The UVU Volcano Marathon 2015

Volcano Marathon 2015 (Official Video) from North Pole Marathon on Vimeo.

Siberian Black Ice Race

I'm always asked what was my toughest challenge and I think this next race will be it!  I've been asked by Mark Pollock to join his 3 man for an epic challenge that will be more than a race it'll be an expedition.  Preparation has started and because of the extreme nature of this event and our team circumstances we will need to test out all our gear and equipment in advance and some items will need to be invented first.  During the race Mark will use a custom build hand cycle that's being assembled in Alaska and we expect to have this mid December and will travel to Norway in January to test it out.

Defining Moment

Back in April 2001 I went for my first training run of 5K in preparation for the Dublin Marathon and struggled to run the distance without stopping and walking.  I stuck with it and went on to complete the Dublin Marathon 6 months later and used that race as a stepping stone to a race that had first put the idea of running into my head.  This race was the Marathon des Sables, a 150 mile self sufficient foot race across the Sahara Desert and making the decision to run this race was to become my Defining Moment.

Lateral Vision Productions feature Documentary on Irish Ultra Runner John O'Regan.  Shot on location in Ireland, Greece, UK, French Alps. Sahara Desert, N.Pole Antarctica, and the Yukon Territory.
A fascinating case of one person against the elements.  What are the ingredients that make an ultra runner go through such grueling mental and physical pain?  How is an ultra runner different from a marathon runner?  This intriguing documentary reveals what makes him tick using the background story of his participation in the 2010 “Spartathlon”.  Four hundred and fifty of the world’s top ultra runners passed the stringent entry criteria for the 246km non-stop race, but just 128 crossed the finish line within the 36 hour limit.

Cold Weather Running.

 The snow is back but the training continues and this morning while running less than 10K from my house I began thinking about some my cold weather races and how I had traveled almost halfway around the world for the experience.  Today all it had cost me was a lie in and it's a long time since I've had such an enjoyable run.  The snow had turned a familiar route into something new and I could have been anywhere in the world.
The secret to running in cold weather is dressing in layers and you need to be comfortably warm when inactive (standing around) and comfortably cold when active.  The pace you intend running and the air temperature will determine what you wear and you want to run fast enough that you generate enough heat to keep warm but not too much heat that you sweat.  The problem with sweating is that when you slow down the sweat which is trapped in your clothing / hat will get very cold and maybe freeze which will in turn conduct heat away from your body over 100 times faster than if dry!!
I always wear a hat and gloves in cold weather as as soon as I feel my body temperature rising I take off the hat which helps release heat similar to the effect of taking the top off a flask.  I then put it on or take it off as required.  A long sleeve turtle neck top with a zip front will also serve a similar purpose and prevent too many stops when trying to regulate your body temperature.
Dress to live the part not look the part.

North Pole 2004

Yukon 2005

Yukon 2005

Antarctica 2006

Antarctica 2006

Everest Base Camp 2007

Maynooth, Co.Kildare 2010

Maynooth, Co.Kildare 2010

Cold Weather Running

It's that time of year again and my advice is to prepare for the cold weather well in advance.  There's no point waiting until the the temperature drops below freezing before you get the cold weather gear ready.  Last winter I didn't miss a single days training as there's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing.

Due North Everyday Traction Aids.

Check out the Traction Aids available from the Great Outdoors before the big freeze.  Be prepared!

Spartathlon 2010

A Brief History

In 490 BC the Persians landed at the city of Marathon to battle with the Greeks, and the city leaders realising that they would be overpowered without a lot more soldiers sent their best foot messenger, Pheidippides, to run the 246Km to Sparta to get re-enforcements from the Spartan army.  According to the ancient Greek writer Herodotus, Phidippides managed to get to Sparta in around 36 hours!!  Then, in 1982 RAF wing commander John Foden was reading about the legendary journey of Pheidippides, and wondered if it was possible to run the same 153 mile route today.  After lots of research, he presented the most historically accurate route, which involved crossing five mountain ranges with the highest pass at Sangas of over 4000ft.

Then in 1982 Mr. Foden and two off his RAF friends decided to try and tackle the course for themselves, and stunned the world media when they managed to complete the course in less than two days.

