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So, Saturday was Thames Path 100 - here's what I've just written for the club newsletter:
After my longer FKT runs of last summer, I became curious as to how I might fare over a 100 mile race. Centurion run a number of very well regarded events, and the Thames Path 100 seemed to be the most appropriate given that it's very flat and I generally don't do a huge amount of hill work. One minor hurdle to overcome was qualifying, for which I needed to finish a 50 mile race in advance. The South Downs Way 50 was the obvious choice, 4 weeks in advance, just about enough time to recover while absorbing the training stimulus of the long run. This however was postponed by a week due to Covid so I only had 3 weeks between events. I went into the SDW50 with the fact that this wasn't my A race at the back of my mind, and tried not to overdo it, and made a conscious effort to really back off in the 2nd half of the event. Irrespective of this it was still a 50 mile run with nearly 2000m of climbing over 6 hours, so it took a while for the legs to feel normal afterwards.
Going into the TP100 I thought that I'd recovered reasonably well and was ready, and with some pretty ambitious goals in mind. The weather forecast wasn't looking particularly kind though, with heavy rain all morning and 7 hours of 40+mph gusting wind. Fortunately neither was too much of an issue, the rain eased off fairly early and the wind, while a frequent annoyance as the Thames frequently meandered to face into it, never felt as strong as anticipated.
1st stop at Staines
The start of the race at Richmond is on a nice surface, and remains so for a significant portion, probably contributing to my first marathon split of 2:57. I struggle to run slowly when feeling fresh which can be my undoing, but I was still very confident at this stage.
2nd stop at Maidenhead
Coming into Henley at half distance was when things changed significantly. I had a pretty aggressive fuelling strategy trying to get on nearly 80g carbs/hour, which my stomach was not impressed by, resulting in a significant amount of vomiting.
3rd stop at Henley - captured moments before projectile vomit
This was followed shortly after by a huge energy crash as I bonked hard, but managed to keep moving albeit significantly slower, and revised my fuelling to mix up the carbs with more pure electrolytes. I should point out at this stage that I was being crewed by a friend who had very kindly dedicated his day to assist, and with quite a bit of experience over these distances himself was invaluable to keep me going as quickly as I was.
4th stop at Reading (I think)
While the rain had stopped, the amount which had fallen in the preceding week had made the ground pretty soggy and muddy, and was rather hard going in places, the lovely gravel around Kingston and Hampton Court would have been glorious here. My footwear seemed to be working pretty well though, with Vibram trail soles glued onto a pair of Nike Next%, so bouncy yet grippy.
5th stop at Benson - a rare moment with my jacket off
I had been receiving some feedback as to where I was in the race as there was live tracking available online. The only issue being that given that there was a staggered start, and I'd started very close to the start of the 7am window, potentially someone starting later could finish behind me yet clock a faster time for the win. The biggest name in the field was Dan Lawson, probably best know recently for setting the fastest time running from Land's End to John o' Groats with suitable evidence in under 10 days. He also won the IAU 24 Hour European Championships in 2016 with a distance of 261.843 kilometres, so clearly has some endurance ability. I knew that I had a reasonable buffer back to 2nd place, but also that this could change very quickly if things started to fall apart. My saving grace was Mike Boucher, from Aldershot, Farnham and District AC, appearing completely unexpectedly with 19km to go.
6th stop with my saviour at Culham
He was the XC captain when I was at Imperial College, so we go back a long way, and being a very strong marathon runner on fresh legs had more than enough energy to keep up a constant pep talk to keep me going. Watching him sliding around in the mud in slightly ill-planned road shoes was also hilarious. Turning off the Thames path into Queens College sports ground was a very welcome relief and I stopped the clock at 13:43:42, just over an hour clear of 2nd place and knocking around 25 minutes off the course record.
Finish in Oxford - I think I'd earned a sit-down by now
Had I been a little more diligent in my research and quest to set a new record, I would have noticed that all of the faster trail times set by British athletes were set on looped coursed in the US, a far cry from what I had completed, so I think that I may have set a new British record for a trail race.
Losing 10% body mass over the day wasn't in the plan, suggesting that my hydration and nutrition strategy could do with some optimisation. The legs are also still very much jelly and it'll take several days minimum before I stop shuffling around like a decrepit pensioner, but with no races in the calendar until 3rd October, I think I can afford a week off!
