Beerathon

19th October

Its hard to believe that I am already halfway through my personal challenge of 12 marathons (or more) in 12 months, but here we are, event number 6!
8 potential hours of running a 3.75 mile loop, crazy hills, bit of mud.....oh and beer....what could possibly go wrong!? This is my brief but pretty accurate description of the madness that is the Beerathon!
Saxon Shore are the hosts again for today's madness and we find ourselves at Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve......yep....I didn't know where that was either. Its here (click me) in case you wanted to know. I should probably have done a little more research before doing this one as it was a little bit of a surprise to find most of the loop on the NORTH DOWNS!!
I have a special place in my heart for the North Downs as my very first ultra was on it, the North Downs Way 50 mile. The best way I can describe the North Downs is that it is as beautiful as it is brutal.
OK so doing some research beforehand wouldn't in all honesty have made it any easier but I guess its perhaps a different mental approach? Who knows? Any who, on with the story!

The ever present Mummysaurus picked me up and we headed off, chatting away in the car about today's plans. Though the challenge was 8 hours, I was focusing on a marathon today and was in hope of doing it in under 5 of those hours. We joked about this perhaps being a little ambitious what with the hills, the mud and well.....the beer....don`t forget the beer! 
We arrived at the Nature reserve and drove up the extremely steep driveway to the event parking area......glad it was`nt raining or the little car we were in would have really struggled!!

View from the top of the hill into the car park

 Mummysaurus gingerly parked the car and we got out to this amazing view! Beautiful!

I grabbed my gear and we headed off to registration, what we found was both hilarious and also slightly daunting!

My kind of aid station!

I grabbed my number and a bottle opener.....that`s a new one! With about 2 minutes to go we were instructed to pick our poison and have them open and ready.
The challenge today was a 3.75 mile loop that begins with a beer, this is however not compulsory, its all just for a bit of a laugh. You must finish your beverage, be that what it may, before you start the next lap. The main rule really being....well....ill take artist licence on this.....don`t be a dick. Don`t get absolutely clown shoed (yep just made that up) and risk not being able to run here anymore. With this in mind, you don`t actually have to drink at all. I had the silly idea of giving it a go and actually try to drink a beer on every lap, the caveat being that I would stop if it started to really mess up my running.
"RUNNERS GRAB YOUR BEERS!"
Traviss called us all to the start with our bottles/cans/cups of chosen beverages and gave us the countdown -

3...2...1...CHUG!!

I started my watch and then tried my best to down my breakfast beer. The first half was OK, the second half....not so much. I finished my beer and walked over the starting line, trying really hard not to instantly puke all over the path!! Great start, its only 10am!!
That first loop was brutal and required a lot of concentration, it took me nearly 2 miles of it to feel anywhere near settled again! This was enough to already change today's game plan. Dial back on the beer to a sip or 2 a lap and try and eat every lap, I`m clearly going to need the energy today! I was still however quietly hopeful that I could still get close to 5 hours, even with the crazy hills.

I was going to try and describe the loop for you but I think its best at this point to bombard you with a bunch of pictures, in no particular order, that were taken by Mummysaurus as she walked around 1 lap......see you in a minute.....

Hello again!
The photos still don`t do it justice, it was ridiculously hilly and so, so beautiful. The weather conditions were close to perfect with the exception of some of the sections in the woods where the humidity jumped up, making breathing a bit hard going.
I did my best to keep the pace up, walk the really steep ups and absolutely nail the downs. I figured I would just give it as much as I had for as long as I could because I knew this loop was going to chew me up sooner or later! At the end of each lap I had a couple of sips of beer and a bit of bread pudding, I flipping love bread pudding! This may become a regular bag drop item.

3 laps in - about a beer and a half in

3 laps in and feeling pretty good now I was about a beer and a half down. The hills were tough going but I was actually really, really enjoying the long downhill sections. I just let gravity do the work, took the breaks off and belted it down the hills. It was really working for me, I knew in the back of my head that it was gonna hurt later but that`s a problem for future me!
Another present for future me was the bruise I was going to get from the large wooden post that I accidentally rugby tackled at around 15 miles. I had obviously passed this area a few times already and each time I had, I had slipped all over the place trying to get around it. The ground around the post had been worn away and dropped away to form a very muddy, slippery kind of step. Every other lap I had hopped onto this higher bit so I could hop over the muddy hole. On this particular lap however the fates had decided that it was time for some gymnastics. I hopped on to the high bit which broke off under my right foot causing it to shoot sideways and kick my left foot clean out from underneath me and I landed, armpit first on to the top of the wooden post.
"Ouch" was one word that I used (I shall leave you to guess the others) as I picked myself up and had a quick check that I hadn`t actually done anything silly. It kind of shook me for a little while but I tried to stay positive and just keep moving. You see I`m not really used to falling over. I`ve been running "properly" since 2012 and this makes it only the third time that I have taken a tumble. I`ve had plenty of slips and trips but very, very rarely get as far as hitting the ground even though I run in sandals. The other 2 occasions I was probably asking for. The first was right at the start of an event. A guy next to me was having a bit of friendly banter over my sandals, along the lines of "good luck mate, you're gonna slip all over the place!" I gave a chuckle and was just saying "NAA! I`ve got LOADS of grip!" as we approached a wet grassy bank, my legs scooted out from under me and I proceeded to slip on my arse down the entire bank........graceful! We had a bloody good laugh about that, as did the 15 people directly behind me when it happened.
The second time I was without a doubt asking for. It was winter, freezing cold and snowing. Perfect conditions for running across a frozen horse field......in sandals. To be fair the sandals had absolutely nothing to do with it, stupidity had everything to do with it.
I headed out for a 5 miler and all was going well until I was on my way back. I had just come through a kissing gate, went to run and SLAM! I hit the ground HARD. One second I was standing, the next I was shoulder first on the ground. The ground was so hard that it knocked the wind out of me. It happened so fast there was no time to react at all. It caught me so off guard that I actually went and checked what I had slipped on. A deep, ice and snow filled, solid hoof print. Who`d have thunk it.......in a horse field........in the winter........*facepalm*

Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, running around silly hills and drinking beer.....

Action shot from one of the photographers on the day

It was tough going but I was moving well and feeling pretty good, well until the inevitable. The punishing hills caught up with me somewhere between 18 and 19 miles. It was like someone had just pulled the plug out. My legs where absolutely trashed they were starting to twitch and tingle, walking fast was even starting to become a problem. I kept telling myself to just finish this lap and then I`ll take a quick break before the last lap.
I shuffled along and was caught up by Natalie. We had a great chat about ultra running and nutrition, it was a much welcomed distraction at the perfect time and really kept me moving, all be it slowly. She stuck with me for the rest of the lap, I wished her the best of luck and headed over to Mummysaurus. She took one look at me and said "would you like a chair?" I think my reply was along the lines of "oh hell yes!"
As I was standing by the aid station I figured I should take this moment to stuff my face. I ate ALL the things. Cake was mixed with crisps, mixed with nuts, mixed with more cake. If it wasn't nailed down, I was eating it.
I added a few more crisps and cake to my soft cup (yup totally not whats its for) grabbed a Guinness and shuffled over to the chair. So there I was, snuggled in my DryRobe, sitting in a chair in the sunshine, stuffing my face with cake and sipping Guinness with 1 lap left to complete a marathon. I could have stayed there all day but settled for about 20 minutes. The crazy thing was that without this break I was actually on for a sub 4:30!! The reality was that I needed the 20 minutes or it was going to be nearer 6.
With every sip and nibble I could feel the life coming back into my legs. Maybe I`ve been going about marathons in the wrong way?! Maybe this was how it was meant to be done?! It felt a heck of a lot more fun now I was full of cake and Guinness!
Enough lounging, I`ve got another lap to do!
I bounded (I didn't but it adds more drama) out of the chair, thanked Mummysaurus and headed out on my final lap, feeling the polar opposite of how I finished the last one.
I tried to enjoy myself as much as I could over that last lap, limiting my walking time and trying to run every downhill. Everything still hurt but I took comfort in the fact that I was nearly done, almost embracing the pain as an acknowledgement of a hard days work.

