80k EcoTrail de Paris 2013

OK, let's get this out of the way right at the start:  I didn't finish.  In some ways, it wasn't a surprise but it wasn't for any of the reasons that I had expected.

5x50 Day 36: Sneaking out for a crafty Half.

I've been feeling a bit lost recently.  My training over the summer was sporadic at best and it's shown in my recent marathon results.  I can't seem to get close to five hours, let alone below it.  Well, I'm having a bit of a marathon splurge again to the point where each marathon will be the last Long Run before the next.

5x50 Day 29: Marathon des Villages 2012

Marathon #9 this year and my 12th so far: the Marathon des Villages de la Presqu'Île de Lége-Cap-Ferret (to give you its full name). I was both dreading and anticipating this one.

5x50 Day 0 - Marathon du Médoc

Well, it's exactly a year since my first ever marathon and I went back to the Marathon du Médoc for a second go.  It's been a busy year and this was the 12th marathon event I have entered, finishing all but one. Unlike previous races, I decided to take the festive runner approach to this one, making the most of the entertainments, atmosphere, food and wine that make this such an unusual event.

Fancy dress is a major part of the Médoc and all participants are encouraged to enter into the spirit.  Last year, I didn't and felt a little bit out of place, so this year I went a bit mad.

Yes, the armour is metal and, although it's relatively lightweight, it doesn't weigh nothing.  Nor do those swords.  And under it all is a large foam pad between a couple of shirts to keep it all from chafing.

We'd had a slightly frantic morning already by this point packing up our tents, getting the kids breakfasted and driving to Pauillac.  I was a bit concerned about getting there in time and managed to forget to eat breakfast.  And to tape my feet.  Oops.

The pre-race entertainments were great with acrobats performing on ropes hanging from a crane and multiple fly pasts by jet fighters.  And then we were off...

After experiencing the choke points of the narrow streets last year, I got near the front and didn't take any of the stops until we were a few km outside Pauillac itself.  The first 15k went really well as the temperatures rose from 22C (71F) rapidly to around 32C (90F) which was the predicted max.  And then they continued to rise (I am told) to 36C (97F).  I've run in that kind of temperature before but in very minimal gear.  Not heavy fancy dress.

One really unexpected thing that happened was other runners going past me and slowing down so that I passed them again. Then they would go past and touch the armour.  Almost every one of them said something to me, mostly along the lines of "What?  It's real!?  You're a crazy person.  Good luck!"  This happened literally dozens and dozens of times and people were really encouraging me to, er, soldier on.


On the way past a water spray at Beychevelle, I somehow managed to get my shoes soaked.  This was a bad thing as I had no spare socks and no tape on my feet. 

My new friend: Emmy

Oysters.  Mmmm...

I slogged on to the halfway mark at Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste where I dumped the swords on my long-suffering family and friends.  They did try very hard to get me to lose the armour as well but I was determined to press on.  Duh.

And Ice Cream!

My supporters told me that the heat was being especially hard on the kids so they were going to head straight to the finish and meet me there.  In addition, there was the start of some proper foot pain as my feet were blistering inside the damp shoes and sock.  I went through a real low for a few km when I had a real piece of luck.  Mistakenly thinking I recognised a costume from a web post, I struck up a conversation with another runner.  She was a little taken aback at first I think but soon we were chatting away and it turned out that we were both on the Marathon Talk website where I had replied to a comment of hers.  (Hello Emmy!)

We carried on with some run-walk as we battled with nausea, fatigue, blisters and hydration but kept going forwards.  Her relentless optimism was a fantastic boost for me and we both managed to run across the line.  For me, it was a shockingly bad time (over six and a half hours) but, even more than usual, the triumph was in finishing in spite of the heat and without discarding the fancy dress.  It was great to see my family cheering at me in the stands at the finish and I even managed a wave.

I've felt better...

Then, for the first time ever, I went to the medical tents to have my feet fixed up.  It was suggested to me that I should start with getting my head examined but hey-ho.  The two guys there took one look at my feet, then each other and then there was a drawing in of breath over teeth.  Lotions, potions, unguents and bandages were applied followed by a foot massage and I left that tent in much better shape than I went in.  I was so, so grateful.

Next steps are some recovery, making contact with Emmy and getting on with the actual 5x50 challenge...

