IAU 100k European Championships 2013

Keith Whyte and Dan Doherty have been selected to compete in the IAU 100K European Championships in Belves, France on April 27th. Dan prepared for this event by recently winning the Self Transcendence 100K (Anglo Celtic Plate) in cold conditions in Perth Scotland.

His winning time of 7.05.23 was a new PB and just short of the Irish record. Keith Whyte had previously won the Anglo Celtic Plate in 2012 hot conditions in a time of 7.16.42.  

Keith Whyte also prepared in style by winning the Connemara Ultra Marathon in a time of 4.25.52 in less than ideal conditions having to run the last 13 miles into a headwind.

The race in Belves will be held on a 100K loop so a strong support team is required. John Collins, Kevin Belton and Jeff Fitzsimons will travel to ensure all requirements are met.

World Class Irish Team Result

John Byrne at the 2012 World 100km Championships in Seregno, Italy

The Irish men's team finished a magnificent 6th in the World 100km Championships in Seregno, Italy on 22nd April 2012.

In perhaps the most competitive championships to date, the UltraRunning Ireland athletes also set a new Irish team record in the process.

Team captain, Dan Doherty, was the leading finisher among the Irish when posting new personal best time of 7:07:26 hrs for a top 25 placing.

John Byrne and Keith Whyte were close behind, registering times of 7:16:27 and 7:25:56, respectively.

The cumulative times of the top three finishers establish team rankings and the new Irish team record of 21:49:48 hrs ensured 6th position overall. It was the highest global placing by any Irish athletics team in many years.

The winning team was Italy, with the USA finishing second and France third.

Michael Collins posted a very competitive 7:43:14 hrs to finish in the top 5 in the men's 45 category, but John O'Regan, Thomas Maguire and Jim McCormick encountered various problems and injuries during the race.

In the women's race, Ireland's sole competitor was Helen Lavin and she ran strongly to finish in a time of 8:54:38 hrs.

It was a remarkable weeked for the Irish delegation as UltraRuning Ireland chairman Richard Donovan was also elected to be Director of the International Association of Ultra Runners, the world governing body for the sport.

In the past few years, UltraRunning Ireland has achieved the highest standards on the international stage, including continental medals, top global placings and numerous new Irish records. An Order of Merit was also awarded to Richard and Paul Donovan for the staging of the IAU Trail World Championships in Connemara last year, which was broadcast globally to 200 million households.

However, Athletics Ireland's CEO John Foley will now take responsibility for all aspects of the sport of ultra running in Ireland, including the funding of teams for international compeitition.

IAU World Championships 100K 2012, Seregno (ITA), course preview

Strong Irish Team for World 100k, 2012.

Pictured: Dan Doherty, Irish 100km Team Captain

Ireland will send a very strong team to the European & World 100km Championships in Italy on 22nd April.

The men's team will be captained by Daniel Doherty, who finished 14th in the 2011 World Championships.

Doherty, along with Irish 50km Champion John Byrne and Irish 100km record holder Thomas Maguire make up a trio of Irish runners with sub-7:10hr PBs.

The team, which also includes Keith Whyte (sub 7:30hrs), Michael Collins (World veteran bronze medallist) and John O'Regan (Irish 24-Hour Champion) will be among the favourites to medal in Europe. The cumulative time of the top three finishers for each nation decides the outccome of the team competiion.

In addition to the team, Jim McCormick will represent Ireland as an individual and should be among the top contenders in the vets competition (which is run concurrently).

In the women's race, Ireland will be represented by Helen Lavin, who has recently posted some very good ultra performances in the USA.

IRISH MEN'S TEAM
John Byrne
Michael Collins
Daniel Doherty
Thomas Maguire
John O'Regan
Keith Whyte
Jim McCormick*

IRISH WOMEN'S TEAM
Helen Lavin*

*Individuals

Donadea 50K, Training Update.

Training so far has gone as planned and this race is fitting in nicely with plans for other future events.  I more or less continued as usual since competing in the 100K World & European Championships last September but did of course include a few down weeks for recovery.  I finished off 2011 and started 2012 with some shorter cross country races which are great for building on leg strength over the winter and this race of 50K is just what I needed as motivation to get back into longer distance training and back out of my comfort zone.  So far this year I've ran close to Marathon distance at least 4 times which included one run of 50K , one Marathon distance run of 42.2k  and one Half Marathon distance run of 21.1K which I did just to get a measure for future runs. All my runs are aerobic except for the occasional shorter lunchtime run of 10K that I sometimes run a little bit faster.

