Some things just cant be avoided …yet sometimes they are just what you needed !! Prep for the Art O Neil ….

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Mark Lyons

Snow , moving house , Xmas and the New year ….. oh !  and Art O Neil ...

Training ground to a halt in November/December with both the weather and Xmas at the shop …I am really frustrated at the lack of training especially given the amazing training load I was giving myself before the snow and Ice arrived , I was really stepping it up and feeling confident about my desert preparation and all of a sudden it was over , I was worried .. my pace had slowed , running on ice makes for a slow , short yet deliberate stride , hard work just to keep in control , minus 17 degree temps are hard on your lungs but I made the effort to at least keep trying to train , no point in just saying fuck it !! its too cold , something is always better than nothing .On one amazing cold yet sunny Sunday I had the pleasure to get out with Kenny Short and Billy Fraser who gave me a lesson in covering ground with a 13 miler over the fields in knee deep snow , one of the best days Ive had for ages and one that opened my eyes to hill climbing , watching them effortlessly make their way up calf bursting slopes made me envious of the buggers !!Xmas came and went , I worked right through except for Xmas day  but on New Years day I set out to run from my cottage to the Mintos , over the top of both hills and then onto Fatlips Castle , pausing briefly to take in the view before plunging down to Denholm then attempting to run to the top of Ruberslaew with out stopping , I didnt make it but I gave it a good go , making it to almost 100 feet from the top  , then back to Denholm Brae , through Denholm and back to Horsley Hill , 18 solid hill ridden miles ,  all in 3 hours .. HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!I actually believe the enforced rest helped both in mental and physical recovery , I feel a spring in my step again , a new lease of life and more importantly appreciating the running just for the running again .. it should never be a chore !!

I had entered the Art O Neil Challenge on the 7th of January and hoped Id be fit .. its a 36mile ultrathon starting at Dublin Castle and opening with a 16 mile road/lane run to Kippure Outdoor centre set high in the Wicklow Hills and then racing 20 miles over the Wicklow Mountains .. for most people a 16 mile run is enough but to then head over a rough , steep set of back country mountains make this one of Irelands toughest events … so off I went hoping I would make it round and as it turned out all my snow training came in to effect and gave me a superb night/day out …….It started at 2am from Dublin Castle , running through the streets until we left Dublin City , swapping streets for country lanes , then up the steepest hill I ever ran , if I knew what lay ahead of me I think that I would have given up at the bottom , it climbed and climbed , it was steep then not so steep then steeper , it gave you a moments rest before throwing in an even steeper more ice laden section … my legs were screaming at the top but I darent lose the runners in front as I didnt have a clue where I was so I pressed on  … but then all of a sudden it started to dip and flatten , then it was a nice rolling section to the the Kippure out door centre , this allowed us to change from road shoes to trail shoes and to put an extra layer on before we entered the high mountain stages … I had never seen Dublin before , let alone its mountains , so as I stepped out into the barren Moorland at 5am in the morning in the pitch dark with only a compass for company I started to wonder WHY ??  I honestly thought after an hour of blindly following bearings through tall grass and marsh land that I was hopelessly lost ..

but all of a sudden I fell out the moor into what looked like a country lane , the map confirmed this and I was quickly weaving my way towards Black Hill , this was the climb of all climbs and was a snow ridden firetrack .. I switched my head torch off and ran it in the moonlight .. I just couldnt bear to look up a never ending hill AGAIN !!!!   I climbed slowly but steadily upwards until I saw a Landrover parked next to a forest ,I switched on my head torch and the Marshall jumped out , up here he said pointing to a firebreak .. I headed up , it was steeper than before and rock strewn , so I stopped running and adopted a run then walk up the super steep parts technique , this gained me a bit of recovery before I hit the top of the trail , I then ran , snow in my face until I could see it break out the forest and into the moors again , high moors though , cold and windy .. I got out my GPS , this was tricky now , I put the head down and climbed .. for an eternity dodging holes , frozen heather , it was getting tougher as we moved forward … I met 2 Irish boys , Derek and Aiden , 2 great guys and we stuck together for company .. as it turned out we ran as a group until the end .. I was glad of the company and we seemed evenly matched physically ..  the two of them knew a lot of the route also .. relief that you are heading the right way can take a lot of stress off ..

