Post Ultra Run High
I started the Brecon Beacons Ultra race held in November 2017 with three clear, achievable goals to aim for;
- Try for a negative split,
- Eat little and often,
- Keep well hydrated.
Sounds simple right, but the reality is that these 3 simple goals are easily forgotten on the start line as was proved when I DNF’d the Salomon Ben Nevis Ultra back in September.
“As it turned out I hit 2 of my 3 goals, completed it in a time of 8 hours 25mins and came 25th out of a field of 250ish.”
This race therefore was a chance for me to get back on track. A chance to inject a little discipline in my race strategy in order to give me the best chance of success. And just to be really clear, when I say success I mean success in the context of me, a 42 year old who only really discovered trail running a couple of years ago and who still has a weak spot for the an occasional ciggy and a pint.
Success for me is doing the best I can. Being on the start line looking forward to what is about to unfold, happy in the knowledge that I have done enough training, as opposed to standing there in tight lycra leggings and teeshirt crapping myself about how I’m going to manage running 50 miles in cold, rainy, wintery conditions.
As it turned out I hit 2 of my 3 goals, completed it in a time of 8 hours 25mins and came 25th out of a field of 250ish.
Good Nutrition. Tick.
I fed myself well. I took just enough food with me to keep myself well fuelled up throughout the race. I never at any point felt fatigue coming on or a lack of energy. I took with me a mixture of bars, nuts, bloc sweets and a peanut butter bagel just for good measure. I kept most of this food close at hand, stuffed in the various pockets of my race vest, easily accessible so I could nibble as I ate up the miles.
Good Hydration. Tick.
I drank plenty. I only took a 500ml soft flask with me on the route. I started with a carb/electrolyte mix in the flask and sipped constantly on this as I went, refilling it with another sachet of the same mix half way round. I also supplemented this with gulps of water from any clean looking streams I passed and, of course, water at the various feed stations. All this in the knowledge that becoming even slightly dehydrated can have a real long term detrimental impact on your ability to race at your individual peak performance.
Negative split. Cross.
Ok, this is the one I didn’t quite get a tick in the box. I ran a 3 hour 59min first half and then a 4 hour 25min second half. Not bad but not the original goal of a negative split. I went for a negative split to help with my race management. I wanted to make sure that I started out steady, didn’t kill myself early on, and then finished strong. What was quite satisfying, i say quite, it was actually really satisfying was the number of people I passed on that second loop who were clearly spent! Running strong toward the latter stages of a race and passing people along the way is such a boost both mentally and physically.
Crossing the finish line
So i ended up almost achieving my goals. I ran the 47mile course in 8 hours 24mins, placing a respectable 25th out of the 250 entries. Just to give that a little context, the winner posted a new course record of 6 hours 14mins. I was and still am, absolutely chuffed with my performance. More over i am happy with the way I controlled my race and stuck to my plan.
The race route
The race started in the local village hall in Talybont on Usk at 7:30am. The route follows the beautiful Monmouthshire & Brecon canal along the tow path to Llangynidr.
The route then leaves the canal and heads up the Brecons Way. It then branches off for the trek up Tor y Foel which is a real steep slog to the top before you then drop down to the Talybont forest. The route then heads up onto open hill land and follows the Gap Road.
At this point you then have a long decent down to the canal again at Pencelli and back to the beginning of the loop at Talybont. While the canal section of the route is only short it is stunningly beautiful, especially this time of year as there was still a real burst of autumn colour on the trees that line the banks. You would think that running on the flat of the towpath would be welcome, and while it is, it does just drag on and on…