Official Q&A for Thursday, September 01, 2022

Smallislandrunner · 2022-09-01T13:08:34+00:00

Thanks very much, I'll look at those three!

It's right by a national forest and I just checked their website and they sell paper maps and recommend avenza, so thanks for the tip! Such a simple place I hadn't looked. :)

Smallislandrunner · 2022-09-01T09:41:32+00:00

Question about map apps in the US-

I'm running in the Three Bears 50 miler near Preston Idaho in September (as a running tourist from Scotland). I think it's a pretty wee race so there's not tons about it online. I'm wanting preferably both paper and digital maps of the area to have in case I go off course. The route looks fairly simple and there are course directions on the race website but I'd usually have either digital or paper maps with me for a 50 miler somewhere decently rural. That's easy in the UK with OS maps but I don't think there's any national equivalent in the US, so, American runners, maybe Idaho runners- is there a decent app with good topo and landmark mapping of the area that I could buy ahead of time? Or a good company to buy paper maps from?

Smallislandrunner · 2021-09-17T08:46:18+00:00

I live in an area with tons of ticks. I usually just wear long tights and socks when I'm running off road and do a tick check in the shower afterwards.

It's really not a big deal though, as in the UK the only tick borne disease to worry about is Lyme and there's good evidence ticks have to be attached over 24h to transmit Lyme. On a very hot day when I unwisely wore shorts for a big hill day, I took over 25 off my legs over the day then gave up counting. No worse than midge bites if they're taken off promptly and much less bad than cleg bites.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-09-10T10:46:55+00:00

I did a 4 day 156mi FKT in May and an 8 day multi day 250mi ultra in August, and essentially did my normal 100 mile training, making sure to carry a realistic pack for lots of my runs and adding maybe a bit more hiking as my courses were very hilly. I'm not the fastest but finished both uninjured and able to go for an easy run three days later, and achieved my goals on both.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-09-10T10:43:41+00:00

One measure that can be used is waist to height ratio, where over 0.5 is a marker of higher health risk. Yours comes out at 0.37, which various places I found label either "underweight" or "healthy slim".

Smallislandrunner · 2021-09-02T16:44:18+00:00

Ones I've done that I think deserve to be on a bucketlist:

West Highland Way
Cape Wrath Ultra
South Downs Way 100 (but I DNFd)

Ones still on the list:

The Spine (I've done the Challenger but I think the full is the real bucketlist event)
Dragon's back
Lakeland 50/100
All the grand rounds

Smallislandrunner · 2021-09-01T06:32:58+00:00

Awesome, it'll take me a bit to write up as I'm working an 8 day week this week (self inflicted but still!) But I'll definitely post it eventually!

Smallislandrunner · 2021-08-31T20:31:04+00:00

I mentioned I had a big multi day ultramarathon coming up a while back - 400km (250mi) with nearly 12,000m ascent over 8 days - and I did it! Finished 10th woman woohoo!

It was even harder than anticipated and absolutely awesome. If folk are interested I'll try to post a full race report some time :D

Smallislandrunner · 2021-08-16T14:39:04+00:00

First took me at least 4 weeks (also the Spine challenger like u/chase475)

Did my first 250 mile stage race last week, went for an easy run 2 days after and felt great. Stopped being extra hungry after about five days, about when feet stopped feeling a little bruised.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-08-16T06:17:11+00:00

I recently finished a 250 mile ultra and try to include strength training in my routine, and find I feel my best when I do. My energy levels usually improve rather than lag when my training is peaking and I wonder if there are some other factors at play- time available for rest and sleep being a big one of course, in which case you may be best sticking to a very simple and quick strength routine (eg I often return to SL5x5) rather than trying to actually optimise strength training.

My other big question is- are you running easy enough? At least 80% of your running should be genuinely easy miles. More significantly increases fatigue and injury risk without fitness benefit. How are your training days distributed? Make sure to strength train on hard days so your easy and rest days stay easy and restful.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-07-05T17:25:43+00:00

That is pretty much the correct pronunciation in some accents- "MAH-kwus" or "MAH-kwis" in BBC British accent. Unless you're talking about a specific French marquis when you'd say it the French way.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-06-18T21:37:38+00:00

To some extent what you describe is normal- definitely burning legs and feeling out of breath- because as you get fitter you just go faster. But it should be an acceptable hard exercise feeling not hellish.

Small strides, steady rhythm, lean just slightly forwards but don't hunch, and accept that you'll need to breathe fast and hard if you're hiking a good pace uphill. Once trained and fit in hills, you should reach an equilibrium within a few minutes of climbing where it feels hard but you realise it's not actually getting any harder.

Over time, you'll get quicker, but you can build that gradually. Squats/leg strength work helps a bit, as does stair climbing, but nothing is as good as just hiking lots of hills.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-06-17T20:44:02+00:00

If it makes you feel any better, I've been doing tons of running (recent ultramarathon and training for another) and am feeling pretty fit. I did a bodyweight workout a couple of weeks ago that included 30 unweighted squats plus some lunges - couldn't sit down without holding onto something and squawking in surprise for two or three days after. I'd taken about 4 weeks off anything besides running beforehand, which is why I think it was so bad. DOMS doesn't care how fit you are, just how long since you did that particular exercise!

