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Ultra-training and illness during training.

Before I start I know this is all about personal preference and the only person who can judge this is me but I would be interested to know of anyone's views on my current scenario.

Is a six week taper for a 45 miler due to illness too much (allowing that I am now over the worst of it) and the event is now in two weeks time? I have booked onto the country to capital ultra in two weeks and  I think I just need someone to say just toughen up and go for it! People I have to talked to about it think running 45 miles is so stupid illness shouldn't come into it anyway.

Despite never doing this distance before I have completed a thirty mile event in the last two months and also covered the 45 miles in two halves over the weekend at the beginning of December- what do people thin? Does the fitness stay in your legs for six weeks. Its not like I haven't run at all in that time- just not further than 13 miles.

Any views would be most welcome.


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    SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2018
    Ian - you've obviously done the training for your event so no problems there.   

    Only issue could be have you recovered fully from your illness?   If you're well again and back running now, shorter distances obviously, then you should be fine for your event.   You might not meet your original expectations re race time, depending what your illness was, but you should still have a good race.
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    Thanks Shades, very much appreciate that.

    Ian

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    SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - good luck, let us know how you get on.
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    Ian, you've done the training. If you feel recovered from your illness there's no reason you shouldn't be able to complete the country to capital. As Shades has said, you may need to revise your expected time, but get out there and enjoy it!
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    Thanks Guys, whilst i hardly smashed it I did finish. The head games involved were massive especially leading up to it and during the first ten miles but I was really pleased I got there and completed the route. 


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    SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    That's great news Ian, well done.  You can plan your next event now. :)
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    Thanks Shades, I know.

    When i finished I was thinking that distance was enough but now i am looking at the East Devon Round or the flat 50, cue many posts about my worry with Map reading for the first and nervousnous about pacing 50 miles for the flat! 

    One thing i did benefit from on the C2C was reading somewhere about letting yourself walk the first 0.20 of every mile after a set distance- I did after 31 miles or so. I still walk other bits and pieces but having a goal every mile really helped. 
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    SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - if you fancy a road event, no map reading required, there's still a couple of places left in Dartmoor Discovery 32.4 miles, but hilly.

    http://www.teignbridgetrotters.co.uk/our-races/dartmoor-discovery

    Walking is an important part of ultras


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    Ian, well done! Can I ask where you are based, approximately, as that might affect event choices?
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    Hi, I am based just outside of Frome Debra. Imber's coming up in a month.


    Shades- I am starting to realise that. I have only done 3 routes further than a marathon and none of them were as hard as the road marathons I have done and I am sure that is down to the walking I do in them. Somewhere inside me feels like I have failed if I walk on a Road marathon even though I am convinced my time would improve if I did.  

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    SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - in ultras the ultimate goal is complete the event and less emphasis is on times/PB's, I think that's why we pace ourselves better and they then don't feel so hard.

    Come and do DD, you'll have to walk some of it as there are a couple of huge hills and lots of other less severe hills too.
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    SHADES said:
    Ian - in ultras the ultimate goal is complete the event and less emphasis is on times/PB's, I think that's why we pace ourselves better and they then don't feel so hard.

    Come and do DD, you'll have to walk some of it as there are a couple of huge hills and lots of other less severe hills too.

    I will try, it does look a nice event. Wonderful part of the world as well. I used to spend a lot of time kayaking on Dartmoor so have some happy memories so it would be nice to come back.
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    SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - DD will be full soon but if you miss out on a place they do operate a transfer list.
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    I was trying to find a route map for it and couldn't see one on their website, have you got a link at all?
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    SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - there's' a course map at the foot of the DD General Info page.   It's all marshalled no navigation required.

    http://www.teignbridgetrotters.co.uk/our-races/dartmoor-discovery/general-info
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    Thanks- that looks a really good route. Is the climb from Dartmeet the biggest?
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    SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Ian - it's the steepest, walking required except maybe for the first couple of speedy runners.   Most of us think the toughest part is the long climb out of Ashburton, roughly from 13 miles.  It's a beautiful route and such a well organised race.   Even in June Dartmoor can sometimes chuck some challenging weather at us.

    I'm a slow runner and with the hills making the marathon cut off is a challenge for me, I missed the cut off by 3 minutes in 2016( they are strict) but got through fairly comfortably in 2017.   I was ill last year so didn't make the start line.  

    As of yesterday 17 places left....
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    If you are suffering from any kind of illness then you must stop your training and take rest for some time.
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