Odysseus's Journey

Odysseus

ultraman1 wrote: »

gret runnin odyseuss ....youl need all d hard miles for that long day at d mds.....

Cheers mate, I'm a tad dissapointed with this week, it was supposed to be my hard week. The distance wasn't too bad but I should have been doing it with the backpack. I'll just have to make up for it over the coming weeks.

Odysseus

Sunday 18th Jan.

Ran 20k 2.13:34.

There were some vicious winds out there this morning. I perfer to head out around noon but I have been at home for the past five days and did little around the house. So I had to compromise and do 20k I would have liked to more but life interfers sometimes.

So a bit of a reflection on the past few days. I have booked time off work each month; my so called "hell weeks". Unfortunately this one flopped a bit. On Wednesday I ran with the backpack and finishing after 20k I felt good, like I still have something left in the tank. However, when I got up on Thursday I felt drained, I was fooked after 20k with the backpack. The plan was to do a min of 40k, but it just wasn't going to happen.

I was drained again on Friday so I dropped the backpack and managed 30k, same again yesterday and got 40k in. Today I got 20k and could have done more but life wasn't going to allow that. So I'm annoyed about not getting the pack running in. I wanted at least one 60k.

My timings have been much slower, so that says something. This showed on the Art O'Neill Challenge too. I was feeling fooked most nights, that says something too. I think part of it was I have let my diet slip the past few weeks, and I gererally use "instant carbo" on my long runs. I ran out of my supply of that. The last few days I have been using Jaffa cakes and whilst not the best the are a easy way of getting cals down your neck when your out there.

So that me for a few days, I'll be down in Dublin and just have too many things happening to get out running. Next week will be short on distance, so I will have to get my planning hat on and organise some descent runs in.

ultraman1

good runnin again odyseus.im plannin on doin the ACP 100k the week after the conn,i havent planned anything further than that but have enterd the 6 irish marathons.that will take up a bit of time regards weekends away so am plannin a bit of rest during the summer and autumn so the wife wont leave me and wiil start trainin for the 2011 mds after xmas....

Odysseus

Thursday 22nd Jan.

Ran 12k carring 13.5kg. 1.116:40.

My knee has been quite stiff the past few days, so I'm going to paly it safe and take a week off. There is plenty of time to catch up.

Odysseus

Saturday 7th Feb.

Ran 10k carying 14kg 1.03:10.

Well that's me back on the road again. I just had a minor injury and a sh!tty life, but I back out there now. I tested my new raidlight backpack today I also got a front pack that clips on to the straps. I found the thing a tad confusing at the start but it will come together in time. It seems to be a great pack sturdy and comfortable, thanks for the recommendation HM.

SUNGOD

hi Odysseus, good to hear your back running. injury's and life have a nasty habit of getting in the way of our training.
but like our running all we can do is battle on

Odysseus

Thursday 12th Feb.

Ran 20k carrying 14kg 2.26:33.

Ok hopefully I'm back in the saddle from here. I found it tough going today, but with not being too active over the past while I wasn't doing all the things that help me stay focused. I wasted a day off yesterday and nearly had the same thing happen today until I gave myself a good talking to. God if all my fellow psychoanalysts saw that last line I would proably lose my registration;)

Odysseus

Friday 13th Feb.

Ran 21k carrying 15kg 2.42:21.

I added an extra k and kg today just to spite myself! Still finding it difficult today was easier than yesterday, however, I'm not covering the distances than I had planned to be doing at this stage. Hopefully it will come together over the coming weeks.

ultraman1

HI odysses,i am goin to (try) to do a 50miler maybe in a double session dat will be in about 2weeks and ill take it easy in the conn ultra

Odysseus

Saturday 14th Feb.

Ran 20k 2.10:25.

Right I appear to be in a bit of a rut. I ditched the backpack today and wanted to at least try get 30k in. However, it just wasn't happening I seem to be fatigued at the moment.

Part of me hates giving in on days like this, but I think I'm trying to look at the bigger picture and that's me fininshing the MdS, not running myself ragged out on the backroads.

