Get the right support.....

Kids; running can be lonely sport. A lot of the time you're running by yourself and sometimes that's the appeal, but like many things in life you need to have the right support if you're going to achieve anything.

This support can come in many different forms, but when you find those willing to support you, make sure you keep them close and treat them right as they are the people who will enable you to succeed.

I'm really lucky in having support from a number of different angles.

Those who have a passing interest in my achievements at work and whose acknowledgement makes me realise that I am doing well.

Friends on Twitter, who prove an endless source of inspiration, support advice and humour.

The close friends who offer congratulations, opinion and concern but don't push you in a given direction.

My wife who supports me and allows me to disappear for hours (and hours) at a time to run ridiculous distances and spend my money on the required kit (and food). Kids,o yur Mum has brought you to the finish of some of my favourite races and never gives me grief about disappearing lycra-clad in the middle of the night.

And I have you kids who now seem so unsurprised at my achievements and challenges that it gives me the confidence to try newer, more difficult things. (eg. returning from an 18 mile run and being asked "not too far then?", or coming 6th in a race and being asked why I didn't just run faster....)

Not a great picture outside a GREAT shop. Coffee, running and bikes... UNDER ONE ROOF!!!

But there is one person who has been ceaseless in his support, especially since the distances increased and I started running ultras this year.

My Dad is no runner, he's a fit guy and although I won't say his age (it starts with a 6), he jogs with his dog and rides his bike daily and looks after what he eats (actually, my Mum looks after what he eats.)

Any way, my Dads involvement started in the Northants ultra35 back in May. At short notice, the guy changed his plans and drove me there. He then proceeded to drive to every checkpoint and offer comfort and concern (and water) every time. Knowing he was there and would be at the checkpoints gave me the confidence to push through  many dark patches that day and complete what remains my toughest challenge.

At Grimsthorpe Ultra (40) he again stepped up to the plate, driving me there and this time took on a support role, supplying drinks, food, changes of footwear and the type of droll advice only a Dad can give (only ten more miles mate).

In the first of these races, he got sunburned and in the second he got soaked, but his presence at each event gave me the ability to succeed where I otherwise would have failed.

This weekend, with project 100 heading towards me like a steam train, I set off on my planned long run. An estimated 32 miler, all on road. Camelbak and food made in advance I set off at 6.30am and looked for a 6 hour out and back. Only this time I was not alone...

 

 

Ever keen to push himself (oh that's where I get it from) my Dad came along on his bike and rode the entire distance with me. Acting as a hi-vis warning to drivers and a pace setter as well, we knocked out a 32 miles in 5:42:06 on a training run when I was carrying all of the food and drink I'd require. This is a bit slower than my normal pace, but with an early start, relatively heavy bag and the monotony of out and back on main roads I was happy with it. I suffered from a lot of top of foot pain in the last 5 miles which totally screwed my average pace.

The run consisted of a two hour run, before adopting a 25:5 minute run:walk ratio. If I'm honest, I didn't feel like walking, I'd have rather kept running, for the first four hours I felt great and could have kept going a lot further at the faster pace. But I'm training to run 100k, not a fast marathon so I stuck to the plan.

The lessons learnt on this run were numerous. A lot about technique, more about training smart as well as training hard and finding your limits, but most importantly about being supported. Long distance running is a largely mental sport , so while food and water will feed the body, the best way to nourish your mind is through support. Whether that support is at home making coffee, a text from a friend or someone riding alongside you, it's priceless.

Kids, when you find something you want to do, the way I want to run, surround yourself with people who believe in you and support you and truly want you to succeed.

These are the people whose words will keep you going through the tough times;

whose presence will feel like an arm around you helping you to the finish line;

whose advice will see you make the right decisions when you mind is unclear;

And these are the people who will stand in all types of weather to cheer you on make you feel like a winner, whatever the result.

Oh and kids, if you ever take up running and want me to come out with you, choose a nicer route than the A5. It was cold, windy, dangerous and I saw more roadkill than people. But whatever route you choose, know that I'll be with you, offering drinks, advice, food and support in whatever measures you need.

