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My Story of Overtraining

Last updated on Jan 30, 2020 By

In 2018, Mark Callaghan embarked on a wild journey of running all six World Marathon Majors, followed by the Comrades 89km ultramarathon.   In this guest blog, he recounts the story of a year of travelling the world running – and the running overtraining issues he faced in running back-to-back events. He talks about the unexpected symptoms and knock-on effects of burnout, and what he learned.

Mark goes deeper into his training journey, coaching methods, and running overtraining in our in-depth interview as part of the Ultra Runner’s Playbook.

Visit Mark over at Adventures In Running.

 * * * 

Fatigue and energy deficiency were not issues I had encountered during my first six years in endurance sport; I had routinely raced between two and four triathlons or marathons a year for several years.

In November 2017, I agreed a sabbatical from my job in London and applied for all six World Marathon Majors and pencilled in my first attempt at Comrades Marathon.

After surprisingly being accepted for pretty much everything I had entered, I was about to embark on a ‘challenging’ schedule. 

By June 2019, I would have raced 9 times in 39 weeks: an 89km ultra, four marathons and two half marathons.

My Story of Overtraining 1

Running Overtraining: The Onset

I can probably trace the root of the issue back to Spring 2018.

I had sustained a knee injury whilst running Boston and London marathons within six days of each other in April.

I returned to light training in July with three World Major marathons in three months looming large.

Berlin and Chicago Marathons

I sensibly built what mileage I could with limited time, keeping things at relatively low intensity. I used Berlin marathon in September as an easy long run and although rusty and short of endurance, managed to make it round fairly comfortably. I then introduced some higher intensity and track work for Chicago three weeks later, where I attained a Boston Qualifying time.

So far so good.

As I prepared for New York, I started to experience some issues with sleeping. I’ve never been a great sleeper so this was nothing new but the problems were becoming more frequent.

Additionally, I’d started to feel occasional dizziness, my recovery times were lengthening and I was feeling heaviness in my legs during track sessions and hill work. I put these symptoms down to my challenging schedule and undeterred, proceeded with the New York marathon. 

New York City Marathon

In the first mile of the race, as I climbed the slope of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, I didn’t feel in a good place physically or mentally. During the build up, I hadn’t felt the marathon buzz and surge of nervous energy that I normally get in the final few minutes before the start; especially a big city marathon like New York. As I began running, I was also feeling unusually anxious and short of breath.

I was working too hard for a pace I was normally comfortable running at. I finished but it was a constant struggle.

Something wasn’t right.

After a couple of lower mileage weeks in an attempt to freshen up, I moved back into training for Boston. I began to feel stronger again. I was training hard, remained free of injury and increased my mileage to new highs.

Purely looking at my numbers, I felt confident that I could do something special.

Boston Marathon

On race day, at mile 16, I moved into the famous Newton Hills and on the first major climb it was game over. My legs turned to jelly and the remainder of my race was uncomfortable and distressing. 

After a week of feeling sorry for myself, I began preparing for Comrades, convincing myself that the key to overcoming the issue was removing the high intensity sessions I’d struggled to execute.

My Story of Overtraining 2

Comrades Marathon – 89km

At Comrades Marathon, the World’s oldest and largest ultra marathon and a race that I had been looking forward to for years, the same loss of focus and intensity was present.

I was uneasy at the start line and not feeling comfortable at all.

My objective had been to complete the ‘Up’ run (with 5745ft of elevation gain) within eight hours. I spent the first 40km battling gastrointestinal issues and overwhelming negative thoughts, falling well behind pace.

My day was rescued by running the next 40km with a lovely chap named Glenn who’s experience helped calm me down and refocus on breaking the remaining mileage into chunks.

After briefly flirting with the sweeper truck in the early stages, I finally crossed the line in 9 hours and 33 minutes.

My Story of Overtraining 3

Running Overtraining: Pushing It Too Far

Ten days later came the run that finally pushed me over the edge.

