Warrington Way 40 mile ultra 2015

Being from Warrington the idea of running an ultra that passes within a couple of miles from home was quite appealing. On the other hand though, part of me was thinking 'Hmmm... Do I really fancy running 40 miles around Warrington...?'

I had a look at the route map posted online and recognised about 75% of the route from various training runs in the past few years. I didn't really know any of the last 10 miles but went out and did a few recces in the nice dry, sunny Autumn weather. The first thing that struck me was how flat the route is (compared to my typical races these days). Also with the route being so dry even across the fields it made for easy running at a good pace. I also noticed that even though it was stressed that you should be able to find your own way, on the day it was to be marked really well with tape. I decided after recceing a few parts in such nice conditions I'd get an entry. More on those conditions later!!


Having covered all the route in advance I knew what was coming and wouldn't need to get the map out on the day and could just focus on running. I reckoned that a sub 5 hour time was comfortably achievable. I was initially thinking somewhere just under the 4.40 mark would be my aim. Then it rained on and off for a couple of weeks and in a final recce run a few days before, even running 7 min mile pace was taking a bit too much effort over the fields. I came up with a rough schedule to hit each 10 mile checkpoint considering where the worst of the mud was and fields, elevation etc
(predicted times)
10 mile = 1.07
20 mile = 2.20
26 mile = 3.03
30 mile = 3.35
40 mile = 4.50 Finish!
*The last 10 miles have the most fields and most of the elevation comes between 27 and 30 miles.

So on to race day.... I could hear the rain outside when I woke up. I did a warm up before leaving home for 6am registration. After arriving and parking there was water running along the road and it had been raining hard for some time now. A quick and painless registration before a briefing in which we were told of a small diversion at mile 18 giving us an extra mile and then gathering on the start line just as it was turning light at 7am. The weather actually wasn't that bad overall once we got running, after a couple of miles of rain it was showery on and off though I had a good patch of sunshine when I finished.

I was straight to the front from the start and over the first few miles relaxed into an intensity that felt right. I'd been totally alone until nearly 9 mile when I heard some breathing and footsteps behind. It was Mat another local runner. We chatted over the next few miles and cruised straight through cp1 in 1hr 6 min 58 sec.... 2 seconds faster than I expected! No complaints. Shortly after the cp was the second longish field section where it can get quite muddy but we moved over there taking in the sights such as the M62 and B&Q and it wasn't as muddy as I expected. I slowed slightly to have a quick drink and a gel as we passed Buzzard Alley (that's where a Buzzard swooped me and cut the back of my head a few months ago) Mat moved about 5 seconds or so in front briefly and we were back together into the next section of fields before heading toward Burtonwood Services.

I don't think there was a quick way to run over the paths in that field so we just did our best and kept to it. The majority of the next few miles from mile 14 all the way to the 2nd cp at mile 20 is on farm tracks though we had the diversion to follow which meant we would arrive at cp2 at 21 miles. Just as we crossed the A57 at Bold Heath Mat dropped back and shouted something along the lines of see you at the finish. I turned to see he was ok and waved as I continued on to reach the cp in 2 hours 22 min so 2 minutes behind schedule but having done a mile extra. There was a lot of cheering as I passed and headed on toward Fiddlers Ferry and the Trans Pennine Trail.

As I was running alone my mind was drifting around in a trance, I did wonder where the relay runners were, I'd expected there might be a few ahead of me by now. Before long I realised I was almost at marathon distance and glanced at my watch to see it pass at 2 hours 58 mins. Next up is Moore Nature Reserve and the path drops down to the right down some stairs to weave along the path before starting with the gentle hills that make up the majority of the elevation. I was focused on getting to the next cp at 30 miles and I thought if I could get there with 1 hour 20 to spare as a worse case scenario I could average 8 min miles over the last leg and still make sub 5. 

I felt like I was working a bit harder to maintain the pace but in reality it is slightly uphill over that section as you pass the Appleton Reservoir behind Walton Gardens. Once across the fields and closing in on Hatton the pace came back ticking off 50km in 3 hr 36 min and passing the final cp in 3 hours 40 mins. I knew I was 5 minutes over my estimate but having followed the extra mile detour I thought I must actually be running just a bit quicker than my estimates. There were plenty of fields to come but I knew the route in my head and was expecting the mud that was to come. Behind Spooky world the infamous cow slurry did not disappoint. 

