Wicklow Way Ultra 2013.

I can remember meeting a few friends for a recce of the WWU route back in early January, a 33K out and back starting from Johnnie Fox's and turning before the descent into the Dargle Valley.  On the return leg I felt under pressure and was reduced to a walk by the time we reached Prince William's Seat and thought to myself 'Thank God I'm not racing the WWU'.  On that day I was running with Johnny Steede, Justin Maxwell, Marty Rea & Aidan Blake.
Back then I was preparing for the Siberian Black Ice Race and the training since last October was all event specific and more hiking than running with the effects being very obvious when running in the hills with an experienced crew.  When we finished they mention a similar session again the following month and I thought I'd better be a little bit better prepared by getting back into the hills between now and then.

A week or two after that day out I was over in Norway for some more extreme event specific training and a week of cold weather camping with  race specific skills  and then the bombshell! The Siberian Black Ice Race was cancelled.  I was now left with no race and out of my usual shape but on the plus side I was injury free and stronger even though that also meant heavier.

To get back on track I ran the Donadea 50K (Feb 16th) and suffered but that was the wake up call I needed as I had last year's result to make the comparison.  Met the crew again for another recce in early March and although it wasn't as bad as the first outing it was still tough and I thought to myself that this was even more of a reason to run it and that's when I decided to set my sights on running the WWU.  From that day I took my training into the hills as often as I could and averaged at least one trail run per week of 10K-20K and included a recce of the return leg.

Race day came around very quickly and I'm feeling less than prepared.  Up at 06:15 and had my usual pre race breakfast finished for just after 06:40 and spent the next 30 minutes relaxing and drinking coffee.  My race kit was ready from the night before so there was nothing to create an early morning panic and it was a very relaxing start to the day.  Arrived at the race start an hour before the start and following a quick registration sat in the car to shelter from the rain.  I like to travel light and was half thinking of carrying a pack to store my compulsory kit of a rain jacket, hat & gloves but the warning of snow on high ground meant I could wear the compulsory items and forget about the bag as I didn't expect to need food or fluids for the distance with the cold conditions.

The race started with the first 2Km on road and although I felt comfortable I decided to ease back and slow the pace.  Groups were starting to form as we left the road and started on the Trail and I became part of a group of 3 by the time we got into the snow line and reached the top of Prince William Seat at close to 6Km.  This ended the first climb and so far so good.  I had memories of a short run last weekend over this same section with Dan Doherty and he had reduced me to a walk at this point.  From here the route continued downhill for almost another 6Km with some slight undulation and the low point was reached at the Glencree Valley.  This was a chance to recover from the first climb and prepare for the next.

Shortly after crossing the Glencree River the route starts to climb and takes the race past an aid station in Crone Wood and then the long drag up past Powerscourt Waterfall begins and then ends with a very steep descent into the Dargle Valley.  Dropping into the valley gives very little opportunity for recovery as it's tricky underfoot and there's always tension as you try prevent the falling.  This is at roughly 17K and the next 1-2K bring the race uphill again and in the direction of Djouce and some open mountain.  Once again we enter the snow line and it's over the ankles and hiding potholes and other hazards.

Wet / cold feet are a small price to pay for sure foot placement and rather than run through the unknown I take the easier route by running uphill through the many streams.  It's quite an effort moving in the snow and the slower pace is giving the cold a chance to take hold.  The trail levels out as the race follows the Wicklow Way and traverses alongside Djouce and for a while is sheltered but well worn from the continuous use.  This usually easier sheltered section turns out to be the worst part of the race as we run through pockets of freezing cold bog water hidden and insulated from freeing over with snow.  The only way was to plough through as trying to avoid meant falling and most of the surrounding ground was covered in ice that was hard and sharp enough to cut like briars.

