Endurancelife Stage 1 – Northumberland

Sunrise on the Northumberland Coastline

 The long awaited Stage 1 of the 2011/2012 Endurancelife Coastal Series finally arrived with a new course and a new venue on the Northumberland Coastline. This is a coastline that I have very little knowledge of and so once again, Endurancelife enabled me to fulfil a couple of things that I always like to do when I do a race, see a new place and run somewhere different and challenging.

I hadn’t actually realised how close to Scotland our race venue was. Bamburgh Castle was literally not much more than an hours’ drive from Edinburgh. Unlike the other races in the Coastal Series, this coastline was gentler. What it lacked in up and down coastal paths it made up for with Castles, beaches and stunning views.

It was an early start to the day, but then again, this is nothing unusual when racing. Niandi and I arrived at Bamburgh just in time to see the sun break the skyline and provide us with an orange glow in the early morning chill. It was quite a start to the day. Andrew Barker from Endurancelife was running around taking photos and capturing video while other EL staff prepared registration and all the last min prep that goes into a race, or should I say races of this size and nature. What has always been a great feature of EL races is the provision to provide distances of varying nature, 10k, half marathon, marathon and now ultra. Of course, if you have raced any EL race before, you know the 10k is 12k, the half is 14 miles, the marathon is 28 miles and the ultra, well, the ultra could be anything…. you always get value for money! And I mean this in a very positive way. Trail racing is never an exact distance and we never want to be cheated.

The Northumberland race in many ways was a unique event. This is the one and only ‘point to point’ race in the CTS and therefore at 0800am the marathon and ultra runners were transported by coach some 30 min away to the race start at Alnwick. Our objective was to run from Alnwick, back to the coast and then run north up the coastline back to Bamburgh Castle.

Northumberland Marathon Route

As you will see from the map, Alnwick was inland and it provided us with quite a beautiful start. It became apparent early on that our day was going to be a ‘good day’. The sun was out, skies were blue and the early morning chill was going to soon disappear and provide us with a warm and clear day for a great run. We grouped together in a field while Gary from EL provided us with our usual pre race briefing. The route was pretty simple; run to the coast, turn left and run north until you reach Bamburgh Castle. Of course, no route is that simple but EL always do a great job of marking the route with red/white tape or white chevrons painted on the floor (eco friendly paint) or objects to help navigate the runners in the right direction. Of course you need to pay attention and keep your eyes peeled; after all, following the route is actually part of the event.

                                                   

Alnwick Castle - race start

 At 0900 we were off and an early group soon formed with  guys up front, myself and Oliver Sinclair in 4th and 5th and then a couple of other guys close behind in 5th and 6th. The early trail was mostly through fields, farmland and woods. We had the early joy of wading through a river up to our knees. Perfect! completely wet feet in the first few miles of a marathon. I actually didn’t mind. To be honest I found the chill from the water nice on the muscles. Today I was running a little cautious as the previous weekend I had raced a 50k. The five days after that race had been devoted just to easy runs of 4 miles twice a day with the emphasis on loosening my legs rather than training.

The six of us pushed to the coastline, as I looked around at the race numbers I was surrounded by 5 ultra runners and I was the only marathon runner. A nice position to be in. In principal the ultra runners should be running a little slower than the marathon runners but considering I had no competition around I had no reason to run any harder.

 After about 45 min we moved from a road section, crossed a bridge and we were then on the coast. Oliver Sinclair lifted the pace slightly, Andrew Bass followed and I basically maintained 3rd place maybe some 100m back.

            

Hoka One One - Stinson B Evo

 As we hit the coast we had a mixture of terrain; sand, road and grassy trails. Because of the mixed nature of the terrain I had decided to use a new pair of Hoka One One shoes called ‘Stinson B Evo’. These shoes are actually only going to be available in 2012 but it was important for me to start testing them so that I could provide feedback. Unlike other shoes in the Hoka range these shoes offer increased grip, a race fit and obviously the supreme cushioning that Hoka offer. EL races always offer challenging terrain, not only for the lungs but for your feet, so, a good pair of shoes is a must. I have to say, that the Stinson B Evo is going to be a great addition to the Hoka range.                                                                              

As we moved up the coastline Andrew Bass had taken the lead followed by Oliver Sinclair and then myself. The 4th and 5th placed runners had run with me for a short while but as we hit the dunes and mixed terrain we had all found our natural place. I could still see Oliver and Andrew but behind me was nobody, so I settled and concentrated on keeping an even pace. I went through the 2nd checkpoint at around 1040 am, this would mean that I was about 10 min behind the Half Marathon runners who started at 1030am.