I got over excited whilst in the trail running heaven that is Cape Town, spending a long, wonderful day running 20 miles to the summits of both Lions Head and Table Mountains.

 The next day, all the symptoms I had been experiencing previously returned: feeling utterly exhausted, heavy-legged, restless, unable to concentrate and demotivated.

Where I had previously been dragging myself out for training sessions for the next big event on the horizon, this time I had nothing in the calendar and absolutely zero interest in getting out there again.

It wasn’t just that the energy wasn’t there, but also that the desire had disappeared.

The drive to meticulously plan the long journey to a goal race, to get up early every single day and execute tough sessions to the letter, to push yourself beyond your perceived limits. I’d lost the motivation to do any of that.

So I stopped running.

This decision was a bit of a Catch 22.

Being physically active and getting outside to run has always been my way of staying well and (relatively) mentally balanced but I now had no interest.

This feeling is something I’d read about other people encountering but not something I had personally experienced so came as a bit of a shock.

 Reviewing my training diary after the event, there were eight entries in my diary in the build up to Boston around tiredness, weakness in legs, lack of sleep and dizziness.

Orange shaded blocks (where I had not executed the planned session) were scattered throughout the plan. The six weeks between Boston and Comrades read the same.

I was dragging myself out of the door for 70 mile weeks, totally ignoring the warning signs and blindly pushing through regardless.

On my return to the UK, friends commented on my loss of weight. I weighed myself for the first time in several months and discovered that I had lost 10lbs. I went for a series of blood tests, the results of which came back absolutely fine. The explanation I was given was that a calorie deficit was probably the cause.

It was at that point that I decided I would take an extended break from ‘competitive’ racing and run just for myself on my terms. After three months of doing very little, I slowly plodded through some magnificent British countryside along the length of the River Thames from the source in Kemble, Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier in Charlton, London.

I covered 185 miles in five days and rediscovered my reasons for running in the first place.

Being outside with the sights and sounds of nature, moving under my own steam at my own rhythm and enjoying some mindfulness or simply enjoying the company of and conversation with friends.

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Running Overtraining Symptoms  

  • Your rate of perceived exertion is increasing
  • During sessions that used to give you a buzz or enjoyment, you feel like you’re ‘going through the motions’
  • Mood swings and agitation
  • Loss of appetite
  • Decrease in performance
  • Needing a longer recovery period than normal
  • Restlessness and loss of sleep

My Top Tips to Prevent Running Overtraining

  • Have a considered, ‘sensible’ and achievable race schedule – choose which races in your calendar will be max racing effort and which will be training effort or just for fun. Ensure you have allowed enough recovery and gradual rebuild time between your max efforts.
  • Allow sufficient time off from high mileage & intensity after a significant physical and mental race effort.
  • Understand the signs of overtraining/exhaustion – noted above – and know when it’s time to back off and reassess.
  • Review your diet including calorie intake and nutrients – are you consuming what you need for the amount of work you are doing?
  • Know what feels like a healthy weight range to you and if you drop significantly below this weight, review your diet and training.
  • On returning after a break, start slowly and enjoy just running for fun again. Monitor your progress with a diary and check for warning signs or worrying trends before returning to a structured training plan and higher intensity training or racing.

Nick Butter Is Running The World

Last updated on Jan 04, 2020 By

Nick Butter is a 28-year-old from Bristol, England who is currently in the middle of a World Record attempt to be the first person to run a marathon in every country in the world.

That’s 196 marathons in total.

One in every single country.

Two years in the planning, Nick set off in January 2018 and is now six months deep into his audacious goal.

Right now, he is planning to finish sometime in the middle of 2019 – he has planned to complete the entire challenge in 550 days.

This post is for anyone who has sat at their desk and daydreamed about doing something audacious.

Nick is the kind of guy who dreams up these crazy personal challenges, then simply executes them.

Everything is impossible until it’s done, as they say.

