Cold Running Clothes Selection ❄️

"There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing" quote

This quote is mostly true but annoying when someone quotes it to you when you're soaked through and cold!

I've had 10 years of running in winter in North Wales, running almost everyday so I've decided write down some tips for others or to remind myself after a long summer. I'm not going to cover shoe choice, training or nutrition because it'll be too long.

"Athletes are made in the winter".

Firstly, maybe the biggest problem with running in the cold is that it takes 10 minutes to warm up. If you start off wrapped up then you will be too warm for most of the run. So, if you are unable to drop off clothes on the run it's best to start cold so that you don't have to worry about carrying your extra top tied up around your waist. If you're prepared to run by your house after 10 minutes then perfect, you can drop off your extra gear.

Here's a handy guide in a table: 

Gear
Temperature control
In my opinion, overrated. Yes it might regulate your temperature but only a tiny bit and certainly not enough to justify the cost. Also these garments often have complicated washing instructions.

Waterproofs
A jacket can be good but only in certain situations and it has to be light and breathable. Through trial and error I've found that a waterproof jacket is a good choice when it's raining and under 10°C (proud of finding the ° on my mobile text!). Any warmer than 10°C and you'll be wet on the skin from sweat. I spent ages researching (not testing) a good jacket and found the OMM Kamleika Race Smock II with great reviews. Check out my review of it here.
Waterproof trousers are only required for slow running in very cold environments, rarely used. Compulsory kit for some races.

Gloves
There are lots of choices! Have a range but notes that mittens are much warmer especially when you don't use the thumb and make a good fist.

Me "I'll come home earlier if my heart rate is high" Dad "but what would you do in a race?"

Me "I'll come home earlier if my heart rate is high"
Dad "but what would you do in a race?"

This was a conversation I had with my Dad just before a long Sunday run. He was a runner in the 80s and a good runner too.

This reply from my Dad made me smile to begin with because I imagined a silly scenario of looking at my heart rate in a race and giving up due to seeing a number on a device. It just wouldn't happen, for me, so I initially thought.

My Dad and I then chatted a bit about it. He didn't have technology in the 80s and in some ways that was an advantage; he knew how to listen to his body. But in other ways it was a disadvantage, e.g. he didn't always know what his body was saying.

I told him about my last race which was 4 miles. I wore my heart rate monitor and my HR was 195+ most of the time. I didn't look at it in the race but had I what would I have done? Probably nothing because the race was short.

What about an Ultra race of 7 hours, should I let my heart rate influence me? I would say yes, but only a little bit. I don't have all the answers but I'm enjoying the lessons.

Thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts.

Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) Training Update part 4

http://zachbitter.com/blog/

Check out the above link for Zach's blog post on coaching me.

The training is going well. Still building up the MAF miles. MAF is best explained on Doctor Phil Maffetone's website here:
https://philmaffetone.com/want-speed-slow-down/

I'm now up to about 75 miles per week at a MAF effort. I'm hoping to put in two weeks of 80 miles but I'll see how it goes. It's great having Zach to coach me. I've not had a coach before and previously I would have done a lot more slow / recovery miles. That's the beauty of MAF training. It doesn't hammer the body too much and so the "recovery" runs are reduced. I listen to my body and take a recovery run when needed. I like the expression Zach told me for my run yesterday:

"take what the body gives you".

Last weekend I raced a short distance (for an Ultra runner), it was five miles on the road. Considering I hadn't done any interval /speed work I still managed a pace of 5m22s per mile for 5miles. That was a confidence boost because my marathon I did a month ago was a bit slower than I expected (2h37m).

Thank you for reading yet another running blog!

Keep running.

Daniel

Hoka Huakas Review

There are lots of reviews on these shoes around the internet and I’m not looking to put just another review out there. If you want a general overview of the shoe this is a good place: Link (roll over me to see where I go) What I want to add is that you shouldn’t be too scared to modify this shoe (or any other shoe for that matter). A lot of people say that the Hoka Huakas are too narrow in the toe box and the ankle collar is too high. I found this too but after some modifications they seem to be OK. The modifications I made were to just cut the ankle collar off with a pair of scissors. Then with the toe box I laced them up differently (missed out the lower holes completely). This seems to have worked but if you need to go further you can cut a slit in the side of the shoe were it rubs. I’ve done this with another pair of trainers and it’s fine. It doesn’t keep ripping when you run in them.

