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Thames Trot 50 Training
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It's getting rather close now isn't it? I feel very 'chesty' as though I'm coming down with a cold (I have asthma so it goes straight to my chest).
I can't wait until Friday so I can get on and pack my bags, have a pasta & chicken supper and get a good nights sleep. I've had so many months of training and waiting I just want to get on and run the event now!!
Do I sound excited? Well I am
Thinking of carrying a dry pair of socks - and a plastic bag to put the wet ones in, if I change them, so they don't soak everything else in the backpack... Hoping the KT tape will stay on and support the posterior tibial tendon - which is no doubt going to be unimpressed with the sliding around in the mud
Lemony, I'm in about the same boat regarding times - I HAD expected to be aiming for 8.5-9 hours, based on my Croydon 30 mile and NDW50 times, but now, just finishing inside the time limit would be fine (and with posterior tibial not too badly damaged).
Liz EE - good luck for your potential-cold not developing any further.
Anyone know somewhere I can park my car for free in Oxford, close-ish to the train station... long shot i know...!?
It's all residents' parking close to the station. Your best bet is using Seacourt Park and Ride which brings you into the centre via the station. It's £1.50 if you pay by cash (£1.70 by mobile) unless it's gone up slightly recently. http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/park-and-ride-locations
Buses should be fairly frequent even first thing in the morning and the journey will be less than 10 minutes at that time.
Just had a little jog in my lunch hour along the route just east of Reading town centre keeping to the tarmac path bit. Flooded in parts but passable although in places water was over tops of shoes. Looks like it is gradually receding though so fingers crossed for Saturday.
Thx lemony, i'm staying over night in oxford after, so would need to leave my car over night somewhere... finding it tricky without costing a fortune. Remember i had this trouble last year. Think i'm gonna change my plans to early train...
See you all at registration!
I've gone from one injury to another to another, so training has been very sporadic, so anywhere near last years time is out, so it's just an exercise in getting round for me, but from what i've heard of conditions times aren't gonna be fast anyway.
So good luck to everyone, enjoy the day and the race
By the way I'm assuming I'm not the only one who:
1) has never run an ultra
2) has never run a marathon (except in training)
3) is a bit injured
4) feels like they haven't really done enough training
5) is worried about the weather / conditions
6) is worried about the cut-off times
7) is still sort of looking forward to it ....
Even though i can't tick the top two, let me assure you i'm franticly ticking the other boxes...
The weather for the day is looking quite favourable, but i guess the conditions will be a case of not worrying too much about getting wet or muddy!!
Ditto every word of that last post!
I'm dittoing the last 2 posts too!!!
Dittoing three!
Just been up to the corner shop for milk and the front page of today's Oxford Mail has a shot of someone tip-toeing through a flooded towpath in Osney Mead. That'll be us on Saturday
Andrew: Yes, not surprised: it was fairly wet three weeks ago before the recent snow and rain.
A picture from Pangbourne when I got home last night at 5. Looking at the EA website it looks like the river has stopped rising and could be going down, otherwise I would imagine there will be diversions.
Taken standing with my back to the toll bridge. To the left is the path. At the far end it narrows as you go through a gate into the deep bit a 500m further on. All this would be passable. My worry is Sonning, after the bridge the path is quite low and it will be very dificult to see the edge of the bank in the dark.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels/riverstation.aspx?StationId=7102&Sensor=D&RegionId=9&AreaId=21&CatchmentId=143
Pictures coming through as a black box, but I get the idea. We'll find out on Saturday, I suppose.
I adjusted the levels a bit on Andrew's picture. I think I preferred the black box ....
Speedos and a snorkel for the really deep bits. This is gonna be crazy!
Just baked a yummy fruitcake to eat enroute and have started packing a few things!!! Excited.com
I seem to have a bit of a cold developing
Eek!!!!!
Wellies?
I think the original photo will be more accurate based on the time I'm going to finish.
Touie2, In case it helps: I'm going to be wearing long-sleeved top, Montane Marathon (windproof) jacket, full-length Skins, Montane windproof trousers, gloves, headband which goes over my ears, and a hpeaked cap, I think. Expect to take the jacket off after a few miles. I'm basing this on what I wore for London Ultra last February in similar temperatures (where I wore the 3/4 length skins - but I think I want the calf support).
I'll be carrying spare gloves, because cold hands is miserable, also Minimus jacket and emergency warm layer (so I don't freeze if I twist an ankle and have to stop).
I'm still not sure whether I'll be able to run at all due to injury, though it will probably do my feet less harm to wade through flood water than to run on hard ground! I live in Oxford so I don't have to decide until Sat morning. But this is my first ultra and I've done a lot of training so I really don't want to miss it unless I have to.
Just becuase you start an ultra doesn't mean you have to finish one. If you feel okay to start, then do so, just be honest with yourself and if you feel you are harming yourself then stop. There are plenty of aid stations and you're never too far from home. Worst case scenario it's a decent training run. But it's not worth starting if you think you're going to do yourself damage, there are plenty more races in the future, as long as you stay healthy.