I'd describe this as a qualified success. Last week I checked the hive and there were many many queen cells in the top half. This shouldn't be possible - there were no eggs, so all the grubs must have been > 5 days old. Which means my suspicion is probably correct - 90% of my swarm control problems over the years have probably been down to inadequately destroying queen cells. When destroying a queen cell you need to take the egg out of the comb and destroy it, not just wreck the wax structure.
Oh well, we live and learn.
This colony now has no queen cells in the top, 2 queen cells in the bottom (one possibly damaged, possibly not fatally), no eggs /anywhere/ and no queen. Oh, and they're properly pissed off :-/
Closed it up, will check again in 7 days.
However, it has been a lot easier to deal with and a lot closer to successful than previous years artificial swarms. I will persevere with the Demaree technique and see where it gets me.
Friday 22 May 2015
Tuesday 19 May 2015
Running and nutrition
I've been meaning to write a 'what I know about running and nutrition' for a while, since it's caused me a lot of problems. What follows is my understanding of what I've been able to find out, and I'm not an expert. Please let me know if there are mistakes. I've tried to provide a short summary, so there is necessarily some oversimplification.
The Fuel
The fuel your muscle cells burn is called ATP - adenosine triphosphate. It's derived from glucose in the blood. That glucose can be derived from a number of different sources:
Up to marathon distance
When you are exercising, things are a little different. You have enough glycogen to keep you running for about 25-35km (assuming you're pretty fit - this figure can vary, and you can increase it a little by long term training, and increase it a lot [in the short term] by planned carb depletion/loading. Search 'carb loading' if you don't already know about it).
Beyond marathon distance
Some people run far more than 35-40km without problems though (me included). That's possible because your body only burns glycogen when it has to. If your heart rate is above 60-70% of maximum you have no choice but to run on glycogen. If it's below that (but still raised above resting levels), your body will switch to burning fat. So the trick to long and particularly ultra distance is simply to slow down to the point where your body will burn fat.
Running for weight loss
Obviously a lot of people seek to run to lose weight. Very often it doesn't work, they gain weight instead, become disillusioned and give up. What is usually happening is they're exercising too hard - gaining muscle (which is heavier than fat) and not burning body fat. If you want to burn fat, slow down. Walking or a very slow jog will do you more favours than running. The fitter you get, the higher that fat burning threshold gets, and the more energetic you can be whilst still burning fat.
Getting it wrong: hypoglycaemia or 'The Wall'
If you run hard past the point where you run low on glycogen, a number of things happen (symptoms vary a bit from person to person, but the general gist is the same):
1) Tiredness and slowing down
2) Irritability/depression: you may get frustrated or upset/anxious/weepy
3) Clumsiness & disorientation
4) Sudden severe sweating: cold sweats and shivering
5) 'Bonking': suddenly your legs just won't do what you tell them any more.
3 can be risky because you can fall and hurt yourself or get lost, and 4 onwards can be properly dangerous. In off road situations you are at risk of hypothermia. If you got lost because of #3, and become hypothermic, you are in very serious trouble. Runners have died in that situation.
At this point, without a carbohydrate intake after a while your body will start to produce glycogen again, by glyconeogenesis. This involves burning protein (usually muscle tissue). This is probably not good news, it takes a lot of training to gain that muscle, you don't want to lose it. You sometimes get a flavour of acetone in your mouth when this is happening.
Fixing the problem
In this situation, just eating some sugary carbohydrates will fix the problem in the short term. Your blood sugar will rise, and your body will start to burn fat (it needs a little carb to 'power' the fat burning process).
Working out how long it takes food to actually do some good is a bit tricky. Sweet liquids take about 15 minutes to be absorbed. Solids generally take more like 2 to 4 hours, but soluble sugars dissolved in the stomach acid are probably absorbed as quickly as liquids. Certainly it feels like that, but as Bernd Heinrich found, just the taste of food can make your body tolerate lower blood sugar levels - sort of a 'sugar overdraft' as it knows there's food coming. (Attempting to diddle that by eating something that doesn't supply energy is pointless, and could be harmful).
Eating to maximise energy
There are two things to look at here: what to eat before running, and what to eat during running. There's a ton of advice out there on the former point, and it's mostly about your normal routine diet anyway.
The second, what to eat during running, can be tricky. I've tried eating sugary stuff during a run, and it disagrees with me (seems to bring on hypoglycaemia sooner, and makes me burp lots). Starchy food works better, but makes me a bit bloated and slows me down (cold jacket potatoes aren't very palatable, but are a very easily portable source of starch). It's only necessary if you're out quite a long time - I'd never bother if I was planning on being out less than about 3 or 4 hours. Very often even then I'll carry food, but not eat it.
