The Beauty of Ultra Running

This is a bit of a random post but just feel like blogging at the moment as I'm really excited about my running and other peoples! I realise it is a bit long so I have split it into sections so you can pick and choose what you want to read. By the end you'll probably realise I follow ultra running like I follow football :-)

I realise that for every runner I mention below there is another 10 I have missed out and another 50 I haven't heard of. That's the beauty of ultrarunning. To quote Scott Jurek from his Post race Badwater interview where he won "There are always unknowns out there".  (2 mins 20 seconds into video).

1. Scottish Ultra Running
2. UTMB 2011 - Bragg vs Clark
3  Testing Colquhoun
4. Problems with ultra races
5. Potential Solution?
6. Things gradually falling into place
7. The most important thing

1. Scottish Ultra running

Been reading blogs, blogs and more blogs. A post that leaped out was John Kynaston's blog about his WHW run with his running buddies. If you look at the picture of who was running and that's not even including Sharon Law and Debbie Martin-Consani who were also present (who as you can read in JKs blog will be representing Scotland in March). I could spend all day going through the achievements and potential of this lot and its great to see them all training together. This is a group of Scotland's best ultra runners and to me is the Scottish equivalent of the American revolution going on in Boulder at the moment. Check out this video from Irunfar with 4 of the top ultrarunners in the US right now! I realise the Scots group in the picture is not all of Scotland's best eg Jeans, Brown, Harvie, Bradley, Cairns, Hart and Stewart to name a few. But It's exciting times for Scottish ultra running with more and more people actually treating ultras as races which can only be good for the sport, and hey maybe one or more of them may even give Jez Bragg a run for his money.

2. UTMB 2011 - Bragg vs Clark

Speaking of which, another thing which is going to be exciting this year is the battle of the Brits at UTMB. Some might think Jez will come first Brit, afterall he won UTMB this year and has been tearing up the British ultra running scene for quite a few years now. Don't get me wrong he has every chance. But I think at UTMB this year, with both being fit, I think he may have met his match in Nick Clark . A Brit now living in America. Now I could be wrong but I don't think these 2 have ever raced each other before in an ultra, certainly not recently to my recollection. Nick Clark came 4th last year in Western States where Killian Journet just pipped him to the line in 16.06. If it was the previous year when Bragg ran and a lot of other years he would have finished first with that time.  That's the beauty of ultra running though, it all depends on who turns up on the day.

3. Testing Colquhoun

This is especially the case for women's ultra running in Scotland where Lucy Colquhoun has dominated most ultra races she has run. How cool would it be if she was really tested against the likes of Lizzy Hawker, Krissy Mohel, Kami Semik, Tracey Garnaux, Jamie Donaldson amongst a whole host of others.

4. Problems with ultra races

What's preventing this happening? Geoff Roes hit the spot in his blog about a UTMB equivalent in the US where he highlights there is no equivalent in the US or really anywhere else in the world to my knowledge. The nearest is Western States but due to having restricted numbers a lot of the top runners don't get in. I know the top 10 men and women from last years race and there are certain races where the winners get entry. But take Jez Bragg for instance. He ran it in 2009 and I was told he was going to go for the win in 2010. But then of course he got injured and now has to go over to the US and win or come second in one the qualifying races  or go in the ballot like everyone else.  Going back and forth to the US ain't cheap! The thing is even the UTMB is going to a ballot now and that could quite easily get to the same point as the American ultras. The other American ultras have lotterys for everyone with no qualifying races and some let previous winners in or if you've ran it so many times.

There is a whole host of other reasons preventing the best coming to together which there is no solution. For example think of 100 meter events - they are only held on track and that's it. Ultras come in all forms - road, trails, flat, hilly, hot, cold, high, low and of course length. There are just so many more variables in ultras and no course is the same. Apart from races round the track eg 24, 48 hour races or longer. Then of course people have different strengths and weaknesses. Some are good on roads, some hills etc. I could go on but I realise I do go on and on and on ha.

5. Potential Solution?

My solution would be to have specific races for the best to race each other and rotate the locations around the world to keep things interesting.  I mean how cool would it be to see Journet, Krupicka, Jurek, Roes, Heras, Bragg, Clark, Jeans, Semick, Kimball, Colquhoun, Hawker, Garnaux, Donaldson, Frost and the rest going hell for leather up the West Highland Way! This would mean that people who want to race can all get together and people who want to finish can do so and can race if they want in all the other races. The reason why I think other people who do not want to race should still have an event. Is because they are covering long distances and anything can happen. Weather, out of food or drink, get injured.  For this reason checkpoints and/or support are important. Not forgetting that covering long distances is a massive achievement. At the moment I am in that position as I just want to complete distances. I see "races" as a safe way to run long distances. Also you get to share the experience with like mind people who love to be outdoors.

