After 5000 miles, countless Cols and 6 Countries our VW returned to the UK fit and healthy (barring the water pump!)
It was a totally successful running season / surf / road trip. Injury free and racing strong and fast.
Races that took my fancy turned out to be fantastic, the scenery out of this world and the running folk we met were amazing.
I competed at the following races....
Canazei Vert KM and Canazei Sky race
Thyon Dixone
Lautashch half marathon
Pradazzo Vert KM
Misurina
Drei Zinnen
Commonwealth trial race
Smarna Gora
Kaiser marathon
Snowdon marathon
Experiencing a little German culture along the way!!!!!
I was lucky enough to represent my country (Wales) on 2 occasions....
Commonwealth trial race (uphill only) at Keswick (pictured below)
Kaiser marathon, Soll, Austria (world long distance champs).
My favourite racing shoe...X-Talons
favourite race..............Snowdon marathon
best performances........Kaiser marathon and Smarna Gora
worst performance......Drei Zinnen
Next adventure.................NEPAL (fingers crossed, including the highest marathon in the world!!!!)
NAMESTE
Saturday, 31 October 2009
Europe 2009 and beyond!!
Thursday, 29 October 2009
OMM reflections
When six times winner Steve Birkinshaw asked me to run in the OMM with him earlier this year it was an offer not to be turned down. Traveling down with him I joked that the pressure was on him as I had already won two mountain marathons this year! We managed to overcome the tussocks, bog and running past a control and came out on top of the elite class at this years OMM held in Elan Valley in mid-Wales.
The first day started with a bus journey to get us to the north of the area and into the heart of the Elan Valley. Our first couple of checkpoints did not bode well for the rest of the weekend as we did not take the greatest of lines. I was trying to push the running a bit hard. Fortunately we hit checkpoint 3 spot on partly because there was a nice trampled line through the grassy tussocks which were getting bigger as we got further into the area. A great bit of downhill running got Steve back into the flow and we started to work well together and could see Al Powell and Jon Morgan ahead who had started a couple of minutes ahead of us. It was not long before we caught them and ended up running with them for most of the rest of the day. On our way up one of the worst hills for tussocks we were joined by another team and could not quite shake them off. This was not helped by the fact that the going made it impossible for running. The hardest part of the day was a long stretch along the tops of the hills between checkpoint 8 and 9. By now 8 of us (4 teams) were all tussock/bog running together which made the long stretch quite enjoyable with usual good natured mountain marathon banter. Suddenly we started heading downhill and towards a forest and it seemed that no one had been looking at the map. Al gave a call from behind and we all headed back up the hill. Steve claimed he had also just noticed we were going wrong and was about to call out. Was still of Al to give everyone a shout especially as they were just hanging on at the back of the group. Looking at the map it looked like the last few checkpoints were fairly straightforward and I was keen to get away from the group so Steve and I pushed on ahead. I was slightly ahead of Steve and with the increase in tempo we managed to run within 20 metres of a checkpoint (this time Al kept quite) and onto the next one. There was nothing for it but to run back much to the delight of all those teams we had just past including Tim Higginbottom and Chris Near (Tim later dropped out with a pulled calf muscle). The sprint down the last hill was filled with frustration - just as well it was a two day event. I was still very pleased to be 2nd overnight and within 8 minutes of Al and Jon. Steve was slightly more anxious as he had never won the OMM elite after been behind on the first day - time to change that.
The second day started with fast run along a wet/rough track into a stiff wind. Steve had said he would just run his own pace so my plan was just to slick behind him and let him take control. I did occasionally go in front just to give him some shelter from the wind. Steve's own pace is pretty fast and after hitting the first checkpoint spot on we got our first glimpse of Al and Jon. After more tussock jumping we were only around 30 seconds behind them. After a brief chat about tactics we decided to sit in on them for a few checkpoints and let them do the work. This was quite hard as we were running very well but fortunately they picked up the pace when they realised we were so close to them. It was not long before we were on their heels and suddenly the good natured chat from yesterday was replaced by heavy breathing and concentration. This was top level mountain marathon racing at its best. After around two thirds of the day we were all working together up a steep climb. Al stopped to tie his lace, Steve glanced at him and suddenly he was away and fortunately I had the legs to stay with him. This was the break that we needed and from then on we really pushed the pace and Steve’s awesome nav meant we hit the checkpoints exactly. With tiring legs we hurtled down the final decent and along the final farm track to the finish very happy with ours days work.
Inov-8 athlete Heather Dawe was running with Scottish hill runner Andrea Priestley and finished an impressive 27th (1st female runners ahead of the mixed teams) out of 48 finishers in the Elite class.
