With there being only a few days left until the Montane Lakeland 100 I am in the final stages of my preparation. In tonight's post I will consider how my preparation has gone and what I have done. Well I am not planning to do a long post tonight, as I am in taper mode, but I will attempt to reflect on my preparation concisely!
In order to prepare for the Lakeland 100, the first and probably the most important task is to decide on what the challenge is. What do you want? Yes, we would less likely do these events if they weren't challenging, however, depending upon your goals, the race can have different challenges for different people.
Obviously the first aim is to finish the event, to complete the 105 mile circuit. However, although there is a cut-off time limit of 40 hours, for most runners they will have an additional goal of completing the course in as quick a time as possible. I have observed from my many years of running that this aim "to do ones best" is a common trait amongst runners. Even if the runner publicly states that all they want to do is finish, deep within, they actually do want to run to their full potential, and therefore a speed/pace component is also involved.
Although I tend to finish near the front end of the field, clearly identifying what "running to my full potential is" is as equally important for me, as it is for the mid-pack runner or the runner towards the tail of the field. As part of the Lakeland 100/50 recce weekend June last year I gave a presentation on my Lakeland 100 experiences. One of my slides was titled "2010 Lakeland 100 - What Went Wrong?", and it created a bit of interest considering I won the 2010 event by nearly one and a half hours! Yes, although I did win the race, when reflecting on the race, I didn't consider it as one of my better performances, which I attribute to my poor preparation in terms of knowing what did I actually want from the event!
In trying to be specific in terms of my goals for the event, it doesn't have to be quantifiable, in terms of say a certain finishing place or a certain finishing time. This was where I have gained in experience and wisdom since July 2010. Back then I assumed that in order to have specific goals, the goal had to be quantifiable. I therefore spent significant time trying to determine how long each leg would take me. The problem with this is that the time to run each leg is so heavily dependent upon the weather conditions, especially the underfoot conditions, i.e. whether the track is hard and dry, or as most likely this weekend, wet and boggy! So back in 2010 at the end of leg two, which is prone to being rather boggy, the time goals I had set I realised were not possible. I therefore had a dilemma as my time goals were no longer applicable. I also had a sub goal of winning the race, however, as your finish place isn't totally within your control I try not to adopt finish place goals, although the desire to win was obviously attractive.
So due to having not clearly identified what I wanted from the race, I simply ran at a pace that was sufficient to win, and I convinced myself during the race that as I was leading, I therefore had to be running well! This is not always the case. So what am I trying to say within this blog post. I guess the key message is that it is important to clearly establish your goals for the event, however, what is most important is that you are able to gain some feedback during the race, to assess whether you are attaining your goals, and if not, implement a strategy to enable you to get back on track and to achieve your goal.
I therefore now simply adopt a rather vague goal for the race of "To Run Well"! Yes, as simple as that. However, what I have spent significant time developing is the process of assessing during the race, if I am running well. This is not based on leg split times, or current race position, (although they can provide some feedback), but based on FEEL. How am I feeling, my overall feeling, but probably the most important, is being my sense of enjoyment and the level of positivity at that moment in time. If I am running well, my sub-conscious, my deep down feelings will reliably tell me this, but only if I allow these feeling to be displayed, without them being inhibited due to other less reliable feedback. Aspects I will pay attention to are some physiological feedback, such as level of breathing, heart rate, and physical senses from the legs. But what is more important is my perception of effort, how much Race Focus Energy (RFE) is required in order to maintain my current running pace, and combining this RFE perception with the actual feeling of how I am running. Does my running feel fast, feel flowing, feel rhythmical, relaxed.
One aspect is assessing my feelings/perceptions, but being able to respond to this assessment is the key to a successful performance. During a 100 mile trail race, ones feeling will fluctuate, possibly to quite extremes. There will be some absolutely amazingly awesome moments, but then also some very challenging moments. So within my preparation I have spent time visualising different scenarios that could arise during my journey of the Lake District. And for each possible scenario I have tried to develop a strategy to maintain the positivity, or if during a difficult moment, an approach to regain the positive experience. It is hard to explain the process I have gone through, but it involved reflecting on my experiences during my previous races.
Since July 2010 I have started twelve marathon or ultra races, with the experiences ranging from severe disappointment with two DNFs (Ultra Trail Mont Blanc in August 2011, and London Ultra in February 2012), to strong feelings of satisfaction, with probably the IAU World Trail Championships in Connemara, Ireland in July 2011 being my overall best performance. Reflecting on what the overall experiences of the races were allows me to continue to improve and develop as an ultra trail runner. An interesting observation is that my two extremes during the last two years were separated by only seven weeks. Physiologically not much would have changed during this short time period, hence why my preparation focus is on the non-physical aspects of training. This doesn't mean I ignore the physical training. No, the physical training is obviously important, however, it is the translation of the physical training and it's impact on the other variables that strongly influence performance such as confidence, self-expectations, positivity, etc. which is the key. The importance of the physical training isn't solely to develop ones physiology!
I appreciate that a number of you prioritise your training differently to mind, with the physical training being the prime focus. Some of you may be interested in the level of my physical training during my previous 14 weeks since returning to running following my stress fracture. During my time off running, I formulated my training plan for the Lakeland 100, and the 15 week preparation phase seems to have worked out as being ideal. The perfect duration of time in order to be on the start line in Coniston feeling TOTALLY prepared. In total I have run 688 miles, averaging 49.1 miles per week. This average has probably been the highest weekly average I have ever carried out leading into a focus race. So you can see the importance I do pay to the physical training. In addition to this high level of physical training, the extent of my non-physical training has probably equally be more extensive than usual. Hence why I am able to conclude that my TOTAL preparation leading up to the Montane Lakeland 100 has felt ideal.
I mentioned at the start of tonight's post that I would try to keep it concise. I'm not sure that I have really achieved this, as my thoughts at times have been rather random. Hopefully to those of you racing this weekend in the Lake District, my 'mutterings' above provide either a boost in confidence with regards to the preparation you have carried out. However, if it has the opposite affect, and has led to some insecurities in terms of perhaps the lack of non-physical training conducted, with a few days left before race day, some last minute non-physical training may still be beneficial. Whatever situation you are in, remember, the importance of clearly knowing what challenge you have set yourself this weekend.
May I wish you all the best this weekend as you strife to achieve the challenge you have set.
