Day 2 Stage 2 - Paul's version

Just when I thought it was safe to sign off and go to bed, got another email from Paul, this one sent today, received today, so things are speeding up....


Bonjour! Well, I recovered well last night, feeling much better after emailing you (thanks for yours, got them at 7pm last night) and ate all my food and drink, almost properly hydrated this morning, with urine no longer loooking like an oak aged chardonnay! Today I ran much better - 5 hrs 15 I think for 38 k. I did more walking inclines and sand and every 45 mins walked while I ate, took salt tablets and drank. It must have worked because I came in just ahead of Sharon Gaytor - oh yeah, deresrt running, bring it on! It was well hot today, no cloud no breeze and 40 degrees, same forecast for tomorrow, which looks like hell consisting mostly of dunes....Feet holding up, 2 small blister which I got treated at doc trotters (me being sensible). They sliced them, drained then and then injected iodine.....ouch! 40 k tomorrow, so off to rest and chomp through my rations. Hope all is well at home, missing you both loads but being entertained by my tent mates - its WHW + Call Chall...bye XXXXXXX

Day 2 Stage 2

The second stage appears to have been a less hilly, more stoney/packed sand stage, and Paul must have recovered from this exertions yesterday as he completed the 38k (23.5miles) in 5 hrs 14 minutes. In 159th place, 12th British runner to finish. He should feel immensely pleased with himself.
40.5k tomorrow, 25.1 miles....

Day 1 Stage 1 - Paul's version

This time, in his owns words.......

I am......recovering! 4hr 43 mins for the stage, 2:16 for the dunes at the start, they were MASSIVE! Seriously that was a very tough day's running. The 14 km of dunes were staggering, amazing to look at, anazing to be in, and tough to run.
The next 10k was flat stoney plain (the stones had fossils in, I've picked one up......then we had a killer 2 to 3 k of small dunes to finish _ small like nothing you've ever seen on a UK beach!
That was the killer section, up down, up down......and probably why I projectile vomitted over the line, that and the 38 degree heat..... Better now though.
So, top line story, Stage One, job done. Real story, one tough day in the most awesome landscape I have ever run in. Velcro is in tatters, but rest of kit seems to be doing the job.
Off now to chomp slowly through my rations and try and sleep in the windy tent - lighting the fuel is a challenge too. Oh, and only one small blister. Ooops, word limit!

Day 1 Stage 1

Information from the Darbaroud website tells us that Paul completed the first stage of 31.6km (hooray) in 4 hrs 43 mins, coming 154th out of 797, the 12th British runner over the line. An excellent first day result, especially as the route went straight up a huge sand dune after the first kilometre and was reputedly the hardest first day of the race's history.

No email from the man himself yet, so we wait with baited breath for an overnight satellite transmission (or for the email to be released from my over-zealous Mail Defender).

Pretty picture of the start to whet your appetites....

Travel tales

Welcome to the first Pamelamail posting on Paul's blog. Paul arrived safe and sound in Ouarzazate, luggage intact, and during Friday is on the 6hr coach trip to the race start location. Endurance training I think it's called. First stage on Sunday is 31.6km. Full day on Saturday to mess around packing and repacking the kit bags/ do all the admin stuff/build up a bit more of that nervous tension.

Nice photo of the tulips in the yard opening in the sunshine for the first time this year...

Last training run

Very easy paced 7 miles this evening in the cold misty night air! Nothing to report really, now busy unpacking and re-packing and crossing everything off my kit list ready to fly out tomorrow......

Hopefully I'll be able to email updates after each stage of the race, so watch this space!

Fundraising and other stuff

Thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored me so far, and if you are thinking about it but haven't yet done so, do it now!

Running total stands at £2,272, so just £1,728 to reach my nominal £4,000 target.

I also sent out a press release yesterday to the local papers, as much to try and get some publicity for Facing Africa as anything else. Anyway, took a call from Wharfedale and Airedale Observer who did an interview over the phone and seem keen to do a follow up after the race, so lets hope they print something!

Also found out today that there will be an ITV reporter at Heathrow on Thursday who is coming out to follow the race. Maybe my 15 minutes of fame beckon....

Training - easy 3 miles

Very steady 3 miler tonight. Very cold, so full winter kit on (more ideal MdS training....NOT). Still, felt v.good.

