GB Ultra Thames Trot 50

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  • Sounds like we might be seeing a lot of each other, PG2. Although I'll be going for the boring sensible option of recovery tights and early night on Saturday. I admire your hardcore approach.

    Good time for a 50, Lorenzo. feel like sharing those valuable lessons? Huh? Huh?

  • Learnings in a nutshell:

    - Don't go off too fast: 9:30 average pace means anything starting with an 8 is WAAAAY too speedy
    - No need to carry loads of water around. This time around I'm going to carry sachets of SiS drink and make it up at the checkpoints
    - Think twice before opting for trail shoes; normal road shoes will probably suffice and the extra cushioning makes a difference after 40 miles (am prepared to be corrected on this one!)
    - (learning from C2C in 2010) Tempting though it might be, eating a Scotch egg at the checkpoint halfway round is NOT a good idea

  • TH, I wouldn't call it Hardcore approach, more like stupidity approach! The party was booked up months ago so I was only going to run the saturday but as my mate is doing the sunday as well and I need the miles and time on my feet I just had to enter the sunday as well.

    was thinking off running between 9 & 9.30 for the TT, anything faster will be bad news later on and anything slower and I think I risk injury as I run a 10k with a friend a while ago and it was at 10min mile pace and I micro tore a calf muscle due to planting my feet different as the pace was so slow!

  • I will be employing the ultra-shuffle. If you haven't done this sort of distance before, once you get over 30 miles or so, it is 90% mental strength that will get you through. You can lose far far more time in the last few miles as you will gain in the early miles. There is nothing more demoralising than being overtaken by runners when all you have left is the ability to walk! Finish and finish strong!!
  • Well the training was going well until I kicked the sideboard yesterday! Fortunately just a very black little toe to show for it image Reality check tho, given all the miles being put in then you do something stupid. I never used to believe those footballer slips on a remote control stories!
    Looking forward the the wend when the holidays start, I have grand plans for some decent miles!
  • Evening all!
    Well not too long to go now. After bombing a little at Portsmouth mara I'll hope to get a reasonable run in over Christmas and then another couple of weeks build until taper time. All sounds a bit too soon really.
    What would people suggest as the longest single run pre 50?
    Cheers
    NID
  • You don't need to do any runs longer than 20-25 miles to be honest. 

    The important thing is getting back to back long runs in. 

    If you do 25 miles one day and 15 the next, or two back to back 20s, then the race will come off second best. 

  • Hey Ben, this will be my first 50. I did back to back marathons last week, what would you suggest I do from now until the day itself. Just some more regular back to backs? I was previously doing something in the low 20s followed by something in the mid-teens.

  • Hi All, Sorry to hear a Portsmouth NID, i was down there too and enjoyed it thoroughly, thought it was a very well organised, friendly event. Good course and weather too image

    I'm hoping to get a few decent runs in over Xmas but not gonna worry about it too much til new year, may try to do a 30mile training run in Jan but no more than that, also might do glouscester mara 2 weeks before TT50... not sure if thats a tad too close or not!?

  • Tiago Hefner 2

    It sounds like your training is more than on course to be honest.  The thing that is most likely to derail you at this stage, is if you pick up an injury.  This of course tends to happen when you up your mileage very suddenly.  Since you have just put in a tough week (two back to back 26s), do an easier one next week, then make a judgment based on what you feel like after that. 

    The runs that will make the most difference, are those slow plodding back to backs on tired legs.  Try to get in training runs on canal towpaths if you possibly can.  I appreciate that not everybody has a canal on their doorstep, but if you do, then it will be a big help to get used to the terrain type in different weather conditions.

    Since you are making good progress at this stage, you could do worse than allow yourself a three week taper before the event.

  • Excellent, thanks Ben. I've been running on the Oxford to Abingdon part of the route when i can. i think you're right about easing off a bit. I do find that difficult to do, so I'm planning on a bit of cross-training to do the job. Thanks for the advice.
  • Does anyone know when the packs get posted out? I wanted to run the Pangbourne - Henley bit next week so was interested in the 'official' version of the route etc. Guess it shouldn't really be too difficult to find a version, follow that river!
  • I ran most of that stretch, in the other direction from Twyford (joining the TP at Sonning) to Cholsey, a few weeks ago as a recce of part of the TP100 route. The TP100 and the Trot both follow the official Thames Path route which was mostly easy to follow and well signposted. The only area that gave me some pause for thought to check my directions was where it left the riverside between Mapledurham and Tilehurst station, but even then it was more of "Am I still on the right route? The last sign was a while ago, oh look there it is....". I did make one wrong near Cholsey due to the sign being hidden by a hedge, but in the direction we'll be going for the Trot, the route should be obvious as rather than looking for a small path off a main road, you are looking for a main road off a small path.

    The Sonning to Henley section I've yet to do, but it also leaves the river for a bit so may cause a few "where am I" moments.

    Maps will be sent out 3 weeks before the vent according to the race info http://gobeyondultra.co.uk/events/thames_trot_ultra_50

    "As with all Go Beyond Ultra events map books specific to the event will be sent to you 3 weeks prior to the race to aid course familiarisation."

  • Thanks for the tips Dougie - I got the map pack through in the post today so I'll combine the two and give it a whirl next week! Looking forward to getting on the route for a recce. I don't think the section from Sonning is too bad in terms of following the route as where it leaves to river you follow the high street in Shiplake as far as I can see, I do want to be sure though before I hit it on the day!
  • Map pack arrived safely in the Lorenzo household. From what I remember about it earlier this year, it's pretty straightforward but I did run it with the route uploaded onto my Garmin for a belt and braces approach. I seem to be having a bit of uploading it off Mapmyrun this time however, so might have to resort to a bit of old fashioned map reading!