Great shot from one of the photographers on the day

 After what felt like a very long lap, I was nearing the end of the loop and was very much looking forward to getting back into that chair.
I crossed the finish 5 hours, 13 minutes and 14 seconds after that first beer, tired, battered but most of all, glad to be done! So glad in fact that I nearly forgot to pick up my medal!

I retreated back to the comfort of the DryRobe and chair with one final beer in hand. I sipped away and ate cheesy chips in the warm sunshine with Mummysaurus, content at that present moment to never move again.

Thanks for reading folks I hope you enjoyed it!
HUGE thanks as always to Mummysaurus for her unwavering support and a big thank you and well done to Natalie who went on to complete just over 50km! Top job!
Massive thank you as always to Traviss, Rachel and all at Saxon Shore for another great event!

6 of 12 done! Next up is the Roald Dahl Challenge....goodness....next week!

Till next time folks!
Love and high 5`s
Cardiosaurus

Race to the Thrones

With barely enough time (largely exaggerated for comedic effect) to wash the running gear from the last adventure, its time to head back to Walton on Thames for more towpath shenanigans!

21st September
My legs are still perhaps a little tired from St Alban`s Stampede 3 weeks ago but I`m on a mission, so here we are! The sun is already making an effort as we pull up into the car park of the Xcel Leisure Centre a little earlier than planned. No worries, more time to faff!
Mummysaurus is here once again to drive, crew and generally hurl verbal encouragement/abuse when needed. We rummage around in the car for a bit getting all the days gear together. I must admit, now I am doing these events closer and closer together I seem to be bringing less stuff with me. Mummysaurus on the other hand I suspect will always be armed with a utility belt that could rival any budding superhero.
We wander inside in search of a coffee and registration. Coffee isn't available yet so registration it is then. I grab my number and we find a seat to have a natter while we wait for the cafe to open.

Today is hopefully (you can never assume these things) going to be my 5th marathon (or more) in 5 months, as depicted by this ridiculous photograph of my face.

We chat away about today's plan and I decide on a "run a lap and see" approach. It`s already pretty warm and its barely 8:15am. The forecast for today is a rather toasty 26°, pretty hot for this time of year so I chuck on some sunscreen and a hat. I actually opted for a long sleeve, thin base layer over my normal, short sleeve t shirt as I figured I would experiment with keeping the sun off of my arms.

I did throw a short sleeve one in my drop bag as well in case this backfired.

Around 8:30......I say around, it was 8:30. I know this for sure because the lady opening the cafe had said she was opening at that time and we were watching her like a couple of coffee vultures.
A mochaccino for Mummysaurus, a double espresso and unusually for me, a flapjack. I don`t normally eat before I start but after Stampede I thought today would be a food experiment day. The experiment was pretty simple, eat. It doesn't have to be loads, it could be just a jelly bean but I had promised myself that I would attempt to eat something at the end of every lap.

8:45am - Time for the race briefing.
Everyone heads outside into the warm morning sunshine, the smell of trees and Tiger Balm in the air.
Rik - our host for this mornings adventure, gives us the run down (pun intended) of what to expect. He mentions that it`s going to be a hot one, potentially a lot of people out on the path today, oh and the London to Brighton bike race..........ah!
He assures us though that we shouldn't see too many though as most of them would have already passed this point by this time but just be aware.
With all that out of the way we shuffle our way to the start line. Today we will be heading in the direction of "the little blue bridge". I`ve mentioned this little fella in a previous post, I was very happy to be going the other way on that occasion as this little bridge is not one of my personal favourites. Oh well, can`t avoid it every time and this time I shall be seeing it a lot over the 3.28 mile "out and back" format.

3.28 mile "out and backs" so you can paint the path red

As we wait at the start line it is already pretty apparent that today is going to be a busy day on the Thames Path. We are passed by multiple bikes, dog walkers and runners and its only 9am.

3...2...1...GO!!!

9am - Rik gives us the countdown and off we go! Within the first half a mile I have to move aside for a few more bikes, people, dogs.......its gonna be a long day! I then come to the rowing club, its already in full swing with loads of people all over the path, walking with oars and teams carrying boats.....I think I`ll keep just the one earphone in today!!
I always find the first half of these out and backs goes pretty fast as you are feeling fresh and eager to get going. I ran up and over the little blue bridge and pretty quickly found myself at the turn around point. The return leg was obviously even busier as now I was passing the other runners in the other direction. This is when I really started to notice just how dusty it was already.
I tried to keep to any bit of overhead cover I could find along the way, opting for the shadows whenever I had the chance. The idea was to try and keep my temperature down for as long as I could, so far, so good.
At the end of lap one I had some water and 1 jelly bean, the flapjack I had for breakfast was still sitting a little heavy but I decided to stick to my plan and have something.
Lap 2 was much of the same, hot, crowded and dusty. My pace was OK but my legs did feel a little heavy.
Around 15 miles into the day, it was time for a different approach. The temperature had picked up, it was crowded and very dusty and I was honestly feeling pretty tired. I came into the end of that lap and said to Mummysaurus "No chance of a PB today, I just want to finish with a smile" she simply said "Perfect. Keep eating and have fun!" So that`s what I did! I backed off of the pace and put in regular walk breaks, focusing more on enjoying it rather than speed. My long sleeve base layer was working out surprisingly well, keeping the sun off of my arms and keeping me cool when the wind blew. Good job too really because the combination of sun and dust was quite punishing over time.
At then end of each lap I had some water, squash and some kind of sweet. Freddo Frogs being the top of the list. I had also bought a couple of cans of cold coffee with me which went down well. This had pretty much turned into a picnic with a marathon thrown in for good measure!

Roughly 23 miles down, just one more lap to plod and I still had something that resembled a smile. Along this lap I got chatting to Terry. A lovely guy who started running at the same time as me, in 2012. The difference between us was that he was running his 252nd marathon AND was running the one AFTER this one at 4pm!! Gloriously bonkers! We had a really good natter and pretty much walked most of the last lap with a bit of a "sprint" at the end to finish off the day.
Official time of 4:46:51 but to be honest, from very early on today wasn't going to be about the time.
Today was about so much more. Can I simply finish this close to an ultra? Are the legs up for it today? Can I still enjoy it? Can I do another full event without adding socks to my sandals?
Yes.....yes to all of the above.

Mummysaurus and I headed back to the car to drop off my gear.I switched into a dry t shirt and then we headed back for some lunch and a chat.
I was pretty thrashed even though I took it very easy, guess I really was pretty tired from the Stampede! Oh well, 5 in 12 done!

As always a big thank you goes out Mummysaurus for the support, Phoenix Running for yet another great event and to every other person running/walking/crawling on the day....well done, you guys are awesome!

Thanks for reading folks! Join me again in a few weeks for the next one, it might be messy!!
Love and hugs
Cardiosaurus

St Albans Stampede - A "How not to" guide!

Once again time has got away from me for actually writing a report of my latest adventures, but hey, life gets in the way sometimes.

Those of you that have been reading my blog for a while will know all about the St Albans Stampede already as I`ve done it twice before. For those who have not, welcome to my blog and thanks for reading!
The St Albans Stampede is a future classic in my humble opinion. I believe this year was its fifth year and my third time. The format is pretty simple, 12 hours, 4 mile laps and the option of solo or teams. You can run as much or as little as you want within the time frame but must be done within the 12 hours.
Today I am joined by Jo, Simon and of coarse the ever present Mummysaurus. We had been discussing our aims for the day over the last few weeks when we saw each other at parkrun. Simon, our Event Director at aldenham was planning on a marathon, perhaps a little more depending on how he felt. Jo had her eye on 50km and I hoped to go for 100km. Some big plans in there, love it!

