Hungry for performance

This article needs to begin with a disclaimer; I’m not dietician, nor do I have any qualifications or credentials regarding sports nutrition or life coaching. I am however an avid ultra runner with a thirst for information. I’ve tried to adopt the Dave Brailsford mentality of leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of improvement, a philosophy which led his Sky Cycling team to magnificent success. I’m a forager of knowledge, digging into the deepest recesses of the internet and various other literature to seek out information that’ll allow a modicum of improvement in my performances. 

Equally there's nothing new in this dialogue that probably hasn’t been said elsewhere. Rather it's a response to numerous questions from friends and peers as regards my eating habits. Treat it as a documentation of my discoveries in nutrition and its direct relation to my own recovery and performance. If you feel compelled to try any of my findings; great, I hope it brings you the benefits I’ve already reaped.

It’s simple maths to me, we bleed in training, straining to push our bodies to their inherent limits and beyond, yearning for results beyond our genetic abilities. But why should we just accept that we will never be the next Killian Jornet or Usain Bolt? Both these athletes, gifted with genetic magic in their respective disciplines, but that's not to say they don't gain every advantage they can. Yet for the everyday person, we wish to reach our personal goals, strive towards our dreams, hope and optimism being the motivation that gets us out training on the grimmest of days. So when we knock on the door of our supposed limits, when our bodies start to falter and give out with injury or fatigue, we begin to allow excuses to creep in; ‘Well I’m probably not born to run’ or ‘Ultra distances are hard so maybe we should ease off the throttle when it hurts’.

I’m not willing to accept this reality, I want to be the best I can and discover what my body will allow. Runners naturally seek out these little improvements, the inches that add up, those that will shave milliseconds off our PB’s - and we all know the joy when you glance at your Suunto and see the improvements. Most runners will initially look to their equipment, shoes that are lighter or will reduce injury risk through the latest technology or cushioning. The more astute ones might start to explore their running form, maybe they’ll focus on foot strike, others will look further to glute and hip recruitment in the kinetic chain. Yet they’re all cliches in this journey we all eventually take in the search for knowledge. The same sign posts I believe everyone will tick off if they continue in this activity long enough. My voyage of discovery has led me to better understand my diet and the affect it has had on me and my performance.

My journey began several years ago where in adult life where I developed a cough following a trip to America. Had I picked up a virus on the flight? Unsure I visited my GP who, following a peak flow rate test, quite matter of fact informed me I was ‘asthmatic’! I was shocked I could be ‘infected’ with this condition. I envisaged the supposed unfit kids at school when I was young who wheezed after less than a 100 metre sprint in an enthusiastic game of soccer. Was I really resigned to a life of inactivity fearing to push any physical limits?! 

And so began my research, I yearned for knowledge. How was I to beat his terrible disease? In my quest for information I discovered that the majority of late in life asthma sufferers are caused, or certainly aggravated by allergens. Okay, I suffered hay fever, so I get really serious with my antihistamines and this condition will be beaten right? Not so easy unfortunately. I looked at the Buteko breathing techinques which offered a little respite, but the condition was still prevalent.

A couple of years later I started to run, not just running for fitness, something else. An activity that I could pour my heart and soul into. I’m acutely aware I ‘suffer’ an addictive personality - so for me it’s all about funnelling that addiction into something truly positive in life. 

"Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated" - source unknown.

Running exposed my breathing difficulties to the point I ran around the problem. Long slow runs were my bread and butter, inadvertently benefiting from building a quality aerobic base. In the process I questioned my abilities as a runner, would my body allow me to perform at a level I felt I should be capable of?

It took me a couple of years before I discovered that removing the obvious allergens from my diet meant an almost complete recovery. First was alcohol, a regular habit that was cut to almost nothing - bar special occasions for celebrations and holidays. Dairy was reduced next, again not completely abstaining, but reducing it to the degree it’s only a rare treat. The difference was like night and day, I felt like I had a new pair of lungs, and general muscle recovery was also significantly better already.

I could finally push my V02 max, uphill running was a pleasure, not a lung wrenching chore. My times began to tumble and I could see real progress on the horizon. It was through this discovery that I came to see the huge factor that a quality diet has on performance and the way our bodies function.

The next logical step for me was cutting meat. The book Finding Ultra by Rich Roll confirmed what I was reading elsewhere, meat in the quantities we tend to consume, particularly in our society is generally unhealthy and not without complications. Of course this topic isn't without controversy, many would argue athletes are unable to perform without high levels of protein. And in response to this I would point these detractors to the animal kingdom, many of the strongest and most agile animals sustain themselves on a plant based diet. I don't believe animal protein is the panacea we've had ingrained in us. Rather it is now more frequently documented as one of the main causes of cancerous growths. 

There is a caveat to all this. I think it's important we enjoy our nutrition. In fact it's imperative to our social stability. Taking time to enjoy our food in all its guises is an integral part of family and social life in general. It's more to do with moderation. And from there it's teaching our body to enjoy foods we once thought bland. I remember a time when a meal without condiments was nearly unthinkable. Yet it's only now I realise this was because the processed stuff we dare to call food is so bland  in taste and devoid of nutrition. It's not by chance that now I'm teaching myself to enjoy the simple but vastly more nutritious fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts that nature has to offer. These foods are exponentially more satisfying as my taste buds adapt. Experimentation with different textures and flavours have led me to new plant based meals I never previously thought I would savour. It is even said our intestinal bacteria alters over time according to what we consume daily, which in turn affects the unhealthy cravings we can all be susceptible to.

