Zombies play a part in philosophy. I don’t just mean as academics and lecturers - although that is also true. The concept of a zombie provides a starting point for some pretty interesting philosophical questions - in particular in the philosophy of mind. Let me explain...

If I were to ask you what, fundamentally, you are how would you reply? You might say that you are a human being with arms and legs and eyes and ears and hair etc. But would that be the whole story? Probably not. You might also insist (correctly) that as well as having a physical body you also have a mind consisting of thoughts, desires, aches, pains, beliefs, intentions, memories, hopes etc. If I was then to ask you where is this mind located you might reasonably reply: in my brain. It is my brain that makes it possible for me to feel pain, or to anticipate pleasure, to taste wine, to believe that Mo Farah is the best distance runner in Europe.

But is this the whole story? No, it is only the start. To say that your brain makes your mind possible is not the same as to say that your mind is identical to your brain. It could be that certain things going on in your brain cause you to have a pain or a belief; but when one thing causes another there are two distinct things, not one. Some philosophers do indeed want to insist that the mind and the brain are one and the same thing (one thing rather than two). Others wish to argue that they are quite distinct things, albeit related each to the other.

This is what philosophers have called the mind-body problem: How to reconcile the dull, grey, cells and synapses of the brain with the richness of our personal experience.

 

Enter the Zombie 

There is an ingenious argument that has been made succinctly by a philosopher called David Chalmers. It goes something like this. We can agree that a zombie is a physical being made of the same stuff as us. It has arms and legs and hair (I can’t get the Thriller video out of my head as I write this….but bear with me). It can move around - to the extent that it can kill us (Night of the Living Dead now….preferred the Thriller image to be honest). But what makes it a zombie is that it lacks consciousness. A zombie has no thoughts, no desires and no possible sensation of pain. From this difference Chalmers concludes that our minds and our brains are not one and the same. If we can imagine a being without a mind but with a body it follows that the mind and the body are not the same.

And so to Running…..

In a nice article called The Power of Passion on Heartbreak Hill (the reference is to a painful episode in the Boston marathon) the philosopher Michelle Maise asks the following question: could a zombie run a marathon? On the face of it, the question seems reasonably straightforward, as does the answer: why not? If we allow that there might be zombies then we can allow that they might be able to run. And if they lack sensations such as fatigue, despair, pain etc then it seems a pretty good bet that they’d be decent marathon runners. I spend many a club race night running against club members who display no obvious feelings of discomfort. I’m sure you have too. Dispiriting isn’t it?

But the case of the stoical club runner  is slightly misleading, not least because more often than not she is bluffing. She feels pain, fatigue, the desire to slow down and stop she just resolves to run through it. And this spectrum of sensations is not accidental to the act of running, rather it is essential to it. The zombie, in other words, is not “running” at all. Sure it might be moving, but moving on two legs is not the same as running in the sense we understand it. What is required in order to translate mere movement into the act of running is agency which, by definition, the zombie lacks.

The case of the “zombie runner” teaches us the following: that running is about more than movement, stretching, massages, rest, recovery, injury, Pbs, etc. The magic ingredients -what makes running running are all mental.

That said, I wouldn’t want one of the Living Dead chasing me…. They can shift.

Moriarty

If you fancy limbering up the old grey matter then welcome to “A Philosophy of Running”. Bug forum regular Moriarty gives us an insight into his rather wonderful world of cerebral running.

 

A Philosophy of Running

 A Philosophy of Running

During my recent convalescence the ex-Mrs Moriarty gave me a gift.

The gift was a book by the philosopher Roger Scruton called “I Drink Therefore I Am: a philosopher’s guide to wine”. A very nice gesture on her part?

You might think so, except for one thing: I am an “enforced teetotaller” whose previous drinking habits caused the ex-Mrs Moriarty to be the ex-Mrs Moriarty.

This was, yet another, piece of revenge on her part. As if the sugar in the petrol tank wasn’t enough.

What Scruton does in the book is to take something that is a common experience -in this case the enjoyment of wine- and demonstrate that, contrary to what we might think, it is in fact rich in genuinely philosophical implications.

He demonstrates that the study of philosophy is not only to be undertaken in imposing lecture halls - in fact is not even best undertaken in such a context.

A few sips of wine as the evening draws in can, he shows, open our minds to such issues as the following: the nature of moderation and its role in pleasure; the consolations of home; the definition of wisdom as “truth that consoles”; the character of perception; the defence of localism over globalisation; philosophical accounts of “the self”; and much more.

Could such a thing be done with our common experience?

Could we take the activity of running and weave from it a set of theories of life?

Could there be, in short, a “philosophy of running”?

I believe that there could and that a “philosophy of running” can be approached in two ways, both of them fruitful.

First, we could look at the feelings we have, some of them pretty painful, when we are out running. Philosophers, being in the main quite pompous creatures, would call this the phenomenology of running (“phenomenology” is the branch of philosophy that focuses on our sensations and constructs theories from them).

Running reminds us that we are embodied creatures whilst at the same time being more than merely bodies: we have arms and legs (which are physical things) but we also have thoughts and sensations (often of discomfort!) which are not (or not necessarily).

Running raises the issue of what is called the “mind-body” problem: are our minds separate from our bodies? If so how do they interact? If they are not separate then in what way are they identical? And so on…

Secondly, there is more to the activity of running than how it feels. Running, as club runners will know, can be a social activity with its own internal etiquette.

It raises issues about the nature of friendship (something Aristotle considered to be a primary philosophical question); about whether we are obliged to be the best runner we can be ( a question for moral philosophy) and about the nature of “excellence” in general.

The undoubted connection between training and performance touches on the (too often overlooked) issue of what the Greeks called “the virtues”.

I am more a philosopher who runs than a runner who philosophises, although having now largely retired from academic life I have more time on my hands to ponder on the connections between the two.

I hope that in the weeks and months ahead we can explore these things together.

In my next blog post I will be addressing the following question: could a zombie be a top class marathon runner (it’s been seriously discussed…as I will show!).

There, bet that got your attention….!!

Look out for more from Moriarty coming very soon.
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#1 – Weeks One to Twelve

 

 

The phrase “better late than never” has been applied to many things but seldom with more relevance and for as many reasons as to my attempt to run a marathon.  Late to start running, late for most runs, late to start marathon training and late to write about it.  But timing aside, this blog is a frank expose of my attempt to train for and to achieve the ultimate goal of any runner – to complete their first Marathon – the Virgin London Marathon 2010 and to do it in a reasonable time, with pride and legs intact!

Starting to run at the age of 50 after a lifetime of studiously avoiding anything remotely like exercise was, some might say, a little careless (others plain bonkers – “what’re you trying to prove?” they asked).  But two years on and I feel like a runner and, if I’m allowed a small comfort, I’ve started to look like one too.  I wear the kit, I use the lingo and at almost a stone lighter than when I started, I have that lean, drawn look that says “when can I next get my shoes on for a brisk 10 miler?”  And although you don’t find scorched earth behind me at my pace, I have the Running Bug and I am in it’s vice.

