Blog gremlins...

As everyone who ever writes a blog says: "I'll try and keep it updated". Been a bit lazy lately, but lots going on and I *will* get around to updating things as the summer progresses...also, not sure why the post from January isn't displaying photos, hmmm...

CCC, Gear, Winter recap so far...

Time to resurrect this and weigh back in - really should be doing once a month, but maybe I'm not interesting enough for that!

Any, after the final race of the year in October I kept things steady, mostly running to an from work with the occasional cycle commute. In November I had a few trips north to camp, with excellent runs in and around Tyndrum and Glencoe - getting up some hills that you can't help but marvel at from the road in fantastic autumnal conditions, such as Beinn Dorain and Buachille Etive Mor.

Beinn an Dothaidh summit (L) and Beinn Achaladair (R)

Ridge line along to Stob na Doire

December brought with it a little bit of snow, and some exceptional runs in the Pentlands. Not the biggest of hills (max about 550m) but stunning and tough work. Glad the investment of a pair of Salomon Snowcross paid off! Hills like the Pentlands are great to have, just a 20 minute drive from the house with lots of different routes be it hilly, flat and fast, and invariably muddy also.

Sun rising over Caerketton.

Pentlands skyline.

Also, for the 2nd year running I completed the Marcothon - a challenge created by Scottish runner Marco Consani to run every day in December, for a minimum of 3 miles or 25 minutes. This is relatively easily accomplished when you run commute, but there was the odd day when the bare minimum was scraped by! For me, this consistency is key so a good motivator to get a good month of running done in the darkest of Winter months. Again, for the 2nd year I competed in the BARF Turkey Trot on Boxing Day - after quite a bit of road running in the weeks prior it was excellent to get racing in the Mournes again. While last year it was perfectly clear but terribly icy, this time around it was super windy and very wet - waterproof stayed on the whole race as we experienced rain, sleet, hail and snow climbing and then the opposite descending! Managed to hang on for 3rd place, even after spending most of the section through Happy Valley on my backside.

Through December and into January, while not doing huge mileage (around 40m) each week, I find I tend to benefit more from the consistency of running to and from work each day with a longer run on the weekend. However, that is subject to change in the coming weeks as I turned up at work on Monday morning only to be told that the shop I managed had closed. Cue, lots of free time to run and ride my bike! Which is great, although panic will inevitably set in soon enough until I find something.

But...as every cloud is said to have a silver lining, at least I secured an entry into CCC! Time spent in Chamonix last summer while the UTMB and sister races were going on made me really want to take part in the one of the races, so CCC (100km/6100m) seemed to be the one that would suit me best. All being well, that race plus the Highland Fling in April will be my target races for this year, with plenty of 'B' races to fill in the gaps! Lots of work to be done :)

Looking forward to this!

Some thoughts on two great pieces of winter gear, one cheap and one not so much!

Quechua X-Light Jacket

Photo: Decathlon website

After looking on eBay for a cheap Primaloft or down jacket for running when it got super cold, I couldn't find too much so decided to go with the X-Light jacket from Decathlon. For use out running it would inevitably get scuffed, ripped, dirty etc so for £30 this seemed like a good option. Having worn it 5+ times I must say I am suitably impressed! It is a great fit - I'm a size Small, perhaps a little short in the arms for someone like me with gangly arms but with a LS layer underneath and gloves it's not an issue. The attached hood, while it can't be stowed fits perfectly with elasticated trim and makes a huge difference when pulled over a hat/buff. The warmth from the down in the front is great - to the point that I find myself unzipping it from time to time on climbs. Only in the wickedest of winds do you feel cold creeping through the seams in the arms, which again isn't a huge issue as the core remains well insulated. This jacket was reviewed by Live For The Outdoors who were a bit harsh in marking it down - their ratings would be appropriate if the jacket was 2 or 3 times the price, but for £30 it is fantastic when conditions drop below 0C. Thoroughly recommended!

Salomon Snowcross

Always a sucker for Salomon gear, I bought these for my birthday, with some discount from Cotswold Outdoor. Now I knew they wouldn't get a huge amount of use throughout the year, but they'll last for ages and give a lot more protection and grip than lighter Salomon or Inov-8 shoes that I have. So far I've run 45 miles in them and they are incredible - the studs give excellent grip on even glass smooth ice, giving enough traction to propel forward, and they handle other frozen terrain with ease. The ClimaShield gaiter gives great protection from the elements, and even after 5 hour days trudging through snow my socks remained a little damp, most likely due to sweat. While expensive, for anyone looking a shoe to get them through winter Munro trips then this is the way to go, not looking forward to the snow melting and having to put these away for the summer!

Winter training (Tyndrum & Glen Coe)...and rest!