31st August 2019

I rolled out of bed, did all my pre race bits and headed outside for a 7am pickup from Mummysaurus. Of late this is becoming known as "the usual drill" with this being my 4th event in 4 months. I seem  to have got it in my head after seeing a "12 marathons in 12 months" T-shirt back in May, that that was now what I was doing. No idea why other than, why not?! Somewhere in the back of my head a little voice whispered "you've already done 12 ultras and 7 marathons.......that`s nearly 20 marathons or more.....that`s basically the same as 25......which is almost 50.............why not make it 100?!"

Why not make it 100?!

Whoa boy, lets not get too carried away, one at a time!

Where was I? Oh yes......

7am - I bundle my gear into the car and we head off to pick up Jo. We chat along the way about the plans of the day ahead and Jo is already talking about maybe revising her plan from 50km to 50 miles if she feels good. Now for some of you reading this, this seems like an absolutely bonkers idea. Who in their right mind decides to just throw another 19 miles on top of their intended plan?!? Ultra runners, that`s who! 

Fortunately St Albans is pretty close to where we live so we pull into the car park of Heartwood Forrest in no time at all. The moment we stopped a car pulled up next to us, lo and behold its Simon, excellent timing! He introduces us to his son who has reluctantly left the warmth of his bed on a Saturday morning to come and watch a bunch of headcases run around in circles. We grab all our gear and head over to the scout hut to try and get a good spot for the tents.

We quickly nab "the perfect spot" and start setting up. With the tents up and all the gear in we pop inside the scout hut to registration.

Numbers collected and pinned on we still had bags of time before kick off. We sat around and chatted, faffed about with gear, all the normal pre-race shenanigans.

The call goes out for the pre-race briefing and everyone piles into the scout hut......well I say everyone, there are so many people this year that the bundle of people continued out of the door! It`s great to see the popularity of this event grow.

With the briefing out of the way its time to head to the start line! You can feel the nervous excitement in the air as we make our way there and bundle onto the path.

3...2...1...GO!

So here we go, off on the first lap of many! Having done this event twice before I know the route really well with the exception of the very last bit as the route has changed a little to keep us off of the main driveway into the park. I`m actually looking forward to seeing this bit as I`ve not done it before. I`m sure the novelty will wear off pretty quick but hey, its the little things right?

It`s a little chilly but I can feel that it`s already starting to warm up pretty quickly as I pass around 2 miles. Now nearly at the new (for me) turn off point and we head through a kissing gate and up a little hill into very pretty little pathway. "This is much nicer than the driveway!" I said to myself as I bopped between the very spiky bushes on either side, catching my elbows on a few as I went. The pathway wound its way through them and came out next to the overflow car park where we were parked. On to the main path where we started and that`s lap 1 done......waaaaaay to quickly!

I look at the timing clock and had just done the first lap in under 34 minutes......ooops! Oh well we all know it happens, relax and get going.

Lap 2 was much of the same, pretty easy going and the miles just ticked by. By lap 3 I could feel I was really hot and sweating buckets already. About halfway through lap 4 something just felt wrong. I had slowed down a little but just couldn't seem to shake the heat, in the scheme of things it wasn't even really that hot but I felt like I was roasting! I came into the start/finish at the end of that lap now having only done 16 miles and I felt horrible. My sweat was really, really salty and I was already thinking of bailing at a marathon. This was NOT the plan! 

Just keep moving, it will probably pass. It didn't. 

Lap after lap I just felt like I had been put through a grinder. I drank water and felt worse, I tried stopping at the end of one lap to eat a rice pudding that I bought with me, it made me feel worse! What was going on?! 

Any thoughts I had of completing 100km today were well and truly gone. My thoughts instead were firmly focused on the rabbit hole of horror, not being able to fix what was going on. I just wanted to drop. As I passed marathon distance all I could think was "hold out to 50km". I came into the end of that lap and saw Mummysaurus and Jo, who had just come in. Jo said she was basically ready to go when I was. I could have dropped right then and there. Somewhere from the fog in the back of my mind a little voice reminded me that I had entered the Thames Path 100 next year and I needed a 50 mile finish to qualify. The idea of trying to grind out ANOTHER 50 mile finish before next May stabbed something in my brain to make me blurt out "I need to do 50" Jo`s reaction was just a shrug, a smile and a "lets go then!" so.......off we went! Jo said she was struggling as well but you never would have noticed. She was looking calm and smiling away like it was a parkrun. I on the other hand was having one of the worse races I have had in a long time. I was knackered, hot and miserable. The most frustrating part was, I couldn't work out why and that just sent me further down the rabbit hole.

At the end of the 50km lap I said to Jo that I need to get a coffee and she was more than happy to tag along. I grabbed another rice pudding on the way past from the tent and we headed inside. I sat on the floor feeling utterly defeated. Jo grabbed us a couple of coffees and we sat there, sipping away. I force fed myself half of the rice pudding but just couldn't face the other half. I offered Jo the other half and she happily tucked into it. She was saying how she normally only drinks tea at ultras but the coffee was going down really well and she was starting to feel a little better. I was not. Maybe it just needs some time to kick in. We left the scout hut and I popped to the loo, maybe I just needed to go, maybe that was the problem. By this point I was just clutching at straws. 

Out we go onto the next lap and Jo is now supercharged. She pushes on ahead while I walk/run as much as I can to keep up. I just can`t, I`ve still got nothing and she easily leaves me in the dust as she breezes away down the hill. 

The previous issue of being stupidly hot has now turned into me being freezing cold every time the wind blew, great. Fortunately I had packed a long sleeve tech top back at the tent so I`ll switch once I have finished this lap. Eons later I`m back at the tent and switch over my tops. I actually feel a little better for it but still really low. I decide its time for a change of approach, no more Mr relaxed guy! I change my playlist on my phone to "Business time!" a bunch of albums I threw in for when its time to attack. The music kicks in and I say to Mummysaurus "right that`s it, this course is starting to piss me off now!" I figure if I cant shift my mood I`m going to bloody well use it! 

Slipknot, The Berzerker, Cannibal Corpse, Slayer, Sikth, Animals as Leaders.....just your average runners playlist.

I run/walk/grunt myself round a few more laps before having a small moment of clarity and the penny finally drops. With the exception of a rice pudding and a half, a handful of sweets and an ice lolly (thank you marshals!!) I haven't actually eaten anything!! I had been so focused on my target distance and how rubbish I was feeling that I had completely neglected my food. ABSOLUTE NOOB!

"Wow you have so much experience!"............nope.....not me!

I walked into the scout hut at the end of that lap, grabbed some fizzy drink, made a cheese roll and left, trying to make as little eye contact with people as I could. What an idiot. 

It was difficult to eat but I finished the cheese roll. The damage was well any truly already done but I figured if I could just get enough in me I could just about get my 50 mile target.

The rest of the lap was just as tough as the other ones only with more burping.

Another roller-coaster of a lap done, 1 more to do then I could finally stop!

So this was it, my last lap, just keep moving! I did everything I could to keep the pace up. I was run/walking at 5 seconds at a time in places just to keep going. I was so far beyond done it wasn't even funny, then I laughed out loud. It WAS funny, in fact, it was ridiculous! I was half laughing, half crying at how the hell I was still moving after such a monumental screw up.

Maybe it was delirium, maybe it was relief that it was nearly over, who knows? Who cares? I was so close. I made a point of trying to keep myself together as I thanked every marshal I saw on that last lap and each time I did I felt like I traded that for a little bit more energy. 

There it was, the finish. I dug deep and found enough to run up the path and over the line.

11 hours, 2 minutes and 39 seconds - 52 agonising miles complete.

Mummysaurus said "you still have 58 minutes to do another lap if you leave now!" I threw my arms around her and simply said "I`m done" I had nothing left to give and I just wanted the madness to stop!! She then told me that Jo had just come in to also finish 52 miles and felt so good she was just going to change and then go out on another lap! BEAST! She also then told me that Simon was still going!! WHAT?! He was aiming for maybe a marathon and he was now on for finishing 48 miles! AWESOME!!

I was just happy to get into my dryrobe and crash into a chair with a beer! As much as I thought I wanted it, the beer was not going down well. I sipped at it just to try and get something in me as I waited for Simon and Jo to finish their last laps. Even with my dryrobe on I was shivering, not a great sign. I mean it was now pretty chilly but this was not good.