Years of preparation – will it be enough?

Two years of chugging round the lanes of Hertfordshire has given me enough confidence to sign up for a marathon. I tell myself it’s not about the time but secretly I know it is.  The plan is to do 4 ½h.  I can jog that, I say.  But I know too that jogging for a few hours and running a Marathon are a chasm apart.  Good kit, smart-alec jargon about 10k PBs and a bit of interval training won’t get you round.  I’ve heard stories of people who are fit (and mad) enough to sign up for a Marathon and barely train at all but this strategy only leads to pain, injury and worse so I decided to get my act together and sort out what I actually needed.

 

1. A Charity sponsor.  Easy one first; my daughter is epileptic and so a call to Bex Noble, Fundraising Manager at The National Society for Epilepsy and I was up and away.  Race place allocated, bright orange NSE running vest in post.
2. A donations page. Virgin wasted little time in connecting their online financial resources and their Marathon sponsorship launching their super-fast, low-commission donations website www.virginmoneygiving.com – register, upload pic, save, launch.  Done.  (say “yes chef!”).
3. A Training Plan.  Realising a proper plan was needed, I posted this requirement on the Running Bug forum and was swiftly aided by one “Choisty” who with a few tweaks sorted me a 22-week plan.
4. Mindset.  Running 200% of your furthest ever distance requires a positive frame of mind whatever the speed.  I had to get my head around the idea of almost 5 hours of continuous running - whatever the weather.
5. I need to run more.  Run slowly, run quickly, run on treadmills, in snow, in rain, run for minutes, run for hours but just run and keep on running.

Making it a part of my life.

Six weeks into the training plan my target was 118 miles.  I’d done 90.  OK I’m not perfect, but there was a small celebration during that time (we call it Christmas) and a long weekend away without the running shoes didn’t help – but yes, I know, “the dog ate my homework”.  Lesson one: no excuses for missing training runs.  I had to start to take this a bit more seriously if I was to avoid the aforementioned pain.

 

The trouble was, my outings were sporadic and not one of them had been more than 13.1 miles.  Half way.  Half a Marathon.  Could I go round again?  Definitely not.  All the advice I got pointed to steady increments and a regular schedule.  10% extra every long run outing, every weekend was the order of the day.  Choisty’s plan pretty much took this line but chucked in some 8-milers midweek too which quickly proved challenging to include.

But this is lesson two: don’t always stick to lesson one.  Taking it too seriously can seriously damage your sanity not to mention your relationship with your family.  Remember, they don’t really care about your Marathon plan – in fact they think you’re nuts remember?  Look, the plan is a guiding principle not a religious experience to be performed to the letter.  Not everybody will subscribe to this view, but for those of you contemplating a Marathon I say It’s like chocolate: a little of what you fancy does you good; reward yourself with days off and other treats irrespective of the risk to training integrity.  Stay motivated.  Just don’t give up.

The second six weeks

12 weeks in and I’m slipping further behind in my training miles.  I’m thinking I’ve been a bit easy on myself.  I should have clocked another 164 miles but I’ve only done 87.  I am weak!

 

But my resolve is strengthening.  I’ve don’t almost twice as many miles during my training period as I did in the same period before.  Week for week my mileage is increasing, even though I’m still falling further behind relative to the plan.  My 8-mile route has become so familiar now that I’m thinking of it as middle distance.  Choisty says do some races – get familiar with race-day nerves so I do the notoriously hilly Watford Half marathon in a cold February sunday.  This is a revelation.  I eat hills for 1 hour 56 minutes arriving at the finish only 4 minutes outside my personal best for the distance which was measured along a canal on the flat!  I’m encouraged!

 

Puffing out the last miles of the Watford Half

But the ascent into the tougher distances, if I’m honest, is filling me with fear.  Setting out on my first 15 miler was, well, daunting!  Three hours of continuous running and no bus home.  It’s minus 4 and although it’s not snowing now, it has been for days; it’s icy but eye-poppingly beautiful.  I’m in a Mizuno thermal baselayer, hat and gloves; jacket and superwarm tights.  Besides my beloved ipod I take a hand-bottle of Nuun water with salts, two High5 energy gels and a Fox’s Glacier mint.  I am Scott of the Antactic.  I am a diver on the tip of the highest board for the first time.  I am nervous as hell.  But I have the best kit which include a brand new pair of Innov8 “Roclite” trail shoes and despite the risk of blistering if they turn out to be a bad fit they have serious grip for the ice and snow so I opt for these and a pair of 1000mile padded socks.

 

The kits choices all pay off and I’m home in 2 ½h having averaged not far off my usual 8 mile pace.  Once the first 15 miler is done I’m feeling more confident for the longer runs and so start to add a little speed work to the schedule (long overdue on Choisty’s plan!).  1 mile warm-up at 8kph (2kph below target marathon pace) then two 1-mile stretches at a steady 12kph (2kph above my target marathon pace) then another slow mile to warm down.

 

All in all, I’m pretty pleased with progress.  Health is good, legs are recovering fairly quickly after the long runs (thanks in part to the cold baths!) and despite two blackened toenails the feet are in good shape too.   So I book up a 17mile training run at Hemel and a 20-mile race(the new “Kilomathon” – 26.2kilometres) in Derby on March 14^th only six weeks short of M-day!  With ten short weeks to go I feel I’m on the road to sufficient fitness to get round in some sort of shape and motivated enough to stay at it.

 

Next instalment: Johnnyg shares tips on motivation; how he got his mojo working and kept it there.

 

You can sponsor Johnnyg’s marathon attempt by donating at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/therunningbug

 

So what’s Dr Seuss got to do with running? Well when it comes to adopting a philosophical approach to our running RTS believes we can learn a lot from The Cat in the Hat.

Respect the Seuss

 Running and Philosophy - Dr Seuss

At the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows, and the wind smells slow-and-sour when it blows, and no birds ever sing excepting old crows, is the street of………

 

…well, one of the most underrated philosophers of recent years.

 

I’m talking about Dr Seuss!

 

But what could children’s author Dr Seuss have to do with philosophy? Or running? Well let’s see what lies beyond the ludicrous creatures, tongue-tying alliteration and ridiculous rhyming.

The Cat in the Hat

Seuss is probably best known as the creator of The Cat in the Hat (1957), so let’s look at that work first.

Is this a study of reality and perception to rival that of the Wachowski Brothers’ film The Matrix?

A young boy and his sister, Sally, sit daydreaming one rainy day when The Cat enters their house and, despite warnings from their pet fish, is allowed to trash the place moments before their mother returns home. At the last second The Cat mysteriously clears the mess up and leaves.
 

