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Ridgeway Challenge 85
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Blimey Dino you did well to even be there at all! that must have been a hard call with the birth of your child. I guess it was a key training run for you as it was for me so you did well to do what you did. I wish I knew who you were and we could of encouraged one another along. I find in the night stages thats when you really do did all the encouragement you can get.
I hope there will be plenty on like-minded people on the Ridgeway to support one another! It certainly appears that way on here.
Unfortunately the mohawk had to go when I got back to work. My boss gave me a very strange look, and not sure would of gone down well with clients either.
Run tonight with LBAC folks went well. Seems the foot (feet) survived and I was actually able to push the pace a little above 10 minute miles which I wasn't able to do on Sunday as legs felt so heavy. so things are looking up and I can start to get excited about race now!! whoooowhhhhoooo....
How the hell do you know? I am not a number i am a free man (hehe). Looking forward to my BIG 10mile run this weekend, as have felt like a lazy ass all this week and have to keep stopping myself blasting out the miles. Then again will not be blasting out any miles next saturday unless 10 -12min miles is blasting, although i am sure Bobban will try and persuade me otherwise near the end.
Bobban - Will you be issuing our t-shirts at the finish?
We will hard last few miles!!!!! (erm metres!!))
I have somehow ended up doing my last few runs at 7.20-7.30s???? I don't know where it has come from but I like it
Look at this, I go away for a few weeks and this forum has jumped into life...OMG so it is look I am designated map reader... Tee hee, oldest but not necessarily the wisest I got lost on a treadmill last week
Things not looking that good for me at the moment what with my problem with my piriformis thingy muscle pinching my sciatic nerve. What are the rules about hopping the trail for part of the way?
Did a massive 10 mile run today...do you think that is long enough for a long run
I am still having doubts but if I can over this doubty period I am ready to rock and roll
The route
As seen on a map at the top of Ivinghoe Beacon.
Ooohh errr it is Wednesday and only a few days to go!
I am very worried about my kit and whether my colours clash. I think I will start off with a nice white running shirt as this matches everything although it has a lightish blue flashing on it so may not blend well with my shorts and shoes.
I am however probably going to wear a windproof jacket at some stage so that will cover the clash. As for shoes, that is an easy one, it is mainly trail so I will wear my kitten heels, but don't tell my wife that I am borrowing them.
This is the first time I've done any kind of taper for a race. I normally just train as normal and take the preceeding day off. This time I dropped my mileage by 2/3 last week, and have cut it down to 3 weeny runs this week. I feel like a fat oaf, but hopefully it will pay dividends at the weekend.
It looks as though the ground will be a tad wet as well. I'm a bit concerned about hydration, but have decided to risk a single large handheld. I find bladders a pain to carry and refil. For this distance with the frequency of stops I'd normally use two handhelds, but the navigation requirement dictates I keep a hand free. Might carry a spare bottle in the pack in case it doesn't work out...
I , along with Mr Immune and ultrabobban, will be running light for the first part and carrying only bottles. I will be taking a pocket full of carbs map and compass. My bladder was lobbed away into the corner moons as they are a nuisance, you never know how full/empty they are and a pain to fill up.
Good call on carrying an empty bottle as there will be some villages we run through so you may be able to cadge some as you go through.
As for fat lump, you haven't seen me yet, at the moment my tummy enters a room before I do
Small Olmo 5l pack all the way for me. One large bottle - front mounted - and possibly a small bottle of glucose-rich sports drink in the pack, perhaps with a tube attached so I don't have to take pack off to reach it.
And it's definitely road shoes for me.
I hate tapering too. 11 miles on Sunday and it felt like a warm-up - I was raring to go for another hour but reigned myself in.
5 miles last night - ended up as fartleks as I felt there was no point being out if I wasn't going to work up a sweat.
Still, I'm getting really nervous now. Keep writing lists of things I want to put in my drop bag, and those I want to put in back pack. Then keep losing the lists. And never actually getting round to buying any of the little things I need. The wait is killing me.
How i wished i had entered this year. Never mind. next year again for sure. Have a great time folks
Cheers, waccyracer. WhichWayNow, I see from the entry list you're not running this, either. Are you OK?