Marathon du Pays Basque 2012

Didn't finish this one. I'm amazed it didn't happen sooner but this isn't a tale of woe or injury or inadequate preparation. Inexperience stopped me dead in my tracks.

Here's how it went:

Maraisthon 2012

Marais is the French word for marsh and this marathon was around the picturesque canals of the Venise Verte in the Marais Poitevin.  The Maraisthon is only in its third year and I have to say that they have their organisation really sorted out.  As well as the marathon itself there was a separate 10k run and an 11k guided walk (with food stations!) in which used sections of the marathon course.

Marathon de Sauternes 2012

The second annual marathon in the town of Sauternes and its satellite communes.  Previously, I had only taken note of the (staggeringly good) sweet wines until it was suggested that I run in their inaugural 2011 marathon.  At that time, I was absolutely not ready for this kind of challenge and anyway my running mentor advised me against combining my inaugural marathon with someone else's.  So, I waited a few months and started with the Marathon du Médoc as planned.

This year, however, nothing stood in the way although, in hindsight, perhaps I should have considered things a little more carefully...

Marathon de la Baie du Mont St. Michel 2012

Mont St. Michel is a beautiful monastery island off the north coast of France.

The island monastery of Mont St Michel

The Marathon de la Baie is a point-to-point race along the coast and I was more than a little apprehensive about it.  It conjured up not-so-distant memories of the last time I tried a marathon in a similar setting.  I needn't have worried though as the experience couldn't have been more different and, of course, the event provided its own particular challenges.

The race lies over 550 km from our home and so, with the help of my mum who looked after the kids (Thanks!), my wife and I were able to make a special trip of it.  We stayed with friends in Brittany the night before and got to St. Malo after a leisurely drive along the coast, taking time out for a relaxed  lunch and to walk the dog along the beach.

The reason we headed to St. Malo is that it's the location of the marathon village.  Mont St. Michel itself is a small island occupied entirely by an abbey.  Oh and some bars, restaurants and tourist shops.  The registration process was pretty slick once we cleared up their questions about my medical certificate and the expo was pretty much what you expect for this kind of thing.  For the first time, though, we went to the Pasta Party which was a great way to spend an evening, especially as it included a lovely few kilometres walk there/back on the beach with my wife.

Pasta Party

The race had an 8:30 start and, as it was a point-to-point, we knew there would be many road closures and diversion.  Having got to the outskirts of Cancale, the town hosting the start, I had a pleasant but chilly walk to the quays from which we would start.  The organisation was good and, thankfully, the sunshine kept us all from shivering too much as we waited to go.  The weather was pretty much perfect:  Sunny all the way, temps climbing from 8C to 16C and a light headwind. I can only imagine how different it must be in more difficult conditions.

2012 Route

My main concern was the relatively short time limit for the course which stands at five hours.  I know that's not much of a problem for actual athletes but for someone like me, it's a big worry.  My last three marathons had taken 5 hours or more and there were cut-off points at 21k and 31k.  With this in mind, I deliberately went off a little quicker than usual, determined to complete the race within the time allotted.  I decided to run tech-free for this one so my only way of judging pace was to keep the 4h30 flag behind me and the 4h15 ahead.  In truth, I didn't see the 4h15 after the first couple of km anyway.

The course is pretty flat with the only long hill across the first couple of km as you climb away from Cancale.  The hill was fairly gentle and served as a great way to throw off the last chill from the starting area.  Descending again to the coast, we caught our first sight of the Mont at about 4k.  It was just a tiny bump on the horizon with the spire of the abbey clearly visible even at this distance.  Fortunately, we frequently lost sight of the it behind buildings and woodland so we were spared the illusion that we were never getting any closer.

9k

The rest of the first half was delightful as the day gradually warmed to more comfortable temperature.  I had dressed for the predicted warm day ahead so I was glad to soak up the warmth.  I saw my wife at around 9km and headed along the coast through picturesque villages and past traditional Breton musicians to the halfway point.  I hit the half-marathon at a very pleasing 2h10 although even now I was feeling a little worn.