Gobi Desert International - race report - 9bar fueled in training

I was invited, with other athletes from Great Britain, to go to the Gobi Desert 100km race. After speaking to the boss, my wife, I accepted the invite. I obtained the qualifying elite race standard so they paid for the flights, accommodation and food. 
When I arrived in Jiuquan, North West China, after four flights, it was apparent that the race organisers had spent a lot of money on the event because the Hotel was expensive, there was a posh News Conference and a filming crew. 
The days before the race I was nervous because I kept meeting the other invited international super ultra runners and felt I wouldn’t be able to compete against them but I surprised myself…
On the Race day I was up at 4:30am. It took me 20 mins to put my foot wear on! Compression socks, trainers and gaiters. There was a 45minute coach journey to start. At the start the filming crew there with big vehicles, cameras, two helicopters; I was getting nervous again. 
Then the race started with big flares. 
I was surprised at how dry everything was. I didn't feel damp with sweat because it would evaporate from my skin straight away. I followed the markers which were every 100m. The sand was easier in places to run on so I concentrated on finding the easiest sand to hit. I was in about 15th position for first 15k. I was drinking 1 litre of water every hour with an electrolyte (salts). Eating bananas, crackers, gels etc from the aid stations. The crackers were hard to swallow! At 20K there were large sand dunes to navigate. Some of then were easier to run around rather than overs. 
Miles of sand! At some points I could see the course stretch out for a long way ahead. Also, in places the sand was like ash, very powdery which puffed up when running on. I'm glad I had trainer gaiters on to keep the dust and sand out of my shoes. At about 85 k I started to cramp up and had to walk for a little bit. From 90k to the end it took every once of mental energy I had to finish. I knew I was in 7th position so that kept me going as I didn’t want to loose a place. 
At the end of the race I found out that a lot of people didn't finish because of the heat, it was hotter than forecasted. 
I finished 7th overall in a time of 9h30m. 
A documentary of the race from Chinese Company TV is linked here: 
Link (roll over me to see where I go)

A massive thank you to:
My wife for looking after the children;
Walter Hill for believing in me;
9bar for giving me loads of their bars to aid my training ;
Paul Fernandez and
Melissa Venables, for looking after me and being brilliant friends.


Results of top finishers:
1. Manuel Anguita Bayo. Spain 
2. Seiji Kobayashi. Japan 
3. Yoshihiko Ishikawa. Japan 
4. Georgio Calcaterra. Italy 
5. Ulf Patrick Verme. 
6. Zach Bitter. USA 
7. Daniel Weston. Great Britain 
8. ? 
9. Paul Fernandez. Great Britain 
10. Chinese? 
11. Valeria Sasto (women) 
12. Christopher Lux 10h14m
11. Ravis 10h 17min. 
12. Juan Garcia Spanish

Race report, Anglo Celtic Plate 100km

Well I've been building up to this race for a whilst and now here's the obligatory blog. It was an Ultra Race but I'll try to keep the blog Ultra Short as we are now living in a Twitter world (140 characters). 

First thanks to the Welsh Team Manager, Mike Robbins, he doesn't get paid and put's in a lot of work looking after everyone, on the day this mean handing out food and drink each lap for all the Welsh Team (32 laps). 

The race was 62.1 miles (Garmin recorded it longer but that's always the way). It was hard to think of the whole distance so I used as much distraction techniques as possible, the main one being counting the telegraph poles on the course (I think 57). The technique on focussing on something external is great for getting through hard times so keep it in mind the next time it's only 11:30 in work and you're working until 6!

50k to 80k was difficult because I didn't want to focus on pace, distance or anything as it was just too overwhelming. As a result I slowed my pace, if I had someone to run with they could have done the pacing but I didn't' have that luxury. Then at about 85k I started to think about the pace and stopped being reserved. I went for it and picked up the pace. I realised a sub 7:20 was on the cards and so went for it. I got 7h16m and came 5th overall. That's 7mins dead average per mile.

That's all folks, 

Told you it wouldn't be an Ultra blog. I'm happy.

Keep running.

Week commencing 20th April, <2 weeks to ACP100KM

Week commencing 20^th April: 12 days to 100km Ultra: Anglo Celtic Plate including British Championships

Monday

Commute back and to keeping pace to target pace at Ultra (6m45s) to drum it into my legs.