On top of the Peat hagg Of Table Mountain

The sun came up , well maybe a better description is that it got less dark , and we could see the way ahead off the moor , we ran down to a forest , through it on a slippery path then onto a stile and a deer fence , we followed the deer fence and we broke out onto a road and down by half a click to the check point , my Friend Adrian Shanahan was waiting with a huge pot of Porridge , fantastic …. 26 miles down only the hardest 10 to go !!The 3 of us head off from the checkpoint , the ultra shuffle keeping us moving forward , we cut off onto a fire road and up to a winding path through the heather , we climb for an eternity , its a fast march now , no running as its far too steep and difficult , its getting colder and colder , easily into double minus figures , my face is burning as we summit at Arts Cross , a monument erected to commemorate Art O Neil , the man who has brought us here , like noble warriors fighting our way through the night to this cross , elation at reaching it , knowing that I did not have to climb any more and that we could let our tired legs free wheel 2500 feet to the bottom , first though was the task of navigating the 3 frozen lakes and then a twisty frozen peat bog but soon we were whizzing down twisting forestry paths and fire roads , its amazing the life that can come back into your legs when you know glory is close at hand  .. seeing the finish was my proudest moment so far in running .. knowing that on this one I had seriously fought my way to the finish line

…

Art , Aiden and Derek I salute you 😀

Please take the time to read my page  :  http://www.justgiving.com/Marko3006

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Its the little things that keep me going ….

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Mark Lyons

Head Torch Hill race….

 

I have been writing these notes / posts at every milestone on my way to the Desert , but today I thought that I had to throw a little one into the mix , mainly because I awoke to the fact that its not just the big challenge of Ultrathon , Desert races and the like that keep me going , its actually the little pleasures that you encounter on the way …

I have discovered over the last year that just getting out running  with friends and having a laugh and a chat is the most important part of it all and because of this fitness becomes just part of running , not the everything of running ..

When Im out on my own I enjoy it and work hard , self motivation is the key here , without it you will never be able to keep it up and ultimately you give it up , getting out with friends however, makes you look forward to it , helps you get your shorts and trainers on and get out running and in turn you get fitter  , nothing surer than that … you also build friendships , you share experiences , these things will last for ever , training with Louise , Gav , dodger and the lads , my first half marathon ,being there with Murph and Elsdon for Murphs debut at Glasgow ,  breaking the 20 mile barrier with Gav , my memory of the Amsterdam Marathon with Darren Murphy , shaking each others hands as we crossed the finish  line together they are all with me for life  ..

And occasionally something crazy comes along , so last night I did a Head Torch Hill race with my Friend Kenny Short and his Triathlon club , what a night !! , it was fantastic , I was laughing all the way down from the top and I was still buzzing today thinking about it , it was FUN , really Fun , running about in the pitch black with head torches shining out in front trying to find a muddy single track path and climbing up and up to the top , 1400 feet of climbing , if I could have seen it , It probably would have psyched me out but I couldn’t so I worked hard and made the top , puffing but I was there , then it was a helter skelter ride right back down , flying through the mud and branches trying to keep on my feet , I negotiated the hardest part laughing all the way , only to have Kenny jump me out of the bushes just to add some fun … the Belses bogeyman .. strikes again ..

So what I am trying to say is that you don’t have to be super fit to do all this , you just need to get out , get involved  …… and in turn you might live to be 100 .. So next time you say theres nothing to do , try something different .

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From 3 miles to Ultrathon … the story so far!