19k

In parallel with the marathon, there was also a Duo event.  Two runners share the marathon distance with a change over at 20k.  The first runner gets a shorter distance but the hill at the start.  An unexpected consequence for me was the demoralising factor of being passed for the next 10k by all these fresh relay runners who just blew past me like I was standing still.  I kept hard at it, still gradually losing pace until I passed the second cut-off point at about 3h10.  At this point I knew that I'd make it to the finish within time but also that I'd burnt myself away too soon.  By 31k the 4h30 flag went past me and I tried to keep pace with them for a few hundred metres without success.

I was reduced to a jog/walk routine for several kilometres but still had the presence of mind to enjoy the changing scenery as we moved off the road and onto paths through land reclaimed from the sea called Polders.  The shade from the trees lining the route was also very welcome.

39k

Finally, I got to 39km where my wife was (once again) waiting for me.  As you can see, I was far from the only one reduced to a walk by now.  We walked along hand-in-hand for a while in the afternoon sun as I gathered myself for a last push.  More than anything else, I think walking along this section towards the beautiful island will stay with me.

40k

At last, I got properly under way again, running along the causeway towards the island.  I could feel the sun finally starting to bleed past my sunscreen and also burning my scalp through my hair but I  just pushed forwards.  Thankfully, the finish was at the foot of the Mont as, after the EcoTrail de Paris, I'd had quite enough of ending a race with a climbing challenge.

At the finish line

I finished looking much stronger than I felt and made my way through the arrival area, grabbing a bag full of food and drink on the way.  It can be good when one of the sponsors is a supermarket.  Outside, I sat in the sun with my wife before we went for a (very) slow walk around the iconic monument on the island.  As for the time, I was quite surprised to find I'd made it in just over 4h47.  I was expecting a much slower time given just how much I faded over the last 10k.

We headed back to the hotel in St Malo where we enjoyed a meal in the restaurant and then a romantic walk along the beach where we were treated to a spectacular sunset.  All in all, a fantastic race experience.  I have no doubt that the great weather contributed massively to the whole thing but the organisation, scenery and spectacular route also played a great part.

London Marathon 2012

Short Version:  Wow!

Paris Marathon 2012

It seems like I say this a lot recently:  That was not an easy one.  But it was immensely satisfying to finish it.

Eco-Trail de Paris

I've had a few days to collect my thoughts and to rest.

The short version is:  The race was EPIC in pretty much every way.  So much harder than a marathon but in ways I hadn't expected.

Eco-Trail de Paris 80km

Completed this yesterday and I have no idea how.  It was EPIC.  So much to tell you, so much to get sorted out in my head.  I'll make a proper report over the next day or two and I expect it will run to several posts.

In short:  Just over 12 hours to complete in perfect conditions.  No major injuries.  No energy left at all, I am utterly exhausted.

But it was a fantastic experience, even the hard parts.

More when I have both brainpower and energy...

Schevening-Zandvoort Strandmarathon

Everything was perfect for this race.  Except me.

The location was the beautiful coastline of the Netherlands between Den Haag and Amsterdam.  The weather was sunny, cool and with a gentle side wind from the sea.  Race organisation (the event is in its fifth year) was excellent throughout.

Semi de Paris

This was where my attendance at running events started a year ago so it was great to be back here again this year.  It's the 20th anniversary for this event and they pushed the boat out.  The organisation was very slick (again) and the changes to the bag drop and provision of a running shirt rather than a cotton one were very welcome.

I arrived earlier than planned and with much less sleep than I'd have liked. It's common not to get a good night's shut-eye before a race, apparently.  I went with a very light breakfast this time, just a few biscuits, and this served me well.  The weather was cool and very cloudy but remained dry.  I put on my poncho (really a bin liner with extra holes in), got rid of my bag and was in the start area for my time group almost an hour before the start.  I was very glad of the poncho as, while warmer than last year, the breeze was very chilly.  The warm up animateurs were quite fun and the time passed quickly.

Leopoldsloop, Watervliet

In their second event this year, the Krekenlopers St Laureins organised runs at 6k, 12k and 27k distances.  Miraculously arriving in good time, I entered the 27k.

The course for this was an extension of the 12k I did here last month.  More variety of surfaces with the wetter weather meaning some parts were quite muddy.  Still very flat throughout.  Unfortunately, most of the run was alongside a single, straight canal and this was rather dull on the way out, becoming tedious on the way back.

