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News from 2008 December
08
Thank you to those of you who sent wonderful messages of support. Read messages
Photo: Sharon with Ralf Weis (Bislett 2008 mens race winner) After my most serious event of the year I followed it up with the most fun event of the year, a jog around the Albert Park Time Trial of 5km dressed as Santa, even Bill managed to have a run around with his hat and beard. The pictures are great and even got on TV so if you do wish to have a look at a few santas and link to the ITV program look at the Middlesbrough News section of www.parkrun.com. These are free events for anyone to run once you have registered and take place 9am every Saturday morning - I didn't even get a personal worst so was pretty chuffed at that performance too!!
The trophy from Bislett Stadium 24 hours is the biggest, heaviest trophy I have got - weighing in at 9kg (20lb) - so big that it will not fit on the shelf in the garage! November
08 October
08 As I had entered Tooting Bec 24 hours I decided to have a crack, I had been running just 8 weeks by the time I did this race. Three very easy weeks of less that 40 miles, three very hard weeks in excess of 80 miles, a two week taper, then bang, straight into the race. I was in confident mode and if everything went to plan then I could run similar to last year where I achieved 212km, plan B was just in case I wasn't as fit as I thought and was to finish in good shape by 12 hours and treat it as a long training run. The weather was kind to us and found a good window of calm, day weather. I started off exactly on schedule and by 10 hours had easily gone through 100km and feeling good and thought this was going to happen, but gradually my hips began to ache and came in for a quick massage. Not feeling much better I continued on and the pace was gradually dropping. After 12 hours came the crunch decision - do I battle on and hope for the best or do a call it a day and save myself while still in reasonable shape. It was obvious that 3 months out was just far too long in terms of fitness to catch up in just 8 weeks and just 3 hard weeks, so cut my losses and withdrew in good shape after around 72 miles of running. Although a bit disappointed it was expected and just thought I was superhuman for just a short space of time. My longest race during the 8 weeks had been just 15 miles, although I had done a couple of long slow training runs of 28 miles and 38 miles on consecutive weeks. So it is now back to the drawing board and another training program to build on the 8 weeks done and a good long 12 hour training run. The following week I did the Albert Park Time Trial to see how much tiredness was left in me from my long run and was pleasantly surprised to get my fastest 5km time at Albert Park since the injury -so 12 hours running obviously did me good!! For November I have got races planned for every weekend now and some extra strength training sessions specifically for the hips, which it where I was lacking in the 24 hours. Plans are also taking shape for another attempt at a 6 day race early next year. Sept
08 August
08 July
08 From then on we took the Coast and Castles route hitting the tides at the right time to take a visit ot Holy Island, somewhere I had wanted to visit for a long time, Bamburgh Castle was also the most impressive castle I think I have ever seen. After Berwick
it was across to Kelso and some stiff clims to Edinburth. Our quick
visit to friends Murdo and Jo was generously extended for another
day as the weather did its worst and plenty to sightsee in Edinburgh
anyway. Bill was also thankful of the recovery, good food, good
company and superb accommodation (and even clean clothes to go),
friends like this are invaluable. We decided not to proceed any
further North and continued to Glasgow and back down the Lochs and
Glens route to Carlisle finishing with Hadrians Wall cycle path.
June
08 May 08 The big one for this month was the Surgeres 48 hour race in France. Only the World's best athletes get invited to this race and was not let down by the organisation. It was probably the best organised race I had ever been to and was a big honour to be invited. From being picked up from the airport, the hotel in the same road as the track, a friendly dinner together with all the athletes, many of whom were international friends I had known for many years. The race was on a 300m cinder track that was newly re-surfaced the day we arrived and again just before the start of the race. All the athletes were given a caravan each for sleeping and storing equipment and for the crew to look after you. Bill was my handler as usual and the organisers provided him with food throughout the event. Each runner had an individual lap recorder who was trackside in a tent with all numbers labelled so was easy to find. Hourly splits were printed out and handed to crew along with a leader board that was updated. I was very excited
about competing in this race, I had been invited several times before
but never been in a position to compete, I have wanted to run a
48 hour race for some time so was really pleased to finally be making
my debut but was unsure exactly how far I could run and so although
I did have several schedules written it was very much "go out
and try it and see how much sleep you need". At 4 hours I had by first planned walk and food, a bowl full of noodles. This went down well and after continuing on my way was aware that my adductors were beginning to invade my head and took a couple of Ibuprofen to settle them down, I could not believe I was having a problem so early on in the race and thought the problem would just settle down and go away and probably due to running so slowly on this smaller than usual track. The surface of the track was drying out now and quite liked running on cinder, just like an old railway line surface. By 5 hours my adductors were really giving me pain again and so decided to come in for a massage from Bill in order to solve the problem. He massaged the area but the adductors didn't really feel sore and could not find the route cause of the problem. The problem appeared to be directly on the bone and began to worry that this was not a soft tissue problem. I carried on but was walking and running now as it was quite painful still. I came in again and decided to see the race Medical Team to try to shed further light on the nature of my problem. There was quite a language barrier and between a translator the doctor examined me. He thought it was soft tissue and gave me strong pain killers and continue. I was not confident now, had been here before in Monaco, it was just too early on in the race to take anything stronger than Ibuprofen. Bill suggested taking an hour's break and seeing if rest made any differece. It was dark now anyway. I rested in the caravan for an hour and then tried again. Bill said to just walk a few laps to warm it up and let it settle, but one lap was enough to tell me the answer, this was painful and was hobbling just to walk on this and ended my race. It was very disappointing, I was so curious to see how I would have performed for 24 hours with having a slower than normal start and what my debut performance would have been, I have been left to ponder and still not know how well I can run this event. It was disappointing as I have wanted to run a 48 hour race for so long and this is the best 48 hour race in the World, I suppose I will just have to wait and see if the organisers will be kind enough to invite me again next year as I would really like to have a real crack at this. April 08 It feels as
