0700 and meeting at the run track at Club La Santa was not, in the majority, most peoples idea of fun. However, the glow of head torches and an easy run of around 1-hours around the trails and lagoon of CLS, very much set everyone up for a perfect day in Lanzarote.
Breakfast was followed by two talks. Rich Carpenter discussed his first Marathon des Sables in 2016 and talked us through his whole preparation and race. He pointed out what worked and what didn’t and he also provided some invaluable personal ‘tips’ that many could take away to improve their own future multi-day experience.
Ian and Niandi then discussed the travel to Morocco, what everyone could expect and they provided invaluable hints-and-tips to make the bivouac experience more pleasurable until the race started.
Lunch and an afternoon break was followed by a run run to a volcano and a series of hill reps. I guess it was a session many feared… But, by unanimous feedback, the session has been the most exciting, the most welcomed and the most inspiring. Everyone loved it!
It was inspirational to see some runners push themselves to their physical limit, while others conquered a fear of climbing, exposed ridges and technical terrain. It was a real winning session and one that set everyone up perfectly for evening drinks in the bar and a relaxing and casual dinner.
Tomorrow, Sunday, is a big day with a long run out and back along the coast.
Clear skies. Yes, at 0800 the sky was clear and we all knew that it was going to be a great day!
Friday, was the first full day of the 2017 Multi-Day Training Camp and what a way to start! Participants were split into three groups and they would cover somewhere in the region of 32 – 38km. Elisabet Barnes lead the fast group, Niandi Carmont the medium group and Marie-Paule Pierson looked after the walkers. Ian Corless worked as ‘pick-up’ between the groups looking after runners who found the pace of their respective groups a little to ‘hot’ and needed to drop the the group below.
It was a stunning day. Hugging the coastline, all the groups headed out to Famara and beyond and then circumnavigated back via a different route with the climb of a dormant volcano.
One thing was clear – a warm day, terrain that replicated race scenarios and specific paced groups made for a happy bunch of runners.
Back at Club La Santa, it was time to refuel and hydrate before two talks in the early evening, one on foot care and the other on hydration.
The day ended with some good food and of course, the odd beer or glass of wine, it’s a holiday after all…
Interested in the 2018 Training Camp? If so, go HERE
A glorious morning was followed by a windy and chilly afternoon but Lanzarote put a smile on every clients face as they arrived in 15-degree temperatures after leaving a -5 London behind.
It was an admin day as everyone checked in, stocks up on supplies, relaxed and then at 1700-hours it was an introduction to the terrain and conditions they will encounter for the next 7-days.
It was a stunning end to the day as we ran for 60-minutes in three ability based groups. The sun accompanied us and as we returned back to La Santa we were provided with one of this magical sunsets that made everyone realise in an instant, why they are here.
Light stretching followed the run and then in the evening it was casual drinks and a group meal.
Day 4 starts at 0800 with a full-on run that will see most participants on the trail for 4 to 6 hours.
Heavy skies greeted us for day 2 of our 2017 multi-day training camp. It looked cold out there… the reality was very different. It was a hot day with no wind. Almost oppressive!
The early hours were dominated with admin and but then it was time to do a final recce of one of the coastal runs that we will run with camp attendees. In previous years’ we had attempted to hug the coastline and take a rough trail (with scrambling) to a coastal town, Tenesar, and then navigate around the trails to Montana Teneza and Montana Blanca.
We had failed!
Often losing the path to undertake an extreme version of sktyrunning that was far too risky for those attending a multi-day race.
The wonders of Google Earth and Movescount software afforded me the opportunity to look at the area in detail in advance of this years’ camp and yes, we nailed it! We had a wonderful 20km recce which provided some stunning views, challenging terrain and plenty of laughs.
Everything is place now. The clients arrive today, Thursday and it’s all systems go.
The camp will officially start this evening with a shake out coastal run to loosen the legs, make everyone feel relaxed and then we head straight to the bar for welcome drinks and a first night group meal.