Did the carnage really happen? Did The Cat actually exist? Could the boy and Sally be parallels of The Matrix’s ‘Neo’ and ‘Trinity’, their fish ‘Morpheus’ and The Cat ‘Agent Smith’?

 

So far, so bizarre! But what a lot of books there are!

Horton Hears a Who

 

In his 1954 book (and 2008 film) Horton Hears a Who Seuss again addresses reality and perception.

Horton, a young elephant, hears a scream from a speck of dust as it blows by and discovers a whole town (Whoville) of tiny people living on it. The other animals ridicule Horton for trying to save the invisibly tiny world from destruction.
 

Meanwhile, in Whoville the Mayor is ridiculed for talking to a giant elephant in the sky. The mayor claims that the elephant holds their fate in his hands. Or rather, trunk!

A bossy kangaroo confronts Horton, saying, “If you can't see it, feel it, or hear it, it doesn't exist". This reflects the great philosopher Aristotle’s belief that perception is reality.

 

The Kangaroo’s confrontation of Horton is comparable to the trial of Socrates, who was put to death for "poisoning the minds of the youth of Athens" in ancient Greece.

 

I know, this is a running website. Stick with me!

The Lorax

Written in 1971, The Lorax is a visionary warning of the strife facing the planet if mankind refuses to address environmental and ecological issues.
 

In the story the Once-ler chops down all the Truffula trees to knit Thneeds (a thneed’s a Fine-Something-That-All-People-Need).Despite warnings from the Lorax, the Once-ler is eventually left in a barren, polluted landscape devoid of animals or plants.

 

A prophetic message appears in a paragraph near the end of the book, “And all that the Lorax left here in this mess was a small pile of rocks, with the one word UNLESS”. And Seuss penned this some thirty years before global warming became a hot topic!

 

Seuss also cleverly attacks discrimination and prejudice in The Sneetches, human stupidity and stubbornness in The Zax, and his short story Too Many Daves is, well, just plain funny.

But what did Seuss know about Running?

 

All very well, but what did Seuss know about running?

 

A year before his death, in 1990, he wrote a book that examines life’s balance between the ups and downs, the successes and failures, Yin and Yang.

Oh The Places You’ll Go takes five minutes to read but carries us through the wide range of emotions we experience with our running tribulations. 
 

We train, run for fun, maybe race. Often our running is fantastic and successful within our personal expectations. But sometimes it isn’t! For no obvious reason we perform poorly and are left feeling dejected, although we shouldn’t.

This book is about surviving life (and for us, running) through philosophical approach, and although Seuss may never have been a runner, this book was written for us.

So think about your running, and think while you’re running, but don’t think too hard. Running is possibly the most important irrelevant thing we do.

 

I’m not aware that the good Dr had been a runner, but if he was then maybe (with apologies)…………

 

Runners here, runners there,

Runners running everywhere.

Some wear red and some wear blue.

This one wears a neutral shoe.

This one has a little blister.

This one’s slower than his sister.

This one’s toenails all fell out.

I wonder what that’s all about.

This one’s got a nasty stitch.

This one tumbled in a ditch.

This one uses vaseline to lubricate his feet.

He leaves a trail just like a snail as he runs down the street.

Some run fast and some run slow

It doesn’t matter where they go

Some run up and some run down,

Over hills and through the town

Would you, could you like to come

Would you, could you have some fun?

Would you, could you like to train?

Would you, could you in the rain?

Would you, could you in a gale?

Would you, could you in the hail?

Would you, could you in the fog?

Would you, could you with a dog?

Would you, could you in the sun?

Would you, could you have a run?

 

YES!

I would like to come.

Yes to some fun.

Yes I will train.

Yes in the rain.

Yes in a gale.

Yes in the hail.

Yes in the fog.

Yes with a dog.

Yes in the sun.

Yes to a run.

Lace up my trainers,

Lets have some fun.

 

Read some Seuss, you know you should. Seuss is mad, but mad is good.

 

Respect The Seuss.

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If you enjoyed this then Check out more from RTS.

Also take a look at RTS's book "Life on the Run; Coast to Coast"

 

 Rated 5* on Amazon, read the reviews

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In this month's edition of the Running Tourist, Renato from the excellent www.runabroad.com explains why there's more to Switzerland than skiing, cowbells and chocolate.

Running in Switzerland

 Running in Switzerland

Amazing organization, hundreds of cow bells along the way, superb Alpine trails, free and half prize tickets for the mountain train lines and some of the most challenging races in Europe.

These are only a few of the benefits of running in Switzerland. Here's some of the beautiful races you'll find there.

Swiss Alpine Marathon Davos

Known as well as the crazy peak experience, the Swiss alpine marathon offers several trail races for runners of different abilities.

From the K11 along the superb Davos Lake to the K78, there's an ultramarathon at an altitude of 2600 meters - it's not for the faint hearted!

 The Davos Alphine Marathon

There are two differentt marathons, C42 and K42 each with different ascents and descents. Two half marathon, K21 and Nordic Walking trail, and K30 complete the weekend of running which is in late July.

To find out more visit www.swissalpine.ch

Lucerne Marathon

A marathon, a half marathon and the bizarre Schnuppermarathon (12.5km) are the 3 races in the beautiful city of Lucerne, right in the heartland of Switzerland.

The start and finish of the race are at the magical Museum of Transport and the course runs mainly along the lake and around the Horw peninsula.

    

The course runs along the stunning Lake Lucerne

Enjoy a relaxing weekend next October, visit the beautiful old town or add an extra day to visit Mount Rigi or the Rütli Meadow nearby.

Find out more visit www.lucernemarathon.ch

Zermatt Marathon

Zermatt is surrounded by a range of amazing peaks, it is famous worldwide for the Matterhorn (Mount Cervin) and it possibly offers the best mountain marathon in Europe which runs from Sunnega to Riffelalp.

The views are spectacular and a pint of beer is waiting for you at the end of the challenge in Gornergrat.

The 10th of July is the big day on the Alps to run the Zermatt Marathon, with 42,195 km and 1944 m of total slope, not exactly a stroll in the park!

Find out more visit www.zermatt-marathon.ch

Sierre-Zinal (the 5 peaks)

Also known as the Race of Five 4000m Peaks, the Sierre-Zinal is an unusual 31 km with 2200m ascent and 800m descent in the Canton Valais. 

Despite the name, you do not need to climb the 5 peaks (Dent Blanche, Bishorn, Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn and Ober Gabelhorn) but do not underestimate the effort and the distance.

The race starts from Sierre (585m) and after some big climbs to reach Ponchette, Tignosa and Nava (2425m), the race finishes in Zinal (1680m), August 8th is race day.

Find out more visit http://www.sierre-zinal.com/

Lausanne 20k

Not ready yet for a challenging race in the mountains?

The 20km de Lausanne is the most popular race in Romandy. Starting in Lausanne city centre and then running through its most famous and hilly streets, from the quai d’Ouchy to the City Hall, from the Place de la Riponne to the Château de la Cité.