I was closing in fast on the M6 crossing and managed to leap the electric fences clean, as we crossed the sheep field. After getting out on the A50 road crossing I knew there were only 3 fields left before the woods and the first two were fairly straight forward. Some friendly cows in the 3rd came with me although they hadn't quite figured out how to use the style at the other end of the field. I glanced at the watch knowing I was within about 10 mins of the finish line and pushed on passing the Lymm Dam and down the Dingle before popping out in the middle of town getting some strange looks as I darted across the roads past the memorial and up the cobbled street toward the finish.

4 hours 51 mins for 41 miles... That'll do! Really happy to have been able to take part in the race and I think Kieran and Lymm Runners have done a great job of putting together the race and making use of a lot of tracks and trails that I'm sure a lot of local runners, never knew existed! In terms of organisation it was pretty much spot on... Can't think of anything that would need changing? I got some fantastic support around the route which was amazing and a huge boost! Going from what I heard after the race a lot of people had pushed themselves to new limits which is awesome too!



So was it muddy? ...

...
Getting there!


Jump over to www.charliesharpe.co.uk for free training videos and the latest race reports.

Apocalypse 50 mile ultra - Beyond Marathon

This weekend I took to Shropshire, probably most famous for the Iron Bridge, Long Mynd and River Severn.... But.... To many new and seasoned ultra runners of the Apocalypse, it's now famous for...
Carding Mill Valley - the race start and finish near Church Stretton. 

Pole Bank Trig point - the first 'summit' and checkpoint, 2 miles in when everyone gets confused as to why there are people running back towards them on the short out and back.

Corndon Hill - about 12 miles in standing at 513m, nice steep descent before some fast kms leading to the...

Apocalyptic Woods - with the path that looks like nobody has ever been there before, it's actually ok once you know where you're heading.

The Stiperstones - a rocky ridge lasting for a few kms.... or if you Google it, ''a wild ridge of quartzite tors surrounded by a sea of heather'' It's no Crib Goch, call it a rocky path then..

The Red Lion Pub - the 3rd and 4th manned CP (30/40 mile points) ideally fitted with a pub garden, ideal for basking in the sun and consuming vast amounts of sugary food.

Earl's Hill - the short sharp climb at about 37 miles, jog-able if you're really keen, or a quick hike will see you up it, great views off the top!

Wilderly Hill - a gradual uphill through fields for 3 miles, just where you want it at about 42 miles

Those running the 100 mile will probably have enjoyed other areas like the Wenlock Edge. (I did the 100 mile race last year, some slight course changes have been made since then reducing the elevation a little although I still don't think it would be called an 'easy' 100 mile. Is there such thing? Anyway...

Compared to last year the ground was more dry and there was a breeze to keep the temperature feeling a bit cooler. Some of the fields were a bit more rough on the ankles with the ground being hardened though I prefer it like that. I almost kept my feet entirely dry by tip toeing around the mud where possible but sacrificed one foot about 26ish miles in. I'd say conditions were ideal!

***warning technical stuff on pace calculating for my race if that sounds a bit boring just skip ahead  ;)  ***

To figure out a rough idea of timing and what pace I'd expect, I had a quick look at the route to see it was pretty much the same for 40 miles as what I ran last year in the 100 mile.
It's a 50 mile course with 2500m of elevation.
I ran 34 miles last weekend with about 1000m ascent in 4hours 33 mins -  felt comfortable, marathon split was 3.24 I think from memory.... So an extra 16 miles, an extra 1500m of ascent and about 8 miles of the route was unknown territory.

I usually knock trail marathons out with between 800 and 1200m of ascent in 3 - 3.5 hours on similar ground. I decided two x 4 hour marathons would = 8 hours and 54 miles.

This leaves a little bit of room to play with for checkpoint time, opening hundreds of gates (well quite a few), reading the map/ directions, toilet stops, taking photos and if the course is slightly long on the gps etc

I had a quick look at roughly what time I was hitting the cps last year
10 mile 1.23  
20 mile  3.02
30 mile 4.54 - really felt the heat here and invested time in sitting in a river to cool down and get hydrated at the cp
40 mile 7.13 - I knew if I had a good 30-40 mile section this would come down a lot!