Back to back rest days, my head is wanting to run (especially as I'm watching UTMB YouTube videos!) but I feel super tired so sofa and blanket on a lazy Sunday it is!

At the moment training is consisting mainly of running to and from work each day (7 miles total) at a steady 7.30 min/mile pace which is great, not hitting huge weeks in terms of mileage but consistency seems to work for me. I've found that anything between 50 and 60 miles seems to be my max.

I had been struggling since the Mourne Skyline with a dodgy knee after taking a fall - it had got really bad and painful when running, but as with most of my little niggles, a weekend in the hills seemed to sort it right out! Last weekend I drove up to Tyndrum on the Saturday morning mainly because I knew it would be a good weekend weather wise, and a good opportunity to pick up some more Munros.

Saturday's run - Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh - started from Bridge of Orchy, just up the road from Tyndrum, along the WHW a little. Ever since I passed Beinn Dorain for the first time on the train heading for Fort William, and subsequent times in the car it had looked majestic and one I've wanted to run. The run was going to take a T-shape route, with a 1900ft climb up to a saddle before climbing up to Dorain on the right, dropping back down and then climbing up an Dothaidh.

The initial climb up to the saddle was quite boggy to begin with before the final section being very loose scree on a steep slope which almost felt like two steps forward, one step back - I looked forward to the descent! After the saddle, from which there were great views to Loch Lyon, the climb up to the Dorain summit was relatively easy. Climbing into the mist meant very limited views, and after a slight detour I reached the high point of 1076m, quick bite then a nice descent back to the saddle.

Climb up to the saddle.

Looking toward Loch Lyon

Beinn an Dothaidh, Rannoch Moor, Beinn Achaladair.

The climb towards Beinn an Dothaidh was technical enough to start then got very boggy - lots of hopping and trying to keep dry. Managed to make the summit relatively mud-free, with great views north over Rannoch Moor. The descent back to Bridge of Orchy was loose, fast and extremely boggy, good fun! 9.7 miles with 3863ft of ascent in 2h28m.

Back to Tyndrum for food, beer and rugby, and a very cosy night in my new (2nd hand) Rab sleeping bag, and up early to drive a bit further north to Glen Coe. Buachaille Etive Mor looks absolutely stunning from the road, but even after having planned a route up I still couldn't fathom that it did exist, going straight up the coire.

Straight up (above the bothy).

Setting off from the car park in Altnafeadh it was so bloody cold - merino and primaloft were packed! Really should have brought poles (conveniently in the boot) as above 700m is got very icy, definitely wasn't going to be a day for running as such, but still moving as fast as possible and staying upright! Getting to the summit of Stob Dearg at 3250ft gave amazing views northwards to the Mamores and Ben Nevis but it was bitterly cold, and very treacherous underfoot. The plan was to head along the ridge to Stob na Broige and potentially drop down and back up over the neighbouring ridge of Buachaille Etive Beag. Running the ridge line was fantastic, with crystal clear views over towards Bidean nam Bian.

Dusting of snow on Ben Nevis. Blackwater Reservoir to the right.

Stob na Doire.

Ridge along from Stob Dearg.

Great views to Bidean nam Bian.

Reaching the second Munro of Stob na Broige I was feeling pretty tired and couldn't see a clear way down into Glen Etive, so I followed back about a mile to take the path down to the Lairig Gartain path. I knew this was going to steep, didn't think it would involved climbing down wet slabs of rock beside a waterfall, but it kept things interesting - wee caffeine gel kept me on my toes. Once it flattened out onto the path in the valley 2 and a half miles were very runnable and any previous heaviness of legs was gone and I was able to skip nicely along back to the car. 9.7 miles (same as the previous day) with 3792ft of ascent in 3h27m

The Lairig Gartain path.

Buachaille Etive Mor from the road.

Another trip in the works for next weekend, perhaps to the Crianlarich Munros. Other than that it will be steady mileage with the aim of possibly running the Irish 50km champs in February - that will mean a lot of seriously fast running in December and January! Also, I'll try and get an entry for CCC in August, but as always, the Highland Fling in April will be the target :)

Mourne Skyline Race (Skyrunning UK - 35k/3300m)

When the Mourne Skyline race was announced, I certainly couldn't pass up the opportunity to run in what is effectively a home race, especially as it rounded out the Skyrunning UK calendar and would attract a strong field of local and (inter)national runners.

I came back home being now based in Edinburgh and wearing the Carnethy HRC vest with no real expectations as to how I would perform. Aside from a great week of training in Chamonix in August (65 miles with 25k+ of climbing) I hadn't done any significant longer runs. Gave myself a bit of a shock on Friday morning as I had to search back to early September on Strava to find the last double digit mileage run. Nevertheless I had been running to and from work most days so I was running consistently. On top of that, some good runs with the club at fell relays meant I went into the race with the same strong mental approach as always that I would relish in the climbs and try and hang on in the descents!