The start and finish are at the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium in Vidy. Be ready for the last weekend of April.

Find out more visit http://www.20km.ch/

 

Need more options? If you'd like to run a flat city marathon then Zürich is perfect (www.zurichmarathon.ch).

   

For an international race there's (http://www.sparkasse-marathon.at/) with just a few miles in Switzerland or a more quiet half marathon in the Bernese Alps (www.gantrisch-halbmarathon.ch).

   

Whatever you're ability, whatever your taste, the country of chocolate will surprise you!

   

Renato will be back next month with more from the Running Tourist. In the meantime check out the excellent www.runabroad.com.

 

 

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Have you taken part in an event abroad? Which country would you like to run in? Let us know and join in other discussions on the forum. Discuss now

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Are runs on cold dark winter mornings and evenings leaving you feeling a bit peckish? Here’s some fantastic tasty and nutritious recipes, perfect for giving you that Ready Brek like glow!

Winter Warmers

 Recipes for Runners - Winter Warmers

Many runners experience an increase in appetite during the winter months. No surprise there! Battling against howling winds, driving icy rain and low temperatures not only burns a lot more calories than running in warmer temperatures but it can push your natural defenses to the extreme.

   

Don’t use your increase in appetite as an excuse to eat anything and everything – focus on eating plenty of fresh, nutritious and warming food to help fight off those winter bugs and power you through the depths of winter with a smile on your face.

Go Faster Recipe - Roasted Parsnip Soup with Cumin, Chilli and Cheesy Croutons

  Warming, high-G.I. soup – perfect for recovery after a morning workout.

  

This very warming and nutritious soup is even tastier because the parsnips are roasted first so they become sweet and caramelised. Parsnips not only contain a good amount of vitamin C, folate and potassium, they also have a pretty high G.I. factor, especially when roasted. This means that the carbohydrate will be rapidly absorbed into your blookstream to replenish your muscles as fast as possible, making this soup just the ticket for recovery after a big workout on a cold winter morning. This soup is delicious served with cheesy croutons.

  

Nutrition per serving

 

Energy (kcal) 333    

Protein (g) 8

Carbohydrate (g) 46 

Fat (g) 14 of which sugars (g) 15 and of which saturates (g) 4

Salt (g) 1.3             

Fibre (g) 9  

  

Ingredients (serves 4) - Prep time – 5 minutes/Cooking time – 35 minutes (+ 45 minutes to roast the parsnips)

For the soup

500g parsnips, roughly chopped 

3 tbsp olive oil 

1½ tsp cumin seeds  

1 dried red chilli, crushed  

salt and pepper  

knob of butter  

2 red onions, peeled and chopped  

2 leeks, chopped  

3 sticks of celery, chopped and with stringy bits removed

1–1½ litres water or chicken stock

For the cheesy croutons 

12 slices of baguette  

2 tbsp olive oil  

50g grated cheddar cheese (optional)

 

4 tsp crème fraîche to serve (optional)

  

Preparation

  

1) Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5.

  

2) Toss the parsnips in 2 tbsp of the olive oil and sprinkle with the cumin seeds, chilli, salt and pepper. Roast them on a baking tray in the oven for about 45 minutes until nicely caramelised.

  

3) Heat the remaining oil and a knob of butter in a large pan and sauté the onion very gently for 2 minutes. Add the leeks and celery, cover and continue to cook very gently for about 20 minutes until soft. Check that you do not let it burn by stirring occasionally.

  

4) Add 1 litre of water or stock, parsnips (remember to scrape out all the cumin seeds left on the bottom of the baking tray and add them too) and a good sprinkle of salt and simmer for a further 10 minutes or so. Cool and then liquidise until smooth.

  

5) Check the consistency – the soup won’t be nice if it is too thick, so add some more stock if you need to thin it out a little. Check for seasoning and serve warmwith a dollop of crème fraîche and some cheesy croutons.

   

6) For the croutons, brush the slices of bread with some olive oil on both sides and cook in the oven for about 5minutes or until crisp and golden, using the same baking tray that you cooked the parsnips in (so you get the leftover cumin flavours). Sprinkle the cheese on top halfway through the cooking if you like.   

Kate's book Go Faster Food is now available on amazon.com. It's packed with warming and comforting recipes to help you train through those darker and colder months of the year, or take a look at Kate’s website for more inspiration. 

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Go Faster Recipe - Black Bean, Beef and Chorizo Chilli with Smoked Paprika and Fresh Salsa

High-energy, low-G.I. meal, packed with nutrients.

 Black Bean, Beef and Chorizo Chilli

This chilli is an excellent and warming dish for the night before a long winter training run. It is incredibly tasty and highly nutritious. Black beans are a great antioxidant and contain protein, fibre, complex low Glycaemic Index carbohydrate, B vitamins, iron, calcium and other minerals.

  

Serve this chilli with plenty of freshly-made salsa, some extra green chillis on the side and brown or white basmati rice, both of which are high in low-G.I. carbohydrate and provide particularly good fuel for endurance.

  

Nutrition per serving

 

Energy (kcal) 534    

Protein (g) 38

Carbohydrate (g) 36  

Fat (g) 27 Of which sugars (g) 12 and of which saturates (g) 4

Salt (g) 2               

Fibre (g) 8

(NB. adding basmati rice will increase the carbohydrate content to 90g )

   

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the chilli  

400g stewing beef, chopped into fairly small chunks (1cm)  

2 tbsp flour mixed with ¼ tsp each salt, pepper and cayenne pepper  

2 tbsp olive oil   

100g spicy chorizo chopped into 1cm chunks  

1 onion, peeled and sliced finely  

2 green peppers, deseeded and chopped into 1cm chunks  

1 bay leaf  

1 tsp smoked paprika   

1 large clove of garlic, peeled and crushed  

100g black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight, then rinsed again and drained (you can use tinned as an alternative, although the dried beans will be superior in both taste and texture)  

500ml chicken stock   

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes   

Handful of chopped coriander leaves    

Squeeze of lime juice

1 green chilli, finely sliced and with seeds remaining, or two if you like it really hot    

For the salsa

½ small cucumber  

1 avocado, peeled  

10 cherry tomatoes  

4 spring onions  

1 tsp coriander seed, crushed in pestle and mortar  

Handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped  

Handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped  

Juice of 1 lime

 

Glug of olive oil

  

Preparation 

  

1) Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3.

  

2) Use a casserole dish that you can put on the hob and in the oven. Toss the meat in the flour mix. Heat up a tablespoon of oil in the casserole dish and brown the beef in batches over a high heat. Set the beef aside and then quickly brown the chorizo and set aside. Scrape the juices off the bottom of the pan. A good way to do this is to pour a splash of whisky or brandy in and the brown scrapings come off the bottom of the pan really easily. Pour the juices onto the beef.

