RacingThePlanet Nepal: 250 km race through the Annapurnas…

Posted on December 24, 2011 by ultrarunnergirl
As many of you know, last month I ran RacingThePlanet’s 250 km self-supported footrace in Nepal…And (surprisingly) WON! It was a very tough race, with an incredible women’s fleet (including second place woman Samantha Gash), but I ultimately came out alive.  I know I’ve been quite absent on the blog lately (blame New York – it has swallowed me whole!), so I’m reposting the blogs I wrote during the race, which originally appeared on the RacingThePlanet website.  I promise to follow up with more shortly… lots more to come in the New Year.
Happy trails – bring on 2012!

A "before" photo

DAY ONE – CHECK!
20-Nov-2011 09:29:17 AM [(GMT-05:00) Eastern Time(US & Canada)]

In many ways, the first day is the worst one of them all (until the second…and third…. as one of my tentmates reminded me!) But seriously, I get really wound before the first day. After almost two weeks of virtually no physically activity and heavy feeding schedules, I always feel before the first day that maybe I’ve just forgotten how to run and I’ve actually turned into the kind of person who sits on the couch all day and eats chips (not that there is anything wrong with that).  Maybe my legs won’t remember how to move in sequence. Maybe I’ll get a cramp as soon as I start.  Maybe my feet will just seize up in protest from the two weeks of neglect and refuse to move. Hey, it isn’t logical, but it is possible, right?? Running is what grounds me, and without it for a week or two and I start to doubt the months of training…

But as soon as that start happens, with some yelps and whoops of excitement and nervousness, and I feel better. This is what I came for. I try to tune out everyone else in the sense that I don’t worry whether someone is in front or behind, if I’m last or first. I just concentrate on moving forward at the pace my body allows and I know it will all work out just fine. My legs and I have spent months working together for this day, and after that first race start it is like I’m reintroducing myself to them. Hey legs, are you up for this??

The first 4 km were relatively flat (Nepalese flat, as we were told), and then it was straight uphill. And up. And up. I was cursing my training around NYC, which lacked hills to say the least.  My heart rate soared through the roof – somewhere hovering over the himalayas perhaps – and I watched the sweat drop off my forehead and onto the stones underneath me. I didn’t seem to be the only one struggling. At one point, one poor guy behind me started throwing up. I don’t know if it was from the exertion or from the bug that seems to be going around (more on that later), but he was in bad shape. After what seemed like forever, I finally crested the top and started the long descent.

The course very much reminds me of Vietnam, although without the mud (at the moment).  We are running through lots of remote villages and each time we pass a group of small children, we are greeted with high-pitched choruses of ‘namaste!’  The adults have also gotten into the trailside cheering, offering a namaste or two with hands pressed together in prayer-like mode, or occasionally clapping. A few kids yelled out my race number in English and a group of Japanese hikers got very excited when they saw my Canadian flag. Honestly, it was better than the crowds at any marathon.

Nepalese women greeting us at Camp 1

I made one wrong turn – unfortunately uphill – but luckily I couldn’t have lost more than 10 minutes. Others weren’t so fortunate. I would not have gotten first today if Sam Gash hadn’t lost her way, but I have no doubt she’ll shoot ahead tomorrow. She’s been hanging out here in Nepal for a while already and even done stage 4 already. The alititude and the hills seemed to be a breeze! I, on the other hand, was using max effort today and don’t think I can do any better tomorrow than I managed today. It is a great pleasure running with such a strong women’s fleet. It’ll be a touch race, no doubt.

After the race today I headed down with a few other runners to a wonderfully cold river beside campsite. That freezing cold water will do great things for recovery for the legs. Tonight, we are expecting another cold and wet night inside the tent. There are 7 of us, but it is a very tight squeeze. Smallest tents of any of the races I’ve done. We learned last night that we cannot close the door or the vents, despite wanting to keep out the cold air. We woke up this morning to the sound of rain… inside the tent. Without any ventilation, all of the condensation and body heat produced an indoor rainshower and soaked all of our sleeping bags!  I didn’t bring a sleeping mat to save the weight, but I’ve found cardboard boxes by the campfire today to place under my sleeping bag for tonight. SCORE!

The race start (nerves are high!)

Wish me luck for tomorrow. Thanks to the blog readers who have sent messages – very sweet!! Would love to hear from anyone and everyone… family, friends, and blog readers.  Love and miss you all. Tomorrow will be tough. Trick will be not to get sick. Apparently lots of drop outs already from vomiting. Yikes. One of my tentmates was throwing up today on the course. Fingers crossed he’ll be okay.

xxx

STAGE 2
21-Nov-2011 09:17:56 AM [(GMT-05:00) Eastern Time(US & Canada)]

Today was wildly successful… simply because I finished.

 

I suppose it was inevitable that I would get sick, but I really didn’t expect it to happen. I knew I was feeling off yesterday, but I thought it was just nerves. I barely had anything to eat during the stage, and my appetite was pretty much non-existent afterwards. This is really not like me! I am somewhat known for being able to shove back copious amounts of food… Anyway, I heard that one of my tentmates was ill. I didn’t think much of it until Mark, a second tentmate and close friend, started throwing up his ramen noodles a few hours later.  I had this sinking feeling that it would hit me too, but I convinced myself for a while that I was just being paranoid…

 

Still without an appetite, I knew I needed to get some calories in so I dipped into my extra snack bag (saved only for those low moments) and pulled out a saran-wrapped ball of peanut butter and some chocolate. Surely that would make me feel better.  I tried to lie down in the tent to get some sleep, and then started to feel very cold… Looking around at the other competitors in their shorts and tshirts, I realized something was wrong. I was inside my down sleeping bag with long pants and a jacket on, and just starting to feel warm. Then, at about 7pm, the vomiting started.

 

Sick as a dog...and dreading the run

I panicked. Vomiting and diarrhea were not part of my race plan. I felt simply awful. Not only physically, but mentally. The nausea, the cramping, the bloating… and knowing that I would have to get up in the morning and run 32 km with serious elevation…. well, it wasn’t good. All I wanted to do was curl up in a comfy bed, watch movies and eat lipton’s chicken noodle soup while my mom patted my head. Instead, I was facing sleeping in a cramped, cold and wet tent and forced to puke in a hole in the ground filled with other runners’, well, you get the picture.

 

I was in good company though. About a quarter of all runners had visited the medical tent with this bug. In fact, it got so bad that the sherpas had to build three or four new toilets in the night.

 

I made it through the night, but not without a few midnight trips to the ‘toilets’. I wasn’t getting better. In the morning, despite not having had dinner or any food in me since about noon the previous day, I wasn’t hungry in the slightest. I knew that I would have to eat SOMETHING if I was going to make it through the day. I managed a few bites of oatmeal, but when my stomach immediately started cramping I knew I’d hit my limit.

What made matters worse was that as yesterday’s leader, I was forced to wear a special bright yellow jersey. I just wanted to hand it over to one of the other girls right then and there! All I had to do was get through the day. The doctors said it was a 24 hour bug, so if I could just put one foot in front of the other and finish, I would be happy.

I don’t know how it happened, but I finished today on virtually no fuel. I couldn’t eat during the run and I had nothing in the tank from yesterday… But somehow it happened. Somehow my body pulled through and I did it. I can’t tell you how relieved and how ecstatic I am now to be sitting at camp.  The elevation was insane (100m of elevation is the equivalent of 1km on the flat in terms of perceived exertion), so even though the horizontal distance was only 32 km, it felt like much, much more.

I could barely look up without getting nauseous, and I was pretty wobbly from the lack of calories. At one point I fell pretty hard – full face plant – and showed up at the next checkpoint with blood running down my knee and mud all over my face.  I must admit, I did have a pity party or two, but a few things lifted my spirits today. One was the kids.  No matter how horrible I must have looked, they all greeted me with such beautiful, innocent smiles that I couldn’t help but smile back. Namaste! Namaste! Eventually my namastes sounded more like ‘namememe…’ but they got the picture. A couple kids got so excited seeing me run by that they followed me fr probably twenty minutes in their school uniforms. Completely unabandoned and eager to push the ground under their feet as fast as possible. It was amazing.

 

The second thing that really helped was the other runners. The other top girls, especially Catriona (sp?) and Sissel, knew I was having a rough day and they gave me such positive encouragement on the hills as they passed by (Sam was already too far ahead!).  One of the other male runners said at one point that he hoped his daughters would grow up to be like me. Seriously – if I wasn’t so dehydrated, I would have cried! That’s why I love this race series. You can’t find people like this just anywhere.

I finished in third today, which is a small miracle, all things considered. Sure, I came into this race wanting to do well… but you know what? I was so humbled by today, that I would be just as content feeling tired, but healthy. We come here for a physical challenge, for a mental challenge, for a chance to be brought back down to earth from our crazy everyday lives. Whether that challenge comes in the form of competing for first, or whether it comes competing against the bug in your stomach, it achieves the same goal. I am grateful – so so so grateful – for finishing today and I hope to be able to raise my head tomorrow and enjoy the view. That is the only thing I hope to accomplish. Anything else will be a bonus.

Tomorrow is straight uphill, with a steep climb at the end. Downhill seems to be my forte so it won’t be my day race-wise, but again, if I can get through without a major stomach upset it will be a victory! One guy broke his finger pretty badly today – he could see the ligament, ew – so I will be extra careful tomorrow on those rocks… Amazingly strong guy. He is, of course, continuing.

My friend Eric, who also happens to be camp manager here, says ‘run with your heart, not with your feet’. I think that is how I got through the day. My heart is stronger than any other part of my body, and today I gave it a workout.

I would love to get messages from you, so please do write if you have even 5 minutes of time. It helps pull me through.

 

Love to all and happy trails.

ultrarunnergirl

 

KILLING THE BUG, ONE STEP AT A TIME! (STAGE 3)
22-Nov-2011 09:17:20 AM [(GMT-05:00) Eastern Time(US & Canada)]

It is hard to accept being taken down by something you can’t even see. Maybe it would be easier to accept defeat if I was attacked by a snow leopard, rather than an invisible microbe… But I’m starting to see the light.

I’m not sure my blog was posted for stage 2 (hopefully soon!), but I got attacked by the bug that is going around camp. It has hit five out of seven of us now… I am improving though, thank goodness. I’ve gotten rid of the V, and now just working through the D. I managed down about 200 calories of dinner last night and 200 calories of breakfast this morning, but all things considered that wasn’t a lot of fuel for 38 km of uphill today.  The ‘D’ has also made me quite dehydrated, which has complicated things. But mentally, I felt like a million bucks today (whereas yesterday, I felt like about 50 rupees!). Just knowing that I was on the mend helped bring me out of my dark place and I wasn’t fearing the day nearly as much as I was yesterday.