Eat.... and run.

They say a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. Now that may well be true when it comes to working with explosives or handling chemicals, but for me running is less of a science and more of an art form.

Like art it's something which we each have our own interpretation of and need for.

Like art it can be a beautiful experience or plain hideous, it's in the eye of the beholder.

And like art, there are loads of people that will tell you its all about technique and ability, but for me running has to come from within and be something you enjoy doing. It's something you can experiment with, without risking harm to others. You have to find your own way of making it work for you and make sure its sustainable.

While I've been studying physiology and anatomy as part of my personal trainers course, I've been looking at body energy systems and about how muscles are fuelled. This along with Scott JUREK'S book Eat & Run got me thinking about how I fuel my running.

I've aquiesced into the use of energy gels in running. I've seen the adverts and the articles that tell you how good they are and never looked for an alternative. I've run ultras, marathons and halfmarathons on nothing but foil-wrapped sugar, flavoured with god-knows-what.
But with a huge challenge on the horizon I started thinking that I'm going to need to try new things out if I'm going to be successful.

The challenge is a 100km (approximately) run along a canal from Central London to Leighton Buzzard. Not satisfied with that being difficult enough, this is a small 4-man event with no official support or organisation. This is just 4 like-minded (read odd) guys who want to run 62 miles in the middle of winter.

So I started looking at the nutritional content of gels and also the energy cycles used in Ultramarathon running, especially at relatively slow pace. From a calorific point of view, the human body contains sufficient energy stores to run that distance. A lb of fat contains about 3500 k/cals and that's a lot of running, I've calculated that 62 miles will take about 8,300 k/cals. But what the body needs is carbs to metabolise (burn) the body fat. It also needs accessible proteins, fats and salts to maintain a healthy aerobic cycle. The gels started to look like an easy solution, but not perhaps the best.

From a psychological point of view I've also learnt that  its important on ultras to like what you're eating. 10 hours of eating gels will leave you sick to your stomach and hugging a toilet bowl. Knowing there is something tasty waiting for you at the next checkpoint is a huge incentive to keep moving forward.

 

On my training week this run I made up wraps with houmous and olives, peanut butter and nutella sandwiches, peanuts and a snickers. I never even got as far as the Snickers as the rest of the food easily sustained me on the way round.

 

I ran 26.2 miles with a mate at a very sedate pace and fuelled every 30 minutes, taking in a total of 300 calories per hour, mostly in carbohydrate form, plus proteins and fats from the nuts and houmous. Not a gel or energy drink in sight, I hydrated with water, helped by the fact it was a relatively cool day.

 

 

What did I learn?

• You don't need gels to fuel you on longer runs, they're calorie dense and handy to use, but not the healthiest source of nutrition.
• Real food is great on the trails, there's less waste, it needn't be messy and it's a lot easier for the stomach to digest.
• By eating well on the go, you've already given your body the right components to begin the recovery and repair process of your training.
• Food tastes better when you're outdoors, cold and tired.

 

I'm not saying don't use gels or energy supplements, if I did I'd be sued by Lucozade or ZipVit. They have a place in exercise and for some people they are a perfect solution to a problem. They contain easily processed energy to fuel you through exercise. But sometimes the easy solution is not the best for everyone.

 

As usual, I'm not even saying that everything I learnt is to do with running.

 

What I'm saying is that you need to experiment within an art form or a skill to find your own style and what works for you. If running is an art form then everyone has their individual style, needs and interpretation. Likewise the way to maintain it needs to be personal and tailored to suit.

 

I've found a style that works for me and a way to sustain myself when I do it.

 

Make sure you do the same.

 

 

 

This run was aimed for 10 min/mile running. This was continuous for the first two hours then we started a regime of 30 minute runs:5 minute walk. This allowed us to refuel on the walk. It was my first paired run and we talked the whole way which kept the pace down too. A great day and a great run.