Odysseus's Journey

Odysseus

Friday 7th/Sunday9th August.

Mobile Marathon Relay. Ran 50k.

Excellent couple of days out, I really enjoyed doing this and it was not demanding at all from a distance viewpoint since I have been up to little since the MdS. All praise should go to John O'regan for organising this, and it was organised very well. Even with excellent organisation thing like this can go a tad off the mark at times, however this not the case last weekend. Everybody worked well together and supported each other, it was just about 4 blokes running from A to B whilst raising some awareness of the Jack and Jill foundation, personalities were left out of it. John at one point described it as a busman's holiday and that's what it was.

We met at 07.00 for the train to Galway, Ultraman was joining us later. We arrived in Galway before 11.00 and John had to be wisked off for a radio interview. That left me with Padraic O'Doherty who I had just met. So we used that time to get to know each other. An interesting point on this is I had met Ultraman eariler in the year, it was my first time to meet John, though the 3 of us grew up in Ballyfermot and even when to the same schools, we only met through ultra running.

Our plan was simple it was a relay so for the most part we just ran 10k each replacing the runner each time. A local lad joined in at the start and travelled with John on his sections of the run to Loughrea, a nice chap, but he wasn't too interested in running with the rest of us. He was a John O'Regan groupie, I jest. The chap is interested in doing some runs and was trying to get as much info out of John as possible. Excatly what I would have done a few years ago when I was trying to learn about ultra running, and John is very giving with his time and knowledge.

On the friday I done two 10k runs as Ultraman had joined us and he was hungry for the miles. I had an early night on the Friday as I had little sleep the night before and I was up before 06.00 to get the train.

Saturday I covered the same distance, I had problems locating the van in Mullingar. As I was asking some locals for directions I noticed it turning a cover so I belt for it as it slowed for some traffic lights, but just as I reached it, they pulled off. So I have to chase them again but they got stopped a red light. The locals seemed a tad bemused as I just belted up to the van, in full running kit with a camelbak on, banged on the side of it and jumped in the back as the light went green.

We had time for a nice meal and chat that evening, a nice relaxing night. Sunday I covered two 5k runs. We kept ahead of our timing all the wat through the run, so we had to linger for a few minutes on the Quays so we did not arrive at The Spire early.

We arrived and the Jack and Jill Foundation had cameras and ballons awating for us.

So that's just a quick sense of the run, but I have to say it does not capture the event. We where doing a bit of good for the charity, and really enjoyig ourselves whilst doing it. A big thanks to John for organising it, to Ultraman for been himself, and to Padraic [can I just have 3 boiled eggs] for his advise, support and of course his nutritional inputs. Cheers lads thanks for a great weekend.

woundedknee

Cheers Odysseus. Brief run report on blog and will send you the photos soon.

Until the next time....

Odysseus

woundedknee wrote: »

Cheers Odysseus. Brief run report on blog and will send you the photos soon.

Until the next time....

Cheers mate.

Odysseus

Odysseus wrote: »

Cheers mate.

Here is a link to a report my local paper done on the Mobile Marathon.

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=other&refresh=3Dc1z90J6Ar1&PBID=eb89a4df-82ca-4255-b3ba-e3bfbcabe3b0&skip

Odysseus

Its only linking to the front page, the report is on page 25 for those interested.

Odysseus

Tuesday 29th Dec.

Ran 10k 1.01:50

Well as the above says I’m back. I haven’t done any training since the Mobile Marathon. I have been going pretty hard at things for the past few years and I need a break. I avoided checking things out here as I knew I would get sucked back into it. Anyway first out there and it was horrible, rain, whacked out of it by hailstones. I’m not too happy with the time but it will do for now. I have to be ready for the desert by Feb 22nd, I'm sure be ok;)

RacoonQueen

Good to see you back. Look forward to reading your log again.

Odysseus

Cheers RQ, It was difficult to get going again I made a few attempts but didn't get past the front door. I'm really looking forward geting back to the Sahara. If I could manage to work there it would be my first choice.

ultraman1

welcome back.....

Odysseus

ultraman1 wrote: »

welcome back.....

Cheers mate, I missed checking our here, but I knew some would come up with " I have an interesting idea for an ultra" and I know me, I just can't say no;)

Abhainn

ultraman1 wrote: »

welcome back.....

Ditto

Odysseus

Abhainn wrote: »

Ditto

Cheers mate. Its good to start getting into action again, though I am going to take it easy next year, nothing planned after the Sahara yet. Usually I have a long list for the following year by this time of the year.

RacoonQueen

Odysseus wrote: »

Cheers mate. Its good to start getting into action again, though I am going to take it easy next year, nothing planned after the Sahara yet. Usually I have a long list for the following year by this time of the year.

See you in Dingle then yeah? :pac:

Slogger Jogger

Welcome back Odysseus. Best of luck 4 your goals in 2010.