For me personally, it's been about changing and developing new habits. A daily smoothie allows me to throw in some easy but tasty nutrition; A base of maybe almond milk or a fruit juice, with some chia for protein before adding a handful of kale, spinach and even some raw broccoli. These can easily be sweetened naturally with fruits such as banana, grapes or mango. And in a single glass I can now consume more essential vitamins than the entire average daily intake of my previous diet. Then I've been concentrating on some meat replacements such as soya for family staples like bolognaise, cottage pie and chilli's. Of course snacks tend to be seeds, nuts or fruit. Breakfast is still a work in progress, but suffice to say I don't consume sugary cereals, it tends to be more porridge or even toast with marmite (a small obsession of mine...).

Of course any changes in lifestyle habits need to be incremental. If you try and change everything overnight it'll become too much and you'll set yourself up to fail. It's about making one alteration at a time, and ensuring it sticks. Willpower with things like this is difficult, which is exactly why I allow myself cheat meals and treats to ensure longevity in my ever altering diet. If you feel that there'll be a little respite come the weekend, it'll trick the brain into holding out when your resolve falters.

My diet is an ongoing evolution that has no final answer, no destination where I decide I've perfected it. It's further tweaking and mistakes that'll be the cause for improvements and safeguard my health. But in doing so I’ve never felt better. There are no sugar crashes in the middle of the day where previously post lunch fatigue would have me reaching for the coffee or similar quick fix caffeine source.


"Show me a person who has never made a mistake and I'll show you a person who has never achieved much" - Joan Collins

It really is that simple to me now. Single ingredients, nothing processed, lots of plants. As always in life the most simple answers are usually the best. I’ve embarked on a lifestyle change, that although questioned by some, I honestly feel tangible benefits. I would encourage everyone to experiment - Try adding something new that's nutritious or reduce something you know is detrimental to your health and see how much better you feel after a week.

Always best to end with a quote;

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” - Michael Pollan (Author of the Omnivore’s Dilemma)

Hoka Highland Fling 2015

My 2015 commenced with a concerted effort to ready myself for the Hoka Highland Fling in April, but also with an eye on my first 100 miler in July at the Lakeland 100.  Training had started well with some consistent mileage trying to build on last year, but also pushing a bit more speed work whilst maintaining some quality vertical ascent. I'd also seen some leaps in my performance through adopting a more plant based diet. This has really enhanced my recovery and energy levels in general. Something I'll look to write a separate blog about in the week or two...

In addition to my ongoing passion for running and improving my performances I have been lucky enough to receive some support from Salomon and Suunto this year. They’ve kindly flowed me some impressive new products from their 2015 range. I’ve always been a fan of both companies and their products so to receive some kind of recognition from them in respect of my modest results and potential has been amazing. This of course brings with it the self-imposed pressure to improve, perform and a sense of responsibility to get results.

With this in mind I selected the following equipment for my run;

Salomon S-Lab Sense 4 Ultras – Finally got the sizing nailed down by sizing up a little to allow my wide feet some wiggle room. The much praised lacing system then allows me to lock my foot down to prevent my foot slipping on fast descents. I did consider using the Sense Ultra Soft Ground, but despite the rain I didn’t think I’d need the extra grip on the Fling route. Especially with there being little in the way of any extended muddy sections along the West Highland Way.

Salomon S-Lab light jacket, Exo Zip Tee and Sense Shorts – This new jacket is my favourite go to item of choice since I got my hands on it. I never like been trussed up in a jacket and usually overheat quickly. But this jacket is super lightweight, packable small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. Plus it looks really trick, so bonus! The tee and shorts both also fit my minimalist mentality, again giving me easy, full range of motion when running hard.

Salomon Sense Ultra race vest – This has replaced my previous Salomon pack, the Hydro 12 set for races such as the Fling, particularly where there’s less kit required. Despite its apparent minimalism it has an impressive array of pockets that swallow an astonishing amount of kit. It also includes the ever popular soft flasks of which I’m a big fan of. I find hard bottles stored on the chest straps on race vests tend to bruise my ribs over long distances, the soft flasks avoid this entirely

Nutrition – My pack was loaded with 18 GU Gels and 9 S-Caps. Other nutrition I’d scattered around the aid stations in drop bags consisted of Bananas, flapjack, some savoury snacks and Redbull.

Last year I entered the Highland Fling as it is the Scottish Ultra Championships and thus attracts an impressive field of racers. Needing to test myself against runners of a national and indeed international standard to hopefully learn and progress my own abilities and performances. I suffered a difficult race in 2014 with hip problems causing issues with my IT band. I still managed 49^th place in 9:33:21, which at the time and under the circumstances I was happy with. However I couldn’t help but wonder what could have been if the wheels hadn’t come off. Not one to remain despondent, I entered again this year with a clear goal of going sub 9 hours and hopefully getting into the top 30. Although secretly I hoped for better with my newly added self-imposed pressure…

My Strategy for the race was simple enough; put the hammer down over the initial 15 or very runnable but undulating miles, take Conic Hill on better this year including the descent. Then as I hit the more technical section at the side of Loch Lomond use this area to recover of sorts, then hit Bein Glas - load with sugar and caffeine - and try to hang on for a strong finish over the last 12 or so miles. Simple? I think so, the Fling route demands using those initial miles to your advantage, no point going out slow on this one.