Natuurloop 25km, Lier

Cold.  Very cold.  -5C (22F) at the start and a 15km headwind made for, erm, bracing conditions.  A beautiful sunny day, though, showing off the locale really well.  The wintry forests and icy canals glistened in a way that was almost enchanting enough to distract from the intense cold.  But not quite...

Being in northern Belgium, the course was pretty flat.  Even more so as it ran alongside rivers and canals for the most part.  The starts for the various distances were staggered with the logest (25k) going first.  After a well marshalled exit from the town, we were off along a series of paved cycle paths.  The ice and packed snow weren't too troublesome to run on and I quickly realised that the key to safe running was to make a steady pace with no sudden turns.

The first 10k or so was all into the wind and every bit of exposed skin got seriously cold.  I could even feel the chill in my teeth which was very disconcerting.  When we crossed the river (thankfully using bridges as a passing icebreaker removed the other practical option) the sun was on our faces and the tailwind mostly cancelled out by running.  Quickly overheating, it was a case of rebalancing layers to maintain a comfortable temperature.

I made good time to about 16k and then, as so often happens, began to fade.  The last 4k were particularly hard as we turned back into the wind and I got properly chilled before successfully wrestling with the zip on my windproof.

I arrived last but I wasn't at all unhappy with the time.  Given the tricky conditions underfoot, it was amazing that my Half Marathon time (21.1k) was faster than I had ever done before.  My very spotty training over the last few months means I'm not on top of this sort of distance but with some hard work, I can fix that.

Had to be oh-so-careful to start with a vaguely warm shower afterwards despite the temptation to get as much heat as possible.  The clue that care was needed?  I had ice in my hair where the sweat had frozen me to my hat.  Took ages to warm through, especially in the tips of the fingers.  On the bright side:  No frostnip or chilblains unlike one or two others.

There was a really pleasant atmosphere at the club afterwards, even for the last arrival.  That would be me, by the way.  And the evening was made perfect by some good friends (thank you Jo and Sandrine) allowing me to invite myself over for dinner.

Nieuwjaarsrun, Oostende

Delayed from a few weeks ago (due to storms) this 7k/15k Nieuwjaarsrun  was one I'd been looking forwards to for a while.  Every event brings its own challenges and here it was the wind and the sand.

Blowing at over 25mph and gusting to who knows what, the first 8km were headlong into it excepting a few hundred metres of switchback.  That was hard enough on its own but the sand made for two lots of extra fun.

The first 3.5k were also on the beach and as an official slowcoach, I was near the back of the pack.  That meant that what may have been nicely packed wet sand for the first runners was a loose and shifting by the time I got to it.  The effort to move forwards makes me even more impressed by the people who do the Marathon des Sables.

Once we were off the beach and onto the promenade for kilometres 4 through 8, the wind really got going and blasted every exposed surface with sand.  As a contact lens wearer, I was really glad to have my sunglasses with me, not to ward off the sun but to reduce the amount of sand getting into my eyes.  It was very dark at this point and I was fully expecting stormy weather as at Spijkenisse in December.

The second half of the race was completely different.  The clouds blew away almost immediately and the sun reappeared.  We returned along paths through the dunes which were mostly sheltered from the following wind.

Alongside the route was part of the Atlantic Wall defences built during WWII to deter invasion.  Many of the guns and pill boxes were visible from the route and it was a sobering reminder of grim times in the past.

A really hard environment to run in but finishing, especially after yesterdays efforts, was immensely satisfying.  Over 700 people took part across the two distances and I met up with a few of the Brussels Runners Meetup group as an added bonus.

Les Relais Givrés, Brussels

The Relais Givrés is the first relay event I've taken part in.  And it was a very welcome distraction from being unable to go home this weekend.  Another part-race, part-festival thing, there were thousands of people there.  Essentially, there's a 4k trail loop and (in teams of five) each member does 8k and then you all do 4k at the end as a group.  I took the last running position as 12k in a single go is a decent training distance.

The weather was unexpectedly warm for January at 11C (52F) and mostly dry.  Due to the rain over the previous week, there was plenty of mud but the very worst areas had been laid with woodchippings so it could have been worse.  By the time I went out, it was pretty treacherous underfoot and I fell on the first lap.  I slowed down a little and concentrated on enjoying the scenery rather than trying for a good pace.  The last lap was great, going round with my four team mates.