    What sort of pace are people out there looking at? I was planning on setting off around 9:30 / 9:45 pace in a bid to get under 8 hours.
  • Lorenzo - Sounds like you have a plan to me. image
  • My map pack arrived today, but the envelope had been opened in transit (and then placed in a sealed plastic bag with "apologies" from Royal Mail) - I have the map pack, race number and a couple of flyers, was there anything else ?

     I'm two minds about pacing, part of me wants to go for broke and aim for the 8hr mark, but the more sensible part of me wants to use it as a test of pacing for the TP100 which would mean aiming for around 10hrs or 12min/mile pace.

  • Dougie - think you're OK. That's all there was in mine as well.

    When's the TP 100?
  • Thanks - I thought I had everything I was expecting in the pack.

    TP100 is 3rd March - so 4 weeks after this, plenty of recovery time image

  • How are we all doing?

    Been a bit wierd the last couple of weeks... I did 3 x 2 hour runs last week (after a week lay off post Portsmouth mara) and then did a slooow 26 yesterday in 4.45, deliberately ultra paced.

    the 26/4.45 felt fine, legs hurt towards the end, but I felt I had at least another 10 miles left in the tank. So that gets me to 36. not sure where the other 14 miles will come from!

    So not sure what to do the next two weekends before taper time:

    B2B this Fri/Sat (and if so what??), and the following Fri/Sat

    Or push for another 26 this weekend and maybe 30 the weekend after

    Any thoughts?

    Cheers all

    NID

  • Hi,

    Sounds like things are going well NID! I too tried back to back runs, with a hilly 16m, then a flat 19m the next day and felt ok-ish !

    I'm also unsure about what to for this month now...!? Doing Gloucester marathon on the 22nd as another long tester run. I may try and fit in a slow 30miler if i can, i don't think there'll be any harm in doing that if it's nicely paced. Other than that just keep my weekly mileage up in the 70-80 range i think...

    The week before will be a very gentle week then image

  • Great Super, sounds good! I think your weekly mileage is a little more than mine, I'm more like 50-ish but hopefully will be ok. Still not sure what do do this weekend. 15/20 B2B would be easier logistically than another 26-30. Just not sure what is better...
    I might do 8/15/20 T/F/S then big rest Sunday, then maybe do a couple of shortish runs next week and a 26 or 30 next weekend for the psychology of it, and then start to taper.
    I really should have read more books +/- stuck to a rigid schedule!!
  • Sounds like some good running going on out there, NID you could almost be writing my training log! I never have stuck to a rigid schedule, I don't think you can really, stuff happens all the time! I've been in a quandary about the B2B miles for a bit having put in 4/5 that total 35-38 together on an average of 50-60 miles a week but I'm not sure, think it might be the psychological side of things kicking in! It hasn't helped having a mountain of work curtail what I had hoped would be a bumper week last week. Just done 23 trail (quagmire!) today off the back of 10 yesterday and feel a little better. Think I'm heading for a 20/15 this wend and then 20/20 the week after. I want to get a longer one in so I might chance my arm the wend after before a lighter one ahead of the race.
    The one thing which is driving me mad is slowing down, especially if I'm doing longer ones alone, however I think I'm getting there, today on the 23 was about right...
  • Work is a pain, as well as the weather! 23 trail sounds very tough, well done. How are the legs today?
    I think it will definitely be 15/20 then one last long one next w/e.
    Hope the gales stop!
  • it's all sounding n looking good. Yeah apart from that weather!?! People putting in some real good hard work image

    Think i have my weekend sorted... Rest tonight, then F/S/S = 16/12/ hilly20

    I'm like that too SoS, slowing down is so hard because you have a natural pace, and it seems unatural to reel that in, but it definately works. The only way i've been able to clock my miles up is by slowing my pace down so i'm ok to go back out the next day and do it all again.

  • Wow everyone is doing so well. I am going to admit to feeling totally battered! I did 26 today and plan 10 in the morning. Then a 60 mile week next week before taper come Sunday. I am 74 miles away from my taper and counting!
    Those that have recce'd the route, is the map reading tricky or is it fairly self explanatory? When it comes to map reading I am all female and have absolutely no idea how to do 6 figure grid refs. Was planning to bank on my iPhone should all else fail!
  • Well it turned out to be a 26/16 in the end, was feeling pretty good at the end of the 16 and the legs are ok, so fingers crossed! One thing which seems to have made a difference is discovering the dubious 'joys' of an ice bath!!! Damn cold at first but really seems to make a difference, maybe if it's all going wrong at some point the Thames could come in handy image

    Like the iphone idea mooks image, though I'm guessing it must be fairly easy to follow. I run the Severn path alot and if they are similar it will be reasonably signposted. My recce went pear shaped over xmas so am saving all the joys of the route for the day itself!
  • Well done all. another good week for all then?

    Did 17/12/20 on F/S/S, clocked up 82 miles for the week and feel fine... very strange!??!

    I've sold myself to doing a 30miler this weekend too. Will see how that goes.

    I too am clueless on the map reading and do not know the area or route... but how hard can it be? I'm sure it won'r be an issue until the second half and the field has thinned out...!? isn't it just fundamentally following the river...?

  • Mooks, SoS, Superglue - impressive weekends from all of you. Confidence must be high.

    26 miles for me on Saturday morning, giving me just over 50 in 4 days. Was feeling it towards the end but reminded myself that on 4 Feb I will have the benefit of excellent company as well as a good taper.

    Taling of which, what are people's view on mileage during the 3 weeks pre TT?

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