  

3) Add the remaining oil and then gently sauté the onion and green pepper with the bay leaf for a few minutes. Add the smoked paprika and stir. Add the garlic, the meat, the black beans, the stock and the tin of tomatoes and bring it all to the boil.

  

4) Give everything a good stir and then transfer to the oven and simmer for 1½ hours until the beef and the beans are tender and the sauce has become nice and thick.

  

5) Add the coriander and lime juice and taste for seasoning. You might want to add some salt and pepper at this stage or a little more smoked paprika.

   

6) Make the salsa by chopping up the avocado, cucumber and tomatoes very small and mixing them with the other ingredients. Don’t make it too far in advance as it is best really fresh.

  

7) Serve the chopped green chillies in a bowl on the side for people to sprinkle over the top of the chilli to their own taste.  

Hungry? Try some of Kate's other recipes.

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If you enjoyed this check out Kate's blog.

 Got a question? Ask Kate on her forum thread.

Kate's acclaimed book Go Faster Food is available now from Amazon.

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New monthly feature when we'll be joined by Renato from the excellent www.runabroad.com who'll be sharing his wide experience of running in races around the globe. This month we start off with Italy and ask what have the Romans ever done for us runners?

Running in Italy

 Running Races in Italy (image from www.freefoto.com)

Sun, great food and some of the finest cities in the world: run a marathon (or a shorter race) in Italy and you will have an excellent running experience and an unforgettable weekend.

From Tuscany to Venice, from the Alps to the lakes, here are some great races around the Belpaese:

  

Venice Marathon

 

From Stra (near Padua) to the historical center of Venice, the Venice marathon crosses the Brenta Riviera and Venice lagoon and offers possibly the best finish in the world, just outside St.Mark's Square.

 

 The beautiful and unqiue city of Venice

 

If you can manage the very long, lonely and often windy bridge from Mestre you will complete the race with 14 bridges over Venice's canals.

Forget the crowded carnival, October is the best time to visit Venice. After the race, treat yourself with a glass of Bellini, the official cocktail of the city.

  

Find out more visit www.venicemarathon.it

  

Chianti Ecomarathon, Tuscany

  

Take an autumn weekend to enjoy trail running, historical towns and a stroll in the worldwide famous Piazza del Campo in Siena.

 

The Chianti Ecomarathon starts from Castelnuovo Beradenga in the splendid landscape of Tuscany and continues into the Chianti hills and vineyards. 

 

October is a great season to run in Tuscany (10-18°C) and the trail is not too technical and crosses beautiful medieval villages like Monteaperti, Montegiachi and Calcinaia.  

A 9 km walk and a 17 km race takes place as well, with the bonus of extra local food and wine.

Find out more visit www.ecomaratonadelchianti.it

  

Bavisela

 

Many marathons pretend to be international but for the Bavisela in Trieste the title of European Marathon is well justified.

  

Just a few miles from the Slovenian border, the city is not far away from Croatia and Austria. The marathon starts in Gradisca, cross Monfalcone, Duino and continues along the Strada Costiera (Coast Road). Run many miles along the seaside before finishing in Trieste.

The runners of the half marathon join the same course in Duino, get ready for May 2010.

Find out more visit www.bavisela.it

  

Garda Trentino Half Marathon

  

Enjoy the best of lake Garda, joining the Garda Trentino Half Marathon on the furthest north towns of the lake.

  

From Riva del Garda to Torbole, past the historical centre of Arco, a few miles along the Sarca river and then you will run down to the lake and back to the finish line.

 

Forget a PB and enjoy the apple cake, pasta, local wine and live music From Verona to the Dolomiti, the options for a short break in northern Italy are endless.

Find out more visit www.trentinoeventi.it   

Stramilano

  

Drink a caffè ristretto, a cappuccino or a marocchino in one of the literally thousands of bars in Milan - try traditional Marchesi or Cucchi - before running the Stramilano, the main running event in the city of fashion.

  

The "Stramilano dei 50.000" (a 12K race) offers the unique chance to start in front of the Duomo and is possibly one of the few events where the most popular race is not the competitive (half marathon) race.

 

  The start in front of the Duomo in Milan

 

All the courses are flat and the half marathon offers a chance for a PB.

 

Find out more visit www.stramilano.it

 

Lago Maggiore Half Marathon

 

A new entry in the Italian circuit of Spring half marathons, the Lago Maggiore Half Marathon clocked the fastest runs for 2009 in Italy.

  

Not far from Milan, it is a good chance to improve your personal best running from Verbania to Stresa, crossing Ferriolo and Baveno and running mainly on the lakeshore. Enjoy amazing views of the Borromean Islands.

 

 Stunning views across Lake Maggiore

Find out more visit www.lagomaggiorehalfmarathon.com

  

But for art lovers how can we forget the popular Rome Marathon (www.maratonadiroma.it) in March and the Firenze Marathon (www.firenzemarathon.it) late in November? Book a flight now to run through Fori Imperiali in Rome or admire the masterpiece of Michelangelo in Florence.

  

Renato will be back in a couple of weeks with more from the Running Tourist. In the meantime check out the excellent www.runabroad.com.

 

 

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They've only gone and built a robot that runs! RTS urges us to try the low-tech approach and ditch our gadgets, our wicking tops and our isotonics drinks and just get out there and run!

Respect the Simplicity

  Respect the Stupidity - The Running Robot

What we really need for running  

Nothing! Not very interesting, but that’s about it!

It really is the most simple of activities. There is no necessary equipment. No bat or ball, and nothing to throw or climb on. It is less basic than ‘jumpers for goalposts’, as we don’t even need goalposts.  

And it doesn’t matter how far or how fast you run, you can just run as it suits. You set your own boundaries.    And when I say we need nothing, I mean exactly that. Nothing!

OK, so these days the requirements have changed somewhat, but historically speaking we really did run with nothing. No shoes, no technical ‘wicking’ clothing, no sports bra.

 

We ran because we were animals that could run.

   

Blame Stone Age Man   

You could still run today with absolutely nothing, although in the Western world you might find that in doing so you got some impromptu speed training as the police tried to arrest you for indecent exposure. We’ve become ‘civilised’ (well, sort of!). And we’ve got Stone-Age man to blame for that.  

Before the Stone Age we ran around quite happily with nothing. Barefoot and naked! There were no rules. Any races, as such there were, were decided by who got to the food first, or who escaped the predator/enemy alive. You didn’t need a photo finish to know who the winner was. They were the one alive and doing the eating. Usain Bolt could have been the first obese caveman.

 

Then Mr Ug picked up a stone and used it to bash something. Suddenly it was the height of Neolithic fashion to have tools. This naturally led to inventing things. Men stood around admiring each other’s tools (as they still tend to do today).

 

The trend for overcomplicating things began.  Progress was rapid, and someone, for some reason, invented a cart to sit on. But that was a bit dull, so someone else invented a horse and tied the two together. Hey presto, the thing moved. 

