ITERA - Further Faster

All packed and Ready for ITERA

They say getting to the start line is the hardest part, and I'm very proud to have two strong and competent NAV4 Adventure teams lining up for yet another Expedition Adventure race.

It's been a busy day, indeed a busy few weeks and months, as we have all been preparing for a full week's adventure 'racing' down the length of Wales. You will be able to follow the race via live tracking here - watch out for our two teams - 'NAV4 Adventure One' and 'NAV4 Adventure Two'.

I guess I was the first to see this!

Just writing that last sentence throws up two key names; Sharon MacDonald and John Allen, our respective team Captains. Both of these people are excellent athletes in their own right, and deserve my thanks for being team leaders.  John (Gentleman John) Allen has come to the fore since he inherited Team Two secretarial duties when Hannah Munchkin eloped to serve the British Army.  John has done a great job of blending Dave Johnson, Ben Shannon and Louise 'Wilko' Wilkinson into a well oiled, and well-gelled team.  John is a natural leader and skillful adventure racer, especially in Expedition length races.

The other key name in this operation is Sharon MacDonald.  Ironically, Sharon came into our Terrex 2012 team at just three weeks notice, and first met team mate Dave (Atkinson) on the drive up to Stirling although to be fair Dave had been in Corsica topping up his fake tan for three four weeks.  Sharon immediately fitted into our TERREX 2012 Sting team and it does feel like I've known her a lot longer having raced well together in the LAMM, two Elite Dark Mountains plus lots of other great days out on bike and foot.  As we all know, it's all about team work, not one individual, we all have diffferent strengths and 'allowable weaknesses', if you are familair with Belbin.  
     
John and Sharon allow me to simply enjoy a role 'just' as team member, lead navigator and contribute to the team effort.  I suppose I do retain a little bit of a 'Directeur Sportive' overview of both teams, and I have been known to say that I'm on the verge of EXPED AR retirement and look forward to seeing a younger, fresher, strong and faster NAV4 Adventure team go forward in future years. Incidentally, if you want to get involved with NAV4 Adventure ....you know what to do, don't you?

Last Team outing / kit sort

Team Dynamics

There has been many a time that I have questioned that I should be racing in the same team as John and Wilko as well have a strong track record in previous races, but  I believe there is no clear divide or distinction as to which team is stronger and faster (although I have my own hopes!). I was mightly pleased to receive an email a few weeks ago from 'Young Ben' when he apologised in advance for when NAV4 Adventure Two beat NAV4 Adventure One, as at least it proves we all have a sense of humour.  Of course, if this happens, I'll be genuinely very pleased as long as we have both teams have raced to our maximum.

Setbacks, Profit and Loss

All teams suffer set backs and losses and we have been no less afflicted. First we lost Hannah, then Gareth, but gained Ben and then Dave. And then ... just when we thought we were set and after a huge amount of good training Andy Moucey suffered a stress fracture in his foot, which was so sad and a disappointment for us all.  Fortunately, we found Eddie Winthorpe waiting in the wings 'fresh' from the Marathon de Sables (which will be ideal training for biking down Wales in the rain.) Andy contributed greatly to our team and I hope to see him racing with us again soon.

Me in a hole, them on a lump.

Seriously, Eddie is strong, fit and skilled and has fitted into the team excellently with two Team Traing Days already completed in the past few weeks.  His all round bike skills, especially mechanics skills, compliment the team.

My other team member is Jill.  I've riden with anyone who just looks so comfortable on a bike. Sometimes I think her primary role is to make me laugh, but she has just gets on with everything, especially if Sharon gives her 'the look'.  Jill has done an excellent job on the nutritional side of our build up and I'm looking forward to eating my way down Wales. We had a fascinating session with Sarah Garton a nutritionalist and have welcomed the support Wholesome Bee in Settle. I've introduced the team to 9bars and now need therapy due to addiction.

So we have two teams; are with good experience, skills and comitment. And so just for completeness, these are our final team line-ups:

Sharon MacDonald, Jill Eccleston, Eddie Winthorpe, Joe Faulkner
John Allen, Louise Wilkinson, Ben Shannon, Dave Johnson

'Racing'
It's about the Expedition rather 'racing'.  To finish first ... first you have to finish' and I've seen many teams implode or break themselves or something by not lasting the pace.