3k from the end it started to rain but it wasn't until the last kilometre that the heavens really opened.  Thankfully, we were all warmed up by this point so it was just unwelcome rather than seriously unpleasant.

I would have liked to stop for the celebrations (25th anniversary of this event) but I have a 15k tomorrow in Oostende that was delayed by a storm a few weeks back.  Need to rest up the toe I hurt when I fell and to get ready for tomorrow.

Leopoldsloop, Watervliet

In January and February every year, the Krekenlopers St Laureins organise several races.  At this, their 23rd meeting, there were runs at 6k, 12k and half marathon distances.  I had intended to enter the latter but delays en route meant I had to make a choice between rushing through registration and preparation for the half marathon or taking my time to get on the 12k.  I opted for the 12k course, telling myself I could always do a jog tonight to make up the additional distance for my training plan.  Yeah, right.

Turns out this was a good plan as the 12k was a lot of fun.  The course was flat, fast and the marshalling was great.  The conditions were ideal, cold and dry, and I made great time.  In fact, I did this 12k in almost exactly the same time as the 10km d'Uccle last year.  Very satisfying.

Much to my own surprise, I actually did go for another jog of about 8k when I got back this evening.

Spijkenisse Marathon

Spijkenisse is a little town just outside Rotterdam in the Netherlands.  They host one of the few central european marathons in December so I thought I would go along.  A new friend put me up for the weekend.  Thanks, Robin.  My training for this has been patchy and, mostly because of the rain and wind, I haven't been out as much as I should.

The local running club was very friendly and they had events at several distances on the day.  Registration was stress free and I even had time for a chat with some locals who were interested that I had travelled "so far" to their event.

In terms of weather, this one had it all:  Wind, rain, hail, sleet, snow, thunder and lightning.  That was just the first hour... 

The start was good natured and relaxed.  A few hundred like minded souls lined up for the start.  The skies were grey and the temperature hovered around 3C (37F).  Although the wind was brisk, the rain had held off to this point.  The clouds, however, were so low, it seemed I could reach up and pull them from the sky as they whisked past.

The race began with a circuit of the track which immediately put me in mind of the 10km d'Uccle from the spring.Sadly, the comparison ended soon after as within two kilometres of leaving the start, the rain began to fall.  I usually overheat quickly as I jog but, even so, I had dressed warmly for this event.  I rapidly began to think I hadn't done enough as the rain soaked through and wind whipped away all the warmth.  Quickly, a storm blew in with jagged bolts of lightning crashing into the woods as we ran through them.  Some of the bolts were so close that there was no separating the blinding brightness from the deafening thunder.  It was with some relief that I exited the woods.

Then the hail started.  Not just light hail, either.  Pieces up to a centimetre across, whipped sideways by the wind.  Even facing the floor, they were slammed painfully into the side of my face so I had to run with one gloved hand shielding my exposed skin.  After what felt like an eternity (probably 5 or 10 minutes), the hail eased into snow and then sleet.  This whole section from 2k to 9k was some of the hardest I have ever done, especially as I had the whole internal "What the hell am I doing this for?  This is not fun!" dialogue going on.

Around 9k, after we had turned away from the main canal-side, the rain gradually subsided and over the next few km the clouds departed, presumably having spent themselves in their earlier fury.  The sun came out and, although the wind never really dropped, the warmth balanced the windchill for most of the rest of the event.  In spite o the conditions, I made very good time to about 18k but then, yet again, toilet trouble struck.  After that pause, I never really got back into my rhythm. 

Even so, things went well until about 30k where my energy ran out.  I kept going until 35k but by then I was done for and had to start walking for a couple of hundred metres every kilometre.  The spikes in pace are clearly visible on the GPS record over the last 7k.  I did summon up the energy to jog the whole of the last kilometre, though, and this was in no small part due to the encoragement of the course marshals who were positive and helpful to the very last.

As you can see, I was delighted to finish and the thoughtfully provided warm beef soup was an absolute lifesaver.  I hung around at the finish to applaud the few that came in after me.

Reading the above, it sounds like some sort of hell.  Actually, I may have made too much of the low points.  Sure, it was hard.  And cold.  And exhausting.  But the scenery was beautiful and the people were most welcoming with spectators at many points on the course.  The experience was unexpected in many ways but, knowing what is in store, I would probably try this again.  The sense of achievement at the finish was totally worth it.