The 'Nakd' cereal bars are the best thing I've tried so far. They're mostly date, so they're not intensely sweet. They seem to work really well for me. YMMV.
I've done better by training to improve my ability to burn fat, which is the next thing. Long fell races involve a much higher energy expenditure than road races (ascent is the main difference, but rough ground and with navigation to do concentration is a factor too), so some eating is necessary for most of us. I find gels unsatisfying, and the sticky goopiness is a nuisance (not to mention the wasteful packaging).
Bernd Heinrich's book 'Why We Run' is a good source for understanding the fat burning process, but by running slow when hungry/low on glycogen (such as training runs before breakfast) you can increase the ability of muscle mitochondria to burn fat. That will increase your range, particularly for distances over the 25-35km point. It's also a handy tip for getting rid of unwanted body fat - low intensity exercise when hungry will burn body fat, and also increase your body's propensity to burn body fat as a matter of course.
Training to maximise energy
Regular training will increase your glycogen storage capacity. Note that muscle can only use local glycogen - there's no point working out your upper body as a glycogen store for running, your leg muscles can't access that glycogen.
Glycaemic Index
The GI of a food reflects it's impact on your blood sugar levels. High GI foods hit your bloodstream fast, but can cause insulin spikes, whereas low GI foods provide slower release energy. It's not as simple as 'low GI before running, high GI during' though, as I've noted before if I eat very sweet food during a run it tends to bring on a sugar crash earlier.
Water & salt
During the winter I rarely carry water if out for less than 2 hours. As well as staying hydrated, you need to consume water if consuming food, and that's also the case for almost all energy gels. How much depends on individual and circumstances - in cooler weather I'll use fairly little - 1.5l will do me for 6 hours. In hot weather I can get through 4l in the same time and still need more.
If you get dehydrated, the initial symptoms are very similar to bonking. Later on after running you're likely to get stomach cramps and severe sweats/dizziness (especially if you eat too much when dehydrated). Dehydration can be fatal, you need to guard against it.
Unless it's extremely hot, you need to consume half a litre or so an hour during running (I tend to just drink when I feel like it rather than some kind of artificial regime). Salt tablets are not necessary for most people unless you're doing ultra distances, and even then probably only for really long runs in hot weather.
Conclusion
All you can do really is experiment to find what foods suit you. It helps if you understand a bit about how your body handles food and running though. As Richard Askwith points out in "Feet in the clouds" everyone has a different food to get them through the tough stuff. For him it was bananas mashed up with lucozade.
In summary, I recommend the following :
Links
http://www.medbio.info/horn/time%203-4/homeostasis1.htm
runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/cience-of-bonking-and-glycogen-depletion
www.livestrong.com/article/415921-what-happens-when-your-body-runs-out-of-glycogen-during-a-long-workout
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-We-Run-Natural-History/dp/0060958707/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419335206&sr=8-1&keywords=why+we+run
The Fuel
The fuel your muscle cells burn is called ATP - adenosine triphosphate. It's derived from glucose in the blood. That glucose can be derived from a number of different sources:
- Fat
- Protein
- Carbohydrate.
Up to marathon distance
When you are exercising, things are a little different. You have enough glycogen to keep you running for about 25-35km (assuming you're pretty fit - this figure can vary, and you can increase it a little by long term training, and increase it a lot [in the short term] by planned carb depletion/loading. Search 'carb loading' if you don't already know about it).
Beyond marathon distance
Some people run far more than 35-40km without problems though (me included). That's possible because your body only burns glycogen when it has to. If your heart rate is above 60-70% of maximum you have no choice but to run on glycogen. If it's below that (but still raised above resting levels), your body will switch to burning fat. So the trick to long and particularly ultra distance is simply to slow down to the point where your body will burn fat.
Running for weight loss
Obviously a lot of people seek to run to lose weight. Very often it doesn't work, they gain weight instead, become disillusioned and give up. What is usually happening is they're exercising too hard - gaining muscle (which is heavier than fat) and not burning body fat. If you want to burn fat, slow down. Walking or a very slow jog will do you more favours than running. The fitter you get, the higher that fat burning threshold gets, and the more energetic you can be whilst still burning fat.