 

Suddenly people started doing their running sitting down, on the cart. This was cheating, of course, but it caught on. (I understand the practice is still popular today.) However, they got sore bums, as the cart was a bit rough and bouncy.        

So someone else invented roads, then another bright spark made them all black and smooth. Suddenly there were no more sore bums, but lots of sore feet instead. This pretty much put paid to the practice of running around barefoot. With the exception of Masai warriors, no one really does it anymore (although it is making a comeback). 

  

Assuming you are not a Masai warrior, you probably have some shoes especially for running. And there’s no doubt that a lot of technology, research and development has gone into making them. Rightly so, with all these roads around.

 

You maybe also have some special socks, and probably some shorts, T-shirts or vests, and leggings. And maybe even drinks, bottles, a GPS device, and possibly computer programs. All for running???      

The Robot that Runs 

   

See where bashing those stones about has got us? But things get even more extreme.

 

Honda has spent more money than there is in the known universe, developing a robot that can run. ‘Asimo’ looks sort of like a person, and can indeed run, sort of like a person.  

I have a three-year-old son, William, and he can run much better than Asimo, despite costing vastly less. (OK, he costs a bit less!) Honda spent this vast sum of money mechanically recreating the work of God, or Charles Darwin, depending on your viewpoint.  

The point I am making is, being able to manipulate the laws of physics to enable ones self to run is unbelievably mechanically complex, but it is something that is hard-wired into our natural physiology. We can do it instinctively, without much conscious thought.    

Ug and Mrs Ug the cavemen could do it, and they didn’t have wicking tops, isotonic drinks or a GPS. They kept it basic, and despite their technological deficiencies, were rather good it. As the meercat say, “Simples!”

Children, like William, will all run, driven by nothing more than natural instinct. No accessories required. If you want to test this, get one or more children and put them in an open space and see what happens. It will tire you out just watching them. 

 

So every now and then, forget about all the stuff you don’t need, and just go out and run. Leave the watch / GPS at home. Don’t measure the route. Forget about the unnecessary trappings that overcomplicate the natural feelings of freedom.  

Feel the wind in your face, the ground under your feet, the blood coursing through your body, and the endorphin afterglow. Feel the instinct behind it. Let it feel how it felt for the Ugs; natural simplicity. 

Respect The Simplicity.

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If you enjoyed this then Check out more from RTS.

Also take a look at RTS's book "Life on the Run; Coast to Coast"

 

 Rated 5* on Amazon, read the reviews

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He’s already had his missive of doom from Mr Branson for 2010, but even so your Mate is back with advice on what to do about the VLM, whether you’re already in or are applying for a charity place.

London Marathon Tips

 London Marathon Tips

Part One: Rejection Dejection v Getting a Gold Bond Charity Place

This month finds me in the customary slough of despond that I fall into every October, once the postman has delivered the traditional: ‘Sorry, but you’re not in again’ magazine from the folk at the London Marathon. 

I’ve only had a poll place once, in 2005, and have since been rejected for a London place 5 times; which at least means I’m guaranteed acceptance in 2011.

However, that isn’t much help to me at this moment, as I wallow in large amounts of self-pity and consider whether a consolatory second bag of pork scratchings with my breakfast beer would be excessive.  

More germane to my current situation however, is whether I should bite the bullet and apply for a Golden Bond place with one of the worthy charities currently offering them.  

I’ve done this once before, quite a few years ago, and have to say that knowing you’ll be letting a charity down if you fail to train properly is one of the great motivational tools of our time.   

After all, not only is there a moral principle at stake here, but getting hold of enough sponsorship to meet the target you will be set also means you will have to let everyone you have ever met know that you are about to tackle the mean streets of London.  

I don’t mean that in a bad way though. You’ll be amazed at how supportive people become when they hear you’re prepared to run a marathon – and for charity already! 

It may well be the case that they’re simply thinking ‘quick, sponsor the nutter and he’ll go away without hurting me.’ But that isn’t the point.

The point is that by taking up a Golden Bond place, you will be making one of the greatest achievements of your life even more worthwhile, and getting enormous support from the charity, as well as from everyone you know.    

It is also the point, however, that only nutters choose to run marathons. Which brings me rather neatly, if I do say so myself, to Part Two of this month’s ramblings. 

Part Two: Getting into Training for the Virgin London Marathon  

There are many, many training plans out there, not the least of which can be found on the VLM website itself, so I won’t get too specific about what you need to do to prepare yourself for London.  

And if you’ve ever gone mano a mano (or womano a womano for that matter) with 26.2 miles before, you don’t really need to read any further.

But if you’re still a marathon virgin, there’s a few things I think you need to be told as you start to train, which aren’t always made that clear by more informed sources.  

 

1) Start Putting More Miles in the Bank Now. 

  

Forget all that spineless, cissy, bed-wetting nonsense about avoiding ‘junk miles.’ If you’re going to do yourself justice over 26.2 miles, you need to work up to at least 40 miles a week in training.  

Because trust me, if you can’t do 40 in a week, you can’t do 26.2 in one go. Even so, make sure you build up gradually, never adding more than 10% a week to your total mileage. Your body really won’t like it if you do. 

If you’re planning on running the VLM at the end of April, you should already be doing at least 15 miles a week and be comfortable over a 10k/6 mile distance. And while 4 months is generally regarded as a decent time frame to train for a marathon, the sooner you start ‘going long’ one day a week, the better you’re going to run on the day.   

2) Start Eating For Two. 

Oh, OK, maybe not two. But just because you’d be happier losing weight while you train, it doesn’t mean you should eat less in order to do so.

Carbs really count when you’re training for a marathon. So make sure that you up your intake of pasta and rice as soon as your mileage goes up – or you’ll just make yourself feel ill and you won’t train effectively.

   

In any case, as soon as your mileage hits at least 20 miles a week, you’re pretty much guaranteed to start losing any love handles you may have acquired over the years.

3) Sort Your Kit Out. 

If you aren’t already wearing quality, cushioned shoes and socks, get some right away.

 

Also remember that most running shoes are only good for about 3-500 miles depending on your weight. Which means that at roughly 160 miles a month, the shoes you’re wearing right now may only keep protecting you for 2-3 months before they need replacing.

   

Also bear in mind that on race day, you need a pair of running shoes that are bedded in without being flattened down. 100 miles on the clock is ideal for most people.

 

Most importantly, remember that on long runs, your feet can swell dramatically – so if you aren’t already wearing oversized shoes, this may be a good time to start. I’m a size 12 in real life, but always run in size 13s, and will probably wear size 14s the next time I run London.

  

4) Run a Few Half Marathons.

 

That may sound like nonsense when your training plan already calls for a number of slow 20 mile runs. But it really isn’t, for two very important reasons.