Tuesday,

AM Cycle 10m

PM Easy 10 mile run

Wednesday

RACE DAY I did the final race of the Borders League Road Race series.  I came first in the race and secured my first position overall.
4.05 miles in 21:05, it felt like I was sprinting all the way. I had to because 2nd placer, Lee Jones, wasn't giving in. Not even in the last half mile. I had to dig deep but I like that.

Thursday
An easy job into work, 10.5 miles.
Cycled home.

Friday
A rare day off from running, Cycled to and from work.

Saturday
I had fun watching a local race whilst pushing baby Theo in his baby jogger. 10 miles.

Sunday
5 mile Tempo. 5:45 pace, undulating. With warm up and cool down.
 

Daniel

No Sugar No Grain

Cutting out or dramatically reducing sugar and grain seemed like a good idea to me so I've given it a try. I've been doing it for one week. I'd like to say that I felt different the first few days and then feel wonderful now but I feel mostly the same. I've read up a bit on the benefits of not having sugar years ago and so my diet has always been low sugar so maybe that's why I don't feel much different. The biggest change in the last week is not having breakfast cereals, which I usually eat a lot of. I've been on holiday in the last week and so have eaten a large quantity of food without putting on weight so there is a small change. I think that if I'd been eating cereal I'd have put weight on. I must hold my hands up and say I have still been eating fruits. I've done a bit of research on this and people are divided on whether fructose should be cut out. I think it shouldn't so long as you're not eating high sugar fruits such as bananas and you try to eat only 4 or 5 portions a day. I eat a lot of blueberries and apples. Fruit also has fibre and vitamins in. I also eat dark 85% chocolate, about 50g a day. Here's an example of a breakfast I've just had: -coconut flour, two eggs, honey and milk in a bowl in in the microwave for three mins. My own invention. No sugar, no grain, but the honey might be sugar, my guess is that a little bit of honey is ok. Then to finish off the breakfast, Some seeds with 2 tablespoons of Greek FULL FAT yogurt. Low fat yogurt doesn't make sense to me. As you can see from my breakfast, it's good that it's NSNG but I think, if you count the calories there's a lot.

High mileage

Last night whilst running with my mate he said to me; you'll be running just over 100 miles before the weekend. I replied, yeah but my quality training is not suffering (same times) and my slow running is slow. However, I don't really know how well it could be if I did less miles. My higher weekly mileage is because it's not just training but due to another, useful reason; running gets me to work. The traffic from Wrexham to Chester is dreadful and as such the 10.3 miles takes only 15 mins more than getting the bus or car in rush hour. Also I think that running a lot slower on rest days for me is OK because my once at work I'm sat down for most of the day. Another advantage I find is that once I'm home in the evening I don't have to feel that I have to do exercise to keep fit. I've already done 20+ miles of running! In fact I don't run to keep fit, I run to 1) get to work; 2) To get faster / train for races. The result of those reasons is that I'm fit. I wonder sometimes if I would still run even if I knew is was damaging me some way.

Thames Trot pre recce

I'm up on 27th Dec 13 at 6:30. The plan is to get a train from Reading to Oxford then run back to Reading.  The is one Red flood warning and lots of Amber so my feet are going to be wet all day. The plan is to take my time and get to know the course ready for the big day, 1st Feb 2014, Thames Trot 50 miler.  I'm a little bit scared of getting lost but with the route on my Garmin and a map I should be fine. I'll report back later.  

How to transfer / get / put a GPX file onto your Garmin

This took me hours to work out and I don't want others out there to go through the nightmare I did so please share it to whomever you think may benefit!

First download the gpx from wherever it is (usually from the organisor’s website)
Remember where it’s saved (download folder usually)
THis gpx won’t go straight into the connect.garmin website because it need time points in, here’s how to do that...
Go to 
www.gpsies.com
Click Convert 
then go to 
Upload from … chose the file gpx file you downloaded
then from the drop down menu on gpsies.com choose 
GPX Track 
then and this is important clock (Show Options) 
then only change the 
Speed (mph) set your speed (remember 10mps is 6 mins per mile etc)
Click convert (again remember where it’s saved)
THen go to 
connect.garmin.com
click the upload botton 
then the manual upload button 
the choose the new gpx file 
Once downloaded go to activities in connect garmin 
click the activity
then click save as course. 
then go to the course details and click save to device. 
make sure your garmin is on 
then it should be saved on your garmin. 
on the watch it should be under / training / courses

Wenlock Olympic Walk article at work

Someone in work wrote this about me, very kind indeed.

