Training in the Peaks with Emre Tok

Trail Running, Pole Dancing...

A big cause for debate in trail running has been, and still is, poles. Whether to use them, what sort to use and what kind of benefit do they give you. This is my perspective on the topic...

I started on the "poles are for old people and the injured" side, they seemed like a whole lot of faff that you only needed if something was wrong... a kind of broken outdoor persons medicine. Why would I want something in my hands all the time, how would I do anything else? What if I needed to look at a map, munch on a tasty Clif Bar or adjust my race pack? Well they'd just be in the way... as for moving more quickly on the trail... you must be having a laugh. There is no way on earth that someone could run faster with poles than without poles, you have to travel so slowly to make effective use of poles!

Then I started to come round to the idea... I read research like this (click here) which showed poles could reduce the impact to your lower limb joints by up to 25% as well as reducing muscle soreness and damage. Well.. I thought... it's not going to make it any worse by trying.. is it?! For the next six months or so I asked the opinions of runners from all backgrounds and abilities... on the most part opinion was beginning to change... poles were no longer a disabled car badge but viable option for steep race courses.

Poles are almost standard for athletes in The Spine Race.
Photo: Summit Fever Photography

After a bit more research I settled with a set of fixed length Leki Carbon Racers. They come with a shark style grip and shark trigger straps which velcro around your hand. The main reason I chose these is the weight, they are super light, They don't collapse down which you could argue a disadvantage but I decided, the simpler they were the less there was to go wrong! A studded rubberised cap provides grip on the trails which can be removed to reveal a big spike for ice and snow. Compared to regular trekking  poles that have the strap attached these have a strap which remains on your hand - a button on the top of the pole releases them which is easy enough to use even with gloves. However you do need to use the other hand which can be a bit annoying if you're trying to do it quickly. It does make it quick for attaching them though!

Since getting the poles I have started using them more and more, especially after moving to the Peak District. For long runs I've found they help maintain my energy when on ascents as I'm not just using my legs and help a great deal with stability on very steep descents and traverses. On a couple of race-pace training runs I've also found long steep uphills are much easier to attack and the poles help maintain a strong pace all the way as it's more spread out.

Ok so I understand why you might not want to use them on relatively flat races, but if there are hills, or even big distances (50miles + ) I'd consider them. If you can borrow some different designs before buying then you can see what style suits you best. So next time you ask someone about poles and they slam them, trust me, there are people that race with poles that are faster.

A Spine Race athlete using poles around High Cup Nick
Photo Summit Fever Photography

Video from the Royal Parks Ultra 2012

So it looks like I managed to sneak into the video of last years Royal Parks Ultra, a great event for first time Ultra Runners in the south!

Race Report: Hardmoors Trail Marathon, Osmotherley

I had heard of Hardmoors before, the ultra series that they run is increasingly well known and the lure of a trail marathon organised by the same team lured me in quicker than you could say single malt whiskey. Let me give you a bit of background to my race as I'm sure it had some kind of an effect on my performance.

The night before Ellie and I had gone to her step sisters 30th Birthday party which involved a few drinks, mainly water but I did sneak a beer and grappa with my pasta carbonara at the restaurant. Yes I know it's a rich meal but it's tasty... anyhow... we got back probably just after midnight and I got out bits and pieces for the morning - this mainly consists of the things I think I'll forget or lose, like the car keys.

Waking up at 5am, I crawled out of bed past a sleepy Ellie and struggled into my running kit, did the usual putting top on back to front etc. After a quick breakfast of porridge, a banana and coffee we hit the road to Osmotherley.

After parking up and registering in the village hall I proceeded to get kitted up. In the end I chose to wear my Salomon S-Lab XT Wings 4 with Bridgedale Speed Demons. These are a well used pair of shoes that have done some serious milage, advantage was they were super comfy and had a bit of grip left on them, the Spikecross were too much of a gamble if there were paved sections of path and I wasn't certain my new S-Lab XT Wings 5 were really broken in enough for that distance.

I had some 2XU Leggings on to give me full coverage from the elements rather than shorts and calf guards - It was a very clear sunny morning but to say the moors are exposed is an understatement and wind was almost guaranteed! Top layer I just had a long sleeve Salomon Tech T with my Salomon S-Lab Advanced Set 5 full of Clif Shot Bloks and two Clif Bars. Little did I know but one of these was quite probably going to save my bacon! I also had a sleeveless wind shirt, Buff and power stretch gloves tucked away. As the sun was tearing its way through the sky I put on my visor and kept some sunglasses to hand ready for what lay ahead.