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Mark Lyons

In February I bought a pair of running shoes and embarked on a mission to run a 1/2 marathon in April , then I set a goal of a marathon in September and achieved this in Amsterdam with Darren Murphy , but instead of taking the foot off the gas like most sensible people would do , I upped the ante’ and embarked on a new far greater challenge , to complete “The Marathon Des Sable” , a multi stage race over 6 days ,racing 156 miles across the Sahara Desert , often called “The toughest foot race in the world”

This is a very tall order and has started to take over my life , I can think of nothing else , obviously I go about my daily life as normal but what I used to call my spare time is now Des Sable time .. Training is now totally geared to this race and my days out are all based around being fit enough for this race… so basically , yes it is consuming my life … its not all bad though as I am enjoying it , if it was feeling like a chore then it would be worthless .. , I wonder if my friends are enjoying it quite so much though , Kenny especially as I daily grill him for advice and confirmation that I’m doing ok ,Conrad with the constant barrage of Emails that I send him looking for advice and Nicky who just listens intently although this may be something to do with the fact that I’m paying him to be there .. haha

So my next step after a marathon is Ultrathon , these are super tough races above a Marathon distance and across mixed terrain ,to do these races you need to be ULTRA fit , so up went my training load again , running twice a day , back into the gym and loads of swimming for my lungs , I am really reaping the benefits of the training now , my running has improved so much in the past 8 weeks and my ability to recover from the previous days effort is almost magical .. Running over 79 miles last week and finishing it with a 4 hour marathon on Sunday…and on Monday I was ready to go again !! this amazed even me , however this week I did cut the mileage back in preparation for my first Ultrathon and I’m glad I did ..

My first Ultrathon constituted of 29 miles across the most rugged part of the West Highland way, it started in Kinlochleven and climbed 1500 feet in its first 4 miles, then dropped over the devils staircase into Glencoe and raced across Rannoch moor, over into Glen Orchy, all the way along the Glen to finish off in Tyndrum … 4000+ feet of ascent and descent, mostly over rocky and uneven terrain, a lot of it was covered in snow and ice, what a day!!

Both physically and mentally demanding in the extreme, it took me over some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery in Scotland, topping out after a huge climb up the back of the Devils staircase and looking down at Glencoe in all its glory, seeing its mountains topped with snow and the sun shining across the horizon was almost magical… then continuing over the hills into Rannoch and beyond , every corner of the run was jaw droppingly beautiful , this did help keep my mind off my sore legs , and oh my god they were aching , every muscle was being pounded like never before … this type of running requires a lot of strength as well as agility , it has far greater demand on your legs than of a marathon , where its just one foot in front of another , over and over again , I was really stepping up my game even attempting this race.

Accuracy of where you place your feet is also very important, the terrain is rough and uneven and a twisted ankle waits for the unwary, this keeps you occupied but also tires you mentally as the miles go by, however despite aching legs I held it together until the end and crossed the finish line just over the 6 hour mark, a very good first Ultrathon indeed.

I was glowing with self satisfaction the whole way home , I really couldn’t believe what I had just done , even now I can hardly believe what I did , this was marred slightly however by the fact that my legs required me to stop the car every half hour to stretch them out , 5 hours later I was in the bath , still dreaming of Highland mountains and the finish line .. definitely my finest hour ..

Id like to say that physically I was finally there but I am not , I need to be capable of doing 6 of these Ultrathons back to back in the Desert with temperatures of 56 C , I hope I can keep going and continue to get fitter , I do know that it is getting harder to keep up the training load and that injury just cant happen as it will knock me back weeks , I just need to keep trying to improve and on the day I will make it happen through sheer determination ………….

Challenges like this one don’t come easy .. You need to fight for them .

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Marathon Des Sable 2011

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Mark Lyons

The Toughest Footrace on Earth

“It covers 243km/151 miles (in sections similar to 25, 34, 38, 82, 42, 22 km) run over 6 days – equivalent to 5 1/2 regular marathons. . . In addition to that, competitors have to carry everything they will need for the duration (apart from a tent) on their backs in a rucksack (food, clothes, medical kit, sleeping bag etc). Water is rationed and handed out at each checkpoint.