We crossed a couple of cable bridges today, which were stunning, but not for the faint of heart! We were not allowed to run on them, so I employed my best speed walk possible while ensuring that I never looked down. A surefire way to lose my 200 calorie breakfast on a fragile stomach!  It was a long gradual uphill today for about 33 km, all on jeep track.  We were following a fast-flowing river for most of the way and running through villages. Lots of encouragement from the locals. Throughout this race, I have been told by a number of young kids “you are number two boy!” which has been rather amusing. The race was advertised on the radio, so a number of villages were prepared.  Yesterday, one of the villages even prepared a banner for us saying “welcome to all participant!” (sic) The police were out today as well, helping to point us in the right direction. It really feels like everyone came out today to push us along… and that helped.

I felt weak today from the lack of calories, but my head was in the right place. Today I had FUN, and that was my goal. Sam is super strong and so far the only one in the top three females that hasn’t been caught by the dreaded bug. Poor Katrina was vomiting through the night and has had a very, very tough day tonight. If Sam can avoid the bug, she’ll win this race hands down. As for me, I’ll be ecstatic if I can keep my head up to enjoy the view and keep my legs moving. Placing at this point isn’t a priority, and that feels good. I am worried about my friends, who are still sick (Mark has been throwing up for 2.5 days now), but hopefully we’ll all help each other through.

 

Tomorrow is another 10 km uphill, followed by a huge downhill – 3000 or 3500 steps?  The muscles are getting sorer and sorer, but I am thankfully still blister-free, despite having accidentally only brought 3 socks instead of a full two pairs (oops).  I’m going to try to face a full dinner tonight, which should give me some more energy for tomorrow.

Thanks to all for messages… and yes, I will HTFU as I’m being told!!! :) Ha, good for the reminder. I’ve got a little tiger in me left. Thanks as well to Salvador, Carlos, Denvy, Gab, Lucy and the other RTP runners that have sent messages of support, along with my friends in NYC and London. The male members of my family could use a little prodding (Mom, get dad and ben on the computer!!) :)

Love to all. Keep me in your thoughts tomorrow as you will be in mine!

x

 

CONQUERED THE STEPS!
23-Nov-2011 09:09:02 AM [(GMT-05:00) Eastern Time(US & Canada)]

Today, I felt like ME again. It was brilliant. With a full dinner and breakfast in my belly, I felt like I had a brand new pair of legs. I had so much fun today, it wouldn’t have mattered what place I came in… but as it turns out, my place wasn’t too shabby!

The day started with 10 km straight uphill – mostly stairs. It sounded worse than it was though, truly. I guess it is all relative out here. These past three days of running with the bug or lack of calories, I really forgot what ‘normal’ was. Today I was BACK. I finally felt like I was in a race I had actually trained for, rather than parachuted into a race I didn’t know what happening until the last minute. I took the stairs steadily, and when I passed the checkpoint at the top I took the brakes off and flew downhill. It was just the best feeling… Flying downhill I barely felt the pack on my back or the pain in my legs. YES! I finally realized I was running in Nepal. How lucky am I.

Another runner from the Australia race, Richard Sell, and I ran pretty much the whole stage together. We kept each other at a pretty good pace downhill (for a whole 18 km of steps!!!), and it was great to have the company. He twisted his ankle at one point and I had a pretty bad fall (giant purple bruise on my quad/IT band), so I think we both appreciated having company just to make sure all was alright. The course wasn’t marked very well on this stage simply because it was a popular trekking route, but it was hard to go off course. It was just mentally challenging because if you haven’t seen one of those little pink flags in about 1000 steps, your brain starts to play tricks on you and you think, well, maybe I did miss a turn?

Everything seemed to go well though – minus the fall, eep – and I felt like I flew into camp with a giant smile on my face. What makes things even better is that we are all staying in teahouses tonight! Some are more, er, luxurious than others… Tent 7 has been placed in one of the more modest teahouses I would say, but it is a bed and it will be brilliant. We were even treated to a meal. It was a tough decision whether to partake or not, given the bout of sickness, but safety in numbers? (That theory didn’t work the first time when we all sat down to a pre-race buffet, but oh well).  I just chowed down about 15000 calories of dalbhat and french fries, with a side of coca cola. It was amazing.

 

My spirits are high and I’m really looking forward to the run tomorrow. I gained a bit of time on Sam today, but I’m not really thinking about competing tomorrow. It is much more fun to think about running. And hopefully, if all has gone according to plan, my ipods will have a full battery and I’ll have some tunes to run to for the first time! IT’ll be nice to tune out the sound of my breathing!  Sam will do really well and I hope to come in some point behind… I hope not to disappoint anyone.

And mom, I hope you are feeling better from your surgery. I was thinking about you all day and I love you very much. I’ll keep you in my heart tomorrow.

 

Love to all xxx

 

I DID IT!!!!
25-Nov-2011 10:28:36 AM [(GMT-05:00) Eastern Time(US & Canada)]

Yesterday was my day. I loved every minute of it. Okay, maybe not EVERY minute, but man, was that ever a great stage!! I knew when I woke up yesterday that it was going to be a good day. My belly was full of calories, I had gotten a great night’s sleep, and my spirits were soaring somewhere above the Annapurna circuit.  Really, we were spoiled with relative luxury being able to stay in teahouses, so it wasn’t the prep to the long day that I’m normally used to. I was so excited to be feeling healthy and really looking forward to the views, the challenge, even the pain.

These races are all about the long day. It takes a certain kind of dedication and strength to make it through marathon-distance or so runs day after day… But there is something special about the ultra distance I think. I don’t know what it is, but the longer, the better works best for me. I can keep up sometimes on the shorter stages, but it is on the long day that I really feel like I come into my own. I have one speed, whether it be over a 10k, a half marathon, a marathon, or an ultra. So I knew the 72 km would feel good under my legs.

We started off with a pretty good climb uphill – more steps – and right from the beginning I broke off with the front pack of guys. I don’t have poles like some of the others, but none of the front guys had poles either so it was down to the quads. One after the other, weaving up the hill back and forth like a reverse skiing exercise, we climbed the zig-zagging stairs. I was drenched in sweat in about 10 minutes and I had to keep reminding myself to take sips of water in between gasps of breath. The other days I had been able to squeak by without being too strict about my water, food, and electrolytes, but on the long day you simply can’t afford to start off dehydrated or hungry. It’ll catch up to you for sure, so I always make sure to load up as much as possible — at least at the beginning.

The views were absolutely stunning. Everything you imagine Nepal might be. Snow-capped mountains, pink blossoms on trees, stone villages, multi-coloured prayer flags… I was having so much fun I barely remembered I was competing.

To be honest, the first couple of checkpoints flew by. I remember seeing Mary at CP1 and flying straight to CP2. There was a long downhill and a second steep uphill, but the order in between CPs is fuzzy. I managed to stick with Ryan Bennett and Michael (number 2 and 3) for a while, but they would lose me on the downhills. I motored up the hill towards CP5 and caught back up. Any uphill that wasn’t too steep I just went for it. Hey, there’s no reason to hold back on the long day, so just give ‘er, right??? I felt that tingle again. That urge to compete. That urge to push myself. That urge to keep going even when my body is screaming at me to stop.

The boys and I ran together for a bit, and we contemplated how far behind ‘the Horse’ was (Stefano… he has the most incredible legs anyone has ever seen – they aren’t quads, they are fives – and so he has picked up various nicknames, including the horse). The Horse and Michael were only 2 minutes apart, so the race was on. We had put some distance between us on the uphill and we thought Michael was safe… until at some point after the next downhill, I started to hear the trotting manimal behind me. My stomach twisted when he easily ran past because I knew what was in store for the two of them. As soon as the Horse caught up to Michael, the two of them shot ahead and I knew they would be battling it out for the next 30 km (which they did – and finished 20 seconds apart…incredible).

I kept plodding along and started to slow on the flats, but I knew if I just kept pushing and never stopped to walk then it would be fine. Keep eating. Keep drinking. Keep moving. The kids weren’t quite sure what to do with me. Apparently they harassed a lot of the other runners, but maybe they weren’t quite sure what to make of a female. I cheerily sang out namastes to the groups that I passed and absolutely marveled at my surroundings. I hope this doesn’t sound obnoxious (although I realize it might), but 72 km is the shortest by about 30 km of any of the long days in all of the roving races, so it felt quite short. My legs were ready for more. My brain was ready for more.

I could barely believe it when I realized I would be finishing before dark. Before dark!!!! I flew into camp at 5:15 after 10 hours of running with a giant smile on my face. WHAT A DAY!!!!!!

I got a bit of sleep through the night after some food, but I was up for large parts as each of the members of my tent came in. Poor Jenna had to drop out after CP3 due to a really painful knee, but her spirits were high and she even got a phone number written on her hand by a Nepalese boy (don’t worry Mark ;) ). Mark finished strong, as did Phil, and Belinda came in cheerful as ever at 4am. Rob had a painful journey – and it is his birthday today!! – but on the positive side he did see a leopard around dusk!

 

Hanging out in the tent (spacious, eh?)

Today I will try to eat, nap, and just enjoy chatting with people. I feel incredibly lucky to have come in 5th place – and 1st female – and I’m so thankful for all of the support I’ve been getting at camp and through the laptop from all of you! Sam had a great run as well and came in about an hour after me last night. She is a strong girl and has been formidable competition.

Just a 13km dash to the finish tomorrow, but I don’t imagine I’ll be competing whatsoever. I believe the day starts off with a boat ride across the lake, which should be great, and a finish back in Pokhara. Looking forward to that shower!!

Thanks to all for the messages and esp to B for being such a faithful writer :)

xx

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Taking a bite out of Nepal (or rather my backside)

Posted on November 19, 2011 by ultrarunnergirl

The race hasn’t yet started, but as usual, I’ve already had my first adventure.

Yesterday, like many of the other runners, I was meant to catch a local flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Due to fog and rain, the Pokhara airport closed for the second day in a row and alas, a bunch of us were forced to go by car.

Luck was on my side though – at least at the start. When the car came by my hotel to pick me up, I hopped inside to find myself sitting next to two Nepalese doctors who will be joining the international medical team for the race. Score!! Prajwa and Prashant.  Making friends with the doctors ahead of time is ALWAYS a good idea.  I learned a bit of Nepalese (chi-to means faster! whereas ti-to means sour… they sound exactly the same to me…). Things weren’t looking too bad.

After about 5 hours of driving, nightfall had come and we were weaving chaotically through mountainside traffic, clinging on to the handles on the side of the car for dear life. Actually, this is what Dan and I were doing, the two Westerners, whereas the Nepalese doctors were cooly napping beside me. Anyway, at some point, I asked if we could pull over so I could take a bathroom break.  I ran about 30 metres from the car, squatted out of view of passing cars, and finished up in under 10 seconds. Great. Good practice for the race too. I’ve always said face pees are the key to fast racing!!

When I got back to car, however, I started to feel a bit uncomfortable. It felt like I had sat in poison ivy and my bottom started to burn.  It wasn’t getting worse though, so I stopped worrying about it and decided to deal with it when I got to the hotel.

About an hour and a half or two hours later, we arrived at the hotel and I met up with Matt Nelson, and old friend from RacingThePlanet Namibia and Australia. We were chatting away as he helped me with my bags to my room and all seemed to be going according to plan.  Until I went into the bathroom.