Only downer was the sickening crunch of unsticking Velcro when I put my trail shoes on. So, back to the gluing board......this time its because the strip of Velcro crossed a 'flex' point on the shoe, so I snipped in two at the crease and hope that does the trick.

Cross Training - family walk

Enjoyed a nice leisurely walk from the back door up on to the Chevin today. 4.2 miles in all with 1,070 ft of climb. Quite a bright day, but still chilly and the odd snow flake still falling, though you could see that the real weather was out towards the east coast.

Nice views though and enjoyed making the most of a cool breeze - if I could only bag that up and take it to the desert.......

Click on the thumbnail below to see today's video:


Chevin walk, Easter Monday

Ready to go.......nearly!

Packed all my stuff into my back pack and front pack this morning and it all seems to fit (slightly annoyed that one piece of Velcro came off when I removed the sand gaiters, that's currently being re-glued...). Just about have everything, though I do have one or two minor bits of kit/food to pick up.

Really just want to get out there and find what its like to run in the desert. Its currently about 25/28 degrees at Ouarzazate where we fly too, so expected to be hotter still 6 hours drive out into the desert....

And here's my support crew practicing to say goodbye!

Cross Training!

Well, it was cross training if you count sledging as exercise! After last night's snow fall the field behind the house was just too tempting.....so ski clothes on and sledges out! Snow was OK, but soon wore through to muddy grass. Fun, but not exactly replicating MdS conditions....

Training - 3 miles

Easy three mile run this evening. 3 more miles in my MdS trail shoes and just a light back pack to test out the 'Foam Frenzy' valve caps on my drinks bottles (see post below). No leaks and a nice easy run. Rest day tomorrow.

Kit

Quite a bit of kit messing around today.

I think I've finally got all the Velcro attached, and no bits came loose on my 3 mile run out this evening. This is what the shoes look like, Velcroed and with one sand gaiter attached:

I also made a wind shield for the stove this morning. This is made out of foil bubble, stapled on one edge and I've insert a tent peg on one side to use as an anchor. The water did boil alot more quickly, an effect I'm sure of the foil reflecting back the heat.

Pamela then helped sort out the leaking 'non-returnable' valve problem, spotting the ideal piece of kit in a pack of 'Foam Frenzy' at the craft section in the local garden centre! Tested it on my run this evening and no leaks! Will pack some spares in case these come off, but no weight penalties!

Emma then helped me to pack up my food, each day's supplies in a sealable freezer bag. That way I don't need to think about what I'm supposed to have or what's left to eat up! I just need to buy one more Granola bar for day 7.

Fundraising

Since I posted an update on Monday I have raised another £135! So thank you again to everyone who has supported me and whose sponsorship will go towards the very important work that Facing Africa do. £2,202 now, so only £1,798 to go....

Exercise ECG

Message on the answerphone from the consultant yesterday to say that the exercise ECG is 'normal', or at least of no concern. Will try and call in on Wednesday to pick up a copy if I can.

Training - 4 miles easy

Nice gentle jog out this evening with Pamela. Nice sunny day but windy and pretty cold, even had a brief snow shower (very brief!). Nice to run without any pack on today - such a relief!

The last few runs out with full kit I've really noticed that; running uphill, even the slightest incline, or running into the wind, is so much harder carrying all that weight. However, on the plus side, I've found the weight less hard going while I'm running than when I'm walking. There must be some science around that or I'm just a bit weird....

Training - 5 miles

Short easy run tonight but again with full pack. This time I was running wearing a weight lifters belt (a light weight one obviously, infact a simple wide belt of neoprene). It certainly does the job though, no slicing in two and if I do get any back problems then it can only help - thanks to Steve for thinking of this solution and posting on the belt!

My only slight concern is that it may get very hot. But then its going to be hot anyway so, tough!

Only other thing to report is that one strip of Velcro came loose, but the rest are still in place and still seem to be holding out.

Not much more running now, but need to do more Velcro gluing, construct a wind shield for my stove out of foil bubble and attach the sleep mat to my back pack - somewhere...oh, and work out how to stop the non-returnable valves fitted to the Raidlight bottles from, well, returning....

Cross Training

Dusted down my bike at the weekend, cleaned and oiled it and removed winter scraps of metal from the brake pads ready to start cycling to work again. Today was the first chance to cycle though and it was beautiful and sunny.