I will sign off with a quote I wrote leading up to the 2010 Lakeland 100. Re-reading it now, it feels even more relevant in terms of influencing ones overall performance:
"Staying confident in that your preparation has been sufficient for the realistic goal you have set yourself, and feel assured that the fast, but comfortable pace you have started at, is correct. Listen to your own 'deep and inner beliefs', and ignore the comments, views and actions of others if they are in conflict with your well thought out and planned strategies." Stuart Mills, 2010
Hopefully see some of you in Coniston. Please say hi.
Stuart
PS Those of you that have been following the Real Relay, will be as pleased as I was seeing that the Real Relay managed to reach the Olympic Stadium at London at the end of the non-stop 55 day journey. Endurancelife provided a challenge to the UK running community and the response was overwhelming. I was fortunate to be involved in the Real Relay twice. Firstly last Wednesday early in the morning as a group of five of us ran from Seaford to Eastbourne, and secondly, yesterday, as me and my son Robert joined in with around 200 other runners on the final leg, nearly reaching the stadium before we were stopped by security! Overall a great experience, a truly unique event, achieving its aim of successfully accomplishing the demanding challenge set, whilst at the same time uniting the running community. Thanks to Kate and others at Endurancelife, and to all the runners that were involved. Ckick HERE to see the BBC coverage of the final leg.
The Real Relay at Eastbourne Pier. From the left of the photo: Andrew Tolley, Stuart Mills, Steve Morgan holding the Real Relay baton that contains the GPS Tracker, and Jonathan Davidson.
The Real Relay on the final leg not far from the Olympic Stadium. My son Robert and I are in the front row, 3rd and 4th in from the left of the photo.
Yes, a few weeks since my last post, but I have been a wee bit busy! The day job, i.e. a University Lecturer at the University of Brighton has been keeping me plenty busy, with the students recently returning.
Tonight, should be a shorter post than usual. Simply a brief review of my talk up in Yorkshire last week, and a preview of TWO upcoming talks.
Last Friday night I had the pleasure of talking to around 25 runners in the cosy Studley Roger village hall, not far from Ripon. The talk was organised by Dave Jelley from http://www.jelleylegs.co.uk/ Dave has recently set up a Guided Running company that provides Guided Trail Running Breaks. It was recently featured in the Guardian two weeks ago. Click the following link to read the article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/sep/30/guided-running-holiday-north-yorkshire-dales?newsfeed=true And as the article mentions, the running in Yorkshire was very scenic, over a variety of terrain.
I met Dave at the Shires and Spires 35 mile Ultra back in June, where we actually discussed the possibility of the talk whilst racing! So on the Friday night immediately prior to my talk, on a pleasant evening as the sun was setting, we had a quick six mile run across the fields, including running through a deer park, .
My talk was titled "Ultra Trail Running: Enjoying the Overall Experience - The Importance of TOTAL Preparation". I provided some background to my philosophy on what determines fatigue during ultra trail running, and then illustrated my ideas with my contrasting experiences at the 2009 and 2011 Ultra Trail Mont Blanc. As expected, my ideas created some discussion, with many runners being able to associate with my observations. Although, there were some 'disbelievers', who felt that I placed too much emphasis on the importance of positivity. Reflecting back on my talk, I probably did 'play down' the importance of the physical training too much. As after all, at the end of the day, it is the physical body that has to propel you to the finish line. However, the problem I have, as readers of my blog are quite well aware of, is that at times I do tend to go on a bit! So one of my aims was to try to stick to my planned schedule, and hence why I rushed over a few aspects of my TOTAL training approach.
During the last year, I have been give quite a bit of thought into why I slow down so much during ultra trail running. My post back in August titled Training for Ultras - What's It All About? highlighted some of my thoughts. However, recently I have been trying to develop a model that will encompass all of my ideas. During my presentation I spoke about how ultra trail running performance is "determined by a balancing of the current physiological and psychological input with the underlying self expectations / self belief!" And I presented a very simplistic model to help clarify this, and reinforced the importance of the subconscious beliefs with a quote from 1983 by Gary Elliott, coach to NZ marathon runner Alison Roe, Boston marathon winner, New York marathon winner, World Record Holder, 1981.
“Success becomes automatic when your subconscious accepts your goals as reality.”
I appreciate that this balance scales image doesn't really provide much information, however, i am hopeful that my new model will be complete shortly, in time for my talk up in Cheshire in the middle of November. More about this talk, and my other upcoming talk in Eastbourne, later in this post.
So back to last weekend. Overall I felt the talk went well, especially as it did what I set out to achieve, that being, to get runners to think differently about their training, and to give more thought to what actually causes them to fatigue during ultra trail running.
The next morning, after watching England's disappointing performance at the Rugby World Cup (The advantages of having a dual identity, I still have the All Blacks to cheer on!), the sunshine was gone, and it was out into the Yorkshire mist for a longish run across a variety of terrain. Dave and I were joined for the run by Martin and Billy. As Dave is running the last race of the Runfurther series this weekend at Rotherham, we decided to keep the pace pretty easy, which suited me fine, as pretty well all of my runs are at an easy pace. (Keep an eye out for Dave at this week's series decider. Not only is he in 'with a shout' for the over 50s title, he is also well up there for the overall title!)
So there was plenty of talking as we ran along at a cruisey pace, on mainly running related topics, including a bit more discussion on some of the training aspects I raised the night before, and a 'bit of banter' on perhaps I just shouldn't be so lazy with my training, and if I did some proper physical training I then wouldn't slow down so much! Although later on in the run, having discovered a little bit about Billy's impressive race performances when he was a wee bit younger, the question was asked into why he now raced so slowly!
Running with Martin and Billy (middle) in the Yorkshire mist
So overall a very enjoyable weekend, and as I titled my talk, the overall enjoyable experience includes meeting loads of positive minded, extremely friendly, ultra trail runners.
This post is sub-titled: Review and Preview. Yes I have two talks coming up. The first, which takes place next Friday, 21st October, 6:00pm - 7:30pm, is at the University of Brighton, Eastbourne campus. It is part of the Beachy Head Marathon Science Symposium. Click this link to find out a bit more about the free symposium. There are three speakers in total, including Emma Ross from the University of Brighton and Charlie Pedlar from St Mary's University/English Institute of Sport. So it should be a pretty interesting and informative night. The Beachy Head Marathon Science Symposium is open to everyone. All you need to do is e-mail O.R.Gibson@brighton.ac.uk to book your free tickets.