Jo and Simon came across the line and the day was done. Simon finishing an amazing 48 miles, the last 12 of which where in his Luna sandals, his longest sandal run to date and AFTER already running 36 miles?! GET IN!

Jo smashed out an incredible 58 miles and still looked just as collected as she had after 50km!! Unlike me both Simon and Jo had actually eaten properly, Simon even took a 1 hour lunch break....think I`m missing a trick here!

We pack up all our gear, I throw a hoodie on under my dryrobe but I`m still shuddering. We head back to the car with all the stuff and head home, happy to just not be running anymore.

I`m feeling pretty sick in the car on the way back but just want to get home. We drop Jo off and then finally I`m home. I waddle through the door and say hi to my wife. She says hi but looks at me a little odd for a moment. I then headed off to the toilet where I proceeded to throw up the can of beer.

I wander back into the living room and my wife says "you're looking a bit emaciated?!" (she actually put it another way which is much, much funnier but not appropriate for the blog) to which I had a little chuckle and then headed off for a shower so I could finally just go to bed.

I woke up in the morning feeling a little groggy but on the whole, OK. I thought it would probably be a good idea to check my weight to see just how much damage I had done.

I had lost 7.5lbs!!!

I uploaded my watch data and took a look at my pacing and that`s when I noticed the rough calculation on the calories burnt - over 5600 calories!! I probably only put in 800 and that is grossly high balling it.

Well with all that it was time to piece together the positives from the day before. 

• I had actually somehow managed to get my qualifier for the Thames Path 100
• That was the furthest I had ever gone in my sandals without having to add socks
• Only one very small blister!
• I could still walk really well
• I was still alive after cannibalising myself 

The other positive is actually just how well all of us did in the over results. There were 87 people in the solo category. Simon came in a very respectable 26th, I somehow bagged 15th and Jo? Jo came 10th overall and was 4th lady!! A truly amazing effort!  

As always a MASSIVE thank you to Mummysaurus for crewing and general amazingness, thank you to Jo and Simon for putting up with my moaning and grumbling and thank you to all the marshals, you guys were ace!

Last but not least, thank you reader for bearing with the ramblings of a sandal monkey!

That`s 4 events down in 4 months (3 marathons, 1 ultra) next one is on Saturday.....lets do this!

Till next time folks!

Love and high fives

Cardiosaurus

The Gothic Challenge

Hey folks,
Once again time has marched on quicker than you can say "Oi what happened to your run report?!" My apologies for any inconvenience caused and please feel free to head to the till for a full refund.
Since my last post I have basically continued to train hard in both running and rowing. On the rowing side I did something a little crazy a few weeks back but I will leave that for a later post....ooo what a tease eh?!

On with the show!

Saturday 27th July
After the crazy heatwave we had in the UK in the week leading up to this 6 hour event, I was a little worried that I may actually burst into flames. The Thursday just before for example reached around 38°C in places!! Friday rolled around and the temperature dropped off to around 24°C. Saturday morning at 6am by comparison was arctic. I shuffled my sleepy butt outside and was greeted with cool, crisp 14°C morning air. Mummysaurus rolled up a few minutes later and I bundled in ready for our bop up the M1 to Northampton. After a quick pit stop to pick up Jo, one of our fellow RD`s at parkrun, we were on our way!
We chatted about are targets, I was planning on going for a 50km PB and Jo was planning on a marathon. We joked along the way that she will probably not stop there as she has been totally bitten by the ultra bug! Both of us agreed though, just like any looped event like this, that your targets can completely change depending on how the first couple of loops go and of course, the weather.
That`s actually one of the things I have been really enjoying about doing these 6 hour challenges lately.
An hour and a bit later we pull into the car park of the Holiday Inn a lot earlier than we had initially calculated, not a problem, more time to prepare and chill out a bit!
We step out of the car into the chilly drizzle and have a little nose around the facilities.
We decided to kick back on some squishy seats while we wait for registration to open, have a natter and check out all of the amazing T shirts on display of peoples accomplishments.
This was Jo`s first event with our hosts Saxon Shore and I think maybe my forth? As ever people were smiling and chatting away with each other. It had a very parkrun kind of feel about it, that sort of close community vibe where everyone knows each other but is also more than happy to welcome new comers with a smile and a story.
Just after 8am we wonder over to register, pick up our numbers and lap counters and then scurry back inside to the dry for a coffee while we wait. With coffee drunk, numbers pinned and toilet visited it was around 8:45am, time to head over to the start for the race briefing!

We all bundle around Traviss the race director, underneath the shelter of some large trees and he begins by welcoming everyone and announcing the latest achievements. One of which I think is so cool, handing out a Flake to commemorate a 99th marathon! This time however he couldn't find one so it was a Kit Kat chunky! Ha ha ha it really made me chuckle and I think its such a nice touch.

9am - time for some running!

I hugged Mummysaurus and wished Jo good luck as we lined up, ready for the off.
I chose to line up near the front again, my new mental preparation, approach with purpose.

3...2...1...GO!

Out into the grey, drizzly morning we go! The loops today are 5.17 miles so my hope was that the distance should tick by quite nicely.
We started along a long path and passed a very pretty horse having some breakfast on the grass. As we approach a bit of a hill, I`m already noting it as maybe being a bit of a problem later as the miles set in. The path turned into a nice grass bank that went pretty much right round a little lake save for a couple of small gravel paths and a bridge.

A whole gaggle of Geese were also out rummaging around in the morning dew. Backwards and forwards across the path, the adults on lookout, the goslings munching away and looking at us all with curiosity. The wind and drizzle whipped across the lake but was certainly not taking away from the beauty of the view. I could see a flock of sheep on the other side of the lake and an abundance of assorted birds flying about.......what a great place for a run!
Rounding the corner to the other side of the lake I could now see even more sheep down the other side of the bank, this is brilliant! A few of them ventured onto and over the path as I approached, in search of that fabled greener grass. I kept my eyes peeled for poop along this section as I was wearing my Luna sandals, only this time without socks. The idea of sheep or for that matter, goose poop between the toes was shall we say, not desirable.
A quick note about my footwear choice. On longer runs, say anything over 20 miles, I normally wear socks with my Luna just to try and preserve my feet for as long as I can. However of late I have been experimenting with just staying barefoot for as long as I can with the idea that I could add socks if I really need too. This was my first attempt at going for a marathon or more without socks and I was keen to see just how far I could push without having to add them.

With my first loop of the lake done, I head back over the bridge with its 2 swinging gates and onto the long path leading back towards the start/finish. This side of the hill was a lot shorter but sharper than the path leading towards it from the other side. Mental note, this is going to hurt later.
Reaching the top of the sharp hill means that I now have a really nice gradual downhill to coast, I`d say at least half a mile of it. Nice, time to take the breaks off and let gravity do its thing!

Approaching another bridge at the end of the path I take a left onto the home straight to finish up the first lap. I get my lap counter punched, grab a quick swig of my "back to my roots" potion and head straight back out for the second lap.
The second experiment I`m trying out today, nutritionally at least, is kind of a return to my first ultra.
Like many others, I read Born to Run back in 2012 and was instantly fascinated. I started running from scratch, dissected my running style, changed my footwear, changed my bio-mechanics, changed my diet, basically completely upended my life and gave it a bloody good shake! Within about 6 months I had sandals on my feet and chia seeds in my belly.
Over the coming years my diet shifted around and somewhere along the way I just "forgot" about chia. Maybe simply because I had so much of it for a while I probably just needed a break.
This memory was jogged for me when I was walking past my friends desk at work, lo and behold he had just started trying chia seeds after his girlfriend mentioned them a few days before.
A very rusty cog in the back of my head turned, "why don`t I just use chia and coconut water at the event?!" It`s one of those moments that seem so obvious you just cant work out how you didn't see it before, like constantly walking around a box on your way to the kitchen all afternoon. Eventually you move it........oh.......why the hell didn't I just do that earlier?!
Any who the seed was sewn, (see what I did there? I love a good pun, actually I think a bad pun is maybe even better?) I went straight to the supermarket after work and got some coconut water ready for the weekend.
I hope you enjoyed that little trip down memory lane, time to return to the present....well not the present present as I`m writing this nearly 2 weeks after so its actually the past.....erm present?
You get the idea.
When was I? oh yes, running.