Nick Butter – Running The World

Hi Nick! Where do we find you right now and how far into the challenge are you?

Just now I am in Cameroon, Douala, Africa on day 166 and have just completed marathon 54.

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Nick’s Douala run – Follow Nick’s progress via his Strava account

Before we dig into the details, where did the idea of running a marathon in every country in the world come from?  Has this been done before?

It was something that I decided I would like to do and challenge myself.

It will be a world first as no one has run a marathon in every country in the world.

How do you typically tackle a country?   Is it a case of landing at a major airport, staying at an airport hotel, bagging the marathon then getting on the next flight out?   

The majority of the countries are scheduled to arrive at the airport, staying at a hotel or a kind person’s home, running a marathon next day and then onto the next country the day after.

There are a few exceptions where I have slightly more days to recover after the marathon, but as you can imagine a lot of the scheduling has to work around travel as well.

Nick Butter Is Running The World 6
Nick running in Guatemala

PLANNING MARATHONS IN EVERY COUNTRY

In terms of logistics – visas, flights, accommodation – this event is a massive undertaking.   How long did you spend preparing for and planning it?   And what does your support team look like?

Yes, the planning part of the journey was so intense I can’t quite believe we are now 140 days in.

The planning took about 2 years and thousands of pounds.

I started the early planning on my own, then enlisted friends, and then had no choice but to find professional help; including Security, my PA, and a visa company.

The trip may only take 2 years to complete the running, but the journey in total is going to be about 5 years with all the planning, plus the aftermath.

I am always traveling on my own.

Occasionally I have some friends to come and visit me but other than that it’s just me.

My support team, however, is huge and very valuable.

I have a team of about 20, including my parents, and they are so important to make this thing work.

The team includes my PA Carla, a nutritionist, psychologist, security advisor, visa team, PR team, and my social media reps. Plus my podcast manager, logistics manager and the rest.

The team is so important and literally, run my life. Carla is fantastic and without her, I probably wouldn’t know what day of the week it is.

How has your body held up with running several marathons a week over a prolonged period?   Have you noticed any physical changes?  

My usual distance for competing is 100-mile plus and I trained hard for this, plus I’ve run over 350 marathons prior to the start of this challenge, so my body is aware of what I’m doing.

That said, my body still feels sleepy and sluggish sometimes. I have the odd niggle, and the odd pain but mostly I am fine. “If it hurts, carry on”, that’s kinda the deal with something like this.

I have a massage when I can, and also physiotherapy when I get home on the few days I get to rest here and there.

I’ve lost weight big time. Under 10kg but still, I don’t have that sort of weight to lose.

I am thinner in the face, my thighs are bigger and my arms and upper body are shrinking by the day. I wish I could eat more.

Nick Butter Is Running The World 7

RUNNING FUEL AND SUPPORT

In terms of diet, do you have specific foods you carry for fuelling?

I eat Pulsin bars, lots of sugar and basically anything I can get my hands on.

I have a sponsor other than Pulsin, Juice Plus. Juice plus provide me with pills. These pills are basically ground down fruits and veg that give me some nutrients. It is literally keeping me feeling more human than just turning into a sugar lump.

The biggest problem is finding food. Not even good food, just any food. Africa is specifically hard.

What gear are you running in – do you carry much with you when you go for a typical marathon in a new country?  

It’s probably easiest if you check out my kit list on my website: https://www.runningtheworld196.com/kit

Nick Butter Is Running The World 8

STICKY SITUATIONS

Do you have your marathon routes planned out, or is it sometimes a case of running around a new city a little lost, running around until you reach 26.2 miles?

It really depends on the support I have running with me in each country.

If I have local runners then I tend to take their advice on the best running routes.

For any other countries that I don’t have any advice, I do research the area and work out the best route.

Although you’re just getting started on your challenge, have you found yourself in any sticky situations yet?

There have been many incidents that have been dangerous, and others that haven’t felt as bad, but in hindsight were very dangerous.