Then on Saturday 19th November, at Cuddington, Cheshire, I have been invited by the Delamere Spartans running club to present to trail runners within the Cheshire region. My presentation has the same title as my Yorkshire talk, although hopefully I will be able to introduce my new model on ultra trail fatigue. Tickets are available by e-mailing:tickets@delamerespartans.org.uk
Hopefully a number of you will be able to make either the Eastbourne or the Cheshire evening. It would be great to meet you.
Well, not as brief a post as I planned, so no signing off quote!
To those of you racing this weekend's Round Rotherham, may you all enjoy the overall experience.
Stuart
PS If any of you are thinking about racing next year's Montane Lakeland 100 or 50, well you better be quick! Entries have been open for a little over a week, and there are already nearly 250 entrants in the 100 mile, and over 400 in the 50 mile! The 100 mile already looks like it will be a great race. The last two winners i.e. Terry Conway and myself will be back, as will a number of the 2011 top ten finishers including Paul Tierney, Barry Murray, and Simon Deakin, and a newcomer to the event Richie Cunningham, twice winner of the 95 mile West Highland Way Ultra Race. Best I start doing some proper training!!!
Last weekend I had a thoroughly enjoyable time in the Lake District watching the Montane Lakeland 100 Ultra Trail race, as well as enjoying the fabulous weather and scenery with the family, including successfully climbing Scafell Pike. So tonight is a brief (?) race report on my experience as a spectator.
It was around 2:00pm on the Friday afternoon when we, i.e. me, my wife Frances, and our two boys, Robert and Chris, arrived at the school in Coniston. Immediately, I felt the tremendous supportive atmosphere I remembered from last year. There was a real buzz about the place as tents were being set up, and the 100 mile runners were checking in, and sorting out there gear and themselves, ready for the 5:30pm start. As I walked around I recognised many faces from previous races, and the recce weekend back in June. Although the Lakeland 100 was due to start at 5:30pm, I had already started my ultra event for the weekend, that being 24 hours+ of non-stop talking!!!
As 5:30pm neared it really became apparent just how much the event had grown, just from last year. The school field was nearly full with cars and tents, and there was literally hundreds of runners everywhere. As I spoke to many runners, I was abused and nearly punched on a number of occasions by people I had named as potential top performers in my pre-race blog post, for putting added pressure on them to perform. It was in all good fun (I hope!)
Running legend Joss Naylor starts the race, and the 224 starters make their way off on their journey of the 105 mile circuit of the Lake District. As I watch the last of the runners walk off, I can't believe my eyes, here at the very back off the field is Andy Mouncey, last year's 2nd place finisher, and one of my named runners to look out for as a definite top placed finisher! Was he injured, what was he up to???
Once the runners have departed, we quickly jump into the car and drive the one mile up to the start of Walna Scar Road, to watch the runners go past, which for them is at around the 2.5 mile mark, after a short sharp climb up by the Coppermines Youth Hostel, before descending down to the gravel/dirt road.
As the runners approach there is a lead bunch of three, closely followed by another nine runners. The lead three are Terry Conway, Paul Tierney, and Ian Bishop. I have raced Ian on a number of occasions, and he is a very capable ultra runner, so although he wasn't named in my top seven runners expected to perform, (I failed to see his name within the entry list), it wasn't a surprise to see him at the front.
Terry on the left of the photo, Ian in the middle, Paul in blue on the right.
We watch all of the runners go past, as they start their first big climb of the race, up to around 650 metres of height, along Walna Scar Road. If you click on the following link http://www.flickr.com/photos/62532054@N02/sets/72157627349507066/detail/ it will take you to my Flickr album with photos of quite a few of the runners at the start of Walna Scar Road.
Having travelled all the way up from East Sussex, I had decided that I would follow the race, where possible, during the early stages of the night. I therefore drive across two very steep passes, along an amazing road to arrive at Checkpoint 2 at Boot, shortly before the arrival of the lead runners, after 2 hours 26 minutes of running. There is still a lead group of six runners with a small gap of one minute to a following group of three. The lead group now consists of Barry Murray, Paul Teirney, Terry Conway, John Tims, Ian Bishop, and Adam Perry. Being the competitive runner as I am, I just so happen to have a copy of my race splits from 2010 with me! I look at my splits from last year, they are 10 minutes slower than my arrival time at Boot, which doesn't surprise me considering that I took off at an extremely fast pace last year. If you have a spare 30 minutes or so click: http://ultrastu.blogspot.com/2010/08/lakeland-100-importance-of-preparation.html for my race report from last year, which describes my fast start.
Barry leading, closely followed by Paul, John (wearing tights), Terry, Ian, and Adam just out of picture, approaching Boot pub.
Exactly ten minutes later Andy Mouncey arrives in 17th place, aha, I think I know what his plan is! Last year his race plan was similar to mine, go hard at the start, get out in front, so therefore able to run his own race without being distracted by other runners. See for Andy's race report from last year. Only problem for him last year was that I had the same plan, hence why I had to go so fast last year to get ahead of him! So it seems apparent that again he wants to run his own race, without focusing on what the lead runners are doing, hence walking at the back of the field at the start. In essence giving the leaders a ten minute head start. Not sure about his approach, a brave approach, but clearly illustrating total confidence in his race plan, which is essential for a good performance.
Next stop is checkpoint 4 at Buttermere, this is at the 26 mile mark. As I wait outside the village hall checkpoint, the night is extremely dark, but amazingly warm, and not a breath of wind. Perfect running conditions. Race time of 4 hours and 54 minutes passes, (my arrival time last year), and I wonder how soon will the leaders arrive. I expect very shortly, as due to the quality of the field, and the dryness underfoot, I am expecting the winner this year to finish in under 22 hours. Only six minutes later, out of the darkness appears a lone runner, Terry. He is pretty busy as he fuels up, but still able to chat and tell me that he left the other runners behind leaving checkpoint three.
Terry at Checkpoint 4, Buttermere.
Just before Terry departs, Paul and Adam arrive, less than 3 minutes behind. They probably also spend around 3 - 4 minutes re-fuelling before heading back off into the dark. There is then a 12 minute wait before Barry and John arrive together, refuel and depart, before Andy Mouncey arrives now in 6th place, five minutes behind Barry and John, but 20 minutes behind Terry. Then the checkpoint becomes very busy, as a large group of around eight runners all arrive within a minute or two, all extremely positive and buzzing, except Ian Bishop. Ian explains to me that he thought he had got over an illness he had 2 weeks back, but unfortunately his body is telling him it has not completely recovered. So Ian makes the difficult, but wise, decision to withdraw. He is extremely disappointed. He had prepared extensively for the race, coming up to the Lake District on many occasions with Terry Conway, doing 50 mile runs over the course. Sometimes things just don't go to plan. The important thing is to accept that things happen for a reason, and learn from it. No doubt Ian will be back next year, fitter and wiser.