At Milngavie Station waiting for the start with my crew

So on the morning of Saturday 25^th April 2015 I arrived at the railway station with my wife and kids (the best crew a runner could wish for!). The weather forecast was grim and it was drizzling prepping lining us up for what promised to be a testing day if it didn’t improve. Whilst waiting for the race to start and sorting the logistics with my drop bags I bumped into Matt Laye from San Francisco one of the favourites for this race, having won the Rocky Racoon 100 in a blistering 13:17! I wished him well before finding a spot in the sub10 starter pen. Also lined up on the start were Paul Navesey (another likely winner), Casey Morgan and Donnie Campbell to name a few.  I felt well trained and ready to go, privileged to be in amongst such running talent. Having beaten off some nagging sciatic pain in my leg from the previous two weeks, I had endured a forced taper that has left me feeling well rested for a change.

On the go and charging up the non-descript tunnel in Milngavie and ascending the steps onto the main town centre pedestrian precinct before hitting the start of the West Highland Way. The race was on.

Up the stairs at the start alongside the eventual winner Matt Laye

I was desperate to ease into the run gently, but equally reluctant to let the front runners charge off so early on in the day. For the first couple of miles I ran with a fellow Dark Peak Fell Runner, Simon (who incidentally ran a storming race – well done mate), where we joked about running alongside the likes of Matt Laye and Navesey. We quickly settled into mid to high 6 minute mile pace, but I felt reasonably comfortable at this having trained plenty of fast miles this year. Simon sensibly opted to back off a little although I saw him later on the bottom of the descent from Conic Hill (famous fast Dark Peak downhill legs!). I was still running well within myself so continued in touch with the lead group. The weather by this time was starting to turn much better, and although cool, it got warmer and brighter as the day progressed. The first 12 miles to Drymen aid are fast and relatively flat but dotted with numerous gates to negotiate which exacerbates any rhythm you try to get into. Hitting Drymen some 6 or 7 minutes faster than last year I was confident my times were heading the right direction. I’d naturally dropped in with a guy who had come 5^thin 2014 (sub8) so I was in good company pace wise.

Running into Drymen aid

From Drymen the course starts to rise upwards towards Conic Hill and tends to ease the pace off a little.  I ran this section conservatively but with a consistent effort which allowed a couple of runners to squeeze past so I just settled in behind them. As I neared the base of Conic Hill where it kicks steeper, I was confident my hill training on Mam Tor would serve me well. And sure enough I managed to take a few places on the climb. Then the descent after the stunning vista overlooking Loch Lomond, which always serves to remind me why I put myself through these races. Last year this descent is where my IT band flared up causing debilitating knee pain, to the extent I had to back off significantly. This year feeling much stronger, fitter and better prepared (loads of strength and conditioning work with my hips) allowed me to let the brakes off a bit and had have a play. The steps near the bottom slowed me a bit where I gingerly tip-toed down to preserve my quads, but otherwise I knew I’d made up some more time on last years pace. Hitting the aid, I was greeted by my crew and some nutrition. I downed a Red bull and proceeded on with a banana in hand.

Loving the climb up Conic Hill

It was here, 20 miles in at Balmaha where when I set off I could tell the first signs of fatigue were creeping in. It’s the age old story of the tough middle section. I imagine almost everyone goes through this in ultras in one way or another. I see it as the part whether it be 5 or 10 miles where the body starts to resist what we’re asking of it. Then, confident it will come, the body comes around and settles in for the rest of the days effort. It’s an area where I will work on in my training to improve because I always lose some time which could be avoided. It was the next 7 miles to Rowardennan this funk seemed to persist. It was a little up and down but on the whole I felt I was struggling to maintain a decent pace. It’s fair to say I may have allowed a little negativity to get a hold which in turn affected my cadence.

Just coming off the beach past Balmaha

Keeping the nutrition going in

As I neared Rowardennan I started to get a grip on things despite my low energy levels. I was again united with my crew who ably provided me with some more water and my drop bag. I stalled a little to get some fats down my neck in the form of a sausage roll. I learned here that previous leader Casey Morgan had dropped, but I didn’t concern myself too much with what was going on in front. Rather I was aware a couple of people flying through the aid not wasting any time. However I knew the sustenance would pay dividends later in the race and the crowd here were lifting my spirit. As I left I contemplated the next section to Inversnaid. It initially involves a long climb on a pretty featureless non-technical trail. I suffered last year along this section and craved the more technical loch side to give my running muscles (read hips!) a bit of a change up. However I was determined to take advantage of the potential speed before the rocks and roots would naturally slow me later. Along the ascent, I managed to take a couple of places back and hit the descent on the other side with some good pace. It was difficult along here to establish what place I was in, but I’d guess between 10^th and 15^th.  What I had noted was I was only about 15 minutes up on my 2014 time so there was still some work to be done if I had sub9 on my agenda.

Still having fun

As I hit the loch side on the run up to Inversnaid my hips were getting tight, not painfully, almost like a lack of energy and flexibility. Fortunately, I came across a couple more runners along this section that spurred me on to truly take advantage of the ever-increasing technicality of the single track. Inspired by both the familiar footing (I train on rooty technical trails almost daily) and the stunning picture nature had painted - I charged on with a renewed pace into the isolated aid located at Inversnaid.  Feeling a little low on energy and with nature calling I grabbed my drop bag and retired into the porta-loo. Here I had a minute so I took the time to eat a pork pie, force a gel and wash it all down with some more Redbull. As I exited it was apparent that runners were coming in and again leaving quite quickly, so reluctant to give up any more places I moved on hitting the even more demanding trails.