So my current plan of action is to acknowldege "something is rotten in the state of Denmark". I like my metaphors:) I plan to go for a run tomorow and then due to other committments I won't be able to run for a few days. So I plan to use that time to try to rest my body as much as possible. Get myself sorted in terms of food and sleep and re-attack my plan again.

I had hoped to get 60k with the bag done on one of the days this and run between 60-90k over the course of the others; whereas I have had nothing to do but run over the past four days and only managed 60k in total. Not a good result, but its just time to accept that for whatever reason that is all I'm capable of right now.

The important thing is that I address whatever it is that needs to be addressed. So its a run tomorrow nothing difficult just to keep me moving then 4 or 5 days rest; and I take it from there.

Odysseus

Sunday 15th Feb.

After thinking about it last night I decided to take today off. The problem I see is that I had hoped to do about 150k this week which is alot. However, I have managed a mere 60k, its a problem this close to the MdS but not quite the end of the world. With this in mind I have decided to rest until Thursday which will be my first chance to run inanyway. From there I will see how I'm feeling, and try to arrange the 60k with backpack for asap from there. I'm going with the 60k in perp for the 75-80k stage. I was hoping to run this distance as part of a set, but I don't think that will happen.

So its a case of back to the drawing board with my plans, but I'm sure I can come up with something.

Odysseus

Monday 23rd Feb.

Ran 12k carrying 13.5kg. 1.16.50.

Well I think the rest has done me some good, I feel alot more energetic than I was. Hopefully I now in a position to get myself as ready as possible for next month without overdoing it.

The run was tough today, for what ever reason the backpack grated my lower back for most of the run. No matter what way I adjusted it, it just kept rubbing my skin away!

Odysseus

Sunday 1st March,

Ran 60k 8.12:28.

Ultra man joined me for todays run. It worked out very well we just took it easy and enjoyed the day running. Time is a tad slow but that wasn;t the focus today it was just about getting the distance in.

Slogger Jogger

Wow. I don't know how you do it. Well done.

Odysseus

Sunday 15th March.

Ran 40k 4.52:54.

Bad timing took a rest at 20k for 20mins. Noticed I was getting dehydrated about the 35k mark so I picked up some sports drink and walked for a while to get it down my neck.

SUNGOD

best of luck Odysseus looking forward to hearing all about it

RacoonQueen

Best of luck Odysseus, can't wait to hear your stories when you get back. I'm so jealous of you.

ultraman1

Best o luck odysess

Odysseus

Cheers thanks for the support guys, I'm in the airport now waiting on a series of marathon flights. See you all when I get back.

Woddle

Sorry I missed you before you left, best of luck and don't forget to look after the other 2 novices

Odysseus

Woddle wrote: »

Sorry I missed you before you left, best of luck and don't forget to look after the other 2 novices [/QUOT

Cheers mate, I'm awaiting a connecting flight,
me thinks it may be the other way round;)

Abhainn

Best of luck odysess. Will be thinking of all you all all there.

Odysseus

Hi Guy and Girls,

Just letting you know I am still alive. Well that is it over now, it was the hardest race I done, like a lot of the camp I went down sick during the long day, but got through it. However, it was a case of fighting for each km at some stages. Thanks to all who sent messages of support it was great to recieve them after a hard day. I will sort out a report when I get back.

RacoonQueen

Well done Odysseus. Bet you'd do it again tomorrow if you could.

Odysseus

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Well done Odysseus. Bet you'd do it again tomorrow if you could.

You 100% correct on that, as difficult as it was. It will be at least 5 if not 10 years before I get back there again. If I every do.

Odysseus

Marathon des Sable 2009:



I arrived at the Berber Hotel the night before most of the other runners, so I had the day to myself to rest and check out Ouarzazate before meeting the rest of the English and Irish runners and of course my room mate a guy called Andy from Kent. The plan was that we would bus it out to the first camp-site on Friday and the Saturday would be taken up up with the kit and medical checks.