The race started at 9am and the crowd began its way up the road like sand through a timer, thinning out gradually. I tucked in just behind the leader and trailed him, matching pace on the flats and the uphills, as for the downs I let my legs run loose and stretch out which got me momentarily in front before he crept in front again. All I was thinking was I only want to win, and to win I only need to be at the front, so if I stick just behind him I can put a spike of energy in during the later stages of the race and fingers crossed keep in front. Well, little did I know it then but that plan was about to go out the window tied to a brick.

Climbing into some woodland I noticed something didn't feel right, my stomach was turning, it wasn't adrenaline or excitement, I felt sick, really really sick. I did a quick mental diagnostic to try and find a solution to the problem, deciding to hold off the Clif shot bloks for now (which I had previously planned to take 3 after every 45mins) and just sip a little water to settle it out. I waited for something to happen, but it was getting worse, my stomach was now clenching tighter and tighter and the sick feeling was hard to restrain.

After a short while the tree line disappeared to reveal a magnificent view over the moors and the lowlands, temporarily all my ailments floated away as I was struck in awe at the scenery. A crystal clear reminder of why I love running in events like this, there might be hill after hill but the views more than made up for it without a doubt.

Before long the sickness returned, 'screw it' I thought, I'll hold off the food and drink for a while to just let it settle out - I've eaten enough calories in the last 48hours to keep me going for a while. Up on the moors the sun was relentless, matched only by the gusty wind which stole the feeling of the suns warmth. There was a fairly long section where there was very little height change, I was almost fooled into thinking that this might be easy. With the field of runners now thinned out a great deal I could only see two ahead and one behind. I didn't see it coming but out of no-where a huge patch of mist covered the trail, visibility dropped down to about 80m and I concentrated hard to make sure I didn't miss a turn. It soon disappeared, and I plodded on, trying not to think about being sick and just enjoying the trail.

Then the hills started, it wasn't the height of the ascents and descents that made them tricky but the steepness and the terrain - most of the trail was paved which was easy to slip on (I managed a couple of stunt-man-meets-tom-and-jerry style slips) which was tricky for the downhills with only a very small slippery grass trail as an alternative. Uphills were too steep to run efficiently and it never got any easier.
Expending all this energy I knew I would have to eat soon or it was going to catch up with me big time, at first I tried one Clif Shot Blok at a time, waiting about 5 mins after each one and varying the flavours (I had three options with me) but things were still not right. about another 30 mins on I decided to crack into the chic chip Clif Bar I had stowed away in my pack... before I started to eat it I knew I would eat the whole thing, whatever the consequences... it was time to just hit and hope.

I can tell you right now that Clif Bar was the most amazing thing I have ever eaten in a race... I mean I've used them before plenty of times but I've never appreciated them so much. Although I still felt a bit sick I could keep it down and the boost of energy hit me like a runaway train. It wasn't just a physical boost too, mentally I was back in the game, this bar was a total lifesaver!  I managed a grin for a photographer perched on the side of the trail before descending to a water check point. A quick gulp of water and a cup over my head and I was on my way again. It took another 25 mins before the grim unsettled stomach made another attach. The trail along the side of the moors was very wet and very muddy. To be honest by then I was past caring whether my feet got wet - I should have, but the lack of food and water mixed with the heat had made me a little more loopy than usual. I cracked on through the mud which eventually finished where it met an earlier part of the course, I could see runner after runner going in the other direction with whom I tried to exchange the odd nod/hello etc.
The trail then became a lot dryer but with many small ups and downs which meant I couldn't get into a proper rhythm, I just kept thinking crack on Matt, keep going, not long left.

After some more well placed hills to smash any energy you might have tucked away for safe keeping the trail wound its way over a a valley and back onto the moors for one last bit of exposure before leading onto a muddy wooded trail back into Osmotherley which was alive with the sound of hikers and dog walkers. Fortunately as this was mostly downhill I could just let my body go a bit and picked up speed but about a mile away from the finish a blister on my left foot burst which felt a bit like a bread knife being stabbed into my foot. Some quick thinking I ran straight into the nearest deep puddle and the ice cold water quickly seeped into my shoe, numbing the pain. Where the trail ended and lead onto the final stretch of road a couple stood clapping and shouted "well done, you're nearly there!". Using every last drop of energy I could find I pushed on for the finish, my stomach was clenching like a mace, my muscles were not very pleased with the whole thing but adrenaline pumped through my veins. Closing on the finish I heard Ellie shouting and cheering me on which gave me an extra boost as I crossed the line. Falling to the floor by the side of the road Ellie came and dragged me into the village hall where I was signed in and Ellie put the medal round my neck.