[Kim, stop reading here!]

When I pulled down my pants to check out my potential rash, there was a THREE INCH LEECH stuck to my bottom. Yes, I had been sitting on a leech for 2 hours while it was gorging away on my bum. I yanked it off immediately, threw it at the wall, and ran out of the bathroom laughing and screaming (with my pants pulled up).  After about 5 minutes of pseudo-hyperventilation, Matt and I forged back into the room and videotaped the critter for posterity. My god, the thing was huge. He flushed it for me down the toilet (definition of a good friend) and went down to the restaurant to share my ordeal with a few dozen runners.

Yes, I now have a giant gaping hole in my backside before the race has started.

On the plus side, the medical and equipment check is done and I’m just waiting to hop on a bus to head to the first campsite. Someone remind me not to squat down next time I pee!

Filed under: "Life" (aka misc.) | 2 Comments »

Gearing up for Nepal (pun intended)

Posted on November 16, 2011 by ultrarunnergirl

It’s 1am and I’m sitting in my hotel room in Geneva, currently en route to Nepal, staring – okay, admiring – the bags of food I have carefully prepared for the week-long race next week in the Himalayas. In fact, I’m admiring them so much that I’ve cracked into my ‘extra’ bag of goodies already. Sigh, it happens every year. Once I see those little ziploc bags of crushed up potato chips (with added salt), saran-wrapped balls of peanut butter, and chocolate bars broken down into perfect little 100 calorie morsels, the temptation becomes too much and I dive in, eating my snacks days before I’m meant to. It isn’t until I am licking my fingers with crumbs of junk food creeping up both sides of my cheeks that I start to panic whether I will be able to find the right kind of food to replace what I’ve eaten at airport shops and convenience stores along my travels.

But let me backtrack a bit. This is my fourth RacingThePlanet event (250 km self-supported footraces), and while it is easier in some sense to prepare for these races as a ‘vet’, you never really shake that feeling that you aren’t as prepared as you should be, no matter how many times you do these things. In fact, I think I was the most prepared for my first race in Vietnam back in 2008. I can remember lying awake at night running through a million questions in my head: will my quads give out? My knees? What happens if I pass out on the course? What if I eat all my food on the first day? Will my backpack hold up? My sanity? How much salty versus sweet food should a bring? Will I be too cold or too hot? Will I be able to sleep at night? Compression socks or toe socks? The never-ending questions provided just enough of a sense of panic that I made sure well-ahead of time that I had everything I needed to give me the best chance possible of finishing the race.

Well, now that I’ve been around the Vietnam/Namibia/Australia blocks a few times, I seem to have lost the kind of panic that would spur me into action. Instead, I have coasted along for the past few weeks convincing myself that I would pull everything together when I needed to, and hey, I’d done this before so it should be easy, right? There was so much going on in my fast-paced New York life that there was always something more important to do than worry about whether I had a lightweight pocket knife or a red flashing light to put on my backpack.

This was all fine until the horrible troll that is otherwise known as the reality-check fairy paid me a visit last weekend. I’m sure you are all acquainted with her. As you know, she usually likes to visit very late in the evenings when your thinking is clearest and you can easily gain perspective on things (note the sarcasm). I had just left work after a very long day and was walking home towards the East Village, when she came up right behind me and started whispering things into my ear:

Steph, weren’t the new running shoes you ordered over a week ago supposed to have arrived already? How are you going to break them in in time now?

And Steph, I thought you needed a warm but lightweight jacket? You don’t have one in New York. You had better hope you left your patagonia top with your friends in London, or you’ll be freezing in Nepal. No time left now to test out new gear.

What about those raidlight bottles you ordered from France? The new nozzles are horrible and spill water all over you as you run. How on earth are you going to stay hydrated if you don’t find a way to get the old model?

Despite my best efforts, I was unable to quiet the horrid reality-check fairy and the worries started to mount. Unfortunately for one of my close compatriots in New York who has not yet witnessed this pre-race process (read: chaos), when I vented some of my concerns he made the very innocent mistake of simply asking me why I had not started preparing earlier. Oh dear.

The past week has been a mad flurry of buying, ordering, and coordinating gear from New York to London and now Geneva in order to make sure I have every item on the mandatory equipment list covered….

FOOD: This is probably the most important thing to prepare ahead of time. Runners are required to carry 14000 calories for the week (a minimum of 2000 calories per day), but exactly how you divide up your rations is up to you. I like to separate the food out into separate bags, one for each day, so that all of the decisions about what to eat are made ahead of time. When you are tired and hungry mid-way through the race, this is not the best time to be given the choice of how much of your week’s rations you should eat. I look at how much altitude and distance is covered each day, and then I ration out the relative amounts of calories accordingly. I generally load up on calories for the beginning few days as this lightens the pack, and of course save a large amount for the long day (75 km as opposed to 40 km), which is on day 5. The sixth day is usually the ‘rest’ day, assuming you finish the long day in one shot, and as a result I usually portion out much less than the 2000 calories for that day. The final day is only 15 km and for this I save just a couple hundred calories. I know at the end there will be pizza and beer waiting (a RacingThePlanet tradition that they have kept going at all ends of the earth), so I can afford to be a bit hungry. Then there is the decision about how many calories to get through solid food vs liquid, salt versus sweet, electrolytes… Needless to say, there are endless choices to make. I would tell you the rest but they hey, a girl’s gotta have her secrets.

CLOTHES: I’m still working out what I should take with me to wear. I am bringing a range of options with me to Nepal and will make my final choice based on what the climate feels like to me when I get there… and what I see other people doing. I try not to follow others too much and just go with what I think might be best, but it always helps to check out the scene. The temperatures will be ranging from 75 and 80 during the day (23-25 celcius for my canadian readers) but down to freezing or worse at night. This makes it particularly hard to pack for.

TOILET PAPER: Yes, for the first time, RacingThePlanet is placing toilet paper on the mandatory equipment list. This is something I do not have experience estimating. In fact, if anyone does have experience estimating how much tp they use in a week, I might worry. But this is clearly a critical decision that, if done poorly, would have disastrous consequences. I may attempt to do some market research over the next couple of days. Anonymous quotes welcome.

Other odds and ends I have picked up in airports include sunglasses, gloves, lip sunscreen, alcohol gel… These things may not seem important, but if you don’t have an item that is ‘mandatory’ on the equipment list, you are out of the game! I made a error in assuming I could get safety pins from airports (apparently razors are okay to sell, but not tiny pins?), but luckily some London-based friends who will be competing in Nepal are coming to the rescue.

Well, before I get tempted to eat more of my race food, I had better get to bed. 2:15 am and a day full of meetings tomorrow before heading back to London and then out to Kathmandu via Delhi. So much for following coach’s advice to eat well, sleep lots, and do some odd runs. OOPS!

More later. Happy to have you following along! Please see links below for how to follow me on my journey… and I would love to hear from you during the race!

Stephanie aka ultrarunnergirl.com

To follow my blog during the race: http://www.4deserts.com/blogs/np_comptetior_blog.php?pid=MTQzMA==&blog=116 (I will not have access to ultrarunnergirl until afterwards)

To send me a message!: http://www.4deserts.com/beyond/nepal/email

To receive breaking news: http://www.4deserts.com/beyond/nepal/breaking_news

“Amid the mighty competition, all eyes will be on top contender Ryan Sandes (29). The South African made history in 2010 when he was the first person to win all 4 Deserts races. Ryan recently won the Leadville 100 in the United States. Other strong contenders include Sean W. Abbott (29) and Ryan Bennett (28) of the United States. Legendary Marshall Ulrich (60) who was hailed as the “Endurance King” by Outside Magazine, also competes in one of six teams. Marshall will speak at the Royal Geographical Society in Hong Kong following the conclusion of RacingThePlanet: Nepal.

The women’s field is also compelling with several past champions competing including: Sissel Smaller (51) of Norway, winner of the female division of the Atacama Crossing 2006, who counts summiting Mount Everest amid her list of accomplishments; Mirjana Pellizzer (48) of Croatia, who earned the title of 4 Deserts Female Champion in 2010; and Canada’s Stephanie Case (29) who won the women’s division of RacingThePlanet: Vietnam in 2008.” – RacingThePlanet

Filed under: Nutrition, Race Reports | Tagged: , , , | 5 Comments »

Running 1500 Miles for Parkinson’s… With Parkinson’s

Posted on July 10, 2011 by ultrarunnergirl

Hello hello!!! Remember me? Ultra Runner Girl? I must apologize to my adoring fans (aka Mom and my sister) for my extended blogcation. Much has happened the past couple of months, but mostly in the non-running-related category. I finished up my exams for my LLM (masters of law) in the UK in May, took off to Croatia for a little vacation and then immediately moved to NYC upon my return! Taking that mini vacation without my trusty rusty laptop induced a short bout of separation anxiety (I have been known to spoon my macbook at night), but once I got the taste of freedom, it was hard to force myself to sit in front of the computer during my free time. Hence, the blogcation.

Anyhow, I’m in New York now for at least the next few months, working (albeit unpaid…sob!) for an organization that provides diplomatic and legal advice to small/struggling governments. I feel like my life is moving a million miles a minute, but that’s NYC for ya! More on NYC and my current running training (back to being coached by the incredible Ray Zahab!) in a subsequent post.

More important than my trivial accounts of my running adventures is the story of a friend of mine: Alex Flynn. I’d like to be able to tell you about how incredible he is without having mention Parkinson’s – because he is obviously so much more than his disease – but in order to help get his message across, I have to talk about it. Parkinson’s isn’t Alex’s whole story, but it is a part of it, and it has become a part of what drives him forward.

Alex is a kick-ass-don’t-mess-me-with lawyer in the UK. He’s married with two beautiful kids (er, let me know if I accidentally left one out of the tally Alex!). He has a gorgeous wife. He’s a crazy ultrarunner (yes!!!). Alex is also 39 and has Parkinsons Disease.

Alex is racing 10 million metres in some of the toughest races on the planet to raise £1million to fund research into Parkinson’s disease. Seriously eh? Ultrarunning is hard enough as it is, but this guy does it with PD. It isn’t often I feel like a wimp, but next to Alex, I realize there is a lot more I could be doing.

Rather than me tell you about Alex, I’d rather he did it in his own words. I did the following interview with Alex about a month ago, right before he was embarking on his next big adventure: running from London  to Rome. Yes. All on foot. Today, Alex announced he completed his journey, all 1455 miles of it. KICK ASS. Read on to find out more about this incredible guy (and please consider making a donation in support of his fundraising efforts!).

Ultra Runner Girl: So Alex, can you tell us about when and how you first found out you had Parkinson’s?