As well as the above I've also started training on a more regular basis in No17 Personal Training, Merrion Square and without doubt it has made a difference to my strength and is helping me stay injury free.  I'll do a more detailed post on my strength and conditioning work in a future post and will include some detailed photos and routines.

I've started using the new Saucony Pro Grid Guide 5 which did take a bit of getting used to as it's very different from all previous models and I've been using it since it was Pro Grid Guide 1.  The heel in this model has dropped by 4mm which is a significant drop and for the first time I couldn't just run with it straight from the box.  I was slightly concerned as it felt a bit 'too' different but after a few easy runs I'm now using it for my long runs and have forgotten about the dramatic change but I was thinking that it might have been a better idea to go for a smaller drop of maybe 1mm or 2mm and drop it again when introducing the next model.  One big plus with this shoe is it's much lighter than the previous model and this might make a difference is races of 100K and longer.

The year in review 2011

Yet another busy year with my training distance slightly up on 2010 but because I also had less rest days my average run distance is down.  When compared with last year's figures I estimate that I should have covered at least 600K (372 Miles) more and it seems that the shorter races were at the expense of more important longer runs as they usually fall on the same day.  For 2012 I'll be a bit more selective and not race as often unless of course it fits in with my plan or I can afford the time.

Anglo Celtic Plate 2011

The year started with an early call from Ultra Running Ireland asking if I'd run on the Irish Team for the 100K Anglo Celtic Plate to be held in Scotland in March.  A great start and I followed this with another 2 appearances on the Irish Team with the Trail World Championships on home soil in Connemara and the  100K World & European Championships (&Masters) in Winschoten, Holland.

Trail World Championships 2011

100K World & European Championships.

The 24-hr World & European Championships to be held in Brugg Switzerland was cancelled and attempts to find an alternative venue were unsuccessful and the race was officially cancelled in March.  This was to be my goal race for 2011 and although disappointed I was consoled with the other opportunities to run on the Team.

Rather than waste my event specific endurance training I then decided to to take part in the Energia Belfast 24-hr Race which was also the Irish Championships but because it was only 2 weeks after the Trail World Championships I wasn't fully committed and my training became trail specific.  An early fall in the Trail World Championships slowed my pace significantly and I finished the Race knowing I wouldn't need much recovery for the 24-hr Race and I was right as I went on to win the 24-hr Race and the Irish Title.

Energia Belfast 24-hr Race & Irish Championship

2011 also saw the release of the 'Running Man', a documentary by Caroline Brennan and Giant Leap Production which followed my preparation and build up to the 24-hr World & European Championships in 2010.  And in September there was a big screen Premier of 'Defining Moment', a feature length documentary following my participation in the Spartathlon and telling the story of how I came to be there.

On Location in the French Alps.

Stats:

Total Distance = 5500K (3250 Miles)

Rest Days = 69

Running Related injuries= 0

International Appearances = 3

Personal Bests = 5
Races = 15 which included:

1. Donadea 50K

2. Anglo Celtic Plate 100K

3. Trail World Championships 81K

4. Energia Belfast 24-hr Race & Irish Championships

5. 100K World & European (& Masters) Championships.

6. National Novices Cross Country, running on Kildare Team.

As well as the above I raced a few shorter distances on road and cross country representing Club & County.

Other Stuff:

• Profiled in Irish Runner.
• Profiled in Runner's World.
• Contributed to Feature in Runner's World
• Irish 24-hr Running Champion.
• Running Man Documentary
• Defining Moment, Feature Length Documentary
• Raced or Ran in France / Switzerland / Holland / England / Scotland / Gran Canaria. 
• Outsider People of Year List 2011.

My thanks to:

• My Family for their continued support.
• The Great Outdoors.
• Salomon Running.
• Saucony.
• Le Cheile Athletic Club.
• Ultra Running Ireland and my Team Mates & Support Crews
• Martin McCann & Lateral Vision Productions.
• John Belton and Staff at No17 Personal Training.
• Peter Matthews, Sports Massage Therapist.
• Caroline Brennan, Giant Leap Productions.