This next part is genuinely a hoot, real hands on rock stuff, jumping, climbing and generally playing. I try not to get hooked up on the pace along here, because in my mind even the fastest runners are travelling at relatively the same speed. So just lapping up the environment and truly enjoying the moment I bounced on over the rocks and roots. As the trail got slightly more runnable I knew my legs were coming back nicely with some more runners not far ahead I pushed with the final aid, Bein Glas Farm in sight over the Loch. A short but sharp climb allowed me to gain a take a place or two before hitting the aid.

Cheeky snack to fuel for the last 12 miles or so

My Wife (Emma) and the kids were waiting and excited to see me after a couple hours away. I took some food and plonked myself down on the grass for a second and stretched my hips out. I maybe took 30 seconds or so before acknowledging my time was 6:29 to this point, some 40 minutes up on 2014. With some energy in my legs I knew this could be looking good if the wheels didn’t fall off, so I bid farewell to my special little crew and ran on. The next 4 or 5 miles are again pretty tough for me with buffed out trails rising and falling towards Kirton Farm. I can’t quite pin down why the more consistent terrain can cause me a problem. Maybe I just don’t get inspired by it so much when I’m feeling tired – it just ends up a bit mind over matter. One guy came past here but he immediately walked the next incline where I retook him. With one other guy chasing too, the three of us pretty much swapped places over the next few miles before it started to really crank up the ascent. As we hit what’s been dubbed ‘Cow Poo Alley’, we encountered another 2 guys running up ahead, but were clearly coming back to us. The alley was nowhere near as muddy this year meaning it ran a little quicker. Now at this point I imagine me and the 4 or 5 other guys in my vicinity all felt equally fatigued. But with the ‘sub9’ hopefully in the bag and maybe 6 or 7 miles to go my mind was starting to turn to position rather than just time. It was a race after all! I pictured every hill rep and long lonely winter mile I’d trained in. I used the self-imposed pressure from getting some support from Salomon and Suunto. I imagined my family waiting at the finish line proud of me for achieving  what for me is a big improvement over the last 12 months. Time to cash in the sacrifices made.

Me and the other 5 guys all came together naturally at the base of a pretty sizeable climb which is where I made my move.  I pushed hard into the climb, all in risking a blow up even at this late stage. I charged to the top of the rise never looking back. I did the same on the next climb only allowing myself a cheeky look over my shoulder to see just one of the other runners trying to hang to me. I knew as I hit the summit I could run through it and continue the momentum. I hit the descent pretty hard for me, surprising myself in the process by picking up two more places. Not where I’d normally expect to grabs place. I’m more of a climber than a descender, but maybe my competence in this skill is increasing with experience and practice. I’ll never be Killian Jornet, but I can always try and be the best I can. They always say to work on your weaknesses, which is where more time can be made up and this was proving true now.

I’d like to say I ran the last 3 miles in on the relatively flat terrain in a respectable parkrun style time. I’d previously envisaged this scenario, running in strong and full of confidence from the months of hard training. Unfortunately the reality turned into more of a zero energy slog wishing the last few miles away. I think I’d blown a bit of a gasket and found myself shoulder checking every few minutes.  It became a bit of glorified interval session with a painful plod, interspersed with sprints to encourage my legs back to life. Even forcing a gel half a mile from the finish saw me continuing my struggle.

I saw some walkers who cheered me along the trail. They informed me it was only about 500 metres to the finish. This did enough to release some adrenaline to get me pushing again. Then the glorious sight and sound of the bagpiper they have situated before you round the last corner. I saluted this fine gent as I passed allowing myself to enjoy the moment. Then rounding the final corner to see the red carpet laid for the finishers with the crowd cheering. It’s such a great event with this as a finish to put the polish on a fantastic route. I saw my kids, Ava and Cameron beaming at their Dad running the final stretch, so holding their hands we ran the last 30 metres or so together and over the line.

Relish these moments to share with my family

After the finish it was a bit of a blur, I got some food straight down my neck and a beer before been ushered into another tent for a massage. I then spent the next hour or so cheering other runners and friends into the finish.

A rare treat to celebrate and cheer in the other finishers

My finish time was 8:32:23, for 19^th place. Just over an hours improvement and would have been good for 12^th place last year. Which in itself shows how the standard in British ultra-running continues to improve.

Now a week later as I complete this report I have reflected on areas for improvement in my training and racing. The next couple of months will be aimed at high mileage with plenty of ascent to prep for the Lakeland 100. I love to train, but racing is where we are pushed to our best performances. I endeavour to continue this upward curve in my race times and positions and most of all ensure I enjoy the process throughout.

White Rose Ultra

It’s been a busy year for racing in the respect that I’ve done 4 ultras this year. They’ve been a step up in distance and elevation to some tune. After a satisfactory but bumpy start with the Highland Fling and Lakeland 50, I realised that the Ladybower 50 would be my A race in relation to a high finishing position and a solid time. This race is beneficial in a number of respects; it’s hugely runnable, easy navigation and being local allows me to arrive at the start line feeling ready and fresh. And this certainly paid dividends with 2^ndplace and beating the previous years course record. This was great for a runners high, justifying all the training and effort, but as always leaves that hollow feeling of the end of the journey and ‘post race blues’.