Getting it wrong: hypoglycaemia or 'The Wall'
If you run hard past the point where you run low on glycogen, a number of things happen (symptoms vary a bit from person to person, but the general gist is the same):
1) Tiredness and slowing down
2) Irritability/depression: you may get frustrated or upset/anxious/weepy
3) Clumsiness & disorientation
4) Sudden severe sweating: cold sweats and shivering
5) 'Bonking': suddenly your legs just won't do what you tell them any more.
3 can be risky because you can fall and hurt yourself or get lost, and 4 onwards can be properly dangerous. In off road situations you are at risk of hypothermia. If you got lost because of #3, and become hypothermic, you are in very serious trouble. Runners have died in that situation.
At this point, without a carbohydrate intake after a while your body will start to produce glycogen again, by glyconeogenesis. This involves burning protein (usually muscle tissue). This is probably not good news, it takes a lot of training to gain that muscle, you don't want to lose it. You sometimes get a flavour of acetone in your mouth when this is happening.
Fixing the problem
In this situation, just eating some sugary carbohydrates will fix the problem in the short term. Your blood sugar will rise, and your body will start to burn fat (it needs a little carb to 'power' the fat burning process).
Working out how long it takes food to actually do some good is a bit tricky. Sweet liquids take about 15 minutes to be absorbed. Solids generally take more like 2 to 4 hours, but soluble sugars dissolved in the stomach acid are probably absorbed as quickly as liquids. Certainly it feels like that, but as Bernd Heinrich found, just the taste of food can make your body tolerate lower blood sugar levels - sort of a 'sugar overdraft' as it knows there's food coming. (Attempting to diddle that by eating something that doesn't supply energy is pointless, and could be harmful).
Eating to maximise energy
There are two things to look at here: what to eat before running, and what to eat during running. There's a ton of advice out there on the former point, and it's mostly about your normal routine diet anyway.
The second, what to eat during running, can be tricky. I've tried eating sugary stuff during a run, and it disagrees with me (seems to bring on hypoglycaemia sooner, and makes me burp lots). Starchy food works better, but makes me a bit bloated and slows me down (cold jacket potatoes aren't very palatable, but are a very easily portable source of starch). It's only necessary if you're out quite a long time - I'd never bother if I was planning on being out less than about 3 or 4 hours. Very often even then I'll carry food, but not eat it.
The 'Nakd' cereal bars are the best thing I've tried so far. They're mostly date, so they're not intensely sweet. They seem to work really well for me. YMMV.
I've done better by training to improve my ability to burn fat, which is the next thing. Long fell races involve a much higher energy expenditure than road races (ascent is the main difference, but rough ground and with navigation to do concentration is a factor too), so some eating is necessary for most of us. I find gels unsatisfying, and the sticky goopiness is a nuisance (not to mention the wasteful packaging).
Bernd Heinrich's book 'Why We Run' is a good source for understanding the fat burning process, but by running slow when hungry/low on glycogen (such as training runs before breakfast) you can increase the ability of muscle mitochondria to burn fat. That will increase your range, particularly for distances over the 25-35km point. It's also a handy tip for getting rid of unwanted body fat - low intensity exercise when hungry will burn body fat, and also increase your body's propensity to burn body fat as a matter of course.
Training to maximise energy
Regular training will increase your glycogen storage capacity. Note that muscle can only use local glycogen - there's no point working out your upper body as a glycogen store for running, your leg muscles can't access that glycogen.
Glycaemic Index
The GI of a food reflects it's impact on your blood sugar levels. High GI foods hit your bloodstream fast, but can cause insulin spikes, whereas low GI foods provide slower release energy. It's not as simple as 'low GI before running, high GI during' though, as I've noted before if I eat very sweet food during a run it tends to bring on a sugar crash earlier.
Water & salt
During the winter I rarely carry water if out for less than 2 hours. As well as staying hydrated, you need to consume water if consuming food, and that's also the case for almost all energy gels. How much depends on individual and circumstances - in cooler weather I'll use fairly little - 1.5l will do me for 6 hours. In hot weather I can get through 4l in the same time and still need more.
If you get dehydrated, the initial symptoms are very similar to bonking. Later on after running you're likely to get stomach cramps and severe sweats/dizziness (especially if you eat too much when dehydrated). Dehydration can be fatal, you need to guard against it.
Unless it's extremely hot, you need to consume half a litre or so an hour during running (I tend to just drink when I feel like it rather than some kind of artificial regime). Salt tablets are not necessary for most people unless you're doing ultra distances, and even then probably only for really long runs in hot weather.
Conclusion
All you can do really is experiment to find what foods suit you. It helps if you understand a bit about how your body handles food and running though. As Richard Askwith points out in "Feet in the clouds" everyone has a different food to get them through the tough stuff. For him it was bananas mashed up with lucozade.