Post Race Analysis / 100K World & European Championships 2011

Team Ireland. IAU 100K World & European Championships

Feeling quite confident going into this race I was sure of a good result and expected to finish between 7hr30min and 7hr45min based on previous training results.  Without doubt I had the endurance and reckon I had just enough time to work on my leg turnover after my most recent race in Belfast.  The later than usual start time of 10 am for a race of this length meant running in the hottest part of the day and for most of the day and thats where it went wrong for me.  I knew from before halfway that I was showing signs of dehydration which slowed my pace with an elevated Heart Rate and increased my stopping time to try rehydrate and deal with stomach cramps.
The stomach cramps were quite severe at times and gave me the urge to pass water even though nothing would come out.  My guess is the cramps were caused by gels that weren't dilute enough for digestion.  To correct this problem I cut back on my carbohydrate intake by switching to an electrolyte only drink until I felt able to or needed to take carbs again.  The problem did start to correct itself and I can remember having a wobble at around 79K which helped make the decision to go back on carbs.  I managed to avoid the wall and started to come around again and got back where I wanted to be and had a much stronger finish than my earlier problems would have suggested.

I can't use the race day conditions as an excuse for my performance as the finishing times show that with the right preparation and race day plan it was a race that I should have done better in.  In the days after the race I was moving quite freely and know that I didn't run to my potential so it's now back to basics and my plan is to learn from this and other races and over the next few months I'll correct what I think went wrong.  For starters, I went to Holland while waiting results of a recent blood test which have since shown that I'm borderline anaemic and regardless of whether this contributed to my performance or not it's something I need to get sorted.

 

IAU & WMA 100K World & European Championships.

I didn't get what I went for but I'm happy with what I got.  I'm not on form for writing a race report at the moment so I've attached a few photos and will hopefully have my race report in a few days.

Athlete Village Winschoten.

The Athlete Parade.

Pre Race Massage

Team Ireland

Food station.

Everything packed except the excuse

It's been 5 months, 2000K, 2 broken ribs, 1 broken toe and a few short races since my last 100K race in Gibraltar and now race day is almost here again.
I remember finishing that race knowing I could do a lot better with the right preparation and with that in mind I began to prepare for this race almost straight away even though there was no guarantee of a place on the team.  The plan started at race day and I worked it back to the date my training began to allow for the best possible use of available time.  I've done everything I could do and think I'm as best prepared as I can be.
The bag is packed and all I don't have is an excuse :)

So far so good.

Last week couldn't have gone any better, I almost mirrored the previous week's sessions without having to make any lifestyle adjustments which tells me that the schedule could me manageable.  Finished the week with back to back long runs of just under 40Km with both done at a very easy pace.  To help with the long runs I arranged to meet a training partner either during or towards the end of the run which helped prevent boredom from tempting me to stop short.  Total distance for this week went slightly further than last week and was close to 165Km plus I managed to fit in a Sports Massage.

 I wasn't looking forward to the Massage as I had visions of the expected pain seeing as I hadn't got a rub down since the start of November last year in preparation for the 100Km World Championships in Gibraltar and I've clocked up quite a distance since then.  I don't think I've ever gone this long without a massage but breaking my ribs in early December meant I couldn't take the risk as the massage usually includes working on my back and shoulders.  To be honest I was probably glad of the excuse not to get one.

Plan for this week is to again mirror my previous two weeks and that should confirm my schedule.  Weekday runs will remain the same and I'll continue to either increase the weekend distance or else reduce the distance and increase the pace but I won't do two back to back runs of longer than 40Km as I don't think it necessary based on my past experience.  Rest & Recovery is just as important as the training and you should only do what you can recover from and if a weekend of high distance means reduced quality in the following week then it might be counter productive.

100K World & European Championships. The Race.

The Team
(John Byrne, Michael Collins, Aisling Coppinger & John O'Regan)

I wasn’t expecting to be running this race but found it hard to refuse when given the opportunity.  Being so soon after the Spartathlon I knew it was going to be tough both mentally and physically but having done the Anglo Celtic Plate shortly after the 24-hr World Championship earlier this year I knew it was in me and I just needed to approach with caution.  I looked back over my training diary for the weeks leading up to the ACP and followed the same plan but corrected the mistakes.  This meant forgetting about speed work and instead focus on maintaining my endurance with long slow runs and include 1-2 Tempo runs to keep the legs loose.

Yet again Tony was traveling with the Team but this time his role was as Team Manager but luckily enough he would also be able to crew for me during the race.  We met with Aisling Coppinger & Rob Cummins at Dublin Airport both of whom I know quite well and for the first time I met John Byrne & Sarah Syron from Mayo A.C and a new addition to the Team.  John Byrne was the first Irish person home in the recent World 50K held in Galway during the Galway City Marathon and this was his first time running 100K.