Well that was an adventure and a half! Massive thanks to Ellie for helping me prepare, looking after me and putting up with a broken man! Thanks also to all the Hardmoors team, marshals etc - you made this event what it is and I will definitely be back for more!

As and when the results and photos are online I'll add them to the post! Thanks for reading!

Getting suited and booted for the Hardmoors Trail Marathon

The other evening I checked my emails to find one from the Hardmoors Race Director, Jon Steel... basically it was a little reminder that the weather looked like a scene out of The North Face film (if you haven't seen it, watch it!). Bitterly cold with wind that would strip the paint off a Humvee. For a while I'd been thinking about what kit to take with me but it was time to consider bringing more options. It looked like a warm front was closing in on the North Yorkshire Moors but you never know... you have to expect the unexpected on the hills!
As it happened I had planned a run with Dave Taylor of Fell Running Guide, an extremely well qualified and experienced mountain guide and fell runner Dave knows the Peaks like the back of his hand. So I promptly ran about the house trying to find some Bridgedale socks that were on test and gather together the clothing and kit combination I wanted to try out... oh and the new toys... Salomon S-Lab XT Wings 5... ahem, more of that later.
I was expecting a little bit of snow and ice with strong winds and general coldness, well I was half right! Meeting Dave in Edale we started making our way up Grindsbrook Clough, I can't get enough of this trail... as you get near the top it feels more and more like a rugged alpine trail with large boulders scattered all over the place and a watery torrent tearing its way down next to the path.

The higher we got the more ice there was, although it was pretty slushy, then snow... and more snow and... hold on a minute... we started to climb up a steep snowy slope which could have easily warranted  an ice axe. Fortunately the snow was soft enough to kick steps in and we scrambled our way up. You know that feeling when you realise the shoes you left at home would have been more appropriate? Yeah... I had that. I can't knock the new XT Wings for comfort, cushioning, support and grip on the trail but in this snow? Salomon Speedcross or Spikecross would have been a much better choice. Oh well, better learnt now than on the race! Dave was wearing some Innovates which left footprints of little piranha-teeth-like stud patterns with SealSkinz socks. I over-heated fairly rapidly, an Aclima Woolnet base layer with a thin Salomon Clima Wind top under my Haglöfs Endo Jacket was being a bit too thermally efficient. It was food for thought as we ran along the Kinder Plateau trying to dodge the deep snow. Running along the top was a little like russian roulette, you would be going along quite happily then suddenly voom, a leg would be engulfed into the soft snow, a seconds pause would let you know if there was water at the bottom, which there often was and a quick struggle to get out and onto (more) solid ground.

Leggings, should have worn leggings... the calf guard/short combo was great apart from my knees were a bit chilly and getting a good battering from rocks and ice every time I fell into the soup... which was a lot. I kept my Rab Powerstretch hat on for a bit but it soon became too hot as well... oh well could be worse, could be cold! As we headed west I looked around me, it was the same in every direction, snow with tufts of grass poking out here and there, I could see how people could get lost in poor weather very quickly. Crossing streams became a fairly easy decision as our feet were already soaking, but we got better and better at avoiding the really deep parts... I say better, it still caught us out every now and then!

If you're looking at coming to the UK and taking a run in the Peak District then it's definitely worth contacting Dave via his website for a guide. As well as knowing the area well he offers a variety of training for running and racing in the terrain - including navigation, fitness kit and race recce's.
So after a well spent morning with Dave I now had a much better idea of what I was going to take for the Hardmoors Trail Marathon, watch this space for a race report, what I chose to wear and how it all went!

Training in the Peaks, my new home turf!

This weekend I was joined in the Peaks by Ultra Runner, Emre Tok. With the Transgrancanaria on his horizon he had come up from London to get some hill training in, lets face it London isn't known for it's   ascents! The aim was two days of roughly 35kms each and plenty of ups and downs... here's how it happened!

Before his arrival Ellie and I perched ourselves over the Dark Peaks map, which is basically like looking at a map of a theme park. Contours cover the page like a bowl of spaghetti, peppered with footpaths in every direction possible. Ellie and I have only been living in the Peaks a couple of months so we had some local knowledge but there was still plenty more to explore. An unfortunate injury meant Ellie couldn't join us on the runs but she helped out find a route that would tick the boxes.

The day before we'd taken a walk up Mam Tor, one of the highest peaks in the area and it seemed like a great place to start. The route took the shape of a broken figure of eight, covering Mam Tor, heading over to Grindsbrook Clough on the other side of the valley. Then swiftly cutting back down to the start of the Pennine Way, following it all the way up onto the Spine's Back (at the top of Jacobs Ladder. Heading south we intended then to pass the summit of Brown Knoll and follow the ridge all the way back round past Mam Tor to Lose Pike Hill before breaking off down through Hope and back to our house in Bradwell.

