My UltraRunning log

chinguetti

Mithril, twas good to chat to you before the start on Saturday. A great time you did there on Saturday. I was talking to a few locals afterwards in the hall and they said it is quite a slow course with the wind always a factor and the hill been in three parts. The last two years it rained which made it tougher again so we had a nice day all told.

Glad that the knee held up, that descend to the finish was a bit scary i thought. That should set you up great for Connemara in a couple of weeks. Hope it goes well for you.

mithril

Rest

mithril

Tuesday
Summary: 9.2 KM in 0:42 (4:37 pace) in laps on grass of Carysfort Park.

Dug out my Heart rate monitor for this aerobic run to see whether it could tell me anything useful.
Average heart rate of 160 BPM but maximum heart rate of 249.
Average heart rate for first KM of 209 and 136 for last KM.
Figure that one out if you can?
I have tried multiple combinations of watches and sensors and never yet got a set of readings that made any sense to me.

Krusty_Clown

mithril wrote: »

Tuesday
Summary: 9.2 KM in 0:42 (4:37 pace) in laps on grass of Carysfort Park.

Dug out my Heart rate monitor for this aerobic run to see whether it could tell me anything useful.
Average heart rate of 160 BPM but maximum heart rate of 249.
Average heart rate for first KM of 209 and 136 for last KM.
Figure that one out if you can?
I have tried multiple combinations of watches and sensors and never yet got a set of readings that made any sense to me.

Sounds like you need to wet your sensors before you head out!

mithril

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Sounds like you need to wet your sensors before you head out!

Done that, changed battery twice, got the new Garmin sensor, tried multiple ways of positioning the sensors and different tensions on the strap ...

mithril

Wednesday
Summary: 21.1 KM in 1:36:54 (4:35 pace) in laps of Carysfort and Blackrock Parks.

Tiredness still in the legs for this run and did not find it as easy as I hoped. A couple of easy days now and I will look at a more aggressive taper if legs don't feel fresh by the week-end.

Krusty_Clown

mithril wrote: »

Wednesday
Summary: 21.1 KM in 1:36:54 (4:35 pace) in laps of Carysfort and Blackrock Parks.

Tiredness still in the legs for this run and did not find it as easy as I hoped. A couple of easy days now and I will look at a more aggressive taper if legs don't feel fresh by the week-end.

You beat me by 21 seconds, though I daresay I covered more hills!

mithril

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

You beat me by 21 seconds, though I daresay I covered more hills!

My run was on completely flat paths.
The other significant difference is that when I stopped concentrating and looking at the watch, my pace started dropping towards 5 minute km pace rather than speeding up.

mithril

Planned a recovery run for this evening, but by the time I got out of the shopping centre, it had started to rain and become dark and so I was less keen on the idea. Rationalized my cowardice by deciding getting wet might weaken my immune system and I might pick up an infection.

Headed up to gym instead for some stretching and some easy aerobic work on the cross-trainer. Concentrated on upper body since back and neck muscles feel tight and this is where I first experience tiredness during a very long run.

mithril

Friday
Summary: 9.06 KM in 50:06 (5:32 pace) around U.C.D.

This was supposed to be a rest day but got out of work early and took advantage of the bright evening for an easy recovery run instead.
Summer is on the way.

mithril

Saturday
Summary: 24 KM in 1:57 (4:52 pace) around Glenmalure.

The most fun to be had today was definitely on the IMRA Wicklow Way Trail but I considered it too close to Connemara not to take something out of me on the day. I would not have the discipline not to race it flat out and I had a 3 month lay-off with an ankle injury after I ran the downhill too hard in 2008 so I considered it too risky.
Next year the Wicklow Way Ultra will be the main goal race instead.

So instead, parked in Laragh and headed over the steep Shay Elliott hill (250m elevation gain) to Glennmalure. Continued down the Glenmalure dead-end before the Garmin indicated I had reached the planned 12K mark. Then retraced the route back to Laragh.

Felt comfortable throughout and running well within myself. The only problem was bad blistering on right foot by the end of the run, caused I think, by a badly fitting sock.

mithril

Sunday
Summary: 21.1 KM in 1:33:32 (4:25 pace) around Marlay Park.