World and British champs, and some great local runners (Photo: Mickey Shields)

On the start line as a relative unknown given the field, but having received an incredible amount of encouragement from some of the local runners pre-race, I was quietly confident and looking forward to running a course I had covered many times. The pace at the start was quick as expected and a pack of 9 soon formed off the front. I sat behind the leading 4 up the quarry before having to yell at them to come back after they headed up instead of back down to the Glen River. Turning left at the river and up to the Saddle I felt so comfortable and was happy to sit on the shoulder of Allan Bogle and Kim Collison as we climbed into the mist and eventually into the first exposure to the brutal wind that battered us all day! 

Up the Glen River path (Photo: Ian Corless)

As expected the section from the Saddle to Hare's Gap along the Brandy Pad was run at a fast pace as we skipped along this very runnable part of the course, and got the amazing views of Bearnagh and Ben Crom to the left. Bearnagh is by far my favourite climb in the Mournes, as both sides offer incredibly steep scrambling and tricky descending. By this stage we were joined by American and Dynafit team runner J Marshall Thomson on the climb to the North Tor. Reaching the checkpoint at the South Tor and descending the NW side was a mission given it was into a straight wind and I struggled to get a gel down as I needed both hands to stop being blown over (funnily not the worst wind I've experienced on that summit!). Onto the descent and Kim and Allan showed their strength as they opened up a wee bit of a gap which was maintained up the technical climb of Meelmore and down to Happy Valley. While it hadn't rained all morning any rocks were extremely greasy, which coupled with the wind, made for an extremely interesting descent off Meelmore. On the track down to Happy Valley I was pushing on trying to close the gap a little and in my mind I thought about how it wouldn't be the best time to fall over, and almost instantly I caught my foot and slid and rolled. Luckily it was on a fairly grassy section but I had banged my knee on a rock and it was cut open.

(Photo: Jayne Bell)

Rounding the corner to Fofanny I could see the leading pair had opened the gap but I was content to sit where I was. Out of the aid station at 15k and up the road I never lost sight of them and I began to reel Allan in. Passing him before we rejoined the Mourne Wall, Kim had enough of a gap that any gains I made on the climbs to Loughshannagh, Meelbeg and Meelmore would be cancelled out on the descents. While I keep telling myself I'm a horrible downhill runner (which I am!) I was feeling great at this stage and really able to push the descents. Plenty of encouragement from the marshals, course director and good friend Justin on Meelbeg, and a surprise greeting from Billy Mol on Bearnagh really spurred me on, and while a friendly face in the right place can make all the difference I was feeling really upbeat and having such a great time trying to chase down the leader! In saying that I was feeling a bit of a twinge in both inner quads so a cup of water at Hare's Gap and the thought of getting to the 'magic' water pipe (the best water source in the Mournes!), along with a real runnable section along the ridge to Commedagh meant I could push on. 

Awesome photo looking toward Ben Crom Reservoir (Photo: Ian Corless)

Again it was a case of battling the wind, trying to stay upright and trying to avoid having the race number ripped off my vest to the foot of Commedagh. Always a tough climb I set a good pace to the water pipe, and drank about 300ml of water before the checkpoint close to the summit. I had wanted to cross to the other side of the Wall out of the wind but was directed by the marshal to remain on the south side - and while this meant feeling the full force of the gale, the slope was much more runnable than the other side so I was able to descend quickly to the Saddle. I could see Kim climbing into the mist, and I knew if I was to catch him and win the race I would need a sizeable lead coming off the highest point of the race, Donard. I was able to put in a bit of a push, but as I saw him start his descent on the other side of the Wall I knew he'd be flying down, so I gave a thumbs up and pushed on the the summit at 850m. Never usually a fan of the 5k descent from the summit to the sea but during the race it was thoroughly enjoyable! I hadn't looked back in the last 10k or so thus I had no idea if there was anybody close behind me, so I just pushed on regardless. The upper section of the path down the Glen River was very greasy so I took it fairly easily, but once into the trees I was having a whale of a time hitting sub-5 min/mile pace as I just *had* to finish under 4 hours! Out of the trees and into the finishing chute safe in the knowledge I had secured 2nd place was a great feeling!

Feel like I earned that! (Photo: Jayne Bell)

All in all a fantastic race - a very challenging course full of ups and downs, with a ringing endorsement from Stevie Kremer as the hardest race she's done, it should certainly go from strength to strength. Credit to Ryan Maxwell (NiRunning), Justin Maxwell and the rest of the race crew, great work all round!

