sessions too, which seems to be helping me improve my overall speed. Ive been averaging 70 miles a week, which, over 5 or 6 days and only running once a day isnt to bad.
Looking forward to the 50 mile race in march now over and through the Wye Valley if you want to know more about the race then check out www.mightcontainnuts.com. This race will be 2 valuable points towards the 100 mile ultra trail of mont blanc race in 2013.
Just bought another pair of LA Sportiva wildcats, great trail shoes. My old pair lasted well over 1000 miles and I ran 100 miles continuously without a single blister. Just the right amount of cushioning for me on the trails and a good grip over the rockier mountain paths.
Also bought a pair of The North Face running gloves which have great breathability but keep your hands at the right temperature even in the mountains. To top it off I invested in a Salomon base layer which can be worn on its own or underneath a t-shirt for slightly colder conditions.
There really is some great kit in Trekitt which is in Hereford. The shop caters for everything you need for hitting the trails or if your into ultra distance running or walking, and if you cant get into the store they have a good website with plenty of offers. They have a good selection of lightweight packs (I bought a Salomon xt wings), trail shoes, tops, bottoms, shorts, headgear and accessories. The prices are competitive and if you ask for a discount card you will get 10% off. They also have special offers on a lot of items. Check it out. www.trekitt.co.uk
Happy running all. Mark.
Friday, 27 January 2012
Monday, 16 January 2012
Hi all,
After last nights quick blog I thought it was only fair to give you all a bit of history and how I came to love ultra running.
Apart from a few years in the Royal Engineers where exercise was compulsory then Ive never really been what you would call a fitness freak. That was however until about seven years when I decided to take up running to lose a few pounds (caused by to many shandys shall we say). My first run was a half marathon and I remember thinking at the time "Never Again".
I perservered however and before I new it I was taking part in my first marathon (Blackpool) and although it wasnt a blistering time I didnt do to badly.
A few more years went by and after joining my local running club "Wye Valley Runners" my times steadily improved. For the first couple of years things were fine and I was enjoying my running although I did start to get a little bored doing the same old distances over the same old courses. At the London Marathon in 2008 however, I did ask my fiancee Rachel to marry me. I had my vest printed specially and as I ran by, all my family and friends gave encouraging cheers followed by gasps of astonishment as they read on the reverse of vest "Rach will you marry me". I had a great marathon and a pretty good time too and at the end when I picked up my bag and took my phone out I had one message, it was from my fiancee and it simply said "YES" happy days!
Unfortunately I do suffer from a condition called Ulcerative Colitis which did knock me about a bit for about 18 months and running took a bit of a back seat, but with a wedding to plan and following the birth of our daughter Ellie there was plenty to keep me occupied.
However when things had settled down a bit and my stomach was finally under control with the right medication I started to pound the roads and trails with an even more determined vigour. This time though I wanted to push my limits further and see if I could do what I had read about (with envy and awe) many times and that was to run 100 miles in under 24 hours.
My first ultra was to be an ultra marathon series over the mountains and trails. The might contain nuts welsh one day series comprised of a 30, 40 and 50 mile race over three seperate days. The first race over the black mountains went much better that expected and with a top ten finish I was very happy indeed. The second race took part over the Brecon Beacons in winter and I shocked myself further with a 5th place finish. The third and final race through the wye valley went well again and I had done myself proud finishing 8th. Better still I finished 2nd in the overall series. Not too bad for my first crack at ultras I thought and a great start to my 100 mile challenge.
I must mention that I have also dragged my brother James into the world of Ultras, so, with a training partner we set about doing the 100 miler together. Our next venture was the endurance life classic quarter 44 mile race from Lizard Point to Lands End along the south west coastal path. It was one hell of ride and took everything I had to keep going, but keep going I (we) did. We both finished in the top ten and were now ready for the Big One!
We decided to use the Adidas Thunder Run 24 Hour Challenge as our race to see if we could run the 100 miles in 24 hours. The race started on one of the hottest days in July 2011 at 12 noon and with 1500 people taking part comprising of solos, pairs and teams the atmosphere was electric. We both decided to run together for the duration of the race and we would only continue without the other if they were uncapable of continuing. The Idea of the race is to run as many 10k laps over the cross country course as possible in 24 hours. The first 12 hours went better that expected and we had run 100k (62 miles) feeling tired but able to continue. When night time came the going got tough although it was sort of fun to be running through glowstick lit woods with the occasional marshall with their bonfire. however when dawn started to break the pain was really beginning to set in. At 160k (98 miles) we had taken 21 hours and were lying in 4th and 5th place, feeling like enough was enough we almost stopped but as it was a 24 hour challenge we fought through the pain and continued. We unbelievably managed another two laps and when the hooter sounded we had run 180k (112 miles) each and the icing on the cake was that we had earned a third place finish.