Ian at Northumberland

The sun was out and it was getting pretty warm. As we ran past our second Castle of the day, Andrew was waiting with his camera at the ready. This section was tough underfoot. You needed to look at your foot placing. Ok, excuses over. Question? Is the above photo concentration or do I really look wrecked?

Wrecked or not I was leading the marathon and in 3rd place overall behind the two ‘ultra’ guys up ahead. As we moved on we now had sections of coastline, long stretches of beach and back markers from the half marathon race ahead. At the 20 mile mark I went through a bad patch…. I could feel some fatigue from the previous weekend and had to dig deep to put the ‘walk demons’ away and keep the tempo going. On the beach sections I cut the lines as best as I could looking for the shortest line. Happy to get my feet wet if meant I saved on distance.

At the final checkpoint Bamburgh Castle was in view and as I shouted ‘about a mile to go?’ the marshal said ‘erm no!’ Aaaagh, this is when the EL value for money kicks in. On those days that you want the marathon to be 26.2 you just know it is not going to be. Endurance running is as much about the mind as the body and when you think your finish is less than 10 min way but then soon realise that actually it is probably going to be more like 30 min away, you need to recoup, dig in and push on.

The final beach section was a long one. The terrain was good though, yes it was softer tan trail but it wasn’t deep sand. Finally the foot of the castle came and we had some nice twisty dunes to navigate our way through.

A mile in the dunes

Out of the dunes we had a climb up to the castle a right turn and then a couple of hundred meters to the finish. A great finish awaited with the castle making the perfect setting. I made the total distance covered just short of 28 miles and my time was 3:46.

In summary this is a beautiful course and it is extremely runable. It is a great first event for those moving to trail racing or those tempted by the EL series of Coastal Races. My buddy and team mate, Oliver Sinclair won the Ultra so it was a great day out for the Endurancelife Team.

