Skip to main content

Addo 100 first prerace blog


How DO you train for spending 100 miles on your feet? The cut off is 37 hours... there is 5700 meters of elevation (18,000ft) and temperatures varying between 5 and 50'C over the event history...
Obviously you run, walk, drink and eat. These are all things you have to practice over and over for an event like the Addo Elephant Trail Run, aka #AfricasWildestUltra. Practice doesn’t always make perfect… but it does help improve how your body reacts.
In 2018 I ran for myself... I ran (or walked most of) Washie 100 and then trained for a marathon PB of 3h29.54 on 1 December 2018 at the PE City Marathon. After 4 days of rest, I started training again... and began a #runstreak thanks to Bradley of Trailbusters in Nelson Mandela Bay. This may have been the best or a bad thing…
In the first build up of my Addo training I started to experience tightness in my fascial pathways. This could have been triggered by any number of things: stress, sleeplessness, overtraining, or just a little accident. When it didn't go away, I thought I might need some professional help... and thanks to #parkrun friends I found a biokineticist who got me through the Van Stadens Mountain Marathon (1750m/5700ft elevation over 42km) without being further hurt. In fact I felt stronger and more prepared for #Addo100!

And then I slept. Sleep is such an important part of recovery. And its fun when you get it right!

Ilona Hearne Biokinetics have now assessed my strengths and weaknesses and we've been working on a few areas to even out the imbalances in my body... This will help me run further, harder and faster. Maybe not before Addo, but I'll be damned if I don't finish with their help.

And of course a huge part of training for 100 miles is to know WHY you're doing it. And that is the reason for #RazeABar. I do it because I want to, because I want to test my limits (I believe I can, but there is a 30% drop out rate at Addo) and I want to be able to highlight great causes and enable others to give back to professionals that give effectively!

An important part of training is work... because you have to be able to afford it all! Nothing in life is free. But trail running, because of its remote nature, is not cheap. The kind of people you meet and sights you see are amazing and well worth the sacrifice. And I'm glad I enjoy my work at Cellucity. 

And so I encourage you to donate through my campaign... but more importantly to consider a long term relationship with a charity that touches your heart! I've been involved with Christmas Cheer for over 20 years, and with One Land Love it since 2015. Let's make a difference together...

I think it goes without saying that if you want to run 100 miles (160.934km) that you must run. And if you're like 99% of people, you should probably train walking as well, because running 100 miles is a long way. See Knights & Unicorns...


Labels:

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 23, 2019 at 9:45 PM

    There's a lot of science in being able to run 100 miles - but the self discipline and passion to build a foundation in training gets you to that start line. You've shown bucket loads of both Steve. OLLI supports your efforts for good Steve.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lancaster LegendFebruary 24, 2019 at 6:38 PM

      I think its often just bloody-minded stubborness! Thank you for the vote of confidence and support! #OLLI rocks

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Truth of the Trail: Karkloof 100

I said to Andrew & Deon, "On the long trail, either you are truthful, or you are dead. And perhaps this is why we are a close community of people who know and believe in each other. We root for each other's success because we relate so honestly."

Friday night at 8pm, the gun was worked into the theme tune to the Greatest Showman. We Karkloof 100 milers were off, not quite like prey in front of lion... but the atmosphere was just as charged! An amazing show to send us on our way. It had been hot all Friday. Dry heat. It was due to get as hot on Saturday.

AMUK update: I had aced Addo. UTD and me... let's call it a tie (although I might flatter myself here). And Mac Mac bit my bullet... I finished, but it took everything I had. 14 weeks later, I'd recovered mostly, but not been able to maintain 100 mile fitness. I was as ready as I could be...

Rene & Frikkie (official and unofficial AMUK wayfinders) were prepped and looking good. There was no hope for me to …
5 comments
Read more

Addo 100 - Race Report #RunAMUK for #RazeABar

A week after completing the Washie 100 miler I started training for my 2nd miler... I couldn't walk, but in my head it started. It was a kind of running “I am because we are” (loose translation of an African philosophical idea labeled “uBuntu”). Truth be told, it probably started when I ran my first official 5km run or parkrun many moons before that!
uBuntu philosophy leads to other African proverbs like, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with friends”. Race medals need friends, too, right? From a road 100 miler I needed to add a bush 100… and of course there are many around the world as one of the faster growing sports. The more 100 milers the better, right…? And of course me going far at Washie meant a great team of unicorn support on that road, and many miles training with mates leading up to Addo! Go together…
There were a lot of lessons I needed to learn at Washie. Teamwork, nutrition, hydration, training the right amount (not too much is as damaging…
2 comments
Read more

Mac Mac Ultra 100: Ear worms and elevators!

What are the effects you can expect from doing 100 miles on foot? Hunger. Tiredness. Hallucinations. Blisters. Bruises. Toenail funerals. Sleep monsters. And others... Nobody mentions EARWORMS... [definition: a catchy song or tune that runs continually through a person's mind. I might amend that...]

Legends are made from stories. Sometimes they are true. Sometimes they have music.
Make sure you pick a good tune if you choose an earworm as a pet. The Cranberries version of "Zombie" is a good tune. For the first 15 hours. Thereafter... you're the zombie! But, I'm ahead of myself. There were three sections to my Mac Mac adventure: the first part where I felt good: 11 miles. The second part where I wondered if I'd make it: 70 miles. The last part that I'll just call "Zombie": 19 miles.
Ideal race preparation goes "smoothly" and is "stress free". A few niggles that hampered recovery and training in the 2 weeks leading up to the r…
4 comments
Read more