Wednesday 27 August 2014

Pikes Peak WMRA Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge



Well that was some experience!

As mountains usually do, Pikes Peak taught me alot during my short stay in Colorado and having the chance to experience such an iconic race as part of a field of the worlds best mountain runners is something I will never forget. Colorado is a pretty amazing place and I will certainly be visiting again in the futre. Here is my account of the whole experience.

After a long flight (double CurraNZ for the immune system) We arrived late on the wednesday (orwas it thursday??:)) evening. Our accomodation was at the amazing Glen Eyrie Castle resort. All of the other 17 WMRA teams were staying at the centre so it was a great place to meet other athletes and begin to soak up the atmosphere of the race weekend. It was pretty cool to be looked after, attend press conferences, eat dinners courtesy of the WMRA etc and made you feel a bit of a celebrity. The castle was sitting at about 2100m in altitude, walking to breakfast the air felt a little thin and during my first very easy morning jog I noticed the same.

It was great to meet my fellow Northern Ireland teammates to. Ian Bailey, Justin Maxwell and Peter Bell. It was a privelige and honour to in the team with these guys, we all got on really well and the wealth of experinence within the team certainly helped. Peter had already climbed Pikes Peak the day before, he told us with a smile on his face and twinckle in his eye that we were in for a treat. of course he was right.

We got out for our first training run on the course that first day. It was during this run that I first realised how tough this race was going to be. We climbed to around 2600m and I definatly felt the effects of coming from sea level and trying to run at altitude. A high heart rate for a fairly low output and slightly dead legs were the main things I noticed. It was manageable but meant that my race would have to be very measured. I am used to just being able to go hard but other factors were at play on this mountain.  During the race we would climb another 1700m up to 4300m. I quickly adjusted my goals for finishing time and remined myself that just finishing the race should be my main priority and would be an acheivment in its own right.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move38799477

Peter had arranged a meeting with a good friend and multiple Pikes Peak marathon and ascent veteran William Elliot. He drove 2hrs and sat with us for at least another 2 to impart all of his knowledge of the race on us, answering questions we had and putting our minds at ease. This guy knows this race inside out and his advice on pacing the first half was invaluable. We all listened and took on board as much as we could.



Justin, Peter, Ian and Me

On race day morning I felt pretty relaxed but certainly had some lurking fear of what the next 3-4hrs would bring. As usual with races I was happy to get going, along with 900 other athletes in the first wave and another 900 to follow in the second. As William had advised I took it very steady up the road and onto the trail proper, the first 1.5miles of the race. It was not the time for breathing hard, there would be plenty of time for that up top! The first half of the race I made sure to stay well within myself, hydrated, fuelled and make sure I had plenty left in the tank for when the altitude got serious. The race really got interesting for me once we left the tree line at around 3650M, mile 10 of the 13. As the saying goes, trees dont grow up here because they cant! It took me around an 1hr10mins to cover this 3 miles! Over 1 third of my total ascent time. Truth is I cant remember an awful lot about this part of the race. My brain was clearly not functioning and all effort was on just moving upwards, trying to fight the feeling of just wanting to stop. I ran when I could and walked when I could'nt. It was a strange feeling to be so constarined in what I could do with my body. I knew conciously how slow I was moving and could also see how other people were moving. There was no just pushing harder through the pain or gritting the teeth. I moved forward as Pikes Peak and its thin air allowed. Some people streamed past, never to be seen again. The finish line eventually came, it honestly felt like it never would. The medal hung straight around my neck for finishing would mean alot this day.

The top section of Pikes Peak


http://www.movescount.com/moves/move38799521



 The team did great, finishing 8th overall out of around 17 countries represented. Individually the team also excelled with Ian breaking 3hrs, Justin just over and Peter finishing in 3.52hrs (at age 60 having already climbed Pikes Peak a couple of days before!). I finished in 3hrs20 in 185th place overal. I had hoped to be closer to 3hrs but I did what I could.

This race sums up what I love about racing in the mountains. It takes away a little bit of the pure athletic challenge that say track racing involves. Greater forces are at play and I find I always learn about myself. William told us a great story about Pikes Peak record holder and legend Matt Carpenter. On his way to his first Pikes Peak race he told his friend  'I am Pikes Peak'. Positive thinking I suppose but more the kind of thing you would expect from an NFL quater back. On the way down after having to stop the car to throw up and finishing second, he retracted his statement and said 'No one is Pikes Peak'. The mountain is always greater than the athlete, no matter how hard he has trained or how much he is able to able suffer. It allows us to pass and leaves us with an experince. Pikes Peak reminded me of this. I will be back, it was so much fun me and Justin decided to bash out the Marathon on the monday. More of that in my next blog.

