Scott ultra RC

I know a lot of folk really like them, but I found the stack height too high and the grip level, for the aggressive looking sole, woeful.  And they’re lethal on wet rock.  Terrifyingly so.

An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman..
Ran out 162 miles, 158 and 150 miles respectively to take 1st, 2nd & 3rd places at the final leg of the Home Nations Backyard Ultra at Blair Atholl castle this past weekend. 139 runners began the ‘Highlander’ event at 1200 on Saturday; the DNFs trickled through hour after hour, lap after lap until late on Sunday evening, when there were only these three left.
So now we have the odd situation that an Englishman is also a Highlander: There can be only one.
Andrew Jackson, Patrick Staunton & Richie Cunningham
The conditions were classic Highland; it poured with rain, almost all weekend. At least it wasn’t cold. The team event went to Scotland, with home advantage in the conditions on the day. Ireland took the overall team crown and Wales the wooden spoon; or was that a spurtle..?.
Despite conditions, the atmosphere was superb all weekend, loads of support and on Sunday morning having the 26 remaiming runners at that stage cheered home at the end of their 100 mile lap by 1500 scouts, their pipe band & jamboree event support was a grand wee highlight. Happy days…

@alwillis I’m doing Lakes In A day this year. Did it last year, was an amazing day out. Although it rained for most of the day, the atmosphere was great. Friendliest event I’ve done.
Definitely worth some time recceing the first two legs. Cloud was really low and there were people all over the place after Clough Head, heading along to the Dodds.
Navigation was quite tricky in the later stages, once it was dark. Tiredness and looking for small yellow arrows. There was 20ish people all running around a field trying to find the gate to get out!

@mrsheen my default shoe for 90% of Lakes running (pretty similar to Peak District) is Inov-8 Trailfly 270. Fast, lightish, grippy and the only shoes that seem to last. I see them as the Maxxis Minion of trail shoes…
Sportshoes have the old model Terraultra 270 (only difference is name/colour) on Sale.

@mrsheen, for that kind of usage have a look at the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 (make sure it’s V4 and not 2 or 3). They’re a great allrounder and the outsole is much improved over last years model.

Heading out to Chamonix on the motorbike mid September. Looking at some running, shuffling, crawling for a few days:) Advice on how to find routes other than just following signs? Use other peoples Strava routes, guess I’d have to upgrade to a paid subscription, could I then uplaod to my Garmin? Help appreciated.

@cat69uk, you can indeed get suggested routes from Strava as a premium feature, but I believe you can do the same through Garmin Connect as well without paying.

Thanks @lunge, I’ll take a look.

Loads of routes, just click add to device. Sorted!!

Just got Saucony Xodus Ultra delivered, comfy round the house. Can’t wait to test them out, Chamonix September and then Round Ripon Ultra start of October.

Snap! Ordered the Xodus Ultra yesterday,  arriving tomorrow. Love new shoe day.

Replaced my Suunto Ambit with a Garmin 245 Music recently as I wanted some of the newer features my old Suunto didnt have. I have a pair of Sony over ear Walkman MP3 headphones which were fine and as nothing ever stays in my ear I have to have something that loops over. I bought a pair of cheap (£20) over ear ones from Amazon to pair with the watch and started using them to listen to Podcasts etc when training. Ignoring the initial fault (WIFI) that meant the watch had to be returned for a week to Garmin, It all now works really well. The most useful feature for me is the audible instructions for intervals and recovery (I often do my intervals in time not distance, say 2 min, 3 min 4min etc with a recovery period) so I find this feature a huge help when I do my sessions. Having information every mile also helps slow me down on easy runs as well. All in all a really useful training aid.
I have used Garmin since they brought out the first Forerunner in around 2006 and changed to Suunto a few years ago as the software was often buggy but really pleased with this model.

How does it compare convenience-wise to using a phone for podcasts? I’ve always done this, the phone updates the podcasts automatically and assembles into a playlist so I usually just switch on as I head out the door, though I can pick something specific if I feel like it.

Wouldn’t want another monkey to feed with synching etc, also wonder about affecting battery life when using it for music on long runs.

has anyone here done the Bob Graham round? I’ve become a bit obsessed by it and see it as the ultimate challenge – but resigned to never having the fitness or wherewithal, particularly with my niggly injuries. But I’d love to give it a go, probably do each leg separately beforehand and then stitch it all together

The Rigby Round (Cairngorms) looks amazing too but even longer

if you’ve done either then max respect

I presume you’re read Feet in the Clouds?