In summary, I recommend the following :
- regular slow hungry runs to improve fat burning ability
- using a heart rate monitor to understand what your body is doing at different levels of work
- trying different foods to see what suits you when running.
Links
http://www.medbio.info/horn/time%203-4/homeostasis1.htm
runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/cience-of-bonking-and-glycogen-depletion
www.livestrong.com/article/415921-what-happens-when-your-body-runs-out-of-glycogen-during-a-long-workout
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-We-Run-Natural-History/dp/0060958707/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419335206&sr=8-1&keywords=why+we+run
Monday 18 May 2015
CRO Challenge/Ingleborough marathon 2015
Back again for the CRO challenge, in much nicer weather this time. The CRO challenge is a great event: dramatic scenery, friendly marshals and lots of tough climbing. It's not an event for the glory hound, no 'to the second' timing or cheering crowds, just sheep and bemused ramblers. For me that makes it just about the perfect event.
At the start in Clapham most folk were looking bundled up against the cold (except one lad in a vest bearing more than a passing resemblance to a whippet - he wasn't going to stay cold once he got moving), and I was wondering if I'd underdone it (thin base layer, thin softshell, gloves, hat, buff, summer weight running shorts) but once we got going I was toasty (and lots of people were shedding layers once we cleared the tunnels).
I made good time up Long Lane, sat slightly behind two women with two dogs. As the route split and the 13 mile route went right, I caught up with the dog owner and we had a pleasant natter as we climbed the steep bits. The other woman disappeared ahead like a rocket and I never saw her again.
The Ingleborough plateau was windy, but not as grim as it can be. A quick scoot across to the checkpoint, and a much quicker run back with the wind behind me and that was the big hill done. Dropping down towards Humphrey Bottom I was informed by a couple of walkers that I was off my head ("yep, you're quite right").
That steep descent is difficult - not runnable, 3 points of contact in a lot of places, slippery and hard on the thighs. The duck boards and track across Humphrey Bottom are easy going though, and I made good time, shovelling down a quick bit of food (must have been around 1h 30 or so). Then onto the mostly unmarked route round Fell Close. Much of this was familiar from last year, and there were strategically placed marshalls and a few flags so route finding was straightforward. I passed a fair few walkers between here and Colt Park.
The run down from Colt Park to Borrins is mostly pretty flat and a good opportunity to make up time. My plan had been to keep the cumulative pace on the GPS below 7:30 per km. It'd got as high as 7:49 on the climb up Ingleborough, but that was expected, the trick was to bring it down again, and by this time it was hovering around the 6:50 mark. Knowing the amount of climbing still to do, that was fine by me, I'd soon lose the extra gained.
I was a bit tired at Borrins and not thinking quite straight. Some indecision about the right way (past the farm, over the stile and turn left, don't fanny about with the paths through the farm itself) was corrected by the two gents who'd been just behind me since Humphrey Bottom, and the descent to the valley bottom (under the railway and over the river) was more chance to pick up pace. No steam train this year sadly - last year as I ran down the track towards the railway crossing I was delighted to see a Class A4 on the Settle and Carlisle no more than 50 yards away.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/bb850a70a8202a3369037057bb24dd90f1010c05.jpg
Climbing up to the road, then again up to the Ribble way, I headed off left towards High Birkwith. The Pennine Way from High Birkwith to Horton rises fairly sharply then drops again. I followed the track from High Birkwith until it started to veer off left then joined the grassy track, along with a man and woman who looked like heading off the wrong way.
The track down to Horton is foul - fist sized rocks to turn your ankles, smaller ones to bruise your soles. I was glad of the heavier shoes - the barefoot shoes were a liability here last year.
I paused for a chat with the marshalls at Horton (I'd encountered someone heading up the Pennine Way track intent on doing the 3 peaks without a map. I'd directed him to Brackenbottom, a much less roundabout route up PYG, and very very strongly recommended he go to the PYG cafe and buy a map), refilled a water bottle, then off we go up Sulber Nick into the strong headwind. Quite a few walkers heading down at this point, probably having completed the 3 Peaks.
The run along the top of Moughton was easier than I remembered. I spotted a hare running along the field edge as I cleared one of the stiles. With no one in sight in front of or behind me, it was like being out on a solo run and I relished the isolation. I was starting to tire though.