It all looked good on paper, plenty of up and down and at least 35kms. The second route was intended to be straight up Bradwell Edge, over to Hathersage and cutting across north-east to the edge - with a great deal more foot paths in this area nav could slow us down a little. Checking the weather was the next thing - good conditions expected for Saturday and occasional showers for Sunday. Knowing that the Edale route would hold better views and visibility would be a big bonus on nav we decided this would be the best for Saturdays blue sky weather.

Emre arrived kitted to the teeth, with some shiny new Salomon gear to test out we both were itching to get out on the trails. Another friend, Ed, had joined us too although he would not be joining us this time - many thanks to Ed for some cracking photos! We had a quick catch up, talking through the races we had planned and geeking out over kit.

After some faffing (mainly me) we were suited and booted. Jumping in the car Ellie and Ed dropped us of at the entrance of Winnats Pass - an incredible feature that looks like it's straight out of a Lord of the Rings film set. It was fairly cool but the sun was high and we warmed up quickly. The climb up to Mam Tor was reasonably steep - Emre commented that in the first kilometre we had already done more ascent that he would normally do in a 30km run in London!

The Peaks really is one of the best trail running spots in the UK and I really wanted to show it off to Emre. From Mam Tor you could see almost the all of the route we had planned, the vastness of the National Park stretched out in front of us. No hanging around though! Back off the north side we went and through the village of Edale, which some might say is the Mecca of Fell Running. Naturally it wouldn't be a proper adventure without some kind of mishap so we probably did another 1km to retrieve the map which I had dropped whilst chugging down a gel. 

 

The path up Grindsbrook Clough has to be one of my favourite trails I've found so far, with ever steepening sides and a fast flowing stream right by the path you really do feel like you're in the wild. There are some sections that are quite rocky and require attention but plenty where you can happily run along taking it all in.

When we reached the top we found plenty of others enjoying what was an extraordinarily good day, a short run along the top lead us to our path back down, onto The Pennine Way, which is also the start of The Spine Race. A well laid path of large stones the Pennine Way stretches 268miles to Kirk Yetholm but we would only follow it a short distance past the top of Jacobs Ladder.

I knew the next part would be tricky, it involved Passing Brown Knoll to the ridge line... sounds easy... but the area is basically a giant peat bog. We tried to follow the path for a bit but every time we tried to avoid the boggy parts it took us further and further away from the path. Eventually I was just navigating from a target point in the distance... what I hoped was a path. I was wearing Salomon SpeedCross 3's and Emre had a pair of the FellCross 1's, both of us were pleased to have substantial grip as there were some dips in the bog which were a bit tricky to get across.

Once we had reached the ridge things were back on track.. the views were sensational! Making quick progress we quickly got past Mam Tor and on our way to Lose Pike Hill where we saw the sun disappear over the horizon. Putting on an extra layer and getting ready our head torches we dropped off the hills towards Hope (no pun intended), after which we passed an old Roman Fort before getting back home.

With a less time to play with on Sunday we had to shorten our route a little - neither of us complained, we had such a great time on Saturday and the weather was pretty grim. All the same a good chance to test out some more kit! Don't forget to check out Emre's website, www.geziyorum.net

As you may have noticed it's been a while since I've las posted - Ellie and I have moved house and started a business doing Outdoor Sport & Race Photography, Summit Fever Photography, in the Peak District. There's some interesting plans afoot for 2013 so watch this space!

Race Report: Mud Runner Oblivion Day 1

Photo: www.MelanieChadd.co.uk

One question I get asked quite a bit is 'why do you run in a gas mask?', it's not the reason for doing it originally but now it's a great way to attract attention for ABF The Soldiers' Charity. There's only so many times I can harass my friends in to handing over money so I figured if I can get noticed with the logo, talk about the charity then perhaps people I didn't know would be kind enough to support the charity too. On that note, if you could spare any money to show your support it would be much appreciated! (Click here to get to my Just Giving page) Any how, Saturday was going to be one of those days…

I had driven to Mud Runner with a friend, Laura, mainly a triathlete but tempted by the trails Mud Runner Oblivion was going to offer something completely different. Both of us had completed trail marathons the week before but on the whole felt well recovered. With the race due to start at 5pm and hardly a cloud in the sky all day it was quite hot, only a cool breeze took the edge off the race village perched along a ridge. It was a busy place, over 1000 athletes and hundreds of supporters over looked the start and finish of the course. 