Paul and Adam arriving at Checkpoint 4.
John and Barry leaving Checkpoint 4.
The large group fuelling up at Checkpoint 4.
The group leaving Checkpoint 4, into the dark.
Next stop is checkpoint 5 at Braithwaite, the 33 mile mark. Terry arrives on his own, with there now being a 14 minute gap to Paul and Adam running together. All three of the runners look really good, full of positivity and appearing to be really enjoying the experience. Although it is pretty hectic at the checkpoints, they are still able to briefly chat. Adam jokes about his Dad also running the 100 mile race, stating something like "Yeah, he goes pretty well for an old man". I think to myself typical cheeky youngster, I bet his Dad is around my age (he is actually only one year older than me), and reflect on how great the activity of ultra trail running is, in that it is suitable for all ages, with age definitely not being a barrier, in fact being a bonus!
There is a bit of a surprise as next to arrive is Andy Mouncey, 14 minutes after Paul and Adam, but significant in that he had moved ahead of Barry and John, who arrive together 3 minutes later. There is then a 18 minute wait until the large group from the previous checkpoint arrive. I recognise most of the faces, but not all of their names. All are in high spirits, although Jeff McQueen, the "Comrades King" who I had met during the June recce weekend, was struggling a bit with consuming food. Already he was finding fuelling difficult.
Stuart Walker (in red), and Jeff McQueen trying to eat some creamed rice at Checkpoint 5.
As I make enquires regarding each runner's identity, I discover my 'Dark Horse' Simon Deakin is within this group. He comments that he was surprised, but complimented by my 'Dark Horse' label, but with this being his first 100 miler, he wasn't promising a high finishing position. Click the link http://ultrastu.blogspot.com/2011/07/montane-lakeland-100-preview-and-bit.html to read my Lakeland 100 race preview post, where seven lead men are identified. I chat to Oliver Jeffcote, 14th place finisher in 2010, really buzzing due to being over 45 minutes quicker at Braithwaite than last year. I mention that I had chatted to his Mum back at the pub in Boot. He apologises for his Mum, and is surprised that I was able to get away from her talking! Yes, at checkpoint 5, there is a real sense of camaraderie amongst the runners, and having run the race last year, so totally aware of what they are experiencing, I feel welcomed into their group. Looking at the results I see that unfortunately it appears that Oli DNFed at checkpoint 9. No doubt, he like Ian, will learn from the disappointment and return to take on the truly demanding challenge of the Montane Lakeland 100.
Oli all smiles as he leaves Checkpoint 5.
With the time now being 1:00am in the morning, I decide that it is time to go back to the tent at Coniston to get some sleep. Not that I am tired, I am buzzing as much as the runners, but I know that it is an early start tomorrow morning, as Frances and the boys are doing a three hour high ropes course in the morning, which just by coincidence is only two miles away from checkpoint 5 at Newlands Activity Centre. I have the company of Ian Bishop as I drive back to Coniston, and we chat non stop about ultra trail running, so the longish drive back doesn't seem to take long at all.
As I try to sleep, I am thinking about all of the runners out there running through the night. Amazingly there isn't one bit of me wishing that I was out there running the race. I made the decision at the end of last year that the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc was going to be my focus race for 2011, so I am totally comfortable in not racing. In fact, to my surprise I have found watching the race during the night probably equally enjoyable!!!
Saturday morning is time to spend with the family, without the distraction of the race, although I do get a quick update on the race positions from the computer screen in the school hall before we head off. The leaders have past through checkpoint 9 at Howtown, the 66 mile mark. Terry has extended his lead over Adam and Paul, still running together, to 1 hour 25 minutes. His time at Howtown is 12 hours 40 minutes, and as expected, he is now 43 minutes ahead of my time from 2010 at the same checkpoint. Knowing how much I slowed down over the last six legs, I roughly calculate that Terry should finish pretty close to 22 hours. The race for first is now pretty well over, it would have to take something pretty drastic for Terry to lose that much time. Andy Mouncey is still in 4th position, but now only 4 minutes behind. To find out what happens next in the battle between Adam, Paul and Andy, I recommend that you click on the link http://www.doingbigandscary.com/#/blog/4552672432/L100-Holding-Back-Holding-On/30227 to take you to Andy's excellent 2011 race report, where he describes the tactics of leg10 in some detail.
The computer screen also shows that at checkpoint 9 Howton, "Dark Horse" Simon Deakin is now in 5th place, "Old Man" Kevin Perry is in 6th place, and "New Comer" Barry Murray is in 7th place. I think wow, I am in the wrong profession, I should be a professional gambler, as for the seven runners I identified as potential top ten finishers, all of them that started the race (Duncan Harris didn't start, so I presume he is still recovering from his injury) are currently in the top seven positions.
The high ropes course at Newlands Activity Centre just out from Keswick is excellent. The instructor is fantastic, as she guides Frances and the boys around nine different high rope activities, such as tarzan swing, leap of faith, bell tower, etc. I am on camera duty.
Chris and Robert on the giant rope ladder.
As we drive back to Coniston we take a quick detour to checkpoint 13, Chapel Stile at 94 miles, to see how many runners have passed through. We are informed that Terry is long gone. As we have lunch outside the pub at Langdale a rather tired looking Andy Mouncey walk/jogs past. It reminds me of how I felt at the same stage last year, tired but still enjoying the journey. Andy gives a brief friendly acknowledgement, but he is quickly back into his own personal zone. He has still around 3 hours to go. He looks tired within his eyes, but you can also see his deep determination. Unfortunately I miss Paul and Andy run past as I was off course searching for an ice cream for Robert and Chris, so we, well actually I decide to head straight to Coniston to see if we can catch Terry crossing the finish line, and their ice cream will have to wait until later!
Andy shortly before Checkpoint 13, Chapel Stile.
We are too late, Terry has already finished in an impressive time of 21 hours 58 minutes and 19 seconds. He hasn't been finished for long, as he still doesn't quite look normal. As he stands up from his chair to walk across the hall, he immediately faints and collapses to the floor. Fortunately a medic is immediately at his side, arouses him, places him in the recovery position and assesses what the problem is. It appears that it was simply an issue of low blood pressure, so it isn't long before Terry is all smiles and begins to appreciate his amazing accomplishment, smashing the previous record of Andy Rankin's from 2009 by 48 minutes.