The finish - Bamburgh Castle

By Ian Corless Endurancelife Ambassador Ian's website www.runwildrunfree.co.uk

Endurancelife Ambassador Mimi Anderson took on the Spartathlon 2011

In her own words Mimi shares her experiences of Greece.                                      On the 28th September I headed out to Greece along with my husband to take part in the 29th running of the Spartathlon.  In 2004 I met John Foden who came up with the idea for this race, he said I should give it a go, I remember telling him that I wasn't nearly fast enough to ever take part in such a tough event.    For those of you who have never heard of the Spartathlon let me fill you in (hope you are sitting down!)  This is a 245km (153 mile) non-stop race from Athens to Sparta (with a mountain after 160km) the first 81 km has to be done in 9.30 hours and each checkpoint has its own cut-offs, which are strictly adhered to.  If you arrive outside these times you are taken off the course.  No music is allowed and runners must complete the race in less than 36 hours.  The dropout rate is approximately 60% - now you can see why I have never entered this race.... until now!  Runners have to qualify for this event; you can't just sign up and run.  I qualified by running the Grand Union Canal race in 2010, which I completed in 28hours 12 minutes.  Crews are allowed but they are not able to help you in any way until after CP22 the 81km point and even then they can only go to designate cps along the route.  I left three drop bags at CP 5, 11 and 17 which contained a handful of nuts and raisins, a baby bell and a couple of electrolyte tabs.  I had two crew helping me Tim my marvelous and long suffering husband and a good friend Bridget who had come all the way from Spain. My goal was to firstly complete the event (so I didn't have to come back again!) and if possible finish in less than 33 hours. I had broken the race down into sections, 42km, 81km, getting to the mountain, finish.  285 competitors stood on the start line at the Acropolis and at 7am on the 30th September we were set on our way for the 245 km run to Sparta. The start was fairly relaxed as there were so many of us which suited me as it meant I could get my breathing under control (was slightly worried about the traffic pollution and my Asthma).  The first section of the race was through the busy streets of Athens with lots of heavy traffic, not very scenic!  I met up and ran with Mark Woolley for a bit which was lovely. At Elefsina runners were greeted by lots of children who had come out to cheer us on, lots of hands slapping as you run past, fantastic.  I picked up my first drop bag here 22.7km but only used the electrolyte tabs I had put in and continued on my way towards CP 11 the marathon distance. I loved running along the undulating coast road, looking down at the beautiful blue of the sea was so relaxing it lifted my spirits and put a smile on my face. Having no music was a real bonus; it meant I was able to enjoy the atmosphere of the race and the surroundings much more.  After leaving Mecara I was greeted by yet more children who were standing by and under a bridge – more hand slapping.  The easiest way to get as many hands slapped as possible was to just hold the arm out until you had gone passed – thankfully I survived with my arm still attached to my body! Arriving at CP 11, the 42km point I felt great and was really pleased with my time of 3hours 52 minutes, just where I wanted to be.  I had been advised by many friends who had done this race before not to do the first 81k too fast or I would have nothing left for the end. I had managed to keep up a steady pace, HR felt good and my breathing wasn't causing me any problems at all.  Tim, Bridget, James Adams and Robert Treadwell and his wife were there so lots of clapping and cheering went on which was fantastic and gave me a real boost.   At each of the CPs there were buckets with water and sponges in; I would use these as I went through to keep my body temperature down.  At about 69km the course went past an oil refinery and a very unattractive industrial area – very unpleasant smells! Tim and Bridget would wave me through various CPs along the route which was wonderful, I did mention to them with 3 CPs to go before they were able to help me that I would love a really cold drink at 81km as I was feeling extremely thirsty.  I was drinking enough, peeing and taking my electrolytes but couldn’t seem to quench my thirst. On towards Corinth I ran, crossing over the Corinth Canal that was quite stunning, although I couldn’t look down as it made me feel quite wobbly!  Arriving at CP22 with over an hour and half buffer was fantastic.  Tim and Bridget ushered me over to the car, changed my top gave me a sandwich, changed my water (which was cold!!) and sent me on my way, no stopping.  I was feeling good and quite happy that I wouldn’t see them for another 10k or so. The next challenge for me was the mountain.  It made a huge difference being away from lots of traffic and on the smaller roads running through the olive groves as well as vines (not a drop of wine in sight!) Being chased by a couple of dogs gave me a bit of a shock but it meant I upped the pace!  During this time I ran with Fredrick from Sweden, we did about 25k together which was wonderful.  Unfortunately he was having real problems with his stomach so eventually I had to say goodbye and head off.  At CP 35 Ancient Nemea at 123.3km I was met by my crew again – I remember this CP as Bridget handed me an iced coffee, perfect, just what I wanted. I was still feeling strong and enjoying running in the dark. Tim and Bridget handed me my head torch at CP 32 as it was approx. 6.30pm and it would start to get dark at 7ish.  Running into Malandreni Village I was feeling fantastic and was greeting by loads of young girls asking my name and running alongside me into the CP.  Here I was handed some chips, which unfortunately after a couple wasn’t able to eat any more. The road leading up to the base of the mountain was long and winding so it was a case of running sections and power walking the rest - I was feeling quite relaxed as I had big buffers at each of the CPs.   Arriving at the base of the mountain at 1.36am  (18hrs 36 mins) my kit was changed as it was getting cold, they tried to get me to eat something but I just wasn't interested and after about 5 minutes headed up the mountain.   Not at all runable but kept plodding my way up - met a guy half way who asked if I needed help (bit of a tricky section) to which I replied no thank you but will sit down and look at the view!  Looking back down the mountain from where I had come was a zigzag of flashing lights, and coming up the road I could see the runners head torches as they meandered up the road towards the base of the mountain.   At the summit a small CP which I didn’t bother to stop at and continued down the other side – now for the last section of the race. During the night I had periods when I felt extremely tired and found myself wobbling all over the road, occasionally nearly falling over as I fell asleep, but I knew that as soon as the sun came up I would be fine. I can't remember the number of the CP but it was in the morning and warming up when Bridget mentioned that there was a woman hot on my heels - I said it didn't matter as I my aim was to finish - however about an hour later going up a long hill I heard the chatter of not one but two women behind me and I went from being 2nd female to 4th! Not happy but with races of this sort of distance the race doesn’t usually start until the final 81km. The next hour or so I kept on leap frogging one of the girls, the Japanese lady went off like the clappers so I had to let her go.  Finally Ruth (the lady I was leap frogging) went off never to be seen again.  However, I kept going determined to try and catch up with at least one of them to keep a podium place.  A couple of CPs later I found the Japanese lady walking slowly up a hill...time to overtake and get a move on! Coming into Sparta was the most wonderful feeling – just over 9km to go, I knew now I would finish.  Running down the long road towards the town the views are stunning and makes everything you have done in the last 30 odd hours worth it.  Getting to the last CP when I thought I only had 1km to go was beyond excitement - I was about to complete the one race that had scared me for years.  Running down the street I did wonder where this statue was.  People were cheering from their balconies, shops, street corners, it was a wonderful feeling.  Finally I was instructed to turn right and given a police escort towards the finish. It seemed the whole town had come out to support the runners, Tim and Bridget together with a fantastic group of Brits were there cheering me in, kids surrounded me on their bikes but I didn't mind, this is what is was all about  - but where was the statue I still couldn't see it.  As I passed the bar with everyone cheering, people standing on both sides of the street the statue of King Leonidas appeared - trying to hold my emotions together was almost impossible as I ran up the steps and touched and kissed those marvelous feet.  I HAD DONE IT!!!  I had finished in a time of 32 hours 33 mins 23 seconds coming in as 1st Brit, 3rd Female and 37th overall out of 285 starts.   A big marvelous thank you to Tim and Bridget who were fantastic.  To James Adams and Robert Treadwell who drove up and down the course checking up on all the British runners, you guys were great for keeping us all informed on how our fellow Brits were doing and to the fantastic group of Brits and their supporters who made this race very special.