Alex Flynn: It was January 2008. It was like any other day. I’d got to work, prepared my breakfast of porridge and coffee, and had only just sat down to the pile of work on my desk when I reached for the cup of coffee. I picked up the cup and my hand shook. Now everybody gets shaky hands now and again, for one reason or another and, judging by my lifestyle of hectic work and intense training, the odd muscle spasm would not seem out of place. However, the shake of my hand was not of my doing and was completely outside my control. I thought that this wasn’t me and it was a bit strange but my hand soon stopped shaking. Then a little while later, it did it again. Obviously, this continued and eventually I went through a process of elimination; taking out the alcohol, caffeine, etc. Nothing changed it and my shaking in my right hand would come and go of its own accord.

In the end, and actually quite sensibly, I managed to put pride aside and go and see my doctor. After being passed from neurologist to neurologist I was eventually told I had idiopathic Parkinson’s disease and because of my age this was young onset Parkinson’s.
Ultra Runner Girl: I can’t imagine… How did you react to the news??

Alex Flynn: I went numb. To be told you have a chronic neurologically degenerative disease which currently has no cure doesn’t leave you with a lot to say. In fact, I think my wife took the news the hardest. My mind was blank except for the word “Parkinson’s”. In honesty, I don’t remember driving home. The anger came later, along with denial and good dose of black mood.

At the time I had entered the Marathon Des Sables for 2009 and this gave me something to focus on; a distraction to take my energies and give me something to  channel them towards. I didn’t take on the 10MillionMetre challenge there and then. This came after I was taken out of the Marathon Des Sables due to viral pericarditis. I returned home after raising some money for a Parkinson’s charity; but I thought to myself that I could do much better. I was determined to push further and harder and raise more money to help find a cure. So, during a conversation with a good friend I said that I was aiming to raise £1 million for Parkinson’s research. My friend asked what I was going to do to raise that money. I replied that I was going to run 1 million metres and hopefully get a donation of a pound per metre to raise the money. On reflection though, that’s really not that far if you run a bit. So I suggested 10 Million Metres and decided that a number of the races in that 10 Million Metres would be some of the toughest in the world. That decision was made with the understanding that only the distance in races counts towards the 10 Million Metres. The rest seems to be history.

I am really positive now compared to how I was after my diagnosis. The 10 Million Metres challenge has changed my world, my life, and my outlook. So far it has taken me on many amazing adventures, pushed me beyond what I thought possible, and (I hope) will drive me further beyond that too in the future!

Ultra Runner Girl: Can you describe your training for us? Are some activities easier than others? (i.e. biking vs running etc.)

Alex Flynn: My training is mixed. I’ve never subscribed to a training schedule but have more or less taken an approach to incorporating cross training with running. My main reason for this is to avoid injury. Until recently I also have not used any monitoring system but have merely gone on the way that I feel; which is usually going until complete failure; to the point where I know that I have had a decent workout. Biking is definitely easier than running for me now. However swimming has recently been my nemesis. The reason for this was that I almost drowned when I was five years old, and that fear had been holding me back until recently. I decided that I needed to take control of my fear. So to that end I have undertaken some hypnotherapy and it has worked wonders. I’m really looking forward to my triathlons now!

Ultra Runner Girl: In your experience, has Parkinson’s been more physically or mentally challenging?

Alex Flynn: It’s both. But I think my stage of Parkinson’s is not yet as advanced as some other sufferers, so for me the challenges are there but with perseverance and a bit of sweat I can still overcome. The mental aspect is harder. I am an exceptionally positive person but it is a hard sentence to be told you have currently incurable chronic neurologically degenerative disease. I think that the hardest part of living with PD is experiencing the social embarrassment of trembling or not being able to do something; those things most other people take for granted. For example, using a mouse on a computer, raising a glass to your lips without the glass shaking, or doing up buttons. I hate doing up buttons!

Ultra Runner Girl: Do you have to take any extra precautions? What changes have you had to make?

Alex Flynn: Three days prior to my Europe 135 race I accidentally took the wrong amount of medication. I took my daily dose in one go, which was not good. Now I take my meds in smaller doses spread out over the day.

I always take somebody with me. Not just because I have PD, but because it’s more fun running with someone else. You get to run, have a laugh and share the experience with a good friend. I was certainly glad the assistance of Dave Clamp by my side when crossing the Bavarian Alps.

I also take my medication with me just in case. I think most people would agree that (irrespective of Parkinson’s) any athlete attempting an ultra or challenging course should come prepared with the right kit and nutrition for the race. Speaking of nutrition, for me it’s incredibly important to keep my energy levels up as I am constantly on the move; even when I am sitting still. In that sense I am always burning energy and need to refuel. I take gels on shorter runs, but on longer runs, I eat anything and everything I can get my hands on. On long runs I am just ravenous. However I don’t like bananas so I always take some apricots with me. I love apricots!!!

Ultra Runner Girl: What role has sport had for you? Were you always a crazy adventure-junkie?

Alex Flynn: I have always been compulsive in respect of things that I do. I don’t mean drugs, or other things like that. That’s never really interested me. What has always interested me was sport; particularly running. I used to love cross country at school. I got a kick out of just running and running and running and not stopping. It was just fantastic. I also like challenging my fears. For example, I have a fear of heights so I abseil when I can. I recently abseiled down the Deloittes building in London and it was a real buzz!

I look at sport as my way of being able to cope with the disease that may stop me moving. I’m determined to move as much as I can before anything like that happens. You see, I’m extremely competitive and want to do the best I can. Although I know that I won’t come first, the emphasis from me it’s challenging myself to go further, harder, and push myself beyond my limits. If I succeed then I really feel a sense of achievement and happiness, irrespective of the place I finish!

Ultra Runner Girl: I’ve often discussed the fine line that exists between stubbornness and persistence, and how they can be both an asset and a hindrance. Maybe I’m presuming here, but I have to imagine that you have got a bit of both in you to take this on! Am I right?

Alex Flynn: I think you’re right. Running to the extent that I do is incredibly difficult. Some would say, selfish. I am a stubborn individual and I think that, at stubbornness has allowed me to push through pain, fatigue, and my body wanting to give up, to achieve. However stubbornness and persistence are intertwined and the benefits are that I have completed and competed in some amazing adventures. The downside is twofold. The first is that the impact on my family has been quite marked. A runner into ultramarathons spends a lot of time training which takes you away from your family. This is true of my situation. However I have a very understanding family who are aware of my persistence to raise £1 million and find a cure for Parkinson’s. Secondly, the other downside is the cost of races and travel. My sponsors, however, have been a lifesaver in respect of my 10MillionMetres challenge and to whom I’m indebted with gratitude for the belief in my campaign.

Ultra Runner Girl: Would you  say that this has been a process of accepting your limitations, defying them, or both?

Alex Flynn: I always push against my limitations no matter how hard my disease pushes back. I know my enemy. In fact, I’m reading a book at the moment called “Running on Empty” and in it there is a quote from a guy called Chris Douglass (who sadly died in a car crash), but whom I wish I had had the pleasure of meeting. Marshall Ulrich, the author of the book, uses this quote and I think it’s quite apt.

“The best I can figure is that we’ve been told to many times that adventure just isn’t in the cards for everyday folk like you and me. It’s reserved for the people we read about in books and magazines, not mere mortals like us. While I’m not buying it!”

Outside of Parkinson’s, I think that sums up the essence.

Ultra Runner Girl: Tell us about your favourite moment in training or racing so far.

Alex Flynn: Going back and finishing the Marathon des Sables in 2010. It was amazing, hot (incredibly hot), super tough and everything you wanted it to be and more! Passing the finishing line and feeling the medal round my neck was worth it in every way and more. However, I believe that my 1800+ mile run to Rome in two weeks’ time will set a new pinnacle for me in favourite moments.

Ultra Runner Girl:  You’ve said the 1 million pounds fundraising goal isn’t really about the money – it is about the statement. What statement do you want to make?

Alex Flynn: I don’t think that it’s a statement that I make. I think I use the word to mean that society, everyone who donates to the 10 Million Metres cause, will hopefully recognise the impact of this disease across the world. That collective recognition turning into a physical act by the donation of funds to a worthwhile charity and raise money for the vital research into a cure for this incredibly debilitating disease that affects 6 million people around the world (and may well affect millions more who have yet to be diagnosed). I look upon the £1 Million as a beacon, a shining light that states that we, as a society, want to make change happen, to find a cure, to alleviate the burden on society that Parkinson’s will cost, to help millions of people around the world reclaim their lives and make change happen now.

Ultra Runner Girl: Any last words of advice?

Alex Flynn: Make change happen. Keep moving!

To donate to Alex’s cause, visit:

http://www.justgiving.com/alex-flynn

You can also check out his personal website and links to learn more about parkinsons. Don’t forget to find him on facebook! (10 million meters!)

http://www.alexflynn.co.uk

http://www.cureparkinsons.org.uk

Filed under: "Life" (aka misc.), Training | 3 Comments »

Coastal Trail Series, Exmoor Ultra: Race Report

Posted on April 23, 2011 by ultrarunnergirl

Race: Coastal Trail Series, Exmoor Ultra (34 miles)

Conditions: Slightly overcast/then sunny, 13 degrees

Terrain: Coastal path, some technical trails, mostly grassy…but who had time to notice with all those HILLS??!?!? (“extreme” rating)

As any ultrarunner will tell you, there is no such thing as perfect race prep.

The last few days before a race, you are supposed to be feeling your best. In an ideal world, when you show up on the start line, you should be locked, (carbo) loaded, and ready to go. In reality, this rarely happens. This holds true across the spectrum of runners, from the novice to the elite. Ray Zahab, my fabulous coach and world record holder, once told me that he has never actually started a race or one of his epic global challenges feeling 100%. Sometimes far from it!

Leading up to the Exmoor Ultra last weekend, I was feeling a little like a creaky old 80 year old woman. Stiff joints, a bad hip, and a hairy chin. Okay scrap the last one – I had yet to start growing fuzzy facial hair, but yeah, the body felt a bit old. I went into see a chiropractor in South London, Dr Craig McLean at Putney Chiropractic Centre, for a much-needed crack of my geriatric back. He did a very thorough assessment as I nattered away about my “robust” injury history. After seeing the state of my right hip, he asked “So Stephanie, how are you going to run this race on one leg?” After replying that I hoped it would be a loop course, he went about his business, adjusting me from the neck down to the foot (for which I am very grateful!!).

The adjustments definitely helped, but there is only so much one doctor can do. My days and weeks have recently consisted of either running full steam ahead out in the English countryside, or sitting at my computer for hours on end typing out 18000 words of human rights law exams (ugh). Not ideal for the back. So there I was on the morning of the race, winging about the pain in my back and the stiffness in my right hip. I should have walked down to the race start with a blue rinse in my hair and peppermints in my purse with the way I was carrying on.

Luckily, my friend Alex Howarth, who would also be running the race, was not to be outdone by my pre-race complaining. He came up with a few good stories about BMF-related muscle tightness and his overall lack of running-specific training in the weeks prior. We both knew that we were just trying to come up with excuses ahead of time for why we might completely bonk on this course… Anything to keep our egos intact. And as we gingerly walked down the hill – the VERY steep hill – to the start, the excuses got louder and more elaborate. By the time we got to the registration table, Alex was questioning whether he was suffering from potential kidney failure and I was wondering if maybe I had early-onset osteoporosis. Or maybe carpal tunnel?