(race photo, owner unknown)

Finishing the traverse at close to 23K we turn sharply left and make our way to the turnaround over what should be an easy section of mostly downhill along a boardwalk of railway sleepers but today the sleepers are iced over and not visible in part making the section quite hazardous. By this time I had lost feeling in my feet but it was no worse than I had experienced before and the rest of my body was feeling ok and it was kind of nice running in these conditions.  On a few occasions I ran off the boardwalk being unable to control my direction or pace and after a few falls decided it best to err on the side of caution and slow down.
Coming down off the mountain I was feeling good but was unsure of my timing and just hoped I'd make it the turnaround before the Trail Race started as getting caught behind this race would cost more time.  With less than 2K to go I was met by Johnny Steede and as predicted he was leading the race.  I continued on and was then met by Paul Tierney and then Justin & Marty.  My frozen feet were making the run along the fire road uncomfortable and I was also starting to overheat and although feeling fine I just wasn't enjoying this part of the race.

(approaching the halfway point)

With less than 200M to go I could see the Trail Runners lined up and ready to go and then they were off! I felt like a fish going against the flow and had to stop and get out of the way.  This was a bit of a downer as I was now at the back of this race and would get caught out on the return.  I lost a few minutes at the turn by running further than necessary and then got going as quickly as I could.  By the time I reached the boardwalk for the return climb I had caught the tail end of the Trail Race and managed to jump forward a few places but as I got further up the line it became for difficult to move forward as it was a long line and the deep snow made it hard to pass.  I tried my best to make up a few spaces before the boardwalk ended and the traverse started but it was more hassle than it was worth.  The return traverse was equally difficult and was more messed up due to the extra volume of traffic and once again my feet were frozen.
The traverse ended and the downhill started with more room available for overtaking but it meant taking a few chances and hoping for the best.  I enjoyed this stretch and it was great making up a few positions and from here on in the route would be as congested or tight.  It wasn't long before I was climbing out of the Dargle Valley again and this was a killer. My progress was very slow but knowing that I've always been reduced to a walk on this climb I didn't mind and that's one of the mental benefits to be had from knowing and checking out the route.

With 34K now complete the descent now started back into the Glencree Valley via Crone Wood and the aid station.  For some reason I decided to make an unnecessary stop at the aid station and drank a mouthful of water and ate half a banana.

(Crone Wood on the return)

Climbing out of the Glencree Valley I walked the climb yet again and then got back into my stride before walking the next climb leading upwards from the Knockree Rd.  I'd expected to walk this and used the opportunity as recovery.  The running started again and followed a short uphill section along a road and that was horrible.  It wasn't very steep but I couldn't wait to get off road again and the road just didn't feel right with the day that was in it.  Next section brought us into Curtlestown Wood and upwards towards Prince William's Seat and the last major climb.  I did my best to stay running and when I felt like walking I just shortened my stride until eventually I had no choice.
The rocky climb to the top helped speed the progress and then I was on my way again.  My mental plan now was continuous movement at a steady pace and try to catch anyone that comes into view.  Having ran the final section a few times I had an idea of what I could and couldn't do and as we left the trail and the rejoined the road I started to push a little bit harder.
There's one last short but very steep climb before the final stretch to the finish starts and I pushed again as I reached this point and maintained the effort at the top.  Crosesed the finish line in 15th place with a time of 5hr28 and feeling less than finished.  Ended the day with 2 pints of Guinness in Johnnie Fox's and already looking forward to next year and giving the race a proper go by being better prepared.
Johnny Steede won the race quite comfortably in a time of 4hr14.55 and now I don't feel as about about that first run we did back in January.

My thanks to the IMRA, the race organisers, race marshals and helpers on the day.
Photos by Action Photography.
Race Results.
My Race by Garmin.

Training Diary 18th-24th March 2013.

Monday Mar 18th. HRV= 72 White.

Race day and a good result after yesterday’s low score and race day stress can also lead to a lower than normal result.  Up at 8:35am and after a relaxing few minutes I had a cup of coffee and went out for a short pre breakfast run to loosen out my legs.  Felt terrible during the run but past experience means that’s a good sign as it’s the body preparing for what’s ahead.  Didn’t have my usual breakfast as I was out of pinhead oats but instead had 2 slices of Gluten Free toast with Almond Butter and more coffee, followed this with a shower and then got ready and departed the house at 10:30.  All my kit was ready to go from the night before and that allows for a stress free start to the day.