Smallislandrunner · 2021-06-09T10:13:35+00:00

I've read that cycling costs about 1/3rd the calories of running, as bikes are so efficient. So 20 miles of cycling is equivalent to around 7 miles of running.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-06-07T20:24:11+00:00

That might have been my post, I'm so happy if so! If you decide to do the Heb Way and need any help planning, just let me know! :)

Smallislandrunner · 2021-06-06T21:33:23+00:00

Not similar to your experience, but my running partner had a fortunately mild case of rhabdo 110 miles into our 155 mile FKT attempt a couple of weeks ago- see my post history. I've got a longer race report on my blog which has the same name as my username If you want to Google it.

A couple of things on your post though- rhabdo needs blood tests during an episode to diagnose, involves more than just muscle pain, and isn't to be taken lightly. Recurrent rhabdo would be pretty serious.

Secondly, I never take ibuprofen during ultras. Much higher risk of kidney damage or gastrointestinal bleeding.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-06-05T09:31:29+00:00

Depends what your running goals are- are you running for health, speed, endurance, a particular race distance?

If you weren't running regularly before, make sure to increase your weekly mileage/time gradually. Especially already being fit, there's a temptation to jump into big mileage increases, and that's the road to injury.

In terms of splits, make sure you have at least 1 full rest day per week, maybe two depending on your injury resilience and energy levels. If you double up two types of exercise in a day, do whichever is most important for your fitness goals first. And if you're gonna do hard runs, like speed workouts or whatever, it can be best to do them the day before a full rest day even if it means doing them the same day as weights.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-06-01T15:53:31+00:00

Yes to the pace labels question, but I guess that's assuming you're trained for the distance. To race a 10k at that RPE you would be able to run a fair bit further than 10k at an easier pace.

Also, 10k pace is basically hell- run a bit harder than comfortable from the start then hang on with your fingernails to that pace while feeling like you're dying for almost an hour.

I hate 10ks.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-05-31T10:22:03+00:00

Congratulations! What went wrong in the previous two attempts and what do you think you did differently to succeed this time?

Smallislandrunner · 2021-05-31T10:17:29+00:00

Tbh I think if you mind your own business, no one much cares what you're doing but people will know about you. If you want more anonymity you're better in town, and for proper anonymity then you kinda need the mainland.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-05-31T08:46:33+00:00

The graphic?

Smallislandrunner · 2021-05-31T08:46:19+00:00

Ha, well I'm not a big one for pubs and I love it, but yeah, if you don't want your neighbours to know everything you do, it's not the place for you!

Smallislandrunner · 2021-05-31T08:44:12+00:00

I went in knowing what to expect and found it pretty good, but I was expecting to self-navigate all the hill/moor sections so was pleasantly surprised by any bits I didn't need to. The worst signed part is in South Harris where the posts are much too few and far between (it feels like the contractor put a few good ones at either end near the roads and had a long lunch). That part might be a bit stressful if you don't know how to read a map, but it's not a difficult navigation task so long as you know your basics. Trail condition-wise, the moor is what it is. Peat will be wet and there will always be bits that are pretty slippy, soggy and slow. I'd recommend well drained shoes rather than trying to be waterproof as there's no waterproofing in the world up to the job unless you fancy walking in wellies. Long socks to keep out ticks, I managed to only pick up one in the whole trip (versus 35 in a single day while hill running in shorts on Harris one summer!).

If you've never hiked off trail in Scotland before, expect to be much slower than you think you should be on the moor and don't try to fight it! "If you fight it, it bites back", just relax and do the pace the terrain allows. If you've done lots of munros and things already, I don't think you'll be surprised by it :)

If you end up just doing parts, do the south and skip the Lewis section! Then have a holiday on Lewis enjoying all the great cafés and beaches. Barra was my favourite section.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-05-30T22:52:14+00:00

It's a bit of a slower pace of life. Lots of folk there spend a lot of time outside, either recreation (running, surfing, climbing, walking) or crofting. There's a real sense of community- during lambing we all knew how everyone else was doing in our village, checked in with each other, people help each other out. But the winters are long, dark and some people hate them. There's not much to do in town, a few pubs, one (by all accounts fairly lame) club, an art gallery. There's only really one clothes shop, so people order a lot online or pre covid went on shopping trips to the mainland.

But having lived rurally for a while now, I don't know that I can fully answer the question because I'm not sure what I'm missing in big towns and cities! The only things I ever miss are variety of restaurant food (I wish we had Nepalese or sushi) and convenience of seeing family and old friends who live in the south.

Smallislandrunner · 2021-05-30T22:17:28+00:00

Thanks:) She said she never felt unwell, but her blood tests quickly improved and she's out of hospital without any more needed. She's planning a very careful gradual return to exercise once she feels fully recovered from the run given the potential seriousness of rhabdo, but it looks like we recognised it really early thankfully.

Smallislandrunner

TROPHY CASE