Offa's Dyke Run - things learnt Lesson 4 - Equipment

Equipment on something like this epic is very much a personal choice and what works for one person might not work for another. I am going to just explain what worked for me based on my preparations. So let's start from the bottom up.

As stated in Lesson 1 I chose to run In Hoka Mafate Speed trail shoes. As someone who had done a bit of fell running I had tried out both Salomon and Innov8 fell shoes but found that they did not give me enough cushioning for the distance.  I had tried trail shoes but really did not get on with them.  So I bought my first pair of Hokas about 12 months before the run and discovered that whilst they were great on trails they were not great on wet grass. However they were surprisingly light and once you got used to the oversize cushioning they worked a treat. I had actually run two big fell races in them and found that they hold up well.

For socks I went for knee length compression socks because that is what I always wear. I don't know it they make a real difference but I found they worked well. I bought a few pairs of Hilly Trail socks and they were the best I have used so far being a great combination of cushioning, sweat absorption and compression. I actually slept in clean socks and compression shorts for a couple of nights and think that helped overnight recovery.

shorts were something I had not really thought too much about. To my cost I discovered all shorts are not the same and one pair resulted in chaffing. The best pair I had were a pair of Ron Hill Trial shorts with side pockets that I found really useful for caring my maps in particular. 

I ran in technical t-shirts and discovered that shirts with a fine weave much better than others. I did think about investing in new shirts but stuck with what I had practiced with and did a bit of wash and wear. 

My pack was an Ultimate Direction 20L Fastpack. This was actually too big but due to the design it compresses well.  The big advantage with the pack is the daily accessible pockets. I was able to access my water, all my food, my hat, my camera and my phone without taking the pack off. 

I wore a buff most days to keep the sweat out of my eyes and the sun off my head. When it got really sunny I went for my trusty North Face hat with a peak. 

The biggest experiment I went for was to use Nordic Walking poles for the run.  I had read about how they could reduce the strain on the legs by 20-30% is used correctly so borrowed a pair 3 months before the run and had a lesson. In the end I plumped for the very light Black Diamond Carbon Distance Z poles that were excellent.  I made sure I had mastered using the poles for walking and running by using them 2-3 times a week. On the fourth day of the run in particular I seemed to subconsciously rely on the poles as I tired and I can safely say that they got me through. They take a bit of getting use to and they are not for everyone but in my opinion a vital piece of equipment if taking on a challenge like this.

Offa's Dyke Run - things learnt Lesson 3 - Nutrition

Those of us who ran the full 180 miles were burning around 6000 kcals a day i.e. up to three times normal daily consumption.  There were two issues really firstly how to make sure we ate enough during a day to replenish this output and then how to run and make sure we were topped up with energy.  We all had different strategies which varied greatly:

One runner had cooked breakfast and seemed to live on malt loaf (Soreen) during the day followed by eating huge quantities at night.

Another ate tinned meals during the 10 minute stops we had 3-4 times a day. 

Some ate sandwiches in the breaks and nibbled on the run.

Actually there is no single strategy that will work for everyone. These people had tried different things out and discovered what worked for them.

My strategy was as follows:

Cereal and toast with coffee for breakfast with some sort of packed breakfast to eat on the go.  I had things like boiled eggs, egg sandwiches or sausage sandwiches.

On the run I ate home made date bars, Nutrigrain breakfast bars (more like a cake), peanuts, chocolate and when I needed a boost a gel with caffeine. I also made sure I have some coffee at the breaks. I would try and get a sandwich around mid day to nibble on. I tried to eat every hour and tried to limit the quantity so that my stomach was not full.

In the evening I ate a hearty meal but tried to steer clear of meat as we were eating late and found that eating a heavy meal disturbed my sleep.

I didn't get everything right. On the third and the last day I got too tired and I forgot to eat in the afternoon which I paid for at the end of the day. You really need to force yourself to eat even if you don't feel like it. As a matter of interest once I was rehydrated I discovered that I had lost about 2 kilos in weight which for me seems to be a calorie deficit of about 14,000 kcals. 

Denbigh Harriers ran along Offa's Dyke to celebrate 25 years since it's formation.

It is easy to get inspired by some of the trail running races and exploits you read about in magazines  and then when you look into trying to take part in an epic challenge or race yourself you find that there are barriers to participation such as cost, qualification, training and support. So when our small running club of 80 members from North Wales was thinking about a way to celebrate 25 years of existence someone suggested organising a challenge of our own.  It was suggested that the club ran the 180 mile length of the Offa's Dyke long distance footpath from the Bristol Channel to the Irish Sea. The thing we hadn't considered but had been warned about was the hilly nature of the route. It transpired that at the end of the journey we would have climbed over 30,000 feet.  Now if this sounds like a tall order for a club of differing abilities and only a handful of people with any experience of this sort of thing you would be right.  However the plan took hold and the challenge was broken down into 5 days and then a further 24 legs of varying distance or 5 to 13 miles. Members of the club were then given the opportunity to run as much or as little of the challenge as they wanted to. Some people wanted to attempt the whole thing others would join for the day and some would join the run for a few days. 

So with some sort of plan in place and a date set for June 2016, 8 months ahead, preparation began in earnest. We organised training runs on the parts of the dyke focussing on running as a group, learning how to eat and drink on the move and on getting the kit right. We built up distances to about half of the expected daily average and found that we managed to keep together and run at a respectable pace. We found that by taking it slowly we should be able to cover the 36 miles 6,000 feet each day in around 10 hours. 

In readiness for 1 June start 16 runners and a driver piled into a minibus for the journey down to Chepstow for the start. We had an age range of 40 years from youngest to oldest amongst the runners and widely varying levels of experience and ability.  However that plan was to stick together and each individual to choose what they felt they were able to run.  On the 1st of June we headed to the misty Sedbury cliffs on the Bristol Channel to start the epic and we were pleased that is was cloudy and slightly damp. We took the obligatory group photo and set off. 

Over the next 5 days we ran as a group with the smallest group being 5 runners and the biggest 21 towards the end. We were met by the minibus 3-5 times a day to fill up on water and snacks and the ability to break the day down into manageable bits was invaluable as was the support from people who had not run the leg. We stayed in bunkhouses and B&Bs each night and spent our short evenings eating together. Many of us went to bed thinking about waking up each morning wondering how we were going to face another 36 miles. We learnt a lot about ourselves and how important personal administration and support from others was. We learnt how to manage niggles, blisters, lost toenails, dehydration as the weather got hotter, chaffing from sweat and all the other issues encountered when putting your body through repeated strain.  Some of us were unlucky and succumbed to injury, illness and problems with feet but amazingly bounced back to join in later on. The human body is truly amazing in that it can adapt to the stresses placed upon it continue day after day to do things it has not experienced before. Each day we celebrated milestones such as 10 miles, half marathon and marathon as well as perversely "only a marathon to go".  One of our biggest potential issues was the fresh leg syndrome.  As some of us were trying to complete the whole distance in 5 day there was the danger that fresh legs from runners joining us could push the pace too fast and jeopardise the long term aim.  However those who joined us were great, supportive and understood the unwritten rule that we went at the pace of the slowest. 

It was quite a moment then on the 5th of June at around 8pm when a hoard of Denbigh Harriers ran through the streets of Prestatyn towards the finish with the sea in sight after 41 miles and the hardest day yet in terms of climbing and heat.  We were greeted by clubmates,  family and friends to celebrate a huge achievement from a little club. So if you dream of doing what you read about in magazines there is really nothing to stop you. All you need is a like minded group of committed people, a lot of planning and a fair amount of determination.... Oh and a pinch of luck.