We flew to Malaga and Tony drove us by mini bus to Gibraltar via the Costa Del Sol and it seemed wrong to be traveling through the seaside resorts without stopping but then again we weren’t here for a sun tan.  Less than 2 hours later we arrive into Gibraltar and after passing through customs we head for the docks and the cruise liner that’s serving as the Athletes Village for the weekend.  Driving through Gibraltar we see the obvious signs that there’s a race in town as we pass small groups out running in their national colours and on the approach to the ship we meet Michael Collins for the first time.  Michael has represented Ireland on a few occasions at 100K and this time he’s our Team Captain and he’s running with a new Team.  Almost straight away it was down to business with race registration and we were given a schedule for the weekend which included details of the opening and closing ceremony which meant we weren’t going to have much free time.  The food was fantastic but that’s not a good thing in advance of a race and it was hard work staying disciplined at meal times...In between meals and meetings on Saturday I went for an easy run with John Byrne and that was the extent of my sight seeing.

I didn’t sleep too well on the night before the race even though I’d ran this distance so many times before. Strangely enough I don’t think I was worrying about the race and woke up ahead of my alarm at 4:30 am feeling well rested and looking forward to breakfast, I had packed my own but this time it wasn't needed.

My race kit was prepared the night before and all my food and other items were packed in advance to ensure a hassle free start to the day.  Shortly after 6 am we leave the ship in darkness and make our way towards the start line and it’s pleasantly warm outside.  Although it’s nice waiting around without freezing I know it will only get warmer and this gives me an indication of how warm it’s going to get.  I was expecting to wear a hat and gloves for the first part of the race but they weren’t necessary.

Almost time.

Usually I try visualise the race before I arrive so I know what kind of terrain and gradient to expect. I also like to break the race into manageable segments and plan what I am going to achieve in each segment of the race and I don't think of the finish line until its well within reach. Based on the detailed course description I came up with the following:

My plan was simple, run the first 10K on what I had for breakfast and then start to refuel as I passed the support crew at the start of the 5k loop and continue in that fashion for the next 18 laps.  Passing the support crew for the first time I picked up a Powerbar fuel belt with 2 small bottles of a carb drink which I drank while completing the 5k loop.  Next time round I dropped the bottles and collected 2 more and for the third lap I took 2 small bottles of Nuun with a gel and this was repeated for the duration of the race.  To pace myself I ran according to my heart rate and pre planned to keep my heart rate between 135-145 bpm.  

This gave a lap split of 24 minutes plus a few seconds which remained fairly consistent for the first half of the race.  I went through the Marathon distance quite comfortably in 3hrs16 and covered 50K in around 3hrs55 but shortly after halfway my heart rate began to climb and I cautiously started to ease back as there was still a long way to go.  It then dawned on me that I'd hardly stopped for a toilet break and decided to take a chance and stop for a moment and it was then I realised that I was becoming dehydrated.  With over 4-hrs of running still ahead I knew I'd need to start increasing my fluid intake so I began to drink water and powerade whenever I passed an aid station supplementing my own supplies.  My heart rate soon returned to normal but my lap times slowed by 3 minutes which meant I was still mildly dehydrated.  I ran a few more laps and the times were again fairly consistent even though they were slower but I knew from experience that I was still running comfortably enough to finish.  In my mind I always break the race into manageable chunks and for this 18 lap 100K I worked towards the Marathon distance then halfway in total distance at 50K and halfway in effort at 12 laps.  Having completed the 12 laps I try relax for the next 2-3 laps and do my best to ignore and not think about them.  I ask Tony for a lap count and he tells me I've 4 left including the one I'm running.  It doesn't sound right so I get him to double check and next time we meet he confirms what he had said said but now I've only 3 laps to go.  With just over 15K to go I try to increase the pace but soon develop a severe pain in my stomach which I'm guessing was caused by an anti-inflammatory I had taken earlier.  I was forced to slow down and tried leaning my upper body into all different positions to ease the pain and prevent me from stopping.  It eventually passed and I crossed the line in 8hrs28.10.  The support crew did an excellent job and I seldom had to stop and if I did it was for less than 10 seconds.

My finish time is less than world class but having come to this race so soon after the Spartathlon I’m delighted with the result and for me it’s a great end to the year.  I knocked almost 10 minutes off my previous best for this distance and finished with a hunger to go back and do it again.  I learnt a lot during this race and look forward to improving on it next year.


During the race I wore Saucony Fastwitch running shoes and Teko socks.  Thanks to Neil in Great Outdoors for the Saucony recommendation.