Lakeland 50 (prequal)

So it's been a while and yes, I'm lazy. I have also been busy and it takes me so long to write and get the blog spell checked that I just lose interest. Anyhow, 2 weeks ago James and I headed off to the lake district to have a crack at the short course of the Lakeland 100. I'm gonna head back slightly further and give a brief recap of events.

Around this time last year I read Renes post on running the Lakeland 50. It caught my interest for 2 reasons: 1. I used to live in the area and 2. I was in the throws of a persistent elbow injury and plateauing at climbing. Luckily I had used running to fill my time and had started throwing myself at different kinds of events. I tried the WAR which was a suffer fest as I had done no running and was just cycling to and from work. James then injected me with the poison of IMRA. I loved the hill runs on a summer evening, it was like a stolen activity.  There we have it I was in the throws of a new love affair with running and Rene was dangling a carrot!

I set a reminder in my phone and laid the seeds of thought in James' head. I entered the Dublin marathon and continued with the leinster league. I had run the London marathon twice before 15 years ago and hadn't really trained so didn't feel I had performed my best. I was unsure as to whether I would be able to run the 26 odd miles but I wanted to go quicker than 4:30 (my secret target was 3:30). That was just my own target in my head. Anyhow I chipped away at the training and came in 3:24. Happy out! I felt good at the end but very aware that it would be nearly impossible for me to turn around and run back!!!

In between the WAR and the Marathon I dabbled with Tri-athlon. I entered the Howth event and took swimming lessons. I was in the sea at Seapoint or the fortyfoot twice a week. Being excited I went straight for the Olympic distance. A 1.8km swim from Ireland's Eye, 4 * 10km laps of Howth on the bike and a 10km run. The sea was horrendous on the day and it confirmed my hatred for swimming as an event but I did enjoy the run and the bike!

After the marathon, time became short (Eve arrived) and I just played at running until Christmas.  As we entered January Rene (that man again) and Jason started guiding longer weekend runs around wicklow. It was great to be out in the hills and running with a group.  My favourite route was the 6 summits.  I was secretly pleased as well that I wasn't being dropped and was keeping up with the main pack.  I was having to work but I was still surviving. We then went out to run St Kevin's way - unfortunately no one was aware that 2 bridges were out!!! That meant we had to take 2 detours in foul conditions and ended up running 23 miles. I was very happy as Martin Francis was out with us and he really upped the pace. On a few occasions I really had to dig in to keep up but keep up I did.

During the runs I was chatting with Rene, Jason and Aoife and to cut a long story short I ended up asking the guys at Champions Everywhere to sort me out with a training plan. I found the plan a little daunting at first as it was 7 days a week running with 3 long runs a week to start with. I was confident Rene knew his stuff and I settled in. I found the plan good as without a plan I had paid for I doubt I would have been anywhere near as strict with myself.

A good life rule I picked up from James during this time was an event a month. (Ann thanks you for that by the way James!!) so we set off to do the Ballycotton 10 mile in March. This is a classic on the Irish racing calender. I can see why its an amazing area and it's cheap! James as usual went out hard as he always does and it was all I could do to stick with him. I managed a time of 1:05 and an average speed of 6:27 a mile. it was quick but it showed my base training was working. I couldn't have gone much quicker but I could have continued running. By this stage my training was 3 long runs between 13-20 miles a week and 2 fartlecks of around 7-8 miles an out and back of around 6 miles and a rest day or 5 mile jog. My only issue was I had linked all my previous training runs into one run and was starting to get bored.


The next big test was the wicklow way ultra. This is an out and back from Johnny fox's, it's along the wicklow way. It's a beautiful run and I recommend the trail version if people don't want to go for the big one. I came in just under 5 hours and I was really pleased.  It was hard and Ann made a valid point at the end when she asked "could you run another 18miles???" I laughed but the truth was, no I couldn't!
The other lesson I learned was from a passing remark Jeff  Fitzsimons made. As we approached the final climb to Prince William's seat we were trotting along together but I voiced my concern that I was worried about the climb as I had found it hard on my recce 2 weeks before (I had run 25 miles from Ballinastoe home).  Jeff continued at his solid pace whereas I developed a walk-run approach. I was right, it was hard but I kept up with some guys running the trail race.  I told myself it was o.k to walk as that's what Ultra runners do. They walk the uphills. At the end I was chatting with  Jeff and he said "you were beaten in your head before you even started the hill".   He was right I was so worried that it was gonna hurt that I psyched myself out! I wasn't going to let that happen again.


My Training plan said to have 2 rest days and then 5 days of 3-4 miles light jogging. I was feeling great and high on my achievement I was also short of time so pushed maybe a little hard on the third day and felt a pain in my hip. Over the next few weeks I managed the pain until the Glendalough WAR.


I had unfinished business here - last year James finished nearly an hour before me. The weather was horrible driving down. Thunder, rain and as we set off up the Spink it was snowing.  It settled down and I ran well and knocked 55 mins off last year's time and finished 22nd. The pain in my hip was really bad and even after a week's rest it still wasn't gone. I made my first visit to the physio who said 3 weeks rest and to just use the bike and swim.


The new IMRA season started and I set out on the league, not the best rehab for my hip but we got through. I did manage to fall over a lot.  The worst one coming down Djouce where I badly bruised or cracked some rib's. Another week off running! Ann said if I wasn't capable of lifting Eve up then NO running.


I did a lovely run from Glendalough out to Djouce along the Wicklow way with John.  The weather was lovely and it was nice to know I still had mileage in the legs.  It was 27 miles all in.  My heel was really sore at the end, a problem I had first noticed with some new road running shoes I had purchased.  Again I managed it and in June James and I took a trip over to the Lakes to join the final Recce weekend - most of the 50 mile route over 2 days.


Day one:
James and I with our usual diligence managed to be last off the bus and followed the end of the group.  The weather was awful but it was some lovely running.  We met up with 2 guys, Sacha and Vince, and they guided us around the first 28 miles of the course.  Sacha can really shift and we worked hard at times to keep up but were bound by our hatred of using maps!  Last year the boys had run the course in 12 hours, it led me to reevaluate my proposed best time of 13 hours.


Day two:
This was the last 15 miles from Ambleside to Coniston of which parts could be run in the dark on race day. We were hoping to run with the lads again so we wouldn't have to map read but they were late getting up. James and I split after 7 miles I ran with Steve who was wanting to better his 13 hours from the previous year and James ran with Mick, a 100 runner. This was my first insight into the fabled community. It was nice running along shooting the breeze with a stranger. It felt almost comfortable.  We both also avoided using the maps!!


My foot was still sore and on returning it was like walking on a bruise. I went to the physio and it turns out I have a wear injury on my ankle and also my muscle in my calf and foot get tight creating a perfect storm of pain in my foot. I did a few light runs but nothing to speak of.  Helen, my Physio, advised me 3 days before the race that running 50miles was not a good thing and she advised against it. I noted her advice and got her to tape my foot and then I ignored her! I had worked too long and been fully focused on this for nearly a year to not at least start it.....