This became the basis of the Spartathalon race as it is known today. It’s a 153 mile race from the Acropolis in Athens, along the Greek coastline and across several mountain ranges to the base of King Leonidas statue at Sparta. All of which must be completed within a strict 36 hour time limit, with intermediate cut off times! To finish this race is a dream to most, some of whom return year after year to try and complete the course. Within the distance running community it is the ultimate purest running achievement.

The Kepler Challenge.

Gretel Fortmann, Tony Golden, James Owens & Rob Costelloe after finishing the Kepler Challenge.

The Kepler Challenge is a 60K race over steep mountain inclines, alpine ridges and deep forest looping around the Jackson Peaks in Te Anau, South Island, New Zealand.  Total ascent / descent for the race is 1,350m which includes what's described as two steep ascents and one punishing descent.

I had planned on running this race in December 2008 as my last continent race but the entires fill up so quickly that I missed out.  Disappointed at the time but I then found the North Face 100K in Australia and became friends with all of the above and had an excuse to visit my running buddy Rob who also crewed for me during the race.
Congratulations to Gretel, Tony, James and Rob on their successful completion of this event.

Richard Donovan wins Antarctic 100km.

Photo copyright Antarctic Ice Marathon.

It was quite tempting to stay in bed this morning after looking out the window and seeing the roads and cars covered in a layer of frost and snow but I had arrangements made and people to meet.  Returning to my house 18 miles later my hands were frozen and I thought back to this time in 2005 when I was in training for the first Antarctic Ice Marathon.  Back then I was almost praying for a frosty morning and the colder the better to help prepare my body as best I could for the conditions in Antarctica.  


The attached news report is from Ultrarunning Ireland.

Richard Donovan won the IAU-labelled Antarctic 100k for the third time on December 14th.

The race, which is the world's southernmost ultramarathon, was held at 80 Degrees South in the interior of the Antarctic.

Conditions underfoot were extremely tough this year due to snowfall. Windchill temperature was -14C.

Richard also organised the event, which incorporates a marathon, and is called the Antarctic Ice Marathon & 100k.

Starting Back

24hrs of Running.

Two months previous to the 24hr race I was diagnosed with overtraining syndrome and was told to take a week off from training and during that week forget about the Athletic Diet and just eat what I want and rest. Well thats exactly what i've done over the last two weeks. My 'Athletic' diet has gone out the window and I've used the opportunity as I transition from one event to preparing for the next event to do the things I haven't done for a while. I ate lots of chocolate, had my chinese takeaway, had a few hangovers and now it's time to start training again. As mentioned previously the Dublin Marathon marks the end of my year so my 24hr race was timed perfectly as there was only a week between the two races.

One of my training principles is always take a step back before going forward and this simply means not continuing on from where you left off but starting back at the beginning. If you don't have a start and finish point there could be a tendency to just continue training and not allow your body to rest / recover and adapt to the recent stresses caused by training and racing.

The intensity will be reduced and i'll start off with a low volume of training (reduced mileage) which will gradually be increased over the coming weeks. Between now and Christmas i'll focus on maintaining a decent level of fitness and work on my leg strength with the objective being to get myself ready to do some serious training knowing that I can be race ready for any distance in as little as 4 weeks but preferrably a bit longer.

Going back to my roots

My thanks to Sean Kenny for the article that appeared in today's Irish Times. Click here to view it online. Behind me is Ballybough Flats in Dublin's inner city, my childhood home. Photograph copyright Alan Beston.

24 hour Track Race

In 3 weeks time i'll be taking part in my first 24 hour race in Tooting Bec, London and at the moment I'm feeling slightly underprepared. After reading various race reports from Ultra Marathon Runners there would seem to be a lot of gifted runners that can run these events at the drop of a hat and in some case without any training, well that's not me so for the next 3 weeks I've some serious training to do.

Since returning from Dingle my training has been event specific focusing on spending more time on my feet and running at my planned race pace to prepare for the slower pace during the race. During these training runs I've also been experimenting with different food types and trying to work out a feeding plan and race day strategy.

My new regime as prescribed by Bernard Donne in Trinity College consists of 4-5 runs of 1-4+ hours in a heart rate zone of 120-128bpm (which will also be my race day zone) and 1 interval session of 4*2K with a heart rate of 165-170bpm.