though I have barely been home, I finished the Marathon des Sables
but my feet had not really recovered from Libya and my back gave
me a few problems carrying the extra weight. The good news though
is that I only had 8 blisters on returning instead of 20+ and didn’t
lose any extra toe nails as I only had two remaining at the start
of the Marathon des Sables. It was a wonderful experience and nice
to tick off one of the “classics” in the calendar, but
doubt I will ever run it again. It was so desolate and monotonous
compared to Libya and can’t say I really enjoy living in the
camp conditions with absolutely everything being covered in sand
and unable to shower for a whole week. Although the freeze-dried
food had improved dramatically since I last had this it was not
suitable for 7 days of hard running and needed to eat much more
to have the energy to run at a competitive pace. Also I can’t
say running with 800 competitors was great, I am so used to smaller
events of around 100 people that it was hard to get used to having
people constantly with me and never out of sight. I must say I really
do enjoy the “loneliness of the long distance runner”
and drifting off in my own thoughts. The hot temperatures of up
to 46 degrees was good though as this showed how well I could cope
with the heat with Badwater not too far off. The other bit of news
was that I managed to sort out the “piles” translation
from Libya – they had to be put into different disposal bags,
piles being batteries and hence the problems with GPS. Download full
report: marathon des sables
2008.doc March 08 Well the Libyan
Challenge report is written and is available for download: Download: ITV's report on Sharon's preparation for the Libya run (wmv video clip 7.4Mb) February 08 Conditions for this month
have been bitterly cold so far and although my underlying fitness
has improved dramatically along with my speed, my performances in
a couple of the longer runs have not shown my real fitness due to
my asthma. The regular 5km time trials at Hyde Park have improved
by 2 minutes and have a new pb for 3km on the track. I did long
runs of 25 miles in the Rombalds Stride which was severly hampered
by snow and ice and in the flat 54 miles of the Thames Meander the
bittlerly cold weather hit my breathing by the first checkpoint
and was taking my asthma pumps and walking quite a bit to keep the
breathing under control, but was pleased to report that I managed
to finish and do over 8 1/2 hours of running as this was my last
chance for a long run before Libya, just two weeks later, where
I should have no problems with cold weather!!! January 08 I started running again just before Christmas and am now well into my program preparing for the Libyan Challenge at the end of February. My distance work has been easy but the speed has suffered a lot by having time out. I am slowly progressing on this aspect but some way to go yet. Winter is never my favourite time and can’t wait to get the warmer weather again. I have raced most weeks and most impressed at the new Hyde Park Time Trials that are held every Saturday morning in Leeds, just 5km runs but a good workout and easy to monitor progress. My 10 mile time at Ferriby was 75 minutes, around 5 minutes slower than expected on an average fitness level and this was done off the back of a 90 mile week and shows how much more I still have to claw back. The World 24 Hours were finally announced for Korea in October and there is to be no European 24 Hours, the bad news at present is that it is unlikely that UKA are going to send any athletes to these championships. Will have to see how that progresses and whether I want to compete there as an individual. The statistics for the year have now been reported, GB number 1 at 24 hours again, this makes 11 consecutive years now and in the World Statistics for 24 hours I dropped from 8th last year to 11th this year, however I have done a 12 hour performance that would rank me 5th in the World. My plans for
the year are now finalised and have changed yet again. Although
I desperately want to have another crack at running a 6 day race
this may have to wait until 2009 now. I am back to my original plan
for a very “HOT” year. The Libyan Challenge is first
on the list, followed by the Marathon des Sables, in May is the
Surgeres 48 hour race, with all these being hot races it just seemed
appropriate to go back to my original plan for running in the World’s
Hottest Race across Death Valley – the Badwater 135 miles
in July. As my races prior to this event are all hot races I don’t
think any other year would prepare me so well for the heat. Thank you for the wonderful comments after the Bislett race: CB wrote: AR wrote:
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After
3 months of hard training the result is here for all to see, at
the Bislett 24 Hours on 6th/7th December I set a new personal best
of 219km, new stadium record, the World's Best Indoor 24 Hour Performance
for 2008 and new British Indoor Record, so can safely say at this
late stage in the year that my position as GB Number 1 at 24 hours
is safe for the 12th consecutive year. Everything went to plan,
apart from being much colder than anticipated the result was good
and is something to build on for the future. I know I can still
run further. The event was organised superbly but just a little
congested for the first 12 hour, but a real experience should you
wish to read the full report. 
Although all my plans are in place for 2009 there may be some changes
due to finances and work commitments,, Bill has now been made redundant
with just 4 weeks pay and little prospect of finding work. I lost
a major contract at Mulgrave Castle for 8 weeks that usually sees
me through the year so we are both actively looking for work. If
I get full time employment it will not be easy to get time off for
racing and hence the reason 2009 may not go according to plan. But
there are many people out there in the same position, we still have
each other and still have our health which are far more important.