Thanks go out firstly to my incredibly supportive wife, tolerating my silly early starts running every morning and resulting tiredness for the rest of the day! The extended Hercules family, my crew for the day Dan Barret from Bad Boy Running (my 2nd claim club) and Mike Boucher.
Awesome work again TF - congratulations.
It seems with a nailed down strategy you will be smashing that too...
Top work.
TF, that is a ridiculous effort. I'm not sure what is more impressive, the time or losing 10% of your body mass!
Jesus, that's an amazing result tf, mindblowing!
That is an amazing effort, i can't even comprehend how to do that
Great work @turboferret, cracking effort.
@p7eaven - massive shame but just a knock. Take your time healing, get gentle walks in and build that up gradually and then go back for another go. Start off on flatter ground, maybe? But keep at it, you'll get there slowly - as Claudie says, give your body time to adjust and you'll get there.
Jeez TF - that's some effort. And a suitably understated write up. Fair play, that man, fair play!!
Nice one TF, hope you enjoy putting that 10% back on again.
Any plans to run in Scottish ultras later this year?
S.
Thanks everyone, starting to feel slightly less like a cripple, but I've just had my first covid jab, so I may yet deteriorate again shortly!
@highlandman no plans for racing in Scotland I'm afraid. Firstly I try and keep a bit of balance between running and family life so most things are relatively local. Secondly, I mainly train on the flat, so I'd suffer on proper hilly races 😮
Very impressive TF, setting out on a 160km run and doing the first marathon sub 3 hours... blimey.
On a complete change of subject - has anyone been running with a (covid) facemask on? Any recommendations? I don't need one where I am now as I'm in a fairly rural setting, but I'll hopefully be able to get a run or two in at my place near the Med the week after next, and it's in the middle of a town so I'll probably need one.
@mogrim <trying not to sound arrogant> when your marathon PB is 2:23, 2:57 is steady run pace so feels very easy. Also the first 1/4 is on good terrain, so my theory was that the relative effort/pace compared to the rough stuff meant that it was best to capitalise early. I'm no expert by any means, this being my debut over this distance, and I may have been better saving my legs for later, who knows. Looking back I think I was overdressed for a significant portion of the run and should have shed my jacket for longer. Probably sweated more contributing to my severe dehydration. My GI system certainly seems to be my weakness which becomes apparent in longer events...
Yeah, I can see that - though it still seems fast 🙂
My GI system certainly seems to be my weakness which becomes apparent in longer events…
Nutrition is often the main problem on long distance events, you probably need to consider taking in some solid(ish) food at some point to settle your stomach. Doesn't need to be much more than a white-bread sandwich, but all those gels + drinks end up taking their toll.
Or if you're Nicky Spinks on a double Bob Graham then a portion of fish and chips!!
BTW - if anyone hasn't seen the film of her attempt it's beautifully filmed and inspirational. Run Forever on YouTube
Sorry - only tenuously related, physio has been pushing me to try barefoot style shoes and I see the Merrell Trail Glove looks like a good 'transition' e.g. still a wee bit of padding and support. Plus I've seen some on Sportshoes which I really like the look of 😎
Don't seem to be any local stockists to think I'll just take a punt online. Any quirks of sizing? I'm wearing a 44 in Decathlon which feels a bit neat, 44 in Altberg which is also a bit neat, 44.5 in Innov-8 which feels fine. The shape of the Merrells looks quite spacious at the front so maybe no need to go too big?
Ta
I've always found Merrell's a little short, may be my odd feet though.
I too am looking at shoes, and despite having 2 pairs already, 1 of which is unworn, I really want a pair of OG Vaporfly's. How good do they look?!?!
the sensible option is a pair of NB FuelCall RebelV2 which have got rave reviews.
OG Vaporfly’s. How good do they look?!?!
Pretty ugly, colours are OK but that stupid tail thing... and they'll look even worse from above. Still, each to their own 🙂
@13thfloormonk Why is your physio recommending barefoot shoes?
IME stability stems from having a well balanced core and glutes / hips.
Looking at the current fads, barefoot shoes were all the rage, now its all maximal. The cynic in me would point at Inov8, famed for (close to) minimal approach to fell shoes discontinuing their Barefoot model, and recently launching the TerrUltra(???) which is their take on a Hoka. People gave up on barefoot due to injuries, which is what they purported to resolve.