The laps ticked by pretty nicely, my pace felt good, my feet and legs felt good, the weather was progressively less pleasant. The rain just didn't stop and it was that really fine rain, you know the type that means you don`t really notice it a great deal but are absolutely soaked within 10 minutes? Yeah that, for hours.
I tried to make my aid station turn around times as snappy as I could and it was working out really, really well. Around 2.5 hours in I felt myself give a little shudder. I looked at my watch and I was just a little under 18 miles. After some not so quick maths I made the decision to adjust my plan from 50km to a solid marathon attempt. The main consideration here being that I have St Albans Stampede, a 12 hour race, coming up on the 31st August and I simply didn't want to waste precious training time on recovery and being ill.
I past mummysaurus, who was out for a walk and told her today was going to be a marathon. I could feel the temperature had dropped a little and was very aware that I was soaked to the bone so I just kept running. Partly to keep warm, partly because I was starting to ache and was really hoping to minimise any walking time. So far with the exception of aid stations, I actually hadn't taken a walk break yet. This is new territory for me, I don`t actually recall a time where I have run almost continually for this long before even though I have done events much longer.
Coming into the aid station for my last lap I knew I needed to chuck in a handful of sweets to top up the tank for the final push. I threw a handful into my soft cup and thought this would be the best time for a quick walk break. I walked out for my finally lap, munching on my haul on the way.
Less than a couple of minutes later I was finished and running again. This final lap was starting to take its toll and that hill I mentioned at the start was now a real slog, just a gradual, energy sapping climb to the top. Just keep going.
Somehow I`m still running, it maybe a bit slower but I`m still running. The field of runners now has thinned out quite considerably, leaving me pretty much on my own for most of the lap. I still try and smile and give encouragement to everyone I pass in the other direction and it really helps to just keep me moving.
Finally I`m across the first bridge for the last time and onto the long path towards the sharp hill.
I tell my legs they can have a 30 second walk up the sharp bit if they will just stick with me and get me over the line. Even walking that little sharp hill at the end hurt but my legs kept their end of the deal and we are over it. I can see the long downhill section sprawled out below me.
Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, my quads and calves are toast but I`m still running.
I round the corner over the bridge and head for the start/finish knowing that I have a little out and back to do to round up to a marathon. I leg it in and try and get the instructions as quick as I can.
"Back out the way you came and down the path there is a lorry turning sign, turn around there and come back" I bolt off as quick as I can manage at this point, desperately scanning the path on the right hand side for the sign. THERE! I turn right and push for the sign. It felt like ages, in reality it was about 150 meters. I spin around, check my watch, if I can just hang on I might be able to sneak a PB but its going to be flipping close! I give it everything, it all hurts but I`m so, so close! Back over the bridge and onto the final path. My legs are screaming, I`m grunting like a pig......actually Mummysaurus recorded it.........cue the embarrassing footage!

My official time was 3:58:25 my first sub 4 hour marathon and somehow 4th overall in the marathon category.....I have no more words.
Jo did amazingly well, every time I saw her she was smiling and looking way more relaxed than I was! She breezed her way to a 4:29:51 achieving 13th overall and 3rd Lady! After collecting our medals it was time to get out of the rain, get some warm clothes on and stuff our faces!

What a day! I cant quite believe that is my 3rd marathon and 3rd PB in 3 months! I`m enjoying this PB a month thing......bring on the end of this month ha ha ha!

Huge thank you as always to Mummysaurus for her driving, crewing and butt kicking.
Thank you to Saxon Shore for yet another great event!
Finally a huge thank you to you reader, I hope your enjoyed my ramblings!
Till next time folks,
Love and hugs
Cardiosaurus

I think Weir on a roll!

I`ve never tried to do marathons this close together before. Two weeks ago I went for it and broke my long standing PB, bringing it down to 4:11:20, you may have just read about that one in my last post *wink wink* (Click here if you missed it)

The closest I`ve done events together before this was back in 2015 when I did the St Albans Stampede 12hr, followed 3 weeks later by Loch Ness marathon. That one hurt!

As usual I didn't sleep particularly well, this is pretty standard for me before a long event so I try not to get too worked up about it. The goal for this one was to try and stay relaxed and attempt to enjoy it as much as I could, knowing that the last marathon was probably still in my legs somewhere.

Also I had been wrestling a cold for half the week so lets just see how it goes!

Right I think that`s all of the excuses and humble brags out of the way, on with the story....

With a start time of 9:30am, it was nice to be able to get up at 6am for a very respectable 7am pick up time from Mummysaurus.

An hour and a bit later we parked up at the Elmbridge XCEL Leisure Centre in Walton on Thames.

Our hosts for this mornings fun are Phoenix Running, well known for some bonkers medals and a "Tuck Shop" aid station.

We wandered into the Leisure Centre reception area to find quite a few people in there already laughing and joking with each other, a mixture of relaxed and excited energy in the air.

With the time now coming up to 8:30am I went over to registration to pick up my number and was greeted with lovely big smiles from everyone at the table. After a brief chat I headed back over to Mummysaurus to chill out for a bit on a nice squishy chair. Looking around the room we recognised a few of the faces from a couple of weeks ago, most of these were in the relaxed category. There were a couple of folks looking a little nervous and with some of the t shirts proudly on display you can understand why. I mentioned before in my last post that reading shirts along the lines of 52 marathons in 52 weeks, 10 marathons in 10 days and many, many more, should never intimidate you. The people inside these shirts know what its like to be where you are now and every one of them will great you just the same, with a smile. 

Mummysaurus and I chatted for a little while as I attached my number and shed some layers, before we knew it it was around 9:15 and time for the race briefing.

The race director Rik Vercoe called us all outside. It was a little chilly, overcast and threatening to rain......ah potential PB weather! He welcomed us all and explained that this was a 6 hour challenge where you can run just one lap or as many as you can get in. I was aiming for a marathon today so my target was 8 laps. He then told us that today there is a change to the course, we will be running the other way which means.....no little blue bridge!!! For those of you who have no idea what I`m taking about I shall do my best to explain why I was personally already over the moon with this news.

This little fella is "The little blue bridge" looks quite nice doesn't it? Well if you just walk over it a couple of times then yeah, its very nice. However if you are made to cross it 16 times during a marathon I personally think you could be forgiven for wanting to burn it to the ground!

Some people love this little thing, as for me, I was more than happy to be running away from it!

Meanwhile back at the Leisure Centre.......

Rik explained that this weekend was special as it marks the 75th D-Day anniversary and with this in mind, as we walk to the start line he would like us to observe a moment of silence. Nice touch.
We walk around the back of the building and across some grass, the only sounds now are the rustling of kit bags and the wind through the trees. We round the corner and pass little clusters of beautiful blooming Poppies.

Everyone was still in silence as we reached the "Tuck Shop" and race start around 3 minutes later. As everyone dropped their bags and cups off, Rik broke the silence by announcing that we had 3 minutes till the start. I gave Mummysaurus a quick hug and shuffled into place.

3...2...1...GO!!!

As you can see I`ve already gone off waaay to hard! Oh well, lets see how this goes!!
I had kinda promised myself that I was going to take it easy, you know, test the legs.....then I here the word "GO"....all bets are off and that goes right out the window!
The laps today are 3.28 miles or 5.27km depending on what flavour you like to record in. For ease of maths, lets just call it roughly a parkrun.
I`m just over a mile in, clocking a 7:40 minute mile and I`m cruising along in 6th.....OOOPS!!
This was NOT the plan but I cant seem to slow up, I know I`m going to pay for this later.
What the hey, keep smiling, keep kicking!
I find myself at the turning point already and it was at this point that I started to realise just how hard I was actually running. It took nearly 30 seconds before I saw the main pack coming the other way!!