Terry not long after he fainted!
Outside, it is a beautiful sunny day, with not a cloud in the sky. Not having run earlier in the day, I have a great idea. Saturday night we are staying in a flash 4 star hotel at Ambleside, courtesy of Montane, one of my prizes for winning the 2010 race. So I decide to watch the race as I run the 16 miles back to Ambleside over the course. What a fantastic run, I get to see all of the lead runners running in the opposite direction as they are nearing completion of their 105 miles, and then later on in the run, I also meet the leading 50 mile runners.
Andy Mouncey is the first runner I meet, climbing up from checkpoint 14 at Tilberthwaite at 101 miles! This time he is totally within his own personal zone, although there is still a brief raising of his eyes, to acknowledge my presence.
Andy climbing up from Checkpoint 14, Tilberthwaite.
At checkpoint 14 I stop and chat to various people I know who are waiting for their runners to shortly arrive, and it isn't long before Paul and Adam arrive at the checkpoint. It feels like Andy is only around 10 minutes ahead, so there is optimism within their supporters that it is possible to catch Andy. They have a quick load up of water, as it is pretty hot, being around 5pm in the afternoon, and they on their way, hoping to chase down Andy. Although they do manage to pull back 8 minutes during the final 3.5 mile leg, the gap was actually 15 minutes, so they finish together in 3rd equal place in a time of 24:34:47.
Paul and Adam approaching Checkpoint 14.
I then continue on my run to Ambleside and next meet Kevin Perry, Adam's Dad the "Old Man" in 5th place, then "Comrades King" Jeff McQueen in 6th place, David White 7th, and Stuart Walker 8th. These runners were sufficiently far enough apart that they remained within these places to the finish. I next meet "Dark Horse" Simon Deakin, closely followed by "New Comer" Barry Murray. Barry is looking the slightly quicker, and does manage to overtake Simon to finish 9th, although at around the 99 mile mark, neither of them are really moving at great speed! Simon finishes in 10th place in a time of 25:56:04, six seconds faster than the 2010 3rd place finisher Duncan Harris. Yes, the standard of running has definitely improved this year!
Kevin not far from Checkpoint 14.
Jeff a little bit further away from Checkpoint 14, enjoying being in 6th place.
David in 7th place.
Stuart in 8th place.
Simon currently 9th, but finishes in 10th place.
Barry currently 10th, but finishes in 9th place.
After what seems quite a break between runners I meet John Tims around halfway duing leg 14. John was one of the "Mr Positivity Banter" guys from the June recce weekend. It comments that he has been struggling since leg 10, although he still appears to be enjoying the experience. What I love about John's attitude was his just 'give it heaps' and not be concerned that he was way up the front with the leaders, most likely beyond his own expectations. Yes, one of the secrets of success in ultra trail running is to have 'no fear'. Not to limit yourself with doubt! What caused John to struggle during the later stages of the race, I don't know. But I doubt it was due to him starting out too fast.
John, currently 11th, but finishes in 14th place.
I continue to enjoy my run, and manage to take photos of all of the runners running towards me. Click the following link to view the photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62532054@N02/sets/72157627225557929/detail/ Somehow though I manage to miss getting a photo of the winning women, Gaynor Prior. Gaynor finishes in 15th place overall in an very quick time of 28:24:12, absolutely smashing the record by nearly 4 hours!!! It isn't much later when I come across the first 50 mile runner. The difference in speed is hugh! Craig Stewart greets me with a very relaxed "Hello, Stuart". We were Great Britain team mates at the IAU World Champs earlier in the month at Connemara. Prior to the race I had a feeling that Craig would run a strong race here at the Lakeland 50, and he was definitely doing that today. He was too quick for me to get a photo before he had run past, so I had to sprint hard to get ahead of him again, in order to take the following snap!
Craig Stewart, winner of the Lakeland 50.
As I get nearer to Ambleside the runners from the 50 and the 100 miles races are now totally intermixed, although it is very easy to identify which race they are in, as the 100 mile runners are all showing signs of the previous 90 miles! I come across Sue Sleath, she was one of the runners who was going to punch me prior to the start for naming her on my preview post! I had no need to worry about being punched by her at this moment in time, as she was really struggling, as she commented that she was feeling rather sick and hence unable to take on any fuel. At this point in the race, climbing out of Ambleside, she was in 4th place. Chatting to her the next morning I discover that shortly after meeting me in the race, she was fortunate to be sick, which made her feel heaps better. She was then able to increase her pace, and managed to overtake two women ahead of her to finish second women in 30:07:17, only narrowly beating Kirsty Hewitson, who finished two minutes behind in 30:09:18.
Sue Sleath, 2nd women Lakeland 100.
The last runner I see, running through the park ar Ambleside, appears to be the women's leader of the Lakeland 50 race, Poppy Lenton. She is looking strong and goes on to win in a time of 11:04:33, in 22nd place overall.
Poppy, winner Lakeland 50, running through Ambleside.
Looking at the race results for the Lakeland 100, which are available on the Lakeland 100 website, it shows that out of the 224 starters, only 116 managed to complete the 105 mile circuit of the Lake District, this being only a 52% finish rate, which is lower than the typical 58% finish rate for the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB). It just goes to show that although the Lakeland 100 doesn't have the difficulty of altitude, and less overall climbing than the UTMB, the at times difficult underfoot condition, such as rocks, gravel, occasional boulders, occasional mud and bog and the need to self navigate does appear to make the course as equally challenging. I guess the added heat of this year may have also led to the high drop out rate. To all of you runners that completed the Lakeland 100, well done, a great achievement. To those of you who unfortunately had to drop out, hopefully you will learn from the experience, and be back next year to achieve success and the satisfaction of finishing this very demanding course.
I eventually finish my run at the flash hotel, and feel rather shattered. (It definitely feels a lot longer duration of time watching the race, than actually running it.) Not shattered enough though to prevent me from searching out Paul at the Ambleside YHA, to celebrate his great 3rd place run with a well deserved pint!
The next morning we briefly pass through Coniston, time for quick few chats with various runners, before embarking on the challenge for the day of summitting Scafell Pike. Not via the direct route, no but a more demanding route from Wasdale Head Inn, up around to the left following Lingmell Beck. After exactly 3 hours we reach the checkpoint, opps I mean the summit! Unfortunately during the climb the clouds had come in, so the view was non existent! A quick descent down along the Brown Tongue and we complete our circuit in 5 hours 5 minutes.
