Reflections and Plans

Looking back, this year went pretty darn well for me all said.  Sure, my 100 mile finish has once again eluded me, but I've made a huge number of positive gains on lots of other fronts.

I've done 13 races this year, ranging from 10k through to 100 miles (well, 91 miles) with a big old mix of everything in between.  That's 485 miles (776km) of racing through the year with only a single DNF. I managed top 10 finishes in quite a few and PBs at 50 mile and 100km. None too shabby!

The Races

Fashion sense is what other people have.

• Pilgrims Challenge 
• Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 10k
• National XC Championships
• South Downs Way 50
• London 2 Brighton Challenge
• Endure24 2015
• JP Morgan 5.6k Run
• Endure12 2015
• North Downs Way 100 (DNF)
• Tolkien Challenge Run
• 9bar 9x9 (54k race)
• Black Ranscombe Challenge
• Vegan Runners Virtual Run for World Vegan Day

So what's the point of all this lovely self congratulations you might ask? Well, firstly I'd like to remind you, the lovely reader, that all this has only been possible (in my humble opinion) due to my plant powered diet.  Since leaving behind meat, milk and eggs, my energy, fitness and general outlook on life has continued to improve.  

What a difference 5 years can make...

What's in store for 2016 then?  Well in addition to the standard assortment of ooh-that-looks-interesting-let's-book-it races, I've signed up to do the 50 mile grand slam with Centurion Running. That's running each of the four different 50 mile races they are offering next year and seeing how you do against others in accumulated time.  Neat huh?

I'm not planning on tackling the 100 mile distance at this point. I respect those who can do it, but it is all too much preparation for one big party and I'd rather spread out the fun a bit more next year. Plenty of time left yet to have another go at cracking the distance.

Apart from the races, I have a few general goals, such as getting better at hills, cross training more on the bike, getting a bit of my speed back and see if I can beat my PBs from 5k upwards.

Bring it on!

South Downs Way 50

Yesterday I finished my first proper ultra run, the South Downs Way 50 mile run from Centurion Running. Here I sit, a day after the race and it still hasn't quite sunk in yet.  Overall the race went pretty well, but it is hard to put the 8 hours and 49 minutes of hills, clouds and English countryside into words.

At the start - check out the cheeky bugger in the background!

What went well:

1. Stayed hydrated
2. Nutrition was fine with no stomach issues
3. Feet had zero blisters!  I highly recommend pre-taping your feet and finding the right shoes
4. Found a special "uphill" gear to my running which let me run past a lot of people
5. Didn't fall over

6. Beat my target time, yay!

7. The weather was damn near perfect
8. Having a crew was awesome. It a great pick-me-up to see Julie and to have goodies delivered throughout the race. Made a big difference

9. The race was super well organised and had marvellous volunteers
10. There were plenty of food options for vegans at the aid stations. Never went hungy!

What went less-than-well:

1. My hydration pack rubbed against my back and caused a lot of chaffing.  Never run with it for so long with all the mandatory kit before. Lesson learnt.

Wooo, finished!

2. I had a few mental lows, especially around 2/3rds of the way. Mostly brought about by pure fatigue I think.  Coming out of the mile 42 aid station I felt great after some food and salt tabs.
3. Still not great with hills. I feel if I can get strong with them, I will save *a lot* off my overall time.

I will admit that straight afterwards I was questioning my ability to do a 100 mile run next month!

The Verdict:

The South Downs Way 50 is a brilliantly run and organised race. If you are considering your first 50 mile ultra, you would do well to consider this race. The runners are friendly, the volunteers amazing, the food at the aid stations was varied and yummy. 

Go on, sign up for 2015, you know you want to :)

Here is the Strava breakdown of the race http://app.strava.com/activities/127233674 if you are curious.

Race Report - adidas Silverstone Half Marathon

Last weekend I did the adidas Silverstone Half marathon, my first race since going plant powered!

The starting straight, feeling good

I picked this particular race as I thought it was quite unique, set on the Silverstone F1 racing circuit. I pictured myself tearing through the track, kissing the corners and zigzagging through the chicanes.  The reality was much more sedate than that, averaging 13.5km/h rather than 135 :)

The race itself went really well. The new-improved-plant-powered Matthew entered the race feeling good and a full 7 kg lighter than when I did the Royal Parks Half. I felt really strong throughout and my only enemy was my own mind.  I realised that you need to train mental strength just as much the physical, which is something I need to work on. Since this wasn't an A race, I had to push myself to keep up a good pace, with a constant inner struggle of "slow down, no one will mind!" competing with "run faster you lazy bastard!"over and over.

Just before the finish line, smiles all round

Made it through strongly in the end, finishing with a personal best of 1:34:58.  Since my target was 1:35, I'd call that a success.  Based on that performance, my marathon should be 3:30 or less.  I need to get down to a 1:30 half to target a sub 3:10 marathon (and entry into the London Marathon)... Which gives me something to aim for in any case. 

Really happy with everything on my first running test, so a big thumbs up for vegan athleticism! 

Day 9 - Who doesn't like a PB?

Clearly not me. Very victorious though.

Today I went for a 10km run at lunch and managed to set a new PB (not hard at my pace, but hey). I'm taking this as definitive proof that my plant based diet is working in at least some small measure. However that got me to thinking and I believe that in order to progress you can't focus on a single thing - you have to take a holistic approach.  So while I've been focusing a lot on my diet, I've also been thinking about how I feel (aches, pains, tiredness, energy, etc), my sleep and my thoughts.

So I'm aiming for:

• Positive thoughts - I will not stress about the things I cannot change and will not allow anger/fear to control me
• Good eating - not just eliminating animal products, but thinking about everything I'm using to fuel my body
• Proactive actions - stretches and targeted exercises for weak areas
• Rest - making sure I get to bed at a good time and sleep deeply 

But above all:

• Hard work and patience - good things come to those who work both hard and smart. Progress from determined effort is its own reward.

I think I'm making progress on all these, however incremental. Onward!