Race to the Stones 2015

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  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭
    T. rex hehe I take little black bags, but they are more for used toilet paper image and a very small dry bag to put them in image
  • Little black bags is a good plan for either situation. Probably best not to use for both so I'll probably have them for toilet paper. I've got a sort of zipped pouch bag thing that was for a small camcorder so might see if that will strap to my bag at the front, for food.

    Training back on track. The achilles has calmed down. Decided to try and mix it up a bit from all the long slow running today and went to the first event of a new local parkrun. Really nice to run properly hard again and I bagged a massive parkrun PB, although the course seemed a touch short. Have forgotten how hard a 5k at full effort can be, the last half mile almost killed me!

  • CheshercatCheshercat ✭✭✭

    The shorter runs are always a bit mental.  glad to hear the achilles is behaving itself. 

    As long as there are pork pies on one of the aid stations that will be fine by me.  Not sure how wise it would be to pop intot a pub along the way for a swift pint, but does seem very tempting.

     

     

  • Sorry to join in at this late stage, but I'm signed up for 100k in one day And I am wondering what have I done. I've done a few 20 milers over the last few weeks while increasing the distance I run the day before up to 15 miles.

    i'm going to try a 5 hour run/walk on Sunday fully kitted up. 

    I'm bit worried about running off road in the dark. Does it make the distances feel longer or shorter? And how does the tiredness make it feel?

    excited and scared in equal measures.

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    In the dark I find is sometimes easier, you don't get lost worrying about the future you just have to keep in the here and now image 

    attitude is a key thing, think positive thoughts no matter what happens think positive. 

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    Alastair - if you've done back-to-backs of 15+20 you should be fine.

    In the dark you feel as if you're making faster progress than you actually are!  Unless you're sure of the route you're on, or there is only one obvious route ahead it's probably best to walk through the night.  But run if you can.

    You may not get tired.  The camaraderie you'll meet and the ever changing patterns of headtorches making it great fun at night.  You may not plan to stay with other runners for the night, nor even know anybody to do that with, but you will inevitably find yourself in a friendly group by nightfall.

  • Running at night on the trail isn't as big a deal as it sounds if you've not done it before, as long as you've got a good headtorch. I used to find it a bit eerie going into the woods in the dark when I very first did it, but I got over that fairly quickly. You could always try and do a short run in the dark beforehand to see what it's like.

    As for the tiredness, I'm waiting to see what that'll be like, although I have a 3 year old son so lack of sleep has become something I've been taught to deal with over the last few years!

  • Thanx for the advice guys. One thing I hope to have in my favour is I've done a bit of training on the stretch from Uffington white horse to Avebury. As I live fairly locally. This is the bit that will probably be done in the dark.

    Booktrunk: glad to see you here, and to meet you at Loch Ness last September.

  • shawkshawk ✭✭✭

    The latter end of the Ridgeway is a doddle to navigate, just make sure you know how to join up the two ends of trail either side of the M4. Lots of potential to second guess yourself there as the stretch up and out of the village is much further than it looks on a map. Finding your way through the village after you cross a main road about 5m later too I suppose if you've not been there before.

    For me night running really brings it all home. You're generally quite worn down by the time it gets dark and can start to experience some pretty surreal moments.

    Trust your training too, don't give in to the temptation to push it and do too much this late on. I did exactly this in Jan and am still not back running. I did sneak in the TP100 in May though, mostly walking, no prior training, goes to show how much of it is in the head.

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    Isn't the blokey on Radio2 doing race to the stones, or did I just imagine that?

    Their sports reports guy, the one that ran through the night last night as a training run, if so are you on here? Wave a paw image

  • CheshercatCheshercat ✭✭✭

    James Cracknell ran it the other year.  Not sure who the celeb is this year.

    Entries close today.

     

     

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    I'd love to join you but I'm doing the cheap version 54 quid for 138km (ish) at the end of August

    http://www.entrycentral.com/ridgewaychallenge2015

     

  • But Booktrunk, your a pro. I for one need as much support out there as is humanly possible! 100k is 50k more than I've ever done before. What your doing is crazy. Total respect.

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    image Haha someone calling me a pro image believe me I'm not.

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    One of my favourite events, booktrunk.  It's got such a lot going for it and very straightforward logistics with its late 1200 start.  CP7 will ask you what you want in your sandwiches, and CP 8 have an enormous roaring log fire going.  

    Got to run 86 miles, though, which is the downside.

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    No T-shirts when I did it!

    So tempting ...

    But I've had two serious medical emergencies at 83 miles and 72 miles in two ultras and now wary about those distances.

  • 4 weeks to go!

    That's the bulk of the big training done now. Just got the small matter of next weekends long run saturday / marathon sunday back to back to do and it'll be taper time. Originally thought I'd do two 26.2's back to back, then it was going to be 20/26.2 but now I'm thinking more like 15 the day before the marathon. Will see how I feel on the Saturday I think.

    Not had a good week training wise until today's 18 miler, which went fine. Weather and pollen count left me feeling lousy and lethargic for a few days, so I've been moping about thinking I'll never make 100k. One decent long run later and I'm feeling confident again!

    How are you both doing Alastair and Chesher? - think those are the only other two running.

    I need to seriously start sorting out my kit and nutrition plan etc for a dressed rehearsal in the marathon so that's my plan for this week.

