tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-761352019380357425.post2118942654115912217..comments2023-08-30T20:35:26.896+01:00Comments on Running Late: ReflectionsAndy Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02484436140840957046noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-761352019380357425.post-81521542473563367802011-06-29T00:13:13.523+01:002011-06-29T00:13:13.523+01:00Andy, although I was with the faster runners I did...Andy, although I was with the faster runners I did lose quite some time for the exact reasons you mention. I changed shoes twice, tried to clean the mud my feet, applied vaseline. Stopped to get stones out of my shoes. Avoided the grass ran around puddles. Avoided the mud (although that did not always work). And was wearing a bulky gore tex jacket. Stones were slippery and had to be avoided. You name it. Putting gloves on and off and on again... Silke recconed that I "wasted" half an hour just by changing shoes, socks, shirts, gloves at the checkpoints. I also noticed a considerable headwind for most of the race. Although last year it was quite bad as well.<br />Richie ran probably the race of his life. In better conditions he would have been faster! <br />So I found the conditions tough and unpleasant. I know that some of the front runners were in much better shape than last year (Sharon and Debs for example) and I would assume in better conditions they would have been even faster. <br />Btw I did not find last year's race "hot" at all. But that's certainly a subjective experience. Certainly I found last years conditions were much better. <br />Enough said. I am sure you are mentally preparing and saving yourself for the UTMB which is a much more serious task than the WHW.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12642801966035986262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-761352019380357425.post-7097294134733740372011-06-28T19:05:44.407+01:002011-06-28T19:05:44.407+01:00Enjoyed reading this. I remember the 2005 flood we...Enjoyed reading this. I remember the 2005 flood well also. I need to sample another one.....Mike Masonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-761352019380357425.post-53738959783396592662011-06-28T18:05:43.612+01:002011-06-28T18:05:43.612+01:00Careful, Andy......
All this talk about how many ...Careful, Andy......<br /><br />All this talk about how many runners came in sub 20:00; how the 40th finisher's time compared to last year; etc etc. <br /><br />I fear that you are encroaching on JK's patch. <br /><br />And that a spreadsheet or six is just waiting to be knocked into shape<br /><br />And JK thought he had finished with commenting on this year's race......<br /><br />;-)<br /><br />Excellent post; plenty of food for thought. As always.<br /><br />MtMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-761352019380357425.post-62326990627620536102011-06-28T11:26:59.933+01:002011-06-28T11:26:59.933+01:00Hi Andy, like you I've pondered as to why so m...Hi Andy, like you I've pondered as to why so many runners seemed to find it hard this year and like you, I'm inclined to think that the wet start has got to have been a major factor.<br /><br />I was there in 2005 in the downpour but that occurred towards the end and I don't think it affected me much. Looking back on the WHW races I've run, I've never started out in muddy conditions.<br />I don't usually change my shoes but I can see how wet feet from the outset (and the stress of trying to avoid wet feet at the start) could significantly hamper one's progress.<br />As to "Why do you enter this race?", well obviously to keep meeting people like yourself. ;-)Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01483958361199179409noreply@blogger.com