Odysseus

RacoonQueen wrote: »

See you in Dingle then yeah? :pac:

What's on the mooathon?

Odysseus

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Welcome back Odysseus. Best of luck 4 your goals in 2010.

Cheers mate, and of course the to you. However, I'm taking it handy at the moment. The Sahara Marathon is more than just a run for me, spending time with my "adopted" family in the camp. I just wait and see what pops up that tickles my fancy so to speak;)

Odysseus

Friday 1st Jan.

I wasn't going to risk running on my local roads today, it can be iffy enough up here at the best of times. Anyway I generally cross train so today was:

One hour of bag-work.

Just did my normal session of 10x5 mins rounds with a one min break in between. There difference this year is normally when I am training for the desert I would have blow heaters on and have the gym room heated to 25-30 degree and train in thermal kit. I have stopped that as I discovered each time I did that after afew months of it I was having BP issues which I would normally never have. So It was just thermal kit and a hat. I know I'm going to be sore tomorrow

woundedknee

Odysseus wrote: »

There difference this year is normally when I am training for the desert I would have blow heaters on and have the gym room heated to 25-30 degree and train in thermal kit. I have stopped that as I discovered each time I did that after afew months of it I was having BP issues which I would normally never have. So It was just thermal kit and a hat. I know I'm going to be sore tomorrow

Hi Odysseus,
Regarding the artificial heat acclimatisation, if you are wearing extra clothing that will increase your fluid loss I would suggest you weigh yourself before and after each training session. I would also drink an electrolyte replacement drink such as nuun or powerade during and after training and I'd also have a drink beside my bed to drink during the night if waking up thirsty. Don't go to bed under weight as you might wake up with a bad hangover headache.
It takes about 14 days to acclimatise to a new environment so I would concentrate on getting myself fit before starting on the acclimatising.

RacoonQueen

Odysseus wrote: »

What's on the mooathon?

Dingle Ultra. Nice 50 miler taking in Connors pass 16 miles in.

Odysseus

woundedknee wrote: »

Hi Odysseus,
Regarding the artificial heat acclimatisation, if you are wearing extra clothing that will increase your fluid loss I would suggest you weigh yourself before and after each training session. I would also drink an electrolyte replacement drink such as nuun or powerade during and after training and I'd also have a drink beside my bed to drink during the night if waking up thirsty. Don't go to bed under weight as you might wake up with a bad hangover headache.
It takes about 14 days to acclimatise to a new environment so I would concentrate on getting myself fit before starting on the acclimatising.

Yeah your spot on that's what I always did, the training tonight was just because I couldn't get out today. To be honest in the past when I did alot of it, I'm not actually sure how much of a difference it made, but how do you gauge these things. Its not actually a big factor at the moment as you said yourself its about getting back into some form of descent condition.

Anything on the cards yourself at the moment?

Odysseus

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Dingle Ultra. Nice 50 miler taking in Connors pass 16 miles in.

Yeah what was I thinking, wrong end of the country:o I just googled it there that's my birthday:) I'm not sure whethere that means I should go for it or chill.

woundedknee

Odysseus wrote: »

I'm not actually sure how much of a difference it made, but how do you gauge these things.

I think it does make a difference and if nothing else being prepared as much as you can in advance of an event helps with your confidence. I would use a heart rate monitor to gauge my acclimatising sessions and always wear a hat. When my HR starts to increase I reduce the intensity and when I finish the session I'd stay in the heated area until my core temp dropped and that's something I would gauge with my HR yet again. This might not be exact but I'd just chill out and stretch until mr HR was below 100bpm
No point in suggesting to you to lose some bodyfat

Odysseus wrote: »

Anything on the cards yourself at the moment?

For starters I have another 24 Hour race in May and then it's yet to be confirmed....

Odysseus

woundedknee wrote: »

I think it does make a difference and if nothing else being prepared as much as you can in advance of an event helps with your confidence. I would use a heart rate monitor to gauge my acclimatising sessions and always wear a hat. When my HR starts to increase I reduce the intensity and when I finish the session I'd stay in the heated area until my core temp dropped and that's something I would gauge with my HR yet again. This might not be exact but I'd just chill out and stretch until mr HR was below 100bpm
No point in suggesting to you to lose some bodyfat



For starters I have another 24 Hour race in May and then it's yet to be confirmed....

That's where I type of lose out, I don't really keep a track of stuff like HR as you know youself, with its a case of just making sure I have enough smokes, point me in the right direction and off I go.

Well I hope to be seeing you before May but best of luck with it.

Odysseus

Sat 2nd Jan.

Ran 10k 56.30:66.

Actually enjoyed getting out this afternoon, roads where ok, but its far from a perfect training environment. A chap drove beside me, at first I thought it was a wind up, but turns out he's doing the MdS this year. We said we would keep an eye out for each on the roads.

