24 hour race in belfast

B7. Think many of us are in the same boat. Am thinking of making an offer to a homeless person to be my "crew" and they can keep the tent afterwards .
Seriously , I think I will have someone for a few hours at the start and may manage to get someone else for a while. Im sure there will be a lot of sharing of helpers as they will likely be bored senseless anyway .Many of us dont have anyone to call upon. Are we all a bunch of sad losers ...Willie no-mates I am doing it for future reference too. So welcome to my world .

Robin , I saw about the Coast ultra yestereday. Not sure I will have recovered but what put me off a bit is that it is mostly off road and I dont have experience of this. I think its thanks to a boghole at the weekend that my calf muscle is in bother now.

Not long now boys ... can we start carb loading yet?

Thanks fizziofinn, thats reassuring

 I may try to find myself some adoptive parents at the race itself I was just a bit worried with no-one really keeping an eye on me, I might get in trouble if things start to go wrong and I perhaps don't spot the signs.

 Still, I'm excited as hell though!

B7 where will you becoming from? YOU sound like a young fella.

 I Do understand the need for a helper , precisely for the reasons you mention ...not spotting the signs of stress and perhaps pushing youreslf too far.As well as not having to step off the track every time you needed some vaseline/drink/clothes chage etc.. Is there no way you could bribe a helper? Even if they were just to hang about for the more critical hours. I guess we will also be looking after each other to a certain extent...especially down the back of the pack where we will be competing against ourselves rather than each other.

I was wondering when people expect to arrive in belfast and the venue? I will be working up to 6pm thurdsay evening unfortunatley so not much chance of rest . Are people staying in Belfast Saturday night afterwards or the night before ? 

b7 - I done the Highland Fling this year. What a great event! And a Coors light and bottle of champagne at the end - spendid;)

Hadn't heard about the Causeway Coastal Ultra - how great is it to see more of these events popping up in Northern Ireland!!! I'm half considering running the Connemara 100 the following weekend if I can conjure up a crew.

FF - I'm just driving up after work on Friday - I live a couple of hours drive away so will likely need to leave work a bit early.

I only live 1 mile's walk from the MP track, so it'll be bath then bed for me!

Hopefully get the final details before the weekend so food and drink can be planned (no point buying stuff which is gonna be provided!)

I paced myself for 5 km on the track last night after a training session, the pace was very comfortable on tired legs, so I think I've decided on my starting pace. From there on I think it's gonna be however I feel.

 IM afraid to even try a run yet , in case I bugger up any healing that is taking place. IM going to have to be even more ultra conservative methinks.

Party in Jonathons house after so ...
joking

 Has anyone heard anything further from race organisers? Apart from the porridge and icecream newsletter?

I went on to the Tooting Beck 24 website and they give 10km splits in the results. (http://uk.srichinmoyraces.org/ultras/24hour_09/home09)

 It's interesting to see how pace changes throughout the 24 hour. I took a 230 km runner (blue) and a 200km runner (pink). The first graph is distance over time and the other is pace (min/km) over time.

Could you do the same for a 100k runner

I guess the more elite you are , the more consistent you would be. I think my graph would look like the silhouette of the himalyas with peaks and troughs..

Decided to cycle last night to rest my calf muscle. Bought a bike last week to enable me to run to or from work to up  my mileage. I had an incident with a car and ended up coming off the bike. Cut my knee and hand and have a big swollen wrist, sore shoulder , hip and knee. Funny , the calf muscle doesnt feel as sore today.  So things are looking up.

I think they should give me a  medal for making the start line .

FF hope calf getting better

Now getting into last week ,starting to gather up every bit of kit I can think of,just watched the european athletics,major inspiration to complete  the race.

has anybody got any ldea how many entered?

Thanks Robin, I think it has improved a good lot in the last two days. I did 30 mins on the crosstrainer today with no ill effects. Am tempted to run tomorrow to see how it is. I am nervous about not having run all week and dont want to try it for the first time on Friday.

Id love some more information about the event. Has anyone heard anything further?

Also . I have never run on a track before, have no idea what the surface is like to run on. , is there anything different about it , or anything I should know that might influence anything? Does it get very heavy or soggy in rain, like mud or anything?

HOw does anyone plan to track their progress? Will a watch suffice or should I get hold of one of those clicky counter things?

There's a 180km and 160 km (100 mile) runner included. Most of the poeple who went less distance did not go the full 24 hours... and we don't want to encourage that!

 You were asking about running on a track... some info can be found here http://www.runtrackdir.com/details.asp?track=belfast

It's a tartan track, it's springy, so it doesn't hurt like roads and allows you to wear lighter shoes.

Thats a great help thanks for going to so much trouble           
 Will do my very very very best to stay on the feet for the 24 hours.Cant let the side down.
Dont you just love the look at the steps leading back up to the pavillion. Remind me not to park up there   LOL. Great field for camping though!!!

HOw much running are ye doing this week? Is it just 4 and 5 milers to stay loose? I managed 5 yesterday and leg managed fine so not sure what to do .

Its getting close now  dont no why but i am not all wound  up the my i would be before a marathon.Ran 12 miles yesterday so will do a short run tonight and Wednesday and thats it.

I've been pacing 10km this last couple of weeks, but don't intend on doing any more this week. Hill run tonight possibly, nothing tommorow, short orienteering wednesday, nothing thursday and a whole lotta sleepin on friday!

Jim IA Moore wrote (see)

Its getting close now  dont no why but i am not all wound  up the my i would be before a marathon.

Reality hasnt hit home yet Jim.       YOur brain is not acknowledging it yet.

Whats the furtherst anyone has run so far, or the longest time on the feet ? Mine is a meagre 5.15    50km. 

Have many of you done big mileage before?

You're in denial Jim

FF - My longest time on the feet/running was 27:54 for 100.2 miles. Quite hilly though

I ran to Belfast and done the marathon in 19:18 (93.25 miles) in May for Marie Curie.

Cheers for the charts Jonathan. Very insightful.

Pretty sure I'm gonna run tonight and then I think I'll rest up. Maybe a mile or 2 on Thursday.