A massive thanks must got to the Active Cumbria Talented Athlete fund and NIMRA for making the trip possible and giving me the chance to be part of this amazing race. CurraNZ supplements made sure I was in great shape and recovery was amazing. TrecNutrition Isofaster and gels kept me hydrated and fuelled. My LaSportiva Helios shoes were the perfect combination of lightness and protection for the race.

www.healthcurrancy.co.uk - natural NZ Blackcurrant antioxidant sports supplement





Tuesday 12 August 2014

Training for Pikes Peak and CurraNZ!

Following the great result at the Celtman, I was selected to represent Northern Ireland at the WMRA Long distance championships at Pikes Peak, Colorado. This race has 13.2 miles of uphill running with 2382m (7815ft) of ascent. The sting in the tail is that the race finishes at 4302m (14115ft) above sea level.  At this sort of height there is around 40% less oxygen than at sea level so some extra factors to deal with as well as lots of uphill running! It was at this time I came across and started using CurranNZ as a supplement.

Lots of supplements claim to give results but I can honestly say I have never experienced the results that CurraNZ gave in such a short space of time, IE the first session! To also add that this is a totally natural supplement made from the skins of special blackcurrants is a huge plus for me. As an international athlete I have to be very careful of what I put into my body and try to eat as clean and healthy as possible. This can actually be quite hard at times in these days of processed, additive rich food but is made easy with CurraNZ.
After Celtman I had around 5 weeks to recover and prepare for the Pikes Peak race. This was going to take some care, management and attention to detail. I am so glad I came across CurraNZ when I did as I know it has been one of those little extras that give massive benefits.
Training for pikes peak has revolved around three basic but key sessions. Hill Reps, Tempo Running and a long 2-3.30hr run in the mountains.
To train for the massive amounts of ascent at Pikes Peak lots of hill rep sessions have been key workouts. I have kept the reps longer and just below/at my lactate threshold, ranging from 5mins to 45mins. With all the up, we must have down, which can be a major cause of muscle soreness/DOMS that can affect training for up to 1 week if severe.  Using CurraNZ I found I could sustain my efforts for longer and at higher a heart rate. The heavy legged fatigue that normally sets in was delayed, I felt great aerobically and DOMS in the coming days was eliminated. Sure I felt tired after the sessions but had worked harder for longer so this was to be expected.
Links to the sessions can be found here-

 I noticed the same shifts in my tempo runs, which were done on road as hilly as possible. I try to get around 20-40mins of quality work in these sessions and the whole run usually lasts 1-1hr30mins including cool down and warm up. I split the efforts into blocks as I find this allows me keep the quality high and also trains lactate removal and changes in pace, so it’s realistic to racing. It’s the only session I do on the road so it counts as my speed work too.
Links to the sessions can be found here-

My long runs are the favourite piece of the training puzzle. It gives me a chance to get out into the mountains for a long time, enjoy the environment, covering lots of ground and see where the other sessions have left my fitness. It’s great to feel stronger each time you go out and for sure I have been, despite some super-hot weather lately. I don’t usually wear a heart rate monitor for these runs, preferring to practice pacing by feel and just enjoy efficient movement in the hills. Recovery from these runs can be slow due to the up and down nature and the rough ground on the tops of the mountains but with CurraNZ I found I was recovering quicker and feeling great aerobically.

Mixed in with Mountain bike rides, easy runs and swims my total weekly training volume can be up to 20hrs, on top of working a 40hr week as a sales assistant. CurranNZ has helped me to prepare for Pikes Peak as best I can, I will be winding down from now till race day, freshening up the legs but remaining sharp at the same time. Cannot wait to get out to Colorado, it’s a dream race that’s been on my bucket list and the chance to represent my country against some of the best mountain runners in the world is so exciting.
I am also looking forward to seeing how CurraNZ helps me deal with the sting in the tale of this race, Altitude! It’s my secret weapon, without access to the funds or facilities needed for proper altitude training. I will be reporting back on this in the post-race blog. It will also be accompanying me on the long haul flight as it is also great for giving the immune system a boost when combined with some good old vitamin c. 

Its great to be working with CurraNZ as an ambassador, they are a young company with passion for there product and real belief in its benefits. The research shows this as well as my experience using the product.

 www.healthcurrancy.co.uk - natural NZ Blackcurrant antioxidant sports supplement