I was approached by a number of people in Haiti who were looking to mug me, lucky they saw my security and backed off.

I ran through the kidnap capital of the world, Caracas, Venezuela without any security and my tech to keep me safe was not working properly.

The dangers though are often quite benign but can turn serious very quickly. Running for hours in the heat, and I’m talking very hot, you need lots of water, so finding the water I need at the right time is also scary.

Five bounding dogs came hurtling over a sand dune in Northern Africa, Tunisia actually. I was surrounded by some very grumpy dogs. I had just run straight into their territory. I had been chased and had dogs nipping at my heels quite often in South America but these dogs were not happy at all.

Before I knew it I had been bitten.

The leader of the pack, or the dog that seemed most angry, launched himself at my left thigh and took a chunk out of me. I still have the teeth marks as scars.

Chucking water at them, they eventually stopped. I finished the last 5 miles with adrenaline racing through me and then went to the doctors.

I had to return home for a few days to get it seen to and rabies shots etc.

My shorts still have the evidence of a dog bite.

Nick Butter Is Running The World 9

NICK’S MARATHON PREPARATION

Are there any countries that you’re worried about – in terms of security, or access?  

There are about a dozen countries that my security company has marked as ‘very high risk’.

Whether that be political unrest, westerners unwanted, kidnap value etc…. countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Venezuela, Syria, and others are areas I’ve had to take a more detailed look at.

Can people meet you and run with you when you visit their country?

Yes! I would love for anyone to come and run with me in each country.

People don’t have to run the full 26-mile marathon – they can run as far as they can manage.

Nick Butter Is Running The World 10
Nick running Marathon des Sables a few years ago

What kind of response have you seen to the challenge so far?

The support for my challenge so far has been so tremendous and it really helps me along the journey.

How can people follow you – can we track each run you do, and see where you’re headed next?

Everything I do can be seen via the different social media channels.

This includes details of where I am and where I am heading to all the way through the expedition.

Thanks, Nick – Good Luck!

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Follow Nick on all the socials:

Strava: Strava account

Instagram @nickbutterrun

Twitter @nickbutterrun

Expedition Website www.runningtheworld196.com

Meet Dion Leonard – Extreme Runner and Gobi’s Master

Last updated on Jul 25, 2019 By

Dion Leonard is an extreme runner and stage race veteran.

He has tackled the Marathon des Sables several times, along with 3 x KAEM (Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon – which he won in 2017), MdS Peru, Gobi March 250km and Global Limits Cambodia (where I first met Dion) to name a few – regularly bagging podium spots for his troubles.

Dion lives with his wife, Lucja – also an extreme runner – in Edinburgh, Scotland.   He became an international figure in 2016 when he befriended a stray dog whilst running across the Chinese Gobi Desert, and went on to adopt the dog – named Gobi.   He recounted the story in the International bestseller ‘Finding Gobi’ (one of my top audiobook recommendations).

Later this year, Dion is headed to the USA to attempt the audacious ‘Triple Crown’.  This is a challenge of three non-stop races of 200 miles or more – namely the Bigfoot 200, Lake Tahoe 200 and Moab 240 races.

In this interview, which was featured in the recently published Stage Race Handbook, I sat down and quizzed Dion on his stage race experiences and preparation.

MEET DION LEONARD

Meet Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and Gobi's Master 12

Hi Dion, you’ve run a lot of stage races but are especially known for your affinity for the Marathon des Sables.   What was it about the MdS that first appealed to you?

MDS is the iconic blue riband event when it comes to multi-stage races. It’s the best of the best when it comes to runners, organization and desert challenges.

I remember first watching and being captivated by the beauty of the Sahara Desert and thought to myself one day I would love to experience it.

What mistakes did you make in your first MdS preparation?

I’d completed the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme 250km in the South African Kalahari Desert a few months earlier so was well prepared for running in the heat and sand.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the sand dunes and the size of them.  At my first MDS on Stage 1 we ran 25km in the famous Merzouga dunes and the wheels came off.