The Exmoor races, organized by Endurance Life, included a 10k, 21k, 42k, and, new this year, an ultra course. Alex, another friend Phil and I were really excited about doing the ultra, until we saw that just 34 people had signed up. And only 6 women. Clearly we were the nutters of the bunch!

We set off at 8:15 in the morning and within about 30 seconds of leaving the start line we were headed straight uphill. It would be the first one of many. Of course, we all tried to show a good effort at the beginning, charging ahead with vim and vigour. No mountain could get in our way! Well, our “vim and vigour” quickly retreated as we resigned ourselves to a slow climb upwards. It was going to be a long day…

Although the field was small, right away it was obvious that it was competitive – but in the “wow, I’m at the back of the pack” kind of way, not the “I’m worried this person is going to push me off the side of the cliff” kind of way. I really enjoyed conversing with the other runners during that first hour i.e. the only part of the race when I had enough breath to speak semi-intelligently. There was one guy who was not only running the Exmoor ultra, but also was going to attempt a DOUBLE London marathon the very next day. Rock on dude. Of course about 60 seconds after talking with this legend, I, a mere mortal, fell HARD on my geriatric rear end, instantly feeling the pain shoot all the way up to my neck. Rock on me :)

When I regained movement back in my neck (ha), I couldn’t believe the scenery in front of me. The course ran along the coastal path in North Devon, over the hills and countryside, across wooded paths and streams, through the “Valley of the Rocks”… It was like running an ultra through a slightly more refined Lord of the Rings movie set (this is England after all). Every once in a while we passed through a little village, including Lynton and Lynmouth, or the “little Switzerland” of the UK. As I was bounding down the boardwalk of these towns, staring up at the quaint little B&Bs and shops, I vowed to come back sometime when I could sit on bench, eat an ice cream, and simply enjoy the view. With peppermints in my purse, of course.

Coastal Path in North Devon

Quite a few of us were taking photos or videos during the race – it would have been a shame not to. These 55 km were some of the most beautiful I’d seen in all of the UK and I wanted to be able to remember it when the oxygen returned to my brain! I kept sending the images from my phone mid-race to those who I knew couldn’t be there that weekend, but that stopped as soon as I received a reply reminding me to stop acting like a tourist and start running like I meant it!  Neither snapping photos nor snapping my fingers would get me to the finish. Right. Keep calm and carry on!

I am happy to say, I didn’t have any major issues during the race (unlike the last one!). I made sure to keep eating, drinking, and I ran when I could and walked when I had to. I did start to have some cramping over the last 10 km, but by taking some electrolytes (Hammer Endurolytes) and eating some crisps for some extra salt, I was able to keep going without too much hassle.

The last 5 km were probably my best. I was definitely feeling it in my quads and calves, but relative to the few other runners around me, I seemed to be faring slightly better. I could smell the finish line (or was it that fishy coastal air?) and I was ready to be done!!!

I wound up in 11th place, which I was pretty happy about… Until I found out that this put me in the bottom half of the women’s field! Actually, I was just really impressed. There were three freakishly fast women at the front of the pack and I was slightly in awe. Not that I met them. Oh no, by the time I crossed the finish, they were long gone! Showered, fed, probably had time for a nap too… (just kidding).

Then came a little dose of post-race reality. I don’t know how I do it, but sometimes I really don’t feel pain when I’m running. This is a huge asset in a lot of ways, but sometimes it can lead to, er, nasty results. I had forgotten to bring my body glide or vaseline with me for the weekend, which I usually put on my back and hips to prevent chafing from my backpack. Sometimes I even pre-tape if I’m particularly worried about it. I’m extremely prone to chafing for some reason, regardless of the backpack, so you’d think I’d have learned by now… Anyway, I decided it wasn’t that big of a deal and I would just suck it up and deal with the consequences later.

As soon as I took off my pack, I realized it would be bad. And it was. OOOOOH the pain!!!! I had open wounds all across the bottom of my back, around my hips, and across my stomach. Even the inside of my belly button looked savage. UGH!!! Trying to shower after the race was completely out of the question. The salt that had built up on my skin from sweating during the race made the water feel like vinegar and even a drop made me scream out in agony. Yikes. Thanks to Alex and a some self-mummification techniques, we managed to bandage me up so that I could hobble over to the pub for post-race celebrations. I’m pretty sure he went above and beyond the call of duty on that one, so thanks Alex :) I’ve got your back (chafe) anytime!

All a part of the fun

All in all, a great race and a great weekend. Looking forward to the next one in just two weeks! Keswick 2 Barrow 40 miler….

Happy trails!

-Ultrarunnergirl

Filed under: Race Reports | Tagged: , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Coastal Trail Series, Sussex Marathon: Race Report

Posted on March 27, 2011 by ultrarunnergirl

Race: Coastal Trail Series, Sussex marathon (27 miles)

Date: March 26, 2011

Conditions: Misty/sunny, 10-13 degrees

Terrain: Very hilly (“strenuous”)

Where do I even begin about this past weekend??

Let’s start with Saturday morning. I hadn’t slept much the night before, and despite setting my alarm for 6:30, I was wide awake before 5:00 am.  Pre-race jitters? Not entirely.

Quite a few of you reached out after my “runner’s low” post (thank you!!), so let me offer this quick explanation. Speedy broke things off with us about a month ago, shortly after our Moonlight Challenge race together. The sense of loss was palpable.  He was my running partner, my life partner, my partner-in-crime… I thought we were going to conquer the world together hand in hand, taking a few wrong turns along the way, but ultimately moving forward as an unbreakable pair.  Coming to the realization that that vision was one-sided was… well, for all those who have been through something like that, I probably don’t need to say much more!

The running ground to a halt. The one thing I loved to do, the one thing that always got me out of any situation, just slipped away. Every time I tried to get out there, I would make it to about 30 or 40 minutes before I simply couldn’t breathe anymore and my legs stopped moving. I wasn’t just heart-broken – I was lung-broken, leg-broken, and, with the complete loss of appetite, stomach-broken.

As with any other sort of “injury”, with time, things got better.  I started to breathe easier, run lighter, and go further.  Friends and family, like any good support crew, got me through the right ‘checkpoints’ and pulled me right through the black fog of my ‘runner’s low’.  I even made it up to a two hour run about a week ago, thinking that perhaps that would be just enough training to get me through this race.

By the time race day hit, I was in a completely different place than a month prior. I was really looking forward to the run. Not because I thought it would be a good race or I’d finish well (ha, certainly not!!)… but because it would be the final hurdle.  Speedy was going to be there on the start line and if I could still get through running 27 strenuous miles after seeing him, I’d know that I’d be just fine. Sink or swim…

Well, I swam. It was more of a doggie paddle than a front crawl, but I swam. I gotta say, it wasn’t the easiest race in my life… In fact, I can say without a doubt that it was infinitely harder than my 100 miler. But the point is that I did it!!!

Pre-race photo with a fellow RacingThePlanet competitor... They're everywhere!

We started off from Birling Gap out towards the water and ran along the cliff tops, passing through Seven Sisters, and Beachy Head. It was a perfect morning.  The mist coming off the ocean was glowing in the sunlight, which gave the race start a rather majestic quality (or “mist-ical”? Ha, sorry, I couldn’t resist). Runners were stretched out in a line in front (er, with hopefully a few behind!), snaking up and down the hills for miles.

Of course, just to take the pressure off, I pulled a classic ultrarunnergirl move and let my clumsiness rear its ugly head early on in the race. Just as I was starting to work out the kinks in my legs, I came up to a cow gate on the course. I had thought that the person in front of me had left the latch open, so I ran into it full speed… Ha! I may have actually ricocheted off the gate from the sheer force of the impact, but not wanting to look like a wimp to the runners behind me, I smiled and pretended it was toooootally planned. The bruising and bleeding on my thigh and knee would have to wait until later!! Keep calm and carry on!

I was really caught by surprise by the hills. I knew part of the course was on the South Downs Way, which I have run over before, so I arrogantly dismissed the “strenuous” rating by Endurance Life as being blown out of proportion. Hmph, how hard can a few rolling hills be?

Very hard.  Lesson to be learned: never underestimate Endurance Life!! I kept up with some of the faster women for the first 15 km or so – maybe even up to 20 km – but after that it was downhill (or, er, uphill). The difficulty of the course meant that I was spending a lot more time on my legs than I had trained for and I was already hitting 2.5 hours at the halfway mark (13 miles).  The molasses effect slowly but surely crept into my legs….

I chatted with a few other runners along the way, which helped, but by the time I got to 15 or 16 miles I was really struggling. I wasn’t drinking a lot of water and I couldn’t seem to get any food in me. Truth be told, I had thrown up my breakfast that morning before the race and I knew I really needed the calories or I would shut down! Even running through the desert in Namibia or the outback in Australia, I never lost my appetite. It was a strange thing to experience. Back to basics. Rule of the game is no matter what happens, keep moving forward. Sometimes, it is all you can do.

At this point, the 10km racers overlapped our course and this was probably the most demoralizing section of the race. I thought I was doing pretty well under the circumstances until all of a sudden these fresh, bouncy, FAST runners just blew by me with ease!  It was like I was chugging along in the slow lane on the highway, running out of gas, being passed by formula one machines at break-neck speed. Oh dear.

Luckily, and this really was a saving grace, one of the other marathon runners trudged his way to my side and said that he recognized me from the Moonlight Challenge Race. He (Paul…right?? Did I get that right??) was having a tough race as well so the two of us forged our way together for quite some time.  Every time I went downhill, I would get a massive, sharp stitch in my side that just wouldn’t release.  This made me almost crave the uphills. Then the calf muscles started to go. It felt like there were animals jumping and crawling their way up to my hamstrings. It was the weirdest feeling – I’ve never had things shut down like that before. Paul must have noticed my random spaz outs because he mentioned that his quads and hamstrings were severely cramping as well… What a pair!

We made it to the 19 mile checkpoint and, thinking I had a full pack of water, I drank just two glasses and carried on. Five minutes later I felt the water supply in my camelbak tube run out and realized I had made a huge rookie mistake. With the amount of cramping going on, it would be touch and go as to whether I would be able to make it to the next checkpoint.

Silly me.  But I thought there would be a way out. We weren’t in the desert after all. It was England! All I needed to do was find a stream and I could fill up…  When I finally came across a greenish-brown, murky pond at the bottom of a cow-dung-infested field a few miles later, I was so desperate that I turned around to Paul with an inquisitive look on my face that said, “Do you think….?”  Being the smarter one of the two, Paul firmly said “NO” and gave me a few sips of his water.  He most likely saved me from dysentery with that move, and I will always be grateful!!!  He ran out of water himself a few minutes later, so this was definitely a generous sacrifice. Paul (if I didn’t get your name wrong!), please keep in touch. I’ve got your back in the next race!

