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Ridgeway Challenge 85
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83km in 3 days!!!!! I am not sure i will be doing 2 more big weeks after this one like you. To-days 30miler went without incident, and then 20 tomorrow will see 88miles (141.6km) for this week, and aim to do more next week so will probably be looking forward to a 3 week taper down after all. I know what you mean about the the legs but i think the ache is the healing process, i suppose to a certain extent at the moment we are never fully recovering as we are running so much each week (well for me anyway),
I always feel cruddy during the 2nd week of a full 3 week taper, but so far i have always come out of it ready to run so hope this time round is no different. If you give me a call we can discuss running, not sure how we can work it but defo worth a try.
holy moly....141!!
My strategy is run hard for a week or 2 and have a week low. This week I will be challenging myself for 5 days as it is the crew's dad's BD this weekend and then a few days off. I have been running into town to pick up friends from work and running as far as I can.
The crew have a hotel. Strategies are afold. text me asap and we can meet for a final boogie!!
I am on my hols in Canada in the complete wilderness and have been trail running everyday so far, the heat and humidity are incredible so it has been a big battle of wills. I think I have been eaten and bitten by every insectine creature.
As for running at night don't worry, just continually move forward at whatever speed remembering it is the time of ghosts. If you see one it is only your carb deficient brain playing games on you....ghosts are your friends.
Off to cut down some trees now!
Hi Bobban and Mr Immune... Jez, we met briefly on L2B but I wasn't in much of a state to to make an impression... unless you've a good memory for people hobbling, wincing and quietly moaning through their teeth.
Anyway, I'm still planning on running this and I'm entered, but reading your threads here and on runningahead are filling me with panic. I simply haven't been able to put the mileage together that you guys have done. Combination of horrendous work schedule, interminable family crises blah, blah, blah...And the weeks where I should have been peaking my mileage I was on holiday and simply not allowed by Mrs E to run more than an 45-90 mins at a time. Still, they were all good, hilly trail runs require a great deal of map reading, so some benefit I hope. I've tried to concentrate on quality rather than quantity.
All in all, it means I'm going to cram two weekends of really long runs in before a taper - still tricky as it's Mrs E's birthday this weekend so having to do a 25 miler sunday morning followed by 10-15 miles in the evening.
Haven't even begun to think about bag drops, nutrition, pacing and so on.
This isn't going anywhere, I just wanted to get some of the rising sense of panic off my chest! At least there are no bears on the trails near me. Right, off to practise some nighttime trail running.
Robby E - you'll be fine. I don't do high mileages and managed to get round under 22 hours last year. It is a good idea to do a few night training runs and practice your map and compass /GPS techniques, although it is hard to get lost on this one.
I took a break last year to look round Wayland's Smithy (just off the route). Quite spooky at 0400.
I'm just going to do a 60-miler in a week or so, and the rest will be short stuff.
T Rex,
thanks for the words of comfort. Just come back from an hour in the dark along nice familiar trails - I don't mind running at night at all - in fact, I do most of my running in the dark - but I hate the incredible number of badgers and foxes where I live as they're all so unafraid of humans they're constantly jumping out of bushes right in front of me. I'll often get startled by as many as three badgers during one run (I'd never even seen a live one until two years ago, what's going on?!) As such, I'm not sure I'm quite ready for exploring ancient burial chambers in the early hours! Maybe I'll change my mind when I need an excuse for a break.
I'm also not too worried about the map reading although at night, after 50 or so miles in the legs and head, I know it's going to be much trickier than usual. I'm going to take your advice and do a few longish, night runs on unfamiliar ground. Was thinking I'd start a long one in the dark, wee small hours so that I finish in the light with the bulk of the day ahead of me to attend to fatherhood duties... Should I stay awake!
Anyway, a good run and your timely words have cheered me up - thanks!
Robby
Hi Robby
Good to hear from you, i had wondered if you were still doing this as you had fallen of the radar for a while. I wouldn't worry too much about overall mileage, it is quality of work that counts, and you looked in very impressive form during the Neolithic Mara in May, certainly left Bobban and I behind. As for map reading, it sounds like you have that nailed, i am still at the same level as L2B last year (ie poor), so i am hoping that T Rex is spot on when he says its hard to get lost! This week is my last big week, and i am looking forward to the 3 week wind down, your plan of a few night time / early hours runs sounds good and something i have done a couple of times but it makes the dad duties that morning somewhat tough.
Good luck with the final pat of your training, look forward to seeing you in about 3 weeks time at the start line.
Yes, we'll all soon be charging down Ivinghoe Beacon full of high spirits and optimism.
