Two weeks ago, I completed the Butcombe Trail Ultra 50 which covers a beautiful and hilly route through the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. The event was superbly organised by Bristol’s Town and Country Harriers (TACH) with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, great check-point crews full of energy and encouragement, and the food was excellent too. So, a big thank you to TACH and crew!
Looking back, one of the most successful aspects of my performance was eating and fuelling the whole way around, something I am not normally so good at. Whilst my time (14:33) was inauspicious, the BTU50 has instantly become one of my favourite events. The route is beautiful, covering 52.5 miles with 2000m of climb. For the brave-hearted there is also a 56-mile version with an additional 500 metres of ascent, but which needs to be completed within the same 15-hour cut-off. Both events are ‘index’ races for the UTMB®.
Recovery
I felt pretty good post event. Legs were achy as you would expect, and I only suffered one mild blister, although my hip joints were tender and it’s only now that they feel back to normal. Over the last two weeks I have listened to my body and backed off all intensity in my exercise. Each week has consisted of three short runs, lots of dog walking and lots of time on the WaterRower – that’s two short rows and two-hour long sessions each at low HR to maintain an endurance element in the training. It is fair to say that our labrador Olive is very happy with the additional walks and I feel well recovered!
Consistency is key
I feel very proud to have completed the event – much more so than usual. This was my fifth ultra on the artificial right hip, which was fitted June 2021, so perhaps this is a nice milestone? My hip feels normal and is no longer ‘special’ and my running form is as good (or bad!) as it has always been. Overall, I feel balanced and strong.
I think the increased sense of pride is more down to my age. I will be 57 in the autumn so way past any notion of peak physical performance. The training is sometimes hard and requires more effort and a greater sense of application than even five years ago. I need to want to do this, which fortunately I do. So, completing the event is ever the more rewarding; a case of the more you put in, the more you get out.
I think consistency of training has been – and continues to be – key to my running. Although it must be said that as I have aged, my definition of consistency has moved from running five or six days a week including a proper long run, to ensuring I try and move at least an hour every day. That could be running, walking the dog, or time on the WaterRower or Wattbike. Anything to keep my HR up and with an element of resistance thrown in to try and slow age-related loss in muscle mass (Sarcopenia). Like most things in life, consistency is key to success. Can 60 be the new 40?!
Will I keep running?
Absolutely, yes! The events are certainly getting harder to complete. Taking nothing for granted, I would hope that I will still be running in another ten years. And ultras? Why not!
There is so much written of the need to remain physically strong and active to enjoy a long health span – which refers to the length of time that we are healthy, not just alive. So, for me there is no better reason to continue doing something which I love and have done consistently for the last 25 years, and when I have been injured or unable to run then I benefitted from the consistency of movement. I want to be always exercising, whether travelling whilst working away or whilst benefitting from the comfort of working from home.
Future events?
My next event will be the Chiltern Wonderland 50 in September and I am still undecided about a second Dragons Back effort in September 2025. 50 milers seem to be my sweet spot – tough enough for me to work at my limit yet without breaking me completely! A DB effort next year will involve a 50 and 100 in the build-up, hence the jury still being out.
Happy and successful moving folks!
Andy
Life is a Sine Curve 