2020 THAILAND North Face 100k
Photo taken of me during the Thailand North Face 100k
Things I would change in order to improve my performance at the TNF100
Sleep
For the month of January I lived on the Island of Koh Phangnan. I never set my alarm to wake up and made sure I woke naturally each morning resulting in about 8hrs sleep each night. Were I went wrong with my sleep was not the month preceding the race but actually the 3 nights leading up to the race. I took the night train three days before the race to get from Koh Phagnan to Bangkok. This night on the train I slept for about 4 hrs and even these hours were poor quality leaving me tired the following day. Two nights before the race I slept in a hostel in Pak Chong again poor quality sleep due to air conditioning which Im not used too. The night before the race was my worst sleep so far. of maybe 2 or 3hrs. I stayed up late knowing I had to wake at 3:15am, the bed I slept on was made of hard wood and was rock solid.
Tripping and falling
I tripped 3 times in total from start to finish and the first time was completely avoidable. I was running with David Emch (TNF100 2018 winner) and a young fellow named Paul from Manchester. We were at about 30k when we started to descend a medium level technical section. David was leading followed by Paul and then me. I was running Davids pace as was Paul but actually this was a little too fast for me. So instead of running my own race and being at one with the trail as I descended I was actually thinking about David and running his race. As if out of nowhere my front foot (not sure which one) connected with a small shrug stump which had been cut to about 3 inches. I flew forward like super man the ground getting further away as flew in the air, whilst in the air before I hit the ground my right hip took the full impact on a tree. I let out a loud groaning sound and then I hit the ground with my hands and my left knee. The second time I fell I was leading with David behind me and this was just due to tiredness. The third time I fell was on the second 50k loop, again due to tiredness. Lesson learned when running downhill FOCUS !!!
Pee looked like condensed lucozade
I drank to thirst plus I took a salt tablet for every hour of the final 5 hours of the race, I sipped on water when I felt should drink (not when I was thirsty) just when I thought I should. I ate watermelon at every 10k aid station and drink a cup of electrolytes plus a cup of water if really thirst. Yet later on in the race (second 50k loop) my pee was still crazy dark in colour plus when peeing only 5-8 dark drops came out. Every time my pee became dark and I felt I was becoming dehydrated I drank more water (not too much just enough to bring me back to hydration). I do not know what happened here but I do know something could be improved for next time.
Too much caffeine
My gels were left over gels from other races and were a combination of brands. About 50% of them contained caffeine and 25% of these were double espresso gels with 75mg of caffeine. In previous races I have opted to go caffeine free even when running through the night even in 100 milers, as a way to avoid the highs and lows that caffeine can create. So by using caffeine laden gels this race I felt anxious and this was avoidable just by making sure I had specific nutrition for the TNF100.
Ice and keeping cool
Yun Yanqiao was the winner of the TNF100 this year and in his post race interview he was asked how did he win and what tips would he give to trail runners. His response was very simple ICE. “I filled my pockets with ice to keep cool, especially the final 30k of the race”. I am disappointed with myself as in training I used ice, but not during the TNF100. I always trained during the peak heat of each day, and one particular day it became so hot I thought I could not continue. I had been running for hour and 30 minutes of a 3 hour run. I had no option but to either quit or run to a 7-11 store and buy ice, I opted for the later. I ran to the store brought a bandana and ice. I returned to the running track and then made an ice bandana scarf which I tied around my neck, I also put ice in the rear pockets of my Inov-8 shorts and finally I was able to cool down enough to finish my 3hr run, I also held a large ice cube in each hand. And so by not using these methods during the race I was at a disadvantage, SILLY ME.
Running Pace
To do well or win at the TNF100 you need to be prepared to run all the flats at 7 minute mile pace, the easy non technical downhills at 6 minute mile pace and the gentle uphills at 8 minute mile pace. I was not prepared for this. But coming into this I had experienced some niggles with my left adductor and glute muscles so would say I did not enter 100% healthy. The winner Yun Yanqiao is a 2:20 marathon runner and so this goes to show the race is won by the faster runner, even if 100k.
Eating too much the day before
I ate too much food too late the day before the race. I started needed the toilet and felt uncomfortably full during the race until I finally went to the toilet at which point I felt better and able to run without the full feeling.
I might consider gloves
When I fell I rocks took the skin off from my left palm leaving me unable too use the hands on knees method when going up the steep climbs. By wearing gloves (the ones without fingers) I would have saved my hands from getting cut.
Warm up was not adequate
I had planned to do 10 minutes of dynamic stretching followed by an easy jog for 10 minutes then static stretch for 10 minutes and then finally another easy 10 minutes maybe including some strides. This would have been a total of 40 minutes warm up and would have had me 100% ready to roll. But I only managed a few minutes of jogging without the dynamic stretching, the static stretching and the strides.
Entering a 50k trail race as training
I think to be fully prepared for the TNF100 strategically placing a 50k trail race in the training build up would have been highly advantageous. The last run over 20 miles I did was a 100 miler October last year which was the Rodopi Ultra Trail in Greece.
Downhill running
I did not do enough fast downhill running during training. This left me feeling cautious and unconfident when running downhill during the race. I think this is what lead me to fall also, so by doing more fast technical downhill running I would have been able to avoid falling and hitting my hip.
Photos before during and after the TNF100
Videos made before and during the TNF100