We had a good turnout from the club including my two training partners Liam & Aidan and our plan was to run together and all going well would help each other as we do in training.  Today’s race is the County Road Race Championships for Intermediate & Masters and n a race like this there’s a better chance of a Team prize so you need to be strategic as every position counts.  Our plan was to try start at 3:30 K pace and hold it for as long as possible but a congested start and an incline meant a first Km of 3:39 and although the next 2 K were either downhill or flat I think we had already felt the effort at the start so there wasn’t too much time made up.  In hindsight I’m thinking that to try get a position at the start we may have started too fast and possibly closer to 3:00 per K rather than the planned paced and then paid the price on the long incline. It might have made more sense to start a little bit easier and speed up but that’s easier said than done.

The next Km (2) split was a slightly faster 3:35 but was aided by a decline and for me it felt more of an effort than it should have .  My training partners were still with me at this point but they too were feeling the effort and started to fall back.  By the time we reached the halfway mark they had fallen off the pace and I was on my own in no man’s land ahead of the mid pack and behind the lead pack.  I hit the 3Km in 3:32 and then began chasing down the tail end of the lead pack that had at least 30 Metres on me.  It started to become more of an effort to stay on pace as the course now climbed gradually for the next 2K and although my HR seemed stable I could feel my legs just didn’t have that zip.  I lost a bit of time and hit the 4Km mark in 3:40 but had also closed the gap on the runners just ahead so my guess is they were falling back and that gave me a slight boost.  It was a looped course so I knew what to soon expect and all I needed to do was stay strong until 5K and then it was almost over as the approach to the finish was relatively flat.  Went through 5K in 3:51 which was also the incline that I’d ran for the first Km and by this time I’d made up about 4 positions and caught one of the faster guys from my club and we dug deep and ran the last K together.  We battled it out and made up one more position and on the final approach to the finish he pulled away and crossed the line about 2 Metres before me but that didn’t matter as we were both on the same team and had done enough to earn a Silver in the Intermediate Team event.  I was first home for my club in the Master’s race helping earn another Silver and to top it off I got Gold in the Master’s 40-44 category.  My finish time was 21:49 with an average pace of 3:38 per Km and my last Km was my fastest at 3:27.  I was happy enough with that as it’s showing a return to where I want to be but it’s still way off what I should be doing.  Finished the day with a 7K steady run on the Track in 28mins.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/286043268  Heart Rate spiking at start and First Beat error correction gave a HR avg =155 / max=158

Plan for tomorrow is an early gym session, a lunchtime MAF session and a short evening Recovery run.

Tuesday Mar 19^th. HRV= 73 White.

Better than expected.  Early gym session of mostly mobility work and stretching with a shorter than usual set of 3* Walking lunges and then it was 2 minutes of hell on the Airdyne Trainer.  Didn’t have time for a lunchtime run today and bad weather meant my son’s football training was cancelled and with it my evening run opportunity.  First non running day in 26 days but I don’t mind as i was planning on taking it slightly easier this week in advance of the weekend’s race.

Plan for tomorrow is an evening Interval Session with shorter but faster reps than usual.

Wednesday Mar 20^th. HRV=68 Amber.

Expected higher after rest and maybe it’s the race catching up on me.  I’ll proceed with caution and stick with the planned intervals as the pace will be much easier than usual.  Session was 6*1K @ 3:45 per K pace and it felt effortless but tomorrow will tell.

Plan for tomorrow will depend on recovery.

Thursday Mar 21st . HRV= 79 White.

An improvement and normal service will resume but I’ll be keeping Saturday’s race in mind.  Did my usual pre race session of 6* 1 minute fast / slow with every second rep into the wind and felt strong.  Had a second opportunity to run as athletics was cancelled due to bad weather so I finished the day with an easy 5K on the track.

Plan for tomorrow is rest in advance of race day.

Friday Mar 22nd. HRV=84 White.

