The SNOD ultra runnig thread

Ok... it is going ahead at 19:00. The route is 100k, 6000m ascent, staying within France and nothing above 2000m.

euph pulled out at 80K, mainly due to getting too cold and wet...am sure he will provide a more informative update..he says he's happy to have got that far with crazy hills, technical terrain and tonnes of mud

That is a shame. Cracking effort though. Hope he made the most of the cheese at the checkpoint before being transported back to Chamonix

noticed he has managed to log on and record his mileage for the challenge, lol..thats dedication for you!

Hi all, thanks for the support. I had a mixed bag of a time at the TDS, getting to 80k before deciding I may be risking injury to go on from Col de Joly.

It had rained on/off all night and thunderstorms in Chamonix valley at least. THis rain continued into race day from just outside Courmajor, nice and cool though. Col de yalouz - last section of climb that begins from mile 1, was a monster, a narrow track through loose scree that had got very muddy so there was an almost unmoving queue going up. Took advantage of wider paths to make progress down from here.

Pattern continued with back to back big ascents and descents, most well over 1000 and one ascent over 5000 from Bourg St Maurice. Best wearther on this climb too, rain stopped for awhile and sun een came out and I was able to dry t-shirt and smock. But gradually wind and rain returned Over top though all changed.

I'd got a soaking descending from Passeur de Pralognan, could have done to get more gear on or desecnd faster, but stuck in a train of slow descenders. So required lots of soup and changing to all warm gear at Cormet de roselund to stop the shakes. Got going again, but no energy left and couldn't climb (stopping every few hundred yards as heart racing) and kept falling over on (v.muddy) descents. I was also getting sleepy and lacking concentration. I had a nap at Col Joly, but it wasn't enough.

Happy to have given it a good go in less than ideal conditions and completed 80k, 5550m ascent (hurt) and nearly as much descent (hurt more) to that point - toughest thing I've done! It has the big climbs of UTMB, but more frequent and/or bigger and some of the route is defiantely more technical. Especially with loads of mud in several sections making things hard going.

Sorry for delay updating, tired this morning and been for a big burger, chips and beer in Chamonix before watching UTMB get off.

From weather I had I can understand the reason for the change of route, didn't have any snow on my route even though high and cold, but it was on Bonhomme and la Seigne last year, they seem to attract it more than other similarly high areas. So could have been snowing there awhile. Good they had a backup route in the bag, but ashame those running this year will miss some of the route highlights, valley of the glaciers, vew from bonhomme and la seigne. And seems odd that this backup route is shorter than TDS?

DE - An awesome effort and a tough decision to make in the circumstances I am sure.

Will you put in for the ballot again? I fancy the CCC, I think I can get myself fit for a good 100k but going further than that with the climbs and I think I am just setting myself up for more hurt than necessary at the moment!

DE - fantastic effort. The weather looked pretty grim from what I could see, even if you didn't get any snow. Are you staying to see the end of the UTMB - I guess it will be a lot quicker now given the shortening & change of course. Must be a fantastic atmosphere over there.

Don't forget that Lakeland 100 entry opens today 

WiB - Maybe will have to do something different in training, my OH thinks I should do some more strength training (non-running) and may have a point as even though I eat big having trained a lot all the muscle seems to get sucked off my upper body. Noticed guy who won CCC (not that I have his natural "gift") was toned well upper and lower body. This seems not uncommon with mountain ultra guys when I look around. You'd be fine with CCC I'm sure WiB - if not one of the longer events. Some people step straight in at UTMB level, but this didn't work for me, depends on your confidence and how well you cope with adversity I reckon.

HL - As per above I saw first finishers of CCC (before UTMB start ddue to course shortening) and UTMB start. Seen plenty of runners filtering in yesterday. Strange that they're all finishing a day early. Atmosphere is great!

Seems that weather effect on TDS (114k) and threat of worse on Friday night brought about the decision to cut two climbs from CCC (86k) and of course course change to UTMB (no climbs over 2000m and only 103k). The snow on CCC course at Grand Col ferret is well publicised, but not many people have mentioned the 497.... yes 497 abandonements or timeouts at Cormet de Roselend during TDS when the rain hit hard. This and other less spectacular drop-out rates at other controls contributed to a 43% completion rate. So removing people from height was a major logistical headache I'll bet! 1 person even retired at a high Col CP (2300m~) god knows how they removed them.