However as we left Ouarzazate it was starting to rain and the further we travelled the heavier the rain became, this was during a six hour period on the bus. Initially this was not a problem, however as we drove nearer the camp the rain just kept coming! Eventually, we reach the point where we would left the road and head for the camp site.

Unfortunately, the ground had become too swampy for the buses to negotiate, so we where left waiting fo about 90 mins for an army truck to transport us to camp-site one. It was at this stage that peoples anxieties started to show, the thought of a cold, wet night in a sleeping bag! Following a very bumpy journey we arrived to find a swap rather than a camp site. Andy and myself found one of the better tents here we had about 3 foot square that was dry; our bags just covered it. I had visions of spending the night sitting on my bag wrapped in a sleeping bag.

After about 15 mins we where told that we where being move to an admin tent, it was still wet but at least it had 4 sides to it. We settled down here and though still not idea I was happy to spend the night there, when compared to the previous tent. We then made our way to the food tent and it was here we were told that we were being moved to a hotel for the night. Following another bumpy ride thanks to the local army we settled down for the night. The quality of communication was very poor but we found out that day one was now cancelled and the kit and medical checks would happen on the Sunday.

That took most of Sunday we spent the night in the hotel again and on Monday morning we where taken to the new start line. After missing Sunday we where now starting on Dune Day in total it was 33k. The excitement was fever pitch as everybody was going mad to start, after all we hadn’t come here to stay in hotels. Starting off my bag was 15kg without water and on day one I carried 3lt most of the time. None of the starts occurred on time and eventually we were off.

After 1.7k we entered the Dunes for 14k, these were major dunes I have been to the Sahara twice before but never had to dealt we stuff like this, they were hundreds of feet high! The main piece of advice I had been given was to take it easy on day one so I did. I had very little to eat that morning due to anxiety so by the time I reached the first check point just after the dunes I was starving. I stopped her and cooked up something to eat and a coffee and cracked on after about a 40 min stop. The rest of the course for that day was mostly flat except for the last 5 k. It was mostly rocky desert which it very tough and unforgiving terrain. I know from previous experience it can take a lot out of you.

There was another check point at 23.8k to collect more water. The last 5k of Dunes was difficult, the gaiters helped but they didn’t stop sand from getting it, but did reduced the amount significantly. I made the last check point at 6.34:54. The it was sort out food, feet and rest for a bit. Most people were in there sleeping bags by 20.30 and asleep by 21.00 myself included. It was a very cold night, the tent only had two side and was open front and back. I ended up waking up countless times during the night freezing.

I was awake by 05.30 the next morning, the local starting to remove the tents about 06.15. The race didn’t start until 09.00 so the morning was spent sorting yourself out and collecting water. The distance for today was 36k and turned out that we where staying in the same camp tonight to give the organisers time to sort out new routes. So the route was one large circle bring us back to the camp. Here I have to say it was a case of hats off to the organisiers while we where running one route they were sorting out the next days route.

There were dune and hill to overcome but for the most part it was rocky flat terrain. This type of terrain is very hard on your feet and knees then you change to sand and its just as difficult just different! I only carried 1.5 lt of water today a little less weight and it got me from check-point to check-point; taking 2 salt tablets every hour. The temp start to increase today, most days it was at least 40 degrees. I arrived at the finish at 7.45:02. I wasn’t happy with these times but had to work with what I had. I had a front pack for my raidlight backpack; I picked it up at the last minute and hadn’t used it in training. Most people had one and they found it difficult to run with it, it kept bouncing of my stomach; very uncomfortable.

That night I had most blisters to sort out, my method was to drain them then inject some iodine into them, which worked very well I have to say. However, lets just say it stings a tad, and would definitely wake you up in the morning. Once again asleep by 21.00hrs.

The next day was the big, the one we came for; the long day. Here we found out that the last day was also cancelled, it was only going to be 15k but that wasn’t the point. The reason for this was because we had to sort out new routes we would end up too far away from to transport us back to our hotels. Most people were disappointed. However, in an attempt to make up for this today was to be the longest day ever in the history of the MdS 91k to be covered in 36hrs max.

