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.

Maximum Aerobic Function update

As you may know I've been running MAF since Christmas day! So about 2 months. I've stuck with it. No intervals, no tempos, just MAF or slower. The main goal is a 100km in May. I've been very tempted to do 8x800, my favorite interval session, but resisted.

Last weekend I raced a half marathon in 1h13m, my forth fastest time, ever, and I've done 16 of them. I'm pleased with that considering the fact that I have not ran at that pace, 5m33s a mile, since mid December (apart from one 4 mile race).

If the half was my main goal I would have thrown in a couple of tempo runs and I don't think it would have taken many to get a personal best. Hopefully this MAF training will continue to suit me. Next up is a marathon in 3 weeks.Hopefully a PB there because MAF training is better suited to the longer stuff.

Zach Bitter consultation

I used some of my hard earned money to have an hour consult with Mega Ultra Cool Runner/Coach Zach Bitter. He’d been giving me a bit of advise anyway on messenger. We discussed Maximum Aerobic Function training.

He really knew his stuff. Amongst other things I’ve made a note below of what I learnt.

In order to work out a more accurate MAF heart rate run 30 minutes all out / race. Then take the last 20 mins and use the average and subtract your age.

Instead of running 70 – 80 miles at MAF less 10 beats pick up the effort and run 40 miles to begin with and try to increase the miles each week. The rest of my mileage can be easy.

In Ryan Hall’s book he talks about the east Aficans. They train similar; easy is easy but their progression runs (MAF) are fast.

If training for a half marathon it will be worth doing a few tempo runs but only if it feels OK. If training for a full marathon then tempos are not necessarily required as the pace will be close enough.

Dr Phil Maffetone - MAF (Maximum Aerobic Function

I'm trying MAF for 3-4 weeks again, see how it goes. 

If you've not heard of this type of training before Google it,  it's worth considering. It's basically running to heart rate (180 minus your age) all the time apart from racing. It's enough to improve yourself but not enough to damage you.

I ran 12 miles yesterday and only just kept to maf. 141bpm and 6:17 pace, road and slightly windy. I think my maf should be 148 (I'm 37) so 5+ for fitness. Yesterday my legs were tired after a 5k race on Saturday so I was struggling to keep my heart rate up. My heart was chilled out! But my legs hurting.

Telford 10k 15 seconds too slow

I was asked to represent North Wales in this 10k which was an elite race. I am not sure what the qualification was but I think I heard someone say sub 35 min. The runners in the race were crazy fast. I’ve never experienced a race like this in my 10 years of running. Usually I’m racing in the top five but I finished 89th! My time was 33mins3second which is just a second or so over my PB. I was a bit frustrated, not with how many people were quicker than me but by my time. I was expecting 32mins45 seconds and was on for that time until about 4 miles in. I lost concentration. I had a slight stitch and started to feel sorry for myself. I even thought about dropping out. But then at 4.8miles I refocused and told myself to pick up the pace and stop being slow. I’d trained hard for this so make the most of it. Over the last mile I went for it, running with a stitch but putting up with it. But the problem was that when the stitch started I slowed a little and lost 15 seconds. It’s strange how just a small relapse in concentration can take 15 seconds. Usually 12 seconds wouldn’t make a difference but in the race it would have. I really wanted a 32:45, it sounds a lot quicker than 33:03; minutes quicker. O well, I can’t really grumble because it was a life experience and I did one of my quickest 10ks ever.

Running podcasts

Last year I did a list of top running podcasts to listen to. Here's an updated list...

long distance runner I listen to podcasts when running.  Over years of running I've listened to hours worth!

It’s taken me some time to find these podcasts and I thought it would be good to provide a summary of them for other fellow runners to use.  Here's a list, each one is clickable:

Ben Greenfield Fitness   

Cloud 259

Endurance Planet  

Ginger Runner

Let's Get Running

Marathon Talk 

Marathon Training Academy  

Rob Watson Show (dormant)

Ru El's Running

Runners Academy (not been any recent ones) 

RunRunLive

Science of Ultra

Talk Ultra

The parkrun Show

The Science of Running

Trail Outlaws Podcast

Trail Runner Nation

Ultra Runner Podcast

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