*** technical stuff over for a bit ;) ****

So with 8 hours as an expected time including a 'safety net' I had a good idea of what to expect and could run to what intensity felt right for the race. 

On the morning it was ideal weather with a little breeze, kit check and registration was all fast and efficient and after catching up with some friendly faces it was time for a short briefing and the start. If you've every done a Beyond Marathon event you'll know how good their organisation is! 

There was a small group of us at the front leading out of the valley as we ascended then proceeded along the good track to the first self clip checkpoint (you have a tally card that you need to hole punch occasionally) before turning around and retracing the path for a few hundred meters and hanging a left onto a nice descent. Legs were enjoying the hills and within a few minutes I remember I noticed that I couldn't hear the gates been opened or shut behind me but kept my eyes on the map and did my best to remember where I was going from a year ago! Before I knew it I had reached cp 1 @ about 1 hr 16 min about 7 mins quicker than the year before.



I moved along after topping up my water bottle and grabbing a handful of jelly babies, Corndon Hill was in the bag pretty quickly and I was dropping some fast miles over the other side. I got a little confused not long after as the original course went through the grounds of a large country house on a footpath but was changed before the race last year as the footpath was hard to find (on a previous recce i spent a lot of time walking around looking for it) after a moment checking the written route description I remembered and set off on the quite country lane around and on my way back to the now 20 mile cp. I was told I had approx 10 minute gap on the next runners at the 10 mile point and continued on for the Stiperstones. I thought someone might have at least moved the rocks for us this year. I imagine it'd be interesting when wet though the nice dry conditions we had were ideal. I didn't stop to sit on the Devil's Chair this time and on I went. I think it was about 3.56 when I passed the marathon distance putting me bang on schedule for 8 hours I thought.



Once you make it over the small hill it's quite fast underfoot down into the 30 mile point which I hit around 25 minutes faster than I did last year. I topped up my water and got to it dropping in just under 7 min mile pace on the flat sections I was feeling great. I got to the self clip and thought I'd lost my tally card and was just debating what to do when I did some more rummaging and found it had squashed into the corner of my waist pack. Phew. I took it steady on the next section leading up to Earl's Hill as I was keen to avoid my legs having an Apocalypse of their own. After here I could remember the route all the way back to the cp or so I thought. After turning the wrong way at the bottom for a minute or so I got the map back out and realised my mistake. Quickly back on course and off through the forest before a fast mile or two road section into the 40 mile cp in 6 hours 15 mins. Nearly an hour ahead of last year. I didn't hang around at the cp and a quick look at the watch suggested I could be between 7 hours 30 and 8 hours somewhere depending on how the next 10 mile section was. 

I followed the map closely and had the written route description to hand also. Some of the grass in the fields was pretty long which would have made for wet wet feet if it had rained but I couldn't help but notice the next 5 km section crossing quite a lot of contour lines on the map. It looked a long gradual uphill stint and it was just that! A few paths turned off here and there but we just maintained a straight line along until hitting a country lane and another self clip. With most of the elevation in the bag now it was about 5 miles to the finish and I had 40 minutes to do it to beat the 8 hours. 

All was good until I got to a patch of trees with a gate through the middle, I went through and then through the next gate but on the map it suggested I should have been passing the trees to one side. I back tracked a few minutes and there was no path going anywhere else so I read the written description and it said I was right the first time, quickly back through the gates and I put my foot down over the last 2 miles to pick up the track down into Carding Mill Valley again. I didn't look at the watch just ran as hard as I could to try and stay below the hour.... too late! 8:01:32  I clocked in. 

I had a really nice run, enjoyed it from start to finish, even those pesky 93 seconds at the end! Mentally I think because I was 'only doing the 50' compared with last time I ran I knew I was running the 100 miles everything felt easier than last year and with the conditions being slightly better, everything just seemed to flow. Had I been a bit slicker with the directions and got my foot down a bit more there's a small chunk of time to be sliced off in similar conditions without any extra effort.

