It's not dark yet, but it's getting there

A better week of training for me last week. I decided that with the heat and humidity ramping up I'd only do one long run outside this weekend so I started my Sunday run feeling fresher than usual. The weather was more forgiving this weekend, low twenties, but the humidity was something else. I drank around 6 litres of fluid in five and a half hours of running and walking (it's hot and I am fat!) and I still ran out 45 minute before the end. I'm developing what I like to call 'The fear' about the UTMB in August. The more I think of it, the little matter of166k and 9.6k of elevation gain, the more I think I've over stretched myself. I'm not sure if it's a race for mortals, more suited to the ultra gods. My 40k effort on Sunday felt tough enough and it only had an elevation gain of around 500 metres or so, pretty puny when compared to the Alps, but I guess I have another 3 months to get my hill legs, shift gears and also about 20 pounds before I think about tackling the race.

I'm giving serious thoughts to kit and nutrition now and I would like it noted here that I will be wearing shorts. It may not seem like a serious revelation, however, I have to make a comment about TNF 100 in Australia this past weekend. A few friends from Racing the Planet events took part so I've seen a few of the photos pop up on facebook. Can anyone explain what's going on with the Salomon runners and their white Lycra? Is this now de riguer in ultra running? What's wrong with a nice pair of shorts and a tub of vaseline? I know they are all very serious and fast, there's no need for white Lycra. Let's leave a little to the imagination. Leave the ladies wanting a little more if you know what I am saying.

On the nutrition front I tried some new gels this weekend called stingers or something similar. Honey with some vitamins and I found them much more palatable than the usual gels. They would have been lovely with some hot water and lemon. Not sure I am cut out for this ultra malarkey.

My other thought at the moment is to pole or not to pole. I think I'll pole. I'm not expecting quite the foot disasters I have had in multi-day races. I'm hoping my new lighter weight infrastructure (that weight loss thing again), no heavy rucksack, no sand and less swollen feet mean that the tootsies will be ok. However, I reckon this one will be tough on the knees and ankles so I'll probably take poles to keep the pressure off the knees.

I also need a new day sack for the race. I've been using the OMM 'the last drop' 10L for long training efforts, but it doesn't have side pockets which makes it bloody frustrating when you're trying to fish out a gel every half hour. Any recommendations for a decent small bag, greatly appreciated preferably with side pockets for bottles and pouches for gels, enduralytes, cocaine, methadone etc. On the kit theme, I have a bit of a shoe problem as well. My Asics aren't working for me, too hard and not stable enough, I can't wear the Newtons for more than 30 minutes before I lose all form and they throw me off balance. I was thinking off the Salomon S Labs, but I would probably be arrested if I went with the white lycra.

Saying all of this, none of it may matter after this week. I've got my medical booked for the doctor to sign the health certificate that this race insists upon. I'm still hoping that they'll let me enter the race if my doctor writes that there is a high risk of death. Slightly fat asthmatic intends to run 100 miles over mountains, at altitude. I'm a little worried that the doctor might just leave a smiley. Fingers crossed for a signature.

It's not dark yet, but it's getting there.

Summer is all over me

I'm resigning myself to the fact that the Hong Kong summer is upon us. For the last 5 days of so it's been hovering between 29 and 32 degrees and between 80-95% humidity. I've resigned myself to the fact that I will now be sweating continuously until October, unless I stay inside. I'm a fairly hazardous environment to be around in the summer months in Hong Kong. I seem to create my own micro climate and am prone to flash floods. I am a sweaty man at the best of times but I now move into territory previously uncharterred, untouched and generally unwanted. It's a sad life. Normally by about August I am ready to end it all, just to be able to stop sweating so it'll be good to head off to France for this race.

On the down side it makes Long runs really tough as I found at the weekend. I think I'll be spending a lot of my longest sessions now doing even more walking than normal. I seem to blow up after about 3 hours as a rule. On my long run this Sunday, I did 35k and managed to drink 6 litres of sports drink. I know that sounds ridiculous and most literature says that the body can only process around a litre an hour but it has taken me at least another 24 hours to rehydrate.

Also, the heat has really brought the snakes out. I am no expert, but I always think it is safe to assume that snakes in tropical climates can kill you. At elast twice. So I prefer to stay away from them. However, they always seem to be sat in places where you can't actually see them until you're nearly stood on top of the little (or very big) buggers. It happenned to me twice on Sunday, the first time I rounded a sharp bend and although moving slightly slower than sloth, I very nearly trod on it. A quick change of shorts, a dab of lube and I was back on my way. 10k and masive heat exhaustion later I was meandering up a flight of stairs to the dragons back on the Hong Kong trail and nearly trod a grey one (scientific name). I didn't have another change of shorts in my bag so once I had climbed down from the tree I found myself in, it was a quick dab of body glide and on my way again.

Anyway, apart from snakes and humidity it was a fairly strong week of training:
Monday- 7 miles
Tuesday- 7Miles
Wednesday- Gym Bike 35k
Thursday- rest
Friday- Gym Bike 10 x 1 minute full effortm 1 minute rest, plus 10 minutes hard either side
Saturday- Run 2.45
Sunday- Run 4.45, a change of shorts and 2 snakes.