Pacing is important.  One of my fears and worries are what I call 'Race Gates'; key points that we must get beyond, usually by a certain time and sometimes quite literally such as before the tide turns or the weather craps out on the mountains.  However, we are strong and equipped, bad weather doesn't frighen us and we have the mountain skills and gear to cope with many things.


We've learnt alot of the past few years;  WARC 2006, ARWC 2007, TERREX 2010, Swift and Sting 2012, not to mention the Open5s and Open24s we've all done.

We prepared wisely;  We are indebted to Distant Horizons for on-going support with our paddling activities. Being based on the shores of Ullswater they have an ideal for water and mountain activities and they don't mind us truning up at all tiems of day during our training sessions, trying out differnet boats and rigs and trims.

It's not about the Bike - nor the drugs you take.
All the Gear and No Idea?  No - we are selective in what we use  - LESS Is MORE. . We have chosen our gear wisely. For example, we have chosen Petzl Meteor III+ multi-sport helmets which saves time as they serve us on the water, bikes and mountains and in caves, too, maybe! 

Petzl Meteor III+ Multi-sport

Ortleib Rack-pack duffle bags are simple strong and waterproof, and without any zips to break or jam up. I'll be using a Petzl Nao and my trusty Myo RXP throughout the race, supplemented by Hope R4 for MTB sections. I went on an excellent tour of the Hope factory in Bar'lick and it's amazing to see such quality items being produced right here in the North West.

Not taking the entire shed!

Our bikes are well serviced and fit for purpose; all on 3x9 speed 26 inch wheels in order to remain compatible (well, with the exception of the young dude who has more bike knowledge than all of us put together)  We have paddle bags and team bags sorted, Drybags and not so Drybags, all borne form experience.

I made my own lightweight group shelter many years ago, and now  Paul Vousden - Mapdec - has made some brilliant 'LESS' group shelters (and I have one or two spare so will bring them down to Cardiff!)

I've worked predominately in Montane gear for many years and the both teams have a passion for Montane, especially due to our links with the North East.  However, our team will each wear what they choose, they know what works for them, and we won't try anything new or radical. 

Ultimately, I've packed the Sporks, and my BIG mug obviously, along with the Jetboil and wholesome food.


We are prepared...And Finally:

I'd like to thank my wife Linz, and all of our partners and friends as without their support this would not happen.

Joe

Thursday 11.59pm



 

So, You want to buy a head torch

OK - I confess - I'm a Petzl-phile!   But please read on ....

Whilst many other brands are available, Petzl is by far the market leader and also the originator of the head torch. I have used Black Diamond torches - for a while the BD Gemini was a great torch but the build quality and warranty at the time wasn't good, and as I know from first had experience,  Petzl's is first class.

Just selection from the shed - missing an e+lite of course.

My NAV4 Adventure colleague, Stuart Smith is a great fan of Suprabeam torches, which are modular and rechargeable.  Team Mate Sharon favours her Aye-Up lights which are awesomely bright, long lasting and expensive. I also bought a 'Hope Adventure One' and year or so ago and wrote a full blog post about it here. The Hope was bought it after much thought and research, as explained in that blog, but unfortunately it disappeared only a few weeks after I had bought it and I never got around to replacing it. Now it seems that things have moved on again.  



One of the bi-products of spending a week of my life deep in the Peninnes providing Safety Cover for The Spine Race, was the chance to get to grips with Petzl's (relatively) new Reactive lighting technology.  I got a a chance to sample the Nao last Summer, but that isn't exactly the best season for headtorch testing, plus I'm always reluctant to commit to anything new without a thorough testing, especially a techy thing like this.

During the Spine I used the new Tikka RXP extensively and really got to like it.  It has the same reactive technology as the top of the range Nao, but in many ways in a much neater package. It has a simple elastic headband, has the rechargeable battery mounted within the headlamp unit and recharges from any source including my car USB.  It can also take 3x AAA batteries if you track down the adapter as a spare part, which makes it possible to use it away from base on an expedition.