I admit hydration logistics aren't easy. I use Inov8 waist packs which are very fiddly to refill. My reasoning though is to have 2L water and only stop for major refills so that I can zip though some CPs more or less without stopping.
Would suggest if this rain keeps up something more grippy than road shoes might be needed for first half - second half would be OK.
Robby E - I see you're on the same train as me so I will look out for you.
Club run tonight as a final loosener - nice gentle 6.5m in the pouring rain near the top end of the Ridgeway. Lots of surface water but not a lot of mud. Yet.
If this rain does keep up (forecast says no) then hydration won't be a problem as long as you remember to pack your waterwings!
LOL at all of the comments!!!!
I must admit that tapering is something I don't do well so don't do. This week I have done 40k and it has been a nightmare. My longest run was a club run on tuesday and I started getting going after about 7 miles only to be done at 10. All those little niggles....where do they come from?
Hydration, I see we are in broad agreement. I ditched the bladders over a year ago. Fiddly to fill and the sound of squelching is not nice when you are running. Raidlight bottle on my shoulderstrap on the rucksack I will put on before nightfall. 2x Lowe Alpine 600ml bottles on a waist belt for the first part. With all of the rain I think it will be trail shoes for the first couple of CPs and then switch to road shoes for the more hard trail second half. I still can't find my other compression sock!!!
Are we all on the 12.00 start then?
Here is a photo of a sock tree about a mile from the start...is this one of yours Rob?
I'm starting at 12:00.
Will be arrving at Tring @ 09:38 from Reading via Clapham Junction - prefer to get there earlier.
Panic Panic Panic.
You guys have all got me thinking now re hydration pack. I prefer running with a bottle and have a good waist holder for it but can't risk running out. Some of the CPs are over 10 miles apart and I can get through 700cl in half that distance. Plan B was to have second bottle in a rucksack but the rucksack and waist pack all feel a bit contricting so Plan C was the 2ltr bladder, which yes agreed is very annoying to fill up but the uncertainty of running out and reducing fluid intake because of this is a big mistake. Hhhmmmmm blah blah blah. Still no closer to making a decision! Argh.
I found the chafing is usually caused by the mesh liner in shorts so I always cut it out of mine and to avoid possible embarrassment wear wicking running briefs.
I can't seem to get on with those Raidlight rucksack strap bottle holders, although they're great on a big rucksack when walking. I don't find them stable enough.
I wouldn't stint on carrying water - the last thing you want to be worrying about is if you've got enough water at any point. Better to carry slightly too much than not enough. I find on a run of this length I get through about 8L.
Shorts and cycling style shorts underneath. Compression socks. Are there really only 71 starters? I saw 104 on the latest spreadsheet and 34 on the 10.00 start.
The weather is also picking up!!
Weather hasn't picked up round here. Unsure whether to go with shorts or tights as the night is looking a bit colder than expected.
I'm on the 10:00 from Euston too.
Bobban - Now remember, last time you switched from trail to road shoes during C2C this January, we then did the wettest nastiest parts of the course. And your nice new bright orange shoes got absolutely minging in about 200 yards. However as we have support having the choice is no bad thing. What sort of time are you getting to the start area on Saturday, should i meet you at the car so i can drop off my race box?
Taper to-day has involved 2 hrs of swimming being half drowned by mini immune, 2 hrs wondering around the shops, unloading of a heavy flat pack wardrobe and taking upstairs and building, filing of shed loads of paperwork and tidying the house. Felt less knackered doing 80+ mile week of running. On the plus side did pick up the last few food supplies for this weekend, so thankfully one less thing to worry about tomorrow.
WTB new calves.
Stu - I'm carrying a half full 2L bladder and 500ml bottle (for Nuun spiking later on). I've recently found that Sudocrem nappy cream is far better for anti-chafing in that area than vaseline. Ask me again on sunday whether I still stand by that advice.
I know a couple of people from my club starting at the 10am so it's not going to be empty. Still, will be more fun following you lot.
Town Farm, Ivinghoe, just about 1 km from the start on the B489 (Tring Road) has a post code of LU7 9EL. You'll have to map read from there
Map here