I only finished the stage because my wife Lucja caught up to me as I was sitting in the dunes contemplating dropping out but she managed to convince me to get to the finish line.

It was a massive wake up call, the race continually feels like its punching you in the face and you just have to pick yourself up day after day.

What has been the biggest failure for you, during stage races – and how have you addressed it?

Recently at the inaugural MDS 250km in Peru across the Ica Desert, I struggled with illness.

I battled every day to finish and every night I battled to make it to the start line, it was a disaster, everything went wrong and it became the longest week of my life.

It took me a few days to forget about how my race from a competitive point of view was ruined but to just appreciate the opportunity, beauty of the area and breathe it all in.

You have to adjust your goals during the week as things outside of your control happen and dealing with this quickly will help you get to the finish line.

Meet Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and Gobi's Master 13
Dion during MdS Peru, where he struggled with illness. Photo Credit: MdS.

How do stage races influence other aspects of your life, whether personal or professional?

Stage races have changed me completely.  I’ve learned a lot about myself and every time I complete a race I walk away a different person.

These races have you spending a lot of time in your own thoughts and whether its work, family or lifestyle I always come back wanting to improve, change or complete something that I haven’t done before.

You’re also in a unique environment for a week with lots of people from all over the world so you get to meet and spend time with people you wouldn’t normally.

I’ve met a lot of wonderful people during stage races and made some friends for life from all over the world.

Is it hard to find time to train sufficiently for stage races?

I don’t know if it’s hard to find the time or its harder to find the motivation. Training is a huge piece of a stage race and when it’s cold outside but you still need to get that run in then it can be difficult to get out the door.

I tend to train a lot more flexibly these days and don’t stick to any generic plans. I combine running with cross training, turbo training, indoor rowing and swimming and that keeps things fresh for me.

Meet Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and Gobi's Master 14
Dion with his dog Gobi running part of the Milan Marathon as PR for the release in Italy of Finding Gobi.

What advice would you give to someone preparing for their first ever stage race?

Don’t be overwhelmed.  You need to get 3 things right – training, food, and kit.  It’s simple and doesn’t need to be expensive, time-consuming or difficult.  A lot of forums giving advice really cause more confusion than necessary.

Any ‘secret sauce’ tips / quirky things you do to help you during stage races?

Sometimes the water given to you during stage races is sitting at checkpoints in temperatures of up to 50 degrees and is simply undrinkable.  To cool it down, place a wet ‘Buff’ over your water bottles before you put them in their holders and as you run the breeze combined with the wet ‘Buff’ will chill your bottles.

If you’re in the campsite then use the drink bottle nozzle to hang them in the air from a tree or your tent to catch the breeze.

Meet Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and Gobi's Master 15

Finding Gobi, Dion’s book about the incredible true story and incredible journey of Finding Gobi is now an International Bestseller with Top 10 in US, Canada, Italy, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @findinggobi

Main image Photo Credit: KAEM

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner

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Filippo Rossi is a globetrotting journalist originally from the Swiss-Italian town of Lugano.

In the last few years, Filippo has thrown himself around the world, running some of the most prestigious and challenging ultras and stage races in far-flung locales.

His medal collection includes Marathon des Sables, Transgrancanaria, Endurance Life Dorset, Ultrabericus, Vulcano Trail and every race in the 4 Deserts series. In fact, in 2016 he completed the 4 Deserts Grand Slam – all four 250km races within one calendar year, consistently achieving top-10 positions.

A seasoned ultrarunner whose pack is always lighter than everyone else’s, Filippo knows how to run far.

The following interview is an excerpt from the Stage Race Handbook.

Meet Filippo Rossi

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 16

Hey Filippo, we first met at Racing The Planet Namibia a couple of years ago.  What was it about the 4 Deserts races that first caught your eye?

When I first came to Namibia, I already had the Marathon des Sables experience behind me. I was confident about what was going on.

