3 Men & No Cake!!! - The Wye Valley 50 Mile Ultra

Valley? What valley I ask!! 50 Miles with only 60 athletes speaks volumes about a brutal ultra course. If you mention brecon then you will know what I mean. No city slickers here with racing flat shoes and designer labels, this is all about relentless climbs, ankle deep mud, river crossings and descents that cause nothing but pain and suffering! Runners are self sufficient, rules state that no support is allowed and the well marshalled check points offer you nothing but cheery support and water. No food and definitely no glory. A cold start and straight into a pretty arduous climb, the first half is certainly undulating. Close encounters with welsh breed horses & bulls but the weather was perfect!! The mad professor and Basher were controlling the pace at the front and doing a majestic job, war stories of past military experiences were a plenty! The lantern was swinging!! We tactically shrugged off the challengre from the Brigadier who attempted to tell better stories to all who would listen! After 6 miles we never saw him again? As we pushed on there were a few incidents of note. Firstly Al spotted a runner who had clealry made a navigational error and instead of shouting "This Way" Al said "Sshhh"............we watched as he disappeared over the distant horizon!! Next a brush with the Powys forestry authorities as Al was caught blantently Fly Tipping a "Log"!! Lastly the athlete we had abandoned in his moment of need overtook us yet again!! This resulted in a 5 mile sprint between 45-50 miles as Mad Al & Basher showed their ruthless streak! There was only 1 outcome as we dispatched him to the rear..........The game was over!! It started in the cold light of day and finished in the dark!! As we stumbled to the pub for a debrief it was short and sweet! 50 miles endured and we were HAPPY!! Job done......................

Wye Valley 50 Miles Weekend

This week has been more about the bike than the run! As the 50 mile ultra approaches this saturday I have been riding the bike as a nice relaxing alternative! Yesterdays ride was an interesting one after taking a wrong turn in my greed for speed. Strong winds and some nice undulating rural roads I arrived home in the dark some 27 miles later. Must admit to feeling good and strong, todays ride to work will be completed in glorious sunshine. Tomorrow will be spent travelling to Wales south of Hereford for an early start on saturday and 50 miles of suffering. When you suffer you learn so bring it on!!!

Rest Is Best!! Sometimes..............

After a double session of Run/Bike on thursday I took a nice rest day yesterday. I firmly believe in taking 1 day off a week. Today I will be hitting the road, pounding the streets this evening for a frisky 10 mile run. I will increase the tempo tonight to put the system under a slight bit of pressure. Tomorrow morning I will be out with the club cycling for a good endurance session. Updates and stats to follow!! Current weight has dropped to 10st 6 lbs so feeling quite fit and lean at the moment!! Loving training!!!!!

Cycling In Paradise!!

In glorious tropical sunshine on the first day in March the bike just had to come out! And believe me I was very reluctant to put it away. Cycling around rural suffolk it was like a mid summers day with little wind, the fresh smell of countryside and a cafe stop in a quaint cafe in Clare. 50+ undulating miles at a leisurely average speed of 17+ mph the wheels just kept on turning....
Fuelled by Orbana and a working heart rate of 130 BPM it is days like today that make riding on the open roads a delight. At 7pm tonight I will run with Jack Southgate as we aim to keep the memory of his brother Luke well and truly alive!! A perfect day!!

Back To The Bike!!

Today was all about getting out and working easy and relaxing. A nice steady ride ready for a full on long endurance weekend. In great conditions, slightly misty and cool it was a delight. This is the calm before the storm as I work towards a 100+ ride followed by a full marathon on sunday! In March I will be entering an eight week phase that will see me building towards a full on intense 6 month schedule beginning on May 1st!

Running For Luke Southgate

After yesterdays bike today I was training and running for a different reason. At 7pm I joined Luke's brother Jack who is running 10 kms on 16 consecutive days in the memory of his brother Luke who tragically lost his life in Afghanistan 2 years ago! Jack will run a total distance of 100 miles, I am merely supporting him and his friends on a few of the routes. Tomorrow it is back to the bike!!

Back On The Bike!!

This weeks training theory is to fully utilise my days off work to maximise time on the bike. Today was about warming up the week with a nice staedy monday. Out on an undulating course with gusting winds it was an easy ride out with an increase in pace on the return journey!! Orbana Healthy Energy have kindly provided me with the fuel required to keep me hydrated! Officially my new sponsor, they provide healthy drinks that I initially tried during a 33 mile ultra run and found it ideal!! From now on its ORBANA all the way!!