Which leads me to this anomaly; the 4^th ultra. White Rose Ultra would provide 2 UTMB points to add to the other 4 I’d already accrued and provide a new distance not yet reached (60 miles). Which would be a great confidence builder when pushing up to the 100 miler next year. Unfortunately I’d struggled to muster much motivation for the race. My legs just felt flat in the 10 or so day taper I’d endured and my enthusiasm for a beasting wasn’t really there. The benefit of this being that I wasn’t feeling any great pressure to perform or produce my ‘best’. Of course there’s always the external pressures of expectation from friends and family, but I put these to the back of mind, rather storing this information to use as a motivator late in the race when I might want to take my foot off the gas!

The kids and me just before the start

To fuel this dilemma the weather on the day looked pretty grim on the forecast, we would be starting and finishing in a downpour. I could be looking at around 8 hours of freezing, wet conditions to endure with maybe a more pleasant dry spell in the middle. This all added to the dampening of my motivation. Still as we arrived in Marsden, in the Colne Valley I couldn’t help but get a flutter of excitement at the dramatic hills surrounding us. Check in at the Cricket Club went smoothly enough and I managed to clarify some kit logistics before jumping back into the warmth of my car with the wife and kids. We waited until just before the 8 o’clock start time when I pried my tired body into the chilly wind and rain to muster on the start line. 250 runners had entered (a sell out race) including some sponsored folk so I expected some decent competition. Unfortunately the race had both a 30 and 60 mile option and we were to set off together. The issue with this is differentiating who’s who when trying to gauge a sensible pace to set off at. I didn’t want to get dragged into a frenetic early pace with the 30 milers and have nothing left for the second lap.

As we were set off, I’d made my way to the front with no issue and only a couple of fast looking guys seemed keen to lead off. Out the cricket club we went onto a steepish descent down a tarmac road, which had me breaking early on when I should be letting myself use gravity to get an advantage. About a quarter of a mile down the road though we turned right and began a pretty decent ascent, initially still on road up to the Wessenden trail. This section was pretty good, after first the steep road bit we went onto a nice flat trail where I could maintain a good cadence but easy effort to settle into the days running. I ran a short section of this with Alex Loach, a Twitter runner I’d been put in touch with via another Twitterite. He was running the 30 and was keen for a sub 5 hour finish, which in my mind was going to be too quick if I was to complete the 60 in a fairly even time (over the two laps). So after a short while I eased off and let Alex go. I’d settled into a nice position and pace as we ascended the trial by a reservoir and into the local hills. I was already enjoying the impressive scenery and looking forward to what I was going to see throughout the course. I thought I might be in first place for the 60 and inside the top ten if I was running just the 30 at that point. As we reached the top of Wessenden hill I passed an aid station without stopping. We’d only done 5 miles so it seemed madness to stop for refreshments so early on. Back onto road we reached another steep descent which I tried to push on but was actually struggling for traction with my New balance MT110’s. It was here a guy came past and I could see from his number he was a 60 runner, and oddly seemed to be in convoy with cyclist?? (Odd as no pacers were allowed). Still it was a long race and I just didn’t feel like racing hard yet. As we reached a red pillar box I’d seen on Facebook as a turning point we were back onto moorland and trails which I thoroughly enjoyed the respite from the steep road.

The miles ticked by and I eventually dropped in with a 30 mile runner (I think his name was Chris) who seemed to be somewhat similar paced to myself. We chatted away as we ran over various bits of trail and probably a little too much road for my liking. The course markings were fantastic though. Every bend and turn was marked with large yellow arrows and even repeaters on longer straights to reassure runners they were still on the right path. Although an easy effort at about 12 miles or so I was surprised to see some runners catching us. A 60 miler, who I’d guess to be about 50 odd years of age came past looking strong initially, but after a steep ascent we reeled him back in and past him fairly easily. This whole section with Chris (?) was enjoyable and I never felt I was pushing excessively. Food particularly for me was going down pretty well. I was mixing GU gels with the aid station sweet treats and bananas as well. My stomach never felt like it was rejecting anything which I would attribute to my improved racing performances recently. If anything I could maybe have drank more water, but with the cool conditions I wasn’t feeling dehydrated.

Chris and me running out of the second aid with Cameron in pursuit!

Highlights over this section were a comedy ‘bog from hell’  we were warned about by a walker and plenty of tasty enough elevation changes to prevent me getting frustrated with the roads. After the 15 mile mark we hit a decent ascent and a female 30 miler joined us. As we started to stomp up the incline I could tell you Chris was flagging a little and much as I’d enjoyed his company I started to push on. Head phones in – Mumford and Sons singing the first track up – and I stepped things up a little before hitting a really fun descent where I let myself go somewhat. After this highlight it was back to a short bit of road drudgery where me and the female runner had a route decision to make, which was successfully negotiated before hitting the next aid station. Another 60 mile runner caught up here, a dude with flopsy hair. He looked to be moving well so after seeing the family who were stood waiting about 100 metres after the aid I took the decision to let him go and have a little coke. Onwards and upwards through some muddy tracks before another longish road section. Although I knew I was moving fairly quickly along here with a nice fast cadence, I wasn’t enjoying the pounding and my right hip was flaring up pretty badly now. 

