Trail running things I have learnt ... so far

After a long haitus from running, I started up again on the 21 March 2012 with a 25min amble around the baseball fields where I am a memeber. Imagine my surprise when I found that ... nothing hurt. You must understand that I had badly damanged my ankle playing squash the year before and had also have some attention to my knees.

Since then I have reaslised a few things that I want to share:

• I love trail running and may I never run on tar or pavement again (unless I am crossing a road from one trail to the next)!
• Ryan Sandes is a machine
• I would love to do an ultra race and/or a multi-day event. If I had the bucks ... adeventure racing
• My goal is do to the Puffer and the Otter or the Retto
• Ryan Snades is an amazing athelete ... and a machine
• I haven't found the online running journal that meets all my wants and needs
• I haven't found a watch that meets all my wants and needs
• Converting a track/workout is a pain ... but I am working on that
• I live in a beautiful part of the world with amazing trail running routes in my backyard
• There isn't any easy to use database of trail running routes to pick from
• Chai seeds
• Salomon and The North Face kit is both very good and very nice
• I love being outdoors and the feeling of freedom you get when trail running

So having said that, I will:

• Try not to training too quickly
• Will build up to my first ultra
• Will blog about my technology experiements with GPS, kit and online journals
• Will try and create a comprehensive source of route data for the Western Cape Area - specifically the deep south and Table Mountain

See you on the mountains...

Nutrition: Rungry and thirstrail!?

I have never given much thought to nutrition in my other sporting endeavours. Following my last Slow Long Run I was forced too, this is what happened .... Sunday morning came and I decided to up my distance length from 12km to 13km - which doesn't seem like much. However, at that stage I wasn't to know that the new course I would tackle for my 13km trail run also had about 700m of cumulative climb in it.

This pushed my average HR to 159 with a max of 176 (my age related max is 179) with a pace of a mere 8.10 min/km. So my LSR become a hill course.
By the time I got home and cleaned up my BP had dropped to 100 over 80 and I felt like cr@p! So I started thinking about nutrition.

Beautiful run though through the Silvermine Reserver East near Cape Town, South Africa.

I can't remember on which of the sites I was perusing I stumbled upon 'rungry' - the seemigly insatiable appetite that developes during or after running. After this hill run I coined the term (not sure if there is one already in existance) 'thirstrail'! All I wanted to do was drink fluid, any fluid. I knew that I had pushed my body out of balance. In reviewing this situation I did realise that all my other sporting endeavours (I played squash, baseball, gym, swam etc) the length of activity was approximately 60 to 90min with frequent rests - half times etc - with time to eat and drink. I was treating my trail running as a very loooooong first half. This would have to change.

I am not sure exactly how yet. But this trail running thing is a journey and now I will have to include nutrition and hydration as a integral part of that journey and learning experience.

So, what am I reading:

• I will need to get an updated The Lore of Running by Dr Tim Noakes
• The role of protein in my diet - http://goo.gl/zTQgx (I know they are a supplier but it has elements of being a sound sceintific atricle. BTW, I am not in any way affliated to Hammer Nutrition.)
• A nutrition formulae - http://goo.gl/zTQgx
• A 'real runners' approach to nutrition and diet - http://goo.gl/zTQgx
• Another layrunner's view - http://goo.gl/zTQgx

So what is your stratergy?

Routes: Steenberg Peak 9.5km

Route location: In Silvermine South or East side is Gate 2. Your Wild Card does not work here - pay the nice car gaurd R5 and head out past the toilets to the Jeep Track. For the anti-clockwise run in the map below turn right on the jeep track.

Route Description: The first halfof the route is slightly undulating with a nice climb to the exit to the Amphitheater and view over Kalk Bay. This is a little 1km diversion that is well worth it and a nice break from the jeep track.
Come back to the jeep track and start the climb on single track to the top of Steenberg Peak.
The trip down Steenberg Peak is FUN. Steep, natural staircase.

Take Note: Always take a wind jacket on a run, but the weather can change quickly on the peak.

Why?: Beautiful views. There arre alsomany options to extend your run downother tracks.Nice mix of terrain.