Hoka Mafate & Stinson shoes

I've just dropped a pair of Hoka Mafates back in the post to Castleberg Outdoors, a 2-week loan pair that Castleberg can provide if, like me, you really can't believe the positive coverage these shoes receive.

Long story short, I'd made my mind up within 2 runs, and have bought a pair of Stinsons.

For more details.......
My Lakeland 50 buddy, Michael, had already shown what his Hoka-shod feet could do, by leaving me in a cramped-up state and legging it to set a more-than reasonable time. (It's all right, I told him to leave me!)
After the event I gave in to the urge to try these new super-shoes, only put off by the almost unwavering positive comment about them on the web. They can't be that good can they?

A pair of Mafates duly arrived from Castleberg, who didn't have a loan pair of Stinsons. James from Castleberg selected a size 10 for me; I wear a size 9 Inov-8 Roclite 295s at present, which James test fitted himself, and then checked the Mafates against.
They were a spot-on fit, although the laces came up a little too high to be comfortable and took some adjustment to get just right. This didn't bother me greatly since the Stinsons have a different lacing mechanism anyway.

First run was my local 3 mile loop, on road, with a gentle uphill section, a bit of rolling up/ down, and then a steeper downhill all the way back home.
Running the up section did nothing much for me. I was trying to weigh up the Mafates as worth 30% more than my Roclites, and they weren't cutting it. Onto the up/ downs and flattish section, and I'm beginning to see the point of them.
Then we're going downhill....
Suddenly I'm flying, impact feels very low, I can really push on without discomfort, perhaps they are worth 30% more after all?

A couple of days later came the real epiphany.
I left Liz & the kids walking along the rocky track that runs along the southern side of Ennerdale Water, and ran ahead intending to turn round when I'd done an hour or so.
There's a bit of quite steep up and down, followed by some flattish/ gentle ups & downs, and I was flying along, when it occurred to me that I was really, really enjoying my run. In a way that I haven't for ages - recently running has been a bit of a chore, a bit of paying my dues for the next ultra.
This felt great - good pace, great scenery, and the little gremlin in my head that usually mutters at me to slow down was even enjoying it too.

Hard on the heels of this moment of bliss came the realisation that I was running on hardcore.
Real proper builders rubble, fist-sized and bigger blocks of stone, and I'm running at pace, and enjoying it.

That was decision made. Shoes that let you maintain speed over such terrain are worth the garish graphics, the Tweenie-boots look, and the price.


I'll post an update once the Stinsons are broken-in, and when I've done a decent distance in them. So far so good.....

Haglofs Endo

Haglofs Endo Jacket (Castleberg outdoor)

I bought this jacket especially to compete in the Lakeland 50. I wanted a waterproof top that is lightweight, low bulk, and suited to high-intensity activities.

Over the years I've collected jackets from most of the mountain brands; Berghaus original goretex (dependable but heavy), Mountain Equipment (works but leaky zips and cuff velco has given up), Paramo Velez (of which I'm a HUGE fan.....but it's too heavy, heavier than it needs to be thanks to excessive zippery), even a Vango thing that's way too heavy but has almost Fastnet-race levels of build quality.

So I narrowed my choices down to a few lightweight offerings:

• OMM Cypher (eVent smock) 240g, a bit weird looking, helmet-friendly hood is out of proportion?
• Montane Air (eVent), great jacket, 310g
• Montane Spektr smock (eVent), weird-looking closures (no zip), 210g
• Rab Kinetic (Pertex shield), 220g, I'm not a fan of Pertex but you can't fault the weight
• Rab Momentum (eVent) 360g, great all-rounder, same bulky hood as the Cypher 
• Haglofs Endo (Gore Active Shell), 320g

I tried the Montane Air, expecting to like it since I'm a big fan of Montane's gear in general, however back to back with the Haglofs Endo, it exposed the difference between eVent and Active Shell - eVent is a much stiffer fabric, that's harder to stuff down when packed and hence effectively bulkier. When wearing it, the stiffness means that it doesn't conform to your body so closely, and has a more restrictive, slightly hampering-your-movements feel to it.

Apparently this improves with age and washing, but there's an alternative:

Enter the Endo.

Active Shell by contrast is supremely comfortable when being worn - it's soft and moulds to your body, and feels more like a snug baselayer than a bulky shell. One surprise side-effect of the snug-ness was sizing - I'm a L in most tops (42" chest) and the Endo in L felt as though it was going to be too small with a fleece under it. I tried with a fleece (Montane Fury), and what do you know, it was perfect.

Given this is a jacket for high intensity use ie running, I don't suppose it will get much use with a fleece, but at least with a snug-fitting fleece like the Fury, it works, should you need it.