Petzl Tikka RXP (left) and Nao (right)

Rechargeable Verus Battery Fed?

One of the biggest factors in choice of headtorch is the power source; rechargeble battery or battery fed? Afterall, I'm very unlikely to head off on a multi-day expedition solely with a rechargeable head torch or enter a multi-day race expecting to find a charging point - (who needs that stress!)

Therefore, for forthcoming adventures, such as ITERA, The Spine or Dragon's Back Race, the powerful rechargeables probably won't be featuring as my main line torch.  Perhaps as a secondary torch but more of this later.

Power!!!! 

If Jeremy Clarkson was to buy a headtorch it would be the most powerful, but light output isn't everything.  Not many people by cars purely based on maximum speed or power. Economy, useability and various differing features are equally import as is price; both the purchase price and that required to run it, ie cost per hour in use?


Over the past few years I have regular used a Petzl Ultra - high powered MTB type use, a Tikka XP2 with rechargeable Core Battery, and of course ... the humble Myo XP or RXP.  The XP2 with it's rechargeable and programmeable Core battery was a significant development a  few years ago, and this torch became my 'goto' torch as it lived my car's door pocket and got used extensively for a range of activites. It was certainly cheap to run, eco-friendly and pushed out quite a beam although for a relatively short period of time. However, it got me in the way of using a rechargeable and, at the time it's mini USB charging lead was quite a new idea.

Petzl Tikka XP2 - Core rechargeable and programmable

Dark Mountains - Technical Navigation

During the recent Dark Montains mountain marathon I used the Tikka RXP. The Reactive lighting technology is brilliant for night navigation when you are constantly looking at the map and back at the ground. This point was highlighted (no pun intened) to me I was out on a night run recently and came across a few mountain bikers coming the other way, all taking part in a Night Orienteering event. Each rider was probably loaded up with inexcess of 1000 lumens, some purely head mounted and some head and handlebar mounted.

The immediate effect on myself was to ruin my night vision .... but I averted my eyes as much as possible, and of coure the Tikka RXP, being reactive dimmed down a little.  Interestingly, one of the bikers had over-shot a control and came back past me, screeched to a partial halt and the tumbled into the bushes. He picked himself up, I asked how he was, and whilst he sorted himself out he muttered something about being 'OK' and starting jabbing at his map.

Not only was he shaken up, but I he was over simply powered - too much power, too much speed ... trying to navigate as fast as he could ride, etc.  But what really struck me was that he couldn't see what was on his map simply because it was 'washed out' with so many lumens reflecting back off his map.

Petzl night run ....I'm not biased, honestly!

So this is where Reactive lighting comes in ...

During Dark Mountain I used the Tikka RXP with Reactive Lighting. OK, my race partner, Sharon, was using a high powered Aye-Up light which has it's advantages when picking out reflective control markers at 100metres+, but I found that the Reactive Technology really preserve my night vision so running along the rough technical terrain of the Dark Peak was made much better using Reactive.

All bases covered; perm any two for any event

The other great advantage of Reactive Technology is that it preserves battery life when you don't need maximium power. I suppose it's a bit like stop-start techology on a new car.

Overall, it does take a bit of getting used to it.  If you've been using something as simple as a Myo XP for many years switching to Reactive doesn't seem too natural to me, but now, after a week of Spine Race Safety cover - in and out of the car, writing notes, out on the trail looking for runners, charging the thing from the car USB, etc it all became second nature. 



So much so, that I have now gone out and bought a Nao, and I have a second battery as well. Maybe they will be going to ITERA with me, but I can promise you one thing - a trusty Myo RXP will be going as well, along with a good stock of lithum batteries.

Two Myo XPs nearing the end of The Spine ...with very experienced owners.

Spine Race Preparation

I had an interesting time at The Spine Race training weekend, where I presented a short session on 'The Skillset'.  In a mixed programmme including a general intro from Scott as organiser,  and Stu Westfield talking about navigation skills, my session was the general stuff which makes for a successful ultra or expedition race. Two time Spine Race finisher, Gary Morrison, spoke about his gear choices, and there hs been much discussion on t'web about equipment and other race stuff.