So all in all it hasnt been a bad start to my ultra adventure and with plenty more training in the bank im hoping to improve further this year. If you want see what races im running then check out my previous blog and the links on the right. I hope you all found that easy enough to follow and when my next big race comes along I will give you a proper in depth race report. Take care. Mark.
After last nights quick blog I thought it was only fair to give you all a bit of history and how I came to love ultra running.
Apart from a few years in the Royal Engineers where exercise was compulsory then Ive never really been what you would call a fitness freak. That was however until about seven years when I decided to take up running to lose a few pounds (caused by to many shandys shall we say). My first run was a half marathon and I remember thinking at the time "Never Again".
I perservered however and before I new it I was taking part in my first marathon (Blackpool) and although it wasnt a blistering time I didnt do to badly.
Unfortunately I do suffer from a condition called Ulcerative Colitis which did knock me about a bit for about 18 months and running took a bit of a back seat, but with a wedding to plan and following the birth of our daughter Ellie there was plenty to keep me occupied.
However when things had settled down a bit and my stomach was finally under control with the right medication I started to pound the roads and trails with an even more determined vigour. This time though I wanted to push my limits further and see if I could do what I had read about (with envy and awe) many times and that was to run 100 miles in under 24 hours.
My first ultra was to be an ultra marathon series over the mountains and trails. The might contain nuts welsh one day series comprised of a 30, 40 and 50 mile race over three seperate days. The first race over the black mountains went much better that expected and with a top ten finish I was very happy indeed. The second race took part over the Brecon Beacons in winter and I shocked myself further with a 5th place finish. The third and final race through the wye valley went well again and I had done myself proud finishing 8th. Better still I finished 2nd in the overall series. Not too bad for my first crack at ultras I thought and a great start to my 100 mile challenge.
We decided to use the Adidas Thunder Run 24 Hour Challenge as our race to see if we could run the 100 miles in 24 hours. The race started on one of the hottest days in July 2011 at 12 noon and with 1500 people taking part comprising of solos, pairs and teams the atmosphere was electric. We both decided to run together for the duration of the race and we would only continue without the other if they were uncapable of continuing. The Idea of the race is to run as many 10k laps over the cross country course as possible in 24 hours. The first 12 hours went better that expected and we had run 100k (62 miles) feeling tired but able to continue. When night time came the going got tough although it was sort of fun to be running through glowstick lit woods with the occasional marshall with their bonfire. however when dawn started to break the pain was really beginning to set in. At 160k (98 miles) we had taken 21 hours and were lying in 4th and 5th place, feeling like enough was enough we almost stopped but as it was a 24 hour challenge we fought through the pain and continued. We unbelievably managed another two laps and when the hooter sounded we had run 180k (112 miles) each and the icing on the cake was that we had earned a third place finish.
So all in all it hasnt been a bad start to my ultra adventure and with plenty more training in the bank im hoping to improve further this year. If you want see what races im running then check out my previous blog and the links on the right. I hope you all found that easy enough to follow and when my next big race comes along I will give you a proper in depth race report. Take care. Mark.
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Hi all,
I have just set up this blog post to keep you all updated on my latest jaunts and so all my family, friends and followers can take a closer look at some of my latest races and excursions out on the hills and mountains. I will try not to bore you to much and I hope it might give you more of an appreciation of why I do what I do.
In the upcoming months I am taking part in a 50 mile race through the wye valley in march. A 40 mile race across the brecon beacons and a 12 hour race in may. Im hoping for a sub 3 hour marathon in April. Then its the big one in June, a 100 mile race around the south west coastal path.
I will keep you all updated on how the trainings going and give each race a post race write up. Take care all. I'll be back.
I have just set up this blog post to keep you all updated on my latest jaunts and so all my family, friends and followers can take a closer look at some of my latest races and excursions out on the hills and mountains. I will try not to bore you to much and I hope it might give you more of an appreciation of why I do what I do.
In the upcoming months I am taking part in a 50 mile race through the wye valley in march. A 40 mile race across the brecon beacons and a 12 hour race in may. Im hoping for a sub 3 hour marathon in April. Then its the big one in June, a 100 mile race around the south west coastal path.
I will keep you all updated on how the trainings going and give each race a post race write up. Take care all. I'll be back.
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