Firstly, most people get nervous about running big road races in a crowd, and a few practice runs as part of your training will help you to appreciate that it’s no big deal and actually quite good fun.

  

The really important reason though, is to get your mental attitude right. You see, running 20 miles slowly will be perfectly achievable by the time you’ve worked up to it slowly.    

Running a half at race pace is also achieveable, but gives you far more of an idea of the mental strength you’re going to need next April 24^th.  

And finally…

5) Remember the Old Joke About Marathons.   

The first time I trained for London, an old chap down at my running club asked me if I knew what the 20-mile marker in a marathon is called. I didn’t, so he told me: “It’s called the half way point.” Naturally, I laughed as much as he did.  

The thing is though, that I was laughing because I thought he was having me on, while he was laughing because he knew that it was true.  So I find that it helps to remember this old joke every time I should be going out for a scheduled training run but it’s cold and wet outside, I’ve got a bit of a headache, something good is about to start on the TV, or I’ve just remembered that ‘they’re open.’ 

In other words, don’t forget to stick to your training schedule. And one day you’ll thank me for harping on about this. April 24^th next year, probably.

 

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The next part of "my mate from the pub" will be in a couple of weeks time, but in the meantime catch up with more from Derek on his brilliant blog Taking Jelly Babies From Strangers.

 

Taking Jelly Babies From Strangers

 

Visit http://tjbfs.com/

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Have Your Say

Did you manage to get a ballot place for the 2010 Virgin London Marathon? Are you running for charity? Let us know and join in other discussions on the forum. Discuss now

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There were rumours of hospitals, amputation, exorcism, even being sectioned under the mental health act. So what exactly did happen to RTS at the Hardmoors 110? Well, here's the story.

Here's What Happened

 Respect The Stupidity

I had a relaxing morning on race day; loaded the car, and my wife drove me to meet the rest of the team at our top-secret, clandestine, next to the motorway rendezvous point (in a side street, just after the hotel entrance - don’t tell anyone!). We travelled the rest of the way as a team, stopping for a coffee and a muffin on the way.

Once in Helmsley, I registered at race control, had my pack checked, and met some of the other runners and support crews at the pre-race briefing. Meanwhile Daft B browsed the delicatessen and bought some rhubarb and ginger jam (it’s the rock’n’roll support-crew lifestyle!).

Then the crew sat in the pub, eating a hearty evening meal. I tucked into a banana and coffee. I was super relaxed. The training and preparation was done, all I had to do now was focus, run to plan, and see the job through.

Starting Off

We lined up at 7:00pm, as the sun was dropping. Gromit was there, and I chatted to him on the start line. He wasn’t too confident of a good finish as he was struggling with injuries.

A few words from the organisers, and we were off, a field of mixed experience – some very strong and experienced ultrarunners, and some rookies (boy, had they picked a toughie to start with!!).

One lady (Ann) had travelled from Alaska to compete, but was unfortunately injured and didn’t run but decided to come along anyway and help with marshalling.

We ran towards a beautiful sunset– a magnificent peachy, orange glow that turned to fiery red. The first obstacle was a group of horses going berserk in a field. Instead of getting out of the way they wanted to guard the gate and try and stamp on runners.

On the first downhill I ran past Gromit, we exchanged some friendly banter, and I never saw him again. I later learned he had to pull out after 30 miles.

I reached the first checkpoint bang on schedule after 90 minutes, in eighth place. The crew swapped my bottles and I was straight off within a minute. There was a nice atmosphere in the pit-stop area. Rows of cars were lined up in the pitch-dark with their boots open, and lots of people were milling about. Kind of like a nocturnal car boot sale.

On the Moors

Then it was onto the moors. The reconnaissance work we had done in checking the route was invaluable. I didn’t need my maps.

The stars were phenomenal overhead, and a bright half-moon hovered over the western horizon. I even had the privilege of seeing some shooting stars during the night.

There was a huge downhill section into checkpoint two, which made my quads a little sore (this was worrying after only 20 miles) but I tried to go smoothly and swiftly and let gravity pull me down. I caught a couple of runners on this section.

 Nocturnal life at checkpoint 2

 

Another quick turnaround at the checkpoint, and this time I swapped headtorches for a more powerful beam, as I knew there were five big, steep, rocky technical climbs and descents all immediately after each other. I wanted good visibility to play my ‘fast downhill’ trump card.

The tactic worked brilliantly, and I steadily passed runners on the downhills. Checkpoint three was in among some huge rocks on a mountaintop. I asked the marshalls sheltering in the tent there how many runners had already gone through. They said only two. I had climbed to third place, but didn’t get excited, as there were still 80 miles to run.

New Friends

Another quick crew stop at the next road crossing, and I was away again. On the next climb a guy called Stu caught me, and we got chatting. We were equally matched in pace, both up and downhill. Looking behind us across the moors we could see the nearest runner was about half a mile behind.

We stayed together throughout the long moorland section. I helped Stu by guiding the way; he helped me by having probably the brightest head torch I have ever seen.

Vin joined us as support runner for a few miles for the section with the out-and-back to the summit of Roseberry Topping.

Stu and I dropped off the moors and hit the coast at Saltburn together, just before sunrise. There was a checkpoint and crew stop there. 55 miles done and feeling pretty good! Half way in eleven and a half hours!

We went straight off again, and saw the most beautiful sunrise lifting out of the North Sea. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was going to be a hot day.

 Sunrise at Saltburn

My feet were holding up well, although I suspected there might be a couple of blisters forming.

It was really warming up by the next checkpoint, and I took a bit of time to change into a short sleeved shirt, and lather on suncream.

 The crew weighed me to make sure I was hydrating correctly. The figure was spot on, slight weight loss of about 1.5%. I was drinking correctly (water and Perpetuem). I was also munching a few chocolate-coated coffee beans, and eating a banana at checkpoints.

The cliff path was proving to be one tough, evil, mother of a trail. Every few hundred yards it would come to a valley. There would be a long, steep, series of steps cut into the side of the hill, sometimes stone, sometimes just bits of wood holding the earth from slipping.

We had to carefully negotiate the way down maybe fifty or a hundred uneven, twisting steps, which was thigh-crunching. Then there was the inevitable near-vertical climb up the other side. At the top it took a lot of mental and physical strength to get running again. Then a few hundred yards later it all had to be done again.

This continued all the way down the coast. It was vicious!

Fortunately regular hilarious, insulting and motivational texts from fellow RuningBuggers Rah and Batrunt helped with pain management.

Welcome to Whitby

At the 75- mile mark we hit the town of Whitby, at midday. It was full of tourists enjoying the sunny Saturday. After 17-hours of running we had to cross the harbour, but when we got there the swing bridge was open to let some yachts through. I felt quite nauseous and faint standing still, in a crowd, in the sun, waiting for the bridge to close.

Then immediately after the harbour we had to climb the appropriately named ‘199-steps’ up to the checkpoint at Whitby Abbey.