Benefiting from the reduction in mileage, this run felt quite easy.
The original plan was to head up 3 Rock but I re-considered. I am now in taper mode and a second hilly run in the same week-end might be counterproductive.

Unlike yesterday, no blister issues after I rubbed bodyglide all over my feet and switched to a thinner sock.

Krusty_Clown

What's the plan for the next two weeks? Is it similar to a marathon taper, or a complete mileage drop-off?

mithril

I am approaching it similiar to a marathon taper . Nothing too tough from now on but still planning to run nearly every day.
If I don't run, I find that I tend to fill in the gap in the evening by snacking and I don't want to put on weight. Every kilo matters when you are running that far.

mithril

Planned rest day today and just as well as I am feeling rotten.
Not re-hydrating properly after the run yesterday and late heavy, meal => poor sleep. Really tired and run down, hopefully not a bug I have picked up.

mithril

Feeling a lot better today despite working until 1 AM last night.
Another very long day today , and when I finally got out and saw the miserable conditions, I opted out of the planned 6K run.

mithril

Wednesday
Summary: 12.2 KM in 57:15 (4:41 pace) in laps on grass of Carysfort Park.

Bitter cold so got out the winter gear out of storage and fitted a few aerobic laps around the park before the Arsenal game.

Running well with no niggles. Wish I was running the race this week-end rather than resisting the temptation to stuff myself with chocolate.

mithril

Thursday
Summary: 6 KM in 31:52 (5:18 pace) around Leopardstown followed by further easy cross training and stretching in gym.

I weighed myself there. I'm currently 9'2 which is the same as I ran the Berlin Marathon at. Probably will add another couple of pounds next week with Easter and very little running . I had hoped to run the Ultra in Connemara a few pounds lighter but that trip to the U.S. wrecked my plans - its very hard to avoid putting on weight there when you are eating out every night.

Bmi OF 22.1 which means that I should be able to lose another stone without endangering my health. There are obvious things I could do to achieve this; give up sugar, substitute black coffee for lattes and cut out alcohol entirely; combined with a 70+ mile schedule this would probably work but I just don't have the motivation.

mithril

Friday: About 13 KM in 1:12 (5:32 pace) hilly run up to top and 3 rock mountain from Marlay Park.

Garmin charge had run out for this so estimating distance.

Inflammation on left knee afterwards. Think its the same issue as with other knee a few weeks back.
Icing as precaution and will treating with IbuProfen gel as well if still sore tomorrow.

Krusty_Clown

Ehh.. Taper? Avoid injury? Make it to the start line? Avoid hills that are far far greater than the Connemara hills?

mithril

All true. I did not think an easy pace run would do any harm but in retrospect it was not the smartest idea.

mithril

Saturday
Rest

Sunday
Summary: 7.93 KM in 40:06 (5:03 pace) around Mullingar.

Venice and Mullingar don't have much in common, but they share a common characteristic of being both surrounded by canals.
So faced with a choice, headed North on the Lough Owel supply canal. This was excavated after the Royal Canal was completed when the builders realized there was not enough water to fill it so they had to build an extra channel to a nearby lake. Took it easy on the grassy surface and diverted into the Marlinstown Famine Graveyard, which despite living in the in the town for twenty years, I never have been before. This was a mass grave dug during the famine to house the refugees who had perished awaiting entry to the nearby overcrowded work-house - still in use by the H.S.E. Just a grassy mound with a rusting cross on the site, the bareness of which made it more moving. Retraced my steps then back through the town to my mother's house.


Monday
Summary: 16 KM in 1:09:37 (4:37 pace) around Mullingar.

Headed West this time along the tow path of the main Royal Canal route with a nice tarmac surface virtually all the way until the Garmin registered 8 KM and then retraced my steps.

Strong head wind on the way out and really noticed the extra effort needed in the few spots where the hedge rows were not providing a wind break. Not many hedges in Connemara and the wind has a tendency to blow stronger there. I expect a strong contrary wind could knock 5 minutes at least off my finishing time. Early indications are that we can expect a mild day at least, which is something.

Also noticed a bit of tiredness still in the body despite the taper but the source of the problem appears to be tightness in the upper back rather than legs. Will try and fit in a sports massage before I head West on Saturday.

mithril

Easy gym session with cross training and stretching.
Stopped using IbuProfen yesterday and inflammation returned to knee so will start taking it again.
Not particularly concerned about this since it’s the day after a run the knee gets painful and I think I can run through any issues on the day.