The Long Run zone has me walking at times when faced with hills and the Interval pace has me running faster than I would ever run. I'm struggling with the interval session but I'm noticing improvements already and expect my Long Run zone to be ideal on race day over the flat course.

My training so far this week included:

Sunday: 4hr at 120-128bpm.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 2hr at 120-128bpm.

Wednesday: Interval Session.

Thursday: 2hr at 120-128bpm.

Friday: 3hr at 120-128bpm.

Saturday: 2hr 120-128bpm.

Most of the above runs were done either early morning or late at night to prepare my body in some way for the stress of running in darkness and during unsociable hours. I expect my longest run to be less than 5 hours and this will be at least 10 days before the race.

Week 10

There's only 12 days until the Dingle Marathon and the forced rest over the past week has me feeling slightly unfit and under prepared. I'm now hoping that the few days off will be just what I needed and with a bit of luck i'll get the all clear to start back training on Tuesday. All going well my plan for next week is to do a few short but fast sessions to get my legs used to running fast again and maybe i'll finish the week with an easy 10 miles joining the lads for the last few miles of their Long Slow Run in advance of Dublin.

My plan for today was a 10K road race in Punchestown for Kildare Athletes and as hard as a 10 K race can be when you're running it, sometimes it's harder when you're not running.

Check out this photo on Flickr entitled Human Ants.

I can run but I can't hide

I've started using a 'Spot Me' satellite messenger thanks to the Great Outdoors which allows family and friends to track my location anywhere in the world. I'll be testing the unit over the next few weeks to familiarlise myself with it's use starting with the Mobile Marathon Relay for the Jack & Jill Foundation starting on Friday 07th August. Later this week i'll post a link so you can check out the unit in use.

Although I say I'm testing the Spot Me it's really a tried and tested unit and is one of the compulsory items supplied and carried by competitors in the Yukon Arctic Ultra a race which I took part in back in 2005 (100 Mile category).

As well as finding a user's location the 'Spot Me' also makes it possible to follow user's adventures via Google Maps tracking a route in real time. But most importantly, in times of need, a user can request assistance from family / friends or from an Inernational 911 Emergency Response Centre which will direct help to an exact location if requested.

I have on ocassion carried an emergency transmitter when travelling in an extreme environment which is good for one use only although it will be replaced if used in a real emergency. These units can cost a few thousand euro but for less than €200 and a yearly registration of around €100 the Spot Me is now making this technology more accesible and adding a fun element to something that can be quite serious.

An obvious use which springs to mind would be for the parent of a teenager heading off on a backpacking trip for a few months. The Spot Me is an inexpensive way of knowing where they are and where they've been.

Click Here for a recent article in the Irish Times about Spot Me.

It's hot outside.

A question I'm asked quite often is which do you prefer, the heat or the cold? It's a hard one to answer because when you're competing in extremes of temperature you will always have times when you wish you were in the opposite.  Here's another of my many running related coincidences which had me thinking that way.  On April 10th 2004 I was running the North Pole Marathon with Mark Pollock and on that same date the previous year I was running the 80K stage of the Marathon des Sables.  I had never felt the cold like I did at the North Pole and I was almost envious of the runners in the MdS but I also remembered baking in the heat of the Sahara Desert and wishing the day to end.

Reminiscing

This day last year I was running along the Inca Trail from from the point known as Kilometre 88 to Machu Picchu.  The race started just inside the Machu Picchu National Park at the Inca ruins of Llactapa (Town on the Hillside at 2600M) and finished at what must be the most amazing finsh line for a Marathon.

Coincidentaly, this day 2 years ago I was running in the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon from Everest Base Camp (Altitude 5356M) to Namche Bazzar with Mark Pollock.

Namche Bazzar

Time to start training again.

I'm home almost a week and yet again finding it hard to start training again.  I'm well used to this feeling as it has happened so often and always when I've finished my main event of the year but I've learnt how to deal with it.  

This day 2 years ago I was trekking to Gorak Shep in the Himalaya en route to Everest Base Camp and the start of the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon with Mark Pollock.   This was the race that has tested me mentally like no other and when I returned home i was drained and found it harder than ever to get back into a training routine.