Over the next section to the 25ish mile point I remember another fun descent playing with a few 30 milers that had caught up, but subsequently were left on this fast section. As I hit the aid a guy caught up with a green dyed Mohawk. He also looked to me moving good as I felt I was beginning to slow a bit. I think this put me in either 3^rd or 4^th place. The last 5 miles of the first lap comprised a cracking climb up first a really steep gradient on tarmac before moving onto a similarly vertical trail. I enjoyed this part just for the relief on my hip while I progressed into a fast power hike. My hiking in sections like this is getting better over time and something I aim to keep working on. I believe that even with the carb-catastrophy I suffered at the Lakeland 50 this year, with a now more efficient hiking ability my finish time would be much stronger. In the last 3 miles or so there was another steep climb into a bit of boggy farm and moorland where I seemed to be amongst a lot more runners. It became apparent most if not all these were 30 milers some suffering more than others. So after a long flat trail towards the finish, I could see the switchback down to my left which led onto the cricket ground for the end of lap one. This gave me a significant lift with the promise of seeing my family again and knowing I wasn’t running on terrain I would be retreading. Which is always the psychological downside of these lapped ultras. On the final sprint down to the ‘finish’ area Alex Loach bobbed alongside me again. I’d been totally in the zone a couple of miles earlier and flown right by without even noticing it was him.  Quick apology for my apparent ignorance and me and Alex sprinted the last loop over the line for his 30 mile finish. Turns out we were in 7^th place for the 30 miler in a time of 4:37 I think, which coincidently would have been enough for a win the previous year. I was happily greeted by Emma and the kids before briskly going inside the race HQ for something savoury. I was gutted to see a small platter of sweet stuff including some kind of heavy chocolate slice which was all that vaguely fit my taste requirements. Miserable for the lack of some savoury stodge, I ran back out onto the road to repeat the route I’d just run.

Alex loach and me finishing the first 30 mile lap

By this time my hip was tight and painful so the initial descent and subsequent ascent up to Wessenden was painful and laborious to say the least. The climb had a convoy of 4 60 mile runners changing position all the way up the valley. One of these runners was the guy from the previous lap with a bicycle in convoy. My wife had mentioned this and that she was annoyed that this guy essentially had a pacer which offered certain advantages. Myself, I wasn’t that bothered prior to this encounter. However now he had 2 cyclists riding along with him which presented a couple of glaring facts. Firstly, it appeared he’d premeditated a number of pacers throughout the day in blatant disregard for the rules. Which in itself wouldn’t have been so bad if one the cyclists were now making it incredibly difficult for me to pass said runner, or even worse the runner was now carrying none of the mandatory kit! So having passed him and had a chat with one of the other runners, as we hit the aid station we pointed this out to them so he could be spoken to. We were carrying about 8kg of kit which was giving him a serious advantage on the ‘final stretch’.

3 of us left the aid relatively close together leaving the paced runner behind. After a couple of miles I naturally dropped in with the guy with the Mohawk who introduced himself as Kelvin. If I’m perfectly honest I was grateful for the company, it would take my mind off my sore hip and the long grind ahead of me. And so the lap was repeated, me and Kelvin running together assisting each other to keep moving with a solid tick over.

Kelvin and Me loving the pain some 40-odd miles in

As we arrived at the now 45 mile checkpoint, Emma was waiting armed with pork pies! We gratefully received the fat filled snacks which our bodies had started to crave now the intensity of the first lap had dropped. Emma informed me we were 3^rd and 4^th, with 2^ndmaybe 10 minutes ahead. This information rejuvenated me a little so I grabbed a handful of Doritos and trudged on with Kelvin trailing a little. We hit the next ascent together, but I just got the impression Kelvin was less inclined to run some of the slighter gradients. As the incline kicked again, I got my head down and started to march a bit harder. The lure of 2^nd only 10 minutes ahead was too much to keep me back. Unfortunately at this pace I looked back and saw Kelvin was falling behind a bit. I shouted back to check on his welfare, to which he replied and gave me the thumbs up to move on.

Music back on for inspiration I summit’ed the climb and started to run hard. The same descent I’d enjoyed earlier greeted me with open arms, and it occurred to me I’d left Chris on the first lap on exactly the same climb of the route. Hitting the road I reminded myself Kelvin had informed me he was a 2:44 marathoner so fully expected to see him again shortly. However it was a mile or so later the wheels came off when I realised I’d missed a turning somewhere along the road and was off course. I’d been sorting my coat and headlamp out and must have missed a direction arrow. I initially ran back along the road to see if I could see Kelvin’s headlamp to no avail. Next I tried my Suunto Ambit nav, but this was also presenting a problem as I was so far off course on zoom mode I couldn’t even see the route, just a lonely arrow in the screen with no sense of direction. I took the decision to try running further along the road to see if I could converge back on course. A bit further along and I just caught a glimpse of the route line on my watch in the corner of the screen. So with an extra little climb and a detour I finally got back on route. This would have been fine but about 200 metres later I realised there was an aid station further back along the section I’d missed! I looked back into the fading light and could see the aid station in the distance. Quick decision was to ring the race director and seek some advice. However as I pulled my phone out Emma was actually ringing me. She informed me she was at the aid with Kelvin and was wondering where I was. Kelvin confirmed to the marshalls’ I’d been in front of him and with a flash of my headlamp and a call to the race director I was given the go ahead to continue my pursuit of 2^nd place, Mark Davies.