Whats got two thumbs and is probably going to burn out and end up a crumpled mess a little later?
THIS GUY!

I smile and give encouragement to everyone along the way and before I can really take it all in I can see the "Tuck Shop" and the end of lap one. I grab my wristband for my first lap and head straight back out, joking to Mummysaurus as I pass that "this isn't a parkrun is it?!"
Parkrun number 1 done in under 25 minutes, man oh man, the crash is going to be spectacular but the message just isn't getting to my legs! I`m still knocking out 8 minute miles and actually starting to lap people now as I come into the end of parkrun number 2 in 50 minutes. What am I doing?!
I have a little sip of my Huel and a little water, thank everyone and bop off down the path to begin lap 3. OK monkey, time to relax a little, rein it in......end of lap 3 and I`m still running 8:20`s?! Good job idiot, top shelve restraint there....(slow clap)
Another sip of Huel and some water and its on to start lap 4 - Right come on now, you know this is silly, just slow it down a lit........oh look its the end of lap 4!

So now I`ve just done my second fastest half marathon ever it would be a really good idea to ease off.
However the idiots that are my legs, are clearly running the show today (pun intended) so off we bop again doing sub 9 minute miles......for the entire next lap.....please see above meme.

5 parkruns done and I was starting to finally feel the lack of hills. On the contrary to popular belief, running on the flat is not "easier". The lack of variation in elevation means you are forced to use the same muscles over and over and that can really chew you up. Well it chews up this trail monkey anyway! Speaking of chewing things...
I left the "Tuck Shop" with a little handful of sour cherry sweets and a giant strawberry and treated myself to a little walk while I had a munch.
I stuffed the giant strawberry in my face and went to run, oh. Whoever was steering this body today had instantly noticed the change in pace, given me the finger and abandoned ship. MUTINY!
OK don`t panic, time for plan B, walk run.
I focused on trying to run 4 minutes then power walk 1 minute to assess just how much damage I had done early on. It wasn't too bad but I knew this was probably going to be it now for the long stints of running. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted, time to get your head down and concentra........"turn point, TURN POINT, MATE!! TUUUUURN POOOINT!!"
I would like to take this moment to profusely thank both the runner that was behind me and the photographer for yelling the above at me as I sailed by! Without you both being there at that time I probably would have been somewhere around Hampton Court before I had noticed!
Speaking of the photographer, a huge thank you for the great shots that are featured in this blog, great work man!
Back to the, erm, fun?
Run, walk, run a little less, walk a little more. I was just trying to do anything to try and keep the pace up. The main thing that kept me going at this point was the encouragement of everyone else, you guys near the back are amazing! Always smiling even when its clearly starting to get tough, I applaud you all regardless of distance or time.
Lap 6 now done, I try get some fluid in me and march off as quick as I can, all too aware that the walking part of my walk/run plan are getting closer and closer together. If I can help it I really don`t want to have to walk a whole lap. During my walking parts I try and push as hard as I can to keep the pace up, swinging my arms like a mad man. Hey if I have to walk, I`m gonna mean it! I looked at my watch during one of walking bits and was still doing a 12 minute mile?! What in the he....I`ll take that! Seeing that gave me a little boost and make me jog a little more.
I reminded myself that even at this choppy speed, if I could just keep it up, I could actually finish somewhere close to my PB! Walk, run, walk, run, just keep chipping away.
Finally the aid station, keep smiling even through gritted teeth!
This was it, the final lap, the last push!
My walk/run was now down to 1 minute/1 minute but it was getting the job done!
I could feel my glutes and hamstrings getting tighter and tighter due to the marching but I was so close now I just had to keep moving. I was trying to build myself up over the first half of the lap to try and run as much of it on the way back as I could.
Finally the turn around point.
This was it, the home straight! With a deep breath I started to jog, my legs were not happy about this but I just kept going. I was so tired but with every smile I was greeted with I tried to pick it up a little. My pace started to pick up ever so slightly and it actually felt a little more comfortable, I mean it wasn't like I was lounging on a sun drenched beach but, you know....
26 miles down and I looked at my watch. I knew a had half a mile to go and I could see the minutes fluttering away before my eyes. I had so hoped for a sub 4 hour finish today but alas it was not meant to be, as I saw my watch tick over to 4:00:00 I gave a little sigh but knew I could still knock another chunk off of my PB so chin up lad, you're nearly done!
That last 400 meters hurt. I gave it as much as I had left and legged it straight for the finishers bell.
4:02:46 - The job was done and I took much pleasure in smashing the PB Gong as well!
Rik then placed this monster medal around my neck (pint of Guinness not included) and congratulated me on a new PB! To the pub!

Fortunately we didn't have far to go as the pub is also at the finish line! Get in!
We made our way into the Weir Hotel for some well deserved lunch and a pint, perfik.

As always I would like to say a huge thank you to Mummysaurus for the support, I know its been tough watching me run about when you currently cant but fingers crossed that the injury clears up soon for some more shenanigans!
Massive thank you to the Phoenix team and everyone that was there, you really made my day! Keep up the great work folks, I`ll be back for another one very soon!
For anyone interested in checking out a Phoenix event and to be honest, why would you not be?! Then please click this handy link to the website (CLICK ME!)

Thanks for reading folks, hope you enjoyed it!
Much love,
Cardiosaurus 

Fudge saves the day!

A lot has happened in my running life since that finish line of my first ever marathon back in November 2012. Though I have completed 12 Ultra marathons, 4 marathons and 125 parkruns, it occurred to me that the one thing that has in fact not changed is my marathon PB! With my focus for so long being on ultra marathons and then on parkrun I had actually kind of overlooked it, well, no more!
OK that`s a little bit of a lie, I am still focusing on ultras but figure its about time I start listening to the advice I give other people, build up a strong foundation before moving on.
I have been (very) roughly following a 100 mile training plan since the beginning of March which is starting to get a little tasty on a Saturday morning, seeing me attempting runs of up to 20 miles.
This week the "plan" said I needed a 25....well whats another 1.2 miles between friends?!