The action starts Friday at 0800 with a long run that will vary in length based on the speed and ability of our three groups, the participants can expect anything from 24 – 36km.
The snow, the ice, the rain and the cold arrived in the UK. Temperatures plummeted. Lanzarote was the only place to be and thank goodness our multi-day training camp is now an annual fixture.
Elisabet Barnes, Niandi Carmont and myself arrived on this majestic Canary island of Lanzarote, two days ahead of our 2017 camp to put logistics in place and do a final check of some of the run routes we will use.
Blue skies and 20 degree temperatures greeted us. The bright blue sky, the warm rays immediately rejuvenating us from the cold and dark of the UK. No confirmation is needed but within seconds we know only too well why we do this camp at this time of year.
Today was all about settling in but it would be rude not to get out on the trails as the day came to a close. Using one of our training run routes, we ran, climbed and scrambled one of the many volcanoes that are located on this island. It was a magical way to end the day.
Wednesday, we will do a full long run route recce and then on Thursday, our clients will arrive from all over the world to start a full-on week learning how best to train, prepare and plan for a multi-day race. Lanzarote is the perfect environment for this.
The Coastal Challenge is multi-day race over 6-days starting in the southern coastal town of Quepos, Costa Rica and finishing at the stunning Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula. Considered by many an ultimate multi-day running experience, it challenges even the most experienced runner.
The 2017 The Coastal Challenge is just weeks away from starting. Runners from all over the world will arrive in San Jose and then travel to the start in Quepos for the 13th edition. And what a line-up the race has… Reigning ladie’s champion, Ester Alves is back along with Elisabet Barnes, Anna Comet and Veronica Bravo. For the men, Jason Schlarb, Sondre Amdahl, Chema Martinez, Tom Owens and Vicente Juan Garcia Beneito head up a quality line up.
This is Episode 115 of Talk Ultra and we have an interview with Hardrock 100 winner, Jason Schlarb. We also speak with Elisabet Barnes about her Richtersveld Transfrontier Wildrun and Big Red Run double. Speedgoat Karl is with us on the countdown to the AT and of course we have the news from around the world.
Timmy Olson – American Tarzan…. Discovery Channel HERE“When Tim gets low on energy, he goes into his trademark “Animal Mode,” and enters the “Pain Cave” to get through it – training which will serve him well in the jungle!”
Coming up – Skyrunning World Champs this weekend HERE
02:07:00 INTERVIEW ELISABET BARNES
03:10:16 AUDIO – the meaning of life see the post HERE
“A down jacket protected me from the cold wind and the low temperatures, amongst the dunes of the Simpson Desert, the sky was not dark, it was black. A lack of light pollution, a lack of people, I was remote and alone in the outback of Australia. Above me the sky glowed with a series of glitter balls. It was like a child’s artwork creation, you know the ones I mean – black card, some glue and then throwing glitter at the card until it sticks. To say the sky was amazing would be a complete understatement. I could see all the constellations, I could clearly pinpoint stars and for a moment I was lost, overwhelmed by the enormity of my location and my insignificance within the world in which we live.”
Always a pleasure to have a picture in THE GUARDIAN. Here is a photo of Elisabet Barnes taken on the 84km long stage of the Big Red Run, Australia. See the post HERE
Have to give a huge thanks to Greg Donovan and the Big Red Run team for the opportunity to travel and work in the ‘outback’ of Australia on this race and Elisabet Barnes for a stunning and inspiring run.
Also thanks to my helicopter pilot, Mitch. Great arial photography happens when you have a pilot who understands what it takes for a photographer to capture the shots he wants. Mitch did a great job, no worries mate!
Niandi Carmont brings us her final two interviews from the 2016 Big Red Run, Alistair Nicol: A Lease on Life and The Tansley Tandem: Carlie and Jade Tansely.