The one thing which I think needs to happen in order to bring the best together is bringing money to the sport. Geoff Roes highlighted this in another one of his posts. Look at the North Face 50 San Fransisco results. The depth of that field was ridiculous and there was a good 30 people going for the win in the mens race and the womens race was very competitive too. Why? try $10,000 prize money! It worked for a 50 miler, why not a 100 miler? Who won the nf50? Many apart from experts and folk in Europe would have never heard of him - Miguel Heras. Most in America would have put there money on Mackey or Roes. When I use to think of ultra running in Europe I would just think Killian - but there are loads of unknowns - but this guy is definitely known now. Why was he there? Would he have come over if not for the money? strength of the field? who knows.  It seems a bit unfair that just because ultrarunning isn't really TV friendly it shouldn't be recognised as a proper sport.

6. Things gradually falling into place

This is starting to get fixed though in Britain with the Highland Fling being named as the Scottish and UK ultra running championships which is a step in the right direction especially since the Fling doesn't have a limit. We just need the equivalent for 100 mile events, give or take 5 miles.

7. The most important thing

How people who run 100 meters get paid to run where as people who run 100 miles have to pay to run just doesn't make sense to me. But at the end of the day to even think about contemplate running 100 milers you have to love what you do (which is the most important thing) or else mentally you couldn't do it.

I realise this is a similar post to Geoff's about having a 'Championship race'. This is just saying 'Yo Geoff, I agree!' :-)

I'll finish there, ha!

Just my 2 pence

Almost a solid week of pure illness

Monday I went out for a 4.5 mile run and felt groggy, I knew a cold was coming. Tuesday I went out a mile then turned back as my throat was jumping up and down and getting sorer. I know they say if its the neck and above run but this was making running a trial so just decided to leave it until it got better so no activity all the way through to Saturday.

I am always in denial that running causes any of my illnesses. But I think this time looking back it may have. From Wednesday to Sunday the week before I did 4 hard sessions in 5 days. I don't normally do that and think that must have been it.

Saturday I went along to park run and helped marshal the 1 lap/2 lap split point. It was fun again cheering on all the runners and talking to Stephani and David. I have decided not to take up the director role for the time being. My ultra plans along with wanting to run the park run more mean I'll be busy enough but it is something I want to do in the future and if I get injured it is a no brainer.

Another decision I have taken this week is to pull out of the Loch Ness Marathon. I just haven't got in the long runs I would have liked to since Clyde Stride due to this, that and the next thing. Also I looked at my schedule for September and I realise I am just not doing focused marathon training and marathons are definitely not a race to underestimate and even if I said I would take it easy I know that would change the minute I hit the start line. So instead I have signed up for the Mugdock Trail race the week after - more mud filled madness!

Which brings me nicely on today. I feel a lot better but didn't fancy a long run today as didn't want to push things too soon. So I drove up to Arrochar and climbed Beinn Narnain. Although the weather forecast said Sunny intervals/good visibility. It was raining the whole way up and couldn't see more than 20 metres in front of me. I was planning on doing Beinn Ime but decided to take the easy option, a) because of the weather, b)just back from illness, c) save Ime for another time. I managed 3mph for the first 3 miles up to the cobbler/ime/narnain three way junction, taking a gel every half an hour. Then turned up the steep slope to the top of Narnain, through boulders and marsh. When I got up to the top, I couldn't actually believe it when I saw the trig point. It almost felt too easy to be a munro. It took me 1 hour 25 mins to get to the top. So after sorting myself out and taking a clif bar I headed down. I took a slightly too much to the north route off Narnain and ended up on the path to Beinn Ime. I took my time over the boulders but as soon as I got to the marsh I was running. It was so much fun running through the marsh as it is just so soft! Due to the poor visibility I took a quick compass check at the turn style and headed south back to the three way junction so I hadn't gone that far off course as you can see from the map:

After running for a wee bit down the path, I took off my trousers so that I could run freely down the rest of the trail in my shorts. The bit where the path divides on the map and just goes straight is just where I forgot to start the garmin after changing! But it was only about 5-6 minutes. I really enjoyed the descent down the trail, jumping over rocks and burns. I am still not that good at the steeper bits but that will come.

Overall a great day and is really getting me in the mood for more hills. It was also the first time I used my inov8 back pack which was really good. Shoulders are fine and the zip pockets in the bit that clips across your waist is really handy for gels.   I want to get to the stage where I can jog up the hills or at least the less steep bits.

Next weekend is the biggest weekend of the year. UTMB!!! no not really (although it is the biggest ultra in Europe).  It is the biggest weekend of the year for me, cos my brother is getting married!

But I will be looking at the results for after. Geoff Roes and Scott Jurek are coming over from the States for it. Killian Journet is looking to make it 3 in a row. Britain have Jez Bragg who claims he has had his best stint of training ever. Will also be interesting to see how West Highland way race winner and Scotland's own, Richie Cunningham gets on. Obviously there will be loads more people to look out for as this is such a competitive race.

Anyway, hopefully I am now over this cold and can have 1 more week of good training before a taper week for the Great Scottish Run.