Meandering musings of a runner
Ian Saunders is a runner, entrepreneur and technologist.
Moab 240
On entering the aid station, I followed the sage advice of any person who had DNF'd - don't quit as you enter the Aid Station. Walking over to the food tent, I grabbed a hamburger and a coke and slowly ate in-front of the camp fire.
Five Peaks Challenge
The route up to High Seat was unclear, as most of the fell was covered in snow, the last section would also be a steep (50%+ gradient) slog.
Yeti 100
Other than those minor annoyances, the first loop went well. As I approached the end of loop 1, I began to feel very cold, mainly due to the constant rain, sheltered course and lack of sun.
Bear 100
As we made our way through we got to experience all the joys of trail running. Rain pouring on us, sliding in ludicrous amounts of mud, hails battering us from all sides, lightning crashing around us. What good value for money.
10 Peaks
I started running hard to catch up, and after a few moments the realization dawned - no, I would not be able to catch them. I was pretty baked from 30ish kms of heat and hills.
Edinburgh Marathon
As I took the hair-pin turn around I said goodbye to my drafting team and upped the pace to just below Marathon pace.
Umstead 100
I’d always intended to take a 10 minute or so break at the half way stage, but ended up taking 25 mins changing shoes, clothes, eating and warming up.
Big Half
Living only 15mins away I was able to have a decent sleep, meet up with the running club crew and catch the tube over to London Bridge just in time for the bag drop, though the snow had gone away, it was still bloody cold!
Brecons Ultra
If it hadn't been for my fair-chunk of slippery trail running, and this being the 4th time I ran this section, I would have had to walk it all.
Yorkshire Marathon
Once we crested the top of the hill there was a nice soft downhill, we upped the pace to 4:10 min/km to bank time for the return leg of this out-and-back section.
North Downs Way 100
As the day wore on the thermometer drifted upwards, it wasn't a stonking hot day, but it certainly wasn't cool.
The Oner
Almost immediately I felt a searing pain in my right quad muscle and I was stopped dead in my tracks. Walking - let alone running - was impossible.