www.marvellousmimi.com

Norseman Xtreme Triathlon 2011: James Heraty

On August 6^th 2011 I took my greatest test in triathlon to date. The Norseman Extreme Triathlon is like no other triathlon on earth, if you want to read about a fast flat predictable multi lap course this report won’t interest you. If you want to find out about what drove one man to battle across Norway read on.

My alarm went off at 2am, yes 2am all my kit was already packed and sorted. I knew the race would be testing both physically and mentally, however it was the mental element at the forefront now. During the race briefing on Friday it was announced the swim course would be moving due to the unseasonably cold water temperature in Eidfjord. The swim begins with an iconic jump from the ferry into the middle of the Fjord.  The ferry point was 10 kilometers before T1 by road, so we’d all be swimming to our bikes having not laid hands on our kit or even seen the new transition area.  We would be fully reliant on our support crew to guide and assist us. An extra twenty kilometers was added to an already tough bike leg, making a ride of 200 kilometers, I had never ridden so far without a decent coffee stop at least!

The sight of 250 athletes boarding the ferry will always stay with me. For those not familiar with the Norseman format, this is a 226 kilometer (now 246 kilometer) point to point race across mountainous Norway, with the marathon finish on the summit of Guastatoppen. Only the first 160 athletes to reach the 32.5 kilometer checkpoint are allowed to continue to the mountain top and claim the coveted black T-shirt. Others can complete the distance via flat shuttle runs to and from the ski resort and claim a white T-shirt.

 I spent most of my time on the ferry out  to the start line either in the toilet queue or trying to spot anyone I could beat out of the water, but with no success, my only hope was that others were looking at me and thinking the same ‘he looks fast.’!

The jump.  At 04:45 the nose of the ferry raised up to reveal the 400 meter deep fjord and a small flashing light very far away, our target at which point we would turn and complete the final section of the swim leg. With more than just butterflies in my stomach I stepped forward and jumped, no turning back now! I hit the water and kept going down before popping up and looking back at the ferry and then started my 400 meter swim to the start line. As the fjord is tidal I soon realised we would be against the current, oh joy!  At 0505 the ships horn sounded and we were race on!

The field soon spread out and I relaxed and began swimming, I was unable to find any feet to follow so I headed for the light, the sun was starting to rise on a cloudy day. On the cliff directly above the nav light a break in the tree line worked as a good indicator and I headed towards it. With a field of only 254 the swim did not have a rough start like others I’ve experienced and the green swim capped heads were spread across the water. I checked my time and settled into a long swim. Eventually the flashing light started to appear closer and I reached the boat and turned. What a relief, I was finally with the current and with a quick look behind was pleased to see plenty of swimmers on my tail. I was swimming at the edge and could make out the rocks on the bottom before the depths plunged to 400 meters. I rounded a small jetty before making it out of the water, my exit was less than glamorous as I slipped on a rock and nearly took out one of the guys helping us. Despite posting a 1hr 40 swim I was pleased to be greeted by a nearly full T1 which reflected the toughness of the swim leg.

Ride on time. The Norseman does things differently so Dave from the Endurancelife support crew was able to help me in transition. He guided me to my bike in the grassy transition area, where I stripped out of my wetsuit and jammers and donned my bib shorts and loaded jersey, my sunglasses had orange lenses already loaded which made it seem sunny! Arm warmers, socks, shoes, lid on, grab bike and run. I carried my bike over the grass out of transition and spotted a steep short zig zag tarmac section so rather than risk a chain snap I opted to carry my bike up to the flat, unlike the chap behind who choose to snap his chain, ouch! I jumped on and headed out on my 200 Kilometer ride. 