Three weeks before the Everest Marathon we both ran the Dead Sea Ultra Marathon and after returning home we immediately continued with our training routine because we knew there was another event to train for and we had a definite date so knew not training wasn't an option.

  Returning from Everest we had nothing planned for the rest of the year so there was no reason or urgency to get back into a routine.

The catalyst to get me moving again was signing up for a series of races in the Phoenix Park and then the Dublin Marathon and to help get back into a training routine I would drive to the Phoenix Park and run in a running environment.  

If you click on Mark's name you'll see the race report from the Everest Marathon along with links to Mark's other events.

The photo above was taken between Gorak Shep and Everest base Camp on the Khumbu Glacier as we took one of many breaks.  What you see is called Glacial Moraine and it was a nightmare to travel over.

The North Face 100K / Race Report.

I've now had a few day's to reflect on Saturday's race and still don't know where to start.  Since running my first Ultra Marathon back in 2003 it has been my ultimate goal to run an Ultra Marathon or at least Marathon on each of the 7 Continents and now it's done.  This event was part of a greater challenge and i had planned on doing an overall grand slam report but I suppose to do The TNF 100 justice it needs a report of it's own.  

The day before the race I hooked up with some other competitors (Andrew Jordan, Tony Golden, James Owens & Gretel Fortmann) thanks to Rob that kindly agreed to transport me from Sydney to Katoomba and put me up for the weekend in a cabin which they had rented.  After a brief introduction it was like we'd know each other forever.  Arriving in good time we made our way to registration to collect our race numbers and go through the compulsory kit check before returning home with the traditional pasta & pizza.  Late to bed and early to rise for a 7am start after a pre start race briefing.

The race started quite fast with a 2K loop around the golf course which was part of the estate hosting the event.  A fast start didn't suit me but I knew that if i was too slow joining the trail I'd lose a lot of time heading towards the first checkpoint.  As expected the going was slow enough apart from the start and there were quite a few choke points as we headed towards Golden Stairs and along Federal Pass towards Narrow Neck.  The scenery was stunning as we ran through rainforest and alongside waterfalls with some very steep climbs.

The Check Point was very busy but well stocked and because I was only needing water I was able to move through very quickly.  In my bag I was carrying 2* North Face Water Bottles filled with a dry carbohydrate powder mix which I filled before moving on.  My plan was to carry 1 bottle and consume it over an hour and then swap it with the full bottle in my pack and repeat the filling process at the next Check Point.

Just when I thought the views couldn't get any better or the course more interesting I began running along a ridge at the top of Narrow Neck leading towards a vertical drop down into the valley via the Taros ladders.  There was a slight delay as it was single file going down the ladders but the steep descent at the foot of the ladders made up for lost time and soon I was on the approach to Check Point 2.  The steep descent into CP2 put some strain on my ITB and just as i was leaving CP2 my left knee started to buckle and I was reduced to a walk.  It hadn't stopped me before so I did my best to maintain the forward motion even if it was slower than I wanted.  The track started to climb again and this gave me some relief and the confidence to know that finishing was still an option, thinking on my feet I started to work out my new pace and set myself the goal of just reaching the next Check Point.

The climb got steeper as I made my way upwards onto Iron Pot Mountain before completing an out and back run along the Iron Pot Ridge.  Again the pain was more severe on the flat and then the descent started again and the pain was almost unbearable.  My movement was very slow as I made my way very slowly through the Megalong Valley  and I longed for another climb.  The climb appeared and I managed to make up some lost time but the problem was still there.  James and Gretel caught up with me and told me that Andrew had taken a fall coming down from Iron Pot Ridge and was moving very slowly having lost almost 2hrs with his injury, more bad news.

  Rob was meeting me at the next CP so i took a chance on texting him to see if he could source anti-inflammatory and pain killers.  He ran out to meet me 2K from the CP and I loaded up, we walked and talked our way in and I tried to run on the approach but couldn't.

I rested a bit longer than planned and spent some time stretching before deciding to head off again.  I took a chance on running and the pain was gone but I knew it was the drugs so I thought it best not to push it but keep moving and gain as much ground as I could before the effect wore off.  It wasn't long before I caught Gretel and James and they seemed happy but surprised to see me and understood why i didn't slow down to chat.