The paths around Thwaite are hard work when you're flagging - narrow, winding, undulating walled paths with rocky surfaces. Last year I reached Thwaite in pretty poor order and had to stop to shovel down some chocolate. This year I was tired, but still functioning pretty well and pressed straight on to the checkpoint, eating on the run. Up more walled tracks to Austwick, another checkpoint and the road climb up through the village ("run a bit, walk a lot, run a bit, walk a lot".
Leaving the road above Austwick I felt like the finish was close, even though there was a lot of climbing still to do. The marshall at the top popped up like a jack in the box just as I was wondering where he was, took a couple of pictures and cheered me on a bit. The marshalls on the CRO are always particularly friendly and encouraging (whilst competently and discreetly checking for hypothermia/exhaustion).
Which left the final grind up under Norber, then down into the village. I managed to dredge up some energy for the climb and went pretty quick, then battled with the headwind until the sharp drop through the tunnels. The first tunnel comes as a shock as it goes pitch black on you, even as you're struggling with rough ground underfoot. It takes a while for your eyes to adjust, so by the time they do you're out the other side, assuming you haven't fallen on your face.
Running at a good pace through the village to the finish, I was startled by the blare of a car horn. It turned out to be the lad I'd met on the previous years run who'd run dressed as a Roman soldier (he'd finished a bit in front of me, having lost a lot of time to a 5 mile detour!) cheering me on. This year he'd done the half marathon twice instead of the full once. I saw him shortly after in the CRO HQ, and he very kindly gave me a T shirt from the event he'd been doing last year (Yorkshire Warrior). Being a Yorkshireman born and bred it was much appreciated :-)
Final time was 5:11, 34 minutes faster than last year. Better weather helped, knowing the route a little better, not being on high dose antibiotics and being better equipped too. The main thing though was knowing that I could comfortably average sub 7:30min/km for that distance/ascent, having done 48km/1000m in 6 hours a couple of weeks ago. The final average pace was 7:10.
Food: 4 'nakd' bars, first after 1 1/2 hours, then every hour after that.
Water: started with 2 650ml bottles, refilled one at Horton.
Clothing: gloves went on and off all day long. Soft shell zip was up and down for cooling/warmth. Buff stayed round my wrist most of the way. No other changes, I stuck to the base layer & soft shell all day.
Kit:
The weather was looking changeable, and although there's not a lot of remote exposed running on the route I err'd on the side of caution. I tend not to draw that much of a distinction between events and normal runs, so I'm always equipped to walk myself out. Self sufficiency is a big part of running for me, so I hate to think that I'm relying on the race organisers to help me if I can't finish.
Some of the shopping from the last year came in handy for cutting back weight and bulk, so I was carrying the following:
all rammed in my Montane batpack. I could probably have left a few things out (the waterproof trousers are an emergency item, I would never run in them, and since the worst case would be walking back the quickest route, or lying in the survival bag until someone picked me up, they're unlikely to be useful), but generally it was a pretty good 'self sufficient' pack.
Clothes on the run:
Those last were a last minute decision. The new Trail Freaks have given me a blister on the top of my foot (manufacturing defect I think), and the baregrips are too narrow and give me blisters. The roclites are my winter running/all year round walking shoes. Harder soles and better studs were needed for the climb up Ingleborough and the Pennine Way path into Horton, and the rocky paths around Thwaite. Shame about the baregrips, they'd have been ideal if they fit me. It's not like I can go up a size to get the width, they don't make them in a 13.
Once again thanks to the organisers and marshalls for what is probably my favourite event of the year. Thanks to everyone who sponsored me too - the CRO team work hard for the benefit of outdoor folk, it's good to be able to give something back.
At the start in Clapham most folk were looking bundled up against the cold (except one lad in a vest bearing more than a passing resemblance to a whippet - he wasn't going to stay cold once he got moving), and I was wondering if I'd underdone it (thin base layer, thin softshell, gloves, hat, buff, summer weight running shorts) but once we got going I was toasty (and lots of people were shedding layers once we cleared the tunnels).
I made good time up Long Lane, sat slightly behind two women with two dogs. As the route split and the 13 mile route went right, I caught up with the dog owner and we had a pleasant natter as we climbed the steep bits. The other woman disappeared ahead like a rocket and I never saw her again.
The run up from Clapham. Picture courtesy of CRO.
That steep descent is difficult - not runnable, 3 points of contact in a lot of places, slippery and hard on the thighs. The duck boards and track across Humphrey Bottom are easy going though, and I made good time, shovelling down a quick bit of food (must have been around 1h 30 or so). Then onto the mostly unmarked route round Fell Close. Much of this was familiar from last year, and there were strategically placed marshalls and a few flags so route finding was straightforward. I passed a fair few walkers between here and Colt Park.