Male:

Kim Collison - 3.57.09

Eóin Lennon - 3.59.42

J. Marshall Thomson - 4.08.38

Female:

Stevie Kremer - 4.24.45 

Jo Meek - 4.30.32

Diane Wilson - 4.45.41

Strava Race File

Kit:
Inov-8 X-Talon 190
Salomon S-Lab Advanced Skin Belt
High 5 & Torq gels

Hoka Highland Fling (53 Miles): The Fling that nearly didn't start!

Little lesson learned - set 2 alarms...waking up at 0532 for a race that starts at 0600 in a hotel 25 minutes away from the start leads to instant panic, hyperventilating and dry mouth, plus a lot of swearing! After driving like a rally driver down to Milngavie we managed to make it to the start line and my race began 12 minutes after the rest of the field, just as the timing mats were being picked up. Not an ideal start to the day, but surely after that debacle the only way was up!

Should have been in there somewhere! (Photo: Muriel Downie)

This was my 2nd time running the Hoka Highland Fling. Last year I ran it in a time of 10h44m, which was great, however my goals this year were to finish in the top 20 and/or finish under 9 hours. Training going into the race had been fantastic with a huge amount of time spent in the mountains which really helped develop strength and speed, particularly when it came to descents (always been a weakness!)

Milngavie to Tyndrum.

53.2 Miles, 5975ft Elevation.

Once I actually got going (at 0612) it felt very strange setting off with nobody else, almost felt as though I was on some sort of training run as I wound through Mugdock Park. Within the first mile and a half I started to catch up with people, and thus began the difficult task of squeezing past groups of up to 20 without knocking into anyone, or ending up in a boggy patch off the track. The most important thing was that I didn't go off too quickly, and in a way getting briefly held up by large groups calmed me down a little and allowed me to settle into a nice rhythm. I had set my Garmin Virtual Pacer for 10.10 min/mile which would be the pace required for 9 hours, so ticking along the very runnable section to Drymen at a very comfortable pace allowed me to get ahead of schedule. I passed a few familiar faces, and arrived in Drymen (after a bit of bog-hurdling) in a shade over 1h40m (66th) grabbing a refill of a 500ml bottle to get me to Balmaha.

Photo: Stuart McFarlane.

After not getting a proper breakfast my stomach felt a little jippy so after a quick stop behind a tree in the forest after Drymen I felt great and ready to hit Conic Hill. One of the real high points of last year's race was the crystal clear view over Loch Lomond from the top of the hill, but with it being such a dull start this year, it was a very pleasant surprise to drop out of the mist and see the Loch (and essentially the route) unveiled before us. With out going too crazy on the descent as it was slippery and I value my knees I made it into Balmaha in about 2h55m to pick up my first drop-bag. Nutrition had really let me down in Wicklow, probably from relying too much on super sweet gels and chews, so it was nice to mix things up and have fresh fruit, some malt loaf etc, along with the usual gels.

Into the mist (Photo: Graeme Hewitson)

Out of the mist (Photo: Paul Daly)

Photo: Ronnie Cairns

I really enjoy the section from Balmaha to Rowardennan as it is a good mixture of ups and downs and trails that I was able to make up more time. The aim had been to reach the halfway point in 4 hours which was achieved, and I arrived into the 2nd checkpoint at Rowardennan, in 4h01m (40th) where there was a great atmosphere again. I was in and out in less than 2 minutes taking on board more food and drink, roughly 30 minutes ahead of schedule but fully aware I would be losing time as the trails got more technical for the next 14 or so miles. Leaving the checkpoint I felt very strong, however my hip flexors were feeling a little twingy so I really focused on keeping a good technique - and cursed my lack of core strength!

Working through the technical section to Inversnaid was really enjoyable and it was a major mental boost to tick off miles under pace. I arrived there in about 5h15m, picking up more food, plus ever-welcome flat Coke and Hula-Hoops (nothing wrong with licking salt off one's hands at that stage of the day!), I definitely felt that I was getting stronger as the day went on and I was still able to reel in runners in front of me. More technical trails and scrambling up, down and over rocks and roots left me losing a little bit of time, but at mile 40 I knew I could run the final 13 miles in 2h20m to make 9 hours - seemed very doable!

Again it was a big boost to arrive into Beinglas Farm (6h35m, 22nd) and receive the welcome from marshals, and Iain who had arrived there by a combination of bike and boat! More Coke, Hula-Hoops and gels and I was on my way. Still feeling strong I found myself walking up the real steep inclines but managing to push on any runnable sections. Making my way through 'cow-poo alley' meant I had to remain sharp (caffeine gels may have helped here) as one slip would have resulted in a sticky, smelly mess. A very welcome glass of water from a father/daughter cheering checkpoint helped along this section as the route climbed to mile 48.