The race itself is fantastic. All the crew as usual couldn't be more helpful and it was great to share the weekend with so many enthusiastic runners and helpers! Well done all! Same time next year perhaps? 

Endurance Life CTS Anglesey Ultra 2015

Anglesey has some great sections of coastal path and the Endurance Life Coastal Trail series stops by in January to take in some of the trails Holyhead has to offer. There are 4 different distances to suit all the family (or just a bunch of your running mates?) The ultra is 33 miles, basically you do the marathon course then the 10k course at the end, some said it was tough running past the finish and having to go out again for the last bit but we were told in the briefing and was there on the course map so it wasn't such a surprise.

Organisation and course marking was all great! Signs everywhere it would have been difficult to get lost if you were paying attention, the only issue I had was towards the last couple of miles. All 4 events share the same final few miles so there was a fair bit of traffic on the narrow single track up over Holyhead 'Mountain' (it's only 220m high but it is called the mountain!)

I was lucky enough to get a transferred place as someone I knew had dropped out, I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a long run in although I was not planning on wrecking my legs for a few more weeks yet. I had a look at the route profile and then compared it to a couple of similar races I've done before (Gritstone Grind 35 mile 1800m ascent in 5hr 1 min, Hardmoors 30mile 800m ascent a bit muddy, in 4 hr 5 min) This gave me a rough estimate of 4 hour 30 for the ultra depending on the conditions as it was 33 mile with just over 1000m ascent at a comfortable pace.

The race started out at 8.30 which meant a reasonably early start for those travelling in, I had been in Snowdonia the day before so it was only 30 mins in the car on the day. Usual pre race routine 2 breakfast 9bars as I got in the car and about a litre of water before the race since waking up. 

On the start I set out at the front and there was a group of 4 of us running pretty much together which split into 2 guys off at the front and myself and another guy a minute or so behind. We chatted away for a few miles and we got to the 2nd CP and suddenly were all together again. Soon the 3 guys then moved ahead a little bit over the next couple of miles and I was sat behind but still within sight of them, by the 3rd CP around 15ish miles, we'd split back into two pairs again and there was about 4 minutes between us and the front 2. The chap I was running with seemed to start slowing so I moved on ahead and gradually began to reel in the front two towards the 4th CP around 21 miles. 

A couple of minutes after the CP there was a few wet fields to get through and I felt great so just moved into the lead and led us on towards the mountain again. As we ascended 3rd place dropped back further. The descent down to the finish area was great fun, rocky trail, I loved it, passing through the start line and marathon finish just over 3 hours 25 min again and onto the last 10k lap. 

I kept the pace just quick enough so that I stayed in the lead but 2nd place was close by, I was feeling great and after keeping a comfortable pace for the majority of the race up to now I was confident I could hold off any finishing kicks as we made the way up and over the mountain one final time. This time there were quite a few runners from the shorter distances on the track so it made it a little slower but most were in good spirits and seemed to be enjoying themselves, great that so many different runners can get out and enjoy the day! I had opened a small gap by the top and said a goodbye to the marshal at the 'summit' before going hard on the last descent to the finish. 

The front 3 of each race were kit checked. 2nd place and myself were kit checked together and we were both OK'd, though for some reason on the actual medal presentation there was some sort of mix up and 2nd place was marked as missing his phone (which he had) hopefully that gets sorted out.

In all I enjoyed the course, a few miles on the road in the middle, a bit of rocky trail and some fields thrown in too. I'd definitely think about doing one of the other CTS events in the future if it worked in to my plans! Coming from the roads you might find a few tricky spots but if you're out on the trails more it should be just up your street.

Yes there was actually some blue sky too! 

Al Andalus Ultimate Trail Multi day stage race 230km

This is PART 1... more along the lines of information about the race and the kit I had... my experience of the race is PART 2


Al Andalus Ultimate Trail (AAUT) is 230km, with 7000m ascent, of trail running in Southern Spain (and the weather that goes with it!) Split over 5 stages the distances for each of the 5 days being 38, 48, 37, 67 and 39 km.