The rest of the race was hard, but also massively enjoyable. My legs came back to me in places where I could really push. I felt super strong on the trail descents and still had a good climb left in me. This didn’t stop me regularly checking backwards to see if any headlamps were coming. But I was also looking forward for any glimpse of a light in front and the opportunity to place higher. This proved my mindset could still be positive and competitive late in a long race like this. It truly felt like a war of attrition at this point, but I had the strength to push on and keep fighting.

The final section with the switchback view down to the finish confirmed I wasn’t catching second, which may or may not have been a different story had I not gone on my merry detour and added to the route! But as I hit the last little road, I really picked up my pace just to secure a solid finish. The run around the ‘track’ at the cricket club was great. Emma and the kids shouting and clanging the cow bells.

I’d finished in 10:16:42, which was a minute quicker than last years 1^st place (previous course record), which put me in 3^rd place. The most pleasing aspect of this was clambering onto the podium and my son, Cameron pointing out that Daddy was now like Valentino Rossi in Moto GP.

The podium

As a season closer this was satisfying a time and position in a race I wasn’t sure where I might fall in the rankings. It’s given me some great motivation and confidence to continue to progress into 2015 and try and push for some good results.

Roll on 2015.

Ladybower 50 - 2014

Ladybower 50 - 2014

There's something inherently terrifying about failure. It grips me in it's vice, anxiety being the symptom, disappointment the final evil. It's only now that it truly looms large on my horizon. Every ultra I've run to date has been a first time of one type or another - a first new distance, elevation, elite field, championship event; unbeknown to me these factors all worked to remove any real personal pressures. My only mantra being 'don't DNF' throughout these events, I had little fear of disappointment as they generally resulted in a PB or some other goal amongst other factors dictated by the terrain, environment or competition. Yet Sunday 21st September brought me a fresh challenge, a repeated event, same course, similar weather, yet a full years training to justify. It was time to find the proof in the pudding. had all my hours spent in the surrounding hills made any difference at all? I managed 5th place last year in 8:41 minutes. A result at the time I was thoroughly pleased with but anything but a marked improvement this year would fall well short of my own expectations. At times like this I don't really need external pressures as well, but I could hear family and friends suggesting certain aspirations as to my finishing position. Position is something that while satisfying I try not to attach to much relevance too. At the end of the day I could break a course record, but if Killian Jornet turned up he would surely make me look very silly (amongst other elites I'm sure). So my expectations had to be held within some level of control. This is the remedy for fear, give yourself as much control as you can, then just let go of the rest. Why worry about what you have no power to alter?

With the 'fear' in relative control, I set myself the heady goal of knocking 41mins off my time from the previous year. The way I saw it, 8 hours got about 3rd place last year so should stand me in good stead to improve my time and maybe grab a podium place. The build up this year has been good on the whole; some actual tempo runs to reflect the speed of the course and the mountain ultras would put the hills into perspective on race day. A marathon distance training run about 2 weeks before the event revealed a weak IT band crippling me over the last 6 miles or so. Adding to the fear! However the time was 3:37 I think which is well above the pace I would need for the 8hour goal. All I'd need was that ever absent discipline to hold off early on with the pace...

Race morning began with an early rise, not a bad nights sleep. All the better for being at home, one of the inherent advantages of this particular race. Peanut butter and jam on toast would kick start my metabolism, and a banana before the start meant I was loaded with sugars. I'd also done the prerequisite Cost Co pizza the day before, so hopefully my glycogen stores were overloaded at this point. A brisk but gentle leg warmer to the toilets at Fairholmes and I could tell my legs were ready for this. Last year I was nursing a badly sprained ankle which meant I had to hold back on any sort of early charge.

As we lined up it was cool, yet I could feel the day would warm as the sun rose along with my heart rate. As the start kicked off I pulled off in front and after a few hundred metres I could feel a couple of runners nipping at my heels. I was keen to keep the pace relaxed and manageable, having been stung too many times by an early frenetic charge. 50 miles is a long race to play out and if I could ease into this thing all the better. But neither did I want to let any whippets disappear into the distance. So with some runners at my heels I just tried to control the pace for the first lap. Nobody seemed desperate to pass but clearly want to keep in touch. Eventually holding the speed back a notch was unsustainable and a guy in an Ironman cap came past. As we crossed the bridge on the A57 I dropped in next to another guy whose name I failed to get. We discussed our previous races and other running related topics. He revealed to me he'd achieved a sterling 17th place at this years TDS. At this point another dude came past but didn't really want to chat. His name I later learnt was Gareth Bowden. As we came through the first 5 mile loop I grabbed my race vest, a banana and trogged on. In my haste to not lose too much time to the leaders I managed to stop my Suunto GPS when throwing my vest on. As I tried to settle into a comfortable rhythm I slowly gained on the TDS guy and Ironman who were running together line astern on the single track towards the A57 bridge. As we rounded the end and began the first full climb to Slippery Stones I let the two in front go a little, now in fourth place myself with Gareth Bowden a little ahead of those two.

