Long Mynd Valleys

Brillant race, thought I'd hold back a fraction for the steep ascents at the end but still had no energy to give on those climbs. I've started taking a small volume of liquid in my camel more to alleviate that continuous thirst issue or rather than stashing liquids or begging a colleague to stand at a certain place etc. I was amused to see Dan Hope whip out his bag.... to drink from a stream, not sure what you may have been thinking. Good portable idea. Another runner did this and then spotted the sheep carcass (yum). I do eat a sweet or nibble cereal bars like the tucs (good salt) but I don't think it makes a great deal of difference to my performance. In endurance I'll nibble up to twice an hour as a routine but these things are too fast/furious even at 1hr43...

OMG! That was ard!
Everything hurts today.
Thought nothing could beat Whernside-3 peaks for a horrid climb but today was a shocker. What a great championship course though -it had everything, including good banter at the back(even learnt some new swear words whilst plodding up hill 6). Thanks to all organisers, marshalls and fellow sufferers at the back who also had the churned up musddy paths to contend with.

DNF. Cack! Felt good going into Minton Batch so took a different line to the crocodile and overtook a load. 200m down the valley the calf muscle went, so ended up plodding down on my heel and watched all those I'd just overtaken pass me by as I sat with my leg in the stream. Made it up Packetstone hill but I was going nowhere so hobbled as far as Little Stretton before getting a lift. Got to the start as the guy I was trying to catch up when the leg went crossed the finish!
What a race though, feel cheated at not getting to the last 2 hills, I was so looking forward to them!

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Originally Posted by vburke

Great Pictures thanks guys!
Mike T - WHy do you find it so strange people were carrying water!? I was one of the people with water sloshing in my backpack - Carried a Litre and drank a litre too! Some people just need it more - I get kidney problems if I don't drink when running hence I carry water. I reckon I save weight by being slim - so can afford to carry water with me! (I also eat Jelly babies and Tuc Crackers on my way round....but that is just cos I like food!)

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Because each litre of water weighs a kilogram and that will slow you down by several minutes on such a hilly course - I was hungry but not especially thirsty at the finish - excellent teabread at the school by the way.

Guess everybody is different.....i'll lose a KG in weight before my next race and then the extra weight of the water won't matter ;)

I didn't find it slowed me down but maybe I am so slow anyway it makes vey little difference....if i was going to win the race maybe I would rethink but i'd rather take it if i think I may need it would hate to have a DNF because I was unprepared.

Really glad that I made it to this race despite still carrying the tag end of a chest infection and being on anit-biotics. Hadn't done a proper run for three weeks so had no choice but to go steady and enjoy the atmosphere of the event. Even so, really struggled towards the top of the last climb.

Fine views and a great time out in the Shropshire hills. Many thanks to Mercia for organising.

I took a drink with me and finished it on the way round - it was ability not weight slowing me up;)

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Originally Posted by Mike T

Because each litre of water weighs a kilogram and that will slow you down by several minutes on such a hilly course - I was hungry but not especially thirsty at the finish - excellent teabread at the school by the way.

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Everyone is different. Some people need fluid, others don't. I've suffered very badly in the past through not taking enough fluid on... and drinking a lot beforehand isn't the answer because you can finish up over-hydrated and that's worse than a bit of dehydration. I started with half a litre, and drank that plus another I picked up from a stream (although I didn't see the dead sheep). So just because you don't feel you need fluids doesn't mean other people can manage without.

P.S. I drank two gallons in last year's Old County Tops and still finished dehydrated unlike many others who didn't even finish. An extreme example, but I hope makes the point that you have to know your own body, and what it needs to keep going.

Sadly I DNFd as I sprained my ankle on my way down to check point 3. Many, many thanks to all those who stopped to check I was OK and especially to Ross and all at the check point who helped me hobble back to the road. Swollen and bruised but not too trashed. Think I'll come back and have another crack next year.

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Originally Posted by Mike T

Because each litre of water weighs a kilogram and that will slow you down by several minutes on such a hilly course - I was hungry but not especially thirsty at the finish - excellent teabread at the school by the way.

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have you any idea how much you sweat on a 2 hour run at an average of c80% MHR ? That amount of dehydration will curtail your performance a hell of a lot more than a tiny addition of 1 kg to the average 60-75kg runner...not that you'd carry the full 1 kg for the entire race anyway

what's more gylcogen depletion will be be on the cards too at around the 2hour mark....so if you want to perfrom to your max you need some energy too...whether you realise this or not doesn't stop it from being basicly applicable to everyone

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Originally Posted by trilathon

have you any idea how much you sweat on a 2 hour run at an average of c80% MHR ? That amount of dehydration will curtail your performance a hell of a lot more than a tiny addition of 1 kg to the average 60-75kg runner...not that you'd carry the full 1 kg for the entire race anyway

what's more gylcogen depletion will be be on the cards too at around the 2hour mark....so if you want to perfrom to your max you need some energy too...whether you realise this or not doesn't stop it from being basicly applicable to everyone

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Great answer Tri, you beat me to it.