And the course changes worked for CCC and UTMB in that the dropout rates were low at less than 20%. Success, in that they avoided undue risk to competitors, but maybe a failure in that they made the UTMB too easy? I don't know having not done it, but 103k and 5862m+ isn't a bigger challenge to 114k and 6792m+ by any distance or height measure. And the reputation of the TDS is that it is a more technical course too.

L100 may be the way to go next year, baby on the way so will be saving cash :0)

Congrats on all counts EUPH, yep core strength and upper body just as important as lower

DE - I think the CCC would be a good start for me. I am looking to concentrate on more 50m/100k races as I think they play to my strengths a little more at the moment. I still enjoy the 100m races though so will try to get 1 maybe 2 a year in.

I do no upper bosy or core at all...

you'll be leading the pack if you do that de! well done. great performance

im great at arm reps (holding a pint)

Well Done euph - sounds tough
"It has the big climbs of UTMB, but more frequent and/or bigger and some of the route is defiantely more technical."
hmmm...
although I don't like the sound of the queues on narrow paths - not so good if you're relying on moving well to generate body heat... 

Bullock Smithy was er... horrific actually - far too warm for my liking early on - I should've modified my strategy and gone off more steadily, but obviously I battered it then crashed and burned
I ended up walking most of the latter half and finished in 15:42
there were 93 retirements from 280 starters

CD - Are you back at Lakeland for 2013? I am registered for the 50. I am sure I will feel like I am missing out when I watch the 100 runners set off but that will go as soon as I stroll into the pub for food Fri evening I will be going back run the race I know I can at L100 though.

Wetter is Better! wrote (see)

CD - Are you back at Lakeland for 2013? I am registered for the 50. I am sure I will feel like I am missing out when I watch the 100 runners set off but that will go as soon as I stroll into the pub for food Fri evening I will be going back run the race I know I can at L100 though.

haha wib...im waiting to hear..is that a clue?

Good stuff CD!

Good luck CD. I'm sure you'll pass the test 

I'm entered for the 50 again - got to let my legs get used to these longer distances before doing anything more serious 

Hi folks.

Sorry to hear about your dnf, DE.  Sounds like the conditions were atrocious with once again the events having to be compromised for runner safety.  You did very well to get as far as you did.

I'm feeling more kindly disposed to Lakeland events now, you'll be glad to know. The 50, which I didn't enjoy as much as I thought I wouold at the time, certainly set me up for my next 2 events which were NDW 100 and Ridgeway 85, psychologically if nothing else.

It turned out I severely underestimated the NDW - only 10 000' but quite a concentration of this in the 82-87 mile stretch which was wearying and the whole event in fact taking more out of me than expected.  100 miles is a long way!  In fact I made this event 104 miles and I also took two 'diversions' totalling about 2 miles!  Quickly had to revise my 26-hour target - very hypothetical - and in the end struggled to complete within the 30-hour cutoff.

In the Ridgeway, I'm sad to stay, I suffered my first ever dnf in 13 years of racing.  Left quad was becoming increasingly painful from about 20 miles to go onwards, losing me hours of time, until 2 miles from the finish, I came to a complete standstill - my left leg had ceased to function.  I could only move forward at all by literally placing my hands under the hamstring and manually lifting the leg up and forward.  A hopeless prospect and I phoned for rescue. Can't praise the St John's Ambulance and the ROs enough for getting me safely out of that situation.

After a 24-hour stay in A&E they decided I didn't have some dreadful muscle wasting disease and allowed me home, but still feeling groggy at the moment.

I can only think I haven't got my long distance legs yet and running those 3 events within 4 weeks was too much.

Oh well, we live and don't learn!

Hope other folks are getting to full health and able to do their best in future events.

come on back up t rex for next years event

talking of which i see a mr john king's name has appeared on the 100 entry list...just saying..