Round trip is just over 8 miles, so no great distance, but takes about 20 minutes each way because of the mighty Chevin in the way - the trip to work starts with a one mile 1 in 8 uphill.....and then drops more gently down the other side into Yeadon.

Exercise ECG - 2 miles!

My cardiologist organised an exercise ECG for me today as part of my expanding case file at the LGI into my mysterious chest pain episodes! It also happens to be a recommended test for any MdS runner over 40 - so belt and braces I guess.

Anyway, test started off with a 'supine' reading, which looked like my normal 'abnormal' ECG to me and resting heart rate was round about 60bpm.

I also had to have a number of areas of my chest strategically shaved to attach the electrodes - that'll be nice and itchy by the time I get to the desert then.

Then it was time for the exercise. This consisted of 3 minute slots starting at a walking pace on a 10% slope and then steadily increasing both speed and gradient until I was running at 5.5 mph on a 20% hill! This felt like serious training and, as I hit my maximum heart rate towards the end of this session (178 bpm) I was OK to stop - I wasn't sure I could face another increase in speed AND gradient anyway!

The technicians seemed happy with my results which now get whizzed HNS style over to Dr Cowan for his assessment. I guess I'll only hear back if he spots anything 'interesting'.

Needless to say, I don't think many people in the cardiology ward get that far through the test...

Less appealing than this test is a further exploration that my GP has come up with which involves a Barium meal. Might save that till after the MdS I think!

Fundraising - thanks everyone!!

Thank you to all my sponsors so far and to all the recent ones - to Emma, Monica, Frances, Karen, Asa and Inigo and to my fellow Trustees at Children Today. You have all been extremely generous.

My grand total now stands at £2,067, so 'just' another £1,933 to go if I'm to reach my £4,000 target!

Training - 9 miles

OK, so not quite taper miles but I still want to put a few miles on these new shoes - this now makes 26 miles. Maybe just one or two runs to add....

Did this circuit with full kit, including full water bottles and felt really good. Even ran most of the mile long, one in eight hill at the start of the circuit (Otley, Carlton, Yeadon, Guiseley, Menston, home). Infact, I felt like I wanted to be out there, in the desert, and near the end of stage one. Weather was a bit different though, bright and cold, but a fabulous sunset.

I am also officially an idiot..........no comments please. Having said the strap keeping the front pack in place would cut me in half....well, I haven't got round to looking for any padding and, it cut me in half. OK, not quite literally but I did yell like a boy when the hot water of the shower entered the welt on my side.......really do need to get that fixed.

Otherwise, a very satisfying and encouraging run!

Training - 10.3 miles

Opps, thought I was retracing an 8 mile loop, so thought it was slow when I looked at the clock when I got home...that was because it was 10.3 miles! Still, took it easy, another useful run out in the new trail shoes and stomach also slowly recovering.

It was cold though. It was raining and the light westerly wind made it very chilly - had to disappear under the duvet after my shower to warm up. No back pack again today, didn't think that was a good idea with a dodgy stomach.

May or may not run tomorrow, but will have time on Monday hopefully after the Children Today Trustee meeting though.

Training - 7 miles

First run this week on Friday since Barry 40, mainly due to an upset stomach which has not been pleasant.

However, felt OK yesterday and set out to do the 7 mile loop via Pool Bank. Had to walk the hill though as my stomach complained at the extra effort, but otherwise went OK.

Also ran for the first time in my new Adidas Supernova Trails - in lovely grey and orange...hmmmmm. These are a size 10 1/2, one half size bigger than normal to accommodate swelling feet in the desert. I was a bit nervous about running in them but with a pair of Sealskinz as well as my Fastrax socks they were actually OK. The Sealskinz did make my feet feel hot though, so might need to revise this strategy for the desert.

I also had Velcro stuck round the sole of my shoe sand only one bit came off, so a useful test. Luckily that piece stuck to my socks so I can reapply it. In case you are wondering, the Velcro is for attaching my sand gaiters...!

Race - Barry 40

Took part in the Barry 40 yesterday which is held at Jenner Park Stadium, the home of Barry Town FC. The event consists of running 161 laps around a tartan running track - who said ultra running was glamorous?!

Despite forecasts of howling gales and lashing rain the day remained sunny for the most part, but the two hail showers were freezing.

I''ve done this race twice before, it was my first ultra back in 2005 and I finished 10th in 5 hrs 21 mins and then in 2006 had to drop out after 26.2 miles because of a shoe problem that created a very painful knee....I did go through the marathon distance under 3.15 though.