So the Endo won hands-down - and that's before considering the small details like the excellent soft-feel sleeve ends with thumb holes, the snug yet secure hood, excellent zip and minimal pockets (a plus in my book!), and low-cut at the back. Weight is an acceptable 320g rather than a class-leading 210g; I'm not at the stage where 100g or so makes much difference!

In use - the Lakeland 50.

The event started dry so the Endo was in my pack (Inov-8 Race Elite 25, which was too big with hindsight). Gusting wind and rain saw it being put on and taken off again on the leg into Mardale Head, and from the top of Gatescarth Pass it went on, never to be removed.

I can honestly say I never gave the jacket another thought - it just quietly did its job of keeping me dry for the remaining 30 miles or so. Cracking the front zip open, swapping my hat for the hood, and slipping my thumbs in & out of the thumb holes was all I needed to help regulate temperature a little, I stayed dry throughout, and even the usual damp patch under the rucsac (which I mostly didn't even take off at checkpoints) was pretty much non-existent.

The front pocket is useful for a couple of small items, although I didn't use it at all. I have an OMM Trio front map carrier/ pouch which sat over the top, but even so, the pocket is too small to carry much more than a buff and a snack. That's no bad thing IMHO- small pocket = small zip = less weight. (If you want a pukka map-pocket, have a look at the Montane Air).

Conclusion - a brilliant jacket, tailor-made for the event and the conditions.

Would I wear it out with the family on a slower-paced walk, with more gear? Probably yes, although where weight isn't an issue I still love my Paramo Velez.

But now Haglofs have added further confusion with a 300g Smock version of the Endo. A contender for the best-ever lightweight intense-activity waterproof shell? You bet.....

Gear thoughts....

It's the aftermath, just wasting time until 1st Sept and I can enter for 2013, so I'll post a few thoughts about gear.

In a sort-of order of importance, here's what I used together with a view on would-I-use-it-again IYSWIM:

• Shoes - Inov-8 Roclite 295s. Absolutely brilliant, they survived the Trailwalker 100km last year, the Lakeland 50 this year, and pretty much all the outdoor training in between. They're unscathed. Might get replaced by Terrafly 303s for next year, although Michael was so enamoured of his Hokas that I've really got to try them. Castleberg Outdoors offer a 2-week road test that I'm about to sample, so I'll report back.

• Haglofs Endo jacket from Castleberg Outdoors. What a brilliant piece of kit this is.Waterproof, light, easy to move fast in, I can't fault it. Detailed review here.

• Water Bottles. Big learning point this one. I'd already given up on using a hydration bladder - they're too inconvenient to refill at checkpoints - so had 2 bottles, one in a Raidlight pouch at the front and one in the side pouch on the rucsac. This worked, but I've since seen better solutions. Camelbak make a 'hands-free adapter' that fits a hose onto a 'better-bottle', giving you the best of both worlds - drink like a bladder, refill like a bottle. Now all I need is a pack with 2 bottle holders and I'm sorted, which leads me on to.....

• Inov-8 Race Elite 25 rucsac. Mine is the older version of this, it's a great daysac but with hindsight is really bigger than it needs to be for this event. The mandatory gear is only 4 litres (it fits into my 4L Inov-8 bumbag) so this was overkill. Also I've realised I need to change my water-carrying habits, so for next year I'm looking at Salomon's SLAB-5, XT Wings 5 or possibly an Ultimate Direction Highline if I can find one in the UK. Key criterion is 2 external bottle holders at the back/ sides, and low volume, 4L is plenty bearing in mind:

• OMM trio mapcase/ front pouch. I generally hate map cases - they're too bulky and flap about in the way. OMM has come up with a neat solution that attaches to both rucsac straps, and hence stays put. It makes taking the pack off more difficult, but you have less need to take it off with 4L of storage right under your nose.

• Zebralight H31 torch. I used this as a head torch with another (cheapie) headtorch disassembled and attached to my rucsac waist belt. This gave a low-down light that helped pick out the rocks underfoot, with the Zebralight giving distance viewing. It's got 6 light levels that are easy to switch between, ranging from glimmer to searchlight. It ran all night on a lithium battery that's still going, 2 weeks later. No need for spare batteries. An absolutely brilliant torch that's well worth the money, and Flashaholics sent it within a day.

• Under Armour cool gear t-shirt and Edz merino long-sleeve - I wore these the whole time and they did the job perfectly. I like the look of Rab's MeCo shirt though....

Post event update

In a slight change to last year's Trailwalker, the summary is 'we did it, it was gruelling, but we're both fighting fit and uninjured!' I've even been for a run the day after....