By this point, we just needed to finish. There were rumours of another checkpoint at mile 23 or 24, but Paul’s GPS already said 25 and nothing was in sight. The next little bit was a blur, but I remember BARELY moving…  I was determined to keep trying to run. I saw some elderly couples strolling along the path and immediately scanned to see if they were holding water. I’m not sure what I would have done if they were. There was one person holding a can of coke… I had delusions of tackling the caffeinated-goodness out of this person’s hand, but realized I was in no shape to run away quickly enough, so that went out the window, along with my sense of morals. Paul and I ran past a farm and scoured for outside taps. No luck. Then we came across a pig’s trough in the middle of a field and actually contemplated, for a brief moment, filling up. Desperate times call for desperate measures? A little while later, some girls gave me some sips of their water and passed me a gel, but I was in a bad state. I finally made it to that last elusive checkpoint, and couldn’t have been happier to see my friend Rob!!! Rob had come down to do the race with me and despite being a 2:30-2:50 marathoner, he was obviously struggling to be as far back as I was in the race!

There weren’t a lot of words said at this point, but we made it to the finish line side-by-side. It was just 2 or 3 more miles from that last checkpoint, but it couldn’t have felt longer. If Rob hadn’t have been there, I would hate to think how long it would have taken me to reach the end.  The animals in my legs were jumping well past the knee and my head was spinning. We made it in just over 5 hours (ack!!!), although the timing chip didn’t record my finish so it came up as a DNF (which I’m trying to get the race organizers to fix! Definitely didn’t go through all that to get a DNF!).

Far from a DNF, that race was a grand finish. I knew it would be incredibly tough – for many reasons – but I needed to just do it and show myself I could get through it.  There is something truly exquisite in putting yourself up to a challenge, even an enormously painful one, and succeeding. It may not have been a ‘win’ for me in the strictest sense, and, in fact, is probably my worse race placing so far… but it is a race I am very proud of.

As I was awkwardly rolling around on the ground after the finish, trying to stop the cramping in my calves and sorting out my deformed, claw-like feet (so funny), I heard the announcer mention the next race in the series over the loudspeaker. “For those of you signed up for the Exmoor challenge on April 16th, you can expect a much tougher course than this one!”

Am I signed up? You betcha. For the ultra. Can’t wait. Ultrarunnergirl may be running solo now, but with the cheering squad I’ve got in my corner (you know who you are!), I’m ready to take on the next challenge – race or otherwise.  Not only can I stand on my own two feet, I can run on my own two feet again.

Until next time :)

Ultrarunnergirl aka Stephanie Case

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Hung up on hangovers?

Posted on March 20, 2011 by ultrarunnergirl

The weekend started brilliantly. I woke up on Saturday morning, refreshed and excited to see sunlight coming through my bedroom window. Within minutes, I threw on my running tights, a long-sleeved shirt, and grabbed my tunes as I ran out the door, not sure where I was heading but looking forward to getting there. My feet took me to the river right near my house and I headed out along the path towards open water. I’ve run along this route a number of times before, but this morning, everything looked and felt a bit different. Brighter. Lighter. Easier. I’ve dropped a bit of weight over the past few weeks, but the lightness in my step went further than shedding just a few pounds.  I found myself running along the beach in Brightlingsea, facing open water and losing track of time. Quite simply, it was a perfect morning. (Folgers in your cup theme song anyone?).

One of the landmarks on my morning run!

I headed down to London to catch up with some friends at a pub to watch the rugby game, feeling rather pleased with myself. Ah yes, pinnacle of healthy goodness. Er, fast forward a few (quite a few) hours, and I was giddily twirling around at a house party with a glass of champagne in one hand and mini burgers dipped in hummus in the other. With a side of brownies and a dash of Bryan Adams karaoke. Oh dear. Of course, as a non-red meat eater, I had blocked out the beef incident, but reliable sources reminded me of my carnivore tendencies this morning. At some point during the evening’s festivities, I even managed to break the heel off my boot dancing, which I’m hoping doesn’t divulge too much about my technique.

Anyway, this morning when I opened my eyes – or rather when I tentatively opened one eye – I instantly knew my planned run along the Thames with a buddy was in serious jeopardy.  I was faced with that ultimate hangover question: will exercise make me feel better or just a whole lot worse??

One school of thought says that when you’re hit with a hangover, you should just go “sweat it out”. As tough as it is initially, once you get a good workout in, you’ll feel better. Rid your body of the leftover alcohol and toxins and reset the clock. The other (perhaps more sensible) school of thought says that exercising will only make you feel worse. When you’re hungover and dehydrated, exercising will just exacerbate those feelings and set you back.

Which one is right?

Well, it looks either might be. The evidence really isn’t clear on this one, it seems. For me, I find that a workout really helps me get my equilibrium back. I don’t know what the science is behind it (and haven’t been able to find a good explanation), but getting the blood pumping again and stretching the legs after a good night out always seems to help clear out the cobwebs…

Well, almost always. There are those rare mornings when I just know that a run is better dreamed about instead of doing. It hasn’t happened in a very long time (the more serious tasks of completing my LLM program has prevented an abundance of burger-eating-champagne-twirling 90s karaoke blow outs)… but this morning was one of those occasions. Luckily, my running buddy was in a similar state (whew). Generally speaking – and this is probably a good rule to go by – if you can’t get up and walk around without feeling like your brains have been replaced by cotton balls, running is not a good idea. Not only are you too dehydrated, but you might still be a little drunk (!), and those things in combination could make for a nasty fall. And an even worse afternoon.

However, if you’re on the edge and think you might benefit from a little jog, here’s some kind advice!

Getting hung up over hangover? Take these tips!

(1) Drink some water. Then drink some more.

As soon as you wake up, drink 8 ounces of water. At least. Better yet, before you go out at night, put a glass of water by your bed ahead of time. You’re unlikely to remember to do that later and it will save you multiple headaches in the morning! A big part of the hangover is simply dehydration, so try to get some liquid back in you before you go exercise. And bring some with you on the run, even if it is just a short one. Keep sipping!

(2) Have a cup of tea or coffee — but only if that is part of your normal routine.

If you normally get up and have some caffeine, don’t skip it on a hangover morning or you could get a caffeine withdrawal headache on top of everything else!

(3) Stretch

See how you feel stretching. Before a run, you should be doing dynamic stretches, rather than static ones. For example, a classic quad stretch is when you bend your leg and holding onto your foot behind you close to your butt. This is a static stretch. Conversely, a dynamic quad (and hamstring) stretch involves swinging your leg out in front and then behind you (kicking your foot up towards the butt at the end), multiple times, to warm up the muscles. If you can’t get through these moves, you won’t be able to get through the run!

(4) Take a pain reliever

Advil, ibuprofen, tylenol (acetaminophen)… But be careful which one you take. Some pain meds are metabolized through the liver, such as acetaminophen / paracetamol. Your liver will already be pretty tired from last night’s alcohol damage, so you might want to think about taking a different kind. Other meds are metabolized through the kidney and might be more gentle on a hungover body. At the same time, some drugs are harsh on the stomach (such as advil), so make sure that whatever pill you take you have a bit of food! If you’re adverse to pain killers, I question whether you are really an ultrarunner… ;) (And I’m impressed)

(5) Food

We tend to crave fatty, greasy foods for our hangover breakfasts, but this is really not advisable before a run. You will definitely need to get in some calories, but take it easy on your body first thing. Have a bowl of cereal or some toast with honey. Bananas are good as well. Give yourself enough to give you some energy on the run, but save the greasy fry up for when you get back!

(6) Be reasonable!

Don’t go out for too long, no matter how much you’d like to. You’re hurting, your body is somewhat bruised, so be good to it!  In that stressed state, your heart rate will be higher and you might strain yourself more than you realize. If I’m tired or even slightly hungover, my polar watch will usually show that my heartbeat is about 10 beats higher than normal, which can make a big difference. That might mean you should run a little slower or for less time than usual in order to compensate.

(7) Give yourself a treat

Plan to reward yourself with something when you get back and it’ll make it easier to step out of the door in the first place.

All this being said, this morning I failed the cotton ball test, stretch test, the stand up test, even the open-both-eyes-at-the-same-time test and alas, the run was postponed ;) But after a good cup of British tea, multiple glasses of water, a sausage sandwich and a few chuckles about the prior night’s festivities, and I was almost in one piece again. Wish I could say the same for my dancing boots…

Will make up for the weekend’s indulgence on the step machine tomorrow! What can I say. Sometimes you just need to kick up your heels and, perhaps, break one off.

Alex Flynn’s interview still to come – the guy is a busy man, but can’t wait to introduce him to you!

See this CNN article for some of the hangover remedies mentioned in this post.

-Ultrarunnergirl aka Stephanie Case

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Riding the runner’s highs and braving the lows

Posted on March 10, 2011 by ultrarunnergirl

We’ve all heard about the  “runner’s high” and for most of us runners, we’ve experienced them in one way or another. Some actually describe the “runner’s high” as a sense of calm that washes over them for extended period of time, while others (like me) experience them as brief, intense moments of pure euphoria. Oh yes, if you ever see me during a runner’s high moment, you should definitely run the other way! It’s a when-Harry-met-Sally moment of extreme bliss when I no longer feel pain, there is peace in the middle east, and techni-colour rainbows spontaneously appear out of the sky. Leprechauns and pots of gold and all. Okay, but seriously, in those moments, I feel connected to the people around me, the loved ones in my life, and I’m infinitely positive about the future. I’m Claudia Schiffer on the runway circa 1990, Barack Obama on the day he was elected President, Gaddafi from last week (er, delusional in his confident belief that everyone loves him. Okay maybe that one was a stretch, but you get my point).

For the skeptics out there, the runner’s high has actually been scientifically proven. A few years ago, German researchers conducted a study that measured the level of endorphins in runners’ brains before and after a two-hour run. The data shows that not only was the brain flooded with endorphins (the feel-good neurotransmitters) during a run, but that they were attaching themselves in particular to the areas associated with emotions – the limbic and prefrontal areas, which are apparently the same regions of the brain that become active in romantic love affairs (!) (see this New York Times article for an overview). That explains the rainbows, perhaps.

But what about the flip side? What about the runner’s lows? We don’t talk much about these dark moments, but they do exist. Maybe we don’t talk about the runner’s lows because we just accept they are inevitable. Unlike the runner’s high, the runner’s low makes sense. Of course you’re going to feel down at some point during a run when everything is hurting and the finish line is nowhere in sight… right? But here I’m talking about the real lows. Those black moments you’d rather forget.

Experienced runners are able to deal with the lows in stride. We know they come, but we also remember they go. The problem is reminding yourself of that when they hit and figuring out how to get yourself through them.