Results
Route Gadjet
Photos
Monday, 26 October 2009
Team inov-8's Steve Birkinshaw and Jethro Lennox win the elite course at the 2009 OMM (original mountain marathon)
When the first Elite finishers crossed the line in bright sunshine around 11.35am, it was not the overnight leaders Jon Morgan and Al Powell, but the second placed overnight team, Steve Birkinshaw and Jethro Lennox.
The winners had made up their 8 minute deficit and opened a winning lead. "We thought it might take 3 hours or so to catch them," said Lennox, "but we caught them near CP2 and then ran together for a long time, through to CP5. Then Steve saw Al stop to tie his lace and he was off! We really went for it then and were strong enough to pull away.
"Steve was a bit tired yesterday but we were stronger today and he used all his experience to help us win. He hit all the controls perfectly so his nav was spot on."
Lennox has been the best mountain marathon runner by far as this is his 3rd race and his 3rd win! He won the LAMM and BAMM and can now add the OMM elite title. "I've also run two road marathons and a trail marathon" he said, "so that is enough marathons for this year!"
For Birkinshaw it was his 7th OMM Elite win and he is closing in on Mark Seddon's record of 10 titles. "We were going well," he said, "and when Al tied his lace that 15 seconds was enough to make our break!"
By Rob Howard (sleepmonsters)
For all race reports and event photos, visit www.sleepmonsters.co.uk
Both were using inov-8 race elite packs
and inov-8 mudclaw 330s.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Billy Pinder claims gold at English Schools National Fell Running Champs
The X-Talon 212 continues to be the weapon of choice for top fell runners with Billy Pinder selecting these winning shoes for the English Schools National Fell Running Champs held in the Howgill’s above Sedbergh at the end of September. Billy went on to claim first place in the Y12/13 senior race and set a new course record, which is particularly impressive as he is Y12 and has another year to race at this age category.
England International Billy Pinder (right) breaking away from Scotland International James Waldie, on his way to winning the English Schools National Fell Running Title in a New National Record'
team inov-8s Morgan Donnelly finishes 11th at the 2009 World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships
The World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) had chosen the Kaisermarathon (42.2km with 1,900m of ascent) to be the 2009 World Long Distance Mountain Running Championship.
Teams from all around the world pitched up for the race including separate teams from England, Scotland and Wales and I lucky enough to be a member of the England team.
The race itself has two disctinct sections with the 1st being flat (lightly undulating) road race, almost all on Tarmac and second section the race takes in two big hills giving approximately 1,900m of total ascent and 700m descent. The race finishes at the top of an 1829m hill adjacent to Austria highest church!
Jon Duncan (also Team England and World Orienteering Champion) & I almost caught Ricky Lightfoot (Team England) up towards the end of the 1st climb, but he spotted us and that seemed to wake him up significantly given that he then finished 3rd!. I started to go to pieces on the top of the first climb (after we bizarrely had to run through a restaurant/bar?!) and almost thought I would not make it to the finish. However I managed to keep going and then actually made some progress on the 2nd climb!
The atmosphere was fantastic with lots of folks out supporting us runners, whilst ringing their cow bells or just jumping up and down shouting. The noise from the spectators along the last 200m was deafening. The England team was second team.
This was my first attempt at this type of race, which appears to be a popular format in the Alps.
I was 11th and fellow team inov-8 runner Jethro Lennox was 10th
Full results here
World Long Distance Mountain Running Championship returns in 2010 taking place at Poiks Peak in Colrado USA.
Friday, 16 October 2009
Macca's on it 24-7!!!
Check here to read my interview with Annie Emmerson about this year, next year and life as a Pro Xterra triathlete..........
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Ian Hodgson Mountain Relays
On Sunday it was the Ian Hodgson Mountain Relays, with many members of Team Inov8 running for their clubs. The relays are centred around brothers water with 4 legs, each for 2 runners. The first leg goes from Sykeside capsite to Kirstone pass, the second from Kirkstone pass to Hartsop via High Street, the third from Hartsop to Patterdale via Angle tarn and the fourth from Patterdale back to Sykeside via St Sunday crag and Hart Crag. It was nice weather! I could see where I was running which I haven't often done in these relays and there were some very fast runs!
Morgan Donelly was part of the winning Borrowdale Team who took almost 4minutes off their record for the course!
Oli Johnson was running for Dark Peak who came in 3rd mens team and Dave Wilby was running for the Ilkley team who came in 12th with James Kevan in the Horwich team less than a minute behind Ilkley in 13th.
In the womens race Heather Dawe was part of the Ilkley team who came in 2nd ladies team! Dark Peak ladies took the win with a spectacular last leg run!
In the mixed teams, Borrowdale took the win, with Steve Birkenshaw running the final leg, and I ran for Pennine Fell Runners who were 2nd.
A great collection of results!