Excellent result and just what I’d want during a Taper.  The weather for tomorrow isn’t great so I’m rethinking my footwear and that got me out for a short run to think on my feet while trying out a pair of Salomon S-lab Fellcross.

Plan for tomorrow is the Wicklow Way Ultra.

Saturday Mar 23rd. HRV= 63 Amber.

Much lower than I’d like but I’m putting it down to race day nerves.  Up at 6:15 and had my usual breakfast finished for just after 6:40 and then relaxed for 30 minutes watching TV and drinking coffee. Got a lift to the race that started at 9:30 and was home again at 6pm.  Will post a seperate Race Report but for the moment I finished slower than planned / expected which was partly due to the underfoot conditions and a few moments of self pity.  Finished in 16th position out of 112 finishers in a time of 5hrs28 with a HR avg of 137bpm / max 155bpm.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/287906962

Plan for tomorrow is a Recovery or Rest day.

Sunday Mar 24^th. HRV=52 Red.

Up at 7:15 and felt good to go but when I got out of bed my feet felt slightly numb but that’s not an issue.  Looked out the window and looking like a nice day so it’s so far so good.  Did my HRV test and the almost expected result meant it was back to bed and with a clear conscience as it’s good to get a Red line after a Race or tough session as it show’s you worked.  Feeling ok as the day progressed but starting to feel some pain in my hamstrings & quads and that confirms the wise choice this morning.  Will take it easy for a few days to help with adaption to the recent stresses.

Weekly HRV Summary

A good week bookended with 2 good races and some quality training that I think will be of benefit as I prepare to get more event specific for my next 24-hr Race.  Next week will be recovery orientated and I’ll reduce the volume but keep some intensity and if I can fit it in I’ll do a Parkrun next Saturday and more than likely I’ll be running a local 10K on Easter Monday and I’d like to be on form for that.

Training Diary 4th – 10th Feb 2013

Monday Feb 04^th . HRV= 72 White.

Short Trail run of 11K with the same 6K climb as last Saturday’s run. The purpose of this session was leg strength and to get the most from it I checked my kilometre splits from Saturday and aimed to run each of them harder. All my splits were faster except for the. 6th K up the steepest section when I paid the price for the earlier pace. Recovered on a 1K downhill and then pushed it all the way to the end. I was half tempted to do a second loop but decided it best to leave it and was happy knowing I could keep going. Rehydrated with coconut water and after getting home I had a glass of cherry juice concentrate (Cherrygood) before dinner. Rested for a while and then it was time for part 2 which included 7K steady state on the track as part of a 14K run.  Felt tired during this run and the headwind on one side of the track didn’t help.

Body Weight: 73Kg

Plan for tomorrow is an early strength session.

Tuesday Feb 05^th . HRV= 67 White.

Early strength session of some basic core exercises,  2 sets of walking lunges with dumbbells (24 per set) 3*5 reps of Box Squats (Deep) with 47.5Kg and 3*3 Deadlift with 100Kg. Tough work and felt strong when it finished.

Recovery run at lunchtime of 7.5K keeping my HR under 125bpm.

Plan for tomorrow will depend on HRV but I’m hoping to be on form for a Tempo run.

Wednesday Feb 06^th . HRV= 78 Green.

A great result but I’ve a mild case of the DOMS so I may not be on form to make the most of it.  Recovery run at lunchtime to try loosen my legs out for a Tempo or Interval Session later.  Feeling much better as the day went on and did a quick turnaround after getting home from work, got changed and drank a serving of Cherry Juice (Cherrygood) and was on my way to the track within 30 minutes.  Extended my warm up as it was quite cold and then did a session of 5*1K with 2 mins rest between for a total of 14K.  The session was very manageable and my heart rate never reached into my 5K race zone.

Plan for tomorrow is a runmute (running commute) to work.

Thursday Feb 07^th . HRV= 64 Amber.

Alarm went off at 6am and took a quick look out the window to check the weather, cars covered in ice and footpaths look slippy so it’s back to bed.  After checking my HRV I don’t feel so bad about missing an early run and will settle for a recovery run today.  Lunchtime recovery run in the rain and no problem keeping the heart rate low at a comfortable pace.  That’ll be all for today as I’m coaching this evening and dropping / collecting my son from soccer training.