Planning refuelling strategy at the moment.
Note: I will be wearing marathon shorts with two decent sized pockets to store fuel. Intending to use a lucozade bottle as a base and tape gels and energy bars to it so it’s a compact package.

Current plan is looking like this:
Start with 1 gel and consume with water between 5 mile and 10mile station.
10 mile (last station before marathon start) pick up another gel, viper bar and lucozade. Store other items and sip lucozade for next 5miles.
20 mile (last station before half marathon start) 2 gels, lucozade and go bar spilt in two. Take what I feel I want and leave the rest.
32 mile 1 gel, lucozade and 1 viper bar.
Assume everything here will be stolen or impossible to find, so a bonus if I retrieve anything out of this final drop.

Krusty_Clown

Where are you going to put the crisps?

RacoonQueen

Mitril have you done the ultra before? Just I wouldn't use sellotape myself.
I attached things to my bottle last year with rubber bands(well hair bands actually) and it was easy to slip things away from the bottle. Sellotape may be a bit difficult to get your stuff away from the bottle with and if it's raining heavily, you may end up with just a bottle and the rest of your stuff falling off.

mithril

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Mitril have you done the ultra before? Just I wouldn't use sellotape myself.
I attached things to my bottle last year with rubber bands(well hair bands actually) and it was easy to slip things away from the bottle. Sellotape may be a bit difficult to get your stuff away from the bottle with and if it's raining heavily, you may end up with just a bottle and the rest of your stuff falling off.

No, this is my first time and glad of any advice.
Rubber bands are a better idea if I can get my hands on some.

Is there any chance the Half Marathoners will live my stuff alone if they see a packet of Hunky Dorys on the side of it?

Krusty_Clown

mithril wrote: »

Is there any chance the Half Marathoners will live my stuff alone if they see a packet of Hunky Dorys on the side of it?

Oh yes, definitely. I on the other hand.......

mithril

OK, name your flavour and the first to mile 32 gets the crisps.

Could you perhaps be planning to finish a bit faster than 5:15?

win1soon

Hi mithril,
last year i put my bottles, with gels and bars taped on with masking tape, into yelllow bin liners and tied up with a red ribbon. Bit over the top:D , but very easy spot and none were taken.
The 26 mile drop is safe from the half mara's, they start on another road just around the corner.

mithril

Rest day with sport massage.

Found this great description of what happens to your insides during an ultra marathon. Seems to be similiar to ebola!
http://www.ultratrailmb.com/page.php?page=Conseilsdietetique

"Your digestive system is going to be disturbed during the event through several mechanisms.
- The blood flow is going to be diverted towards the muscles and "noble" organs, and the digestive system is going to see its blood flow diminish by around 50%. This is going to be even more aggravated if there is also a state of dehydration. This reduction in flow is accompanied by an impoverishment of oxygen which can be responsible for little lesion around the cells of the digestive tract. Whenever the flow returns to normal when the effort stops, these damaged tissues can bleed (haemorraghic diarrhoea or vomiting)
- With the lack of oxygen, the intestinal cells function less well, and have difficulty in absorbing what is in the digestive tract. If water is not absorbed, it will eliminate itself in the form of diarrhoea.
- The vibrations linked to the race will shake the digestive tract and will have 3 types of consequence:
- the intestines are going to be tossed around and will hinder the breaking-down of the food, so causing an acceleration of the bowel movement
- the insertion zone of the intestines can be damaged by these prolonged vibrations, and the arteries which cross this zone can go into spasms, so reducing the provision in blood and in oxygen of the digestive tract.
- These vibrations can facilitate a regurgiation acid substances from the stomach to the oesophagus, leading to a burning sensation at the base of the throat, or sometimes to vomiting.
- The muscles of the digestive tract are also going to suffer from lack of oxygen, and this is evidenced by pain.
- The stomach is also touched: the diminishing of blood flow will lead to an increase in acidity and and a drying-out of the gastric mucous membrane. This can lead to pains.
- Infections to the digestive tract are going to be facilitated by the alered functioning of the cells and a relative diminishing of the efficiency of the immune system during these very long trials"