I believe that the shoes you wear can make a marginal difference to an injury, what makes the biggest difference is any strength or conditioning work you may be doing to improve it, or sometimes well intentioned regimes can exacerbate injuries.
Aye, barefoot seems a sticking plaster, completely agree on the strength and conditioning Pieface.
I wear 9.5/44 510s, vans, and wearing the trail gloves at 9.5/44 fit nicely. They're more protective than the vapour gloves I first started in (which are fine for perfect surfaces I expect) but still need to avoid those knuckle size stones!
I started running March 2020 and haven't tried other shoes yet. I wanted to give this style of shoe a go and am happy to continue with them at this point. Just giving running a slight break after deciding to beat my best estimated 5k time with a minor knee niggle which turned into more of an issue after.
Why is your physio recommending barefoot shoes?
Actually he is recommending barefoot almost due to a (current...) absence of running related injuries and almost complete lack of running and hiking that I'm doing at the moment which means I can ease myself in gradually. I have ongoing lower back stuff but largely due to muscle inactivity and needing to engage and activate muscles again so that my poor TFL isn't doing all the heavy lifting. I like the idea of a shoe which doesn't do all the stability work for me.
I'm definitely a fan of removing crutches whenever I can, have slowly reduced the number of shims etc. in my road shoes with no obvious detrimental impact, and my sloppy old Innov-8s with nothing more than a worn out set of Superfeet green insoles seem perfectly good for trail walking and occasional running.
It's just something I'd like to try, the success rate I've had to date with insoles and orthotics hasn't exactly been stellar anyway so perhaps I've never really *needed* them anyway.
Actually he is recommending barefoot almost due to a (current…) absence of running related injuries
Makes sense, no injuries means no money for him, get the client to try barefoot and he's guaranteed 8 - 10 appointments to fix calf and Achilles injuries. Clever.
Makes sense, no injuries means no money for him, get the client to try barefoot and he’s guaranteed 8 – 10 appointments to fix calf and Achilles injuries. Clever.
If client is an idiot and goes out and overdoes it, yes. I pad about barefoot at home all day every day anyway. I'm not planning to go out an do a munro or run a marathon straight away 😉
He showed me his collection of Viva Barefoot hiking and running shoes so obviously practices what he preaches at least
I wore very minimal shoes for quite some time and never had any running related injuries as a result, so very much depends on the person. I'll regularly put on a pair of very minimal and flexible Nike Frees for an easy run as I feel varying the type of shoe frequently helps to keep the foot strong. Assuming you're not overdoing it or transitioning rapidly from wearing shoes with a huge drop, you should be OK. The Trail Glove looks like a decent option IMO.
I'm trying to resist the urge to get a pair of the updated NB FuelCell Rebels, they're supposed to be ace, but I don't exactly have a shortage!
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right, I did warn you, no one can complain now 🙂
Despite getting no blisters and only the tiniest bit of chafing on my neck from my home-made ultra vest, my toenails didn't escape quite so lightly. It would appear as though my Next% are a fraction on the snug side, and tapping against the end of my shoe ~82,000 times on Saturday was enough to loosen most of the nails and detach them from their beds. Anyone who has had this know this leaves them rather sensitive to touch, often with a large amount of blood/fluid below the nail. This is what the right foot looked like before I drained them, not much better after on Monday:
After a couple of days of being paranoid about the intense pain caused by a careless toddler, removal seemed like the best course of action:
Despite probably looking worse, they are now absolutely pain free, and whipping them off was a formality. To lose 6 of my maximum available 8 is pretty good going I reckon 😀
I know there were two warnings, but I'm not sure if that helped or just made me more curious... 😉
To lose 6 of my maximum available 8 is pretty good going I reckon
FFS, you even beat me on that measure! Good going!
I feel it's fully justified to simply post anything purely to get us closer to the next page 😉
Looking for a lighter trail shoe, currently using Salomon Speedcross but these feel a bit clompy to me.
The Salomon Sense Ride 2 has caught my eye as have the Nike Wildhorse 7s. Does anyone have any experience of these?
Hadn't seen this thread for a few days.
Those are some scabby looking feet tf. But then hardly a surprise considering what they went through.
For trail shoes i am currently living my brooks cascadia 15's nice and light and comfy, not massive tread on them but enough
Still enjoying my running here - 6 miles (and absolutely soaked to the bone) on Sunday and have just done a season's best on a short lunchtime run today.
