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The Druid Challenge Ridgeway Ultra 2012
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Shawk thanks so much for all that info – that’s amazing and very useful. I’ll print off and have take it along with me when I recce or at least sit down with a map and mark out each place. Hoping that it’ll all be fairly straight-forward, as you say, coz I bloody hate getting lost, but thanks anyway.
Good luck Charlotte, Ultrarocker and Loula for Abingdon – hope you can all make it and achieve what you’re hoping for. I’m looking forward to this one, though feeling pretty unprepared. I have a one hour tempo session planned for tomorrow and a 2 hour relaxed run on Sunday. Hoping to get up to the course next weekend and do a couple of longer days before winding it down for a couple of weeks. Seems ridiculous to taper when I haven't trained hard…I may just keep building and taper after the race!
Apart from the Abingdon crew, what else is one everyone else’s schedule for this weekend in prep for the Druid?
James
thank you James! hope you enjoy your runs this weekend
i prob wint be able to make it the following weekend for a recce so druids will be run without a preview for me-but ive never recced anything before now so why break the habit of a lifetime
I'm doing Beachy next Saturday so this is a bit of a rest for me. I did a few miles round the Box Hill area yesterday checking out shoes and other gear. At one point had to crawl on all fours up a particularly steep hill - fortunately found another way down so did not have to come down on not so bare behind!
Julian - Abingdon marathon for me tomorrow. Have fun on your 20 miles tomorrow. I do most of my off road running along the Kennet and Avon canal, between Aldermaston and Kintbury and sometimes incorporating Greenham Common.
Bear - good luck for Beachy next week.
Many thanks charlotte,
All the best for tomorow
.
Bear, enjoy the rest.
Thankyou for the good wishes for Abingdon. I finished in 3:38:21, which is a p.b by over a minute
. Didn't spot the others on here running, and as I was cold I didn't take my jumper of until the last minute so it was unlikely they spotted my number!
Julian - how did your back to back 20 milers go?
Well done Charlotte and congrats on your PB. I bet you're over the moon?
Back to backs went well, thanks for asking. The Druid will be my first ultra so my target was 10 min miles which I nailed on Saturday. Halfway was Kintbury in 1:40 and got back to Thatcham in 3:20 so I was spot on. Sunday was V hard. I was eating breakfast in the dark and the thought of going out and doing the same was tough. I did and ran the same route in 3:30, a bit slower but confirmed my target pace for the Druid will by 10 min ish miles. I have never run 2 days in a row and 26.2 is my longest ever run, so I was suprised that my body coped. I think day 3 will be intersting... but I am looking forward to the challenge.
Well done on your pb Charlotte and your back to back Julian.
One thing that I found handy on a couple of occasions has been an old fashioned compass. Twice there had been quite a heavy mist in parts and especially when the light is failing the path has been quite difficult to follow. You don't need to take elaborate bearings, just when you reach a way mark set the direction of travel directly arrow ahead, line up the north arrow with the marked north on dial and keep it there. That should take you to the next one (well it's worked for me
).
Thanks Bear, may need to practice with the compass
, though I do hope it doesn't get too misty, as I may end up doing a few extra miles!
Julian - are you in Thatcham too?
I'm just going for a much needed massage.
Bear - I am counting on following you guys in front.
I wouldn't count on that - why do you think I'm BearB.Hind !
I always carry a tiny compass when I run offroad, even if it's to work out which of a number of different tracks I need...
but then I have come to running from a hillwalking background, which is why I always carry too much gear
Does anybody know of anywhere not too far from the finish where it's safe to leave my car for the three days of the race?
Perhaps the hotel at the finish might let you park in their grounds? There are contact details on the Druids event page. Worth a try anyway.
Thanks for that BBH. Neil has said the hotel grounds will be fine.
11 days and counting!
Hope we're all feeling good? What's everyones tapering plan? Do you taper less as it's a multi-stage compared to a long single stage?
My plantar fasciitis is still playing up, but it seems to be not getting any worse, so I'm just going to crack on for 10 more days, get the Druid done and then have a couple of weeks not even looking at my trainers.
I am going to have a decent week of training this week (I guess around 45-50 miles) then have a rest week next week. What kinds of mileage are you lot up to? I haven't done a multi-day in sooo long, God knows how I'm going to feel on the start of Days 2 and 3!
I hope there's drying facilities / radiators at the end of each day...I have a feeling we're all going to be fairly soggy.
Happy training / tapering / preparation.
Just maintaining fitness for me these last couple of weeks James as I did Caesar's Camp 50 last week. No run above 5 miles to try to get some freshness back into the legs... and staying off the bathroom scales!
Good luck with your PF and enjoy the rest.
Hi James, Friendly and all,
Had an easy week last week after Abingdon, and I will be trying not to over do it before Druids. I have annual leave that week so that I can get in a couple of good nights sleep before hand, because I can't see myself getting much sleep during this. I think I'm looking forward to it!
Just of out to do 10 miles, looks like it might be a wet one.
Did Beachy on Saturday so a few short runs, some gym work, but mainly paws up for now.
Abingdon last week and just some short runs this week and next getting used to minimals and looking forward to seeing you all next Friday
hi james, hope your PF not too bad now, i will be looking for hedgehogs for Fi remember
Haha Lou you crack me up - unfortunately I don't think you and Fi will meet...maybe sometime in the future though!! But sure, go for it...bag all the hedgehogs you can. I'll give you a hand for sure! The foot is annoyingly persistent. It doesn't seem to be getting any worse and I can run on it without it being agony, but I'll certainly have a couple of weeks totally off after Druids.
Charlotte are you doing the whole 3 days? Hope you're 10 miler wasn't too soggy?!
BBH - enjoy the paws up. Love it!
You all seem really sensible in winding it down for a couple of weeks...I, on the other hand am a. stupid, b. in need of more training due to lack of miles lately and c. not feeling in any sort of shape to finish. So, I'm going to have a good week this week then rest up. Fingers crossed for a strong week followed by some nice recovery in time for next Friday!
Oh I was also going to ask - is anyone taking their own food for breakfast / evenings? I appreciate most will be taking a handful of particular gels or whatever if you fancy something particular (I'm not fussed and will eat whatever the CP's have!), but I think I'll take some stuff certainly to aid recovery at the end of Friday and Saturday like protein / carb replacement drinks etc. I'm assuming the meals are a fairly simple pasta and sauce type affair? Or am I not doing XNRG justice?!
Hi James, yes, I'm doing all 3 days. I didn''t get too wet, but did get very muddy
!
I am going to take some snacks with me, including my usual recovery foods and drinks.
james....theres always hedgehog bolognese if you get peckish
7 days and counting!! Wooop woop
Going to have a serious go at sorting out stuff tomorrow rather than late on Thursday. Telling myself I don't really need that warm looking waterproof jacket I saw in Mountain Warehouse last week.....
Tell me about BBH - I think it's going to be a pretty chilly affair...though I'm sure the couple of hundred bodies in a sports hall will keep it warm. No snoring or spooning, though.
I've got a hill session lined up for tomorrow and then a 14 miler for Sunday, then it'll be wind down time. Looking forward to this and finally putting some names to faces. Are you doing all 3 days BBH?