Ups and downs. As soon as I started riding the rain arrived and hammered down relentlessly, my gillet just about kept the cold at bay and I settled in to the twisty roads. I found myself shouting encouragement as I sped along in the rain, I continued to pass riders and still had no idea of my placing in the field so tucked down on the tri bars and cranked on. I soon hit Eidfjord where the bike course would originally have started. It was time to head off the main road and take the old tourist road. This traffic free route winds its way up through the valley via tunnels, bridges and bypasses the newer road up onto the plateau. The first climb to the plateau took about 2 hours (yes 2 hours) to cover 40 kilometers and at the top in Dyranut I was met by the Endurancelife crew. The Norseman has no official support on the bike leg so each competitor must have a dedicated support party. I’d packed and organized my own transition box to cover every eventuality and this box would be available at three points on the bike course. I grabbed my bottles, one water and one energy wrapped with Torq bar and gels. I was wearing my 2XU calf guards for the whole race so I just added knee warmers for full leg coverage.

The fast bit. From the first stop at Dyranut it was either flat or downhill across the plateau and straight past an impressive glacier, fog provided very little visibility however a good tail wind was a welcome boost. In what seemed like no time I arrived in Geilo a popular ski resort in winter however more importantly this was food stop number two.  Another fast meeting with the team to grab more food and exchange bottles, before attacking the famous three hills.  These are three 7% climbs with thankfully a rewarding descent after every ascent. This is where my bike choice came into its own riding the Cervelo S1 with clip on tri bars allowed me to climb and descend confidently, also justified as I passed not one, but two Trek speed concepts complete with aerofoil toolkits, I never saw them again! On these climbs I started counting to 100, first sitting in easy, then standing and dropping gears, this method was working as I passed more on every climb. I then flew down the descents like life depended on it and hit the final Endurancelife food stop for the bike leg in Imgingfjell.

Numbers game. At Imgingfjell is the second of only two right turns on the whole course and sitting on the corner were two race officials who give you your placing “147” they shouted, that gave me a cushion of 13 and would get me in a black tee shirt. Not safe enough in my mind so with one more climb and a joyous 30 kilometer descent with a few hairpins it was time to build my cushion. I gained spot 146 on the climb then as the plateau opened out I could hone in on targets 145,144,143. I was going well sat on the drops all the way down. One rider was eluding me, every time  I got  within 200 meters of him he’d  spot me and speed up, then with just  1 kilometer  to go before the run he pulled up for a pee stop, my easiest take of the day.

I jumped off the bike at T2 and was greeted by brilliant sunshine; I hopped out of my jersey and bib shorts and donned fresh kit and new socks, bliss. As I left T2 I heard “134” music to my ears and I was much happier with that cushion.

Crunch time. My training hours were paying off as after 200 kilometers of riding I felt fantastic on the run. The first 25 kilometers were relatively flat and followed the edge of the lake. At 8 kilometers I met with the Endurancelife team and grabbed my food pack in which I’d packed some Twiglets, I savored something crunchy and savory instead of the necessary gels. The sun was beating down now, so with every sip of water I also put some down my neck to ensure I stayed cool. A local had rigged a hose up across the road and the cold shower was very welcoming, what a contrast to the earlier rain at the start of this long day. I had been running in an enclosed valley which suddenly opened up to reveal Guastatoppen in all its glory, I could see the summit at 1850 meters top and knew I had a massive climb in front of me.

At 25 kilometers I turned off the main road and was greeted with a Norseman checkpoint with an interesting mix of gels, water and some salami (not for me thanks), then I turned and started the long climb up what is affectionately known as Zombie hill. I started to run but the gradient and speed did not equate to running and I was gaining nothing on those who were walking and so a long walk began! I knew I needed to make the 32.5 kilometer mark in the top 160 to be able to finish on the summit and don the black tee shirt, and I made it number 141, 10 kilometers to the finish.

Rock and roll. I was pleased with my energy levels and happy I’d opted to wear compression on my calves all day. However an attempt at running on a flat section just hurt my quads and gained me nothing, so I continued with a purposeful walk. At 37.5 kilometers I grabbed my mandatory mountain bag and after a quick check from the medical team I hit the track. This is a very rough, little used track with large boulders and loose rock underfoot all the way to the summit. Time was now unimportant I’d made the cut offs and it was guaranteed I’d be collecting a black tee shirt at the presentation on Sunday. With just shy of 246 kilometers already in my legs the final section was proving hard work. Thankfully my wife joined me for this final stint and it was encouraging when she mentioned how hard the going was. The conditions were perfect with blue clear skies and incredible views in all directions.  James and Andrew Barker from Endurancelife had finished 20 minutes ahead of me and as the finish line loomed into view I could hear them shouting encouragement  to me.  One final scramble and I made it to the top. I had propelled myself 246 kilometers across Norway in 16 hours 4 minutes and 45 seconds. Now I am a Norseman!