Marathon des Sables 2011

You will experience mid-day temperatures of up to 120°F, of running or walking on uneven rocky, stony ground as well as 15 – 20% of the distance being in sand dunes.

The heat, distance and rubbing will trash your feet and may cause severe trauma if incorrect shoes and equipment are used. Mental stamina probably constitutes at least 50% of whether you will complete the distance or not. Physical fitness is important but don’t underestimate the mental stress that you will need to endure.

On the 4th day, you will set off across the barren wilderness to complete a 45 – 50 mile stage. Few people complete this before dark that evening and some will not come in till after dark the next night. This is followed by the 42km Marathon stage!! It’s tough!! ”

That is the opening paragraph on the application form, it’s meant to put people off, yet it makes me even more intrigued.

Marathon des Sables 2011

I have followed the Marathon Des Sable for years, watched it on Eurosport, loved the footage of people running over the dunes, through mud hut villages, over dried river beds, I watched the interviews, men with sun burnt faces and dried lips barely able to talk because they are so dry, lying half dead on their backs and exclaiming that it was amazing!! , I have dreamt of being one of those guys for what seems like a lifetime, yet I was always chasing another dream, the dream of kayaking flooded gorges in far flung places or of hanging by the finger tips off of 1000 foot rock faces, but now, when the fire doesn’t burn so bright for my other pursuits there is room to try to pull off one last dream … Competing in the Marathon Des Sable…………

So I applied for a space in 2012 , plenty of time to be prepared , to train my body, to build my mental strength, but I missed the ballot and was asked to reapply in 2013, fair enough I thought , let’s see how I feel about it next year.

However the week before I flew to Amsterdam for the marathon  , I  received an email from the organizers offering me a place in the 2011 event , apparently the recession has even hit an event like this and there had been several cancellations  , far too soon I thought , surely I can’t be ready ?? yet I was about to run Amsterdam marathon , this was as fit as I had been for years , then I thought that if I fail the ballot in 2013 I will regret not taking this chance forever ,  I pick up the phone with a shaky hand and accept my place .. And on the 1st of Apri 2011 I will be on the starting line of the Marathon Des Sable, a dream come true.

I ask myself what the Marathon Des Sable means to me, it’s a test of my abilities and fitness, a huge challenge to see if I can complete the journey and run over the finish line , lie on the ground half dead and tell the French camera man it was amazing.

Marathon des Sables 2011

For the past week I have asked serious questions of myself, Can I train hard enough, have I learnt enough over the years to survive until the finish, can I figure out the logistics, how good will I be at managing my food intake and hydration, all things I have learnt through either climbing or kayaking, yet I’ve never had to apply them in such an extreme and inhospitable environment as the Sahara desert…. and especially when running against the clock with limited water..If there is one good thing about a kayak expedition, it is that there is never a shortage of water!

So now reality bites , the excitement of gaining entry is replaced with nervous thoughts of the huge effort it is going to take to do this ,yet I accept the challenge , I will work harder than I ever have and because of this I won’t fail , I will build myself into a man capable of completing  the Marathon Des Sable ….

I have to run 50-60 miles a week , in the winter months until xmas , then up this to over 80 in the new year , all this in the wind and rain , mental training indeed .

Marathon des Sables 2011

I need to run with a loaded pack , I need to work out my water intake, my calorific usage , I need to make sure I have all the right equipment and know how and when  to use it , that I carry the correct food , that I manage my electrolytes and salts , that I don’t sit on a camelback spider .. These by the way sneak up on you at night, numb your arm and eat the flesh off it, and they are 10″ long…. scorpions are also in abundance …I hate beasties , they give me the heeby jeebies !!!!

This week has been my first week of Ultra training and already I have ran over 40 miles , swam 1500 meters and cycled 26 miles of black route …. and it is only Thursday ,  16 more weeks like this to go!!!

Many thanks to Martin at : http://www.likeys.com/ and Dave at : http://shop.sand-baggers.com/ for helping kit me out with all my equipment … best guys in the world …

Please read my page and donate if possible :  http://www.justgiving.com/marko3006/

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