And I still have 10 toenails.
@nostrils the Sense Ride 2 / 3 / 4 is a nice shoe, albeit a little small but as an existing Salomon wearer you probably get the gist. Probably the best I've had over the last year and I've had about 4 or 5 different trail shoes in that time. They feel quite firm to begin with, but the cushioning soon softens up and they become very nice. Similar to the Pro MD Ultra shoe, narrow across the forefoot.
I'm not convinced by the Salomon Speedlace thing, it tightens quickly but stuffing away the cord takes almost as long as tying a lace? And sometimes they refuse to come undone.
For something a bit burlier the Wildcross is very god, roomier toe box than normal Salomon and less heel roll than the Speedcross.
I am no longer recommending Inov8, I'm spitting the dummy after too many bad experiences (but still own several pairs that have plenty of life left in them).
Looking for a lighter trail shoe,
I'm loving my (top of the range) Decathlon Evadict - they were a bit of gamble as it's the first time I've bought Decathlon running shoes and they're a bit narrower than I'm used to, but I'm very pleased with them. At 80€ they were a fair bit cheaper than a current model from a more established brand, but compared to outlet prices they're not quite so competitive.
I’m loving my (top of the range) Decathlon Evadict
I've got a pair of the Evadict (they were Kalenji when I bought him) XT7's which I like a lot. As above, they're a bit narrow but they work well for me, great in the mud. Nike Pegasus Trails are fine as well for easier trails.
Unrelated, I'm now in week 3 of no running and it's driving me crazy. There is only so much turbo work and walking one can do.
I never realised there were high-end Evadict shoes, they look pretty good, although I do have wide feet, so they might not suit me
the return of parkrun has been delayed.
Seems very odd that I can meet a pile of people in a pub but can't go for a run round a field with them...
Having been hands on with this recently, I can confirm that some of the levels of bureaucracy and the barriers that some landowners (mainly councils) have put up is absolutely ridiculous. For a country with an obesity problem and a lack of funding to address this, there seems to be a lot of barrier to a free event that aims to stop it...
https://blog.parkrun.com/uk/2021/05/21/parkrun-to-delay-restart-of-5k-events-in-england/
Seems very odd that I can meet a pile of people in a pub but can’t go for a run round a field with them…
Well you can go for a run with your friends but you can't go to this mass participation organised event because some landowners haven't given permission.
Well you can go for a run with your friends but you can’t go to a mass participation organised event.
I can, and I can also attend a mass participation event, I did 2 weeks ago in fact. Just not parkrun, which makes it very strange.
I can, and I can also attend a mass participation event, I did 2 weeks ago in fact. Just not parkrun, which makes it very strange.
It's not strange - Parkrun cannot allow *some* to go ahead when others cannot because of the risk of over-subscription.
It’s not strange – Parkrun cannot allow *some* to go ahead when others cannot because of the risk of over-subscription.
I'm an event director at our local event. I fully understand the reasons around why they need almost all to be ready to go.
What is strange is that permissions are so slow to be granted when all evidence suggests it's "a good thing".
What is strange is that permissions are so slow to be granted when all evidence suggests it’s “a good thing”.
I know it is frustrating – there is no doubt about that (I am a regular at my local event and was looking forward to it restarting) but the conversations need to be around getting the red tape sorted so they can go ahead rather than (as is constantly being quoted in media) say things like 'I can go to the pub with my mates, why can't I go for a run with them?' because they are two very different situations that cannot be compared.
Hi All,
I'm looking for a pair of 2 in 1 trail running shorts and THESE seem like an inexpensive option. My question is has anyone got them and can offer an opinion on whether they will be like running on crisp packets or suggest an alternative please?
TIA
Baulk if you wish, but Primark lined shorts are brilliant, and 8 quid.
These from Decathlon are good, https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/kiprun-men-s-running-2-in-1-tight-shorts-grey-black/_/R-p-325793
I've got a pair of Higher State shorts and they're just as good as other more prestigious brands, so I'd have no hesitation in buying those
Baulk if you wish, but Primark lined shorts are brilliant, and 8 quid.
I would have agreed with you last year but we finally have a Decathlon in Leeds and their £18 lined shorts are much nicer (as are their winter long-sleeved tops).