The run down from Colt Park to Borrins is mostly pretty flat and a good opportunity to make up time. My plan had been to keep the cumulative pace on the GPS below 7:30 per km. It'd got as high as 7:49 on the climb up Ingleborough, but that was expected, the trick was to bring it down again, and by this time it was hovering around the 6:50 mark. Knowing the amount of climbing still to do, that was fine by me, I'd soon lose the extra gained.
I was a bit tired at Borrins and not thinking quite straight. Some indecision about the right way (past the farm, over the stile and turn left, don't fanny about with the paths through the farm itself) was corrected by the two gents who'd been just behind me since Humphrey Bottom, and the descent to the valley bottom (under the railway and over the river) was more chance to pick up pace. No steam train this year sadly - last year as I ran down the track towards the railway crossing I was delighted to see a Class A4 on the Settle and Carlisle no more than 50 yards away.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/bb850a70a8202a3369037057bb24dd90f1010c05.jpg
Climbing up to the road, then again up to the Ribble way, I headed off left towards High Birkwith. The Pennine Way from High Birkwith to Horton rises fairly sharply then drops again. I followed the track from High Birkwith until it started to veer off left then joined the grassy track, along with a man and woman who looked like heading off the wrong way.
The track down to Horton is foul - fist sized rocks to turn your ankles, smaller ones to bruise your soles. I was glad of the heavier shoes - the barefoot shoes were a liability here last year.
I paused for a chat with the marshalls at Horton (I'd encountered someone heading up the Pennine Way track intent on doing the 3 peaks without a map. I'd directed him to Brackenbottom, a much less roundabout route up PYG, and very very strongly recommended he go to the PYG cafe and buy a map), refilled a water bottle, then off we go up Sulber Nick into the strong headwind. Quite a few walkers heading down at this point, probably having completed the 3 Peaks.
The run along the top of Moughton was easier than I remembered. I spotted a hare running along the field edge as I cleared one of the stiles. With no one in sight in front of or behind me, it was like being out on a solo run and I relished the isolation. I was starting to tire though.
The paths around Thwaite are hard work when you're flagging - narrow, winding, undulating walled paths with rocky surfaces. Last year I reached Thwaite in pretty poor order and had to stop to shovel down some chocolate. This year I was tired, but still functioning pretty well and pressed straight on to the checkpoint, eating on the run. Up more walled tracks to Austwick, another checkpoint and the road climb up through the village ("run a bit, walk a lot, run a bit, walk a lot".
Leaving the road above Austwick I felt like the finish was close, even though there was a lot of climbing still to do. The marshall at the top popped up like a jack in the box just as I was wondering where he was, took a couple of pictures and cheered me on a bit. The marshalls on the CRO are always particularly friendly and encouraging (whilst competently and discreetly checking for hypothermia/exhaustion).
3km to go. Picture courtesy of CRO
Which left the final grind up under Norber, then down into the village. I managed to dredge up some energy for the climb and went pretty quick, then battled with the headwind until the sharp drop through the tunnels. The first tunnel comes as a shock as it goes pitch black on you, even as you're struggling with rough ground underfoot. It takes a while for your eyes to adjust, so by the time they do you're out the other side, assuming you haven't fallen on your face.
Running at a good pace through the village to the finish, I was startled by the blare of a car horn. It turned out to be the lad I'd met on the previous years run who'd run dressed as a Roman soldier (he'd finished a bit in front of me, having lost a lot of time to a 5 mile detour!) cheering me on. This year he'd done the half marathon twice instead of the full once. I saw him shortly after in the CRO HQ, and he very kindly gave me a T shirt from the event he'd been doing last year (Yorkshire Warrior). Being a Yorkshireman born and bred it was much appreciated :-)
Final time was 5:11, 34 minutes faster than last year. Better weather helped, knowing the route a little better, not being on high dose antibiotics and being better equipped too. The main thing though was knowing that I could comfortably average sub 7:30min/km for that distance/ascent, having done 48km/1000m in 6 hours a couple of weeks ago. The final average pace was 7:10.
Food: 4 'nakd' bars, first after 1 1/2 hours, then every hour after that.
Water: started with 2 650ml bottles, refilled one at Horton.
Clothing: gloves went on and off all day long. Soft shell zip was up and down for cooling/warmth. Buff stayed round my wrist most of the way. No other changes, I stuck to the base layer & soft shell all day.