As we gained ascent I could see the race unfolding a little with Gareth Bowden, TDS guy next and Ironman behind them with a 50 metre or so gap between all of us. I just tried to be disciplined with my pace and effort, holding back but still trying to keep in touch somewhat. As we did the last ascent towards Slippery Stones I could see Ironman coming back to me. His gait appeared a little laboured showing he may have bitten off more than he could chew with the early pace so far (about 7:30m/mile). As we dropped the last little descent to Slippery Stones I took the incentive and moved past with a positive move, pushing up the little climb past the bridge to make the move stick. As I sorted the gate I glanced back to see if I needed to hold it for him, but to my surprise he'd already dropped off in the space of 30-40metres. It reinforced the psychological factors in racing, once I'd come past he immediately slowed. Another lesson learnt, maybe...

And that was it. All of a sudden I was running, 15 or so miles into an ultra, comfortably in a podium position. I also felt strong and confident I could hold it to the finish unless someone unforeseen pushed from back in the pack or my ITB flared badly. I continued to hold my pace back a little, concentrating on flow and the "just don't walk". It was early for this, but I was determined, that no matter what, I wouldn't submit to aches and pains until after 35 miles. At which point I would pick up my pacers and maybe they could push me through any problems. I also ensured I stayed on top of my nutrition, a gel every 30 minutes or so, salt caps and a banana planned at every 15 mile loop. As I neared the 20 mile marker I could tell the ITB was threatening, but not yet crippling. As I passed Fairholmes I saw my Mum and Dad 50 metres from the aid station walking the dogs. It's always a lift when family and friends make the effort to come and support, and this was no exception. My Dad (a cracking half marathon runner in his day) had only seen me at one ultra, so I wanted to show him today that I was working hard to make him proud of me.

As I hit the aid station, it was a hive of activity. The race organiser, Steve King and his team told me to ease off. They said the two leaders looked in a bad way and the pace was unsustainable. This was in all honesty a weight off my mind. I saw Emma and the kids, grabbed a nana and moved on quickly, but this time consciously knocking maybe 30 seconds a mile off to maybe 8-8:30 min/miles. I'd come through 20 miles in 2:38, which for me was pushing for a 50 miler, so backing off seemed logical, and maybe the two in front would come back to me. Slowing a little seemed to correlate with my ITB flaring up. It was at this point I did the only logical thing - I necked some anti-inflammatory drugs. I wouldn't normally advocate the use of pain killers but I could tell it was going to get worse if I didn't intervene. The rest of that lap was fairly uneventful - Mainly in that it didn't seem like torture like it had the year before. I was happy with my position, I was enjoying my tunes on the iPod and the sun was getting a little warmer (but not too hot).

Then I arrived at the 35 mile mark and Stan was waiting for me with Emma to pace me round the last 15 lap. I was really happy to see them both and ready for the company. I also had some surprising news that TDS had dropped, putting me in second place. I asked for the gap to 1st, Bowden, only to be told "he's gone, don't worry about him". But part of me, in this for the competition, wanted to have a crack anyway. So I dumped my vest and charged on. Emma and Stan struggling to catch me over first quarter of a mile or so. However as we rounded the bottom of the reservoirs the ITB got much worse again. I slowed to a walk a couple of times along this stretch, but when we saw my parents at the water station by Derwent dam my Dad asked how long it might take us to finish. I gave a conservative time, which I can't remember, but it gave me the last push I needed to just go for it. So again I charged off, up the hill this time, but all of a sudden the adrenaline erased the pain and I managed to clip some decent miles off again. As the final few miles passed Emma and Stan amused me the best they could, both trying to find toilet stops - typical, lol!

The final section of rolling road that stretches maybe 5 miles is a little past Slippery Stones. As we hit the road, Emma and Stan stopped to top the water up. All I could think about was how strong I felt, against everything I expected at this point in the race. All I could think was how much effort and determination it took at this point in 2013 to muster any sort of running. With this in mind I took what I thought was maybe a selfish decision to run on, but I 'd put myself in this position to do the best I could so the decision was made. I pulled my shirt off to make myself as comfortable as possible and just concentrated on a smooth and sustainable running form.

It was apparent that Emma and Stan were struggling to catch me, but this just pushed me more. Eventually Stan managed to close the gap, but i told him to go back to Emma to make sure she was okay. I'd previously agreed with Emma that if I felt strong I was going to go for it, so it wasn't anything she didn't expect, but I still felt guilty. A few minutes later Stan returned again, under instructions from Em to come and pace me (he also had the water at that point the poor guy). So me and Stan charged together for the last 3 miles or so, pushing out 7 or so min/miles, but it never felt really hard. This was a revelation to me and probably the most pleasing aspect of my day. I was improving as a runner, all the training was paying off. Time to cash in!

I finished with my usual sprint finish (maybe showing I'm still leaving a bit out on the course?!). Also after finishing I immediately turned around and ran back down the hill to find Emma. To my delight she was about 200 metres down the road, so I met up with her and a 35 miler and ran in as a group back to the finish line. Love coming over the line with my wife, she's the best and always inspires me to give my best x.

The final result - 2nd place and a course record (other than the winner this year) in 7:15. A full hour and 25 minutes faster than 2013 and 45 minutes faster than my ideal goal race time. A great days work, and something to build on I'm sure.

I'm completing this report nearly a month after the race, and although still buzzing in general from the performance, I think I've got more in me. And the 2nd place, despite my rationalisation of performing to time not position, still irks a little. I've entered for 2015, after I'll have run my first 100 miler (Lakeland 100), so looking forward to pushing that time back a bit more maybe -
Cue fear of Failure...