Odysseus

Sunday 24th Jan.

Ran 20k. 2.07:12

First run since the 2nd. Race is the 22nd of next month. Why have I not been out you may ask, well I have a plan. In all the various talks I had with runners and non-runners about endurance running, I have always held this position. The non-runners ask what's is like when you take a good break and start running again. I have always answered with the following "I could do a marathon tomorrow, if I had too. It wouldn't be nice, and certainly not pretty, but I would cover the distance".

So I have my hypothesis and what better place to test it than the Sahara. I know the environment, route and terrain well. I'm not bothered about getting a certain time, this year I'm more looking forward to meeting my adopted famaily than the actual race. I'm happy to just be back in the desert again. So what's the worse that can happen I don't get a "fast" time, I have to walk a bit of it.

It's a little experiment I'm happy to under take. Over the years here we have seen the guys who post about wanting to do a marathon the following month with little training. I may not have been training and I'm a nicotine fiend so people who don't know me think I'm nuts inanyway. However, the different between me and the different posters I referred to above is I know my ability to tolerate pain, I know what is ahead of me. Especially with such a slow time for the 20k.

Now I'm not going in cold, I will do 30k next week and will do a small bit of other stuff, but I will be keeping it minimun. I'm interested in people's thoughts on this, anyone is welcome, but especially those who know me and have run with me in the past. Apart from the "your off your cake mate". All opinions welcome.

Oh if anyone is interested in the race, my local paper did an article on me about it. I can't link directly to the page but its page 26.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk%2FLaunch.aspx%3Freferral%3Dother%26refresh%3DfN034kH1W1t2%26PBID%3Deb89a4df-82ca-4255-b3ba-e3bfbcabe3b0%26skip%3D&h=cf3d1ca425815c03de20f2f84d717461

BossArky

Have you read Survival of the Fittest by Mike Stroud? I cannot imagine running the MdS without training based upon his account of the event!

If you're not back by end of April I'll send out a search party! Best of luck

Woundedknee.

BossArky wrote: »

Have you read Survival of the Fittest by Mike Stroud? I cannot imagine running the MdS without training based upon his account of the event!

If you're not back by end of April I'll send out a search party! Best of luck

I'm sure if Mike Stroud knew Odysseus he'd say go for it.
Odysseus isn't referring to the MdS which is a race he has already done. The Sahara Marathon is a standard Marathon distance and although he mentions doing it without any specific recent training he's not going into the unknown. This is his summer holidays.*

RacoonQueen

BossArky wrote: »

Have you read Survival of the Fittest by Mike Stroud? I cannot imagine running the MdS without training based upon his account of the event!

If you're not back by end of April I'll send out a search party! Best of luck

Reading Mike Stroud's book put me OFF the MdS. Alas, I overcam that and still want to run it.

Odysseus

Monday 22nd Feb.

Sahara Half Marathon. 2.29.

Ok as seen above, I changed my mind at the last minute. I arrived planning to still go with my plan, however, as wounded knee noted this was my Summer Holiday. I first done the Sahara Marathon 4 years to see if I could do the MdS. I went there for the race, however, I discoverd much more. You stay in a refugee camp for the displaced people of Western Sahara, I stay with the same family each year, its a very humbling experience staying in the camps for a week, I have a adopted family there now.

Anyway I changed my mind, as the race was secondary, I was going back to see my adopted family. I thought about it, and concluded that I would only be putting myself through hell just for the sake of it, so I opted for the half at the last minute.

I'm glad I did, I just took it handy, and really enjoyed it. It was my slowest half marathon ever, however, I had time to enjoy the environment. Usually you are just focused on getting to the finish line, rushing through a beautiful place. I have done the full before and will again. I hope to get back there every year for as long as I can.

It was hot on the day, I reckon 30+ degrees, however, not too hot either. The half takes place on the hardest part of the course, the first 21k are nice and flat. On the half the are a good number of dunes, but nothing like the mountains you encounter on the MdS. However, they can still sap your strenght, in past years I have ran most of them, but this year I walked up them. There where plenty of aid stations, I had my camelbak so I didn't need water, but I did partake of some dates.

Anyway it was a wonderful week away as it always is, and one that I would recommend to eveyone.

Odysseus

BossArky wrote: »

Have you read Survival of the Fittest by Mike Stroud? I cannot imagine running the MdS without training based upon his account of the event!

If you're not back by end of April I'll send out a search party! Best of luck

Yeah, excellent book, he gives a good account of the race. As WK noted I doing a different race. The MdS is good, however, I actually prefer the Sahara Marathon, you spend more time with the people, its an adventure in itself, whereas the MdS is just a race. Great experience, but all you are doing is running, then sorting yourself out for the next day to go again.