Daniel Weston is 52-mile Olympian Games ChampionThe first modern Olympics were held in Athens in 1896. Few people realise that the International Olympic Committee was founded by Pierre de Coubertin after he visited the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock, which had been holding its own version of the Olympian Games since 1850.

This year, on Saturday 20 July, the Wenlock Olympian Games drew to a climax with a 52-mile race. In the absence of a running track - there isn’t anywhere flat enough around Much Wenlock - the solution is race up and down the Shropshire hills. Most people would restrict their association with a 52-mile race to merely spectating.

The less sane amongst us might decide to get their maps out and orienteer their way round the course in the way it was intended, as a long-distance hiking route. Commercial underwriter Daniel Weston however, ran it! Not only did he run it. He won the event in a time of 10 hours 25 minutes, and that was after he sportingly waited at the last checkpoint for over twenty minutes, allowing his nearest competitor to catch up, so they could run the last fifteen miles together!This was no ordinary race.

It was 52 miles up and down the Shropshire hills, on the hottest day of the year so far, using a map and compass to orienteer around the course and find various check points on the way. The four checkpoints are worth stopping for - they offer cups of tea, cake and flapjack, as well as having gallons of water on hand to top up racers’ water bottles. Not that Daniel wasted too much time snacking on flapjack!Less than half of those who entered completed the course at all.

Daniel ran a fantastic time and became the 2013, 52-Mile Wenlock Olympian Games Champion.Congratulations to Daniel!

Wenlock Olympian Walk

Wenlock Olympian Walk 

Statistics

57 miles 6600 ft ascent 10hours 28mins.

Joint first place with Andy Samson.

20th July 2013

Best bits

Having the grit to keep going and finish even though I had 100s of reasons to stop. 
Seeing the wildlife, five foxes altogether, falcons, pheasants, cows and sheep. 
Volunteers supplying me with food and water.
Grit in psychology is a positive, non-cognitive trait, based on an individual’s passion for a particular long-term goal or endstate coupled with a powerful motivation to achieve their respective objective. This perseverance of effort promotes the overcoming of obstacles or challenges that lie within a gritty individual’s path to accomplishment and serves as a driving force in achievement realization.

Detailed Account 

Start to Check Point (CP1)

I arrived with one hour to go to the start. I was provided with a sheet to stamp at certain points but had to ask what the self clips looked like and how clip. The organisor looked a bit worried that I was just about to start a 50 mile race without knowing basic orienteering stuff! As I found out during the day my fast running had to make up for my poor navigation skills. The whole point of this race was to learn from mistakes for later "serious" Ultra races.

At 10 we started next to the grave of the founder of the Olympics. There was an official gun fired and the sound of the Church Bells right next to the grave. It was an odd start for me, I've never started a race at such a slow pace. For the next 5 miles or so I kept moving to the front and wanting to go off fast but thought I'd better not because I had a long way to go.

Luckily there was a local guy running at the start whom we followed. At the start I tried a couple of times to go off on my own but quickly got lost, then had to catch the leaders again.

I got to CP1 first and at this point I was starting to get the hang of navigating on my Garmin 310XT. I'd not stopped in races before and thought everyone would stop for a while so I took my rucksack off, relaxed, got some coffee, BUT then the other guys came in and didn't stop. They just had a quick fill up with water and they were off again. This surprised me so I quickly put some vaseline on my toes got up and ran fast again to catch up the leaders.

CP1 to Self Clip.

It's hard to remember what happened but I think this part of the race had just one path so it was not hard to get lost. I was running with Andy. We were passing a lot of walkers at this point, who started at 8am. There was a massive climb up to Brown Clee hill (Mountain). At mile 10 I was at an altitude of 450ft and at mile 14 I was at 1758ft. Andy and I made a large gap here on the 3rd, 4th, 5th placers and didn't see them again.

CP2 to CP3 

Somewhere at this point I had lost Andy and started to navigate on my own. I did mostly OK but I remember at one point near a pond I just really couldn't figure out which way to go. I had passed the pond three times already so I sat down on a style and just took a breather. I might have cried if it wasn't for the beauty of the golden corn field I saw next to and the fact that I knew I was nearly on track and there was only one track left I hadn't tried so that must be the way. I took it and my Garmin was happy, the screen said "Found Course". At that point I decided to focus on those positive words and repeat them, "Course Found, Course Found, Course Found". This positive energy kept me going at a good pace. 