However, the environment of people was completely different. This is what stunned me at first. The idea to meet worldwide people much deeper than what I had experienced before. In terms of racing, of course, I saw a difference in the organization.

Even though 4 Deserts was always very well organized, they missed some facilities that MDS provided automatically.

How has your preparation for stage races evolved from one race to the next?

I must say that after Marathon des Sables I changed completely my vision of training because I changed my trainer.

That happened just before that first 4 Deserts race in Namibia. Since then I radically improved my running style and my consciousness about it, making it possible to train and know what I was doing. During the 4 Deserts Grand Slam, I continued improving this conscious running style that today allows me to train much more efficiently.

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 17

What was the biggest challenges, or scary moments, of the 4 Desert Grand Slam?

The challenges were everywhere. Time to recover was never enough.

Races were tough and no discount was made, even for the grand slammers.

The biggest challenge was mental. Keeping the mindset ready for the next challenge.

When I finished Antarctica, I was scared of what was coming next, because I entered a loop.

The scariest moment was during the Atacama Crossing –  I really considered the dropping out because of a stomach acidity problem, which I solved just by downing some pills that the doctor gave me. However, the problems still persisted and I finished the run with a lot of problems, compromising the result.

I remember you probably had the lightest pack in the 4 Deserts Namibia race, something like 6.5kg.  Can you share what your pack weights were, and how you managed to reduce them so much??

This is maybe the funniest thing you have to do before going to the desert.

Preparing the backpack is an art.

I started at MDS with more than 8kgs and finished this year at the Iranian Silk Road Ultramarathon with just 6.5kg. Not bad. But how?

Simply getting rid of anything that isn’t useful for the race. The food is really tight and minimal for the whole week, which means that you get the calories you need from a very small amount of food.

Then all the small items like knife, lamps and mirrors are really basic, as the sleeping bag, which is no more than 300g. Considering all the mandatory equipment that RTP requires, which is far too much, I was always able to keep the weight low without cheating.

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 18
Filippo resting in his ‘camp clothes’ – an ultra-lightweight paper suit!

How do stage races influence other aspects of your life, whether personal or professional?

Stage races changed my life.

I must say that after journalism, my profession, I live for running.

I would love to run any kind of stage races in the world if I just had the time. You live such intense experiences and meet such amazing people that it really touches you.

Personally, it helped me a lot, being stronger mentally and much more consecutive. Professionally also, since my work brings me to risk anytime, I always need concentration and determination, which is also thanks to these races.

Did you get any bad injuries during the 4 Deserts Grand Slam?

Fortunately not, I finished Antarctica just with bad tendons inflammations, but that was fair enough considering the terrain and the hardness of the course.

What was it like running 250km in Antarctica?

Antarctica was surely an awesome experience that I would maybe repeat without racing such a race.

250km run on a loop-range that goes from 1.5km to 3.5km for 10 hours, is far too much, even for the strongest.

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 19

This proves you mentally and physically since you’re never on a hard path, the weather changes every minute and the loops are so tiny that you always have to pass people making double efforts. I considered that race as a proof for my head, and the result was perfect since I came 3rd out of 60 people.

Talking about the fact of running in Antarctica, that was priceless. Animals and landscapes were just something unexplainable and I will never forget it.

What advice would you give to someone preparing for their first ever stage race?

The best advice I can give is doing like me: find someone that already did it and let him guide you, especially for the gear. The most important thing is the gear and the food. Logistics make more than half of everything.

Training and mental preparation are important too, but if you go with the wrong pair of shoes or you bring the wrong food (which is always my case, after 6 times), you will not finish or you will just hate the experience. This is what I did: I got to know a guy, who is one of my best friends today, that already did MdS. I asked him, learned from him. He finally checked my equipment and told me if I was missing something. Done. My MdS was a success.

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner 20
Filippo and I during Racing The Planet: Namibia 2016

Any ‘secret sauce’ tips / quirky things you do to help you during stage races?