I had a very difficult time today I was very sore and should have stopped at check-point 1 to sort my feet out but carried on. By check-point I was in bits this was a 26k, I tried to see they doctors here but after not moving in the line for 20 mins it was out with the syringes and iodine again. To be fair there were people on drips so my feet were low in importance compared to that.

I got moving again and the plan was to stop at check-point 4 eat and get in my sleeping bag for two hours before cracking on again. It was getting dark then but there were glow sticks every so often to guide us. When I got to check-poimt 4 I cooked up but could only eat a few spork fulls. I slept for two hours as planned but when I awoke my stomach was messed up, I made the decision to stay until it stabilised. So I spent the night drifting off to sleep, waking up, getting out of the bag, checking my trainers for uninvited guests, running 100 meters, doing what had to be done, back to the bag, checking nothing had sneaked in there and back asleep for a few mins until the process started again.

I awoke about 05.30 and started to crack on, I was glad I hadn’t tried it at night with a dodgy stomach became there was the mother of all mountain follow by some more significant dunes. I got lost in the dunes I found out later some kids from a local camp had moved the directional markers. I struggled on but I was in a bad state by the last 5k. I could see the camp but by the it was mid afternoon It was at least 45 degrees and I was dehydrated. I was afraid I was going down with heat stroke, I had a bad headache, my hat had these crystals which when wet turned to a gel when wet. It keeps you cool, but I kept pouring water on it but it was drying up too fast. All I could down was keep pouring water on my head.

With about 2k to go I found a tree and used the shade it offered, I sat there for a few mins having a smoke to compose and pouring water over my head. However, I then saw a medic jeep approaching so it was time to move on. Once you where on their radar they kept at you; I was having bad day out, but knew I would be ok once I finished and rested. I was joined by a German and Indian lad for the last few 100 meters, and we stopped at the line and counted down 3-2-1 then crossed together.

My feet were in tatters so the was a lot of work to done, my stomach was far behind it, most people quite a few of us where ill by this stage where using Imodium, how for a lot they weren’t working. I had brought some codeine for such a problem and it was time to crack them open. I still could eat, all I had that day was about 500 cals.

So this was our last day 42.2, I still couldn’t eat. Every was dumping food so I scavenged some beef jerky and survived on that for the duration of the marathon, hardly the marathon preparation!

However, I have to say this was my best day, with nothing to eat there where no toilet stops, and considering what my body was going through I felt good. Additionally, there were 3 checkpoint to fill up on water, and the terrain was fairly good rocky ground small dunes. I think I was only starting to acclimatise at this stage and was disappointed that it was over, I wanted a few more days now. I finished in 7.34.

There was lots of learning for me I brought too much expedition food and no snacks. I would never use a front pack again, in fact I was a disappointed with the raidlight pack. It was the pack of choice for the MdS and whilst I thought it was good; it had no water resistance at all. Even sweat soak the contents, for a bag designed for ultras I expected better. I brought a tube of nunn tablets but they were used by day three, I should have brought more electrolytes. The superglue I brought for gluing my gaiters just soaked into the material I had to hand sew them; HM thought my skills were lacking here! Most importantly I think I peaked way too soon with my training, I was really tired the last two months before the event. Taking into consideration the fact that I had a very difficult year in the run up to the MdS I still think that I could have do better in the event but I was drained heading over.

However with say that the object of events like to is to cross the finish line which I did, so objective achieved! Whilst I have lots of minor criticisms about the organisation of the event; the organisers had to put a new route out of nothing at short notice and I fully acknowledge that on this. On this point what I thought was a moving moment was the finished Patrick Bauer the founder was waiting at the finish line tp place your medal around your neck I nearly cried!!! Lastly thanks to all you guys and girls who mailed message of support. You have no ideal how important it was to me after a sh!t day out to get your e-mails; cheers

Woddle

What a read , I thought I finished ultramarathon man today but little did I know there was an encore well done

Odysseus

Cheers mate, I read that book last year not a bad read.

Bobby04

Unbelievable stuff! Well done and thanks for the report.

Abhainn

Great report Odysseus. Was waiting patiently for it! Great achievement.