The weather lived up to the forecast - patchy cloud, sunshine at times, with rain showers and gusty SW wind. Unfortunately most of last week had been rainy and the conditions underfoot were pretty vile - either rock or very slippery mud. Michael H and I set off (with the other 481 competitors) in the dry at midday, and made great progress from Dalemain down to Pooley Bridge, up to the ridge and then down into the first checkpoint at Howtown on the shores of Ullswater.

All was well until we got to the steep climb up out of Fusedale, where the route crosses over the Wether Hill ridge before dropping into the Haweswater valley. I found Fusedale really tough - unexpectedly, since it had been fine in training - but with hindsight I suspect I didn't drink enough on the haul out of Pooley Bridge, and ran out of steam.
At the top of the ridge a slightly awkward jump over a peat bog puddle had my left leg cramped solid at the calf.
After a bit of rolling around and stretching it eased off enough to walk on, and after some protestations I persuaded Michael to crack on at his own faster pace. 

I walked on into the next checkpoint at Mardale Head, and topped up on food & drink, and psyched myself for the steepest climb of the event - 511m of ascent in the space of 2km up to Gatesgarth Pass, followed by a steady downhill. The climb was nowhere near as tough as I expected, and I made good time into Kentmere and on into Ambleside, arriving just as it got dark at 10pm. I managed to run a couple of short sections, but was still wary of cramp as my quads were feeling the same as my calves at this point!

In Ambleside I checked on Michael's progress, expecting him to be maybe an hour ahead - but he'd already cleared Langdale, which meant 2 things - he'd managed to make great progress in daylight, and he was on for a really good time! My neighbour John, meanwhile, an entrant in the 100 mile event, had pulled out after 59 miles (Dalemain) with a knee injury.

I pressed on down Langdale, and at the Chapel Stile checkpoint I agreed to buddy up with another 100-miler, James, who was moving slowly and wanted some company having suffered hallucinations...

From here on the terrain was very muddy and slippery, and we made slow progress over Wrynose pass and down into Tilberthwaite where the final killer section awaited. The last leg is only 3.5 miles, but has 283 metres of ascent (tough!) followed by 385 metres of descent (worse!), with quarries on one side and a ravine on the other. In previous years, 100-mile competitors have withdrawn at this point, unable to face the climb when almost in sight of home....

James and I pressed on over the fell, arriving at a run in Coniston after 16 hours 11 mins (me) and 34 hours 44 mins (James). The reception was astonishing - we were led from the finish line into the school hall, where each arrival was announced and the assembled survivors - those still awake - greeted us with cheers and applause. Michael was there, having run a terrific 12hrs55, and had had time for a 3 course supper and massage while he waited!

The fastest finishing time was a barely-believable 8:30 (Steve Angus, aged 43..), with the first 5 runners arriving within 10 mins of each other, and including the fastest Lady competitor, Tracy Dean at 8:38.

The 100 mile event was even more astonishing - Terry Conway, who took 2 hours off the course record to win last year, repeated the feat by again taking 2 hours off his own record, finishing over 2 hours ahead of the second-placed pair in 19 hours 51 minutes. That's moving at over 5mph average throughout, without taking into account 22,493 feet of ascent......





I can honestly say I really enjoyed the event. OK, there were some low points - not being able to go fast enough chief amongst them. I was pleased with my ability to keep a fast walking pace - one fellow-competitor complained that I could walk faster than she could run! - and with just keeping on going.

Will I do it again? Next year's event opens on 1st September. There's a reminder in my diary already.......

three days to go...

well it's three days to go now, and last minute preparation is now limited to 'what-shall-I-pack/ wear/ go without'.
It's too late to train (significantly!), too late to order any last-minute must-have kit, and although a quick pop down to Keswick to pick up essentials is possible, I think I've got just about the entire Cotswold/ George Fisher catalogue in a cupboard somewhere.....

Now all there is to do, is to do it!

Michael arrives tomorrow evening, no doubt we'll have a carbo-loading session with local guru John (did it last year, doing the 100 mile version this year eek!) at the Old Crown, and the inevitable debates about what to take with us, how fast we'll be, which checkpoints to do longer stops at etc.

Friday we'll whizz down to Coniston to register and have our kit checked, then Michael is keen to do a short run on the actual course: whilst I've done the whole thing (in stages) in training, he's not even set eyes on it. Terrain counts for a lot, as does weather....
Speaking of which, the forecast is for patchy cloud, sunshine and showers, and top temp 15C or so with maybe 10-15mph wind. Sounds close to ideal, although I could do without the rain. The last thing we want is glorious sunshine!

Course recce completed!