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    15M is a decent run image would make 2/3rds between the two runs of what you need to do image 

  • I had a really good confidence boosting weekend. Did 11 miles yesterday and a 30 mile dress rehearsal today. Tried it out fully kitted up and tested my new shoes out on a long run (with no issues). Half of it along the Ridgeway as well. Felt tired at the end but not completely trashed. I'm going to do one more long dress rehearsal in 2 weeks.

     

    I stopped just over half way to eat and change my socks which was bliss to have my bare feet exposed to the wind for a couple of minutes.image I'll be interested to see how quickly I recover. 

    Good luck with your marathon Cotswaldrunner. Which one you doing.

  • CheshercatCheshercat ✭✭✭

    Sounds like all you folk are getting the miles in.  Good stuff.

    Pulled the calf muscle again so been taking it easy, physio tonight and if it feels good then a long run on Friday.  I could have done more but there you go.

    It is just hard to get my head rond the distance but once i get going i'll be ok.

    Taking a fresh pair of socks is a good idea.  Not thought of that. 

  • I'm doing Cheltenham Challenge Alastair. It's a hilly off roader. I must, for the first time in my life, go off at a a sensible pace. Sounds like you got a good weekend of training in, and on the actual course as well.

    Hope the calf improves chesher. My achilles/calf is still not perfect but I think it will be OK, as long as I don't do anything silly.

  • Morning all, I've been a long time lurker to this thread as I am also doing Race To The Stones. 

    Unfortunately my wife has recently had to pull out due to injury, and consequently we have an entry available. It is free to a good home if anyone wants it, or knows of a friend who may. I don't want any money for it as I realise it's probably quite late in the day to do an unplanned 100k. But it would be a shame to see it go to waste. 

    The entry is currently for the two day option, but for about £20 you can upgrade to the non stop package through RTTS, which is what I have done.  

    All I ask is you don't take the piss and sell it on elsewhere.

    Cheers, let me know if your interested. 

  • Having had a knee injury since VLM in April I finally bit the bullet and had two full weeks off (I had another marathon at the end of May that I had to get done before I could have a proper rest!), just getting back into training this week, have done a whopping three x four-milers and a fiver-miler! RTTS is going to be flipping hard work but I'll just be really glad if I get to the start line, and absolutely ecstatic if I don't re-injure myself going round!

    So for people who have done this one before - are trail shoes really necessary? I've bought a pair but I've not yet worn them, and I don't really have much opportunity to break them in now as I'd have to drive a reasonable distance just to find a trail/field to wear them in. I'm also worried about the lack of cushioning and what that will mean for my knee. Any help greatly appreciated. (I'm doing the 2 day option so could always use them for just one half?!).

    Booktrunk - it's Vassos Alexander that's doing it off the radio, he was on Marathon Talk talking about it, I don't actually listen to his own show so I don't know much more about it, and I certainly wouldn't know him to look at. image

  • CheshercatCheshercat ✭✭✭

    Can you not wear the new trail shoes round the house, break them in that way?

    Glad you are getting better and stil planning to race.  It should be a great event.

     

     

     

  • If it's not been raining for a few days road shoes will be fine. I did the first half last year in road shoes with no problems and have run large bits of the second half as I live locally.

    If it's rained a lot then off readers would help. But it's a well worn path and quite compacted. Nothing is that steep that need too much grip.

    Heroine: Hope your body holds up. Better to start un-injured and under- trained than injured and trained.

    My question to everyone is how much taper are you doing? Is two weeks to short?

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    Al, that's a really personal thing, I've tried 3 weeks to 1 week, I have a 80km a week Saturday and I'm only going to start tapering Monday, as I personally find I screw things up and get injured so I'm going to keep running up to the end of this weekend and then going to do nothing at all for 5 days then race, should be fresh as a daisy. 

  • CheshercatCheshercat ✭✭✭

    Today is the last long run and then i'll begin to taper.  Working on my previous marathon training plan which haas always worked well.

    Just amazed how quickly it has come round.  It will all be fine on the day!!

     

  • Hi everyone,

    Just found this thread. Appreciate all the tips I've gotten so far. Did 28 miles yesterday and 15 today so officially knackered. Can anyone give me a guide to how they determine their pace for 100k. The longest race I've

    completed is a marathon so I'm a bit uncertain how to attack this one.

    Thanks everyone and good luck!
  • A good tip I've heard, certainly for the first half at least, is that if you think you're going too slow, slow down.

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/ Does give estimates based on marathon or other distance times image I'd be tempted to be quite content to take it's time + 1 - 2 hours and be content, but then i'm a back of the field plodder. (don't necessarily put in your marathon pb time, put in a realistic time that you can run now if it's slower than that).

    Don't plan for a negative split image so plan that the first 31m will still be slow n gentle, but you will loose time in the second half image

    I read somewhere a saying along the lines of 1 minute to fast early on costs you 2 minutes later.

    The principle of that is of course go slow to begin with, you don't get a medal for going through a marathon in a PB, the problem is that you will feel so good, and think it's easy image but there is quite a way to go. image

    It was suggested to be for my first 50 go through 25m at about marathon plus half an hour time.  (you are doing another 20km on top of that).

    What sort of time did you do for your 28m gentle run and how did you feel at the end of that? Bearing in mind you would have another 34 or so miles to go at the end of that.

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