Ann from Alaska was helping at that checkpoint. She cheered us onwards, and recounted a tale of frostbite on her eyeballs during her last race. She didn’t mind at all as I applied Vaseline to my bum cheeks in broad daylight in the middle of a tourist hot-spot (my rear end had been chafing for several hours). We set off again before I got arrested.

 Vin escorts RTS up Whitby's "199 steps"

 

Just a marathon to go!

It was now a war of attrition. One foot in front of the other! Just keep moving. Stu and I encouraged each other along. One would be suffering and the other would gee them along. Then it would swap round.

Support runners were allowed in the last 30 miles (80 miles run, just a marathon and a bit to go!!!). Vin and Keith (Stu’s support runner) were waiting for us at Robin Hood’s Bay, and ran with us from then.

On the next big climb to Ravenscar, a runner who was going at phenomenal speed passed us. He must have paced himself perfectly, or had an unbelievable burst of energy. We wisely let him go, wishing him well. There was no way we could stay with him. The runners in first and second places were long gone. They had set off like whippets, and were several miles in front.

Ravenscar saw another pit stop where the crews did their best to revive our fatigued bodies. We picked up our weary bones and set off again for another beasting down the cliff path to Scarborough.

On one steep downhill the large blister that had formed on the underside of my right foot burst, and I lost a bit of control as the runny stuff spurted out, making my foot slip around in the shoe. Charming, but strangely not that painful (probably because everything else hurt more!)

 Vin, RTS, Stu and Keith reach the Ravenscar check point

We could see Scarborough Castle from miles away, but it never appeared to get any closer. I remember battling along the promenade at that seaside town, trying to keep up with an elderly lady who was pottering along the seafront in an electric wheelchair. I couldn’t catch her!

Dead on my feet

At the south end of Scarborough was the last crew checkpoint before the finish. We had done 100 very tough miles in less than 24 hours, but I was dead on my feet. I suddenly felt cold and shivery. I knelt on the ground for a minute or two, and almost fell asleep before giving myself a very stern talking to.

Stu and Keith had left ahead of me. I kicked myself firmly up the arse, changed into warm clothes and, with Vin supporting me, set off after Stu. I was a man possessed, munching chocolate crispy bites and shouting at myself. Vin was holding the tub of crispy bites and passed me one every time I shouted.

We managed to catch Stu within a mile or two. We had run together, helped each other, for nearly 80 miles and had agreed a few miles back that if we were close at the end we’d finish together. We had become one.

The Finish

The sun had set again, and we were into darkness for the second night. 24-hours non-stop! Vin and Keith led the way, sweeping their head torches from side to side to check we were going the right way along the cliff north of Filey. Stu and I waddled behind them like baby ducks following their mother. But we were moving fast, and with no lights visible behind us we just had to hold it together for a few more agonising miles.

Stu and I crossed the finish line, arm in arm, in fourth place, in 26 hours – several hours faster than we both had hoped.

 The glorious finish!

But then things started to go a bit.......weird!!!

On finishing I tried to keep moving around slowly, but this was extremely hard. I was whacked, my legs were trashed and my feet in ribbons (blister count was in double figures). I tried to eat but this also proved very difficult. The first thing to happen was violent shivering. The same happened to Stu. I think our thermal regulation got confused.

After a few minutes I felt totally wretched. In fact, worse than that! Daft B said I was lying on the floor with a thousand-yard stare, drifting slightly. As a team we decided I needed checking over, and got the paramedics. They did some tests in an ambulance, which all came back normal, but they thought I better go to hospital to be certain.

(I was just being a big girly drama queen.)

I was apologising to everyone in A+E, mostly for the terrible smell coming from me. Perpetuem seems to ooze from my pores and smell like fish. I had drunk two huge tubs of the stuff. And I was still in stinky, dirty running gear. I was the worst smelling thing I had ever experienced.

I guess I fitted in well with the Saturday night drunks, tramps and winos. Only we were probably far more entertaining, and certainly more polite. I don’t think the A+E staff get crazies in who have just run 110 miles very often. We were a novelty act.

They ran another bank of tests in A+E, and again everything came back normal – blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood glucose, ECG, hydration level, electrolytes, renal function, everything - credit to the hydration strategy, and to the crew for keeping everything in normal limits.

The doctor even used the word ‘perfect’, which was worn like a badge of honour by Daft B and Vin. I was slowly picking up, so they sent me away saying they would ring if any blood tests turned up anything abnormal. We went to the hotel; I ate, showered and went to bed.

Half an hour later, Justin woke me up. The hospital wanted me back. I had to drag myself out of bed, get dressed, go out into the cold night, get into a warm car, and be driven to hospital. This made me feel sick, and I was sick as we got to hospital, but felt much better after vomiting and getting out of the car (who wouldn’t?)

The doctor said my creatine kinase level was sky high (well of course it was, as this is a measure of muscle damage). Normal value is less than 170. Mine was 25,000.

They wanted to put a drip up to help flush it out, as it can be toxic to the kidneys if they aren’t functioning well. (But my renal function was normal). So I ended up in hospital for the night on a drip. The only place with a spare bed was the Coronary Care Unit! But I was the lucky one in the team – the hotel the crew stayed in was rubbish!

 Some sleep at last!

By morning I ate breakfast and felt quite normal, but was terrified of having to telephone Mrs RTS from a hospital bed. I'd sooooo be in trouble! 

Given the all clear

Then the consultant came round, and thankfully he seemed to know a bit about ultra-endurance stuff. He said the doctors in the night had been over-enthusiastic.

He told the nurse to take my drip out, take more bloods just to make sure the CK level was dropping, and let me go. He too was hugely impressed that we had managed to keep all my other levels normal after 26 hours of racing.

With the crew waiting on the grass outside the hospital, I had to talk my way out of there before the blood results came back – I wanted to get to the prize ceremony and we wouldn’t have made it in time if I had waited for the results. The doctors agreed to let me go, and would ring me if the CK level wasn’t decreasing.

I never heard anything else from the hospital so the bloods must have been fine.

So all in all, quite an adventure!

Here’s to the next one.

P.s during the race I ate/drank

Approximately 12.5 litres of water

49 scoops of Perpetuem

8 bananas

Approximately 50 chocolate coated coffee beans

Two bites of GO bar.

Then, numerous chocolate crispy bites to get me through the last ten miles.

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Make a Donation

RTS ran the Hardmoors 110 to raise funds for cancer research. If you'd like to make a donation please visit http://www.justgiving.com/matt-beardshall/

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If you haven't done so already check out RTS's book "Life on the Run; Coast to Coast" (click here to see what you said about it on the forum).

RTS's book "Life on the Run; Coast to Coast"

 Rated 5* on Amazon, read the reviews

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Have Your Say

What do you think of RTS's amazing run. Leave him a message on the Hardmoors forum thread. Go to the forum.

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