Robert, me and Chris at the summit of Scafell Pike.
To finish of this post, firstly I would like to thank Marc, Terry and their massive team of helpers. Without the time and effort all of these helpers put in, the Montane Lakeland 100 and 50 would not happen. The Montane Lakeland 100 has truly established itself as the number one premier ultra trail race in the UK. I for sure, will be back next year to enjoy the absolutely fantastic community atmosphere of this great event. Throughout the whole weekend everybody you meet is just so friendly and full of positive energy. Yes, the real enjoyment from ultra trail running is sharing the unique experiences of like minded people as they challenge themselves within the natural beauty of the countryside.
Secondly, I just want to make a quick observation regarding fuelling for the race. Now, I am not a nutritionist, so there isn't any science/research supporting my comments, go to 9th place finisher Barry's impressive website http://www.optimumnutrition4sport.com/ to get the science behind the ideal ultra race nutrition. But I have a simple belief that the body and mind are pretty clever, it knows what is best. So if the messages you are receiving as you try to force feed loads more sugarier, sickly fuel into your body, are telling you it isn't pleasant, it can't stomach it, then listen to your body. Basically your body will burn either fat or carbohydrate to get you through an ultra trail race. The lower the intensity the greater the proportion of fat that is used. Knowing from my own experiences, and watching the Lakeland 100 runners towards the end of last weekend's race, during the second half of an ultra race the intensity is so low that you just do not need much carbohydrate, so why force feed it! I spoke to a number of runners last weekend who had nutrition problems, feeling sick, which could possibly be contributed to trying to consume too much carbohydrate!
August last year I wrote a post regarding the nutrition I used during the 2010 Lakeland 100: http://ultrastu.blogspot.com/2010/08/race-nutrition-is-more-always-better.html I think the key message from the post is a comment left by Andy Cole which I feel is well worth considering. Remember, science is not always correct! Remember the 'old science' regarding hydration: "Drink as much as you can, because if you wait until you are thirsy it is too late, your performance will have already deteriorated". Wow, wasn't that message a wee bit wrong! I will sign off tonight with the quote from Andy Cole. (Click the following link: http://ajc-runninglate.blogspot.com/2011/08/lakeland-100.html for his excellent race report of the Montane Lakeland 100, experienced a wee bit further down the field).
"My general takeout from all this now is that one shouldn't worry too much about forcing down food as "fuel", natural hunger should give you enough. I think modern thinking on hydration is "drink when you're thirsty", so maybe you could add to this "eat when you're hungry." Andy Cole (2010).
Once again, a big thank you to everyone involved last weekend, for making our family trip to the Lake District so enjoyable. See you all at Coniston, July 2012!
Stuart
PS I received a special request from an ultra runner in the United States who asked me to promote a worthwhile charity she is involved in. So any runners out there in the United States, please click on the following link http://freshairfundhost.org to see if you are able to help the charity in any way. Thanks.
PPS Two days ago the total number of hits to my blog passed twentyfive thousand! Quite amazing really, in less than 18 months. It is nice to know that people come back to my blog to read more. They definitely must have too much time on their hands!
If you have come to my UltraStu blog for photos from last weekend's Montane Lakeland 100, then welcome. Please take a look around my blog at my previous posts, mainly on ultra trail running, so maybe of interest to you.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of watching the Lakeland 100 race and also a few of the front runners of the Lakeland 50. Whilst watching I had my rather dated camera out snapping loads on photos. Although the camera is around six years old it still managed to take a few good shots of the race, so I thought I would try to put them on Flickr for people to download.
You are welcome to download as many photos as you want. If you feel that the photos are worthy of paying for, then please click the link to go to the Fix the Fells website, where it is possible to donate some money for your photo to this worthwhile cause. Can I suggest a donation of £4 for one photo downloaded, and £6 for two or more photos downloaded. Although you can donate more if you so wish. It appears that you can either donate via their JustGiving account in the name of Nuture Lakeland or directly via the Fix the Fells website. Look for the links on the right hand side of the Fix the Fells website home page.
I haven't used Flickr before but I think I have got it sorted. There are two lots of photos. Click the following links to access the two lots of photos:
The first lot of photos is taken at the start of Walnar Scar Road at around the 2.5mile mark. There are then just a few taken as the leaders approach, and at Checkpoint 2 at Boot. The next few are of the leaders at checkpoint four, Buttermere, and checkpoint five Braithwaite.
The second lot of photos is firstly two shots of Andy Mouncey in 2nd place near checkpoint 13, then of the winner, Terry Conway, shortly after finishing in the school hall at Coniston. The majority of the photos in this lot then consists of all of the runners that I came across as I ran from the finish at Coniston back to Ambleside. I pretty well managed to take a photo of all of the runners except there were I think two runners that I missed. (Apologies if I missed you!). This last lot of photos has both Lakeland 100 and Lakeland 50 runners, where the other lot consists of only Lakeland 100 runners.
I hope you enjoy the photos that I took. If there are any problems with downloading the photos send me an e-mail and I will try to sort it out or e-mail the photo to you directly.
Overall the whole weekend was great. I had such a good time watching the race for a change, so much that there should be a Montane Lakeland 100 Race Report, from the perspective of a spectator for a change, published here on UltraStu within the next few days.
Well done to all of the runners in both events. Hopefully you achieved what you set out to achieve.
Just a quick mention regarding this weekend's Lakeland 100 Ultra Trail race, probably the premier ultra trail race in the UK. Although I am not running in it this year, (as my 100 mile ultra trail race for 2011 is the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc at the end of August), I am going up to the Lake District to watch. Having raced against a few of this year's entrants I am taking a keen interest in how they get on.
Looking at the start list for the Lakeland 100 it looks like it will be a pretty competitive and exciting race. Although it is likely that there will be a few runners near the front that I do not know, I suspect that the top finishing places are likely to filled by the following runners:
Terry Conway - 4th= last year. Terry has improved loads since last year. He demonstrated this with a pretty strong run in the Highland Fling, which would have been heaps higher up if he didn't have severe cramp problems, so we can expect a strong performance from him.
Simon Deakin - A bit of a dark horse especially for a 100 mile event, but he could shock a few up near the front, if he can handle the increase in miles up to 100! Not totally sure of his ultra trail achievements, but he ran a good 2nd place finish in last year's extremely demanding Hardmoors 55.
