Thames Path 100

Last year I used a Montane Lite-Speed H20 which is waterproof and has taped seams, very light weight and rolls up very small. Seemed to work a charm even in the driving sleet. Cost me £45 from SportsShoes, I think it may have been discontinued but there are still some around for bargain prices, beware though that it has to be the H20 model as the standard Lite-Speed is not waterproof and doesn't have taped seams.

Hi all, anyone know how the TP is doing at the moment then? any of the flooding subsided yet?

I've decided to try the green man ultra as a long training run instead of a pointless recee run on a flooded course that may or may not change anyway . It's 3 weeks before so should give me time to recover and be ready to go...!?

Superglue Boots-  I live about two miles from Sandford   and i can happily report 

that conditions on the tow path  are improving.   The water level is dropping and the 

path is drying out.  Hopefully this dry spell will continue and on race day it will be perfect.  

I'll be  taking a run up towards Abingdon  soon so i'll let you know how things are looking.

Hurrah for the paths drying out !

Keep them reports coming in!

I've started tapering already !!

JeremyG - not injured as such, but I get a bit of a niggly ankle, so decided on cutting back the mileage now. I will hopefully be doing some of that shorter and faster running over the next few weeks too .

I've been doing quite a lot of 70 and 80m weeks over the last few months, based around triple back to back lsr's, and tbh last week I was starting to feel really quite drawn out, like the training was almost becoming counter-productive, so I decided enough was enough. I should get in about a 55m-ish week this week, and OMG I feel so much better for that little step back from things . Mentally I'm ready for this baby, but physically I was fearing I was starting to fall apart .

Gonna have a good couple of weeks, get sharpened up, do a few longer runs at the weekends, eat lots of good food, and gradually bring things down .

Tigerspaw-    Your post sums up exactly how i've been feeling and for the same reasons.   I've decided to cut back now.

Last year i ran the first 50 miles in 10 hours 6 mins. Then slowed to do the 2nd half of the race in 13:45.  due to the fact that one of our team had a slight injury .We knew that we could walk 

 fast for the last 20 miles and  still get under 24 hours.

This year , as i'm running on my own,  i intend to do the first 50 mile at a slightly faster pace  so that i reach half way in about 9 hours.  

 There is the worry that  i may overdo it  and blow up for the second 50 but that is a risk i'm willing to take.

Anyone doing the Moonlight challange tomorrow? I've got that and the Steyning stinger next week and i'm ready

Looks like (almost) every one is in pretty good shape.

Glad to hear the ourse is drying out - will it get as far as road shoe territory? The first 30 miles has got a lot of hard surface where road shoes are the best option and it would be nice to carry tht through the whole way

I am in the middle of my big training week - 5 * 13 miles so far and 40 scheduled for Sunday (as long as I don;t get p1ssed up too much at a corporate do at the Rugby)

Train well guys and then rest up

Tigerspaw - I hear what you say fella, when it becomes a chore the motivation and mental resolve will drop off along with the physical side

Better to be rested and looking forward to it than knackered and resenting it

Veggieboy - I agree, and I am really looking forward to the event .

UWR - I will be a couple of hours behind you, if you are aiming for 50m in 9hrs .

Last year I was 11.50 to the 50m and 25.50 to the 91m at Abingdon, where I got stopped. Ended up walking quite a lot through the night when I teamed up with a couple of guys. I should have ran more, so thats the aim this year. I was actually making much better time when I was going it alone, although the temptation is always to team up during the night, and the chat was good for keeping the brain alert. Apart from the 'natural wastage' of slowing down in the second half, I reckon I can do a good sub-28 if I aim for about 11-12hrs again for the first 50, and about 15-16hrs for the second half which will allow for longer food breaks at the CP's.

Saying that, I can also see from doing it last year where I can save time, like someone said on previous page, I feel mentally stronger for being able to picture parts of the course in my head. And I know I wasted a lot of time at CP's (mainly looking for toilets ), so I can try to be more efficient with my food intake and rest breaks this year.

I know I will be a lot slower than most of you on here, my aim is mainly to finish in one piece, but I definitely feel stronger and more prepared than last year. I'm going to use this next four weeks for maximum rest and sleep, with a few long-ish runs thrown in to keep the legs ticking over.

Anyway, enough chat from me, time to run - its snowing here in Scotland - good practice for the TP then!!!

Sorry Veg didn't read your previous post regarding the Moonlight challange untill this morning.

Looks like its going to be cold tonight! Inch of snow last night will still brave the shorts though.

Hope routes easy to follow don't really want to carry anything.

Veg do you know what the route was like? Tracks, road or muddy fields? still undecided on shoes.

Tigerspaw definitely have that drawn out feeling, normal I guess. Managed to pick up a cold now - definite indication I'm getting tired as I never get them normally. Having a rest today I think before next week.
Not sure yet on pacing stategy - my first 100 so really no idea! My inital plan is probably far too ambitious and I think if I try it I will get a big slap down and face an overnight deathmarch!
Hope everyones weekend plans go ok especially you Kevin! Don't envy you that jump to 45. Not the longest you've done so I'm sure you'll be fine.

Dill

It is a mixture of track, mud, tarmac and concrete farm road (which is very unforgiving). If it is just frozen than road shoes will be fine

If it snows I would go trail shoes

Last year I had Asics trail attacks which were fine

Thanks fella. Hokas it is.

Cheers Lingster, lets hope the dryer weather continues.

A couple of questions for those that have done this:
What's the food like at check points? Obviously there is drop bags but I don't want to weigh myself down with too much food/gels. I know you pass shops etc at several points as well.

Also what is the finish like? I am getting picked up but turns out not until afternoon earliest. I have a vague notion of just crashing on the floor somewhere. Don't really want to pay for a hotel for just a few hours but is this practical? I guess they don't want knackered runners littering up the place!

The finish is in a different place this year, but I'm sure I read in the notes somewhere there won't be any facilities / room for people to sleep. When I looked up the area on the route map it just looks like one big playing field, so I guess Centurion will have tents set up? Or there might be a University sports pavilion? Not sure.......

I do know, however, there is a good pub just at the bridge where we drop down to the finish - I'm getting collected in the afternoon too, so I've told the family to wait in the pub if they get too cold standing about. This could be dangerous !