Rather than get into specifics my presentation  was about skills rather than gear, although certain techniques cross-over into this.   As the weekend progressed,  and a thread developed on facebook, it has become apparent to many that the skills of an 'expeditioner' are essential for the 'The Race'.

Is this a trail race or an expedition?

Core Skill 1)  - Manage your Physical / Mental / Emotional state

Surely, your objective is to move steadily northwards along the Pennine Way, so that you reach the end? How fast you do this is somewhat irrelevant.  'To Finish First ...First you have to Finish'

We are not machines.  If you just aim to run as fast as you can then good luck to you!  Equally, I'm not going to tell you how to train, or give you any magic stuff about schedules, etc. But, you must pace it right; not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

If you don't believe in yourself, if you can't picture getting to The End, then you aren't going to do it.  Others may be more qualified than me in talking psychology, but in my long career as an ultra runner and expedition adventure racer, I've learnt that the most important part of my body, and the most powerful, is my head.

Spine Race Day Three - A66 - Note the icy and frozen bottle. Cold, minus -6, with windchill, much much more. What will the weather be like in 2014/ If it's a normal British winter of wet and windy, it will be just as hard.

Core skill 2) NAVIGATE ON THE MOVE

The first session was presented by Stu Westfield, who talked about Navigation skills.  Naturally navigation is a core skill for anyone entering The Spine, and I can not stress too highly how important it is. In terms of skillset, then good, confident (and relatively) basic skills should see you through most of it.  Navigation isn't rocket science ... but contours are crucial and an understanding of these is paramount to navigation.

I'm not anti-GPS, but I don't know any good trail runners who use one as their primary tool.  They are not as quick, or as accurate as you think. Certainly, in terms of mountain running they are slow and alienate you from your surroundings. Who wants to 'run' 270 miles watching an arrow on a little screen? 

But, they do have their uses; they are a useful back-up tool and a six figure grid reference will put you within a 100m square, subject to an accuracy of around 85%.  Thus, the other features that you deduce from the map and the terrain remain important.

Compasses should not be feared.  I have never fathomed out why so many of us are fearful of them. I guess it's long boring lessons with crumbly geography teachers*, scout leaders or 'DofE' that turned many off and hence they decided 'they just can't do it'.  Magnetic variation seems to be the real culprit, the mystical art of navigation that only the scientist can master. And we seem to be building a generation who can't equate to a map due to Sat-Nav and google mapping systems ...the every day need isn't there anymore.

(* of course, not all geography teachers are crumbly; mine were great.  And my brother is all three of the above and is an excellent tutor)

For much of the time, the trail runner / mountain runner can forget about magnetic variation (which is now only two degrees, rather than the eight it was when I was a kid!) so what's a potential error of 2-4 degree when you've got a map and so much other info to use instead?  So for general route finding, trail following, mile munching (macro) navigation a quick/rough bearing is all you need.  Yes, at times - thick foggy conditions on open fell tops - greater accuracy can be needed. But don't fear the compass....!

If you want to improve your navigation skills, www.nav4.co.uk providea range of course, including a specific Spine Race Recce / Training day, on Sunday 15th December.  The day will 'run' from Dufton to Alston, and over the high, wild and remote Crossfell.  Check out the link and get booked asap.  Other days / sessions can be arranged.

Core Skill 3) - 'Run?'  - Pace it, to finish it.

My great team mate, John Allen, alledgedly coined the phrase 'Start Steady ... and Taper-off!!'. The NAV4 Adventure team had developed a reputation for finishing strongly in Exped Adventure Races with this mantra.  What it means in realitity was that if John felt he was going too slowly in the first day of a race (as other people left us behind) then it was the correct pace and we'd overtake many teams during Day Two, Day Three, Day Four ...etc.  This will be so true in January at The Spine Race.

'Run?' - don't be afraid to walk. It's a marathon, not a sprint.... blah, blah.

