All posts by Ultra Plodder

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Our ancestors and running

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A quick post while I am watching prehistoric autopsy. They are looking at our one of our earliest ancestors, Homo erectus trying to build an idea of how and why we evolved in the way we have.

They have been looking at a skeleton of a young boy, named ‘Nariokotome boy’ building a picture of what life was like for him 1.5 million years ago. The reason I am writing about this is that the discussion is touched on how he was evolved for long distance walking/running.

To list a few of the reasons that they have discussed:

  • He evolved to lose body hair to enable efficiency in sweating and managing heat during persistent activity
  • The inner ear evolved to enable him to maintain focus on the distance while his head was moving around
  • Based on the skeletons shape, the size of his glute muscles
  • The shape of the skull and muscles around the neck so the head remains stable when in motion

This is not a new topic, with many books on this topic (Born to Run to name one) but I still find it fascinating that as a species running is in our blood, it is something that we evolved to do in order to travel, to hunt and to survive.

If anyone ever says that running is bad for you (risk of injury etc) just say that we have been doing it 2 million years, so it can’t be that bad!

Infographic

Common Running Injuries: Infographic

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Fortunately my injury experience has been minimal, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had some niggles from time to time with the main injury that I have suffered from being Iliotibial Band Syndrome early in my training. I bout of RICE and Yoga was what sorted it out, that and changing my running shoes.

Courtesy of dailyinfographic.com

Training Updates

Training update, the plan for the 100

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My previous post mentioned that I was considering a 100 mile ultra next year, well (assuming all the places don’t go before I can register) I will be doing the NDW100.

With the decision made my focus on training has returned, albeit limited due to the Snowdonia Marathon in a week. With the cycling a firm feature of my week I have to look to ways to incorporate this as part of my ultra training. It’s not ideal, but you have to work with what you got so I am going to make the best of it.

So this week has been the usual fair of 10 mile cycle in 12 mile cycle back Monday to Thursday, with a 9.5 (Garmin missed the first 0.5) mile run in. The run wasn’t to bad even after the 4 days of cycling, with my pace averaging 09:40/mi

OK, so its pretty much downhill all the way

Its not the most taxing of routes, being on the road for the most part and practically all downhill but with the added weight of a full rucksack it is good training. My plan, following the recovery from Snowdonia is to incorporate running to work maybe twice a week, to work and back. I won’t start straight away with the 20 miles per day, building up to the full 10 miles on the way back by getting the train initially and getting off before home (not being near any stations I am always going to have a small run at the end)

I am hoping to keep the “long” weekend runs to a minimum as I want to keep this time to spend with the family, building these into the training as probably once every 3-4 weeks, starting out with a 20 miler and increasing it from there. Its going to be interesting to see how it works out and I am sure my plan will be modified here and there.

In other news, the latest edition of Ultra Tales is out, with contributions from many ultra runners, me included. This is a free e-magazine featuring contributions from many runners and I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone interested in ultra running, being newbies or seasoned runners, with just under 250 pages it is a great read.

The links to the download are (Box) http://bit.ly/RLhLgc  (GoogleDrive) http://bit.ly/WL6Yr2  (SkyDrive) http://sdrv.ms/Vd6Soy (links courtesy of ultratales)

For more information, follow @ultratales on twitter or Facebook to support this magazine and keep up to date on upcoming issues and how to contribute.

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100 miles?

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This the question I have been asking myself since the NDW50 in August. My feelings immediately after the 50 miles was “no way”, with me instead wanting to get some more 50 mile Ultra’s under my belt before tackling double that distance.

Sitting here now, 2 months on my feelings have changed. I have been thinking about why I wanted to do a 50 mile run in the first place, I have a desire to reach the limit of what I am capable of, to get to the point of failure. Now most people would be expecting for me to say “and push through it” but if I am honest that is not why I am doing it, don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t go into it hoping to fail, or to fail because I didn’t but the effort in training. In some ways to reach the limit of my capabilities is to potentially not be able to continue, be it 40 miles in, 60, 70 or even 99.

With the registration for the North Downs Way 100 fast approaching I have little time to make a decision, one which I will make together with my wife (as she is the one who suffers the absentee husband, out on his 4+ hour training runs). With the NDW50 now on a different date it is easier to build in that run as part of the training for a 100 mile attempt.

It is quite a difficult thing to explain, this type of rational behind why I want to do this. Most runners wouldn’t contemplate this, going on the assumption that the goal is to finish. This maybe what separates individuals who compete in Ultra distance vs. other running events. The challenge is not always to succeed, but to know yourself and you limits.

Could this be mine?