The start was a few hundred meters down a grassy slope, across a small bridge then up a long track on the other side. You could also see the trail snaking its way back out the tree line to the monkey bars, across the lake several times, over a high wooden wall, through some more water sections before a short steep climb up to the finish line. The course had ten obstacles, roughly every kilometre of the 10km course providing an additional challenge to the already very muddy course!

I knew placing top ten in the respirator was somewhat unlikely but I knew I could manage a fairly good finish time, so instead of starting with the first wave I intended on starting in the third wave and just work my way past as many people as I could… I ended up settling with the second wave as I couldn't wait to run! Standing on the start line, I slipped the respirator over my head. Greeted by the familiar smell of rubber and the whoosh-click of the valve restricting my breathing I looked down over the course. You often see in videos of base jumpers how they throw rocks off the cliffs, presumably to see how overhanging it is, my plan was simple… be the rock. Uphills would envelop me in oxygen debt quickly if I pushed too hard, but with fast and loose legs I reckoned I could just plummet down the slopes. My race plan simply put was 'be relentless' just do not stop, not for hills, obstacles, mud, lakes… nothing.

Photo: www.MelanieChadd.co.uk

Every second waiting seemed to last forever, we could see the tail end of the first wave working their way out of sight and I had every intention of catching them. Like a car parked on a steep hill with the hand brake on I was itching to roll. As soon as we started all brakes were off, quickly gaining speed those who were stood beside me at the start line disappeared out of my view (albeit a limited view through the mask lenses).. I didn't understand why they hadn't let rip too, I enjoyed the speed all the way down and then began clocking it up the steep slope. Keen on over taking me several people began to pass, I was not responding though, I just kept going, I knew it would't be long before some of them gave up and started to walk… sure enough, before we reached the top I passed a couple of walkers only to launch myself into the next downhill. There was one thing at the back of my mind that troubled me, I didn't think I had enough water before the start, not able to drink even at the water stop I would have to hope I could just push through. It didn't take long for my mouth to dry out, but there was no use worrying, there was only one place I was going to get a drink and that was the finish line. Time to get a move on.

The course was on the most part over the Land Rover test tracks and consisted of short, steep ups and downs as well as very muddy flats. The mud had the consistency of wet concrete in most places and it was easiest to point the feet to get them out more easily. The most irritating obstacle was a tangle of chord that you had to work your way through, and believe me it was a tangle. The faster you tried to go, the more you were trapped, so I just kept going. never stopping.

I got two types of spoken reaction when other competitors saw what I had over my face, it was either shock, which I must admit made me smile, or support.. with the odd comical one. As I ran past two welsh guys coming into the water station one yelled "you see that fella, I thought there was a gas leak!" to which the other promptly added "haven't I seen you before in a club?!"… I tried not to laugh too much as it made it much harder to breath. Later on through one of the less muddy trails I slowly came past a big bloke in a maroon t shirt who just said quietly "nice one mate, keep going" I'm not certain but I'm pretty sure he was a Para, with renewed determination I pressed on. As the km's passed I caught more and more people. I've got to say a massive thanks to everyone that gave me words of encouragement, it makes the world of difference.

Photo: www.MelanieChadd.co.uk

The tree line broke, and the grassy slopes opened up in front of me, my eyes narrowed and my arms pumped, legs spinning away. Coming across the monkey bars I didn't appreciate how much energy I had used and it was more difficult than I had expected. Ploughing my way through the lake and the deep silt that had build up underneath it, the water was bizarrely warm. Next up, the wall… I guess it was about 7 or 8 feet tall and I wasn't about to fail a running jump so I came to a halt in front of it. Normally I would expect to mantle shelf a wall that height fairly easily but my energy was well and truly sapped, I pulled myself up so my head was over the wall then swung a leg out, my foot catching the top of the wall. With a cheer from the crowd I pulled myself over onto the hay bails that welcomed the successful. Another two water sections, including a deceptively deep one, and I was at the bottom of the hill that lead to the finish. Letting out a shout I pushed up the hill, there was only one way, that was faster, I could feel the oxygen debt closing around me like a big net but fortunately I crossed the line before it could catch me. I knelt on the floor, lifting my head just enough so that a little girl could put the finishers medal over my head.

On the other side of the finishing chute I met the young whipper-snapper Eliot Taylor - he'd had his head down and missed one of the arrows, taking him and several other competitors off course. Not to worry, day two awaits!

First day I finished 38th of 1164 in a time of 1hour 10mins 28secs… Day two.. to come!

I must say a massive thanks to Mel and Jamie for letting me stay over at the weekend and to Mel for taking these awesome pictures! Check out her website at www.melaniechadd.co.uk!

Photo: Jamie McConnon