Fast forward to Saturday 25th May 2019

After finally accepting that I was not going to manage to get a full nights sleep in 7 minutes, I rolled out of bed and turned the alarm clock off.
3:50am - Groggy Ninja mode activated - I tiptoed my very tired butt towards the bathroom in stealth mode. Waking up my wife at this time in the morning would be....."good luck with your race".....apparently unavoidable. Fortunately she immediately fell back to sleep as I thanked her and left the room.
After successfully managing to brush my teeth without removing an eyeball I moved into the living room where I had littered the floor with today's intended running gear.
All the normal gear was there, shorts, T-shirt, watch, hat, injinji socks, ultimate direction running vest and a really knackered pair of Luna sandals.......yep, I`m still in sandals.
My plan for fuel today is to use some Huel from around 1:30 hours, see how I feel and then pick off of the aid station later on. I`ve been using Huel as my breakfast and lunch at work now since around September, I have to say, it really works for me. So much so that I`ve been trialing it as training food as well over the last month.
After pottering around for a little bit doing the normal pre race rituals, you know the ones, pack the bag, unpack the bag, put the socks on, doubt the socks and take them off, put them back on again....or shenanigans to that effect, it was time to head outside for my ride to the event.
5am - Like clockwork, cue Mummysaurus.
That`s right blog fans your favourite support crew member is back for another classic Cardiosaurus/Mummysaurus mess around!
The sat nav was primed and ready to go, the birds were wondering why the hell we were awake before they were, that can only mean one thing....its race day!
Just a little over an hour later we pulled up at a locked gate and consulted the race instructions again. I can confirm that yes indeed, not all sat navs can find the entrance to Jeskyns Park.
A couple of minutes further down the road we pull into the car park and head towards a gazebo. I figured it was a fairly safe assumption at just gone 6am on a Saturday morning that this gazebo was the right one. We were greeted by a very cheery man in an awesome Spongebob Squarepants running top who directed us to a parking space.
Under the gazebo was Rachel who was working away getting registration ready for this mornings fun. I made the most of our early arrival by visiting the portable facilities which I have to say, I was most impressed with as they had foot pumps on the floor for both the toilet and the sink so you didn't have to touch anything! Luxury!
After my V.I.Poop (sorry, couldn't resist getting that in there) I headed back to the car to keep warm before registration opened.
6:30am - The eagerest of beavers were already arriving to get their numbers, I was about beaver number 3. With my number collected it was back to the car to pin it on and generally shake off a few nerves. We opted for a little walk to check out the cafe menu as a possible "post race, stuff your face" party. The morning air was just on the border of chilly and sticky like it could go either way. One of my biggest concerns for today was the weather. Most of the reports had been showing that the sun may make an appearance and possibly even attempt to steal the show. I haven't really learnt how to run properly in the heat yet, I just seem to wilt! Fortunately it was currently grey, overcast and looked like it may rain, score! Hey give me a break, I`m from the UK, most of my training is done on cold, wet and grey days, this was my jam!
My plan for today was to see how much I could get done before the sun came out and if at all possible, maybe even push for a PB. The latter was to be decided after the first lap, after seeing just how good/bad the rest of the day could potentially be.
Todays fuel of choice is Huel. I've been using it as breakfast and lunch at work most days since around September so my system is really used to it and I have even been including it in my longer runs over the last month or so just to see what it is like on the move. The big advantage personally is that it is engineered as "real food" and not a product designed specifically for running. Now I know that sounds completely backwards but bear with me. My personal issue with the stuff that seems to do wonders for everyone else actually has nothing to do with the products. Sorry racing fuel, it`s me, not you. You see I have IBS which basically means that my body likes to do whatever the hell it wants with food and liquid. Its not a fan of change, large amounts of sugar, being looked at in the wrong way.........my brain and body are very much two different organisms. Getting them to cooperate sometimes can be a bit of a challenge so when I finally found something that kind of worked, I ran with it....pun intended.
I am pretty much Eddie Brock and my IBS is Venom....well Venom without any of the abilities and the predisposition for eating heads. I digress...
7:20am - First timers to one of Traviss and Rachel's events can be forgiven for feeling initially a little intimidated. Looking around at some of the t shirts on display you will instantly feel that you are amongst giants. 100 marathon club, 52 marathons in 52 weeks, 10 ultras in 10 days, 100 half marathons.....don`t run away yet grasshopper, you have much to learn! Elites and newbies alike will great you with the same level of warmth. I absolutely love this kind of community feel and these guys have it nailed. Traviss started the pre race briefing by congratulating a few people on their latest achievements of mind boggling amounts of running and we even had a birthday boy in the line up today. The format is pretty simple, run as many or as few 5km(ish) laps as you want in a 6 hour time limit. There was a little additional loop for this one for anyone that wanted a 50km. Before now I would have pricked my ears up at this but today my focus was hopefully on a solid marathon attempt, no more, no less. With this is mind it worked out that I needed 8 laps.
Traviss called for us to line up as it was now approaching 7:30am and here is where it was a little funny. After doing a fair amount of events myself I am very used to everyone squeezing up to the front. I had been speaking with Mummysaurus for a while about where I was going to position myself for this and I had decided after starting pretty much every other event apart from parkrun, at the back, I was going to take a bit of a mental leap and line up near the front. I have been thinking a lot more about my mental preparation and figured that I would start with positive intentions, I`m out to race myself, I`m already ahead!
About 6 people stepped towards the front and with a deep breath I joined them. Traviss at this point made a little joke about no-one wanting to join the elites which prompted me to turn around.....everyone else was about 12 feet behind us!! I momentarily second guessed my decision, what the heck was I doing, I`m not an elite! Oh well, I figured I could always just get out of the way when people start piling past me within the first mile, at least it will be a bloody good laugh to be at the front for a bit!
3......2......1......GO!!
I waved to Mummysaurus and bopped off to the first corner where I was greeted with a beautiful green downhill section. I let myself coast down the hill with the intention of getting out of the way once it flattened out a bit. The hill slowly rolled into a flat bit and I took a quick peak over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't holding anyone up, the small group of about 8 of us were already well over 200 meters ahead of the rest of the pack! I turned back to see that I was now tucked right behind the guy who was currently first! Erm.........
I started to ease off a little and got chatting with a couple of the guys as they caught me, my opening line along the lines of "I`m going waaaaay to fast already!" Before I really even knew it we were cruising past a cheering Mummysaurus who had found a path that met up with the route roughly a mile in and I called out "pretty sure I`m not meant to be 7th already?!
Laughing and joking along a hard packed bike path section I was feeling really good but very, very aware that we had a long way to go and this pace was going to catch up with me sooner or later, even quicker if Mr Sun comes out to play.
The route itself was actually a lot prettier than I had expected, making the idea of knocking out lots of loops not even an issue. There were actually sections that I found myself looking forward too, a small section that was a little downhill, along a tight path through overhanging trees and bushes being my favourite! There are some really nice points in this route where you cross over with the other runners so you get a good chance to cheer each other on. After some more very enjoyable and perhaps not so enjoyable hills, twists and turns, I found myself now on a uphill that I figured my be the downhill that we started on. It was, lap 1 done, just under 3.3 miles in with around 27 minutes passed. Already ahead of schedule but very aware of the approaching heat I said to my current running partner that he will probably catch me up soon and I`m not going to stop for anything from the aid station. I gave Mummysaurus a wave and said I am just going to keep going and see what happens! With a laugh and a shrug I bopped off on lap 2 back down the pretty rolling downhill.
It was pretty cool to see everyone making their own way up the hill as I cruised back down it, like watching a colourful running clad convoy. There was less than 100 people today but the atmosphere felt like there could have been triple that. So many people traded smiles, a thumbs up or a "well done, keep going!" with me already and we are only 1 lap in!
I was having a ball, one earphone in, bopping away to some Ska punk and enjoying every downhill I came across. Oh look, Mummysaurus again! High 5! See you in a bit!
Once again the rest of the lap seemed to roll pretty quickly and before I knew it I was back on the uphill again towards the end of lap 2. I got my lap counter hole punched and used the same tactic, turn around and get the hell out of there! Aid stations are an amazing place but you must remember that when you eat, so does the aid station. You take cake, the aid station takes a minute. You stop to stretch, grab a drink, change a top, the aid station takes 5 minutes. They all add up and today I need all the extra minutes I can get and I figured I`ll get them in the bag early.
With the weather still on my side I just kept my pace and enjoyed the route, totally aware that I was pushing my luck a little but what the heck, I`m all in!
Lap 3 rolled round and I had previously intended to take my Huel bottle on this lap, I got completely caught up with the fact that I was now well ahead of my target, I just got my lap card punched and headed straight back out for lap 4. In hindsight this was probably the beginning of what was to come later.

I know right, intriguing huh! See no-one really wants to read the blog that goes completely well, where is the fun in that?! We want the crash, the struggle, not just the...."I went for a run, everything was great" kinda blog.....well its coming but I want to milk it a little longer. You've read this far, you cant give up before the "good" bit!

It was around lap 4 that the weather decided it was time for some games. First it was a bit grey, then it heated up a little and got really sticky, changed its mind and gave us all a nice little sprinkle of rain then finally bought out the big guns, cue Mr Sunshine.
The clouds seemed to part every time I left a bit of greenery and got to an exposed bit of gravely bike path. The temperature seemed to spike for just long enough for me to get to the cover of the trees before waiting for the next bit of bike path. It wasn't like it was scorching, it was just such a sudden shift that it changed the air so it was humid. In places it was like trying to breathe warm soup, then it would shift to a little chilly breeze again.......odd stuff.
After this lap of musical weather done, I ran into the aid station and grabbed my little bottle of Huel. I could defiantly feel that I was a little hungry now. I once again didn't hang around too much. Now with a half marathon done and around 9 minutes ahead of my target, I walked out to start lap 5 sipping on my "food". I was running again within about a minute, feeling pretty good but starting to feel the heat a little. I let myself get distracted by the scenery and that helped the miles tick past nicely.
I came into the aid station, grabbed a little water and headed right back out again for lap 6, feeling warm but pretty good. In the back of my head I knew I was probably pushing my luck holding this pace but I figured I would just hold out for as long as I could.