I did the Howtown to Ambleside leg last thursday, and my legs have just about recovered - achy quads mostly. ~24 miles and 5,800 feet of ascent, so that's fair enough!

John (neighbour, did the 50 last year, doing the 100 this year...) and I set off 9:30-ish from the Ullswater lake side and headed up Fusedale, waterproof jackets went on as we crossed over the ridge at High Kop, and stayed on for the rest of the day. Waterproof trousers spent all day being put on and taken off again, until I got fed up with the hopping around on one foot trying to get the other leg on over very muddy trainers.

The run down off High Kop turned out to be a highlight - soft springy turf with a gentle downhill gradient, and one of the few points where you can really pick up some speed.
John put his ankle over just before we got down to the lake, and although it didn't seem to slow him down it was clearly troubling him, so he decided not to risk the next weeks training or the event, and called it a day. Turned out he hitched down to the pub in Bampton and called his wife for a lift. Naturally some carb replacement was required during the wait.....

I pressed on, the steep haul up Gatesgarth pass was gruelling but I kept myself going by thinking of the nice long run down the other side into Sadgill......which turned out to be so rocky underfoot that running was out of the question :-(

I got to Ambleside in just over 7 hours, so now I've done the entire course bar the 4 mile loop at the start (which is only open for the event anyway), and with an aggregate time of 13.5 hours.....that's without any stops, and without the slowing-down effects of distance and time on one's feet.....

gear successes include my new Haglofs Endo jacket - what a brilliant thing that is, purpose made for light-weight & intense events like this - and the OMM front pouch, which is the first map-case I've really got on with. It clips to the rucsac straps each side, and has a fold-down front that fits the route book and a map very well. Then there's a pouch for hat/ gloves/ snacks readily to hand - by carrying often-needed items right in front of you, it saves an amount of taking off the sac, which is just as well as it also makes de-rucsac-ing that bit more involved. I'm intending to modify it with some quick-release buckles.

Also worthy of mention is my Holux GPS, with route downloaded, it's very easy to confirm you're on the right path.

One near-disaster was putting chia seeds in my 3-litre water bladder. these things are great, but have a tendency to clump together, which I discovered by doing a quick test before getting in the car - the tube was completely blocked.

Learning point - make sure that the chia seeds are well-stirred if you want them to have any sort of flow. I've decided to do isostar in the bladder and chia/ isostar mix in a drink bottle which can easily be shaken to keep everything moving.
Speaking of keeping moving, the high fibre content of chia probably rules out 3 litres of it on an endurance run anyway!

Training, hmmm.....

I'm currently in a low patch, training-wise. This time last year I was racking up the miles, but somehow I can't get into my training groove.

I did a couple of weeks of up-at-6-and-get-on-the-bike, and noticeably lost weight, plus I've run into the Southbank office a few times (including a new personal best), but overall I'm struggling to get a training rhythm. This is mostly because I'm working from home a lot just now, and not sleeping well because one of the kids always seems to be off their sleep.

I ought to be worried because Michael is banging in 60 mile weeks, and my Lakes neighbour, John, is training daily. Mind you, he's doing the 100 miler, so he needs to ;-)

At least I've done a bit of the course - John & I ran the last couple of legs from Ambleside to Coniston - 16 miles, and the bit we'll do in darkness. I've also done Dalemain (start of the 50) to Howtown, another 11 miles or so, so over half of it already covered. This is to help with the navigation as much as fitness - familiarity is going to help when we're tired.

It's half term next week so I'm hoping to squeeze in Howtown to Coledale at least, which means we'll go into the event with most of the route already done.

Training with John was very helpful -we covered the 16 miles in pretty much bang-on 4 hours, which is too fast according to the man who did it last year. Average speed for finishers in the 50 is 3.3mph, which doesn't sound a lot but given some of the 'up's, believe me it's motoring.

John walks anything that is up, and his definition of up is pretty tight - I was walking things that I would have happily run up at the start of the day. 

By the end I saw the sense - ultra distance is about managing your energy, so careful control of effort and equally careful attention to nutrition are absolutely key.
One runner describes events like these as eating competitions, with a bit of scenery thrown in. Sounds right up my street!

First post...

Well I'd better get some thoughts down then hadn't I?

No doubt you've come here from a link in a begging email, asking for sponosrship - so this is the place to hear about the trials and tribulations of preparing for - and in due course participating in - the Lakeland 50.

Having done the 2011 Trailwalker, Michael and I were looking for another challenge, and at 50 miles the Lakeland 50 fit the bill - we know we can do the distance, there's just the small matter of mountain navigation, weather, and 3,500m of ascent vs 2,500 to contend with.

As my closing post in our Trailwalker blog said, how hard can it be?!