Alistair NICOL: A Second Lease on Life
“To have your childhood dream realized is a really big deal.” – Maya Rudolph
It’s a bit of a process. Three years ago I had some heart problems, mainly due to the extreme stress of building a 3-storey functioning windmill in The Rocks down in Sydney. I found myself in hospital having my heart shocked back into rhythm. My cardiologist suggested I do some exercise and from there a little bit of running led to more focussed training and setting challenges. I’m also interested in the beautiful locations where you can do these challenges. My Dad was a photographer and travel writer for the Automobile Association and when I was a kid he’d come back from his trips and show me these stunning images of magnificent landscapes, remote regions and the outback. He’d interview local personalities and all of that made me dream – I knew then I wanted to visit those places. I got caught up in the stress of life and it’s only when I had my health issues the I took a step back and realised that I’d let go of my legacy.
It is surprising when you look at Alistair as he doesn’t look like a candidate for heart problems. He’s young, lean and lanky and looks athletic.
I was working with site managers and production directors at festivals and events. You end up taking other people’s stress,people who are just not pulling their weight. My tendency is just to make a job happen. After a few years of that, it started catching up. I probably could have been exercising more and I could have been eating a slightly different diet.
For Alistair the Big Red Run is a real challenge and an opportunity to reunite with his father’s legacy.
The first day was the my first marathon too! It’s not always easy to find training time although I have put in a lot of training the last 9 months. My legs are feeling pretty good. I’ve taken a producer, managerial approach to running in that I’ve been working with so many physics and chirps and other sports people. I’m actually not feeling too bad today – I might feel differently in 3 days time. (lLaughs).
I ask him if he’s happy with his preparation.
On account of the rain, I think I should have taken half a dozen pegs to hang up and dry out my kit! Seriously, I think i might have over-catered on the food. I definitely took more than I needed. Also I had planned to do the Big Red Run but with the soft tissue issues I’ve had with my knee, I’ve had to switch back to the shorter version the Little Red Run.
And his impressions of the ambiance, camp life?
It’s funny how there are people from all walks of life. They are all completely different in their personalities. I suppose it’s natural for an event like this in such a remote area that brings people together, people you’d otherwise probably not get to meet. There’s a sense of looking after everyone’s well-being.
The Tansley Tandem: Carlie and Jade Tansely
Endurance and passion for the outdoors definitely run in the Tansely family. In 2015 father Shawn Tansely ran the Big Red Run and his wife Carlie and 2 daughters volunteered. This year Shawn is back running the BRR, accompanied by his wife and daughter, 18-year old Jade. Their youngest daughter is volunteering. Jade is also the youngest participant in the BRR. I caught up with them just after stage 4.
I ask Jade about her impressions so far:
Pretty sore but I’m still OK. The hardest so far is knowing you have to get up every morning and go again. It’s amazing out there – I was struck by the size of the sand dunes, they are massive. This is my first multi-day – I’ve never done anything as weird and wacky. My friends at uni think I’m insane.
Do they train together?
Carlie: We stuck together the first 2 days and then Jade decided to do today by herself, just to find out if she could.
Jade: I needed to know if I could get myself from start to finish without Mum’s help and obviously I could, cos I finished today. It was bit of a confidence boost. I definitely needed to prove to myself that I could be autonomous and independent.
We move on to the topic of race preparation and training.
Carlie: We didn’t always train together because of our different schedules, juggling with uni and work. Endurance and the love for the outdoors is something the girls have grown up with. They have been camping and hiking since they could walk. It’s just part and parcel really.
I wonder if Jade is mature enough to step back and analyse her performance. I ask her if she would do things differently next time.
A whole lot more training. I’d probably try to do some events and longer distances beforehand to be better prepared mentally.
I ask Carlie about her takeaways on doing this event with her daughter.
I think it has bonded us. I get to see how Jade has developed as an adult and how she can stand on her own two feet and achieve. I’m very proud of her. Today was very tough, knowing I wasn’t with her. I was a bit stressed but she made it and it’s fantastic. Tomorrow for the long day we will stick together at Jade’s pace, walking, running, whatever!
IAN CORLESS 