I’m sure at least one STWer has done it but can’t recall who now.

We had a crack at it over 3 days a couple of years ago. Day 1 was ok – legs 1 & 2. 50k ish, plenty of climbing / descending. Day 2 was hideous so we bailed on Leg 3 and got to Wasdale over Styhead instead. Day 3 was even worse but we needed to get back from Wasdale so we did Leg 4. Nav was painfully slow with 20m visibility and brutal winds. Needless to say, we didn’t do Leg 5 either!!

My big takeaway was that you simply need to spend a LOT of time in the fells. Long days hill walking better than short fast fell races. It’s all about time on your feet and ability to keep moving at a steady (not fast) pace.

Still part of me thinks I’d love to do it but I doubt I ever will! I’m quickly approaching the age to qualify for the Joss Naylor Lakeland Challenge – shorter than the BG but sounds harder to me!!

@thecaptain

Less convenient but I plug most things into my Mac in the Kitchen so I download automatically then drag them across manually using the Garmin Express app. Needs plugging in every few days anyway to recharge so not too much of a hardship. Music syncs with Spotify which I dont really use for podcasts anyway.
Important thing for me is that there is a bit of faff before the run but its pretty intuitive when out. Starting music and run etc and switching between them if needed is pretty easy.
Nothing as good as a phone but I never carry one unless I am out for hours in the hills etc.

@thecaptain, I use a Garmin watch (645 Music) for music and podcasts and in truth, certainly compared to a phone, it’s a bit clunky to download and update. But, it means I don’t need to carry a phone and that more than outweighs the faff of downloading things to the watch.
Battery life is lessened but I’ve ran for 4 hours with GPS and Bluetooth running and the battery wasn’t empty by the end, I don’t think my watch model is renowned for it’s battery life either.
On the odd occasions I do run with my phone I tend to use that instead of the watch.

@fingerbang

I have considered it many times over the years but each time I get fit enough I revert back to road/Xc which is what I prefer to run. @mrsparkle has done the JN challenge and is very experienced.

As @dashed says you need to do a lot of ascents and descents its not the speed or even the distance that takes so much out of you. If you hop over to the FRA forum you will get all the information you need and if you volunteer to help others in their training and attempts then you will have no shortage of volunteers to help you.

I have considered it many times over the years but each time I get fit enough I revert back to road/Xc which is what I prefer to run. @mrsparkle has done the JN challenge and is very experienced.

The Joss is the old man’s Bob Graham. I should have done the BG when I was a young whipper snapper of 40, twenty years ago! I’ve always regretted it. I’ve supported on quite a few over the years. As @surfer says – the FRA forum/FB page is a good place to go for help and advice. One of my mates from our club is going next year and I’m hoping to pace him on Leg 5 (aka the Glory leg!).

@dashed – the time cuts at age 50 make it harder than the BG apparently. I waited until I was in the V55 range. And only just made it!

Just on the BGR front, I loved the Bob Graham Sounds podcast.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/bob-graham-sounds/id1492261523

Thanks both re:garmin music, it sounds like (as I’d suspected) it’s not really worth it for me. I always take my phone anyway, which is pretty small and light.

A rather different running experience for me at the weekend.  Having run 2 of the Centurion 100 mile races, Thames Path and South Downs Way, I have my eye on the North Downs Way for next year.  I thought that a recce of the 2nd half could be beneficial, so volunteered to pace a friend for the 2nd half.  Normally I’m home and in the bath by the time it gets dark, but knew that this wouldn’t be the case!  I met him 55 miles in at about 4:30pm, he was in 21st place having run fairly briskly for the 1st half, but this was showing quickly, and by the next aid station at 60 miles he needed a significant sit-down.  He was telling me to find someone else to pace and continue on with them, as he was very doubtful that he would be finishing, and would most likely drop out shortly.  Fortunately no-one else wanted my company, and a coffee perked him up, so we carried on trotting, albeit at slightly reduced pace.  Head-torches went on a bit after 9pm as the sun set, and then went off again at about 4:30am as the sun rose, and we trundled into Ashford to finish on the track at 5:39, comfortably inside the 24 hour mark.  6:32am train, back home to Wimbledon about 8:15, probably feeling as rough from sleep depravation as I would have been physically from running double the distance!

Sunset just after crossing the Medway near Rochester

That’s the moon, head torches about to go on

Dawn a few miles from the finish

A good bit of salt on my mate’s face!

