Been a while

It's been a while since I mustered a blog, between work and getting out running I don't seem to have had the time to sit down and crack one out. A blog that is. The training is going remarkably well, I've managed back to back longer runs for the last 4 weekends, despite some cracking thunderstorms doing their best to disrupt my progress and each week I've managed at least 4 runs during the week. I'm up to between 80 and 100k most weeks at the moment and I've got one eye on my diet in order to make defying gravity around the alps a tad easier. Apparently for every kilo you lose you save minutes from your Marathon time. As a former fat lad if this is true I'll be in deficit by the time UTMB comes around. Completing it in minus half an hour. Beat that Jornet.

As the heat and humidity have truly landed for the Summerr I've been experimenting with a variety of kit and hydration/ food combos as I start to think about the event in August. I tried Newton shoes, which are crap when wet and humid. The nature of the design means the shoe rocks you forward, and as it gets wetter and you hit steep down hills, the inner sole slides right down to the front of the shoe crushing your toes. A design fault if ever there was one for a trail shoe. There aren't that many flat dry trail races that I can think of. Also, the forefoot features their patented lugs to aid a more natural running style. Except on trails again. I found that the lugs feel unbalanced and when I hit roots of rocks tended to be unstable. Finally, the last point of my 'big fat sweaty lads can't wear Newton trail shoes' analysis. The lugs actually make the really steep up hills steeper. Weird, but unless you're running, which I cannot manage on HK's biggest hills (think 500-1000 steps), you actually have to overcome the lugs as well as the gradient. Sod that.

I think I've settled on 2XU shorts for the race but nothing else. They are a bit of a tri brand which is slightly against my religion, but they do seem to help me avoid the dreaded chaffing. As for socks and t-shirts etc I haven't found anything that works yet. Every shirt I try turns into a cheese grater when wet leaving me with nips like minced beef. I used to have a nice silky thin North Face one that worked so going to see if I can track one down. I'm also still looking for a decent small pack that has accessible side pockets for my gels, although I'm considering a strategy I've read about and dissolving them in my drink instead, we'll see. Anyway, however much I read there doesn't seem to be any holy grail of kit. Only of training, do a lot.

I'm also not quite sure what to do about my glasses. I got caught in one of Hong Kong's 'Amber' rain storms at the weekend. It warrants a warning on the local Observatory website that low lands are prone to flooding, there may be landslides and a bit of thunder etc. They need to add a new sentence to their warning that for those who wear glasses you can't see your own nose. Seriously, between the fogging effect of the humidity and the heaviness of the rain I couldn't see a thing. I think it may warrant registering as a disability, maybe I'll get free parking. I was splashing down the trail just waiting to hit a root and go over the edge. And yet I loved it. Running in the rain is so much more pleasurable than running in the humidity.

I know I bang on about it, but I'm getting through 4.5 litres every 25 or so K. It's impossible to stay hydrated but the drinks that seem to work best are those with the 4:1 ratio. Some protein as well as Carb. I'm settling on the accelerade at the moment. The pure carb drinks seem to give me a bit of tummy trouble. Does a Nottheultramarathon man sh1t on the trail. It appears so, especially when fueling on gatorade and gels. Suddenly. Violently. On occassion without warning. How is it that whenever you take a dump in the open that there is always, without fail, a full family and dog coming around the corner. Honestly, you can go ages without seeing people when the weather is bad, but take a dump and several families will appear at once as if from nowhere. I think they coordinate somehow. It makes you feel surprisingly vulnerable when you've got your arse hanging out.

The other issue that continues to freak me out is that the heat brings out the snakes. I mentioned how bravely I tend to deal with snakes in a previous blog i.e. not at all. But last week I stumbled across snakus maximus. Father to a massive baby snake, husband to a.... You get the picture. Luckily I'd switched to my 4:1 drink formula or no doubt several families of hikers would have appeared. I'm not sure what kind of snake it was, but it had a head the size of a farm animal. It was definitely viewing me as a food item. Luckily it appeared to have just eaten a small child so it wasn't up for any more. I was thankful for the kids sacrifice and carried on my way.

So, my weeks training last week hit 100k. A lot less than good runners, but building up to being respectable. I've subbed in some tempo runs, hill repeats and this week am training twice a day Tues, Weds and Thurs. Hoping to get myself up to 110 and keep increasing right up to 3 weeks before UTMB (with a dip every fourth week for recovery/ beer). I'm still no more confident I can finish this thing, doing 100 miles training in a week seems well beyond me at present, let alone in one go at altitude. Hey ho, I'm not in it to win it, just to have a bit of an adventure and raise some money in memory of my dad. More on that one in the next post as I sort out my charidee piece. For some reason, even when it's for a worthy cause, I always feel a bit of a prat raising money for charity. I don't like to ask people for their hard earner cash when I am actually doing something that makes me so happy, but then I remember that after 50k I always have a slow dawning realisation that I am too big, too slow and going to suffer massively, so please donate once I get it up and running.

This sunday is my first UK fathers day without one, so it's going to be a tough day. One to get through. I plan to have a pint of guinness, think of the good times and get the charity page launched in his memory. I won't need any more motivation to get round the UTMB course, even if I have to crawl on my hands and knees. Which isn't beyond the realms of possibility!