Early in my long distance racing career, a very experienced marathon runner once told me that you 'should jog the first third, run the second third and race the last third' .  A negative split would be even more impressive.

Core Skill 4) - Sleep Strategy

I've fronted many questions about 'tents v. bivis' ... and there is no straight answer!  The skill of the user is a big factor in this, as does your whereabouts, and the gear you are able to afford.

When to sleep is a big question.  In expedition racing, I'd strongly suggest getting a minimum of three hours sleep between midnight and 5am each night.    Sleep deprevation is a very dangerous issue if not managed correctly.  You will make mistakes, you will probably get lost, and to carry on in some sort of macho, 'I can go for forty hours before I need sleep' is just going to impact later on in your race.

Where to sleep, given the distance splits between CP1 and CP2 is the subject of much debate.  If you are racing The Challenger, then your strategy will be different than those in The Spine Race.  Note the use of the words 'racing' and 'Spine'. .... they are not in the same sentence.

Tent v. Bivi?  It's your choice but a flexible approach might be better.

Finally, in Exped Racing, we try not to sleep in Checkpoints, simply because they are too noisy.  Just an idea...!

Core Skill 4) - Equipment Choice

'Every gram counts!'   

Ok, so what do we mean? The weight of your rucsac is crucial and every gram counts. Weigh everything, look for lighter alternatives, cut out the unneccesary clutter ...but BE SAFE. Do not skimp on survival gear.

Your gear must work for you, it should have many different layers that you can vary dependent upon conditions. I've long been a user of Montane clothing and this Krypton jacket is my standard choice in all conditions. I simply layer it up with different thicknesses of thermal base layers underneath, and then choice which waterproof to wear over it,  if it starts raining. To wear a waterprrof shell when it is not raining is wrong; you will sweat regardless of how expense it is, and, more importantly, you won't adjust your layers once it does rain, but carry on and after lots of rain you inevitably get cold.  Trust me ... I know!

Montane Krypton - soooo adaptable!

'Less is More'

Ok, every gram counts on your back, but it also applies to your Checkpoint kit bag.   Race rules allow a 60 litre / 22kg bag that is transported between each CP.  I'd suggest 30% of this will be food.  Another 30% is probably a second sleeping bag and mat for checkpoint use, add in the essential flip flops or Crocs, and you are looking at not much space!  So your spare gear, your additional clothing choices have to be chosen carefully.  Ok, six pairs of socks are a given.  As are heavy weight thermal running leggings / tights, and a couple of good mid-layers and fullweight 'Mountain Waterproof' for the wild northern sections. I doubt you'll have space for five sets of clothing. Plastic bags for dirty socks, etc. and a sealable 'laundry bag' for items confined to washing machine. 

You really need to sort this out sooner rather than later and make sure you weigh your bag, and can do up the zip easily.  A burst zip will not help you or the event staff.

Core Skill 5) - Food and Drink
 

Expedition Race Food ... if your counting gels ...you're in the wrong race!

Eat plenty

'I'll eat 'owt, me!'    said team-mate Dave, when questioned about our secret race nutrition plan...!


A varied and balanced diet is key.  There are limitations to what you can carry, and very limited opportunities to buy stuff en-route, so you need to think this all through. Savoury food is very good, and obviously you will get essential proteins and carbohydrates.  You need to be a bit creative, for example frozen pizza slices keep well in CP Duffle Bags and make a great change to the huge range of chewy, flapjack and cereal bars.

Core Skill 6)   - Footwear




When you cover a long distance your feet tend to swell...
When you cover a long distance you might get blisters or sore toes...
Sore toes like roomy shoes.


Footcare is essential, and your CP Duffle Bag needs a few items to enable this

Good foot care is essential - self taping is a core skill.

Footwear choice is a matter of personal preference.  Last year, whilst helping out for five days in the latter stages of The Spine, I noticed that many people had already moved into boots rather than shoes, which they bought along ...'just in case'.  The Inov-8 boot seems to be very well worth considering.

A more substantial 'approach' style shoe or lightweight boot might be better for some people. 