Kit:
The weather was looking changeable, and although there's not a lot of remote exposed running on the route I err'd on the side of caution. I tend not to draw that much of a distinction between events and normal runs, so I'm always equipped to walk myself out. Self sufficiency is a big part of running for me, so I hate to think that I'm relying on the race organisers to help me if I can't finish.
Some of the shopping from the last year came in handy for cutting back weight and bulk, so I was carrying the following:
- Montane Fireball - didn't use
- Montane ultra vest - didn't use
- minimal first aid kit
- 5 nakd bars - 1 left at the end
- 2 chocolate bars - didn't use
- compass
- OL2 lamfold map, route marked up and protected with sticky backed plastic
- powerstretch gloves
- buff
- cheap waterproof trousers in a drysack - didn't use
- SOL survival bag
- Raidlight pouch for food
- whistle
- phone
- tissues & van keys in a drysack
- 2 650ml water bottles
all rammed in my Montane batpack. I could probably have left a few things out (the waterproof trousers are an emergency item, I would never run in them, and since the worst case would be walking back the quickest route, or lying in the survival bag until someone picked me up, they're unlikely to be useful), but generally it was a pretty good 'self sufficient' pack.
Clothes on the run:
- ventus softshell
- summer shorts
- base layer (thin Rab one)
- base layer socks and summer walking socks
- roclite 295s
Those last were a last minute decision. The new Trail Freaks have given me a blister on the top of my foot (manufacturing defect I think), and the baregrips are too narrow and give me blisters. The roclites are my winter running/all year round walking shoes. Harder soles and better studs were needed for the climb up Ingleborough and the Pennine Way path into Horton, and the rocky paths around Thwaite. Shame about the baregrips, they'd have been ideal if they fit me. It's not like I can go up a size to get the width, they don't make them in a 13.
Once again thanks to the organisers and marshalls for what is probably my favourite event of the year. Thanks to everyone who sponsored me too - the CRO team work hard for the benefit of outdoor folk, it's good to be able to give something back.
Friday 15 May 2015
Beekeeping - a first attempt at the Demaree method
I have a colony that has built up very well this spring, and last week they had started to construct queen cells. I've had limited success in the past with conventional artificial swarming, so I thought I'd try Demaree. So, on friday, I put a new brood box down in it's place, moved the queen with a frame of brood (mixed, some sealed, some unsealed) into it, along with some drawn comb and some foundation, put a (plastic) excluder on top, then an empty super, and finally the other brood box.
On wednesday, I checked and there were two queen cells in the bottom, which I removed after checking her majesty was still present, and upwards of a dozen emergency cells in the top, which I also removed.
Today, 7 days after the start of the Demaree, I found 2 more queen cells on the frame that was carried across and a hoard of queen cells in the top, mostly empty but some with older larva or jelly in. The bottom ones - well, maybe they're just really determined to swarm, or maybe they intended those to be queen cells from the start, or maybe I didn't destroy them thoroughly enough. The top ones though - there shouldn't have been any larva less than 5 days old in the top box. I checked very carefully, and there's no sign of any eggs in the top box. I was /very/ thorough about destroying the queen cells in the top.
It's as if they're trying to raise older larva as queens, and making cells with jelly but no eggs. I wondered if the queen had squeezed through (most of the paint has worn off her body), but there are no visible eggs, and she was in the bottom box when I checked.
The other possibility is maybe I missed cells that weren't obviously queens at that point - the cell hadn't been extended although the jelly feeding has started. That doesn't seem that likely though.
I'd also spilled a lot of very wet nectar on wednesday when checking for queen cells - it splashed on the floor by the hives. Today there was a dead mouse in the middle of it.
Bees, they're a weird bunch. The lesson for me here is, when doing a Demaree don't assume it'll work - check the hive 2ce a week for the first two weeks.
On wednesday, I checked and there were two queen cells in the bottom, which I removed after checking her majesty was still present, and upwards of a dozen emergency cells in the top, which I also removed.
Today, 7 days after the start of the Demaree, I found 2 more queen cells on the frame that was carried across and a hoard of queen cells in the top, mostly empty but some with older larva or jelly in. The bottom ones - well, maybe they're just really determined to swarm, or maybe they intended those to be queen cells from the start, or maybe I didn't destroy them thoroughly enough. The top ones though - there shouldn't have been any larva less than 5 days old in the top box. I checked very carefully, and there's no sign of any eggs in the top box. I was /very/ thorough about destroying the queen cells in the top.