CP3 to CP4 

I was first in to CP3 which was in Cleavley Arms. I stopped to ask two teenagers where the community centre was. I had to explain that I was in a "Crazey 50 mile race" they didn't question it and didn't even look as though it was a surprise. They told me the centre was just up the road on the left, I could have kissed them. I took my time at the CP, no one was behind me and there was no pressure. I was offered a baked potato, it was tempting but I knew if I stayed longer I would be caught up and I liked being chased, it kept me going. So off I went again keeping a real close tab on where I was going, this slowed me down a bit. The countryside was beautiful but I was beginning to make up excuses to give up at CP4 but focussed instead on what it would be like to finish. I did a DNF (Did Not Finish) in a marathon last year and the weeks afterwards nearly killed me. Bye the way if you've read up to this point, I'm impressed, more endurance than me!

At about mile 33 my foot hit a stone and I fell over. After that my foot hurt only when I thought about it. Maybe this is a psychological thing? Should you ignore pain so that it doesn't hurt, or should you listen to it to cure or prevent further damage? There's a sense in which it depends on whether or not you can prevent it. In my case I was in the middle of nowhere and if I did call the emergency number on my mobile it would take ages for them to find me, so I had no choice. I had to ignore it. Today (the day after) it looks very bruised but I can move it so it can't be broken. 

CP4 to the end

At CP4 I was a bit out of it. I kept repeating and mumbling stuff to the volunteers but they were great with me and got me sorted: water, food, blister taped up etc... Then, just as I was leaving, trying not to think of how much further I had to go and how much I could get lost, Andy turned up. This was the best part of my day, especially when I asked Andy 'shall we run together' and he said 'yes'. I waited a little bit for him to refresh and we heard news of other runners dropping out at CP2/CP3 so we knew we had done well. There was no talk between us of dropping out but we both must have thought about it at some point. 

We worked well together again, Andy had his map, I had my electronic Garmin. Andy had also run a fell race (hilly race) over the terrain so we didn't get lost too much. We found the Lawley (see picture at the top of the page) and had to SC (self clip) here to prove we had been there. I threatened to throw Andy's SC sheet away so that I could take the win! Just joking though. We had to back track at one section about 1/2mile because of a wrong turn but other than that we managed to keep running. I think I had, slightly stronger legs, but Andy was mentally stronger and kept positive when the hilly and tough terrain (brambles and rocks) meant the miles were making us slow. 

We finally heard traffic in the distance and knew we must be hear civilisation, and thus the end in Much Wenlock. I said to Andy "I've never been so glad to hear cars". Then at the end we had a good cheer from the organisors who were waiting in anticipation. In the last section we saw the organisors in a few different points, keeping an eye out for us which was encouraging. 

So will I do another Ultra Race? The answer is YES, if I can fit one in. Next time I'll choose an easier one. 

Sandstone Trail

At the start in Whitchurch

I completed the SST today (30th May 2013).  I got lost a few times so didn't get the course record which I was secretly hoping for but now that I know the course I'll hopefully smash it next time. The course record is 4hrs10mins (fastest I can find) by Duncan Harris from Chester Tri. I did it in 4hrs 40mins. 

For future reference or for anyone else running it note the following:  
- Route goes left at Greenfield Rise Road (first mile!) 
- Go under the bridge on Shropshire Union Canal and not to the A41.
- At about 5 miles when the course goes onto the farm go right straight away and don't wander through the Farm yard :) for five minutes dodging dead rats.
- Running up the lane out of Bickerton it almost goes straight on at the end of the first road across the A534.
- Just before 29 miles, when on the Road, bear left onto New Pale Road.
- On Manley Road it goes left after the Pylon.
- Practice the bit after the War Memorial.  I went completely wrong, exasperated by fatigue!  It goes down around the front of the Memorial; and 
- Go all the way down Church Street and not into the dead end Car Park!

My wife and daughter supported me and met me along the course with, fresh socks, food and drinks. Superb. 

The route is recorded on Garmin
Link (roll over me to see where I go) 

The highlights of the day were seeing so much of the countryside without roads and traffic, feeling good all the way, hearing the real noises of the Countryside. 

At the end in Frodsham