Stroud half marathon, 2019

This beautiful sunshiney morning saw myself and a couple of family members run in the Stroud half marathon race. A lovely race, quite flat, well supported.

This race was about completing, not racing, due to personal reasons. Playing Name that Tune helped get us through.

So proud to do this, so proud to be there.

Long live the long runs

A very funny article, Mind the Woods Trolls - A Reasonable Guide to Finishing Your First Ultra- was published on the on-line Runners World website recently, by a chap called Moriel Rothman-Zecher. He offers some humorous insights into long distance training, and concludes:

...'Because let's face it, it's quite strange to be alive, to be human, but in the midst of all this strangeness, it's a pretty damn beautiful gift to get to spend hours running, on pavement or on treadmills or on trails, alone or with company, for 100 miles or for one, laughing as you go. '


Brilliant thought.

I feel like I have been training all my life for some of these big events, not just the preceding months leading up to a mammoth race. Every training session works towards completing the race, or coping with a possible dnf.

But if I carry on laughing as I go, surely that keeps it real, and still keeps it special.

Grand Raid de Pyrenees 2019- things I , er, didn't like

There is no doubt that this event is massive, and I hope it will continue to be so, as ultra running continues to gain popularity. The organisation was incredible: I have no idea how difficult this set of races would be, to logistically arrange . A brilliant event in a beautiful environment.

I did find traveling to the area quite difficult, although not impossible. I would definitely get a morning flight and either hire a car or give myself more time to travel out there . As the event is held out of ski season, public transport and connections are more limited.

At a few of the checkpoints on the second day, I felt that the food was starting to run low . I was desperate for pasta or a proper meal , but I could only find snacks. Again, a lesson to myself, to always take more food then I think I might need.

This event was not runnable in the last third. There were numerous difficult climbs, at the stage when your energy levels had been depleted . Even the last 'down' stage into the village was a slippy, tricky, trail path. Stupidly, I did not anticipate that the race was going to be this hard! Another lesson for me; just the fact that the race held a 44 hour cut off, should have been a clue about how hard it would be.


What I absolutely loved about this race, is that it took me (and a couple of friends), to an area where we would not have visited. It took us completely off our beaten track, and allowed us to see an incredible, amazing, stunning part of France. Through running, we have once again been lucky enough to have novel experiences, interesting stories to tell. No amount of blisters and achey legs will diminish the pleasure of that. Grand Raid de Pyrenees, I am grateful for that.


That's my last big race of this year. Each one has been fantastic in a different way. I feel it has been a good running year for me; I know I haven't hit any podiums (and never will), but I've had an absolute blast. Time to kick back a bit, and think about what may come. Brilliant times indeed, with brilliant people. I couldn't ask for much more in life, and am still hugely thankful to friends and family who support, feign interest, and facilitate, these great running adventures of mine.

You all rock, guys.

Grand Raid de Pyrenees 2019- things I liked

Well, things I really enjoyed about this event....

It was such a beautiful place to run ! Exceptionally beautiful out there.

I found it a really friendly race, the staff were lovely, and other competitors were fun to be around. As far as I can work out, there were very few or no other Brits on the Circus tour. I had many interesting snippets of conversation in my limited French, and of course there were many comments about Brexit. It made the race all the more interesting for me.

The 10.00 a.m.start was ideal, as it meant only one night out on the race course. The whole event was very well marked with reflective strips every ten feet or so.

The finish of the race, at Vielle Aure, was absolutely electric, and probably the highlight . The village was filled with supporters, and running to the finish was an emotional, tremendous moment. Every finisher was made to feel like a superstar by the crowd. Sensational ending.

Grand Raid de Pyrenees 2019

Grand Raid de Pyrenees - Circus Trail-- this race is a magnificent monster. It is probably the hardest one stage I have run, to date. Add the Ccc with the Lavaredo, take the difficult parts of both, and there we are. I loved every minute of the first 80 k, then hated every minute thereafter. Moaning in my head - constantly.
This morning, I am so proud to have achieved this. I have blister on blisters, and needed painkillers just to try and sleep. Approx a third dropped out of the race I was in. I have no idea how competitors managed 220k. There was absolutely no running possible after 80k, just climbing, plodding, and a little bit of crying thrown in. My word.
Yesterday I thought never again..... Today, already, I think respect the challenge.

Ouch.

Finished at last....

Managed to finish in 36 hours 22mins. Disappointing time, but relieved to get to the end. Hard endurance event. Got there.

Grand Raid Pyrenees - 59 k

Well, sorry I haven't managed to put a pic on, there's no Internet access in the pyrenees....
59k in, a slow race - loads of climbing on stony uneven paths. It's been hot today, but OK up high. Amazing views, as hoped. One of the highlights so far was getting buzzed by the mountain rescue helicopter - brilliant

OK, legs are killing and I've got extra strong coffee to drink
Next checkpoint ages away, ugh.