Plan for tomorrow will depend on HRV and how I feel but I’m thinking it’ll be either a Medium distance MAF session or a shorter interval session with longer warm up.

Friday Feb 08^th . HRV= 73 White.

A good result and I’m now thinking that I’ll run hard today.  Lunchtime run didn’t happen as I ended up meeting a friend of lunch and something else after work meant today became a rest day.

Plan for tomorrow is an early run over an undulating route or an interval session.

Saturday Feb 09^th . HRV=  56 Amber.

Unexpected so I’ll keep it easy today.  Had a 45 minute window of opportunity while my son was warming up for a soccer match so I hit the track which just happens to be decide the track.  Ran a few easy laps and then tested the engine by running a little bit faster.  Got carried away after my unplanned rest day yesterday and did 5*1k intervals without stressing myself.

Plan for tomorrow is a Trail Run along the Wicklow Way with some friends preparing for the Wicklow Way Ultra.

Sunday Feb 10^th . HRV= 62 Red.

Not what I wanted and looks like I’m paying the price for yesterday.  My problem now is that plans have been made and I’ve friends making a 3hr journey from Belfast so the run will happen.  Started the morning with a Beet it shot and an early breakfast of a small bowl of porridge with raisins and coconut oil plus a cup of coffee.  As a self preservation compromise I decided to try keep my heart rate as low as possible.  The run was tough but enjoyable with a lot of wind and rain making the underfoot conditions difficult and there were times that we were running on trails that had become rivers.  Ran strong for most of it but fell behind on the last 2 climbs as I just didn’t have the leg strength to maintain the pace.  In hindsight that might have worked to my advantage as the slower pace on the climbs kept my HR at the lower end of my aerobic zone.  Finished the run with a serving of Cherry Juice which and had the same when I got home as it’s all about the recovery now.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/271689800

I’m expecting a forced rest day tomorrow but if the signs are good I’ll run.

Weekly Summary

A good week and if I feel good early next week I’ll be running a 50K trail race on Saturday.  With the race in mind I’ll leave out the gym sessions to avoid having the DOMS.

Wicklow Way Ultra recce.

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.

24-hr Irish Championships 2011.

I almost didn't run this race having abandoned my original plan after being selected to run in the Trail World Championships.  Even though this was my main event of the year due to the cancellation of the 24-hr World Championships all it took to change my mind was a chance to run in a green vest.  Some might have done the 2 races but for me going into the Trail Race I didn't want any mental distractions, I wanted to give it everything I had and I couldn't do that if I was thinking of or trying to save myself for a race that was only 2 weeks away.  I knew that during low points I may have taken it easy and consoled myself by thinking 'sure you've another race soon enough to make up for this effort' and thats how the mind works.  I'm not into just doing events and go for quality over quantity.

An early fall in the Trail Race meant I couldn't run to the best of my ability and because my pace was slowed the impact on my body was lessened and my recovery was quicker as I finished the race in better condition than I should have.  The injury seemed to heal quite quickly but there was still an underlying problem with my left hamstring which surfaced the following weekend after few short training runs.  I stopped training as soon as I knew it was getting worse and I phoned my massage therapist 'Peter Matthews' to arrange an appointment as soon as possible.  I met him on the Tuesday before the race and was back running that night on my club's grass track.  The juniors were training while I was running around checking my lap splits and comparing them with my heart rate to get a feel for race pace and the signs were good.
After finishing my run I was asked about my expectations for the race and I said I was going to win.

The night before the night before a race is the most important nights sleep and for some reason I didn't sleep too well and that was repeated on the night before the race which wasn't good because I had a full day ahead of me before starting the race and I knew it would be late on Saturday before I slept again.  Maybe those thoughts were keeping me awake but I tried not to think about it too much and because all my gear was packed and ready to go I decided to head for Belfast earlier than planned.