The night section for me last year was the last few miles before Goring and up onto the downs until somewhere after CP7. There are lots of tracks and bridleways up there and the acorn waymarks aren't that visible. This is where I rely on map/compass for the various junctions. Very clear sky and brilliant stars last year I remember. And wonderful CPs - you can see their light a few miles away.
when I get back from the Lake District I shall be laminating a set of maps for our little crew!! Jerry can do the reading, he is the oldest.....erm I mean wisest!!!
hi ppl.... did i miss something... i certainly wasn't thinking about adding extra weight to my pack by filling it up with maps! I thought the Ridgeway was well marked throughout and was relying solely on this. I've run the first 2 sections from Ivinghoe to Watlington and you are constantly tripping over the sheer number of acorn signs along the route. can anybody speak from experience and say if this would be a huge mistake to go without?
I haven't trained for this race, as such, but completed a 24hr race at the end of July which went well. Just hoping now that I can recover in time and that my left foot which appears to have bared the brunt of constant pounding for 24hrs will mend itself in time. Have quite enjoyed a week of no running. its funny how quickly the body adapts to a new routine (of laziness).
Does anybody have any thoughts about the 10am and 12pm start times? what are most people doing?
12 for me as I can't get there any earlier. I do intend to complete it within 24 hours but we'll have to see if I can.
I'm back from the Salisbury 54321 today and have a possibly very stupid idea for a run next week.
Stuart - I think you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this lot's planning.
Yes, 1200 is the best start. If you start at 1000 and take less than 24 hours you then get a time penalty worked out according to some formula that I don't understand.
Stuart B - I would always take a map on a run of this type, so you can be completely self-reliant. Even if well waymarked - which national trails are - I still like to know what's coming up ahead, and I mark CPs, time targets, etc on it. Harvey does a specific map for the Ridgeway which weighs next to nothing, although I think it lacks clarity. Also at night the waymarked posts are very easy to miss.
I'm currently down to start at 1000.
I've also booked an ambulance home from Goring.
I'm starting at 12:00 and will be carrying a Harvey's Ridgeway map as backup. Also have the Ridgeway National Trail Guide to read in the next couple of weeks in order to familiarise myself with the route, not having done it before.
What is everyone using for hydration - bladders? handhelds? nothing?
cheers ppl. I'm going to try and use multimap and print out the route. They're got an OS view now so should be able to get away with not buying a proper route. can then laminate it and keep it at bottom of bag in case of trouble! 12pm start for me too.
What's everyone doing once they get to the finish!? obviously a beer is in order but haven't considered get back yet? Has anybody got wheels and is coming back hertfordshire way?
I'm hoping to get a lift/bus to Swindon before getting the train to Reading.
P.S. Well done on the 24hr Stuart. Great performance. I pulled after 16hours. Lots of excuses at the time, although in hindsight I feel I gave up too easy.
@Stuart
I'm getting a lift back to Tring and can see if there's enough space for an extra body. (I don't know what time though - whenever I finish I guess.)
As for beer, I are be mostly planning on drinking Ridgeway Bitter for the rest of the weekend.
Mr Immune - my radar has been full of the irritating and wholly welcome intrusion of something my employers like to call 'work', though others may more accurately describe it as jumping through hoops for peanuts. I have, neverthless, been following the forum thread both here and at runningahead during my occasional lunch breaks.
Have resigned to the fact that I can't make up the lost mileage so concentrating on what I can do... trails, night running, map reading, some good distance tempo runs and a last really big run this weekend that will be all trails and map reading across both night and day. Then it's a week of shortish fast stuff and a week doing maintenance runs for the final winddown.
I'll try and stick with (or just behind!) you guys but, like Jezza, will have to let you go on ahead if I'm struggling. Ideally, I'd like to be tackling the bulk of the night section with someone else as I think this is going to be the hardest part - even with headlamps, navigating and negotiating trails in the dark is always hard, but with 50 miles in the legs it's going to feel horrendous i think. I'm sure I'll hook up with another bobbing headtorch though.
I've not got a support crew, though we only live a few miles from Goring so hopefully my wife will be on hand there to deliver anything I need, and I can place an order for anything I haven't already thought of as I approach.
Couple of questions for everyone:
Am I right in thinking registration is the morning of the race, not the morning of August 23 as per the race pack details?!
Also, is anyone going by train to Tring? If so, are you planning on walking up to registration and what time are you arriving?
Robby
Hi Robby,
I'm arriving at Tring by train. Apparently there may be lifts available, but I'm not 100%, and I haven't looked at train schedules yet. I'll be travelling from Reading in to London and then on to Tring.
Dino
Dino,
as will I. Walking down from Caversham to Reading train station first in fact. The 8.02 to Paddingto, changing at Euston, is scheduled to get in around 10am...
DraconianOne - A Lift back to Tring would be ace as I only live a few miles down the road in Leighton Buzzard. However fully understand if it doesn't come off. Let me know as was going to start looking at trains back too.
Ridgeway Bitter sounds perfect!
BTW ppl - what race pack??? I've been hunting through my emails but can't find anything more than a 1 pager.