I’ve been going through a rough time the past couple of weeks – let’s call it a “life low” – and someone I met during RacingThePlanet Australia reached out to provide an ear and some worthy advice.  (As you may know, I am partial to nicknames and so this individual will be called 007 for his spy-like qualities of observation.) Although we didn’t talk much during the race, our tents were beside each other and so we got to know a bit about how each other ‘worked’ under difficult conditions.  Apparently, one moment that stuck out in his mind was on the day after the long 80km stage when we were all resting in our tents. At this point, the race was practically over. All we had left to do was a measly 5 or 10 km the next day. I had second place in the bag and was incredibly happy with how the race had gone.  In fact, the entire race I had been over the moon. Happy to talk to people, learn from others, experience the Australian outback, laugh at my injuries… the works!  Poster child for GI Jane confidence. So on that last day before the finish, I should have been at my happiest… But all of a sudden I got hit with this wave of immense sadness. It is hard to describe, but I just got overtaken by emotion. Maybe it was the struggle of the week catching up to me or maybe it was a combination of hunger and exhaustion… who knows. I kept trying to fight it and put on a brave face (what on earth did I have to be upset about??), but at some point, it became too much.

I warned my the others in my tent that I was going to have a pity party, but not to worry, I just needed to do it and it would only last five minutes. And I did it. I laid back on the plastic floor of the tent, bugs crawling over my legs and gnawing hunger in my stomach, and allowed the sweat to roll down my face along with my tears… I was embarrassed (tough girls don’t cry!!!), but I knew I had to just get it out.  I had been in control the whole race, but, as 007 reminded me, no one can be all the time. He observed that as soon as I just went with my emotions, I was much more relaxed afterwards… and that can’t be a bad thing.

I suppose the trick to getting through these runner’s lows is to allow them to happen. Go with it, but know that they will end. I’m not saying you should let all hell break loose. By all means, do not get comfortable down there! But it doesn’t hurt to give yourself a break and let go of control every once in a while. Sometimes fighting against things isn’t the answer. Let the low come, experience it, and then move on. It might be five minutes, it might be an hour… or maybe even a whole day during a multi-day race. But it will end. And it’ll make the next runner’s high simply delicious.

As I’m climbing out of this “life low”, it helps to be reminded of these lessons from running. And on that note, I’m off for a run in the hopes of getting a runner’s high. Lots of good things on the horizon!

Product reviews still to come, but up next is an amaaaaazing interview with a guy who is breaking all boundaries. Alex Flynn of 10 Million Metres to follow… Stay tuned!

-Ultra Runner Girl aka Stephanie Case

Filed under: "Life" (aka misc.) | 2 Comments »

Moonlight Challenge (50km) Race Report

Posted on February 23, 2011 by ultrarunnergirl
BOOYAH!! Ultrarunnergirl is legitimately an ULTRA-runner-girl once more!!!
Our golden shoe trophies!

Our Golden Shoe Trophies!

This past Saturday, after months of DNS / DNF races, I finally started (and finished!) my first post-foot surgery race. And my first race with Speedy. The two of us headed out to the Kent countryside to participate in the “Moonlight Challenge” 50km night race (on a loop course), organized by the Challenge Hub. When I signed up for the race, I pictured silently running through farmers’ fields under the soft glow of yellow moonlight, listening to nothing but the sound of my breath and the crunch of the grass underneath my feet.  As Speedy and I drove towards Kent on the day of the race, however, I was forced to face the facts that the only moon I would be seeing that night would be from another runner’s mid-race bathroom break in the bushes. The rain was pouring down with no end in sight. Why did I think this would be a good idea??
My reluctance to start the race was strengthened when we got to the start line and registered. Speedy and I arrived at 5pm, about an hour before the race started, so we had time to order some food at the pub aka race headquarters. There was an open, wood-burning fireplace and warm tea served with mint chocolates… Who would want to leave that kind of comfort for the muddy hell that awaited out in the fields??  My mind raced to think of exit strategies. In a classic move of pure klutziness, I had fallen walking up some stairs about a week before (there may have been wine involved) and had bashed the heck out of my knee. Surely I could use that as an excuse?
Alas, I knew that I would never be able to back out and actually, deep down, I had to admit I really  was craving the muddy madness. The rain and mud would take the pressure off and any miles I completed, at whatever speed I managed, would be a bonus. Yup, it was time to suck it up and go for it. Also, I saw how nervous and jumpy Speedy was getting before the race and it made me realize how important it was for him. Sure, it was a tiny race – not even a race, a “challenge” – but he hadn’t properly raced in quite a while either and it was something we had both been missing. Badly. I wanted to run the race for me, but I REALLY wanted to run the race for us. Running is how we met and yet we hadn’t had the chance to race together… Rain or no rain, we were going to give this a shot!
What follows is our separate perspectives on the race – the gear we used, the training we did, our nutrition, what we were thinking during the race – so that you can have both the male and female accounts of the full 50 km. With the risk of ruining the punch line, I can’t help but mention that Speedy and I ended up taking the 1st place male and female titles respectively!!! (Speedy would like to mention that 1st place male is 1st place overall…not that he is competitive….)
Summary of Race Gear:

Speedy Ultrarunnergirl
Shoes Adidas adiSTAR Raven Mizuno Wave Elixir
Hydration system GoLite (with 2L water bag and waist pockets) GoLIte (with 2L water bag, and no waist pockets)
Socks Bridgedale Merino Wool run sock Orca compression socks
Tights Orca Killa Kompression Full tight Orca Merino Full tight (men’s version… I stole them from Speedy)
Base layer Orca High Neck Merino Wool Baselayer Orca Merino Fusion Athletic L/S shirt
Outer layer Orca Velo Merino Full Zip Jacket Stolen Orca Merino half zip L/S shirt (again from Speedy)
Second layer Are you crazy? It wasn’t that cold! Fleece vest leftover from UTMB!

What was your mentality going into the race?

Speedy: It was my first race since October so I was getting pretty antsy about the whole thing. I knew it was going to be a shock to the system cause I hadn’t run the distance in a long time, so my focus was just to run within myself and not overdo the pace.

Ultrarunnergirl: I was actually trying not to think about it, which is abnormal for me. Given my past track record of having to drop out of races due to injury, I just didn’t allow myself to get too excited about it. I was definitely excited to race again, but I think I was mostly apprehensive. I just wanted to get at least a race start under my belt again, so I tried not to worry about how the race would go from there. As long as I started, it would be a step in the right direction.

How did you train for the race? What was your preparation?

Speedy: Shamefully most training was done in the gym, with maybe one/two runs per week outside in the month leading up to the race. Don’t follow my lead. Can I blame work?

Ultrarunnergirl: I tried to be smart about my training. My main goal was not to injure something, so I didn’t push myself too hard. Four weeks before the race I dragged Speedy out for a 30 km run and two weeks before I finished 36 km, but that was my limit. For me, proper training is crucial not only in terms of physical preparation, but also mental preparation. I like to be able to stand on the start line of a race thinking that I had done everything I needed to do in order to get ready. Honestly, I don’t know how Speedy does it. He barely trains and just rocks up at a race… and wins. Blindfolded. Hungover. With smoke in his lungs. Okay, it isn’t always that bad, but seriously, the guy is pretty much invincible. *said with an equal mixture of wistful admiration and annoying bewilderment*

What was your strategy going into the race? Did you have any particular tactics?

Speedy: Ha! I kept joking about having strategy, but really I had no idea how my body would respond. When the gun (err…fireworks) went off I decided to run up next to the leaders to test out the general pace. I was lucky to find my natural speed a bit faster than the group, so I started to pull away. From there the strategy was just to keep the feet moving, and make sure I went as hard as I could within my limits. [Note from ultrarunnergirl: Speedy is being humble here. His strategy before the race was to sit behind the leader for the first lap and then pull ahead. He was just too fast from the start, so he threw his strategy out the window after about 5 minutes.]

Ultrarunnergirl: Nope. Nada. While I make sure to set some race goals, I rarely have a ‘strategy’ in terms of the other runners. I know that everyone else will generally start off too fast and then slow down, so all I tell myself is to concentrate on my own run and if I feel like I’m too far behind, I simply remind myself that I’ll catch up on the later laps.

What was your pre-race and race nutrition like?

Speedy: I’m a massive advocate of pre-race over the top hydration. For the week prior to the race I filled myself to the brim with a really dilute combination of Nuun + water. The excessive number of bathroom breaks is a downside, but it really works. I also make sure to take regular calcium/Magnesium tablets as well as multivitamins. Flax seed is also a beauty when you remember to take it regularly. Food-wise I do everything you shouldn’t do. I even had a burger at the pub an hour before race start, it was a questionable decision and I’m not sure if it helped, but it was certainly tasty.

Ultrarunnergirl: I didn’t do anything in particular before the race, except up my rice intake (see my previous blog post on gluten-free diets). During the race, I drank Accelerade from my pack, but also stopped at the water stations starting from the second lap so that I wouldn’t have to refill my pack. I add a package of biscuits every time I finished a loop (courtesy of the race organizers), which was about once an hour, and ate potato chips every hour on the half hour to make sure I was getting enough salt intake. I also took a caffeine gel (Gu, chocolate flavour) at the start of the fifth hour to give myself an extra boost. Even though it was at night and cold, I was still sweating quite a bit, so I constantly reminded myself to keep hydrating and eating – especially the chips. I mean crisps. Wow, that could have caused some confusion amongst my british readers…

Best moment during the race?

Speedy: Probably a close tie between finishing in one piece, and crossing paths with Steph on the 3rdtime round the course. For a girl with dodgy toe, and seriously bruised knee I don’t think I’ve ever seen her happier!

Ultrarunnergirl: Seeing Chuck – I mean Speedy – on our third lap. I had been thinking about him the whole time and cheering him on mentally, but to see him so far ahead in the race was awesome. With that one salty, muddy, mid-race kiss, I was pretty re-energized to finish the next few laps! [was that over the top? aww]

Worst moment?

Speedy: I did give a driver the finger and tell him to $%&# himself on the home stretch of the last lap, so that was probably unnecessary (despite the boy racer speeding head on into a running race). [Note admonishment from ultrarunnergirl...tsk tsk]

Ultrarunnergirl: Truthfully, I’m not sure I had one! I had some spectacular wipe-outs during the race, but they were hilariously fun. I’m talking arms flailing over my head, a$$ up, mud down the pants falls.

What expectations did you have for yourself?

Speedy: I joked that my goal was to run my fastest lap on the last time round the circuit, but I’m fairly certain I failed miserably on that one. Other than that my goal was to maintain a pace within my limits and give myself some confidence to get off the lazy/erratic-training bandwagon and keep pushing forward to future races.

Ultrarunnergirl: Finish. Finish. Did I mention finish? And be happy for Speedy even if I didn’t finish. But ultimately, finish.

Did you have any expectations for the other person?

Speedy: I was really hoping that Steph would just get through with a smile on her face. With the drunken knee damage from the previous weekend the odds weren’t looking too great, so when I saw her buzzing along on the 3rd lap it was a special sight. She definitely exceeded any expectations, and I’m pretty sure she ran her last lap faster than I did (remind me never to run against her in a 100km race).

Ultrarunnergirl: Ah, I knew he’d finish in first place… it was hard not to boast about him too much before the start. Sometimes it is tough dating a real-life Rocky. (HAHAH, sorry Speedy, I had to throw that one in there.)