Arriving into Belfast I met with Ultra Running Ireland's John Collins.  John offered to crew my race and that was a big weight off my shoulders as I know from experience that it can be hard to make sensible decisions during these events and if you want to be competitive you need someone else to do the work.  John is very experienced at crewing and knew what to do which for me was a big confidence boost.  My job was to put one foot in front of the other and he would make sure I continued to do so.  We arrived at the track in good time and after setting ourselves up we met with some other competitors and friends including my team mate Marty Rea and training partner Jim McCormick.

Eddie Gallen, John O'Regan, Marty Rea & John Collins.

My plan was simple and it involved running at 2:10-2:15 per lap or less than 75% of my heart rate max.  This meant I was running well within my aerobic zone and using mostly fat as a fuel which lessened my need for 'too much food'. At the race start I positioned myself towards the back of the pack to avoid the fast start and within the first lap I was on pace and it wasn't long before I was lapped and it happened again and again...

My guess is some of the front runners blew up really badly because by the first turn around at 4-hrs I seemed to be in 2nd place which didn't sound right and didn't really suit my plan as I wanted to relax into this race and move up the leader board in the final quarter of the race.  That wasn't to be and before half way my steady pace had me in the lead and with that came a little bit of extra pressure..

Under Pressure.

 I stayed on my feet for the first 9 hours and then sat down by choice to eat a sandwich or should I say I was told to sit down by John as he was thinking ahead and wanted me to eat something solid.  To make the most of my break I used the opportunity to elevate my feet and check positions and timings to get an early feel for how the race was going even though it was way too early for it to be a true reflection of how the race could finish.  Getting back on my feet it wasn't long before I became the first runner to break 100K and then I broke 100 miles but to me these distances meant nothing as I'd been there so many times before.  I'm not being disrespectful to the distance but I know that if you set yourself an end goal and reach it then it can become harder to go beyond it.

Running through the night with Thomas Maguire

Night time temperatures dropped quite low so I changed into some warmer clothing and changed out of them as soon as I felt it warm enough again.  My timings were very consistent and I felt very comfortable running at this pace but as we started to get into the new day it got very hot.  I knew by my sweat rate and inability to take enough fluids on board that I could soon be in danger of dehydration or some form of heat related problem so I made the decision to ration my sweat by slowing the pace down.  I began to stop at the aid station to help with fluid replacement and I made extra toilet stops to monitor my urine flow and make sure it was 'still' flowing. For the last few hours I decided to do just enough to hold my lead and win the race but was prepared to stop if I thought it neccessary.  Eddie Gallen was closing in on my lead very steadily and I know what he's capable of doing having ran with him on a few occasions and the most recent being the 246K Spartathlon in Greece last September.  Eddie is the most consistent runner I know and he will just keep going and going until it's all over.

With 2hrs to go it was looking like I had done enough to keep my lead by just walking and that's what I did.  My family arrived around this time and Cian walked / jogged a few laps and kept me company as the end got closer.  Eddie caught up and we chatted through the final minutes and then it was all over.  I was declared the race winner with a distance of 213K / 132 miles and more importantly I was the Irish 24-hr Champion finishing just ahead of last year's Champion Eddie Gallen.  Eddie won the Irish Championship title last year with a distance of 223K in the 24-hr World & European Championships in Brive, France.

It's a strange felling at the end of a 24-hr race as there's no finish line and rather than getting that winning feeling I was just relieved it was all over.  I spent the next hour getting my photo taken and doing interviews with Deirdre Finn the winner of the Ladies Race with 181K / 112.5 Miles and then it was back to the clubhouse for the awards ceremony.  All competitors were called up individualy with their distances announced and it was nice opportunity to put a name with the face.  I finished the evening with a proper dinner and a few pints of Guinness back at the hotel and then it was lights out.

During the race I wore:

Saucony Pro Grid Guide
Teko Socks
Skins Shorts
Skins A400 Running Tights
Salomon Sleeves
Club Singlet Le Cheile A.C
Suunto T6D Heart Rate Monitor.

All my kit is available from Great Outdoors.