For sure anyone develops his own strategies. For me, for example, comfort is everything.

I learned that gaiters are not always useful. If you don’t have dunes, you don’t need them.

Salt tablets are essential as the electrolytes are. I personally take only tablets, avoiding taking liquids that could disturb your stomach with predictable bad-turnings.

Eventually, I would add the shorts. Tights with more pockets are good to bring more energy bars, salts and everything you need during the race without always opening the bags, stopping and losing time and rhythm. It is simple: just take any kind of tights and tell a tailor to sew some elastic pockets (tailor-made). This is a winning strategy if you also want to avoid using a front pack.

Follow Filippo on his Facebook page, or on his personal running blog below:

http://followpippa.gatewaytours.ch/

Meet Cynthia Fish – The Turtle That Completed The 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus

Last updated on Jan 31, 2020 By

Cynthia Fish became one of the first women to complete the ‘4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus’ in 2016, completing five 250km races in a calendar year.

She has also completed several other stage races, such as the Global Limits races. Cynthia walks her stage races – she is consistently ‘near the back’, but also has a consistent pace and strategy that works very well!

Cynthia enjoys spending time during the races taking in the scenery, getting to know her fellow runners better and treating the whole thing as an opportunity. You are unlikely to come across a more positive person in a campsite.

The following interview is an excerpt from the Stage Race Handbook.

Meet Cynthia Fish 

Meet Cynthia Fish - The Turtle That Completed The 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus 21

Hi Cynthia, you’re a celebrated ‘turtle’ – tell me a bit about the benefits of taking it slower.

The hours between 3 pm and dark are my favorite time to be outside- it’s getting cooler, the light is changing, perhaps getting crisper, the sun is setting, with all the change that brings – it is my magic time. (I don’t object to a good sunrise either, I just resent getting out of my warm bed to see it.)

That end of time day is also the most peaceful in my head- I’ve pretty much wrestled my own demons, and solved a few of the world’s problems, so my mind is fairly still. No chattering voices upsetting the steady tic tic tic of the poles.

It is also a time when the competitors are the most spaced out, so you often really feel solitary, alone with the world around you. One of the great features of the races is the alternating aloneness on the course, and the company in camp, so being out there by yourself is a feeling to be cherished and treasured, perhaps even a little indulged.

Finally, it’s the welcoming sound of the camp chatter. I was probably a sheepdog in an earlier reincarnation. I am strangely comforted by the fact that most of the racers are safe in camp. I can usually hear camp before I get there, so it’s a bit of a transition moment from alone to together as I approach.

Any ‘secret sauce’ tips / quirky things you do to help you during stage races?

Over time I have collected a small number (read lightweight) objects or foods that have made the races more comfortable. I started with a silk scarf that I find super handy to use as a bandana, a neck warmer, a hand warmer… I sleep with it instead of a scratchy buff if it’s cold, and I will often keep it on for the first few kilometers of the day…. it’s just a little taste of soft that feels nice.

I added a very thin, very light (about 50 grams) sleeping mat. I just roll it out and voila- some protection against the chill, the wet, the prickly bushes or the rocks- without the time and effort to blow up the inflatable mat, which I also bring.

The rollout mat is especially pleasurable during my golden hour- the time I use to recover with my feet up and my recovery drink and snack in hand. I unclip it, roll it out, grab the food and voila! instant comfort. An hour later, I am ready to inflate the mat, but for that one hour. bliss… It also protects the blow-up mat from particularly rocky bits, so it’s also a bit of insurance.

I wear a pair of biking shorts over my compression leggings. The shorts have pockets in them and I carry my headlamp, my Kleenex, my hand sanitizer, and other bits and bobs. I also carry a really lightweight grocery bag, in which I put the day’s dinner and breakfast items, and my bowl and cup and spork.

Again, I sort out the food once, and I never have to rush back to the tent to get something I might have forgotten. Similarly, I stash my hat and my mitts in my warmest jacket – I figure if I need the hat and mitts or jacket, then I will shortly need them all.