Next years poster

The route is a mix of mountain tracks, 4x4 tracks, single track and the odd km of road, all incredibly well marked, taking in some fantastic scenery. I had such a fantastic week, the organisation was fantastic, everything was taken care of.

I'll elaborate a little later but in short....
Wake up 7- 8ish. 2 Breakfast 9bars and a litre of water, 9 am go running, enjoy a few hours of trail running, follow the pink arrows, finish, eat lots of watermelon, clap other runners in, hang out by the pool, eat some more, go to dinner and briefing, repeat x 5 with a big prize giving dinner at the end (I managed a good prize haul for the overall win ;) )

Out on route day 2?

It's a semi supported race meaning you DON'T need to carry EVERYTHING like the MDS or Gobi Challenge or other  4 Deserts type events. Your main overnight bag is transported to the finish each day for you. All you need to run with each day is your day bag (I used a Salomon waist belt) water bottle, a hat, and had first aid kit and camera phone. It'd be a good idea to carry anything else you'd normally need on a long run, skimping on some vital bits of kit that you might rely on for the sake of a few hundred grams probably not a good plan.

Ran with that + 2 bottles

The water stations were approx 10km apart and many had cold towels and ice along with Elete electrolyte replacement. On the two longer days I took a sachet of SIS go powder too but didn't do any actual food on any of the stages. There was usually coke on the last two CPs each day also which I normally had a cup of too.

First CP of the race

In terms of kit this is what I took..... I've added a little note next to them... Remember the organisers transported your overnight bag so within reason you can carry what you want, I just like to travel light and only had hand luggage on the flights....

Snugpak sleeping bag (comfort rating 7degrees) never needed to zip it up
Thermarest - would be pretty uncomfortable without one!
Inflatable pillow - was in bargain bucket at Decathlon on Friday
Towel - Microfibre one, more used for lying as sun was hot enough to dry out after swimming/ showering
Wash kit -
 P20 suncream
 Blister plasters, adhesive tape - basic first aid things, never had to use any of it.
Vaseline - Small tin ... Stops things rubbing, worth carrying though I never used it
Shoes for around camp - Merrel Barefoot ones, they squash flat and weigh nothing
 Shorts, Vest and Berghaus jacket for at camp (a thin fleece would have been more than sufficient, temp dropped into the teens during the night/ early morning)
5 pairs of socks
2 pairs of run shorts (ripped one pair so good job)
1 vest
1 mesh hat with peak
1 pair of Mizuno Wave Ascend Trail shoes (road shoes would have been ok I think on the whole, I don't own any that are fit to run in at the moment though) Would use the Ascends again - not found anything better yet!
Salomon Xt wings belt - bottle holder belt with an extra couple of pockets for first aid and camera.
2 x 600ml bottles, usually only had 1 to drink between CP's but used the other for tipping water on myself on longer days - worth considering how long you'll be between cps some people who were slower runners were going through all the water before the cps...
Camera phone for piccies on route also has inbuilt torch for around camp at night
Garmin 310xt gps watch, record the data and keep an eye on things if you want to
Sunglasses - The usual Oakley's which are fab! (Thanks Di)
Food wise I took....
5 x Dehydrated meals, the Decathlon ones which were nice enough.
10 x Breakfast 9bars (2 each morning although on Friday I only ate 1)
5 x Rego recovery shake... Normally like to mix my own but went with the pre made sachets to avoid any awkwardness in the airports taking random bags of powder.
5 x SIS Go carbohydrate sachets ... handy to carry and mix into water if needed.
5 x protein recovery bars.

And I think that was about it.....

I was originally planning to do a weeks running somewhere mountainous myself but then decided to just enter the race and use that as a training week and a holiday combined, all the organisation, route planning and logistics already done and sorted, plus the opportunity to spend a week with a fantastic group of inspiring runners and all the crew who did a perfect job of looking after us all and going out of their way to help make it such a great week!

Follow the pink arrows!

Training wise I'm pretty well conditioned to long back to back runs in the hills and was able to run comfortably all week without any issues and also without smashing myself so I'm happy with that! Compared to my first ever running race back in 2010 The Gobi Challenge which was also a stage race where I had the approach to hike mostly and jog the easy bits on and off and literally just get to the end alive, this one I planned to ignore what other runners were doing and just run a comfortable pace, stay on course and enjoy the week. For The Gobi it was a huge unknown, would I be able to do it or not? This time the only real concern was how hot it would be...


