It’s not about speed or even miles, for that matter. It’s more about time on the legs. At least that’s my take on it. Any ultrarunner will tell you: walk the up-hills, and run the flats and the downhills. Informal runs (you can read that as training runs if you like?) give you the opportunity to play around a bit, so I like to attempt to run the up-hills. I also like to test and configure kit, try new foods/fuel, and iron out any potential issues that could ruin a race day. I also like to use this time to enjoy the views, stop to take photographs, and mull over the happenings in my outside-of-running life. It’s Tim time, basically, though sometimes it can include others and be more of a social venture, but mostly it’s Tim time.
My last long run was an out-and-back of some 50km in distance. Good old Strava told me I was out for about 101/2 hours, with a moving time of under 7 hours. It was a day out, basically. I ran as the sun came up, bathing the fells in warm, golden light and coaxing the moisture out of the ground to quickly drape the dales below in a gossamer-like blanket. It was sublime. I ran over partially frozen ground where stubborn patches of snow gave testimony to the bitterness of the previous night. I slipped, tripped and slid my way along thawing trails as the daylight hours marched into twilight and the ground began to once again harden, hinting at the uncomfortable temperatures that lie ahead. A whole day of running. Pushing the up-hills. Hiking on exhausted legs, and finally forcing a continuous run on asphalt, home to a hot dinner, a much-needed scrub in the shower, and blissful bed.
Sounds lovely, right? Well, it was. Really, it was. Apart from when it wasn’t.
Lesson 1: The importance of thoroughly testing kit well ahead of any organised run/race. My first issue was with my running tights. Granted, they are a little old, and could likely do with replacing but on the whole they are comfy and a trusted bit of kit. However, I had never worn them on a long run before. I am short and stocky so finding clothes that fit according to my build can be a bit of a mission to say the least. I am used to having tops with sleeves that are too long, and bottoms with legs that leave me with plenty of room to grow into. At some point in history, the washing machine had eaten the drawstring chord that used to reside in the waistband of said pants. It wasn’t long before I was having to stop repeatedly to yank them up following their attempts to become one with the ground, aided by gravity, as they progressively slid down my legs. The situation made all the worse by my t-shirt being forced up my back by pack-bounce, exposing my lower back and now, builder’s crack! This is irksome at best but after several hours it becomes mania-inducing.
Lesson 2: There are no aid stations on an informal run. An obvious one, you’d think? I did not pack enough fuel. Not by a long shot. I had consumed all my calories before the half-way point. This resulted in me cutting my run short by around 19km. I’m sure I would have completed it without anything untoward happening, but it wouldn’t have been fun. When I took the decision to turn back, I was in quite a remote area on the Pennine bridleway. It was exposed, and although not excessively windy at that time, there was a chill to that breeze. I was feeling it because I was tired and hungry. I do not regret my decision to change my route. I also took a slight detour to the Station Inn pub at Ribblehead instead of going back over Whernside, so that I could wash down some salted peanuts with half a Coke. That should get me home. I chose to stick to the road as despite my disdain for road running, it would get me home quicker.
Two major lessons, there. My planned Horton-in-Ribblesdale to Hawes section of the Pennine Way remains unconquered at this time. I had attempted it in reverse. Now I know quite what an undertaking it is when you are unsupported, I will be more meticulous in my preparation. I will choose my kit wisely and ensure I have enough fuel to make it home with some to spare (I will also need to replace my emergency gel from my first aid kit). It would be prudent for me to check the locations of any shops along the way, and their opening hours. Were it not for the Station Inn, I would have crawled home, and my Strava data would not have been quite so impressive!