Duncan Harris - 3rd last year. Duncan finished last year's race with the fastest leg 15 time. Maybe he should read my blog and adopt the "Run as fast as you can, while you can" strategy, rather than keeping running fast until the very last leg, when it is a bit too late! In addition he finished last year with amazing form, winning a few races, and started this year with a win in the 32 mile Wuthering Hike race back in March before I believe getting injured. If he his back to full fitness, keep an eye out for him.
Andy Mouncey - 2nd last year. Andy last year was unfortunate in that he suffered a pretty severe injury around two weeks before last year's race, that although I believe it didn't affect him too much during the actual race, the lack of final preparation leading into the race wasn't ideal. So he is as determined as ever to 'nail a big one' this weekend. Whether he can improve from 2nd last year we will have to wait and see. I would consider this year's field to be substantially stronger than last year, however, a full-on performance with un-interrupted preparation could put him right up near the front, especially during the initial stages as he appears to have similar views to myself of adopting a strong, fast start!
Barry Murray - A bit of a new comer to the ultra trail scene, but having run 28 miles with him during last month's recce weekend, he has the potential to give the front guys a hurry up. He was a bit 'overcooked' due to being too keen with his training and racing preparation, at the IAU World Champs earlier in the month over in Ireland. So his performance there probably wasn't a reflection of what he can achieve. If he has adopted a 10 day recovery, followed by a 10 day taper during the last three weeks since Connemara, (as suggested to him by yours truly), he should be all set for a good run.
Adam Perry - DNF last year. Adam is the youngster in the group, although he has quite a bit of experience in ultra trail running. Winner of a number of ultra trail races last year, over shorter distances though, the question is, can he handle 100 miles. Last year he started strong and was in 2nd= place for the first 4 legs, but then the 'wheels fell off'' and he had to DNF. If he has sorted out his preparation to handle 100 miles then he should show the oldies a thing or two!
Paul Tierney - A name probably not familiar to many of you, that is because he has only raced in Ireland. He classifies himself as a "middle of the pack runner", but his performance representing Ireland at the IAU Worlds earlier this month was very impressive. A bit of a youngster like Adam, but learning loads from each race, and from reading my blog!, so you should be able to expect another equally impressive performance from him this weekend.
So the above seven runners, if all run to plan should full up seven of the top ten places, leaving three places for runners I haven't met. In which order will they finish though? I have my views on the finishing order but I think I will keep these to myself so I don't put added pressure on any of these seven. These seven runners are probably already less than impressed with me for 'blowing their cover' in terms of just potentially how good they can run, and are now no longer able to surprise the field with being an unknown! All adds to the excitement of the race!
With regards to the women's field, I apologise but I am not so familiar with the key leading women runners. However, since I have put pressure on some men runners, to be fair I will single out one women runner who I have met at a number of races and seen just how good she is. Yes, keep your eye out for Sue Sleath. She ran really well in last year's Lakeland 50 to finish in 2nd place. I don't know if she has raced 100 miles before, but based on her 50 mile performance last year, and strong performances in multiple ultra trail runs and marathons over the last few years, I think she could surprise a few of the women runners, well that was before I named her here!
Looking at the Lakeland 50 men's race, the two names that stand out are Craig Stewart and Andrew James. Andrew won last year's Lakeland 50 in a record time and was in awesome shape earlier this year. Unfortunately he picked up an injury which resulted in a DNF at the IAU Worlds. I haven't heard whether this is now fully recovered, but if he is on the start line then, expect another strong run from him. Craig ran a very impressive 100km on the roads back in March at the Celtic Plate up in Perth, recording a 7:01 winning time. Whether he can transfer this form onto the trails is however uncertain, although I have a feeling that he is due a good performance, so he won't be too far away for the front, especially if it is dry underfoot.
Overall I am really looking forward to this weekend. I wish I was running it as well, but with UTMB only four weeks later it wasn't really possible. However, I have already put the race down as my focus race for 2012, and will be the first to enter once the entries open later in the year!
Time to sign off with a relevant quote which I feel will be largely related to the finishing place order this weekend:
"The way we perform is the result of the way we see ourselves. To alter our performance we need to alter or change ourselves and it is that changing that's difficult". Gary Elliott (1983), coach to the great New Zealand women marathon runner, Alison Roe. Hence the need for the TOTAL preparation that I keep on going on about!
To all of you out there running either the Lakeland 100 or Lakeland 50 this weekend, I wish you all the best. Enjoy the experience!
Stuart
PS Those of you who listened to my radio interview regarding the Trailblaze scheme last month, (the Radio 4 broadcast of Open Country is available as a podcast here), may be interested to know that there was another feature on BBC South East Today programme yesterday regarding the Trailblaze scheme, and yes, again I was interviewed. You should be able to view the two minute clip by clicking the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-14297982 If you don't know much about the Trailblaze running scheme, go check it out on their website: http://www.trail-blaze.com/ There is also an opposing Trailblaze website that provides the arguments against the scheme click this link: http://www.trail-blaze.co.uk/#update to see the latest updates on the controversy.
Just a quick post tonight to make you aware of a workshop I am delivering as part of the June Recce for the Montane Lakeland 100.
The Montane Lakeland 100 is the premier UK 100 mile ultra, which combined with the Montane Lakeland 50 has a maximum field of 1000 runners this year, and with many on a waiting list! As part of the great organisation for the race, there have been a number of recce runs throughout the year, with the last recce run prior to the race taking place on the weekend of the 25th - 26th June. In addition to the runs that take place on each day, on the Saturday night there are a number of workshops.
Those of you that are observant may have noticed a Montane logo to the right of my posts. Yes, I am fortunate to be sponsored my Montane, which is fantastic since their kit is such good quality! Hence the reason for my new flash orange kit that I wore during the recent Montane Highland Fling.
Montane have just added a brief interview about me to their website, but as you know from the length of my posts, the interview isn't actually that brief. Click the link to access the interview: http://www.montane.co.uk/expeditions/stuart-mills
Anyway, back to the June recce weekend workshop. Yes, in conjunction with Montane I am delivering a 50 - 60 minute talk titled:
“Lakeland 100/50 Preparation – The Final Four Weeks – The Importance of Expectations!”. What preparations can be carried out over the final four weeks, which will maximise the likelihood of achieving a successful performance? The presentation will discuss a variety of topics related to expectations of the event and expectations of oneself. Aspects covered will include: positivity, pacing, fuelling, and self-belief.