I set out yesterday with the target of running 5 hours (or rather anything inside 5 hours) and was on track up to 20 miles and still OK at the marathon mark (3:14 yesterday). Then, as seems to happen in most ultra races the wheels started to come off.......firstly, I found the Nuun flavoured water hard to stomach and kept feeling like I was going to vomit........then my lower back went into spasm and I could hardly stand up, let alone run, but a few walking laps, a geobar, cups of water and, most importantly, Nurofen, and I was suddenly up to 35 miles and just 20 laps to run.

At this point I decided the best strategy was to dig in and try and run the last 20 laps straight off, not worrying about refuelling etc, and if I could get back to sub 2 minute laps I was still in with a chance of breaking my PB. Luckily, my legs held out and I even ran one of my fastest laps of the day in last mile.

I finished with a time of 5 hrs 14 minutes, 7 minutes better than my previous time and finished in 12th place. I averaged 7 min 49 sec mile pace, I would have needed 7 min 30 for a sub-5.

There was a really quality field yesterday, with many past winners and any one of the top 9 competing for the lead early on. 10th palce went to the first woman, who ran a women's record 12th fastest ever time in the world at this distance!

I was happy with my run and my mug with the words: 'Barry 40 - Finisher'!

I must also mention my support crew, Pamela and Emma who sat through my ordeal noting down my time for every one of the 161 laps and giving me updates on various milestones and laps completed/to go. Now that is dedication......

Training - 7 miles...with my nap sack on my back....

OK, hardly a nap sack, but full front and back packs again tonight. 7 miles was OK, though the long drag up Pool Bank was noticeably harder - a mile plus long hill climbing some 500 odd feet.

Otherwise, two runs in with full weight seems promising.

Rest day tomorrow then off to South Wales on Saturday ready for the 'Barry 40' on Sunday.

Training - 5 miles fully loaded

First run out tonight with full front and back pack and it seemed to work OK. Only main bit of kit missing was my sleep mat, but that's just bulky rather than heavy.

Also sorted the bouncing front pack problem by using what is essentially a luggage strap as a belt. This kept the front pack firmly in place but I rather think that if I used that as it is for 150 miles in the desert then I'm going to end up getting sliced in two. So, just need to find some sort of padding, especially around my hips, the sort of thing you get on seat belts in suped up cars....only smaller.

Also carried two full Raidlight bottles. Adding the aquarium valves really does work, they are so much easier to drink from, but I do need to glue them - water kept on leaking out!

Still, a satisfying run out. Rest day tomorrow.

Kit - quick update

Nearly got all the kit I now need. Just putting together a first aid kit and need to buy two more breakfasts.

Tasted Expedition Foods 'Hot cereal start with mango' this morning and found it really 'sawdusty', so will be sticking with 'Porridge with strawberries' for all seven days.........hmmmmm.

Also tried out loading up my pack. Everything seems to fit into the Salomon backpack and Raidlight front pack. No room for the Thermarest as expected, so might rig something up to sling that under the pack. Plenty of spare room in the front pack for the distress flares, salt tablets and night sticks that will be handed out by the organisers.

Two packs together plus sleep mat weighed 7.5 kg on the bathroom scales, probably nearer 8 kg based on weighing everything individually and therefore more accurately.

Will start doing training runs carrying the full pack from tomorrow...

Training - 15 miles

15 mile loop today taking in Menston, Guiseley, Rawdon and Yeadon - basically using the A65 with various extensions off.

Felt very easy, but then no back pack today just a bottle belt - word of warning, kona coal flavouredd Nuun tabs are actually slightly fizzy, which if you use a bottle belt may result in a wet back.....cola flavour tastes OK cold though.

Today's run completes 42 miles for the week, which after last weekend feels like an easy week.

Fewer mid-week runs next week in preparation for next Sunday's Barry 40 race;

http://www.lescroupiersrunningclub.org.uk/barry40/

Training - Burley Menston

Haven't done this route for ages! For a long time it was a favourite 8 mile route, but with the advent of MapMyRun we realised it was actually just short of 7 miles.....still, a good out and back circular route, made all the more enjoyable by the fact that when its windy (like the last few days....understatement I know!), its a headwind on the outward leg, but a tailwind home.

Nice easy run, followed by more of Emma's delicious cooking. I could get used to this....