Meet Cynthia Fish - The Turtle That Completed The 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus 22

How do you approach a stage race – what’s your strategy at the start of the week?

When I was getting ready for my first race, I rehearsed each moment within the race, trying to figure out ways to make those moments flow as smoothly as possible.

How to snack on the trail, where to put the snacks, how to fill the water bottles without getting water all over my front, how to lay out my mat, where to put my blister kit and how to take off my socks and shoes beside the trail. Each time I went out to train, I went over and over in my mind all the scenarios I could imagine and tried to MacGyver myself out of them.

Each race starts the same way.

I wonder what on earth I am doing there.

I question every decision in my life that led me to this moment.

And then I smell the campfire, lay out the sleeping bag, look up at the stars… pure happy.

What was the biggest challenges, or scary moments, of the 4 Desert Grand Slam Plus?

The scariest moment was realizing that I had six stitches in my knee from a fall on day 2 and several river crossings yet to do on the first race of the 5.

Once I finished that race, upright and without an infection, the potential lions in the Namibian desert, the possible frostbite in Antarctica, the salt flats of Atacama, nothing was ever to going to scare me again.

And when I had to walk 4 kilometers through a sandstorm after the end of the Long March in the Gobi, from pink flag to pink flag, with eyes streaming, I wasn’t scared, I was just determined not to lose sight of the reflective tape. The most difficult (and exciting) part was traveling so much in such a short period of time to so many exotic corners of the world.

Physically, resting between the races was important. Each race was tough, and cumulatively it was hard on the system, but knowing that I was going to race over the ten months, I took it easy- always keeping something inside for the last 10km.

Meet Cynthia Fish - The Turtle That Completed The 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus 23

All bandaged up after the stitches!!

What advice would you give to someone preparing for their first ever stage race?

You need a small music machine with some good dance music and a couple of hours of podcasts on some arcane but interesting subject.

You need walking poles.

Research tasty snacks. Fats are very important.

Do as many back to back long training days as you can. Walk as many kilometers as possible, everyone underestimates the amount of time they will be walking on the trail. And hip flexors get surprisingly sore surprisingly quickly.

But the most important thing is to practice practice practice with your gear. Be familiar with your gear and practice packing and unpacking it in the dark, with a head torch when you are tired. Eat the food you are planning to take two meals in a row. The only element of surprise should be the terrain.

Confidence in your kit and confidence in your ability to be able to try to make the cut-offs is what training is all about. Time spent on that at home means that your race is more pleasurable.

What was it about stage races that first caught your eye?

I started doing ultra-marathons because I am too slow to race marathons and I didn’t want to race a horse. I like being outside. I like being off the grid and alone with my thoughts and beautiful landscapes.

I like pushing myself hard, but I am comforted by the safety net the races give in terms of support and medical care. I didn’t know I liked to sleep on the ground. And I didn’t know I was good at it. Rocks don’t bother me.

The training regimen at home involves a fair amount of napping. Except for the fairly gnarly black toenails at the conclusion of the race, it’s all a bit of a walk in the park… kind of.

Meet Cynthia Fish - The Turtle That Completed The 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus 24
Friends together in Namibia – Rick (who lost his bag and all equipment, broke a tooth, had to sleep outside, then got heat exhaustion), Cynthia Fish, Phil Rodd and Hiro (Nakata Hiroshi)

And you just keep signing up for more!

Obviously, I have a bit of an ultra addiction. I only started this sport 5 years ago, and I have averaged four ultras a year which is by any standard a lot. I like who I am when I do the race, and I like the person it has helped me be between the races. I worry less, have more confidence and patience, I feel fitter and stronger than I ever have before.

Excellence doesn’t have to mean podium, it can also mean putting your own best effort together and seeing where it gets you.

Check out Cynthia’s Race Report from the Racing The Planet Sri Lanka Roving Race, which was part of her 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus challenge!