Half a lap later.......
This is the bit you have been waiting for isn't it?
Somewhere around 22 miles I`m pretty sure I was hit with a tranquilizer. I went from feeling pretty good to an extra from the walking dead. I was the Mayor of Wobble Town, population 1.
Thankfully I was only around a mile from the aid station. I say only, at that moment of unending time it might as well have been 100 miles away. Welcome to the Glycogen void, time is different in here. As I floated in and out of the void I tried to focus on just getting to the aid station. Inching my way along I was finally on the uphill to the aid station, I turned the corner and wobbled over to Traviss. With a mixture of a concerned frown and mild amusement he simply said "oh no, what have you done?" I gave a smile (grimace) and said "I`m not going to make 4 hours" and proceeded to crash out on the grass in front of the cake. It was just what I needed, just to have 30 seconds off of my feet. I got back to my feet and turned my attention to the buffet. While stuffing my face with some amazing chocolate cake, Mummysaurus said I could still make 4 hours if I left now, instead I explained that I would rather spend 5 minutes stuffing my face so I could enjoy the last lap as much as I could rather than marching it and still missing my target. At least this way I figured, it was a positive choice and a good lesson learnt for next time.
Cake, crisps, jelly babies, they all went in. I am actually unsure of exactly what I ate. An amazing crew member filled my water for me as I took a piece of fudge. WOW!! The back of my brain did a back flip while trying to decipher the flavour. As the taste and sugar tingled over my brain I ate another piece and felt even more revived. Water was now being handed to me and I was being encouraged to get out of there before I ate too much. I grabbed a handful of crisps and a jaffa cake, thanked everyone and marched out of there a new monkey.
I shoved the crisps and jaffa cake in my face and had some water. This was it, the last lap!
I made the most of the downhill, taking the brakes off and letting gravity do the work. My quads were feeling pretty tired at this point but I knew with every bit of running I could put in now would bring me closer to the finish and hopefully a new PB.
Every previous bit of "slightly undulating" ground now felt steeper and hotter than before. Just keep moving! Walk, run, walk, run, run, run. Finally I was back to the last hill back to the finish. My legs were trashed and twitching a little at times. I had a short walk break and then made the last push for the finish. Rounding the final corner I could see Mummysaurus cheering me in as I legged it for the finisher bell. I lunged at it and rang out for a new marathon PB of 4:11:20. I was so happy for so many reasons. I had just knocked off 34 MINUTES off of my time that had stood since 2012, not only that, I had mostly kept my head. Its all to easy to get tired and despondent during a long run, your mind can just go to bits to the point of not even enjoying it anymore. I was very happy with the fact that I actually enjoyed this one. They may mean more to me than the time, I feel like I have my mind back.
Mummysaurus was congratulating me as Rachael hung a medal around my neck, it was done!
I headed back over to the aid station for a little nibble and picked up a bit of the fudge that helped me through the last lap. WOWZERS!! Someone catch that brain!! I gave Mummysaurus a little piece to try and her eyeballs nearly fell out of her head.
I asked Traviss what it was and he pointed me to the very helpful lady who had filled my water earlier and told me that she had made it. It turns out that it was peanut butter and marmite (yes you read that correctly) fudge! Totally bonkers combination which pretty much equates to rocket fuel!
I thanked everyone and was given a goody bag with a massive Galaxy bar in it, get in! Mummysaurus then went into crew mode and I got the VIP treatment. Out came the fold out chair with a parasol, a misting bottle and even a face wipe! There I was in my little slice of heaven in the sunshine being misted down while I sipped my water.....oh yes, living the high life!
After having a wonderful chill out in the sun we packed up and headed over to the cafe to take a look at some possible lunch. Jacket potato with cheese, beans and salad.....get in my belly!
After a lovely natter with a couple of the other runners that had also finished we headed back to the car for our journey home.
What a great day and a wonderful warm bunch of people. Thanks to everyone I met and chatted to along the way and thanks to Traviss and Rachael for a brilliant event, I shall be coming back to do many more with you guys!

With that I think I shall wrap this post up by saying thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it and if you haven't already done one of their events then take a look here (CLICK ME!) and I will probably see you at one again soon!

Much love
Cardiosaurus

The monkey finds his fire

Whats this?! A new blog post?!

Time has certainly flown by and I had basically forgotten I even had a blog! Like many people who run for a long time, I`ve had my ups and downs. I feel like I may have finally got over the downs and have currently been enjoying the ups as much as I can!

This Saturday will be my 125th parkrun, I`ve been hammering away on the rowing machine in the gym and really enjoying it and last but not least, I`m back to running some consistent long stuff. I`ve not felt this fit in a loooong time and I`m having a blast! Its so nice to be back to this point again physically but most of all mentally. I think sometimes you just need to mix things up or take a complete break. I got to a point where I think I just wasn't enjoying running anymore, not a nice place to be. 

I started to try and get the fire in the belly burning again by mixing up my training at the beginning of December by attempting some indoor rowing. I`ve always avoided the rowing machine to be honest simply because...well...its bloody hard! This time I decided that`s exactly why I wanted to give it a go. You see I have been going to the gym at lunchtimes at work so I only get a limited amount of time, by the time I get there and get changed it only really gives me about 30-40 minutes then I have to get changed again and high tail it back to work. I tried running on the treadmill, I HATE the treadmill. Also from the type of training I wanted to do, what was I going to accomplish in about 35 minutes? Its just not long enough to do anything other than mess up my technique.

I tried the spin bikes, I really enjoy spinning but again I was finding that as much as I loved it the time was a problem. To make the most of the time I would get on the bike, take the resistance off and thrash it for 30 minutes just to see how far I could get. I was cranking out nearly 18 miles!! Totally couldn't replicate that on the road but it was good fun! The "problem" is where do you go from there?!

Well I thought maybe I could mix things up and try a "dry triathlon" kind of idea. I figured I would try 1km row, 5km bike, 1km run as fast as I could just to see what would happen. Vomit nearly happened. I started my timer and went all out, only stopping the timer at the end of the run. I was SMASHED! The time was a little under 15 minutes and I was utterly destroyed! After the initial pain of it and a very conscious effort not to heave my guts out all over the gym, my thoughts quickly turned to "WOW, what an economical use of gym time!!" 15 minutes and I was done. I could get into this! I kept giving it a go and found out very quickly that the rowing part was soooo hard! This led me to attempting a little more distance on the rowing machine in an effort to get a little better to benefit my overall time when I gave the "dry tri" another bash. The more I worked on it, the more I started to enjoy just how difficult it was. This also led me to start chatting with a guy at the gym who I had seen just DESTROYING the machine. This guy is a beast on a rowing machine. To be fair he is built like a rower, I on the other hand am not but we chatted just the same. He gave me some tips on technique and I started improving, working on both my times and distance. I found myself starting to really enjoy pushing myself again and watching my progress but most of all I began to feel like it had stoked the fire in my belly for training once again.

After about a month of mainly rowing I started to add in some running in the evenings after work. It was tough going but like the rowing I found myself beginning to enjoy the fact that it was hard. This has continued all through the winter with my rowing increasing per week to as much as 9k each lunchtime up to 5 days a week, running 3 to 4 times a week with a long run on a Saturday.

Fast forward to this Saturday.....

I actually finished my first 20 mile training run in a loooong time, I mean, events aside, maybe years?! Just under 15 miles BEFORE parkrun, parkrun then a little cool down to round it up to 20. Who is this guy?! I can feel the fire in my belly growing, I like it. I like the renewed hunger, it feels like when I just started running back in 2012. I`ve started to look at marathons as training runs, I`ve even booked one for next Saturday! Ultras are beginning to creep back onto my radar. Perhaps much like the fabled Phoenix, this monkey just needed some time in the ashes? 

I hope you enjoyed reading this and a promise that the next post will not be years away!

Much love

Cardiosaurus