I shot quite a bit of GoPro footage too which I’ll edit down into something hopefully reasonably watchable

i seem to have found the cause of my runners knee at last.

the saddle on my gravel bike had slipped ~2cm, and I’d subsequently set the height on my mtb off the road bike when I changed dropped dropper.

wasn’t enough to cause discomfort on the short rides I’ve been doing recently but enough to aggravate it enough that running was uncomfortable.

got covid to thank for finding it, hadnt ridden or run for weeks, went back to running it knee felt better, had a hard ride and was bad enough I had to bail out of run after a couple of km the next morning.

@j4mesj4mes thanks for the Bob Graham Sounds suggestion, I’ve been working my way through the episodes

I didn’t want it to end. I ended up rationing the episodes.

On the BG front, just been watching YouTube vids on Nicky Spinks, what a beast. Particularly the double BG attempt. I think she was my age when she did that and the double paddy Buckley which is inspirational but trying to emulate such an extraordinary runner is perhaps going to end in tears for me

She makes a single BG look easy though

has anyone here done the Bob Graham round?

I’ve done the BG and the Charlie Ramsay Round.

Don’t think of the BG as a running thing, it’s all about time on feet. If you are fit and can commit to spending a lot of time out in the hills then it is pretty achievable. Drop me a message if you want some more info.

What sunscreen do ultra runners use? I’ve been using standard lotion but it just sweats off.

as a practically translucent ginger, p20 factor 50.

I’m a fan of Nivea Sun Invisible Spray SPF50.  I seem to be able to sweat through it without issues while others make me a lot hotter.  Only minor concern is don’t get it in your eyes as it stings

I’ve got a lump on top of my right foot, had it for a few months (Think it may have been bought on by too tight running shoes) and it has impacted my ability to run. It feels sore constantly. Has anyone else experienced this type of injury? Going a bit nuts not being able to run.

What sunscreen do ultra runners use? I’ve been using standard lotion but it just sweats off.

I’ve been using the Piz Buin Mountain spf50. Seems to have done the job as I’m paler than Casper and haven’t burnt whilst wearing it

has anyone here done the Bob Graham round?

I’ve done the BG and the Charlie Ramsay Round.

Don’t think of the BG as a running thing, it’s all about time on feet. If you are fit and can commit to spending a lot of time out in the hills then it is pretty achievable. Drop me a message if you want some more info.

Nice one! Im toying with the idea of a BG attempt, next year is probably too soon as I’m currently still doing aerobic running for stamina, have niggly achilles injuries, and my hill work is non existent. Although planning on an AL fell run or two this season

Im encouraged that I’ve read that a BG round of 24 hours is 16 hours walking up hills and 8 hours trotting on the flats or descents (or something). Not to trivialise it as its momentous effort

Did you do it solo or with pacers? Is it ‘unofficial’ if you don’t have company with you?

Some clubmates have done it, I think you’re right with the description. You don’t have to be a great runner but you do have to keep going at a decent pace. Yes it seems that having company all the way round is a large part of the whole deal. Puts me off but that’s fine, it’s not really my sort of thing anyway.

I was happy to go sub-40 for a 10k at the weekend. A good 2 minutes off my best but at least I’m still moving and should be set up nicely for the winter season. And then today I took a dive over a tree root and lost various bits of skin, fortunately nothing serious (jogging on a minor road, dappled light camouflaging the lifted surface).

Did you do it solo or with pacers? Is it ‘unofficial’ if you don’t have company with you?

I ran solo and had support meet me at the road crossings. This means I’m not on the list but that’s fine by me. I’d done my RR in the same style and enjoyed it. I am on the RR list as Charlie is a bit more mellow about these things!

What sunscreen do ultra runners use? I’ve been using standard lotion but it just sweats off.

Aldi kids sun cream. SPF50 and comes in a handy little bottle, small enough to carry with you. Last for ages. And it’s cheap!

Anybody running the Southern Upland Way this weekend (Race Across Scotland)?
We will be out on the SUW on the bikes so could give you a cheer 🙂

Shoe PSA:
Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 now £93 on the Saucony website. Bargain for a great all round shoe.

@fingerbang

Did the BGR late June in 22.09. Was nice to get round at my first attempt despite some rough weather during the early legs.

Put a fair bit of work into it, probably 8 months of regular long fell sessions building up to doing legs 3,4 and 5 in a day which was my longest session. Probably did 2 legs in a day about 8 times.

Keen to know if yhje serious runners amongst us do lower body workouts in the gym? Squats deadlifts etc? Obviously they fatigue the muscles which isnt great for running, however when im running up hills i wish my legs were stronger!

Also, I did the Eccles Pike fell race last night and nearly melted.