Fellsman

[Hes]

Thanks PB, you are right, I think sitting down for me might be fatal, I'll probably never get going again. I'm aiming to walk and eat and then speed up again. Any stopping will just be for 'comfort breaks' and perhaps if I really need to do a few stretches. The biccies in pockets idea is great. I like to know I have a few sweets or something to look forward to.

Don't sit down for too long at checkpoints either Hes, it makes it very hard to get your stiff limbs moving again! A good strategy we found was to grab some food at the checkpoints and then slowly walk on, eating it on the move. Once it's gone down you can pick up the pace again if you want, but it did seem to keep us from stiffening up too much.
Oh, and bung a few custard creams or bit of fruit in your pockets, something to nibble on between check points if you need it.
Good luck with it.
I always like to have a bit of a look back on the night section, and see all the little groups of head torch lights strung around the course. I think the night time bit is my favourite, really.

[Dog Breath]

Don't sit down for too long at checkpoints either Hes, it makes it very hard to get your stiff limbs moving again! A good strategy we found was to grab some food at the checkpoints and then slowly walk on, eating it on the move. Once it's gone down you can pick up the pace again if you want, but it did seem to keep us from stiffening up too much.
Oh, and bung a few custard creams or bit of fruit in your pockets, something to nibble on between check points if you need it.
Good luck with it.
I always like to have a bit of a look back on the night section, and see all the little groups of head torch lights strung around the course. I think the night time bit is my favourite, really.

Each to their own I suppose, but I disagree with rushing through checkpoints and grabbing some food to eat on the move. For instance, at Dent I must have had 15 minutes to make sure I had eaten properly and had some tea. Same thing at Stonehouses and Fleet Moss. Still did under 17hrs. It's false economy not to rest and fuel yourself. It's not as if most here are in with a chance of winning, so those extra minutes taken are not vital. Moreover, it will pay dividends later. Importantly, it's not what you can do in the first 10 miles, but what you can do in the last 10 !!

[Stolly]

Dog Breath I think things like this really depend on each individual. Whilst its definitely important to get the right amount of food and drink down, I'd argue it pays to keep on the move if you can to help reduce stiffening up or in my case getting cold.

I don't know if you did it the year of the deluge in 2009 but the tent at Cray was blown down and the best they could do at short notice was put some kind of pig truck there instead. Unfortunately it was open to the wind when I got there. I can get cold really quickly if I stop moving and to make matters worse at Cray that year I had to wait 44 minutes for a grouping and pretty much froze my nuts off. There are loads of food stops on the way round so there is plenty of opportunity to grab a snack, a drink and then move off with a couple of sandwiches or biscuits in hand. For sure at the front of the field the guys looking to finish in the 10 to 12 hour zone certainly won't be spending 5 minutes, let alone 15, at every food stop.

[Dog Breath]

The 2009 Fellsman was the only one I've missed for a while. But in my 17 Fellsmans I've had some rough ones so I know what it's like. I don't usually have a problem with limbs stiffening up as I haven't gone off too hard, paced myself properly, fed & watered, and rested myself. As I said, each to their own, but it works for me.

[Hes]

17 fellsmans is impressive! I think the stiffening up will apply more to newbies like me that aren't used to the distance. I know that on my longer runs I do stiffen up if I don't keep moving and, whilst a rest may have to be taken now and again, I find the painfulness of setting off a bit demoralising. I'm not competing but completing (hopefully) so time isn't the issue for me. I do admire those of you that are conditioned and fit for ultras. I think I've got a few more years of hard graft before I will be!

The 2009 Fellsman was the only one I've missed for a while. But in my 17 Fellsmans I've had some rough ones so I know what it's like. I don't usually have a problem with limbs stiffening up as I haven't gone off too hard, paced myself properly, fed & watered, and rested myself. As I said, each to their own, but it works for me.

[superflyguy]

for my two peneth I reckon on targeting three or four stops as 'long' ones. Get some propor food and water in you and make sure everything is still where it should be. I did that at Dent, Fleet Moss and Cray.
as someone else said it's a false economy to whizz thru in 5 minutes only for the next stage to take 20 minutes longer becuase you're knackered.

enjoy!

[beaker]

Read this part of the thread with interest. this will be my 6th fellsman and last year tried a new tactic of not stopping at the check points. I had two botttles put water and tab in one and the other had tea in , used my mugs for foood and ate on the move. this worked for me.
I think as it has already been said it is horses for courses and what works for one is not always the same for another due to many factors; amount of training, health and ability to suffer.
love the phrase complete rather than compete . It is a great day out and a good look at yourself.

[Stolly]

With the fellsman in mind I tried out running in my running tights with nothing on underneath tonight, but with my Ron Hill running shorts over the top - the idea being that I don't want to wear tons of stuff but equally don't want to have to prat about putting leggings on after dark either. At the same time, I do want to make use of the pockets and pouches on my shorts for carrying snacks and bits and bobs. The look wasn't great mind - kind of like a mamby pamby mountain biker if I'm honest

The trouble is that wearing nothing under the running tights led to a certain amount of er... 'dingle dangling about' and I sure as heck would suffer some chaffage that way over 60 miles

Pants on then...

[Hes]

ha ha ha...yes, please keep your pants on during the Fellsman!

With the fellsman in mind I tried out running in my running tights with nothing on underneath tonight, but with my Ron Hill running shorts over the top - the idea being that I don't want to wear tons of stuff but equally don't want to have to prat about putting leggings on after dark either. At the same time, I do want to make use of the pockets and pouches on my shorts for carrying snacks and bits and bobs. The look wasn't great mind - kind of like a mamby pamby mountain biker if I'm honest

The trouble is that wearing nothing under the running tights led to a certain amount of er... 'dingle dangling about' and I sure as heck would suffer some chaffage that way over 60 miles

Pants on then...

[plodding bear]

Dog Breath, I wasn't advocating 'rushing' through checkpoints, just a slow and leisurely refuel to avoid stiffening up too much that's all.