Weather you try the dry feet regime, by using Seal Skin Socks, or someother water-resistant sock is worth experimenting with.  Sweat will remain an issue no matter what water proof status your footwear.

Core Skill 7) - Time Never Stops

Monitor the time at Checkpoints .. have a plan ... and an alarm clock!

Moving steadily and efficiently one trail is a key skill.  Moving swiftly through checkpoints is also something tend to forget, as they end of chatting away and deciding whether change a layer or move some gear around.  Cut the faff: anything you can do on the move, eat, navigate, etc, you should do so.

Triathletes call 'transitions' the fourth discipline, and experienced racers are very effective in checkpoints.  You should have a plan, and stick to it. If footcare is to be done, get your shoes off and your Crocs, on asap, in orde rto dry and air your feet.  Change clothes, witha dry base layer going next to the skin, even if you put the sweaty layers back on top! Eat, pack your gear for the next stage ... then sleep ready to go as soon as you wake up.  Re-packing your sac when you've just woken up and you are dis-orinentated is tough!

Get some sleep - staring into space in a checkpoint acheives nothing. Learn to switch-off mentally (hence gear is ready to go, etc)  and set the alarm for 3-4hours of quality sleep.  Any less than this and it's false ecomomy.

Core Skill 8) - Remain in The Bubble

Buy yourself a simple 'Numpty' Race Phone, and leave your smart phone at home, or sealed in your CP Duffle Bag just for use at The End.   There are various reasons for this, but primarily weight saving prolonging battery life, and ultimately your own life.

Smart phone versus 'Race Phone'

The battery on a simple £10 'Race Phone' will probably last the week if used just for basic texts.  It is also less than half the weight of the typical Smart phone and a lot less vulnerable to damage or loss.

In a worst case scenario, one of quite possibly life-or-death, you will need yourRace phone to have a full charged battery.  If you, or one of your race mates, need Mountain Rescue then having a flat or weak battery will be a major disadvantage to the search procedure.

Your 'Race Phone' should be loaded with credit and the key phone numbers of the race organisation as well as some of your family and friends. However, I suggest you do not import all your contacts and you do not use it for anything but a daily text check, or two contact the race organisers as requested.

The other aspect of not carrying and using your everyday 'Smart' phone is that it enables you stay 'in the bubble'.  Phoning home when your are suffering badly and simply having a 'downer' usually results in a strong emotional draw back home, and probably result in initiating your DNF.  You need to remain focused on 'your' race ... and not that of your nearest and dearest.  It might sound harsh, but your focus will be broken by daily chat and trivia.  Save the Smart phone for the end, or maybe a Checkpoint.

Core Skill 9) - Waste Management

Dispose of litter in the proper place ... and not on the trail.

I shouldn't need to be said but dropping litter anywhere in the outdoors must never happen.  More importantly, if you see any litter, especially if it has come from a competitor in the race, you should pick it up.

Human Waste 

The disposal of human waste is an even more important issue and a growing problem in the outdoor environment.   There are simply more people active outdoors,  and a greater percentage of those do not seem to have been educated, or learnt 'How to Shit in the Woods'  There was an excellent book of this title published many years ago I suggest we all read it.  With 150 + people travelling 270 miles over seven days we must take a responsible approach to this problem.

Breifly, if you need to 'go' on the trail, it is essential to find a location that is well away from a water source, and well away from the trail.  Ask yourself; 'what if someone uncovers this rock?'  'Where does this gateway lead to?'   'Whose land is this?'  And it applies to liquids as well as solids.

All human faeces should be buried, and buried as deep as possible, and you should practise this finding a spot where you can at least kick a hole in the turf with your heel, and recover the matter so that it will not be discovered or cause offence.

'Nuff said ....!
 
Finally, just apply a little common sense ... have fun out there, and be safe. And close the gates, please.

If you have any questions or comments arising form this blog I'd be pleased to hear them, either by email - nav4adventure@gmail.com or via facebook - NAV4 Adventure.  If you'd like to book a place on the Dufton - Crossfell - Alston Training / Recce Day on Sun 15th Dec, please email me to secure your place.  If I can help in any other way please let me know.