Anyway onto Part 2... The Start!

Cloudy start! Gone by 10 am and never to be seen again!

More race info and entries etc on the link below... Head to PART 2 for my account of the week :)

http://www.alandalus-ut.com/

Bolton Hilly Marathon Double 2014

A really well organised trail marathon with about 800m ascent, it's fairly local to me and the nearest thing you  could get away with calling a 'hill' to where I live. I could remember the course from last year (it was only a single marathon last year, had a good race then too, set the course record with 3 hours 22 min) so this year they made it TWICE AS MUCH FUN with 2 days! There was a stronger, larger field and it was a bit more muddy, same great organisation, Phil and the team were perfect as far as I could see! Lots of support at the finish as runners jogged/ skipped/ sprinted/ collapsed over the finish line! Thanks to everyone involved with making it a great event!

Since the Spine (268 miles along the Pennine Way)  in January, training has been going great, most weekends have involved a Saturday trail race of about 10km and a park run in the morning on heavily fatigued legs, totalling around 30km and a Sunday run around 25-40km around the Bolton Hilly route and surrounding area. Adding to a midweek 30-40 km run and some shorter faster runs seems to have worked well.



As for the race, on day 1 I started out in about 5th as the first 5km climbs up Coal Pit road towards the mast on Winter Hill before a good quick descent down the mast road to the first CP about 10km in. I didn't check the watch at all during the race on either day, I figured if I felt good and was running well and I know the course and how far to go, I don't need to see any data from the watch. After the CP the course follows Georges lane which is cobbled and quite exciting to run on, I moved up a place here before crossing Sheep house lane and the muddiest part of the course across the moor for a short distance to hit a farm track where I had now jumped up a few more places and was feeling good.

There's a small hill before hitting the 12 mile CP (and 16 mile checkpoint - runners do a loop to arrive back here after White Coppice) still moving well I had an incredible urge to check the watch for time but resisted, quite a quick section here before arriving back at the CP where I was apparently 4 min 30 away from the lead I grabbed a bottle of water, how exciting.... next up the course weaves along a couple of reservoirs in the trees and is pretty scenic once again, it's a relatively fast section.

By the time I hit the 21 mile point passing the cafe and nearing the school below the Pike I had closed down the gap to 60 seconds and a friendly cheer from Jo and Mia who were doing a great job cheering some of us runners on course! There is a bit of a climb back up towards Georges lane and I could see the leader and seemed to be closing him down. After the climb I put a good pace in towards the aid station at 22ish miles before a short muddy climb to cross the mast road and the final descent/ last couple of miles to the finish. I put a good pace in on the down hill and was moving really well after taking the lead at the aid station, the downhill training seems to have paid off recently too! It's a fun descent where you can let the legs roll before hitting a set of steps and the final 800m along a road and into the park where the finish line awaits.

After day 1 I headed to the gym for a shower and did a mobility session which left the legs feeling great and ready for....

Day 2.

Day 2 was the same course exactly and started in a similar fashion I was a few places back from the front initially with the addition of some runners doing the single day to keep us double runners on our toes.

It felt like my heart rate was up slightly compared to Saturday although my legs felt better on day 2.
Looking back on day 2 I should have consumed some more energy during the race perhaps as I actually noticed there was a bit of a climb at the 21 mile point this time! ;)
I think time wise I was 3 mins down over the first half and 2 mins down over the 2nd half  compared to day 1.  Happy with that.

As I mentioned the marshals were great and the route was well marked there was a lot of people dotted  around the course supporting friends and family which was great to see! Looks like a great time was had by all (perhaps aside from one or two people with achy legs) Well done to all involved! Great to catch up with a lot of friends and share the weekend!

Post day 2 finish. Overall winners trophy on the left! A WHOPPER!

Double results here
http://www.reason8.com/shared/images/content/bus_36434/pdf/BHM_Double_Marathon_Results.pdf

Legs have coped well, a steady running week before getting the intensity up for some 'proper' races (haha... I mean ultras) soon!