Negotiating 'cow-poo alley'. Photo: James Day

After climbing to the high point (1120 feet) of the race at mile 48 the fire road descent back to the main road began - it was at this stage last year that my quads were really suffering and I even considered walking down backwards. However, this year my legs felt great! I was able to run on, without going too crazy - I thought I was going great guns until I got passed by a relay runner who was really hitting the descent. At mile 50, upon crossing the road, the course leveled out and I kept in touch with the relay runner knocking off a few 9 min/miles.

Coming in towards the finish I was hitting a very high pace (for being 52.5 miles in) as I passed the relay runner, and as always was hit with a massive wave of emotion passing the fantastic piper just round the corner from the finish. I was informed just before approaching the By The Way Hostel that I was top 20, although I knew this was based on gun time, so the chances were I would be a few positions higher based on chip time. Crossing the finish line in exactly 8h33m I even managed somewhat of a fist pump while feeling hugely relieved that both goals had been achieved. I was 20th across the line, but based on chip time I managed to finish in 13th position, such a good result! Looking at the splits it turned out I had the 4th fastest split from Beinglas, and one of 5 to go under 2 hours.

Happier than I look, serious! (Photo: Ryan Maxwell/NI Running)

So, after the shambles of the start, what a relief it was to take more than 2 hours off last year's time. Any long run is filled with peaks and troughs, however a hard winter of training, with plenty of time cultivating the beard in the Mournes, certainly paid off as I don't think I had any real low points mentally, and all the nutrition came together. Perhaps having such a terrible and traumatic start to the day meant I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the day! A massage and soup were just reward for such a great day, and it was great to finish 3rd fastest of the NI contingent (on chip time anyway). Huge congratulations to Justin Maxwell who finished 2nd, an incredible run. The Fling is such an enjoyable and challenging race in a beautiful part of the world, and of course thanks must go to race director John Duncan, the amazing marshals who give up their time to help us through the day, and also all the other runners who possess such a wonderful attitude and joie de vivre that make the day what it is! I will definitely be back next year all being well, with a top 10 finish in mind!

Top 3 Male:

Sondre Amdahl - 7h29m

Justin Maxwell - 7h46m

Neil MacNicol - 7h49m

Top 3 Female:

Joasia Zakrzewski - 8h30m

Sally Fawcett - 8h38m

Elaine Omand - 8h49m

Kit Used:

Shoes - Salomon S-Lab XT 6

Pack - Ultraspire Spry Vest

Top - Salomon Exo S-Lab Tee

Shorts - Ronhill Twin Trail Shorts

So far the recovery process has been good - I have done 3 runs, including 2 summits of Slieve Donard. Looking forward to heading to London on Saturday to meet the Trail Running Team supported by Berghaus & Torq! Need to try and carry this momentum into the 26 Extreme Mourne Way Ultra (52 Miles) in 5 weeks time, can't wait!

Race: Wicklow Way Ultra (31 miles)

After a winter that seemed to last an eternity, it was good to have a race before the Highland Fling to see if the training had paid off. I focused a lot more this winter on speedwork and descending, the latter being a big weakness from last year.

I knew going into this race that it was going to be tough because it was going to be fast - given the fact I would actually be racing, as opposed to just running. Going into the race blind was probably not ideal, but I had an idea of the elevation on the out and back course and strangely looked forward to all the climbing, maybe not the descending - and didn't know what to expect with the boardwalk I kept hearing about!

32.7 Miles/5970ft

Early starts for a race are somewhat exciting, although 5am may have been pushing it slightly - although Christian and I were greeted with a sweet sunrise on the drive down, and we certainly must have appeared keen being first into the car park at 7.30. It was good though to be able to potter about and get everything ready, and watch familiar faces arrive, from B.A.R.F. and some of the other northern clubs. The hour and a half between arriving and the race starting brought all manner of weather, hail, snow, rain and sun, but thankfully this had cleared and it was nice and sunny as we toe'd the startline with the 100 or so other runners. I had the ominous feeling the whole journey that I had forgotten my lenses, which I actually had, so I would have to wear my glasses for the race, which when dry is grand but when one begins to sweat, or it's pissin' rain it does get quite annoying - thus began 30 miles of pushing slippery, steamed glasses back up my nose! 

Photo: Ju Ju Jay M.S.R.