Did you hit a wall at any point?

Speedy: If you asked me what my ideal race was, I’d say 30km with massive climbs and long uber-technical descents. Given that this race was a dead flat and seriously muddy 50km, I wasn’t exactly in a comfort zone. In simple terms, I’d say:

1st Lap wasn’t so bad

2nd lap: oh look I’m getting a lead

3rd lap: do I deserve a little break yet

4th lap: holy crap my quads are feeling heavy

5th lap: seriously, I have another lap?? Damn, I swear I counted five?! Oh man this is gonna suck!

Ultrarunnergirl: I really just had a blast through the whole thing. I know that is annoying, but it was super fun. I finished my first lap in an hour, second in 1:02, third in 1:02, fourth in 1:06, and last lap in 1:05, so I was pretty evenly consistent. The last lap was the best because that was when most of the other runners were slowing down (including Speedy…wahahah) and I just kept trucking along. It feels good to get to that point :D

What kept you going through the low moments of the race?

Speedy: The lowest moment was definitely the entire last lap. I’m ridiculously competitive, so the idea of losing my lead was probably the single biggest factor in keeping going. I also broke the course down into 4 clear “stages” (road, mud, road, mud/homestretch) and gave myself 20secs speed-walk rest at the end of each “stage”.

Ultrarunnergirl: Beyonce?

How did you find the night running aspect?

Speedy: On the first lap it was more like being at a roller disco than a night run cause I had the pace car right in front of me with a seizure inducing rotating light. I was mentally threatening quitting if the car was sticking around for the whole race, but fortunately (or unfortunately) he pulled off after the first lap.. Other than that night running is amazing because you can really get into your own little world. I’d say it’s harder to judge pace, but for me it’s definitely easier to stay focused, and not get caught up in what others are doing.

Ultrarunnergirl: I really like running in the dark. It is easier to concentrate on your own race and get into the zone. It also makes the races seem calmer to me for some reason. However, it can definitely slow you down because you have to be more careful about your footing.

How did you find the competition?

Speedy: There seemed to be a nice mix of experienced ultra runners and first-timers. It was a pretty chilled out atmosphere and most people seemed more focused on their own challenge than anything else (although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do a little bit of pre-race scoping out of the competition).

Ultrarunnergirl: Everyone was super friendly and I really wasn’t meaning to compete, so I didn’t really think about it!

Would you do it again?

Speedy: I would definitely do another race organized by Challenge Hub, although you’ll have to ask me later about doing the figure 8 route again.. It was really well organized all the safety and logistical issues were perfectly thought out. I would definitely recommend anyone to take part. I know Mike and team are organizing a 3 day self-supported A to B Ultra in Kent later in the year, so I might look at joining in for that one. The best thing about the race is that it was relatively low key and had a good community feel to it. The only pressure at the race was what people decided to put on themselves. Like we always hear “It’s a challenge, not a race”.

Ultrarunnergirl: Definitely. Mike, the race organizer, really made the race a lot of fun.

Happily at the finish

Final comments:

Speedy: Apologies to the very nice lady in the pink jacket who was doing her first ultra marathon. I didn’t mean to spill my entire hydra-bag full of water on you right before the race started! If you finished the race as wet and messy as I did, I’m guessing you got over it pretty quickly, but apologies either way. My bad!

Ultrarunnergirl: Can’t wait for the next race with Speedy. Hopefully something longer than 50km so I can give him a run for his money :D

Click here for the Run247 report.

-Ultrarunnergirl aka Stephanie Case

Filed under: Race Reports | Tagged: , | 13 Comments »

Top Ten Tips for Surviving a Trade Show

Posted on February 13, 2011 by ultrarunnergirl

I must admit, I love sports-related trade shows.  They are the debutant balls of the sports industry when every brand, store, and entrepreneur puts their best and brightest on display in an attempt to catch your eye. You can float down each and every aisle, lingering over the stands that sparkle and twirling quickly passed the ones that bore, trying sample products to your heart’s content. Every vendor has a something different to offer as one of your potential ‘suitors’, and they are all eager for a space on your dance (aka credit) card.

Whenever I go to one of these things, I can’t help but get carried away in the magic, filling up my dance (credit) card perhaps more quickly than I should have.  When all is said and done and I am walking away from the expo laden with bags of gear, the magic starts to wear off.  Suddenly those bright green compression socks seem a bit, er, loud. The year’s supply of pina-colada-flavoured protein powder doesn’t seem as appetizing. And those biodegradable elbow warmers… I mean really? As the doubt starts to sink in, I feel a little like a uni-slippered Cinderella standing in front of her pumpkin of a carriage, wondering if I should have skipped that dance with Prince Charming and whisked myself home before things got really out of hand.

So what is the deal with expos anyway? Do they really offer good deals or is it all just a gimmick? Do the vendors really bring the “best and the brightest” that they have to offer or is it mainly last year’s stock they are trying to get rid of in a hurry? Are they worth it?

Me and Speedy at the Orca Stand!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to work for Orca at the TCR (triathlon, cycling, running) show at Sandown Park outside of London. It was the first time I had been on the vendor side of things at an expo, rather than as a customer, and it really gave me some insight into how these things work. As this particular show boasts the title of the “UK’s No 1 multi-sport exhibition”, I thought it would give me a good chance to talk to some other retailers and find out the real story. Based on what I saw, heard and learned from other vendor’s and customers alike, here are ultrarunnergirl’s top ten tips for successfully surviving a trade show as a customer:

(10) Make a list ahead of time

Have you ever gone to the grocery store to pick up, say, frozen chicken breasts, toilet paper and a pint of milk and come back with cheerios, apples and dish detergent? It is pretty easy to get distracted by all the flashing lights and shiny objects inside, so if there is something specific you fancy, write it down on a list and tick it off as you go along.

(9) Sketch out a general budget… but leave some wiggle room for treats.

Give yourself a maximum budget, but in two categories: (1) the essential category (shoes, wetsuit, socks etc… the boring stuff you’d buy some other time anyway) and then the ‘treat’ category (for things like biodegradable elbow warmers… if that floats your boat). You are virtually guaranteed to find something that you absolutely love – or something that at least intrigues you enough to want to buy – that you hadn’t expected. This is what the real essence of expos are about anyway: finding out all about the the next ‘new’ thing.

(8) Pick the right time to go

If there is a particular item you think you might want, go on the first day a couple hours after opening. There is really no need to be there right when it opens and you will just end up standing in line anyway. Nothing will sell out in the first couple of hours (unless the vendor really messed something up). After the initial morning rush, the vendors will be into the swing of things and any glitches will be sorted out, so it is a perfect time to swoop in and buy that doohickey you’ve been waiting for.

However, if you just want to check things out and are looking to score a deal, I would suggest heading over at the end of the expo, a couple hours before closing. Sure, there might not be as many colour or size options left, but vendors will want to reach whatever sales target they’ve set for themselves for the event, which might make them more willing to quietly slash the prices a little more during the final hours. You never know. Smaller retailers or individual entrepreneurs may be more willing to do this in order to get more exposure whereas bigger retailers will probably stick to their price. That being said, it never hurts to try a little side deal bargaining. Worse thing they will do is say no!

(7) Bring a sturdy backpack

Otherwise you’ll end up buying one to carry all the other stuff you pick up, freebies and purchases alike.

(6) Go on a scoping mission

Do one full ‘sweep’ of the venue first before buying anything. Sometimes the same products are on offer at multiple stands, and there may be a better offer/size/colour/style from a vendor at the back of the room as compared to the deal you see from a vendor who is placed right next to the door. It is good to get a sense of what is out there before laying down the plastic.

(5) To eat or not to eat…

If it is an expo before a race, don’t eat anything you haven’t tried before. When is the last time you said to yourself a night before a race, “y’know what? Now is the perfect time to try out that new chicken curry recipe…” (please say never). Any runner knows that a change in your normal diet can really spell disaster out on the race course. Same principle goes for free food samples at an expo. There are usually multiple brands of protein, fruit, and energy bars on offer, all with tiny samples out for the picking. Then you add on the energy drinks, protein shakes, gels… if you aren’t careful, you could easily try 20 news products that your stomach has never coped with before, all in the span of a couple of hours. Believe me when I tell you that it isn’t smart! (My stomach still hasn’t forgiven me for my pre-Boston marathon protein bar buffet).

However, if it is a stand-alone expo, not connected to any particular race – like the TCR show – eat and drink to your heart’s content. I’m all about the free samples.

(4) Talk to the vendors

Normally, I like going into a store and being left alone until I ask a question or specifically seek a salesperson’s assistance. Trade shows are different. Get over it and get used to being bothered and bothering. Vendors are usually really excited to show your their stuff and especially with the more independent/smaller retailers, you can often get an interesting ‘back story’ on what went into their products. Vendors are an important – albeit biased – source of information, so stop being skeptical and use them!

(3) Test things out!

Often at these types of shows, vendors will bring ‘demos’ of certain products to allow you to test things out before buying. You may not get this opportunity in store and you definitely won’t get the chance online, so take advantage! For instance, at the TCR show this weekend Orca had its entire range of wetsuits in every size out for people to try on. These days, most stores charge a fitting fee of up to 20 pounds to try out a suit in order to prevent the cheeky cheapskates who try things on in store and then run out to buy them online. However, at the show, it was free to try on ANY of the suits, free of obligation, and yet some interested customers still didn’t bother. I can’t figure this one out! There was even a tank there to try out some of the suits in the water. No brainer to me.

(2) Know a deal when you see one

At the TCR show, there were some serious deals to be had. While I can’t say for certain, I assume that other expos would be similar. I had always wondered whether vendors jacked prices up for the shows so that they could falsely claim “20% OFF!” and still keep their margins (such a skeptic I am…). This simply wasn’t the case. The deals I saw on products at the show were genuinely much better than normal, generally ranging from 10% to 30% off (some higher). And we’re not talking about last year’s stock – we’re talking about the new stuff!  Plus, what I didn’t realize is that retailers are not only eager to impress you, they are also just as eager to impress their competitors. There’s a lot of ego going on under one expo roof and fortunately for us consumers, it ends up working to our advantage.

(1) Don’t leave empty handed

Take the free samples, take the flyers, take the promotions, and buy at least one new thing you can have fun testing out. Go on – you’ll feel better :D

 

Enjoying some Nuun with the dynamic duo behind the product!

 

Coming soon: Product Reviews!!!

Working the show this weekend allowed me the opportunity to chat with the people who are behind some of my favourite brands, such as Nuun, Accelerade, Muscle Milk, Gu, Clif Bar… And I also got to check out some brands I’d never heard of before, like Somnio (customizable shoes!), Balega (a top-selling American running sock brand that recently came to the UK) and a few other unique products. Over the next little while, I’ll be testing out and reviewing some of these products so that I can pass this information on to you. If there is a particular product you’ve been interested in, comment on this blog and let me know!

 

Filed under: "Life" (aka misc.), Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

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