I was now heading towards Nellie's Glen along the Six Foot Track and an unmerciful stair climb through a rainforest, as much as i wanted the climbs earlier i was now hating them even though I knew the pain would return soon enough on the descents.  Again the views were amazing and it was hard resisting the temptation to stop and just look around.  The track led onto a road and back towards Katoomba leading along an undulating road to CP 4 at Katoomba Ovals.  It was almost night time and a head torch would be necessary when moving out as it would soon be dark.  This might have been the reason that more than one runner decided to retire.

The pain was returning so yet again I was preparing myself for a long night.  I left the CP almost immediately not bothering with the contents of my drop bag because the pace I was moving at meant i didn't need the extra fuel.

We were now in the heart of Katoomba and a very scenic part of the Blue Mountains with tourist trails going off in every direction which did help take my mind off the pain.  The route followed the Cliff top Walk towards an area known as Echo Point and then dropped steeply down into the valley via a very narrow stairway which seemed to go down forever.  As easy as it was I was hating every minute of it because I knew that I was being set up for another climb.

The bottom of the stairs led towards Leura Forest heading through Darnadelles Pass and by now it was pitch dark.  I was moving slow but steady trying to watch my footing as well as the course markings at head height.  The track was still going down and crossed a few creeks with stepping stones before a final creek without stepping stones leading to wet feet before starting a 640M climb towards CP 5.  

Bent over double I made my way onwards and upwards with palms on thighs knowing that this was the last of the serious climbs.  Almost 2 hrs later and i was still going up, I couldn't believe there was so much up on the flattest continent in the world.  Eventually  I could feel myself starting to walk upright and the wind was getting stronger so i new the summit was close.  My pace picked up again ever so slightly and soon enough I reached CP5 and the last stop before the finish.

Again I bypassed my drop bag and kept moving knowing it was only 11K to the finish.  Leaving the CP started with 1K along a road before rejoining the trail and the toughest / slowest 10K of my life.  There were so many switchback and climbs / drops it was impossible to work out the pace but I was convinced I was faster and couldn't believe it when I saw the 95K marker thinking I was almost home.  As interesting as the trail was i was wishing it over, we passed the Wentworth Falls and travelled along an Under Cliff Walk before eventually surfacing back at the edge of the Golf Course.  A series of glow sticks marked a path across the course and towards the finish and then yet again it was all over!  15hr51 after starting I crossed the finish line.  

Race Stats:  100K with 4500M of Ascent / Descent.  According to my Polar HRM I consumed 11,599Kcal over the duration of the race with an average HR of 127bpm.

My original plan had me crossing the line in 12hrs which then became 20+hrs with my injury.  All the time thinking on my feet and recalculating I was then thinking I'd make it in 14hrs which again changed to sub 15 and finally sub 16.

Thanks to all who helped along the way and a special thanks to Derek and Robbie in the Great Outdoors for ensuring I had the lightest and best kit available.  My race bag weighed less than 2Kg and included a very comprehensive list of compulsory items.

Why do I run?

Sightseeing for the man in a hurry.

Yukon Arctic Ultra

This day 4 years ago I was in a town called Whitehorse in the Yukon territory of Northern Canada to compete in the Yukon Arctic Ultra.  The race followed in the wake of the Yukon Quest dog sleigh race which runs from Whitehorse to Dawson city along the Dawson trail.  The two events were similar in format with ours being human rather than dog powered.  During the race we had to cope with extreme temperatures and worst of all, sleep depravation.  I can remember having very vivid hallucinations and at one point can recall seeing a camera man on the trail and he was in my sight until I was almost close enough to touch him.  

Empire State Building Run Up

Apart from the Run Up this has been a very quiet week and my mileage is way down! I went for a run yesterday with Tony and i struggled to cover 6 miles at a Steady Pace in almost ideal conditions. Finished the day with a late night and a free bar (Mark Pollock on Tubridy Tonight) so that didn't leave me in good condition for a long run today. I did manage to get up early but ended up going back to bed as it was snowing heavy outside. Hopefully next week will see me back in action and close to schedule for the 100K in Galway next month.