It's as if they're trying to raise older larva as queens, and making cells with jelly but no eggs. I wondered if the queen had squeezed through (most of the paint has worn off her body), but there are no visible eggs, and she was in the bottom box when I checked.
The other possibility is maybe I missed cells that weren't obviously queens at that point - the cell hadn't been extended although the jelly feeding has started. That doesn't seem that likely though.
I'd also spilled a lot of very wet nectar on wednesday when checking for queen cells - it splashed on the floor by the hives. Today there was a dead mouse in the middle of it.
Bees, they're a weird bunch. The lesson for me here is, when doing a Demaree don't assume it'll work - check the hive 2ce a week for the first two weeks.
Wednesday 13 May 2015
A message to PE teachers
Dear PE teachers,
not all of the children you teach are the same. Some of them will be shy, or introvert, or both. These children do not need to be 'drawn out of themselves'. They know damn well what they are missing when they don't engage with team sports; they know it, and they want none of it. They're easy to spot: they're the ones who get picked for team sports last, and are often proud of that fact. You might find them difficult to understand, but you still have a responsibility to try. If you want to do something for them, teach them something they can do alone. Running is an easy one and the one I know, but there are others.
If you teach them to run - around a track, or cross country, teach them how to pace themselves; that running doesn't have to mean 'all out as fast as you can'. Teach them to maintain their body temperature; that sports doesn't have to mean shivering on a cold field in winter. Teach them to push harder because they want to; not because someone is shouting at them. And even though you may not believe it yourself, teach them that it's ok to put in only as much as they're comfortable with. Teach them that, because otherwise you'll lose them.
Maybe some of them will turn out to be great athletes. Maybe not. But at least some of them will live healthier and happier lives because of it, and won't look back on you for the rest of their lives with loathing and contempt. I was one of them, and school PE kindled in me a hatred of any kind of sport that lasted for twenty five years.
Yours,
A heavy smoker turned fitness nut, many times marathon runner, and passionate hater of team sports.
not all of the children you teach are the same. Some of them will be shy, or introvert, or both. These children do not need to be 'drawn out of themselves'. They know damn well what they are missing when they don't engage with team sports; they know it, and they want none of it. They're easy to spot: they're the ones who get picked for team sports last, and are often proud of that fact. You might find them difficult to understand, but you still have a responsibility to try. If you want to do something for them, teach them something they can do alone. Running is an easy one and the one I know, but there are others.
If you teach them to run - around a track, or cross country, teach them how to pace themselves; that running doesn't have to mean 'all out as fast as you can'. Teach them to maintain their body temperature; that sports doesn't have to mean shivering on a cold field in winter. Teach them to push harder because they want to; not because someone is shouting at them. And even though you may not believe it yourself, teach them that it's ok to put in only as much as they're comfortable with. Teach them that, because otherwise you'll lose them.
Maybe some of them will turn out to be great athletes. Maybe not. But at least some of them will live healthier and happier lives because of it, and won't look back on you for the rest of their lives with loathing and contempt. I was one of them, and school PE kindled in me a hatred of any kind of sport that lasted for twenty five years.
Yours,
A heavy smoker turned fitness nut, many times marathon runner, and passionate hater of team sports.
shoe crisis
Blast. With a tough marathon on saturday I have a shoe crisis:
vivo trail freaks - hard bit in the upper gives me a blister on the top of my foot
inov8 baregrips - too narrow footbox gives me a blister on the ball of my foot
vivo neo trail - 2 pairs, both look like they /might/ manage 42km, or they might disintegrate part way round
wave harriers - look like they might disintegrate after 5km.
Options -
a) aggressive surgery on the trail freaks
b) wear the neo trails and hope/carry duct tape
c) wear roclites and risk ankle turning from the additional height.
Probably option a, try a couple of hundred metres, and if all else fails c.
buggerosity - I like to think that being accustomed to minimal shoes means you can run in more or less anything (or nothing) but for best performance on a long run it's not quite true.
vivo trail freaks - hard bit in the upper gives me a blister on the top of my foot
inov8 baregrips - too narrow footbox gives me a blister on the ball of my foot
vivo neo trail - 2 pairs, both look like they /might/ manage 42km, or they might disintegrate part way round
wave harriers - look like they might disintegrate after 5km.
Options -
a) aggressive surgery on the trail freaks
b) wear the neo trails and hope/carry duct tape
c) wear roclites and risk ankle turning from the additional height.
Probably option a, try a couple of hundred metres, and if all else fails c.
buggerosity - I like to think that being accustomed to minimal shoes means you can run in more or less anything (or nothing) but for best performance on a long run it's not quite true.
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