My early plan was just to go with the lead runners, and see where that got me. That turned out to be with Justin Maxwell, the eventual winner (and winner of Causeway Coast) and, unbeknownst to me at the time, Paul Tierney. As the elevation profile above shows, the climbing started early and even though we went through the first 2 miles under 7 min/mile pace I felt very comfortable. The first descent was surprisingly technical so I kept dropping back but maintained a decent gap all the way to the first aid station at Crone (Mile 8) where I didn't stop as the plan was to use that drop bag on the return leg. This would have allowed me the opportunity to pull ahead slightly but I was happy enough to sit in behind the 2 other (vastly more experienced) runners and go on their pace. Straight through the aid station we began climbing again, gaining roughly 1700ft over 5 miles. Again, I felt extremely comfortable climbing leading Paul towards the high point before the boardwalk began. For nearly a mile and a half I hung on for dear life as it was fully exposed to the elements, leaning into the wind, struggling to see through watery eyes and trying not to disappear into the bog off the 3ft wide planks. Luckily I made it through unscathed - trying desperately to squeeze through the early starters without causing too much interference - before hitting another fire road section for another mile and a half down to the turnaround point at Ballinastoe (Mile 16). Usual dismay trying to find my drop bag, really need to relax at aid stations! Switched bottles for the handheld, grabbed some food and started the return leg maybe a minute behind Justin, and 30 seconds or so behind Paul. I felt absolutely fantastic covering the first 16 miles in 2h5m, however stopping even for 40 seconds left my legs feeling super heavy on the climb back up to the boardwalk. By the time we hit this section again, Justin was out of sight, and Paul was just about visible - in reality, they were well within sight, however I dared not look up from the boardwalk, again trying to avoid colliding with all the other runner who were now making their way along - many carrying bumps and blood from falls. What I missed was some cracking scenery looking over to Lough Tay and Luggala, however Mick Hanney captured some great photos:

Photo: Mick Hanney

I kept it nice and steady back towards Powerscourt waterfall and on a sharp descent I seemed to just switch off and miss the signpost telling me to turn right, and I kept on climbing on the path up to Maulin. I knew something was wrong when it got quite boggy and looked unfamiliar, so I headed back down, and took the next left which turned out to still be the wrong path ahhh! Needed to drop back down even further to rejoin the Way, adding an extra mile or so and 12 minutes while also losing 2 spots and dropping back down to 5th. I was so annoyed at myself but figured there was no point fretting, and see if I could make up some time on the 3 mile descent back down to Crone (Mile 25). I quickly regained 4th place with a sub-7 mile but I couldn't quite reel in Dale Mathers ahead in 3rd. By this stage it was quite warm and much like Causeway Coast I was finding it difficult to eat anything solid, instead eating Clif chews but even they were beginning to taste horrendous and feeling as if they weren't having any effect. It was great to get some water at the aid station, along with a few gels which helped perk me up a little along the river before beginning the climb back up. Again I seemed to switch off a few times, almost missing a few turns either through not paying attention, not being able to see through my glasses, or not having my glasses on at all! By this stage the rain has started, as had the hamstring cramps...definitely need to incorporate some more salt into my racing diet.

Photo: Greg Byrne

I managed to make my way into 3rd on the climb, even though I was definitely suffering, having highs and lows of energy (as the photo above proves!) and hold that position on the descent back down onto the road section. Having been passed in the last mile of the Causeway Coast, I was very wary of being pipped to the podium again so I was relieved more than anything to cross the line for 3rd in 4h40m. While I had hoped to achieve a quicker time/pace, given the slight detour and tricky conditions, making the target of a podium was great. Congratulations to Justin Maxwell on the win, another well executed performance, might get closer to him as the year goes on!

Top 3 Male:
1. Justin Maxwell - 4h12m
2. Paul Tierney - 4h18m
3. Me :) - 4h40m

Top 3 Female:
1. Donna McLaughlin
2. Taryn McCoy
3. Denise Mathers

A great IMRA-organised event, which was very well run with extremely enthusiastic marshals - always makes a huge difference! And it was nice to receive a mug at the finish!

4 weeks to the Highland Fling where I'll be aiming to take a good chunk of time off last year's result, still some work to be done!

Race Report: Causeway Coast Ultra, Sept. 28

After the Highland Fling in April, I passed on the Mourne Way Ultra and decided to focus all efforts into the Causeway Coast, a 40 mile race run by the events company 26 Extreme. Looking back on it, preparation went extremely well - frequent trips to the Mournes in July and early August built a lot of strength in my legs (particularly descending) and meant a lot of long 4 and 5 hour plus days. A relatively comfortable circumnavigation of the Mourne Wall gave me a good boost of confidence, and was a good opportunity to test food and kit (although I would end up changing that a week before the race). It was also a good opportunity for a somewhat discouraged Matt to show to himself he was more than capable of that kind of distance, as I had eventually persuaded him to do Causeway. A few weeks later he did the Wall in 5h10m, about 1h40m quicker than we had done before. 

Nearing the end of August, Craig and I went to Aviemore and fought the midges to get a good solid 3 days of training done in the Cairngorms. It's described pretty much word for word here: http://www.twentyclicks.co.uk/?p=574

As September rolled around, I was getting roughly 30-35 miles done each week, mostly to and from work with a long run on Sunday. Three weeks out from the race we did a 20-mile course recce starting in Portballintrae - not bad for having a slight foggy head and roughly 4 hours sleep...leaving the pub at 3.15am isn't the best ultra preparation!