With regards to the workshop, although I won the Montane Lakeland 100 last year, my talk will not focus solely on the top end of the field, the plan is that it will be relevant to all entrants. Success during the event is totally relative to each person. No matter what finishing time people are expecting, I am hopeful that my ‘words of wisdom’ will be relevant to everyone and will aid their Lakeland 100/50 performance.
So if you are running the Montane Lakeland 100/50 I hope to see you at the recce weekend. Details of how to register for the workshop will be included in the next Lakeland 100/50 e-mail newsletter that should be coming out soon, or on the race website: http://www.lakeland100.com/
I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to share my ideas with fellow ultra runners in person, especially with the opportunity to discuss various aspects with them, and to respond to their questions.
Best I get my thoughts in order to ensure that I stick to the time I have been allocated!
A bit of a 'detour' from my planned Self Expectation Part 2, however, I am continuing the 'Self Expectation' theme as I expand upon the Lakeland 100 video clip.
On Sunday afternoon, as it was pouring down outside, I was getting a few odd jobs done. One of them was to convert our family videos from miniDV tape to DVD. So for the first time I viewed the video footage my wife Frances took of me racing the Lakeland 100 race back in July.
During my preparations, having given some serious thought to 'what causes fatigue during ultra running?', I had total self belief that the pace one starts at, (within certain limits, obviously one can't start at 5 km race pace), will not affect the level of fatigue later on during the race. I know this view is quite different to many other ultra runners, however, I had total belief in my theory. Due to this total belief, I was then able to formulate a race strategy, where no matter who was on the start line of the Lakeland 100, I was going to start the race, at whatever pace was necessary, in order to be in the front. For how long I would maintain this fast pace for I hadn't really focused on, but the intention was for at least the first hour or two! Coming into the race my self expectations were that pretty well without doubt I would be leading at Checkpoint One. Now these are pretty high self expectations, bearing in mind I had no idea on the capabilities of the other runners in the field. But with this self belief, that starting fast will do me 'no harm', these high self expectations were totally realistic, as was demonstrated on race day.
If you watch the video you can see my fast start intentions within the first few metres, and then at around the 2.5 mile mark as I approach the carpark at the start of Walnar Scar Road leading the field.
The advantage of the fast start in the Lakeland 100 is that it then creates 'loads' of positive energy. It helps to build tremendous confidence during the race, in that my preparation has been effective, i.e. the expectation of leading into checkpoint one has been confirmed, therefore, I can expect positive results for the remainder of the race.
As I mentioned in my race report post, how long would I stayed at the front of the field was unknown. What I did know as I was leading the race, was that the onus was on the other runners to catch me. What were my self expectations? Did I expect them to catch me? Thinking back to race day, which watching the video has aided in terms of the 'crispness' of my memory. As I had to slow my pace down to a more realistic pace for a 100 mile race at around checkpoint 2 near Boot, I honestly felt that they would catch me, as it felt as if I was having to slow my pace down quite significantly. However, I never let these distant thoughts get near the forefront of my mind. It is only now as I deeply reflect, that I appreciate that there was this negative expectation, all be it deeply 'buried'!
My main focus of my preparation in terms of developing positivity, self belief, high self expectations, was not focused on my finishing place, but more on my finishing time. Having recced the entire course (apart from part of leg 10 - see post titled "Lakeland 100 (UTLD) Course Recce - My Mini Adventure!" for details), I was able to set expected times to complete each leg. Only problem, come race day, the conditions underfoot were very wet and soggy, which therefore made my target times unachievable.
Chris Carver left some interesting 'words of wisdom' in his comment he left on my previous post:
"To avoid these situations arising I try to formulate coping strategies, in the months before a race, so that should anything untoward occur I know exactly how to deal with it."
In hindsight, this approach of his has some merit, as I hadn't considered how to deal with my target time no longer being realistic due to the conditions. I guess I don't pay any attention to formulating coping strategies in case something goes wrong during the race, as to me, thinking about what could go wrong seems to be encouraging negative thoughts. My whole approach in my preparation is to develop positivity, NOT negativity! I'm not sure how to resolve this issue, as I do see the wisdom in planning for things that could go wrong. For me during the Lakeland 100, I didn't have an alternative approach. When my leg split times were no longer relevant, the focus then became simply to run as quick as I could feeling comfortable. Only problem with this was, come later in the race, actually during leg 9!, due to the soreness in my quads, nothing really felt that comfortable, so what then became my focus?
Thinking back now, I can't really recall what did become my main focus from leg 10 onwards. One thing for sure was that my pace slowed quite significantly! Apart from a rather negative leg 10, legs 11 - 14 seem to simply fly by. One often reads about sportspeople being 'in the zone' whatever that means. Looking at the video clips of me near Elterwater, near the end of leg 13, and during leg 14, I was definitely in some form of zone. A few days after the race, Frances asked me "Do I enjoy having her and our boys cheering me on?" Of which I reply an absolutely positive YES. She then asked, "Then why is it that you totally ignore us as if we don't exist!" I was not aware that this was the situation, this is what I did. But looking at the video clips, I do pretty well totally ignore them, apart from during leg 1!
Although it makes is less satisfying for my supporters, I see this deep focus I exhibit as one of my strengths. During the last 5 legs of the race, although my legs were rather sore, deep down I didn't feel as though I was really fatiguing! I had total self belief in my preparation and my ability, and my high self expectations that running 100 miles around the Lakes District was 'going to be a breeze'. This helped keep any self-doubt regarding my ability to finish completely 'at bay'!
Watching the video clips of my running during the later stages of the event, I can now see why Frances doesn't really enjoy watching me race ultra races, as it really does look like I am suffering quite a bit. The amazing thing is that, even as I watch the video, I know that it looks 'heaps' worse than it was. In fact right up until the last leg, ignoring a bit of negativity on leg 10, I was pretty positive and believe or not, enjoying the overall experience quite a bit!
Come the last leg, things do begin to go a bit 'astray'. This is something I need to work on. As I get near the end, the negativity begins, as I think about finishing, think about the massive distance I have run. All of a sudden it is as if the mind is saying you should be exhausted by now, so instantly, I become exhausted!
As I have become to realise, my performance in Ultra Running, especially these long races, is pretty well entirely determine by my self expectations. "Expect to run fast, I do! Expect to be tired, I am!"
On that note, I will sign off.
All the best as you develop your positive high self expectations.