Race day arrived and while mentally ready, my legs felt like lead! I had stayed with Matt and his family in Bushmills on the Friday night, so we were at the race start within 5 mins. The bus was due to depart at 0645, but as Matt and I were walking to get on we remembered we had left the (shared) drop-bag in his van. Needless to say, he got a wee bit of an extra warm up - not the best of starts by all accounts. However, a short bus ride to the start in Portstewart with some good chat from other competitors finally settled the heads, and as we made our way down to the beach everyone was in agreement that it was going to be a great day weather-wise - our own individual experiences would soon be determined! With a line drawn in the sand signifying the start of the day's journey, 72 competitors set off west at 0730. It felt weird to be heading away from the direction the route would eventually take, however it was only for about half a mile before we made the first turnaround of the day. As we rounded the organiser's van, we were greeted with the most beautiful sunrise over the beach - what a start to the day!

Photo: Paul Daly

Within minutes of the start the field had began to string out. I fell into running with Mark King, who I had met prior to the Highland Fling, and actually passed with about 3 miles to go in the Fling. We chatted away and I noticed that I had run my first mile in 9.03, 27 seconds quicker than my target pace - just shows how easily it occurs when you get chatting! Mark informed me it was his 7th ultra of the year, and that he had attempted the CCC race in Chamonix but hadn't managed to finish. We ran together for the first few miles, eventually catching up with Matt (another victim of speed-chatting!), and one tangent led to another before we established my dad had taught Mark in school, small world indeed! Matthew, Mark, myself and another runner Martin Mullan ran together at a steady pace roughly 9min/mile till just after the first water stop in Portrush. Now, this would turn out to be the one criticism of the day, the pot-luck positioning of the water stations. I was expecting water at mile 6, however the first one was at mile 8 - early on, especially given that the temperature was still cool, not such a big deal but unfortunately it had a major bearing later. As we passed along the beach and up out of Portrush, there was a long road section of about 4 miles. Here I began to lift the pace gradually as I could see groups of runners in the distance - I was starting to feel really good, and I was able to settle into 8-8.30min/mile pace and pick runners off. 

Equipment-wise I had decided to go with the UltraSpire Spry vest, and handheld bottle. As I find it very difficult to keep warm first thing in the morning, I had my Ronhill Tempest jacket on before the race start. This was stuffed into the rear of the vest before we set off, and while carrying it was no issue I quickly realised it would not be needed whatsoever as the day was beginning to hot up. I had planned to dump it with a marshal at Portballintrae, which would be the first significant checkpoint, and the end of the first of 3 half-marathons - that's the way I had it broken down in my head. Again this would be another water station, however as I rounded the corner into the car park I was greeted by a huge crowd - the marathoners. This was awesome, however a bit of a hindrance. The atmosphere was incredible and I got a huge reception, and I even managed to catch a glimpse of Mary Jennings, a very regular marathoner (Comrades etc) who was on my Master's course. The crowd parted as I headed toward the eventual finishing banner but I saw no marshals, and it was only after I was past it did I notice an arm offering me water, swamped somewhere inbetween 145 runners! So that left me still carrying my jacket, and with about 300ml of water. No worries - it was still quite cool and it would last me the hour or so until the next station at 20 miles. 

Passing Portballintrae signified the real start of the race for me in terms of a change in terrain - from here it would be a real mix, and very undulating. I passed the marathon start as they were counting down to the start, so within minutes I was being overtaken by athletes, many of whom I would eventually pass hours later :) The next 14 miles along the coast offered some amazingly beautiful scenery, particularly given that it was a perfectly clear day - and of course muggins here had left both sunglasses and hat in the van! I settled into pace with a few of the marathon guys, passing the Giant's Causeway and the bewildered tourists. Now where was that water stop...? I was ticking along nicely, eating and drinking steadily but 20 miles passed. Approaching the picnic site at 21.5 miles I saw lots of people so I thought 'sweet!' and gulped the last of my water ready for a refill - and while I was received with much appreciated enthusiasm and the offer of jelly beans, there was no water! On top of that, I was already beginning to struggle to swallow any of the Clif Bars I had with me (and usually wolf down like they're going out of fashion). As there was nothing I could do I just re-settled into a good pace again, until eventually reaching the drop-bag location at mile 22.5. I had done just short of 10 miles on 300ml of water - not ideal! 

Managed to drop my jacket off and drink 1/4 of the bottle of flat coke I had in the drop-bag, refilled my handheld and then set off, picking another few runners off as I neared the turnaround. Crossing Whitepark Bay beach afforded another opportunity to lift the pace a little, even though it did involve scrambling over rocks at both ends, and weaving in and out of spectators of the bovine variety. A big lift for me was that I knew my mum and dad were going to be somewhere along the route either before or at the turnaround. They were at Ballintoy Harbour, my mum with her trademark "Go Eóin!" and dad trying to work the bloody camera! At this stage the lead runner, Justin Maxwell had passed me with a good 2+ mile lead, so I was trying to figure out what position I was in. More water at the turnaround at mile 27.4 and it was onto the home straight! Just another half marathon to go. 

Turnaround at Larrybane Quarry (Photo: Carrick CC)

By this stage I was still passing a lot of the marathon guys, but I was catching a few of the ultra ones too. I passed my parents for the 2nd time, think pops had managed to get the camera finally working, and also Matt who seemed to be going strong heading into Ballintoy Harbour. I figured I was top 8, and I managed to pass 2 or 3 runners on the return trip across Whitepark Bay, one of whom said that I was in 6th, awesome! I was feeling great at this stage, however I still wasn't able to eat anything solid, relying on the odd gel and chews. I dumped the vest, stuck a Clif Bar in my shorts pocket and took a good stash of gels - I'd be traveling light to the finish! 

Returning across Whitepark Bay (Photo: Carrick CC)

Climbing back up from the beach to the main road, I passed a Newry City runner, putting myself into a provisional 5th spot. I was trucking along nicely until about 8 miles out when I fell in with another ultra runner (turned out to be Nicki McPeake, the Titanic 101k winner from 3 weeks earlier) but I was starting to feel a few wee twinges right at the top of my hamstrings. I ran with Nicki for maybe 5 mins before he dropped back, and I just focused on trying to move steadily up to runners as I saw them in the distance. I figured at this stage I was in 4th so it was important to consolidate that position, and not fade away. I had enough gels to see me through to the end, but water was running low due to the poor spacing between the stations. What water I had left tasted great, but reluctantly I added electrolyte tabs as I was losing so much through sweat - wasn't a fan of sweet stuff by this stage! Nevertheless, it was an unexpected aid station just before the Giant's Causeway building 4 miles from the finish which provided a big boost: fresh water (with added bugs for protein), orange segments, and above all enthusiastic marshals were just what I needed!

With eventual 3rd place finisher Nicki McPeake at Dunseverick Head (Photo: Carrick CC)

From the Giant's Causeway it was pretty much a downhill finish, phew! My target time was 6h23m, based on an average pace of 9.30min/mile and I was comfortably ahead of this pace, so my mind turned to a sub-6 hour time. However, with 3 miles to go I had worked out I would need to run consecutive 7-ish minute miles to the finish. Honestly, if it hadn't been such a hot day and I wasn't fighting off cramps I certainly would have given it a go. As the coastal path dropped down and Portballintrae came into view I began feeling so happy that I had managed a top 5 finish...little did I know I was actually in 3rd place. With a mile to go, the course flattened out as it passed some abandoned train tracks and I was gaining on a runner who I knew was in the marathon. The competitive git in me wanted to pass him before the finish! No sooner had I started along the tracks did I turn and notice Nicki behind me - I upped my pace but he managed to catch me with relative ease. My mind was ready to stick with him but my hamstrings had other ideas, they were done for the day! Fair play to him for the strong finish - he later told me he had been cramping quite badly when he dropped from me earlier. As I thought I was in 4th at the time, I had resigned myself (very contently) to a 5th place finish. It wasn't till about 10 minutes after I finished (and duly had my name mispronounced, much to my mother's disgust!) that I found out I had indeed finished 4th - still super happy with that! 

Casually approaching the finish - don't make eye contact with anyone! (Photo: Carrick CC)

End of a good day (Photo: Carrick CC)

Finished feeling very happy, and very strong - hamstring twinges aside. Final time of 6.06.37, minute off the podium, but no qualms about that! Huge congratulations to Matt who finished his first ultra in a time of 7.16.33. All in all a tough course, up and down the whole day, and the unexpected heat didn't help! Seems a shame to complain about a perfectly sunny day :)

Top 3 Men:

Justin Maxwell - 5.34.21

Ian Lockington - 5.59.39

Nicki McPeake - 6.05.34

Top 3 Women:

Christina McKenzie - 6.48.30

Helena Dornan - 6.50.01 (wee warm-up for the Ulster 100 mile TT the following day!)

Janeen McGregor - 7.46.28

A very well organised event, so thanks to 26 Extreme - however the location of water stations does need addressed, particularly given that it was stated online where they would be, but of course this was exacerbated by the heat. Also, all photos taken by Carrick CC, and a full gallery of all the day's races can be found here, check it out!